Rock 'N Roll Pilgrimage

I finally made it on October 11, 2013!

71161 Twentynine Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms, California

So Many Bridges, So Little Time

Ibanez Jet King 1

 I had to try this just to see if it will work.  Guitar Center lists all used instruments that they carry in their nationwide network of stores.  I wanted something unique enough and inexpensive enough that it's worth my effort and at the same time, I'm not out too much if it doesn't work out.  Enter the Ibanez Jet King 1 (JTK1) guitar.

This butterscotch Ibanez is at the Guitar Center in Towson, Maryland -- about as far away from California as they get.  First of, I didn't use the online ordering forms.  I had to talk to a live person, a Guitar Center employee who can verify the guitar in that particular store inventory as well as describe its condition.

The Jet King 1 is the first of a series of Jet Kings by Ibanez and my guitar is most likely made around 2004.  According to some online sources, the JTK1 is supposed to resemble the 60s vintage Teisco with the fret markers and pickup configuration.  This Ibanez has coil-splitting switches that toggle the sound from single-coil to humbucker.

Overall, the guitar is 7.6 pounds (Made in Indonesia) but has a less than solid feel -- even though I think it's a very well made guitar.  The overall weight just doesn't give me a balanced feel when playing strapped on.  But it I am to judge this guitar as deserving to be in the collection, it is on the merits of playability and overall sound.  Did I mention the neck?  Yes, I like its overall flat radius and width at nut of 43.5 mm (strat are typically just a little over 42 mm).  It almost plays like an acoustic at the lower frets (1 through 5).

In conclusion, my experiment of online buying of a used guitar seems to be an overall success.  I think being able to talk to a salesperson who described to me every aspect of the actual instrument definitely helps.

Ibanez Talman TC 630

When I looked up Craigslist ads on Sunday morning, I thought there was little chance this Talman was still available.  The ad was asking for $400 or trade for a small tube amp.  I had accumulated a few small tube amps and I think this Talman was worth at least the Marshall Class 5 that I traded the Takamine for.

I took the chance and sent the seller a few pics of the Marshall and by 830 pm, I was driving up the 15 freeway with this Ibanez Talman TC 630.  Not exactly sure what color Ibanez called this but it is a very  creamy white with a complementary red pearloid pickguard.  The pickguard was all scratched up at the neck pickup position which definitely adds to the guitar's character.

There was a slight fret buzz that all but went away as soon as I changed the strings to a hybrid Ernie Ball set (46,36,26,16,11,9).  I also added a 4th spring to the tremolo which stiffened it a little bit more.  The pickup heights were also adjusted to an optimum set -- trial and error mostly, based on what I thought was the proper gain.  The 5-position switch is similar to a strat in terms of pickup combination.

These lipstick pickups were my biggest surprise.  I have never had a guitar with these before and I have to say, the neck pickup has that perfect warmth/twang balance.  Playability is 9 (on a scale of 10) and my only complaint is the guitar's weight at 9.4 lbs.  Other than that, I am content not having the Marshall amp (which I really liked) and instead having my second Talman.

Jarrett, Peacock, DeJohnette (9/28/13)

No photography was allowed during the performance at UCLA Royce Hall as requested by the artists so during intermission, I headed to the front row and captured a lasting image of Jarrett's grand piano, Peacock's double bass resting on its side and DeJohnette's Sonor drum kit.  Ever since Dave Brubeck passed away last year, I had made it a point for me (and the kids) to see these giants of jazz whenever possible.  I wasn't sure how the kids would react to the jazz trio format but I figure them playing bass and drums, they would have somewhat of an instant appreciation of Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette.  But the real genius of this group is Keith Jarrett, who at age 68 continued his grunting and dancing while playing jazz standards.  Jarrett requested a Royce Hall staff to change the piano bench after one song claiming it was uncomfortable -- consistent with his reputation for being somewhat of a pain in the ass.  But his mastery of the piano and the standards is also one of the few remaining consistent things in jazz today.

Black Sabbath (9/3/13)

I had been listening (and playing) to Black Sabbath ever since I learned how to play guitar.  So when the band announced a tour date in Los Angeles, I was all over Ticketmaster.  Ozzy, Tony and Geezer was joined by drummer Tommy Clufetos at the LA Sports Arena and they did one heavy set of old standards and songs off the new album '13'.  The kids tagged along for this concert even though it was a school night -- I was not going to deprive them of this opportunity.  The only thing that really sucked is the parking in the LA Coliseum complex.  A half hour to get it and a hour to get out.  For some reason, the parking lot personnel did nothing but collect my $20.  No marshalling, no traffic control.

