MISC ELECTRIC GUITARS (alphabetical listing)

1. Andrew Olsen Zebrawood/Mahogany Venus HollowRim Custom, (front/back), (headstock), (detail) (more pics at link in text below).  Serial number 007, built for the same collector I got the Olsen Venus Custom from.  True boutique guitars, Andrew Olsen builds each guitar to order, in very low numbers, with craftsmanship as fine as you'll see from any builder.  This model was commissioned by a local customer who has had four AO's built for him.  Serial 007, it features beautiful zebrawood over a mahogany shell.  Rather than trying to explain the construction techniques, Olsen has this guitar on his site and you can see it in various stages of completion.  See pics at Olsen's site at this link with more info on options at this link.  Unlike the last AO I had, which was a solid body, this The Hollow Rim is totally hollow for that wonderful open voice, yet has no F-Holes to lead to feedback issues - plus Andrew leaves enough wood around the rim in both the belly cut and arm facet to keep the Hollow Rim as comfortable as possible.  If you like thin necks, along the lines of an Ibanez, you'll love this one.  The playability and tone of this guitar are clearly above any production guitar you'll play; the quality is evident from the moment you pick it up and hit your first note.  Superb sustain, very low action from the nut to the top fret, and remarkable sustain.  For electronics, this guitar features custom-ordered Wolftone pickups with a straightforward dual volume, dual tone, and a 3-way.  It features a very long nut, slotted at a perfect angle, as well as a zero fret, which is rather unusual for most of today's builders.  For a guitar built of exotic woods, the hollow aspect keeps it lightweight and is well balanced when strapped on.  It has a hand-rubbed oil finish which enhances tone and a great feeling neck with an extremely thin depth, that feels very fast, even when you perspire.  Although you can get a base model Venus for around $2K, one with these high-end features is considerably more, in fact, a letter from Olsen is included (shown here) listing specs and replacement cost of $3250 for this guitar.   One truly fine guitar for $1699(HOLD-Patrick S 10/31).  
2. 60's Audition 3-pickup Solidbody, (front), (headstock), (back), (back-full), (controls), (flaws).  Like my buddy Roy said, if it's good enough for  Elvis Costello, it's gotta be a pretty good guitar.  As shown in this pic, Elvis C plays this exact same model.  Elvis is also noted for playing a Jazzmaster and it may not be a coincidence that this guitar is roughly a Jazzmaster copy, although with an extra pickup.  Audition guitars were the house brand for Woodworth/Wolco department stores and I can remember as a kid drooling over these shiny, fast-looking axes.  Made in Japan, apparently from the same factory as Teisco Del Ray as it shares many of the same features.  Features such as soapbar pickups with foil covered opening and small height adjustment screws; Veg-a-matic rocker switches for pickup on/off as well as one for "Solo/Rhythm"; plastic compensated bridge with height adjustment thumb screws; headstock proudly announces "steel reinforced neck" (cheaper guitars didn't have a truss rod); 20 fret neck; neck biding, and rocker tremolo unit.  This guitar still has the original tremolo bar which is extremely rare.  Although this guitar looks and feels small in stature, it's  full 25.5" scale with a neck that's not only huge in girth, but is also wide at the nut, nearly 1 3/4".  Martin has dome some considerable work getting this guitar to play with comfortable action so he won't be limited to slide work.  He has succeeded nicely.  It has a unique tone with lower output pickups that would work well for surf music or oldies.  It sounds very loud acoustically and should be a stage worthy guitar for the new owner.  Overall it's in remarkably nice shape for 50 years with a nitro finish that still has a nice shine, no finish checking and no horrible flaws other than one of the tuners was cracked and glued back together (now works fine, plus some light dings an scratches in the clear coat and a slight rub on the side of the headstock down to the wood.  Having said that, anyone would say it's in beautiful condition.  A fun and cool early 60's guitar for $350.  
3. 2005 Baker B1 Supreme 24, (close-up), (headstock), (push/pull pots), (back), (straplocks), (long neck tenon/pu's), (case).   Killer looks and superb playability are the hallmarks of this Baker Supreme.  With its arched maple top, perfectly bookmatched flamed maple, and gold hardware, this thing is a real head-turner.  This is the first Baker I've had in stock and there isn't a lot of info available on them other than Ed Roman's hype (link here), but as the sold distributor, he might be a bit biased.  I got this guitar from the original owner, who asked the question at the top of the page, asking about the country of origin.  His question was never actually answered but from my experience I'm certain that this guitar was crafted in Korea, but I will add that it's as fine a Korean import as I've had.  A comparison to PRS isn't out of line as both guitars have a similar look, feel, and vibe.  It was recently removed from the "in stock" section (link) but it sold for $1395 some months back.  Features of this Supreme 24 include flamed maple top, mahogany back, ebony fingerboard, bound body and neck, matching flamed headstock, full crown inlays, Black Magic Pickups with vintage-style braided wires, gold hardware, Dunlop strap locks (we added), push-pull coil taps for each pickup, Tusq nut, and precut for Buzz Feiten system (I'm not sure what that means).  It also features a long neck tenon, with the neck extending nearly to the end of the neck pickup.  This beautiful baker came to us in immaculate condition, except for a 1" finish chip on the back edge.  Martin filled it and buffed it out so you can't feel it and can barely see it (picture here).  Other than this small issue, the guitar is immaculate.  The only two faults I can find with this guitar are (1) the beautiful gold top-hat knobs are very difficult to pull in the "out" position and, (2) the $1395 ($1895 List) price is way to high for a Korean import.  I would rate this guitar higher than imports by PRS, Brian Moore, Schecter, Epi, and others, but many of them are 90% as good for 50% of the price.  We can replace the knobs with gold dome knobs if desired for nominal fee.  If you've been thinking of trying out one of these, save $600 and get this beautiful used one.  Just $799 and it includes a top quality silver case, original for this model.  
4. B.C. RICH ACOUSTIC - THE ULTIMATE GUITAR FOR THE B.C. RICH COLLECTOR:  (Bernie Sr's. Last Guitar), (pic2).  More pics and full description at this link:  www.chrisguitars.com/bernie.html.  Owned by Martin Miranda, my world-class tech, who was a close friend of Bernie and this was the last guitar that Bernie ever built, albeit not quite finished, and he was working on it the very day of his untimely passing.  Click the link for a full description and feel free to email Martin Miranda directly at the address on the page.  
5. 1980's B.C. Rich USA Warslinger, (front), (headstock), (back/neck joint/neckplate), (Rich/Floyd), (case).  I had this posted as a Warlock but a knowledgeable Rich fan emailed to tell me it was in face a "Warslinger", which is actually a fairly rare model, that's basically their ST-3 Strat - maple neck, reverse headstock and H/S pickups and offset neck pocket - but with a Warlock body.  Metal axes are back.  It's been a slow climb, but a new generation is showing an affinity for the shred days of old, and many players who couldn't afford an $850 guitar 25 years ago are now renewing their interest in the dream guitars they lusted after during their younger years.  Few guitars speak metal like Rich's, and the Warlock is sort of the epitome of the Rich vibe back then.  It's impossible to picture CC DeVille without a Warlock slung around his neck.  This one has a cool combination of a slanted humbucker in the bridge (Duncan JB), and a DiMarzio Fast Track humbucker in the neck.  It features a BC Rich stamped Floyd Rose, identical to the regular Floyd rose, and keeps the guitar in tune under extensive dive bombing.  Best of all it's a maple board, which is the neck we all lust after, and a revere headstock to boot.  Also features Grover tuner, Dunlop strap lock pins, and black hardware.  It's hard dating Richs through all eras.   It's before Bernie sold to Class Axe which is why I'm just calling it an '80's.  Candy Apple Red finish is in beautiful shape with and the guitar presents itself very well - one o the nicer examples I've had.  Includes a nice Tolex case that fits the Warlock body perfect so I'm guessing it's probably original, although non-logo'd.  At $750, it's a great guitar for the player or collector.  
6. B.C. Rich USA Mockingbird, (front/back), (headstock), (case).  Off-hold and now with a decent Rich case is this most excellent 1980’s USA model with cool and rare BlueSparkleBurst finish (close-up).  Hard to do it justice in the pics but the finish looks great, with tiny silver flake in it which gives the guitar a great appearance under stage lights.  Features a great sounding pair of EMG's, with the Zakk style EMG 81/85, top quality double-locking Kahler/Floyd Rose (pic) recessed into the body, Sperzel tuners, factory original no tremolo cavity cover (no screw holes), abalone dot inlays (may be replacements), nice player and killer tone.  Played but overall nice shape with no major flaws.  Good deal on a nice semi-vintage American Rich at just $575.  
7. B.C. Rich Kerry King King V with Kahler Tremolo - EMG-KFK Upgrade, (front/back), (headstock), (Kahler).  A killer metal axe with cool looks with Tribal graphics, Widow headstock, and beveled edges which catch light and give it a very 3D look on stage.  The main attraction of this axe, however, is one major upgrade in the tone dept. - a brand new EMG-KFK Kerry King set (pic here) which includes an EMG81, EMG85, and a PA2 20dB gain booster switch.  Now this guitar sounds as bad-ass as it looks.  Features include basswood body with bolt-on Canadian hard rock maple neck, die-cast Rich tuners, master volume and tone with 3-way selector (plus added boost switch), KKV inlay at the 12th fret, 24 jumbo frets, locking Floyd Rose style nut, excellent quality Kahler-X tremolo that's very similar to the older Kahler Pro.  Originally this model had two volume controls but one of them was sacrificed to make way for the boost switch.  You won't miss it.  This model sells new for $469 and the EMG-KFK is another $240 - and with $60 labor you're at $769.  It's offered in immaculate condition for just $539 and I'm adding a matching tribal graphic strap for free.  If you're going to be on the road and want some excellent protection, here's a nice Coffin Universal Extreme case (shown here), which sells new for $149 - for just $85 with the purchase of this guitar. 
8. B.C. Rich Style - Kramer factory - Custom-Made Lacewood Mockingbird, (pic2), (pic3).  This is of interest to collectors of one-off's or other custom guitars, with an interesting history and, more importantly, a fantastic guitar in beautiful shape.  One change to my initial description is a good thing - tremolo is a Kahler Steeler (Mod. 2760) that’s arguably better than the original Floyd rose (solid steel with “harmonically tuned” plate). These trems are highly sought after and sell for quite a bit on Ebay.   Description:  Hand-made by an ex-Kramer employee at the old factory for one of upstate NY's hottest female guitarists.  Built in the late 80's near the end of Kramer's glory days with all top shelf woods and components, most notable an absolutely superb slab of Lacewood over mahogany.  Not just an 1/4" veneer, this piece of Lacewood is as deep as the pickups and as shown (in this pic), encompassing the entire beveled area of the top (see arrows).  The neck joint is beveled to allow easier access on the treble side, plus the whole cutaway is contoured, again, making it easier to finger in the upper register.  Maple neck with rosewood board and mother of pearl diamond inlays.  Excellent tremolo system with a Floyd-licensed Schaller, double  locking, with a Floyd nut.  Pickups are Duncans (pic) with a JB in the bridge and Jazz in the neck.  With gold hardware including pickup rings, knobs, tip, etc. (pic).  Includes an older pink-lined hardshell case that fits well and has been with the guitar since new.  This is an extremely well made guitar and little expense was spared in building it.  Playability and tone are superb and it's every bit as good as any USA Rich you'll play.  It should appeal to anyone who's into locking trem guitars that rock with the best of them - but are beautiful as well.   For a hand-made guitar, this one's a bargain at $950, especially with a neat story that comes with it - "Kramer meets BC Rich".  
9. 2003 B.C. Rich Beast Body Art Collection "Boris", (front), (headstock), (back), (strap), (case).   A killer playing Rich in a cool Boris Karloff graphic.  Back in '03 B.C. Rich began a limited edition model called the "Body Art" series, which featured a different graphic each month.  They were very good quality imports, made in Korea.  The series continued into '04, although production was moved to China and the quality dropped off somewhat.  I don't know if all of the Body Arts are like this but Korean model is a superb playing guitar, with a perfectly straight neck and nicely finished frets which allow for low, very comfortable action.  Features include Basswood body with "Boris" painted graphic, bolt-on Maple neck with Rich "Limited Edition" neckplate, Rosewood fretboard, 24 jumbo frets, 25.5" scale, black nylon nut, pearloid diamond fretboard inlays, gloss black headstock, black hardware with Tuneomatic bridge and strings through body, BC Rich BDSM humbuckers, 3-way selector with master volume and tone.  This guitar is in excellent condition and for a radical body style, it's one of the more comfortable to play sitting down.  These were shipped from the factory without case but the original owner picked up a $145 quality Rich/TKL Canadian case that's one of the heaviest cases made.  Also included is a Levy's strap with skull graphic and a locking device on one of the strap pins.  Whether you're a collector of graphic guitars, or simply someone looking for a great playing guitar with a unique look, this one's hard to beat, especially considering a top quality case and cool strap - all for $329(SOLD-Jeff 8/29).  
10. B.C. Rich NJ Neck-Thru Wave Quilt Top, (front/back), (headstock).  How low do you want to go?  Super low action, all the way to the 24th fret and an absolute killer imported Rich in their NJ Neck-Thru (pic) line, which offers some of the best non-bolt-on guitars for the money.  This one is immaculate and even better than new with the addition of a DiMarzio X2N bridge pickup.  Also features a good quality double-locking licensed Floyd Rose (pic) that stays in tune perfectly.  One oddity, especially considering it's a factory mod, is the output jack was obviously changed from a barrel type to a square plate (pic) and for some reason they didn't locate the square plate over the plugged barrel.  It's definitely factory as the finish bears, and doesn't affect performance.  Features include quilted maple top Wave body style with beveled edges, mahogany body with 5-piece maple/mahogany neck thru, Ebony fretboard, recessed licensed Floyd Rose trem, black hardware, Diamond inlays, matching quilted maple headstock veneer, thin profile neck with 24 jumbo frets, Controls are straight ahead and simple with volume controls for each pickup, master tone, and 3-way selector.  This guitar is in immaculate condition, plays better than anything you'll find in stores, and with the addition of the X2N, the tone is better than stock.  Especially considering it's a neck-thru, it's a whole lot of guitar for $425 and I'll guarantee you won't find a better playing Rich - of any series - than this Wave.
