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1966 Gibson ES-330 (plus a Toronto street scene).  

The Epiphone version of this guitar was the Casino.  At well under 7 pounds, this guitar is light as a feather (well…a heavy feather anyway…).  One day I hope to find a 1968 ES-330.  ‘68 was the year they went to the “long neck” on which the the neck join is moved up by several frets (from 15 to 19 maybe?  I can’t remember exactly…), making access to the top-most frets easier.  The ES-335, 345 and 355 always had this join, but it took until 1968 to find it on the 330.

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Apr 28, 2015

I always wanted a ‘65 Epiphone Casino like John Lennon’s.  But if you have priced a '65 Casino lately you will understand why I don’t already have one!  

But my brother in law gave me the next best thing…a miniature replica Casino.  the box didn’t mention John Lennon, but you can see the black rubber grommet around the little pickup selector…and that was something John put on it….so this MUST be a replica of his guitar!  

Pictured with my '96 MIK Epi Casino (full sized of course!) 

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Feb 06, 2015

I was at Mojo Music near Toronto the other day and found this really great set of Allparts aged tuners, so I bought them.  What the hell else was I gonna do?  Not buy them?!?  Ha.  As if.

I have temporarily parked them on my 2012 Gibson SG Std. P-90 (see before & after shots #2 and 3).  But I probably won’t keep them here because the peghead holes are drilled wider than the bushings that came with the tuners so I had to wrap tape around them so they would fit snugly in the hole before installing the tuners.  So I’ll probably move them to a guitar the actually fit!

I do love the look of relic-ed accents on otherwise new and pristine guitars. if you have ever seen the candy apple Tele I built, that’s how I built it..all the hardware is aged while the body and neck are clean.

Also: some shots from my recent trip to Canada’s East Coast.  Top shot was taken just before getting on the ferry from Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia, and the second was taken just after getting on the ferry from Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia!  :D

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Sep 13, 2014

When a shop is this good it doesn’t need to be big.

I was out in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada yesterday - just an hour’s drive west of Toronto - and stopped in at Folkway Music.  Folkway is a small shop, but every single instrument they have is incredible.  I’ll take “small and packed with awesome” over “giant and 90% garbage” any day.

  1. Just a stunning 1953 Gibson ES-175 in a rare original natural finish.  Wow.  I hear you saying “Wait…Is that a 175 with a P-90?  I thought 175s had humbuckers??” and I would answer “Yes - yes it is!  While the 175 as the first production Gibson to come with the now famous "PAF” humbuckers…that wasn’t until in 1957…4 years after this guitar was made.  What?  don’t believe me?  Look at any Les Paul between 1952 and 56…what do you see? Yes.  P-90s!“  :D
  2. King Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.  Kitchener and Waterloo are Sister cities and butted right up against each other.  Also interesting (to me anyway…) Before WWI "Kitchener” was called “Berlin”.  Most of the population were descended form German immigrants.  When Britain got into a war with Germany in 1914 the townsfolk figured it was better NOT to live in a city called Berlin, and promptly changed the name to the uber-patriotic “Kitchener”.  Lord Kitchener was a British military hero.  Don’t believe me?  Wow, you are a skeptical lot ain’t you??  Well here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_to_Kitchener_name_change
  3. Yeah, I don’t know what it is either!   http://www.folkwaymusic.com/vintage-instruments/resonator-steel-guitars/2009-celtic-cross-weissenborn-0814/
  4. 1933 DoBro Model 37
  5. Ditto
  6. 1966-ish Pontiac Firebird.  Not a guitar, but still vintage.
  7.  There’s that 1953 ES-175 again.  Incredible.
  8.   More vintage automobiles on the streets of Kitchener.  As you can see I barely had time to grab the camera and take this shot!
  9. 1941 Oahu Lap Steel guitar & matching Amp.  So fun.  So inexpensive!

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Aug 31, 2014

I love my SG Standard P-90.  All the goodness of an SG Standard.  Plus the even more goodness of P-90s.

I would love it if Gibson USA made “real” SG Specials again.  Not what they call an SG Special these days…with uncovered humbuckers, decal on the headstock and no neck binding, but the ORIGINAL SG Special of the 1960s.  P-90s, dot markers, bound neck. 3 on a plate Klusons with white plastic buttons.   Real headstock inlay.  And GLOSSY!   Come on Gibson!  How about it??

Ask Carlos…he knew!

(note:  half face ‘guard, so his “Special” was made before '67.  Also looks like it does not have 3-on-plate Klusons.  It was a common “upgrade” in those days to change the tuners.  Personally I love the originals….)

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Aug 20, 2014

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