When To Leave Things Alone

Some guitars just have that personality that you cannot help but notice.  This Olympic White MIM Fender Strat sat at the Guitar Center in Covina probably as the least noticed of all the used electrics.  It was missing two knobs, the fretboard was filthy and worn and the pickguard was dirty and scratched.  On the other side of that equation, people pay top dollar for relic'd strats so why was this only selling for $225?

When I plugged it in, I knew it had a strong sound.  Played "State of Love and Grace" and it roared.  Played "Prayer of The Refugee" and the fretboard is fast.  Did I need another strat? No.  Did I need "this" strat? Yes.  And it came in Olympic White.
When I finally got it after a week hold (California State Law), I was on the fence whether to clean it up and replace the missing volume and tone knobs with matching ones.  After a day of deliberation, I finally decided to leave it alone with the exception of adding a couple mismatching knobs.  Now, the guitar has such a distinct personality that it easily is my favorite MIM strat.  Sometimes, leaving things alone is the best action to take.

Never Judge on Looks Alone

This is my Tacoma DR-12 dreadnought I bought from Pedrini's Music in Alhambra in 1999.  It is actually my favorite acoustic guitar because it is loud, the neck is wide and the tone of the solid spruce top projects well.  I played it consistently up until 2006 -- when it met a terrible accident during a family trip to Sacramento where the lower bout got smashed and the binding started detaching.

It sat in a case, damaged until 2 weeks ago when I decided to take it to get repaired.  The luthier, Henry at Folk Music Center in Claremont put it back just enough to not make it worse.  Carpenter's glue is all the magic he needed to make it playable again.  I picked it up today and played it for the first time in years and I now remember why I prefer the DR-12's tone over any Taylor acoustic I have.  Like an old friend I haven't seen in years, literally, it felt familiar.  I recognize the tones I get from it.

The abalone inlay work around the soundhole was done very well and added to its overall visual appeal when I first picked up the instrument in '99.  Add the clear pickguard and it was not like any other guitar I have.  When I put it away in 2006, the finish coat was still perfect, seeing nothing but the dark confines of the case, stashed away in a closet.  When I opened it last year, I was just shocked at the finish coat starting to peel off like a scab on a healing wound.  WTF?  It started in the rosewood sides and at the Gumby-shaped headstock.

A little bit of research revealed this was a Tacoma problem for a few years built around the time I got mine.  Fender Musical Instruments bought Tacoma in 2004 and had since stopped making Tacoma brand guitars.  Warranty on the finish?  Foggetaboutit.  Yes, a "Made In USA" guitar can undergo really crappy manufacturing processes.  But what's interesting about this guitar, is if you can ignore its visual ugliness, it still sounds excellent.  So like they always say, don't let appearances fool you.  The soul of any instrument is not revealed until after it speaks.

Epiphone Valve Junior

The search for the ultimate tone is what most would use to justify a new amp.  For yours truly, there isn't a single "tone" I'm looking for but a way to get the best sound out of a guitar.  I know for a fact, my Tele doesn't sound good on my Marshall and at the same time, my Midtown doesn't sound too good on the Vox.  The absolute worse case scenario is an amp specifically chosen for each guitar in the collection.  Not only is this not feasible but only not practical both financially and space-wise.  This Epiphone Valve Junior is attractive on a couple of aspects.  First, the price I got if for used on Craigslist at $200 is reasonable enough that I know I can sell it for the same amount if I don't like it in the long run.  Second, I had read a lot of good reviews on the speaker cabinet that contains a single 12-inch Eminence Lady Luck rated at 70 Watt (16 Ohms).  And last, Epiphone stopped making this particular amp in 2012 -- meaning the demand may continue for a discontinued item.

From a power standpoint, the 5 Watt rating on a single EL84 power section isn't enough to cut through a full drum kit and bass playing at volume.  I tried the Valve Junior with my Talman, Jaguar and Mustang and finally settled on the tone I was after with a single coil Strat (and Tele) but the volume just wasn't there.  But hey, that's why guitarists mic amps into the PA system right?

The front face controls is no-nonsense -- a single volume knob, an input jack and an on/off switch.  No gain, no tone and certainly no standby power.  There are 3 speaker output options at 4, 8 and 16 Ohms so I'm somewhat curious to try the head with a 4 and/or 8 Ohms speakers.  The Valve Junior is popular with mod monkeys and I've read people buying the half stack model, reselling the head and keeping the cabinet.  Overall, it was worth the drive to Hesperia to pick it up from the seller.