11. 2007 Buddy Blaze Shredder Lightning Storm (aka Nightswan), (front), (headstock/neck), (back), (inlays), (case), ('88 print ad).  For you Kramer/Nightswan/Vivian Campbell fans here's another original Buddy Blaze Shredder with Lightning Storm finish, one of the classic graphics from the original 80's Nightswans.  If you're not aware of Buddy Blaze, he builds some of the finest hand-built rock guitars on the market, now located at his shop in Hawaii.  Perhaps more notably, he was the designer and builder of the original Vivian Campbell guitar in ca. '87, which was named the Shredder (click here for the history at VintageKramer.com).  We're talking Vivian's "Whitesnake" days here, when the band was on top of the hair metal heap.  Shortly thereafter Kramer struck a deal with Buddy to have him build the same guitar, labeled as the "Kramer Nightswan", aka the Vivian Campbell model   This was one of the few actual USA guitars that Kramer marketed during the "Kramer American" run in the late 80's, when nearly the entire line was built by ESP in Japan.  This model has some features that are unusual for a metal axe:  Honduras mahogany body, ebony fretboard, and pickup configuration of bridge/middle rather than bridge/neck.  Other features include flamed scarf-joint maple neck (extremely nice on this one) with Ebony fretboard; "Ping Pong" fretboard inlays; 10" to 16" compound radius, 1 5/8" nut; 24 5/8" scale; all black hardware; Original Floyd Rose trem; Grover tuners; Schaller straplocks; and reverse headstock.  This model is offered with your choice of dual PAF size humbuckers (bridge and middle), or a PAF and stacked/slanted humbucker in the neck.  This one has the full size humbuckers with the Seymour Duncan Full Shred in the neck and '59 in the middle position  The graphic finishes are the same as offered in the Kramer era, namely a Polka Dot or a Lightning Storm, both of which are hand-painted by Buddy himself.  I received an email from Joyce at Buddy Blaze where she stated the current price is $3249 for a Shredder with Lightning Storm graphics. Click here for more info on Buddy's site.  This guitar is truly in mint condition - appears totally unplayed and still has the plastic film on the pickups.  This model lists at $4499 and Funky Munky Music (link) is one of the few Buddy Blaze dealers and they sell this model for $3299 ($4499 list) although they're back ordered and not available.  While not cheap, this is a very reasonable price for a *hand made* guitar of this quality.  This one could be sold as new and who doesn't want to save $1000 these days - just $2299.  Includes Blaze case with crushed velvet lining and all the case stuff.  
12. 2007 Buddy Blaze Shredder Polka Dot (aka Nightswan), (front), (headstock/neck), (back/Vivian sig.), (Floyd), (inlays), (case).  For you Kramer/Nightswan/Vivian Campbell fans, this has gotta be the ultimate - an original Buddy Blaze Shredder with Polka Dot finish front AND back, signed by Vivian on the back of the body and by Buddy on the back of the headstock.  If you're not aware of Buddy Blaze, he builds some of the finest hand-built rock guitars on the market at his shop, now located in Hawaii.  Perhaps more notably, he was the designer and builder of the original Vivian Campbell guitar in ca. '87, which was named the Shredder (click here for the history at VintageKramer.com).  We're talking Vivian's "Whitesnake" days here, when the band was on top of the hair metal heap.  Shortly thereafter Kramer struck a deal with Buddy to have him build the same guitar, labeled as the "Kramer Nightswan", known as the Vivian Campbell model   This was one of the few actual USA guitars that Kramer marketed during the "Kramer American" run in the late 80's, when nearly the entire line was built by ESP in Japan.  Funky Munky Music, one of the few Buddy Blaze dealers, took this to a Def Leppard concert and had it signed by Vivian. Features of this model include a Honduras mahogany body, unusual for a Floyd guitar; lightly flamed scarf-joint maple neck with Ebony fretboard; "Ping Pong" fretboard inlays; 10" to 16" compound radius, 1 5/8" nut; 24 5/8" scale; all black hardware; Original Floyd Rose trem; Grover tuners; Schaller straplocks; and reverse headstock.  This model is offered with your choice of dual PAF size humbuckers, or a PAF and stacked/slanted humbucker in the neck like this one.  Stock pickups are Seymour Duncan Full Shred and Lil' '59 on this model but the bridge has been changed to a Custom-Custom as a preference by the original owner.   The graphic finishes are the same as offered in the Kramer era, namely a Polka Dot or a Lightning Storm, both of which are hand-painted by Buddy himself.  I received an email from Joyce at Buddy Blaze where she stated the current price is $3249 for a Shredder Polka Dot "Blazeburst" but that's for top graphics only - they no longer do this graphic front and back, which makes this guitar even more desirable.  Click here for more info on Buddy's site.  Overall this guitar is extremely clean with the worst flaw on the guitar is a small finish impression beside the humbucker (shown here) but otherwise this guitar is an easy 9.8, very near mint. It plays...perfect - as nice as any I have in stock.  If Buddy still did a full Polka Dot, front and back, it would cost over $3500, you'd have to wait to have it built, and it wouldn't be signed by Vivian (unless you manage to get a back stage pass).  This one is in stock and ready to ship and one of the most exciting guitars I've had in a while.  For a signed, full graphic Buddy Blaze, a steal at $2399.  
13. 1997 Brian Moore Custom C90, (front), (headstock), (back), (neck), (contours), (case).  First USA model I've had in 4 years, which is odd considering Brian's custom shop was in upstate NY in nearby Brewster.  Brian Moore's Custom Shop guitars are world-class guitars by any standard.  This is a truly stunning C90 with gorgeous quilted maple top in a lava pattern that looks great from any angle.   The C90 echoes the unique features of the MC/1, utilizing the finest lightweight tone woods, for an instrument with natural sustain and a warm tone with loads of flexibility.  Features include mahogany body with highly figured maple top, Seymour Duncan pickups (Alnico II, APS-2, JB in neck/mid/bridge) in a flexible HSH configuration, birdseye maple neck with rosewood board, gold hardware 25.5" scale, 15" radius, Sperzel locking tuners, stop bar/tuneomatic bridge (later this was renamed the C90T), BM's own sculpted headstock design and innovative recessed output jack, and extremely comfortable contoured body which just seems to "fit" the human body perfectly.   The setup on this guitar is phenominal, which you would expect on a guitar that was $2495...13 years ago.  These guitars are equally at home playing country, rock, blues, or anything else, in fact there were several big name country endorsers.  The quilted maple top on this guitar is really a cut above what most makers are using - would likely be a private stock on a PRS, and the neck has loads of birdseye, both of which lend feeling of elegance while holding this beauty.  Includes Brian Moore case, color brochure, factory checklist, color catalog of celebrity endorsers for '98, and other documentation.  Martin knows Brian well and he used to visit the factory.  He verified that these guitars were truly hand-made - band saws, pin routers, and a lot of elbow grease - absolutely no CNC machines.  Discount price on this model was around $2K, which even in '97 was very modest for a hand-made guitar, and probably one of the main reasons that you can no longer get custom shop Brian Moores.  This one was collector owned and is presented in showroom condition with no scratches or fret wear, and a great value in a fantastic guitar at $1499.  Includes Brian Moore case which form-fits the body.  
14. Boutique Tele Thinline by Joseph Zackus previously of Washington DC, tree-of-life inlay, one of the best flamed chunky necks ever, bound top&back, Vanzandt pickups, gold hardware, I know very little about this builder other than he build guitars in very small numbers, selling at cost at $1400  
15. New Brian Moore i-Series I-81 - choice of finish, catalog.   Most affordable model in the i-Series but an exceptional import in its own right.  Has the same Brian Moore signature looks including sculpted headstock, sleek contoured body, and unique rear output jack of the higher end models.  When BM went in search of factories to do their imports they did it right and the quality rivals some US makers in my opinion.  The i81 features bolt-on neck, mahogany body with beautifully bookmatched flamed maple top, classic "iM" Alnico humbuckers, and "iM" precision tuners.  All include a superb quality Brian Moore gigbag, etc.   These guitars will be shipped with optimum setup, better than your local store or online superstore and are available in the following:   Charcoal flametop, List $595,    Sale $325 Cinnamon flametop, List $595, Sale $325 Tuquoise flametop, List $595, Sale $325
16. 2000 Brian Moore i2P, (front/back), (headstock), (piezo bridge).  Piezo/acoustic bridge, Duncans, Sperzels, and drop dead killer looks.  From Brian Moore's fantastic i2000 series, which in my humble opinion, are the best quality Korean imports from any manufacturer.  I've had around 10, including 4 different models, and every one was a beautifully made, exceptionally well-engineered guitar.  The i2P features, most strikingly, a truly stunning quilted maple top finished in cherry sunburst.  The top is not only carved, it's bent (shown here), from edge to edge, and the back is likewise contoured, making this an extremely comfortable guitar to play.  Features include highly figured maple top - either flame or the more desirable quilt such as this one, Seymour Duncan humbuckers with gold covers, set-neck design, ivoroid-bound top, single cutaway mahogany body, 2-piece set mahogany neck, ivoroid-bound 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, abalone dot inlays, 1-11/16" nut width, 24-3/4" scale, gold hardware, tune-o-matic bridge with piezo saddles for acoustic sounds (uses stereo cable), gold Sperzel locking tuners, and Moore's signature sculpted headstock.  One of the best setups you'll find on any guitar with extremely low action from the 1st to the top fret.  For full specs, click here for Brian Moore's site.  List price on this guitar is currently $1995 but this used one has barely been played and is an exceptional guitar for $850.  Includes your choice of super nice Brian Moore gigbag (pic here) or an aftermarket hardshell case.  
17. Carvin DC-200, (front/back), (headstock).  Carvin remains one of the best buys on the USA guitars - especially on the used market.  They're quality is top-notch but as Carvin sells directly to the public there is no retail store to take a bite of the profit.  This one comes in a high gloss black finish with features that include neck-thru construction, dual Carvin humbuckers, Carvin/Wilkinson fulcrum tremolo, graphite nut, Sperzel locking tuners, Ebony fretboard with block inlays, active electronics with easy access battery door on back, indestructible stainless steel frets, and Schaller locking strap pins.  The electronics suite in this one include the normal 3-way selector plus mini switches for coil splitting and in/out phase for each pickup.  Excellent playability and endless choice of tones.  At $529, this is a great buy on a USA neck-thru guitar.  Includes free gigbag or substitute used a hardshell case available for $55.  
18. Casio PG-380 Synth Guitar, (front1  front2), (back1  back2), (headstock), (controls), (trem/Midi pickup), (Midi switches/serial plate), (acc.), (case).   Museum condition - the cleanest one I've seen!  An incredible piece of technology, entirely self-contained Midi guitar, and an excellent quality guitar made by Fuji Gen Gakki (Japan), who also built the Roland and Ibanez Midi guitars.  I have created a page for this guitar - click here for the Casio PG-380.   Whether you're a collector of all things cool - or just a player looking for a ready-to-go synth unit, it's hard to beat, in collector's condition, for $850. 
19. Chandler Charvel Style Strat, (front), (headstock/neck), (back), (body cavity/pickup), (control plate/cavity).  Very cool metal axe, made of quality parts at the height of DIY metal guitars in the late 80's.  The neck is a very early model Chandler, actually pre-Chandler when Paul's parts were called "Paul C's", around ca. '87, with a fresh Charvel logo installed.  The logo is perfect, with the clear coat thick enough that there are no visible outlines of the logo (pic).  It's the typical metal neck of the era, with a very thin profile, flat on the back, with a flat radius, thick rosewood fretboard, medium-jumbo frets, and angled/pointy headstock. It's a great neck that sets up perfectly.  The body is alder, with a thin finish that appears to be nitrocellulose, factory quality in Lake Placid Blue and appears to be as old as the neck judging by the raised grain.  It's possibly a Chandler body as well but there aren't any markings other than some stamps in the pickup cavity.  Tremolo is an Original Floyd Rose; tuners are mini-Grovers, knobs appear to be old brass Tele style.  The Control cavity has shielding paint and control plate is shielded as well.  I'm not sure what kind of pickup is in here, there aren't any markings on it so perhaps it's an early Duncan where the label fell off, but it sounds very good.   Controls are volume, tone, and mini-toggle coil splitter.  Overall this guitar is very clean, with the worst flaws being a small gouge around one of the locking nut screws and a small finish chip in the body, both shown here.  This is a guitar that hasn't seen much playing time but it plays so well that hopefully it will end up with someone who will appreciate it and give it the attention it deserves.  I sold my last old Chandler neck for $300 but there's no way I'm going to part out a guitar this cool.  If you're looking for a great playing one-off custom guitar, this is hard to beat for $569(HOLD-Dave E 8/30), including hardshell case.  
20. 2009 Charvel USA San Dimas "Style 2" 2H, (front), (back/neckplate), (headstock), (Floyd/close-up), (gigbag/box).  This is the 4th one of these new USA San Dimas models and the first in the "Style 2" (Tele body).  Charvel is known as the original "hot rod" guitar brand and this new series are killer rock/metal axes in the Charvel tradition.  Part of the new "USA Production Model Series", originally released in July '08, they're termed Charvel "bumper to bumper", meaning they are tooled and built with the same specs as the originals including little touches like the recessed back plates.  Features include Alder Body, 1-Piece Maple Neck, original-style San Dimas neckplate, Seymour Duncan pickups with a JB bridge and '59 neck, Compound Radius neck 12" to 16", wide neck - 1 11/16" at the nut, genuine Floyd Rose Tremolo, Dunlop strap pins, Grover Mini Tuners, black hardware.  To me, USA Charvels have always had one defining feature - the gunstock oil neck.  As soon as you run your hand down it, it feels like the neck you've been looking for your whole life - and it's just as friendly to sweaty palms as it doesn't "stick" the way lacquer does.  Click here for all specs on the new USA Production Series.  This model now sell new for $1099.  This one is "as new" an comes with sealed accessory bag and original shipping box.  It's a true bang for the buck winner, especially this lovely example at just $699.   Includes Charvel deluxe gigbag, trem arm, strap locks, unsigned warranty. 
21. Charvel Charvette 150, 1990, features a nice sounding set of pickups with a Charvel Ceramic Plus in the bridge and a Carvel high-gain single coil size stacked humbucker in the neck.  These are high output pickups but the tone isn't at all harsh to my ears.  Also has a Floyd-licensed tremolo system with fine tuners.  Has one mod that bears mentioning - someone removed the locking nut and replaced with a plastic cover.  Not necessarily a bad thing unless you like to do dive bombs.  Overall this guitar is in very nice shape with a near perfect finish that shines like new.  Frets are near perfect and it has an excellent setup.  Compare this to the Chinese guitars you can get for $200 today and this is an excellent value at $175.  
22. Daisy Rock Debutante Short Scale, (front/back), (headstock), (case).   I just got in a few of these for the holidays.  If you've got a young player, not quite ready for a full scale instrument, but you want to buy a *real* guitar rather than a toy at the department store, this is an excellent choice.  The quality is equally on par with Fender's Squier series with good quality electronics and hardware and after Martin does his magic on them, they set-up with very comfortable action, which is imperative for beginners.  If a guitar is difficult to play, it's not going to get played.  At 22.5" scale length (distance from bridge to the nut), it's 2"-3" shorter than a full scale, just enough to make it easy to get around on but nothing that they're going to grow out of in a few months.  With a list price of $249, in my opinion this is an excellent buy on a "real" guitar at just $149 which includes a pro setup prior to shipping.  Comes in pink with white accents.  
