paulsmithiii's Reviews
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498
Cavernous Sound
I indulged myself and ordered this bookend to my '64 style Hofner. The bracing is different which makes it a bit heavier than the 500/1 but not in a bad way - just different. I believe that has to have some influence on the tone as well but it's hard to tell when you're just playing in your home studio. Mine came with the teacup knobs as well. I love their size and shape and the neck is perfect for my hand. This Hofner is modeled after the '62 bass Paul McCartney played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Paul continued to switch back and forth between the two iconic guitars in the early Beatle years. Later he allowed Fender (I believe) to modify it some with new wiring and larger pickup borders to add strength. Paul can be seen playing it on the video of Revolution and a few times in the film "Let It Be". It's seen with a piece of foam inserted under the strings just above the bridge. I believe he was trying to get a punchier sound from it - some believe he was trying solve a buzzing problem. The guitar was stolen in 1972 and was finally recovered and given back to Paul who has it refurbished. He recently played it live again for the first time in over 50 years on his "Got Back" tour.
498
Too Fab for Words
Again my wife (shout out to Linda) surprised me with this bass a few years ago. It is a special 125th anniversary issue with all the early 60's specs. I love bass guitar and this little baby steps up for whatever I need. After all it fit the bill for one of the greatest music phenomenons that ever existed.
498
Byrds to Beatles to Petty
What can I say about this guitar that you haven't already heard? It doesn't take much effort to conjure up the sounds of your favorite 60's songs on this baby. George heard Roger, Carl Wilson heard George and Tom Petty heard all three of them and ended up friends with all three of them. If you grew up in the 60's like I did the sound of this guitar raises the hair on your arms. It's absolutely amazing to play and to listen to.
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498
Slide or Don't Slide
I don't play a lot of slide but when I do this is my ax. Designed by one of the greatest guitarists in the world, Rick Vito added the Art Deco style to a great combination of pickups and wiring. The P-90 pickup growls when you literally dial it in with the switching - a great feature in place of a three position toggle. The bridge pickup is sneaky in that it looks like a humbucker but is actually a single coil combined with a blade pickup beneath the cover. The bridge pickup offers very bright Supro-type sound that can go from Surf to classic Fleetwood Mac with ease. It truly is like having 3 or 4 guitars in one. Mine is black and white but some of the other color offerings are great looking as well and if I don't stop talking about it I'm going to go back and set it up for standard play, or get a second one.
498
Hello Old Friend
This was the first electric guitar I ever bought. Mine is a 1961. I was young when I got it and didn't appreciate it's original finish which had weather-checked. I stripped it and stained it mahogany. The color is nice but I did a rush job on the varnish. Mine now has a Seymour Duncan stacked humbucker in it with a push/pull switch on the volume knob. I replaced the original bridge with a "Badass" bridge but am thinking of going back to the vintage design. Anyway with the mods this little baby will peel the paint off the walls. The neck is so sweet and perfect for my small hands that I named her "Sweet Thang" and had it engraved on the headstock bell.
498
The More You Play it the Better it Sounds
My wife surprised me with this guitar a few years ago. It has nice tone but is really appreciated when plugged in. The Takamine electronics are very nice and the on-board tuner is great for someone like me that uses alternate tunings pretty often.
498
A Great Introduction to the Gretsch Tone
This was my first Gretsch guitar. Though it is an entry level model it has great tone, easy playability and looks beautiful! After getting my 6120 I modded my 5120 with TV Jones Brian Setzer pickups, a new quick connect wiring harness and dice knobs - my own Brian Setzer knockoff. It sounds great!
498
Champagne Tone on a Beer Budget
I purchased this guitar 31 years ago. It has beautiful lows and highs in spite of the laminate top. I quickly swapped out the stock tuning keys for Shallers. I later had an L.R. Baggs Lyric pickup installed. The vollume control is hidden at the top of the sound hole. It has been such a satisfying instrument and it's natural finish looks beautiful too. I would honestly put the fullness and tone of this Epi up against some Taylors and Martins I've played on.
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498
A World of Tone
One of my very favorite guitars - she conjures up tone from Buffalo Springfield to Tom Petty. The playability is amazing and the design is gorgeous! This guitar has introduced me to some Rock-a-Billy playing which is great fun and not as easy as it sounds.
498
Hammer of the Gods
I purchased my LP Standard in 1975 when Gibson was only focusing on the Deluxe. They did fill orders for Standards by modifying Deluxe bodies for the larger Humbucker pickups. As a result the headstock bell on mine says "Standard" but the back of the headstock says Deluxe next to the serial number. It makes her somewhat of a rare gem to me. She's a beautiful iced-tea sunburst and is completely stock. I recently had some body repair done to fuse the pancake pieces back together - a tricky problem caused by a very dry environment in New Mexico. The work was done beautifully by Jay M.Kolanda of NTL Guitars, Nashville. Update - my sweet old '75 split again after 4 years. I'm considering trying one more repair job on it. I've now purchased a new LP Standard 60's model with a solid mahogany body. It's a beautiful "Unburst". The look is reminiscent of Peter Green's old Les Paul now owned by Metallica's Kirk Hammett.