EMG HZ Pickups

I bought the used Fender Jaguar bass for my son from CL and it looked relatively new.  The protective plastic on the pick guard had not been removed and for $275, it was what I was looking for.  However, within a week, he realized that his Shecter bass -- which had active EMG pickups sounded way better across the entire range.  We ended up going to Guitar Center auditioning various pickups and EMG is definitely the sound he was looking for.  Only problem is the Jaguar is not built for active pickups so the choices were limited at best.

He eventually settled for the EMG HZ passive pickups for PJ bass configuration which Amazon carried for about $100.  The actual swapout only took about 30 minutes and did not require removal of the pickguard -- just the potentiometer plate which is on a separate chrome bezel.  The fit is perfect and the sound has the presence that the kid is looking for.

Still not sure what to do with the stock pickups (below).  They are typical of the electronics that are on guitars manufactured in the Far East -- fully functional but lack the gain and dynamic range of the EMGs.  This little exercise did reminds me of what I've always known about electric guitars -- the quality of the sound is only as good as the pickups installed.  Overall, EMGs are more than a third of what I paid for the instrument.

Gibson Midtown Custom

Possibly the nicest guitar I have in the collection.  I like this Gibson Midtown Custom so much, I'm considering parting with my Gretsch 5420T.  Although they are different guitars, the playability on the Gretsch seems really low compared to this perfectly set up Midtown.  Currently out of production, I found this one used on Craigslist last week.  I had all my requirements -- black, Custom with the intricate headstock inlay and binding, used.  The previous owner had installed a Lollar single coil pickup for the neck and a PAF for the bridge.  The combination has a very wide range of tones although the warmth of bridge PAF is probably my favorite setting on this player's instrument.

I will post some more pictures later when I put it down long enough to take photograph it's features -- including some belt buckle rash in the back of the body.

CL Search Words

Some are colors, some are specific brands, some are models.  But all are Craigslist search words I've used in the past 6 months.

Stratocaster, Strat, Jaguar, Jag-Stang, Mustang, Jazzmaster, Surf, Daphne, SC300T, Talman, Jazz Chorus, Tube, Fiesta, Parker, Ultra, MIM, MIJ, Japan, Japanese, Delonge, Olympic, body, neck, v-neck, Jazz Bass, Vox, Anniversary, Reissue, Gretsch, Pedal, Pedalboard, Flextone, Tweed, Lake Placid Blue, Italia, Danelectro, Tempest, Wilshire, Pelham Blue, Tokia, AC15, AC30, Midtown, hollowbody, hollow-body, Mosrite, Seafoam Green, Stargazer, Telecaster, Tele

Not What It Used To Be

A visit to Guitar Center isn't a simple as it used to be.  A couple years ago, the kids would just grimace as soon as I announce that I will need to do a quick stop to pick up guitar strings or parts.  Now that I have a full rhythm section formed by both kids, Guitar Center had moved from category of something-only-dad-likes to yes-we-want-to-go.  Even on vacation, Sam wanted to find the local GC because he gets this sudden urge to play some drums.  And yesterday, after dim sum in Arcadia, our planned GC Pasadena pit stop turned into an all-afternoon West Hollywood expedition -- hitting the Sunset Blvd GC, the Sam Ash Drum Shop just to the east and the Sam Ash Guitar Shop across the street.  Although we didn't find the EMG PJ bass pickups we were looking for, we did find some drum practice pads -- both items in the shopping list of my rhythm section.  I walked away without buying anything for myself but with the satisfaction that a visit to Guitar Center is more fun than it used to be.

Rationalization Of An Acquisition

Guitar Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.) starts out innocently enough.  About the only thing that doesn't qualify as a G.A.S. purchase is probably that very first instrument -- that one that you will learn how to play on.  Just about every other rationalization is one step closer to G.A.S. at an epidemic pace.  Here are some thoughts on how I got here.

Rationale #1: I need to acquire a backup guitar.  In most cases, the new instrument replaces the previous one as the primary instrument.  A backup guitar, a backup electric, a backup stratocaster, a backup HSS strat. You get the point.  Except at some point, both guitars become primary and you therefore, need a "real" backup.  Another guitar, that is.  And it goes on and on and on.