23. Daisy Rock Tom Boy,  (front/back), (headstock), (thin, rounded heel).  Never retailed, unplayed, immaculate.  Don't let the name fool you.  Daisy Rocks were originally aimed for the "girl" market but there's particularly girlish about this guitar.  The Tom Boy closely resembles a Tele Custom in style and function with a traditional Tele pickup and bridge plate plus a PAF style humbucker in the neck.  This model has more sonic versatility though as both are humbuckers with single coil capability, each with a slider switches for choice of humbucker, single coil, or off.  Pickups are very good quality Duncan Designed Alnico humbuckers.  Other features include a thin and lightweight agathis body, maple neck and fretboard, 24-3/4" (Gibson scale) with a slightly narrow neck make it easier for smaller hands to get around on.  Also features string-thru body construction, Grover tuners, plus dual volume controls and master tone.  These pickups do a good job with a wide range of tones, from crunchy and heavy to clean and twangy.  With a list of $499 the Tom Boy sells in stores for $349.  This one's new, old stock, and set up better than factory for just $279(Tent. Hold - Lawrence in UK 6/28). 
24. Early 60's Danelectro Pro 1, (front), (headstock), (back).  I'd love to know the history of some of my guitars.  This one, no doubt, must have been owned by some hippies in the 60's and got the flower power treatment.  With a variety of hearts covering the pickguard, and flowers of all colors and shapes covering the front and back of the body, this thing just oozes hippie vibe, and it's actually a good sounding guitar that plays great.  Dano probably made more guitars for Silvertone during this era and to find vintage ones with the Dano logo is rare in comparison - and always preferred by vintage collectors.  I don't know how much collector's appeal this one has though.  Underneath the flowers there is an original brown sparkle finish and you could possibly remove them with water, and a lot of patience, but that would kill a very cool vibe.  It's mostly original with original aluminum nut and bridge/saddle, tuners, finish, "binding" vinyl tape, finish, and most important a great old lipstick tube pickup with a proper low output that sounds perfect.  Knobs, and some screws are replacements, and the pickguard has remnants where an old switch had at one time been installed.  The Pro 1 is a short scale guitar, with 18 frets, 12 clear of the body, so you're not going to play any high leads, but it's much easier to play than other short scales and average sized hands can be comfortable playing it.  If you're in search of the authentic vintage Dano tone, a la Jimmy Page, this one will do quite nicely and it's a solid piece for just $399(SOLD).  
25. ca. 1999 Danelectro 6/12 Double Neck,  (front/back), (headstock), (bridges/controls), (Dano case).  I love these things; I love this business.   I hadn't had one of these double neck's in years and now I get in two.  The Blackburst was snatched up quickly but here's another beauty, finished in "Deep Blue Metallic, and it even comes with a hard-to-find double-neck case.  They're fairly rare and long out of production, having a brief production from ca. 98 to '01.  This model features Dano's stacked pots, which gives you a volume and tone control for each pickup, rather than the single volume and single tone used on later models.  It also features the Gotoh tuners, which are the best tuners Dano has ever used.  Each guitar features a pair of lipstick pickups and they share the volume/tone controls.  A pair of heavy duty switches controls (1) which guitar tone is sent to the output jack and (2), pickup selector for bridge - bridge+neck - neck.  The 6 string features Dano's classic wooden bridge which, remarkably, intonates very well, while on the 12-string side there are 6 individual saddles, each one adjustable.  Dano has only been building one guitar model at a time the past few years.  It's hard to say if they'll ever get around to building the double neck models again since they simply don't have the mass demand of a straight 6-string.  For you guys and gals who want to do the Jimmy Page thing but don't want to shell out a couple of grand for a Gibson 6/12, here's a very good quality alternative that plays as good as Gibsons I've had and the tone is actually more jangly making it very well-suited for Byrds/Petty/Beatles type music.  Includes original plush-line Dano 6/12 "tweed" style case.  Overall this guitar is in beautiful condition with no major flaws or player's wear of any kind.  Even the binding tape is tight in the cutaways.   For $650 it's the best bang-for-the-buck double neck on the market and it's so easy to play and so light weight, that you'll definitely have a blast playing it. 
26. 2004 Danelectro '56 U-2 - Upgraded, (front/back), (headstock), (bridge/controls).  Finished in desirable Limo Black and features a few upgrades including excellent quality Gotoh tuners, metal saddles that are individually adjustable instead of the wood block, and a piezo pickup controlled by a mini 3-way switch (piezo only, piezo and lipstick pickups, lipstick pickups only).  The single coil lipstick pickups are controlled by the regular 3-way switch with stacked volume/tone knobs to give full control to both pickups.  The piezo system isn't really an acoustic tone, but it does add a lot of body to the sound, especially in the middle position, when combined with the magnetic pickups.  To me it sounds just like a vintage hollowbody, like an old ES-125T.  I last had this guitar a few years ago and it appears as though it was unplayed since it was last in my hands.  Finish has all the luster of a new model and frets are perfect.  These Dano's are every bit as good as the original 50's Dano/Silvertone models and one of the best values on the market.  Nothing sounds like them and once Martin gets a hold of them, nothing plays like them.  His setups on Dano's is simply incredible.  If you're looking for a great U-2, with some very smart upgrades, this one is only $50 more than market price on a stock one.  $349.  
27. ca. '99 Danelectro '59 DC, (front/back), (headstock).  It's great to have some cool 1st reissue Dano's coming in.  After a number of '56 U-2's, it's especially nice to get another '59 DC, a true American classic guitar.  Even touring pro's who can afford any guitar they want frequently have one of these in their rack, ready to make an appearance 4-5 times per show.  I've seen Clapton use this model as well as Dave Matthews just recently and, of course, Jimmy Page was probably the pro most associated with the '59 DC.  Specs are much the same as they were back in the 50's with a Hardboard (aka Masonite) top and bottom with plywood frame, Hard maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, 25” scale, 21 frets, taped "binding" around the body, chrome bridge with rosewood saddle, headstock painted to match body, stacked pots for individual volume and tone controls with 3-way selector, "lipstick" pickups - brass tube w/chrome plating with original formula 50’s style Alnico magnets, and "D" tuners, which were a vast improvement over the strip tuners found on the very first reissues.  If you missed this model during it's production in the late 90's/early 00's - and the later model "Pro" just doesn't cut it - here's a chance to get one that's in beautiful shape with a simply killer setup - for $329.  Add a thick Dano gigbag for $25.  
28. ca. '99 Danelectro '56 U-2 - Malt shop Cream, (front), (back), (headstock).  Another great 1st Reissue, this one finished in Malt Shop Cream.  Dano discontinued this model many years ago, and opted to build only one model at a time, with a run of a year or two.  After several 60's models, they're building a '56 again, but they're Chinese made and there are various feature changes - and none of the new models feature the classic dual lipstick pickups with a Coke bottle headstock.  The 3rd generation models had only single volume and tone, rather than stacked pots, and other models went to steel saddles rather than the original rosewood bridge, which makes these 1st reissue Korean models the most historically accurate reissues ever built. Specs include: hollowbody design with Masonite top and bottom with plywood frame, 25" scale, 21 large frets, original style "Lipstick" pickups with chrome-plated brass frame and original formula 50's style Alnico magnets, stacked pots with volume/tone for each pickup, 3-way pickup selector, original style rosewood saddle and die-cast chrome bridge, aluminum nut, and clear pickguard with "D" logo.  These Dano's are every bit as good as the original 50's Dano/Silvertone models and one of the best values on the market, used by garage bands and even pro's like Dave Matthews.  Nothing sounds like them and once Martin gets them on his bench, they play with the ease of very expensive guitars - his setups on Dano's is simply incredible.  If  you're looking for something a little bit different for a signature tone, or simply want to add a guitar to your arsenal that has loads of cool vibe and a unique tone, here's a really nice one.  This one was never retailed, and is nearly pristine.  The only flaw is a small crack next to the control knobs (shown here), but otherwise not a scratch anywhere and zero player's wear.  A really nice U-2 for $299, or add Dano faux tweed gigbag (pic) for $25. 
29. ca. '98 Danelectro '56 U-2 - Limo Black, (front), (back), (headstock), (bridge/controls).  Finished in the most popular Dano color, Limo Black, probably due to Page's DC being black.  Dano discontinued this model many years ago, and opted to build only one model at a time, with a run of a year or two.  After several 60's models, they're building a '56 again, but they're Chinese made and there are various feature changes, none of which are dual lipstick pickups with a Coke bottle headstock.  The last generation models had only single volume and tone, rather than stacked pots, and other models went to steel saddles rather than the original rosewood bridge, which makes these early Korean models the most historically accurate reissues ever built. These Dano's are every bit as good as the original 50's Dano/Silvertone models and one of the best values on the market, used by garage bands and even pro's like Dave Matthews.  Nothing sounds like them and once Martin gets them on his bench, they play with the ease of very expensive guitars - his setups on Dano's is simply incredible.  If you're looking for a great U-2, this one is near flawless, without an scratches or fret wear.   A great U-2 for $309, or add Dano faux tweed gigbag (pic) for $25.  
30. 2006 Dean USA Hardtail , (front/back), (headstock), (side), (keyring), (case).  Simply gorgeous figured maple that looks great from any direction - from top - bottom - or either side.  Dean called this one a quilt but I call it wide flame.  Either way, it's gorgeous.  This guitar is absolutely perfect, never retailed and unplayed condition.  I get in just about every higher end production guitars made and this is, without a doubt, one of the finest production guitars made - with looks, tone, and playability as good as it gets.   This guitar has one of the best acoustics tones I've ever heard from a solidbody electric.  The Hardtail was the first guitar designed by Dean Zelinsky after his 12-year hiatus from Dean, with 3 years in the making, finally debuting at the 2001 NAMM show.  Dean uses only the finest tonewoods - hand-selected mahogany with the highest quality figured maple, as well a fine Ebony fingerboard, wood binding, quartersawn neck, Abalone inlays on fretboard as well as headstock logo and model, nickel hardware with Grover tuners - Tonepros bridge -  and Duncan pickups.  Very nice weight and extremely comfortable to play.  For full specs see Dean's Site here.  If you're a fan of PRS this guitar should appeal to you - the vibe is similar and the quality is as good or better.  Current list price on this guitar is $3850 and this one is in unplayed condition - at way under 50% off, just $1750 and one of the best tops you'll see on this model.  Includes excellent quality formfit Dean case.
31. Dean ML '79 Buddy Blaze Limited Edition, (front), (back), (graphic detail), (headstock), (Floyd), (case/etc.), (cert.).  Dean Guitars teamed up with Legendary Guitar Builder Buddy Blaze (original builder for the Kramer Nightswan) for a unique take on the ML shape. Buddy designed Dimebag Darrell's first Dean ML, and this new Buddy Blaze Signature guitar expands on the original "Dean from Hell" that Dime loved. The extra neck angle on this guitar gives it a very comfortable feel and allows for a top mounted Floyd Rose. Buddy Blaze also helped design the "Blaze Bucker" Bridge Pickup for massive sustain and tone. Loaded with quality components and built with Blaze's design elements, most notably the "chrome flame" graphic, floating (side to side) Blaze inlays, top-mounted Floyd Rose tremolo, and his signature middle and bridge pickup positions (i.e. not neck and bridge) loaded with custom wound Dean DMT pickups (USA Dean DMT "Blaze Bucker" bridge and USA Dean DMT "Baker Act" middle). Other appointments mahogany top and body, 24 3/4" scale, set mahogany neck with 3° neck angle, Floyd Rose Original tremolo, custom ascending flame mother-of-pearl inlays on a 2 octave fretboard attached to a pitched neck, black hardware, Grover tuners, and a classic V-shaped headstock.  Production was limited to 300 electric guitars and each includes a certificate of authenticity and a hardshell Dean guitar case.  For the history of this model, click here for Dean's site and here for full specs.  With such a low production number, most dealers sold out quickly but there are still a few on the web selling for $999, 40% off the $1625 list price.   I came across a few, first quality and unplayed, selling for well over 50% off, just $750, including a killer in-house set up, Dean case, certificate, etc.  (Note:  I have two Buddy Blaze USA "Shredder" models in stock, with polka dot graphic and lightning storm graphic) 
32. Dean Razorback V Standard - NOS - Black or Candy Apple Red, (front/back), (headstock/V neck profile).  Personally designed by the late, great Dimebag Darrell in 2004 before his untimely passing.  By this year Dimebag had returned to Dean and had begun work on several signature models with this Razorback V being one of his final contributions.  It cuts a figure much like the time-tested Flying V, only more dangerous looking with a few more jagged edges and actually more comfortable with the addition to sleek body bevels.  The Razorback V features a mahogany neck and body, a rosewood fretboard with a super flat 16" radius, and a very comfortably contoured neck heel (shown here) which allows very easy access to the upper frets.  Pickups are a Seymour Duncan Dimebucker pickup at the bridge with a Dean humbucker in the neck with the edges taped down, Dimebag style.   The neck is a radical departure from rock/metal axes, traditionally outfitted with a very thin profile.  The neck on this model is quite substantial, with a rounded-V profile that feels a lot like a '56 Strat.  Quality hardware with Grover tuners and a recessed, double-locking licensed Floyd Rose tremolo (pickups/trem) keeps it in tune perfectly.  Controls are straight ahead 3-way selector with master tone and volume, with easy grip circles on the volume.  With a list of $1550, these were selling for $999 but I have a few in stock, never retailed, first quality, and perfect, for 55% off list, $697.  With a pro in-house setup, these guitars are an incredible value for the money.   Includes Dean hardshell case and comes in gloss black finish or Candy Apple Red metallic.  
33. Dean Dimebag Far Beyond Driven Tribute ML, an incredible guitar that's a fitting tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell, with excellent quality and top-notch features including flame maple top, a mahogany body with a set-in mahogany neck, a Floyd Rose licensed tremolo bridge system, and the classic Dean Series II V headstock with a screened collage of Dimebag. Other features include a rosewood fingerboard, cream body and neck binding, a vintage Brazilliaburst finish, Dimebag Traction knobs, a Dimebag Quad image sticker on the body, and a Dimebucker Treble pickup (bridge position).  Killer setup, killer tone, a super axe all around.  For complete details, check out Dean's Site.  Between Dean and Washburn there have been a lot of Dimebag models released and it's somewhat confusing to many customers.  Having had most of them I can attest that the best of the lot are the Korean set-neck models, and that this is the best of the lot.  Even the case is superior, with a very heavy Canadian Hardshell Case rather than the newer&cheaper lightweight Chinese case.   List price on new is $1539, selling everywhere for $999, but this one was collector owned and offered in mint condition for just $699.
34. Dean Baby ML,  (front/back), (headstock).  Now offered at lower price with stock pickups installed.  Ultra-cool ML looks in a "fun-size" scaled down body - but don't get it wrong, it's a full scale and the tone is huge.  The ML is a cool guitar because it has unique looks but is still very well balanced for such a radical body.  The edges are nicely contoured, an improvement over the Explorer, V, and other radical shapes, and it utilizes strings-thru-body which is an tonal improvement over a stop bar and tuneomatic.   Cosmetically, no player's wear but you can see the remnants of "System of a Down" (pic) on the back side and a Wylde sticker on front (we can probably remove if desired).  Dean makes some good quality imports and this is a good example of good playing guitar at a modest price.  Very cool axe for just $199.
35. 1998 Dean USA Chrome Custom ML Showpiece, (pic2), (pic3), (pic4).  Here's one for the collection - one of a kind Dean USA ML with aircraft aluminum.  This is the very guitar featured on page 4 of the 1998 Dean catalog, which is included with the guitar (catalog pic).  Aluminum body was bolted together with recessed bolts, thus no control cavity on back, every piece is chromed and polished, one of a kind fretboard inlays, mahogany neck, original V headstock, Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups, construction supervised by Ben Chafin, only one ever built.  Please note that this guitar is impossible to photograph properly and you'll see many things in the finish that aren't there.  In person, it's dead mint and beautiful.  Let's face it, this guitar is aimed at the collector, to the 5% of the buying public for which rarity, uniqueness, and condition mean everything.  To be the only one in the world with this model guitar; that sums it up nicely.  Not one of 50; one of 12, one of 5.  With the collector in mind, it's in all probability, the heaviest guitar I've had tipping the scales at around 19 lbs.  I had a 70's Les Paul Custom once that was around 14 but this eclipses that record.  It's actually a good sounding guitar with excellent resonance but for most of us is going to be more comfortable to play while seated.  Original price was around $6K and this is the find of the year for a Dean collector, nicely priced at just $3000.  Includes Dean case, catalog, and certificate (picture).  
36. 2005 Dean Black Gold V,  (front/back), (headstock).  An upscale take on the classic Flying V accented by a flamed maple top in transparent black, gold hardware, and binding on all edges.  The Black Gold V utilizes the tried and tested maple top over a mahogany body to provide warmth and sustain, with a nice "snap" on the attack.  Also contributing to the sustain is the set-neck construction and strings-thru-body design.  Cosmetic features include multi-layer binding to the body and headstock, bound neck, pearl block inlays with "Black Gold" at the 12th fret, and fully covered (no pole holes) humbuckers.  Also noteworthy, this beauty hits the scales at under 7 lbs., which makes it a pleasure to play for long sets.  Setup is low and comfortable and these high-output humbuckers sound great.  Offered in pristine condition - plastic film is still on the pickups - and could be sold as new.  These sell for $649 in the stores, with a $999 list, but this one is perfect and a killer deal on a V with these features for just $499.  
37. Denyle Walnut & Maple Single Cut, (front/back), (headstock), (back/neck joint), (pickups).  Very unique guitar in terms of looks and design, totally hand-crafted in USA in very low numbers.  I think this builder has only made a handful of guitars and the hand-built aspect is very obvious, definitely no CNC machines used on this guitar.  The body shape is unique, sort of a highly exaggerated Tele style, except with rounded edges.  It features a center second of quilted maple, with mahogany wings, with a set-in poplar neck with ironwood fretboard.  Pickups are a Gibson humbucker in the bridge, with a P100 stacked P90 style in the neck.  A striking headstock, which combined with the billowy body, bring to mind Prince's Cloud guitar, or something of that ilk, in fact I think this guitar would look great with an off-white or yellow finish.  Tuners are Grovers.  This guitar is the very one pictured on Denyle's site (4th one down) and you'll notice it had a different tailpiece at one time (more factory pics).  Some time before it got to me the unusual tailpiece and bridge were changed to a stop bar/tuneomatic. If you look closely you'll see telltale signs of the earlier hardware but it's not very noticeable.  If you're looking for something truly unique and appreciate the quaintness of a small builder, this one is priced around 1/2 of the original price at $850.  
38. Eastwood GP, (front), (headstock), (bridge/pickups), (back), (multi-ply binding).  Eastwood has come on strong in a relatively short period of time, resurrecting classic models from past decades, but not your Gibsons and Fenders, but models by Harmony, Supro, Airlines, etc., basically cool American guitars which were always B-level on the vintage guitar market.  The GP is a recreation of the very rare Ovation Ultra GP, first released in 1984.  Only 400 of the original Ultra GP were ever produced before being discontinued, primarily due to the price which was higher than a Gibson Les Paul from the same year.  This model was made in Korea and is an excellent quality import.  Features include Mahogany body with a flamed maple veneer and contoured top, mahogany set-neck, rosewood fretboard with block markers, 24 3/4", 1 11/16", dual Super-2 humbuckers (patterned after DiMarzio Super-2), unique 5-way adjustable wraparound bridge, and multi-ply binding on the body, neck, and headstock.  Click here for around 25 reviews where the GP scored a remarkable 9.7 overall at Harmony-Central.  If you can't afford (or find) and original Ultra GP at $3K and up, here's an excellent alternative.  These are $699 new but this one's flawless and nicely priced at $499.  
39. Ernie Ball Musicman Albert Lee HH with Rosewood Neck and Tremolo, (front1  front2), (back), (headstock/neck), (case/etc.).  As new - unplayed condition. You love 'em or you don't love 'em but you gotta admit, this is one rad looking guitar.  From a playing perspective it's feels much like a Strat with a similar waist and back contour, but on the upper bouts the horns are straighter, accented with a pickguard that runs parallel to the body edge.  To me it looks like a 60's Italian or Japanese model, with obvious "outer space" influence but as unusual as it may look, it's extremely comfortable both seated and strapped on.  African mahogany body with high gloss polyester in '56 Red (i.e. Fiesta Red), select solid rosewood neck finished in gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend, Music Man vintage tremolo of chrome plated, hardened steel with bent steel saddles, tortoise shell pickguard, oversized dot inlays, Schaller M6-IND locking tuners, truss rod adjustable with no component or string removal, 5-bolt neck attachment for perfect alignment with no shifting, sculpted neck joint allows smooth access to higher frets, electronic shielding: graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity and aluminum lined pickguard, 250k ohm volume and tone pots with .047µf tone capacitor, 5-way lever pickup selector, and two Dimarzio custom humbucking with chrome covers.  Other features include 25.5" scale with 10" fretboard radius, 22 high profile - medium width frets, and 1 5/8" nut width.  Musicman guitars are extremely consistent in quality and they set up better than just about any bolt-on guitar made.  This one is no exception and the set up is fantastic.  For a good demo with Albert click here (Part 2 here) for YouTube.  Albert is pretty much a chicken pickin' guitarist but the fact is these pickups are very versatile and can handle just about any type music you want.  With a list price of $2710 this model sells new for $1899, which is a great price for a rosewood neck guitar of this quality.  Better yet, get one that's "as new" for just $1350.   Includes original case with all the case stuff.  
40. Ernie Ball Musicman SUB 1, (front/back), (headstock). Lightweight 7.8 lbs.  Musicman quality at an affordable price.  Basically a stripped down version of a Silhouette Special, the defining feature of the SUB is a textured finish is cheaper to produce, one of the primary reasons that these fine USA SUB's are such a good bargain.  Features include solid poplar body, diamond plate pickguard, locking tuners, satin finished neck and headstock, single Musicman humbucker with volume and tone controls, signature Musicman 4/2 tuners/headstock, and vintage style tremolo.  This single humbucker model appeals to players who only use one tone, who feel extra pickups just get in the way.  Also features the locking tuners that go with the trem-equipped models.  25.5" scale with a 10" radius and a nicely rounded neck profile that Musicman is noted for - feels great in the palm.  This guitar is immaculate, very lightweight, and an excellent value in a well made American guitar at $450.  Includes free gigbag or used Fender/other case optional at $59. 
41. Ernie Ball Musicman Sterling JP50 John Petrucci, (front), (headstock), (back), (trem stop), (features).   Great feeling guitar with quality tone, Petrucci vibe, with a number of cosmetic and technical modifications.  The first thing you'll notice is the finish.  The logo has been removed from the headstock and the body, which is factory satin finish, has been buffed out to a gloss finish.  Don't let the logo scare you though, this guitar is guaranteed to be 100% first quality JP50.  The neck pickup has been replaced with a DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell, which is bright and glassy sounding, along the lines of a Strat, with a vintage, medium output.  It's paired perfectly with the stock G&B bridge humbucker as both have similar output while being distinctly different in tone.  G&B are Korean pickups and the choice of the better imports such as PRS SE's.  A trem stop has been installed, allowing for down pressure only, EVH style, with advantages such as tuning stability during string bends and string breakage.  The pickup selector switch has been moved - as shown here, the factory location can get in the way if you're a heavy strummer so it's been moved down to the normal bottom position, eliminating the tone control, and a plastic insert installed in the original position.  This is a rather unique, we made guitar,  The neck and headstock (picture) are one, meaning no scarf joint, which is more expensive to manufacture but adds stability and avoids potential separation.  This guitar has a great feeling 24-fret neck that's thin with very sight shoulders, very easy to get your hand around.  Stock features include Basswood body with custom deep forearm contour, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard an custom Sterling Petrucci Neck carve, Locking Tuners, 24 medium-Jumbo frets, Sterling Modern Recess Tremolo, 25.5" scale, 5-bolt Music Man-designed neck joint, 1.65" (42mm) nut width, and Spoke wheel truss rod adjustment.  A stock JP50 is running $545 and it's one of the better Asian guitars at that price.  If you can live without a Sterling logo, this has some tasteful upgrades and superb playability, all for $350.  Includes gigbag.  
42. ESP Ltd EC-256 Goldtop, (front), (back/neck), (headstock), (relic wear).  ESP has jumped on the bandwagon with the cool vibe of relic guitars.  Like Fender's Road Worn series, the EC-256 wood is factory aged to have the appearance of a guitar that's spent years in honky tonks.  One thing about relics that I've found - you either love 'em or you hate 'em.  Personally, I love 'em.  In addition to the vibe, which makes me feel like I'm playing a good old 60's instrument, the neck is worn in a way that it doesn't feel like a sticky new neck, but one that's well broken in.  One important upgrade:  Original ESP tuners, which weren't the best, have been replaced with a quality set of Grovers.  Six original screw holes are visible but we can cover them if desired at no extra cost.  As shown in the pics, the wear is pretty authentic.  To start with, the binding has that nice yellowed look, which is the look of aged nitro, combined with years in smoke-filled dance halls.  Like a vintage guitar, the yellow is worn through in certain areas down to the original white binding.  The body has misc light finish chips, especially along the edge of the body, front and back, as well as worn areas where the guitar contacts the body such as the belly contour, heel, and along the side of the neck in the lower register.  The back of the headstock is worn as well, from years of resting against a wall or amp.  For the money, I'm surprised that they were able to do such a good job, especially considering this guitar costs around 1/2 of a Fender Road Worn.  Features include Set-Neck Construction; 24.75" Scale; Mahogany Body; Mahogany Neck; Rosewood Fingerboard; 1 5/8" Nut; Thin U-Shaped Neck Contour; 22 Extra Jumbo Frets; Nickel Hardware; Tuneomatic Bridge & Stopbar Tailpiece; ESP LH-150 Bridge and LH-150 Neck Pickups; Push-Pull Coil Tap on Tone Control; Aged Goldtop Finish; flag inlays with model name at 12th fret.  This guitar is a comfortable player.  At 7.2 lbs., and a body that's more shallow than a Les Paul, it feels great strapped on and with the deep, beveled cutaway, it's easier hitting the high notes.  The Satin finish is conducive to better sustain but it also feeds the vintage vibe of an old goldtop that's lost its luster.  It's in "mint" condition, other than the original owner scratched off the country of origin next to the serial, but we stained it as to be barely noticeable, with no scratches or fret wear, plastic is still on the back plate.  It set up surprisingly nice with very comfortable action and the stock ESP pickups sound good in both the humbucker and single coil modes.  All in all, this is a refreshingly nice "relic" guitar and a good value for a LP style axe.  New cost is $399 without a case or gigbag and they may set up as well as this one.  For $329(SOLD-James H 6/22), you can get one with an excellent set up PLUS I'll include a nice ESP gigbag and strap (shown here). 
43. ESP Mirage Deluxe 48th Street - Cadillac Tailfin & Fishnet Legs Graphic, (front), (headstock), (back), (heel/neckplate), (trem), (case), (fretboard).    Girls, cars, and guitars; they just go together as evidenced by this super cool airbrush graphic of some fishnet-clad legs sitting atop a 50's Cadillac tailfin.  Specs are the same as the Snakeskin above with a few differences - bridge pickup is the ESP dual rail, fretboard is rosewood, tremolo is recessed, and the trem cover plate is recessed.  Other than that, its the same super nice axe from the 48th Street custom shop.  The fretboard on this one is some beautiful rosewood that has much of the color and figuring of Brazilian.  Like all the airbrushed guitars from this era, this body is literally a work of art and hand-painted by a true artist in his/her own right.  Like the snake skin above, this guitar has seen very little use and exhibits no player's wear.  The only noteworthy flaw are a few lacquer cracks beside the tremolo (shown here) which only bear mentioning because the guitar is otherwise in such pristine condition.  Highly recommended for the ESP collector, collector of graphic finishes, or better yet and pro player since this guitar plays fantastic with action that's built to shred and quality tone.  With a new Mirage II in black running around $1700 new, here's a much more rare custom shop model in a super cool and sexy graphic, for just $1099.   Includes top quality ESP case with black tolex with silver logo, leather ends, and plush interior. 
44. 1996 ESP Mirage - Custom Shop, (front/back), (headstock), (tremolo), (case), (pickups), (neck/body markings).   A real stunner - immaculate condition and a just a gorgeous custom order *real* ESP, which are really getting hard to come by unless you want to plunk down $2K for a new one.  Even better than its looks is the playability.  This one came in as barely mediocre at best but Martin worked his magic and has transformed it into one of the best playing ESP's I've had.  Back in the 80's/90's you could, probably still can, custom order ESP's with any configuration you wanted, as indicated by the "Custom" seal on the back of the headstock.  At one time these were all supposedly USA models but I don't have any hard info to support that.  Doesn't matter though as Japan ESP's are as well respected as most USA makers.  This one was ordered with a highly figured swamp ash body with matching headstock veneer, reverse headstock, Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson bridge, black hardware, "ESP" inlay at the 12th fret and Abalone dot inlays elsewhere.  Pickups are in an HSS configuration, with a DiMarzio Tone Zone humbucker in the bridge, Duncan Cool Rails Strat Humbucker in the neck, and DiMarzio Fast Track Strat humbucker in the middle - controlled by 5-way selector, master volume, and master tone.  Although 13 years old, this guitar looks like it was bought this year but the price is likely less than it cost back in '96 at just $950.  Includes original ESP case.  This is one nice Mirage.  