Rationale #2: I need to get a different guitar for playing a different kind of music.  Remember that first hollowbody?  Why?  I need to play jazz comps properly on a jazz guitar.  Of course, it's easy to lose interest in playing that type of music once the guitar is in hand.

Rationale #3: I need to find another guitar with a slightly different sound or tonal quality.  Different pickup combination, different acoustic body shape, different neck construction.  I needed a set-neck guitar to get a better sustain when playing solos.  Right, Carlos Santana.

Rationale #4: That guitar would pair up perfectly with one that I already have.  A matching Lake Placid Blue Stratocaster would sure look nice next to my Lake Placid Blue Telecaster.  Aesthetically, a pair that is meant to be deserves to be together.  A good argument to use with our spouses -- not that we should compare guitars with spouses.  I'm just saying.

Rationale #5: I am buying this guitar because it is an upgrade to my current model.  Who wouldn't replace their MIM strat with a Made in USA strat?  I, for one, wouldn't think twice about replacing my 5000 series Gretsch with a 6000 series.  There is a school of thought that says if you get the most expensive model you can afford, you will not want to upgrade.  I did this with my Taylor 414 Grand Auditorium but somehow, I needed a Taylor dreadnought after a couple years.

Rationale #6: I need that guitar because I don't have it.  Probably the worst case.  When we get to this phase, all bets are off.  A 12-step program is in order.  But then the trade is "Do I pay for that 12-step program?" or "Do I spend the money on a Gibson Midtown Custom?"

Fender Jaguar Blacktop

This is one of two guitars I bought at Best Buy when they were closing out their music department.  I've seen this Fender Blacktop Jaguar with 2 humbucker pickups at the Duarte store hanging up on the wall (about 10 feet above ground) for the past couple years.  I didn't even bother trying to play it because the $499 tag was just a lot more than what I was willing to pay for an HH Jaguar.  Until last week, when I visited the store three times to look at what deals were available.  I ended up paying half the street price which is easily still a hundred below typical asking prices on Craigslist.

This is also my first black guitar and it was definitely a challenge photographing it as dust, smudges and fingerprints show up really nice.  The HH combination almost makes it sound non-Fender like.  Perfect for long solos or overdriven power chords, this Jag has everything but twang -- which is just fine.  I have a whole wall of twangy axes if that's what I wanted.

The shorter 24-inch scale makes chord transitions in the first five fret super fast.  The downside is solos at 15 and above are not as clean because of the closer fretwires.  The other feature I like about this is the fixed bridge -- not a big tremolo fan so this suits me just fine.  The guitar came setup with 9 and it feels a bit light given the shorter scale as well.  I'll leave it with the factory strings until I decided to change them -- at which, I will try the next higher gauge.

The guitar is made in Mexico but has all the quality features of Japanese Jags.  I played it 2 hours the first night I took it home and the light strings and lighter weight body effectively eliminated any fatique from playing the instrument.  Overall, the guitar is definitely worth the price I paid for it.

Representing Guitar Producing Nations

I finally hung all my red guitars in the studio and only after putting them up, did I realize that each one of them is made in a different country.  From left to right: Yamaha SC300T (Taiwan), Fender Mustang Pawn Shop Special (Mexico), Italia Maranello (South Korea), Peavey Falcon (USA).  One red short of a flush.  What's missing?  A red Japanese-made guitar.

1993 Fender Precision Bass (Post-Restoration)

Not much to say other than this bass had the good bones that I had originally suspected.  Fully functional and tuned.  About the only thing I wasn't able to fix cosmetically was the broken off pickup housing.  The epoxy I used to put it back together is holding but there is a small crack (see last photo collage, upper left) that show.  The pickup works perfectly.  Also, the tone pot is a bit noisy so if and when I replace that, I might upgrade the pickups as well.  We'll see.

This bass plays just fine.  Not as perfect as one made in Corona, California but it meets my needs.  It had stayed in tune after a day of playing and plugged in, it has enough of the mid-range I'm looking for.  Also, at some point, I might try flat-wound strings but that'll be a while.

1993 Fender Precision Bass (Pre-Restoration)

This is a Fender P-Bass that is made in Korea (denoted by the serial number beginning with "CN").  I got this bass from some kid who advertised on Craigslist and it did not come with any strings.  From my internet research, the 3 in the serial number denotes the date of manufacture, around 1993 that is -- which puts this guitar at 20 years old.

It comes with Schaller tuners on the matte finish headstock.  The bass was in a pretty ratty condition as evidenced in the photos below.  But I recognized that this bass has some pretty good bones and most of the stuff are cosmetic in nature that I can fix up with some simple cleaning.