45. ESP Vintage S - Daddy's Series, (front/back), (headstock).  Not an especially rare model, but an extremely rare series, commissioned for Daddy's Junky Music, probably the country's #1 dealer in used gear, around 25 years ago.  I called Daddy's corporate office to get the rundown on this model and spoke to Chris, who was actually around when these guitars were built.  The story goes like this:  In the early 80's, ESP had very few dealers in the USA and they were hot to increase their distribution stateside.  At a NAMM show a fellow named "Toschi" from ESP approached Daddy's and Daddy's placed a fairly large order.  According to Chris, he thought that there were probably 50 or so, but no more than 100 of the entire series, which were essentially ESP's Vintage Series, with a special "Daddy's Series" logo.  They came in various finishes and appointments, with this one being Olympic white with black and white plastic parts.  It's a well made guitar, typical of Japan quality in the 80's, with good quality woods, hardware, and electronics.  The bridge pickup has been replaced with a Duncan Quarter Pounder (pic here) - middle and neck are regular stag pole vintage style.  Pots are the full size Japan pots; switch is the vintage style blade, both shown here.  This guitar is in extremely clean condition with no scratches to on the body or neck; frets are 98%, almost new.  The only noteworthy flaws are some natural relic'ing to the nickel bridge and some of the pickguard screws, as shown here.   The rarity of a Daddy's Series may only appeal to a handful of players, but it's an interesting story, and one that has little to no web documentation.  Thanks to Chris from Daddy's corporate headquarters for his help.  Rarity aside, this is a very good quality Japan S-style in superb condition - for $550.   Includes gigbag.  
46. 2006 ESP Ltd Viper 400, (front/back), (headstock), (Earvana Nut), (Contoured Heel).  Killer Viper with factory EMG's, again in super clean condition.  The only real flaw is a tiny hole (pic here) where apparently somebody was going to move the strap pin.  We can plug and refinish the area for $20 if desired.  The 400 is the top of the line in the Ltd Viper series, with top quality features and quality craftsmanship that reinforces the fact that some great guitars are being built in Korea these days.  The Ltd line was originally conceived to be a less expensive alternative to ESP's Japan-made guitars.  It's been my opinion that they're every bit as good as their ESP counterparts and I actually have found them to be better built guitars on the whole.  Their shortcomings were electronics and hardware that weren't quite as good...but Viper 400 is certainly an exception.  Starting with a set of active EMG-81/85 pickups, Grover tuners, and an Earvana nut that makes the intonation much closer than a standard nut.  The body shape of the Viper is pretty much like an SG, except slightly thicker and the upper horn is slightly longer, rather than symmetrical like the SG.   It also features the same all-mahogany construction of the SG with the same Tuneomatic bridge and tailpiece, 3/side headstock, and beveled body edges.  ESP left off the pickguard and used black hardware which give it a more elegant look.  Phased out earlier this year, the Viper 400 sold for $599 but this one's in beautiful shape and just $439 with a new $70 Guardian Featherlight (canvas over foam) case - or just $399 with a used gigbag. This is a killer playing guitar and like the EC-1000, definitely good enough for pro use.  
47. 2009 EVH Wolfgang Guitar - Vintage White - Serial 109, (close-up), (headstock), (back/neck), (trem), (case1 case2 box).  Not many of these on the used market yet and I'm happy to have two of them in stock, both in collector's condition with original box.  This one is dated Dec 08 on the hang tag, shipped in 2009.  All I can say is, wow, it's not just hype.  I figured this was just going to be another EBMM or Peavey with a different headstock and fancy binding, but all the refinements that EVH made combine to produce a truly superior guitar.  The main thing I noticed was markedly increased sustain plus more note clarity than the Peavey model.  The distinctive double-cutaway body with a 1/2" maple top on a lightweight 1 1/2" basswood back, a quartersawn single-piece AA figured maple neck fitted with stainless steel frets, double-potted custom-wound guitar pickups, five-piece binding on the matching body and headstock, custom-made signature tuning machines, Floyd Rose double-locking trem with the patented EVH D-Tuna drop-D tuning system, and Bourns low-friction pots.  Other features include 25-1/2"-scale length, Compound fingerboard radius 12"-16", 22 vintage-size stainless steel frets, Floyd Rose R2 locking nut, 1-5/8" nut width, Chrome hardware, EVH-branded chrome Gotoh tuners with pearloid buttons, EVH-branded Floyd Rose locking tremolo, EVH humbuckers (neck and bridge), 3-way pickup toggle (reverse wired), Master Volume and Tone Controls.  It also includes a great case which is a huge improvement over the Peavey case - it is very thick, with strong hinges and latches and internal contours that hug the body on all sides.  The new EVH Wolfgang sells everywhere for $2999 but this one is immaculate with no pick scratches or buckle scratches, and a killer EVH for $2299.  Ships with original factory box and, by the way, this one is serial 109.  
48. 2005 Fernandes Ravelle, (front1 front2), (back), (headstock),  (pickguard kit).    Extremely cool Fernandes with killer looks, tone, and playability.  It's designed for the player who loves traditional feel combined with cutting edge tone and looks.  The neck carve is extremely comfortable and the cutting edge body and headstock styling are so eye-catching that you're certain to get comments from anyone who hasn't seen one of thee before.  This thing isn't looks only though, with real-deal Seymour Duncans and quality hardware.  This guitar features Seymour's personal favorite in pickup combinations:  The SH4 JB ( the world's most popular pickup) and the SH2N Jazz neck, with the simplest of controls:  master volume, master tone, 3-way selector.  It also features a bound mahogany body, bound neck, bound headstock, and split trapezoid inlays that look similar - but cooler - than the traditional inlays from the traditional LP style   Endorsers of this cool axe include Dave Navarro {Jane's Addiction and husband of Carmen Elektra :) }, Steve Stevens, Dave Kushner (Velvet Revolver) and Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie).  Plays great well and very clean condition.  This model comes in figured tops as well and white, but there's something both heavy and elegant looking on a gloss black guitar with black hardware.  It also features the Ravelle signature pickguard with holes in it, again, to set apart from a traditional LP.  The pickguard comes uninstalled from the factory but we can drill screw holes and attach and no cost if desired.  Any flaws you may see in the pics are mere reflections - this baby is perfect  - with plastic still on the back covers and not a hint of player's wear.  Really nice guitar in perfect condition for $499 with gigbag, or $55 more to substitute hardshell case such as this one.  
49. 2004 Fischer Model 3H, (front), (back/neck joint), (headstock), (recessed knobs).   The very first--and very best--Fischer guitar!  I've had this one for a while, with only a few bits of information.  It's a fantastic guitar, beautiful, unique, and an exceptional playing instrument.  The only info I could find on the web was a mention on Moses Graphite's site timeline page:  "2004 - Fischer Guitars introduces elegant, inlaid guitars featuring Moses Graphite necks and bodies with gorgeous hardwood tops".  When I finally had the time to do some research I found "Fischer Fine Instruments" listed on a business locator web site.  Armed with a phone number I had the distinct pleasure of speaking, at great length, to the man himself.  Ken Fischer Kraft (he chose his middle family name for his company), made a batch of 28 guitars in 2004, with the unique feature of all graphite construction, with a highly figure maple top on the higher end model.  He supplied Moses graphite with a wooden body and neck, and from that they made a mold in which to pour the graphite.  The molds were only good for 28 units, at which time a new mold would have to be made.  For reasons I won't go into, unfortunately, this first batch of 28 were the only guitars that Ken made and as he stated he still had some body/neck units in stock, the actual finished product would probably number closer to 20.  This particular guitar is the very first one (serial 001) he made, and he stated that it was probably the best of the lot.  In order to get some buzz going about his brand he gave it to Kenny Olsen, guitarist for Kid Rock, as part of an endorsement deal.  Kenny also had a deal with Gibson, didn't play the guitar on stage, but never returned it.  It went from Kenny Olsen, to one of our regular customers, to me.  While Olsen owned the guitar his tech, who thought it was a wooden body, ran a bead of black glue around the neck joint (shown here), thinking it wouldn't hurt to reinforce the area.  He didn't know that the chemical process of graphite manufacture actually bonds the neck to the body while in the liquid form, essentially making it one piece, making it virtually impossible for the neck to shift.  One of the unique aspects of the Fischer guitar is the chambered graphite body - a solid piece of graphite running down the center with tone chambers on both the bass and treble sides.  One obvious effect was keeping the weight down (8.2 lbs.) which is important considering the inherent heaviness of graphite. Ken used these "sonic chambers", to actually improve the tone and sustain of the guitar.  Each curve has a radius that's conducive to a chromatic scale with bad overtones cancelled out to bring out more vibration.  He was in the progress of applying for a patent for this innovation but dropped the idea when he discontinued manufacture.  After Moses completed the neck/body composites, Ken added the wooden cap, which is full piece of maple that's around the same thickness as Les Paul.  He then had the back clear coated by an auto body shop to give the guitar the luster of wood rather than the matte look of graphite.  Ken compared his guitars to PRS but, whereas he though PRS were a modern take on a Gibson, his guitars were a modern take on a Fender, with a body that's sort of a cross between a Strat and Tele, 3 single coil pickups, with the bridge pickup reverse slanted for the Jimi effect, and the standard Strat 5-way selector, volume, neck tone, and middle tone.  You can also see a PRS influence with edge of the maple unstained to create a top "binding" and recessed knobs.  The top is even more carved than a PRS, with the upper bouts having a gentile German carve.  Other features include 22-fret neck with stunning abalone Dolphin inlays, Lace Sensor pickups with the bridge being a hotter wound model, gold hardware, Gotoh 510 tuners, and Hipshot hardtail bridge with strings thru body.  The neck is a compound radius, 9.5" to 12", with a V-shaped profile, although not overly deep.  Ken said his guitars sold for $2200 for his base model, to $3200 for this model with the nicest appointments and wood.  He mentioned that these were virtually all sold to collector types which probably explains why I've never seen one on the used market before.  It's in excellent condition with very low action and a tone that's close to a Strat but with more "snap" and a faster attack.  If you're looking for a guitar that's impervious to climate change and breakage, or the collector of extremely rare, well made American guitars, this one is a real beauty and considering it's unique heritage, a nice buy at 1/2 the new cost  at $1599.  Includes quality hardshell case.   
50. Floyd Rose Discovery DST1-R w/accessories, (pic2), 2004, new-old-stock, these cool Floyd guitars now come in an affordable, quality-made import model.  They use the same unique patented Speed-Loader system.  Features the new Floyd Rose Speedloader tremolo bridge, 3 high-output single coils, Basswood body, and the cool, low-mass headstock that's constructed largely of "air".  The best thing about the Speedloader system is string changes can be done in less than a minute - it's truly a no-brainer easy job.  For specs on this bridge, click here.  These guitars are very well constructed as you'd expect with anything that Floyd would put his name on - with excellent setup and quality tone.  These are $399 everywhere for the guitar alone but this one includes genuine Floyd Rose accessories including gigbag, strap, picks, cable, and tools for just $389 - plus a pro-setup that's better than factory.   
51. Floyd Rose Discovery DSF2-BK w/accessories, (pic2), 2004, new-old-stock, same basic design as the DST-1 above except in a non-tremolo model with the Speedloader Fixed Bridge with dual hot humbuckers.  For bridge specs, click here.  These are $399 everywhere for the guitar alone but this one includes genuine Floyd Rose accessories including gigbag, strap, picks, cable, and tools for just $389 - plus a pro-setup that's better than factory.   
52. Gibson set-neck SG Style:  Fender Squier Set-Neck S-73, as new, excellent Korean model with an eye toward the SG.  The Squier S-73 is a double cutaway solid mahogany guitar with a set mahogany neck. The rosewood fingerboard has jumbo nickel silver frets and newly designed block inlays, and a 24 3/4" scale length. This guitar features two Seymour-Duncan designed humbuckers.  List price on new is $726.99 but this one is dead mint with plastic still on the pickguard and back plate and ships in original factory box for just $325.
53. 2007 G&L Asat Classic Tribute, (front), (back), (headstock), (pickups/bridge), (Deluxe Gigbag).   I think G&L's Tributes are the best quality imported traditional guitars (i.e. guitars with their roots in the 50's/60's), on the market today.  Companies like Fender and Epiphone produce some good quality imports but they make a major compromise on pickups, for which their tone falls short.  The only exception I can think of are Japan-made Fender and Epi Elitist, but these are guitars that cost almost as much as their USA counterparts.  G&L's Tribute series, on the other hand, use the same USA pickups and some of the hardware as their American lines.  Quality parts alone mean little without quality control on the overall product and the Tribute series has that under control as well.  In my opinion, these guitars are 75% as nice as the USA models at under 50% of the price.  The G&L Tribute ASAT Classic has a toneful swamp ash body and features G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil pickups with the bridge pickup mounted in a traditional boxed steel bridge.   Other features include Hard Rock Maple with Maple fingerboard, 9" modern fretboard radius, 1 5/8" nut width, and traditional T-style control plate with 3-way, volume, and tone.  This is a remarkable guitar at its price point.  At $599 street price ($859 list), it already has quality pickups, which is the most common upgrade we do on imports.  This one is in flawless condition and one nice playing, excellent sounding Tele style for just $449.  Includes G&L gigbag, one of the best gigbags on the market.  
54. 2008 Giffin Model T Special, (front/back), (headstock), (certificate/spec's), (case).   This is a fine, fine guitar.  If you're looking for a LP Special type guitar, this is as fine as you'll see.  You can feel the quality before you even strum the first chord and within 60 seconds, you'll likely agree with me.  Griffin offers quality custom handmade guitars all based in classic designs for a vintage appeal, with modern day enhancements.   They are true boutique guitars, built one at a time, each one built to the personal spec's of the new owner with several custom options to choose from such as woods, pickup configuration, color selection, inlay design, neck specifications and more.  He does not use a dealer network and sells his guitars direct to the public which saves your around a 30% markup.  Current wait time for a built is approximately five months.  Roger Giffin started building guitars in England through the 60's and later moved to the USA where he designed the prototype for Steinberger's "M" series guitar.  He later headed Gibson's west coast custom shop while building guitars for players like Eddie Van Halen, Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Jimmy Page and Malcolm Young.  He's perhaps most known for building Townsend's PT models from Schecter guitar kits, around 5-6 in total, which Pete used extensively in the late 70's and early 80's.  About the Model T Special:  Specifications include Black Limba body, Black Limba and Maple neck - laminated for strength, East Indian Rosewood fretboard; White celluloid bound fingerboard;  Gibson scale - 24 3/4 inches, Standard Abalone line inlay, black headstock veneer, Tonepros bridge/tailpiece combination, Gotoh mini tuners, clear gloss polyurethane finish, and lastly, a smoking pair of Kent Armstrong V P90 pickups.  To me there's nothing that beats the simplicity or comfort of a wraparound bridge and this Tonepros has all the advantages, with none of the disadvantages.  It's fully intonatable and feels very comfortable when damping strings with your hand.   The neck is spectacular, very thin like an old Gibson double-cut, with binding for comfort and cutaway very deep into the body  It's also uniformly thin from the 1st fret to the 22nd, rather than getting chunkier as you go up the neck but he profile is a very subtle soft V at the lower frets, gradually flattening out to a D-shape at the top of the neck  For pricing and details on this model click here for Giffin's site.  You can order direct from Giffin for $2650, which is extremely reasonable for a hand-made guitar of this impeccable quality - or if you don't want to endure a 1/2 year wait this 2008 model is available now.  Frets are almost new, 99%, and otherwise in immaculate condition, at just $1799.  In closing, as many of you know, I'm a huge Junior/Special fan.  I feel that this Giffin Special is as good - or better - than most vintage Gibsons I've played.  For a great review of Giffin guitars, check out the January 2010 issue of Vintage Guitar.
55. 2000 Godin SD 24, (front), (headstock), (back).  I really love Godins.  Whether acoustic or electric, every one we've had has been an excellent quality guitar in all regards and probably the best value in a North American guitar (built in USA from Canadian parts).  The SD features a Gibson scale (24 3/4") for easy string bends, but with the maple body and maple neck, is a lot brighter sounding than a Gibson.  Features include vintage-style tremolo, die-cast tuners, great sounding Godin HSH pickups, 1 11/16" nut width, and nicely contoured maple body and a flat 12" fretboard radius.  Excellent set up and overall nice shape other than some light scratches and finish impressions but nothing through the clear coat; around an 8.5 overall.  For overall quality and tone, this guitar is hard to beat at $399, including a gigbag, or $459 with a nice Godin case (shown here). 
56. Godin G4000, USA, excellent tone via humbucker and two singles, Schaller deluxe tremolo block, Grover tuners, nice trans-blue finish on a body that’s somewhat reminiscent of a Jaguar, excellent player and nice tone, the G-Series Godins are excellent quality and when you buy used they’re perhaps the best bargains on the market, $275    
57. 2007 Gretsch G6121-1955 Chet Atkins Solid Body, (front/back), (headstock), (leather trim).  "As new" condition.  Now that Gretsch has the Chet Atkins name again they've revamped almost their entire line.  This Chet Atkins Solidbody is one of the new models.  Loaded with Gretsch Western vibe, from the iconic "G" brand, to the cactus and steer inlays, to the leather studded binding - everything you love about the original 6120 in a solid body form.  Features include semi-hollow mahogany body, arched laminated maple top, 1-piece mahogany neck, 22 fret rosewood fingerboard  with aged inlays of wide-block pearl cactus, steer heads & fences, 1-11/16" nut width, 24.6" scale, Western style tooled leather side-body trim accented with aged furniture tacks, "G" brand on body, inlaid aged pearloid steer head & Gretsch logo on headstock, 2 DynaSonic single coil pickups, 3-way toggle switch, 2 volume, 1 tone & master volume controls, arrow knobs, Bigsby B3GBVN tremolo tailpiece, Grover vintage style Sta-Tite tuners, Bigsby compensated bridge, and gold hardware.  Sells on line for $2500 ($3575 list) but this one is flawless, new in the box condition with a killer setup for just $1950(HOLD-Rob C 11/27).  Includes vintage style Gretsch case, also with western trim, with velvet lining and Gretsch banner inside, as certificate, tags, manuals, etc. 
58. 1979 Gretsch Beast BST-1000 with Upgrades, (front),  (back), (headstock), (Kahler trem/nut/clamp), (heel), (DiMarzio's), (catalog).  Features include single-cutaway solid mahogany body, finished in "Red Mahogany"; two-piece bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fretboard; 24 large frets; pearl dot inlays; zero-frets; vertical black T-top logo; 24-3/4" scale, 1-5/8" nut width, 1-1/2" body thickness; 3-ply large pickguard.  Originally a hard tail model, this one has an added Kahler tremolo and string clamp.  To say that this was a pro mod is an understatement, this one was modified by John Suhr (signed in the trem cavity) so you know it was done cleanly and precisely.  One other upgrade, and it's significant, the original Gretsch pickups (with odd Phillips head pole pieces) have been replaced with a very old pair of DiMarzio Super Distortions.  It was a very tone-enhancing change since stock Beast pickups are pretty unremarkable.   It's a very comfortable guitar to play with nicely rounded edges, deep treble cutaway, and the neck cut low into the body - much like a PRS bolt-on - which allows the neck plane to be closer to the plane of the body.  Very nice player with comfortable action and nicely dressed frets without any deep wear spots.  The tone is fat and powerful, suitable for a number of styles.  Cosmetically it's in nice shape for its age other than a spot on the back where the clear coat is worn through but this is a very thin nitro finish so it's going to wear easily.  Very affordable vintage USA Gretsch that's good enough for the pro player.  $550 includes gigbag.  
59. 1995 Grosh Hollow Silver Sparkle, (front), (headstock), (back), (neck/body dates), (neck), (spec sheet), (case).  Beautiful early model Grosh - serial #113.  Long story on this one but, briefly, I bought it, along with around 30 other fine pieces, from a collector in Maryland 2 years ago.  Grosh used to build these with the sparkle top made out of plastic but there was a design flaw and, over time, the plastic shrank, leaving a gap between the binding and the edge of the top all the way around the top.  Martin called his buddy Don around 18 months ago and Don agreed to repair the guitar for us, although using real flake and lacquer instead of plastic.  Now, 18 months later, I'm happy to have this guitar ready for sale.  In order to keep the finish from being too thick, thus killing the liveliness of the top, Grosh used a very thin finish, with less flake that you'll see on more flashy guitars, where there are so many coats that the guitar sounds dead.  As a result, you can see the sealer coat when viewed very closely (shown here), but from a foot away it looks perfect.  I'd call it the perfect compromise between a flashy look and a toneful guitar.  Features of this fine guitar include:  alder body with tone chambers, maple neck with round back profile, 1 5/8" nut width, 10" fretboard radius, 6150 medium jumbo frets, rosewood fretboard with clay dot inlays, vintage flat mount bridge with stamped steel saddles, strings thru body, and body binding.   Pickups are both humbuckers with a Lindy Fralin in the bridge and a Duncan '59 in the neck.  It's a superb playing guitar with a fairly complex tone, great for country licks, classic rock, or blues, pretty much anything but heavy metal.  The original owner of this guitar was strictly a collector with lots of fine guitars and no time to play them; it's probably seen less than 20 hours of playing time.  Retail on this guitar was $2590...16 years ago.  The current model Retro Classic Hollow T base model retails for $2999, not including a $400 upcharge for sparkle finish, or $350 for body binding, around $3750 total.  You can own this fine, barely played '95 model for just $1700.  
60. 2002 Hamer Duotone 12-String,  (front/back), (headstock), (EQ), (case).   Before I got this guitar, I wasn't even aware that Hamer made the Duotones in a 12-string version, which is understandable since they are extremely rare.  It's the best of both worlds in a 12 with a quality sounding Piezo pickup under the saddle - plus a pair of Seymour Duncan mini-humbuckers - and you can select the acoustic output (piezo) only, magnetic output (mini-hums) only, or both, via a 3-way selector, plus a separate 3-way for the Duncan bridge-neck-both.  Additionally, the guitar offers stereo outputs to route your acoustic and electric signals to two different amps (or channels); one of the outputs wired mono, with both signals routed to it.  Rather than complicate the control section with a bunch of extra knobs, Hamer uses recessed pots on the back cover to control the EQ for the acoustic tone with low, mid, high, and gain.  You will likely find the setting that sounds best with your amp and just set it and forget it.  The guitar features the classic combination of solid spruce top, with a chambered solid mahogany body and neck.  Like most Hamers, the body/neck joint is constructed to allow easy access all the way to the top fret with a short heel and all but one fret is clear of the body.  Like its 6-string brother, this guitar is a joy to play and the action is so low that it's almost like playing a 6; simply outstanding in that regard.  It's in near immaculate condition with no pick scratches, buckle scratches or other extraneous wear other than some slight nickel wear on the pickup edges and a short (1/2") lacquer crack behind the nut (shown here).  It doesn't have any "Hameritis" (milky finish) which is common around the neck joint and edge of fretboard.  Due to its thinline design an chambered mahogany body, it is nearly impervious to feedback, which makes it a fantastic stage guitar, but it will also shine for studio work.  I have no idea how much this model would cost if ordered today.  As I've mentioned many times in the past, Hamers are among the best American guitars on the market, with quality well above the larger manufacturers.  For the Hamer collector, you know there are virtually none of these on the market or if you're just a player looking for a top notch electric 12, it doesn't get any better.  A truly great guitar for $1499(HOLD-Greg C 8/2).  Includes similarly clean Hamer case. 
61. 2009 Hamer Newport Pro USA Custom Order w/ Brazilian Board and more (NEWPRO), (front/back), (headstock), (Braz. board), (heel), (cert./specs), (case/acc.).   For the discriminating collector of dead mint and one-off examples I am pleased to offer this fine custom order Newport Pro.  Custom features of this guitar include tobacco sunburst body with satin finish, no fretboard inlays (side markers only), ebony pickguard (spec is no pickguard), "modern" neck profile, Dunlop 6100 frets (i.e. huge), and most noteworthy, a Brazilian rosewood fretboard that is some of the finest you'll see with minimal streaks and no inconsistencies to the color.  The satin finish is very much a player preference but it is an upcharge at Hamer and to me it gives the guitar more of a vintage look than a high gloss finish.  The Newport debuted in 1999 as a traditional hollow body guitar with a hand-carved solid Spruce top with dual  f-holes Honduras Mahogany neck and body.  Stock features of this fine guitar include Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbuckers, arched top made of 5/8" hand-carved spruce, dual F-holes, Mahogany body with 17.6" lower bout, bound body, bound headstock with pearloid inlay, bound neck, mahogany neck with vintage rounded profile .900" to .960" thickness, fingerboard radius of 14.5", 24 3/4" scale, 1.65" nut width, Schaller Super Rotomatic (stair-step) tuners, Tonepros System II bridge and Tonepros tailpiece.  A STOCK Newport Pro retails for $3900 and sells at discount for $2999; add on the 5 custom specs and you're up to a guitar that sold a year ago for $3500.  This one is "as new", not a hint of use, and priced $1100 less than new - $600 less than even a stock Newport Pro - at just $2399.  I've hyped the quality of Hamers for many years and this one is no exception - tone and playability are top-notch and better than comparable brands that have been around or over a century.  
62. 2005 Hamer Duotone Brazilian Custom, (close-up), (neck/headstock), (back), (MOP detail), (side), (pickups/specs), (cert.), (strap locks), (case).   The Duotone is Hamer's hybrid acoustic-electric.  They're great guitars but this custom order Duotone puts it in a class by itself, absolutely loaded with custom shop touches which make it a great example of "guitars as art."  Starting with a stunning Brazilian rosewood headstock face and Brazilian fretboard - to the Brazilian bridge.  Hamer inlaid mother of pearl around the entire soundboard, edge of the fretboard, headstock, and around the bridge, which also features a fossilized ivory saddle.  The nut is also fossilized; bone.  The pearl bound body has a deliciously sculpted cedar top finished in "Light Brown Sugar Burst"; the Korina neck, capped with Brazilian rosewood is outlined with 100's of pearl pieces, each cut and placed by hand, plus ten Victory fretboard inlays.  Ivoroid binding is hand cut and fitted in the F-hole and matches the fossilized ivory saddle.  Seymour Duncan wound the pickups specifically for this guitar and engraved the gold covers with the guitar's serial number along with his signature.  The pickups are "Jimmy Pagers" which have a vintage-style medium output in the 8K's, and sound great in this spruce and Korina body.  The aged cedar top features very tight grain to give the guitar its unique look and tone.  Controls are straight ahead Hamer and features Hamer's Ultimate Electronics Package, with a separate 3-way to select acoustic-acoustic+electric-electric, with 4-band frequency cut/boost controls accessible via holes in the electronics cover - plus separate acoustic and electric output jacks are utilized to go to separate amps if desired.  Joel Danzig signed the electronics cover as well.  One departure from the normal Duotone is the middle pot is a "push-push" to split the humbuckers, allowing a choice of 6 electric tones.   You can see pics and info on the Hamer Designer Gallery at this link - just lick "designer archive" and it'll be on the first page.  I've always been impressed with Duotones in terms of tone, feel, and playability and this one is more than looks alone.  It's the best Duotone I've played.  The action is laughingly low and most player will probably want it raised slightly but an insanely low setup is there if you want it.  This beauty has been collector owned since new and has seen little to no use.  To order this guitar today, you're looking at over $6000 but this pristine example of Hamer's finest work can be yours for $3600(HOLD-Don O 9/26).  
63. 1996 Hamer USA Artist (Studio) GATASO, (front/back), (headstock).  A real stunner in Honey finish - solid maple top with beautiful flame (top) in beautiful condition.  The Artist Studio features an offset double cutaway mahogany body with sound chamber, carved bookmatched solid maple top, mahogany neck, single f-hole, 22-fret neck, Wilkinson hardtail wraparound bridge, Schaller tuners, and a great pair of pickups - Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers.  Extremely clean condition with the worst flaw being a little milky clear coat on the edge of the fretboard, which is a common flaw on Hamers but overall a solid 9.  List on a new Artist Studio is $3300, street priced at over $2300, which makes this a pretty good value at $1350.  Includes Hamer case. 