What's a used guitar without a sticker right?  The pickguard is in excellent shape and the oxidized screws give it some character.  During the restoration process, I will keep the original screws but definitely will remove the sticker.  The pickup (closest to neck) housing is cracked and busted so I needed to work some magic with epoxy to piece it back together.

The bridge is in good shape with no rust, just dust.  This was the fairly easy to clean but I had to undo the five screws that hold it so I can check the grounding wire.  Obviously, the springs to preload the string saddles are in good condition as well.

Underneath the volume and tone knobs were small pieces of the original pickguard plastic covering.  I had to clean remove the pots and output jack anyway so I can wash the pickguard thoroughly.  I some point, I will need to replace the pots, as the volume one has some noise when turning it up or down.

There are hardly any deep scratches on this 20-year old cream body.  In fact, after cleaning it, the body is somewhat flawless.  Again, I had to look past all this when I decided to buy the guitar.  And finally, to really give it an aged look, I buffed the body with chrome polish -- which easily removed these surface-only scratches.

Next post...photos of the restored instrument.

Italia Maranello

This is one of the more unusual guitars in my stable.  Visually, it definitely has a 60s surf guitar vibe but that's just part of the story.  Italia is a guitar maker that started putting out these retro-looking axes in the early 2000s.  This particular model I have is the Maranello and looks very much like the Hagstrom Standard 80 -- a 60s era guitar.  Very few of these Maranellos come up for sale in the used market in LA and when the ad for this one came up, I jumped on it within a couple hours.  Thankfully, the seller is from Glendora -- only about 4 miles from my workplace.

The sparkle red finish is nicely complemented by the art deco tailpiece and an antique white plastic pickguard that houses two Alnico V Wilkinson humbuckers.  The guitar setup wasn't too bad when I got it but I'll probably experiment with a couple string gauges before I decide on what to use on it long term.  The neck is larger than a standard Strat c-neck and plays almost like my Tacoma acoustic.

The back side of the Maranello is just as beautiful as the red sparkle top.  A pearloid finish from headstock to neck to body is quite impressive and like no other guitar I've seen. The country of origin (Korea) is probably the only reason this guitar sells for only $779 (MSRP).  It sells discounted online for about $579.

This guitar is also featured in the book "Guitar" by Michael Heatley as shown in the photos below.  And finally, the one other unique feature is the orientation of the output jack -- which, unlike every other electric guitar I own, points up, toward the strap button.  The idea is to use the guitar strap as a strain relief for the instrument cable as most everyone does playing live.  The one thing I am hoping for is for all pearloid surfaces to yellow over time, thereby giving this guitar a really unique look.

The Art of Relic (Fender 50s Reissue Stratocaster)

The more I think about the concept of relic-ing a new guitar, the more I find human behavior strange -- including mine.  Why are we obsessed with the vintage, the old and worn?  Is it because anything that is worn has a more personal feel to it?  Warmth, a personal connection to some past.  Whereas the new feels cold and detached.  That used guitar in the pawn shop may have played thousands of songs. If only there was a way to audition a used instrument before I buy it.  This 50s Reissue Fender Stratocaster did not have much of a history when I bought it off some kid in La Puente.  One small nick in the sunburst body is all.  The fretboard was perfect.  Too perfect for my taste.

Enter the Art of Relic.  For about a week now, I have vowed to make this guitar worthy of its 50s pedigree.  I haven't put it in a case, hang it nor even cared where I set it down.  Next to the fireplace, on the kitchen counter, on top of the pile on the desk.  Call it accelerated aging.  Bumped it a few times.  Didn't care.  But most importantly, I had played it every day for the entire time.  I even put the original pickguard back, the one with a couple small screw holes the previous owner had done, the one I had temporarily replaced with a new pearloid one.

This guitar had also somewhat been a little more frustrating than most other Strats I've owned simply because the truss rod adjustment is at the neck heel.  I take pride in being able to setup my own guitars but the sweet spot on this one had proven elusive.  I've had to loosen the pickguard to get full access to the adjustment screw.

And finally, the finish on this Strat body is so durable, aging it will take a little more than I initially anticipated.  From the above picture, one can almost see the thick lacquer coat (see tremolo spring cavity photo).  So what seems like a 1-mm thick protective coat works really well.  I've bumped it against some sharp objects (screws, keys, etc) and all it got was some very minor scratches.  At the very least, the high-gloss finish is becoming more matte after a week's effort.