64. Hofner CT Club Semi-Hollowbody, (front), (headstock/neck), (back), (features), (bridges), (box candy).  New, an unplayed, first quality Hofner.  We have a few of these in stock and feel that they're one of the most unique semi-hollowbody guitars made.  It's super lightweight, at around 6.3 lbs., and its small LP style body isn't ungainly like most of the typical archtop semi-hollows.  With the new CT Club Hofner resurrected one of their classic vintage models and a proud history that included John Lennon (pic) and George Harrison as players of their Club 40 in ca. '59, and a Club 50 they shared in the mid-60's.  Other noteworthy players of Club series include Jimi Hendrix (Club 50 ca. '59), Richie Blackmore (second guitar he owned), David Gilmour (Club 60 in '63; another 60 in the 80's), and a number of the UK's hottest players in the 50's and 60's.  If you're used to semi-hollowbodys that have feedback problems, worry not.  The small body, lack of f-holes, sustain block, and mini-humbuckers combine to make this guitar no more susceptible to feedback than a Les Paul.  Crank up the gain as high as you want, no problem.  This guitar will perform great for nearly any type of music, and especially jazz and jump, although it's probably not the best choice for super heavy metal.  It has excellent volume when strummed acoustically, and this open sound is also noticeable when amplified.  Features of the CT Club include: single cutaway maple body with flamed maple veneer on back and sides, spruce top, semi-hollow construction with modern sustain block, 3-piece maple neck with 22 fret bound rosewood fingerboard, pearloid dot inlays, 24-3/4" scale, 1-11/16" nut width, pearloid Hofner logo & floral design peghead inlay, a pair of Hofner "Diamond" pickups, classic adjustable metal bridge installed - plus vintage style Hofner wooden bridge included, trapeze tailpiece, pearloid pickguard & control plate, sealed tuning machines and, surprisingly, nickel hardware.  Controls include separate volume controls for each pickup (i.e. "bass" pickup and "treble" pickup), treble & bass pickup slider switches turn on/off one or both pickups, uses a "Rhythm/Solo" switch in lieu of a tone pot, with the Rhythm position having the highs rolled off a tad.  These are getting hard to find.  The few sites that discount them heavily off their $999 list have them on back order, some until July.  The only sites that actually have them in stock are selling at $699.  I have a few of these in stock, set up better than factory and untouched, except for my tech, and a great buy at $439.  
65. Italia Modena, (front), (front/back), (headstock).  With all the glitz and gaudiness of the 60's Italian classics, Italia has filled a niche market building guitars with unique looks but also quality parts and tonewoods.  The Modena features three Wilkinson mini-humbuckers controlled by a blade pickup selector, master volume, master tone, and an additional volume that controls only the front pickup which allows you to fade it in or out, yielding 7 pickup combinations.  Other features include quality Gotoh tuners with pearloid buttons, Wilkinson vibrola, Tuneomatic bridge with roller action to reduce friction and keep the tuning stable during tremolo use, 25.5" scale, agathis body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard.  What really strikes you about this guitar is killer looks, with a green sparkle that really pops under lights, with mother of toilet seat back, pickguard, and back of the neck.  It also has a cool ridge around the edge of the guitar that's somewhat like a German carve.  These pickups sound great and with seven combinations you can dial in a good sound for nearly any style of music.  The tremolo is very smooth, sort of like a Bigsby as far as touch is concerned.  It's hard to beat this guitar for quality of construction and, even more, absolute killer looks.  All this with a killer set up for $399. 
66. 1986 Jackson Strat - Red Flake w/Matching Headstock, (front), (headstock/neck/plate), (back), (pickups), (case).  Another beautiful older Custom Shop Jackson from early Ontario production - San Dimas neckplate and the body still has the smaller San Dimas control route on back.  This one is finished in a perfect red metal flake with matching headstock, which looks great with the gold Kahler Pro tremolo.  Pickups are Seymour Duncan Live Wires, all of which are humbuckers and all are high output, active pickups.  It's equipped with individual pickup switches to allow any combination including neck and bridge and all 3.  Other controls are simply a volume control.  This guitar is super clean with no finish chips or deep scratches, only some fine scratches, most of which will go away when we buff it out.  The neck has a thick slab of rosewood, medium jumbo frets, and a sealer coat on back.  Set up is fantastic with low action and no fretting out and overall this is one of the cleaner 80's Jacksons I've had in while.  Like the yellow '86 Dinky I posted a few weeks ago, this is definitely a good one for the collection, especially with the older style body which makes it more of a "vintage" Jackson than guitars that followed shortly thereafter.  Whether you're a collector or player, you can't go wrong with this one.  $1099 includes era-correct Jackson chainsaw case with a respectable 3 out of 4 latches intact - or a newer Jackson case. 
67. 1986 Jackson Dinky - Vintage White Pearl, (front), (headstock), (back), (neck), (trem/controls), (neckplate), (neck/body stamps), (case).  Fantastic older Custom Shop Jackson from early Ontario production - San Dimas neckplate, the body still has the smaller San Dimas control route on back and the finish has the white undercoat that all the old Charvels and Jacksons had - but as I've mentioned before, actual San Dimas production stopped at serial 1505.  The finish is a yellow "diamond dust" as it used to be called with flakes that are slightly more visible than pearl but not as large as a metallic or flake.  Body and neck order numbers are matching and the neck stamp also shows that it was built by the famed Mike Eldred who was Grover Jackson's first employee (ca. 78) and after some great days at Charvel/Jackson went on to become the current Custom Shop manager at Fender.  Here's a cool interview with Mike about the early days at Grover's factory (link).  Pickups are an early Duncan JB in the bridge and a pair of Jackson J-100s in the middle and neck (pic here).  The bridge is the German-made Schaller-licensed Floyd Rose, also in nice shape.  Strap pins are the Schaller locking type.  This guitar features black hardware, but the base of the Floyd nut is chrome.  Since these were custom ordered guitars it could have been ordered with a chrome nut but, regardless, we can probably swap it out with a black one if desired.  The only noteworthy flaws on this guitar are two small finish chips on the bottom edge and typical lacquer cracks in the cutaways (shown here).  Overall though, this guitar is extremely clean and absolutely killer in terms of playability.  Has the fantastic older style unfinished neck with the typical discoloration that these get with any real playing time.  We can clean the neck if desired but most of you will want it just the way it is.  At 24 years, this guitar is remarkably well preserved and especially with the older style body, it's much more of a "vintage" Jackson than guitars that followed.  Whether you're a collector or player, you can't go wrong with this one.  $1099(HOLD-Dale E 9/13) includes era-correct Charvel chainsaw case with all latches(!) or a recent Jackson case. 
68. 1987 Jackson USA Strat w/Skull Graphic,  (graphic/back), (headstock), (trem/controls), (case).  Very cool old Jackson in incredibly nice shape, especially for 23 years old.  San Dimas neckplate but the only actual San Dimas models were serials below 1506.  Back in this era these were all custom shop guitars, built to order.  I remember a form that customers (dealers included) would fill out, specifying pickups, graphics, tremolo, inlays, etc., and many months later the guitar would arrive at the dealership just as ordered.  This one is nicely outfitted with a German-made Jackson/Floyd made by Schaller (mod. JT-590) which was identical to a "regular" Floyd Rose, which was also made by Schaller Germany, and, in fact, all parts are interchangeable except the locking bolts (comparison pic).  The JT-590 is considered far superior to the Jackson TT-6 and, for most, better than the Kahler Pro, but that's a matter of taste.  Pickups are all Jackson humbuckers which, I believe, are the J-50BC in the bridge with a pair of J-200 bi-level humbuckers in the middle and neck.  Controls are the usual 5-way selector, mini two-way switch to split the bridge pickup, master volume, master tone, PLUS Jackson's great mid-boost circuit controlled by the 3rd knob.  This mid-boost fattens up the sound incredibly and you'll likely want to keep it cranked up most of the time.  This one is finished in black with a very metal-looking skull&crossbones graphic, one of many dozens of graphics offered by Jackson back in the day.  This guitar has obviously seen very little use as evidenced by the near perfect frets, intact lettering on the pickups, and almost no discoloration to the Floyd.  It plays wonderfully, with low action and very sleek oil-finished neck.  There are no buckle scratches, only some fine pick scratches, most if not all we'll buff out prior to shipping.  The only flaw is minor, and it's a small finish ding on the back of the neck which we can fill at no cost.  These are nit pick issues and anyone would agree that this guitar is in beautiful shape.  This guitar was made while Grover Jackson still owned the company and, thus, much more desirable than the later Ontario guitars.  At $1050 it's just slightly more than the "American" San Dimas reissues but has a pedigree that guarantees that it will be a valuable axe for years to come.  Includes hardshell case, tolex with leather ends and white piping.  It's supposed to be original to the guitar but I don't believe it to be a Jackson case.  
69. Jackson DK10D Dinky, (front), (back), (headstock), (trem).   An excellent quality shred guitar from Jackson's Japan manufacturing plant.  It features the looks and comfort as the USA DK-1, as well as a quality tone and a Jackson Floyd Rose that stays in tune perfectly.  Features include Basswood body with flamed maple veneer, Bolt-on maple neck with scarf joint headstock, Ivoroid binding on neck and headstock, Compound radius rosewood fingerboard with flat 12"-16" radius, 24 jumbo frets, MOTO shark fin inlays, Duncan Designed HB-103B and HB-103N pickups, Standard Dinky electronics with 3-position pickup switch - Master volume - Master tone, Floyd Rose Licensed Jackson low profile JT580 LP double-locking 2-point tremolo, Chrome hardware, Jackson Sealed die-cast tuners.  These DD pickups are among the best imports on the market and are made with the same quality as regular Duncans, but benefit from lower-cost Asian manufacture.  The HB103 set, for instance, is the DD version of the SH-6 Duncan Distortion set, with ceramic magnets and powerful coil windings to deliver a high output tone and lots of crunch and harmonics.  The bridge pickup is Trembucker-spaced for a perfect magnetic field.  This guitar is in immaculate condition and better than new since Martin did a level and dress on the frets to get the best possible set up.  The flame top models sell new for $529, which is cheap for a Japan-made guitar.  This one's just $359 with gigbag or substitute a plush-lined Coffin Case ($109 new)  for just $50 more.  
70. 2008 Jackson DK2M Dinky - Black, (front/back), (headstock), (low-profile Floyd), (Dinky scoops).  Never retailed and immaculate.  Fairly new model from Jackson, with superb Japanese craftsmanship. The DK2M Dinky features a maple fretboard with contrasting black sharktooth inlays and the slightly smaller 7/8 size Dinky body. One of the most important features on this model are a pair of quality Seymour Duncan humbuckers with a JB (TB4) in the bridge; and a Jazz (SH2N) in the neck. The rock maple neck is bound and uses Jackson's compound-radius maple fretboard that goes from a flat 12" at the nut - to an even flatter 16" at the top. It also features Dinky's scalloped cutaway on top and scalloped heel on back, to make playing the upper frets a breeze. Tremolo is also top notch with Jackson's Floyd Rose-licensed low-profile double-locking system that is impervious to dive bombs and 3-fret up-pulls. Other features include: Alder body, bolt-on maple neck with scar joint headstock, black binding on neck and headstock, 25-1/2" scale, 24 jumbo frets, Black Delrin fin position inlays, 1.6875" nut width, black hardware, and 3-position blade pickup switch with master volume and master tone.  The setup on these guitars is great, comparable to the DK-1 and it's one fine guitar for blazing lead work.  With a list of $1149, extremely reasonable for a guitar of this quality, and a street price of $799, this one is flawless and unplayed, set up to perfection, and just $539.
71. Jackson Rhoads Pro RR5 with EMG's, (front/back), (headstock), (case).  One of the high-end import series from Japan, part of the Professional series which have consistently received rave reviews for great quality at a price well under the USA model.   The RR5 is the high-end Japan model with neck-thru design rather than the bolt-on design of the RR3.  For you EMG fans, this one always has the EMG81/85 upgrade, which replaced the original Duncans. The EMG's are especially well suited for harder-edged music (think Zakk Wylde) and are high output, fast attack, and more clear sounding than passive humbuckers like the Duncans.  Like all *real* Randy Rhodes models, the RR5 features neck-thru-body construction, with a maple neck thru an alder body.  Other features include adjustable bridge that strings thru the body, 22 jumbo frets on a rosewood fingerboard with MOTO shark fin position inlays, comfortable compound fretboard radius (12" to 14"); nut width 1 11/16", 25.5" scale, serial number engraved  at top of fretboard, and gold-plated control plate, bridge and bridge plate, and tuners.  Overall this guitar is in exceptional condition, other than moderate "gold wear" caused by using the wrong polish.  The EMG's are a fresh install so they're likewise clean, without any wear to lettering or edges.  Points are clean and overall this beauty is in "9" condition.  A high gloss back finish and gold hardware is a great look and this guitar can look mean - or classy - depending on your attitude (if that makes sense).  Current discount pricing for the Pro RR5 is $1049 ($1699 retail), which doesn't include a case or gigbag.  If you're an EMG fan, the upgrade would bring it up to $1300.  This one is in beautiful condition with a great set up AND includes ESP gigbag, all for $699(SOLD-Dave, local 12/23).  
72. 2008 Jackson DK2M Dinky - Candy Apple Red.  Never retailed and immaculate.  All features and specs are the same as the black model above.  With a list of $1149, which is almost in the Korean range, and a street price of $799, this one is flawless and unplayed, set up to perfection, and just $539. 
73. Jay Turser JT-55 SG Special Copy, (pic2), (pic3), (pic4).  Here's excellent proof that you don't have to spend $500 to get a superb playing guitar with quality tone.  When this came in it was a mediocre player, probably stock factory setup but with a little tweaking and we've got this one playing as nice as most of comparable Gibson models I've had.  I thought about putting some DiMarzio's in here but after playing it for over an hour, I really don't see the benefit.  These stock soapbars sound excellent.  Notes ring true with none of the "ghost" notes you sometimes get on high gain settings.  Nice lightweight feel, Abalone dot inlays and headstock inlay, good quality hardware, and perfect high gloss black finish.  At $239(SOLD on 12/27/11, local) this would be a good value for any type of guitar but for a set-neck model, that's truly a remarkable deal on a guitar that plays and sounds this nice. 
74. Jon Kammerer "Iris Special Edition", (pic2).  All Kammerer's are rare but this one is #2 of only 2 made of this model - the result of a joint project with GuitarX that fell apart after the 2nd one.  Completely hand-made and the difference in a hand-made guitar will strike you as soon as you pick it up.  Absolutely incredible attention to detail and Jon's construction techniques are very innovative, yielding a very comfortable and tunefull guitar.  Super thin body - but a nice thick piece of flamed maple on top - Neck is superior to most anything out there and no scarf joints or finger joints here - one piece my man.  If you're unfamiliar with this maker, check out his site here:  http://www.jonkammererguitars.com/.   A current, similar model, without the Ltd. Ed. factor and the inlay, retails for $3250, discounted to $2250.  If you want one of the best hand made guitars I've played in a long, long time, buy this one, for just $1599.  
75. 1985 Kramer Vanguard, (front/back), (headstock), (Floyd Rose), (Schaller PU's), (original case).   This is an absolutely *killer* playing guitar and like the Voyager I posted 2 days ago, here's another collector's condition vintage Kramer, although with a slightly different body shape.  Originally released in 1981 as a Flying V shaped body, thus the "V"anguard name, in 1985 it was changed to the popular half-V shape popularized by Randy Rhoads and his signature Jackson model - while the headstock changed from the chicken-beak, AKA "Classic" to the more popular hockey stick seen on this model.  I believe this to be the most desirable year with all the best features, i.e. Rhoads shape with hockey stick, dual hums, and Floyd - and '85 was the only year it came with these features.  In '86, its last year, it was produced with the pointy headstock.  Finished in Metallic Blue with a gloss finish that still shines like new, it's also equipped with the original Gotoh tuners with the set screw at 6 o'clock angle.  Other notable features:  headstock has the brown stain around the edge, found on around 1/2 of the necks from the hockey-stick era; Floyd is in very clean shape; Schaller pickups which I believe are "Golden 50's", sound excellent; frets are in great shape and action is low from the first to the top fret.  Worst flaw (shown here) is a rub on the end of the headstock, not visible from the front, only worth mentioning because the guitar is otherwise in spectacular shape.  Even the points, notorious for having finish chips even on a lightly played example, are in clean shape (shown here).   I owned this guitar years ago and the owner recently traded it in on another guitar he wanted more.  Again, it's in extremely clean shape, and easy 9+ with no issues, plays as well as any Kramer you've seen.  While it may not have the flash or rarity of the Lightning Bolt Voyager I just got in, it's priced within the range of more players and it would be great to see this fall into the hands of a working guitarist, someone who can appreciate it night after night.   Made from the era when Kramers really were American, it's a super buy at just $679.  
76. 1982/3 Kramer Floyd Rose Signature, (front/back), (headstock), (tuners/strap pins), (Schaller pu's), (Floyd Rose).  Fairly rare model from Kramer, in common red stain finish, commemorating the significant contribution Floyd made to the incredible success of the young Kramer company.  I don't know if Floyd designed this himself, I have a feeling he did, but it's basically a Pacer Imperial with a different body.  Overall pretty nice vintage shape cosmetically with only one area through the finish (on back of neck), all other flaws are in the clear coat only and not through to the wood - worst flaws are shown here.  There is also some wear on the edge of the fretboard as well as a few finish check lines.  This guitar came in with horrible action and intermittent electronics.  Again, Martin did his magic and turned this into a shredder's dream.  The action is insanely low, with just a hint of string buzz audible only acoustically, or we can raise to factory specs if that's your preference without any buzz.  I wouldn't touch a thing since right now this guitar seems like it plays itself.  The neck isn't one of the thinner ones that appeared in '84 or so, but fairly substantial.  Other features include:  Classic (chicken beak) headstock with Floyd Rose signature logo, original model non-recessed Floyd Rose tremolo and locking nut, Schaller humbuckers with 2 volume and master tone, gold Gotoh tuners with rounded buttons (aka "San Dimas" tuner) and straight mounted set screws, and brass "large head" strap pins.  This guitar appears all original, with the exception of missing one of the back plates (repro's available at minimal cost).   This is sort of an oddball guitar in the Kramer line but it's small body and light weight make it a joy to play.  It's not clean enough for collectors of near mint examples for others, a killer player in nice vintage condition.  These are hard to come by - first one I've had in 5 years - and a quality real American Kramer for $679.  I got this without a case or bag but will include a free gigbag or a used hardshell case for $59.  
77. 1986 Kramer Focus 6000 with DiMarzio's - Black, (front/back), (headstock), (pickups/Floyd), (gigbag).  Back in the mid-80's the Japan-made Focus series offered an affordable alternative to the Japan-made Kramer "American" series, with the same top of the line Floyd Rose tremolo, quality pickups, corresponding finishes that were as good as the more expensive models.  The 6000 was the top of the Focus line and the equivalent of the Pacer Custom, features a single volume control with an on/off switch for each of the pickups to allow for any combination, including all three and bridge/neck together - 7 combinations in all.  Cosmetically it has some small finish touch-ups on the edge and impressions in the clear coat but on a black guitar, it's barely noticeable and the guitar presents a good appearance.  Judging by the frets, this guitar has seen very little actual use.  The pickups on this guitar were upgraded to DiMarzio's with a pair of Fast Tracks (middle/neck) and a PAF Pro in the bridge; strap pins were upgraded to Dunlop locking type.  The Floyd, same one they used on the American line, stays in tune perfectly.  If I'm being honest, I'll tell you that the Focus necks are more consistent than the "Kramer American" necks from this era.  I've had very few Focus's that failed to set up with excellent action while it's very common to see a Kramer American with a lousy set up due to humps and twists in the neck.  I don't know why this is the case since both were made in Japan.  With the DiMarzio upgrade this guitar sounds great and plays as good as it sounds and is a very good value at $350.  Includes era-correct Kramer "pleather" gigbag. 
78. Kramer Focus 3000, (front/back), (headstock).  Almost identical to one that sold last month; very cool ESP-made Kramer.  Players who know about these guitars don't let the Focus name scare them. They're quality Japan-made Kramers - just like the "Kramer Americans" that followed a few years later.  Unlike the ones a year or two earlier that features a Floyd Rose without fine tuners (what a fiasco), Floyd had it nailed by the time this one was built and with the addition of fine tuners, the "Original" Floyd  made it's debut.  This double-locking Floyd Rose is the same model found on the Pacer series from this era and became the standard by which all other locking tremolos were measured.  This one's in very clean shape (as shown here) and works great.   These are good sounding pickups, some of the best you'll find on an import, controlled by a 5-way blade and mini-toggle to split the bridge humbucker.  You get anything from Strat tones to fat metal tones and it sounds very good on every setting.  Nice shape, with a killer setup and every bit as good as the "Kramer Americans" (where were ESP Japan guitars) which followed.  Priced at $429 with original Kramer case.  If preferred, we can substitute an "Kramer American" pointy headstock neck for $175 more, with trade of old neck covering the labor and set up. 
79. Les Paul Copy by Karera , nicely flamed maple top, set neck design and a very cool sculpted heel that allows easier access than any other LP I've played.  Gold hardware, good sounding humbuckers, and absolutely new condition with protective film still on the plastic and a nice playing guitar for $199. 
80. Line 6 Variax 600 Modeling Guitar - Black, (front), (headstock), (back), (features), (gigbag).   Before Fender's VG Strat there was the Variax which beats the VG in terms of versatility and a rather convincing modeling tone but the Variax takes it 10 steps further with loads more guitar models and tuning options.  It's like having 25 guitars in one!  For a complete listing, click here for Line 6 site.  For many of us setting up for a gig means lugging at least two electrics and probably a 12-string and an acoustic.  Imagine a single guitar that plays fantastically, that can cover all the bases.  Ladies and Gents, the Variax.  With a seeming endless variety of sounds from classic acoustic and electric tones all the way to sitar and banjo - plus without magnetic pickups, your notes come out crystal clear without any noise whatsoever. Variax also allows you to plug into a computer and customize your tone or apply alternate tunings to any of the 25 presets.  Line 6's exclusive Variax Workbench software lets you fine-tune all the details of each tone, or change your tuning to Open G, DADGAD, D-MODAL, Drop-D, or any tuning you can imagine, without ever needing a tuner.  It also integrates seamlessly with POD XT Live and Vetta II - not only powering the guitar but also letting you control the entire signal chain right at your feet.  It can also run either on batteries or by the optional phantom adapter - or receive power from Vetta II, PODxt Live or POD X3 Live.  Other features include Comfort-contoured basswood body, one piece maple neck, 22 medium profile frets, 25 1/2" scale, 9.5" fingerboard radius, custom L.R. Baggs tremolo bridge, standard 1/4" guitar output jack plus digital I/O jack for PODXT Live, POD X3 Live, Vetta II, and Workbench connectivity, volume and tone controls.  Works on 6 AA batteries or optional power supply.   This is a very impressive sounding guitar, especially at an $1119 list price.  This used one is in beautiful condition and is the original Korean model (later models were Chinese).  It plays exceptionally well, and incredibly powerful and fun unit for $639.  Includes one of the best gigbags made, and stereo guitar cable. 
81. Michael Kelly Patriot Hot Rod, (front/back), (headstock), (detail).  Super nice Korean import.  I think this is only the second Kelly I've had but I'm really impressed with the quality which is just one more example of how far Korean quality has come in the past 10 years.  The Patriot is MK's LP style guitar with set-neck construction, carved top, dual humbuckers, single cutaway, 3/side headstock, dual volume and tone controls with a 3-way selector on the upper bout, and multi-ply binding on the body and headstock, and bound neck.  Unlike a stock LP, the Patriot Hot Rod features push/pull knobs on both of the tone controls to either - or both - humbuckers.  There are some more obvious departures, most notably a very unique and comfortable neck joint that makes playing upper notes easier, strings-thru-body rather than a stopbar tailpiece - which serves to enhance the sustain.  The Hot Rod model also features some cool cosmetic enhancements - an abalone "flame" fretboard inlay in the lower frets as well as a "Sonic Art Bridge", also flame-shaped, which adds additional mass and it's increased bridge-to-body contact improves tone and resonance.  It features all-mahogany construction for a fat, warm tone, which I'm beginning to favor over a maple cap.  If you haven't tried PAF's on an all-mahogany guitar, you should give it a try.  This guitar plays beautifully with low action and no fretting out, perfectly finished fret ends, and remarkably nice tone for a guitar that sells new for under $500.  The stock PAF style pickups are fat, quiet, and warm sounding, plus the addition of the two coil splitters gives you an excellent selection of single-coil and humbucker tones - 6 tones in all.  Finished in black Satin with lots of chrome hardware, this guitar is a definite eye catcher.  When you combine playability, tone, looks, and overall quality, few guitars can touch this guitar at this price - just $379 AND includes free gigbag.  
82. Melancon Pro Artist, (front),  (back), (headstock), (bridge/pickups), (spec sheet), (case).  If you missed the Melancon Pro Artist T, here's another great Melancon.  Absolutely pristine condition, finished in Vintage White, the Pro Artist is a modern take on the classic Fender Strat - more comfortable body curves, improved heel design, high speed pickups, and improved hardware are just a few features that make this one different from your granddaddy's Strat.  Some of you forum guys will be familiar with Gerard Melancon's creations but they're built in such low numbers they're far from being a household name, although they've found a home with more than a few big name players like Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Phil Keaggy, and Southside Johnny.  Melancon guitars are extremely well respected by players and there are few on the used market.  The Pro Artist features a lightweight alder body with gloss finish, satin finished maple cap neck; standard neck carve, 22 stainless steel heavy frets; 10" radius, 1 5/8" nut; dual-action truss rod; Melancon 2-post vintage tremolo bridge, Melancon locking tuners. The one modification, changed when the guitar was new, are the pickups which were all swapped out with Seymour Duncans - "Cool Rails" in the bridge (link) with "Vintage Rails" (link) in the neck and middle, controlled by a 5-way switch, master volume and tone with push/pull tone pot (turns on bridge pickup) for 7 pickup combinations.  It sounds great on every setting, very Strat like without the hum.  My favorite is position 2 with the tone pot out, which has all 3 pickups engaged, where is has incredible clarity and expressiveness.  This guitar is a delight to play.  Lightweight and very resonant, the action is set very low and the sleek satin finish feels very fast to the palm.  The rounded neck heel makes playing in the upper register much easier than a square joint.  It has excellent sustain and nice projection when strummed acoustically.  For Melancon's site and this model, click here.  If you're looking for a great hand-crafted guitar with a classic look and tone, this one is exceptional.  It is, essentially, a Master Built guitar at a price that's less than a Team Built.  I don't know how you date recent Melancons but serial #1496 is in line with the few I found on the web currently in stock, so it's likely a recent model.  Original owner paid $2200 for this fine guitar and kept it in impeccable condition, virtually unplayed presentation.  For a hand-built guitar of this quality, a super value at $1499.  Includes plush-lined G&G case that hugs the body on all sides. 
83. Monty Rockmaster II, (front/back), (headstock), (finish detail), (optional flight case).  Serial #19.  One of the best Junior/Special guitars I've ever played, including many 50's single cuts and other boutique makers.  Among current builders I would rate him as fine as any I've had, and although they're not cheap, they're comparably priced to Historic Series, which is remarkable for a guitar that is 100% hand made.  Everything to do with the body and neck is hand built in his shop - no CNC machines, no "jobbing out" of necks and each neck is hand sanded and shaped to his specs, truss rods and even truss rod nuts are made by hand in his shop.  He still uses Nitro finishes, again sprayed right in his shop.  I can't tell you how many "boutique" builders have had their necks made by La Si Do; send out their bodies for finishing; etc., or are 100% CNC built with little to no craftsmanship built into the guitar.  When you buy a Monty, you're paying for a hand-made guitar.  Monty (site link) build around 9 different models, all of which are classic designs which have stood the test of time.  The Rockmaster, for instance 50's Les Paul Junior and comes in a I or II model, the latter having two pickups.  Specs include:  solid Korina body, '59 shape Korina neck with rosewood board, P90 pickups - Peter Florence Voodoo's installed on this one, Tobacco Sunburst nitro finish, Kluson Deluxe style vintage tuners, birch headstock overlay, mother of pearl logo and inlay, 6105 fret wire, 12" fretboard radius, 1 11/16" nut width, CTS 500K linear taper pots, Switchcraft toggle switch and jack, and ABR1 bridge with stop tailpiece.  Look at the finish detail pic above.  It is dead on like an original ca. '57 Junior, totally opaque, with just the right amount feathering and even the tiny brown specs in the yellow.  It looks like a genuine NOS 50s model.  I am a Junior/Special nut and regardless of the model, mahogany and P90s are the perfect marriage of wood and electronics.  I love the warmth, sustain, fatness, and the chameleon-like ability to sound like single coils or humbuckers depending on your playing style.  The only improvement I would make has been taken care of on this model - with it's 25.5" scale rather than the usual 24.75"; and I guess Korina would be my choice over Mahogany so that's taken care of as well.  I know it sounds trite, and possibly even hard to understand, but playing this guitar feels like "home."  The vibe, the feel, and especially the tone, I find very relaxing and allow me to express myself completely and quite easily.  The Florence pickups are as good as any I've played.  There are plenty of threads on forums about these fine guitars and here's one from The Gear Page that also includes threads to other discussions of them (link here).  This beautiful Rockmaster has barely been played and is near flawless with no wear of cosmetic issues to speak of.  It's as clean as it looks in the pics.  The last pricing I found on a new Rockmaster II was a 2008 price of $2900 at Destroy All Guitars in NC.  I like to price clean examples at a nice even number so here you go, $1000 less than new.  $1900 includes a LP style tolex case or $1939 includes new flight case pictured, aluminum plush lined with ATA recessed twist lock latches.  
84. Nik Huber Redwood Dolphin Goldtop, (front), (headstock), (back), (Redwood Cap), (neck joint), (case).  As most of you know, the USA is not the exclusive builder of world-class hand-made guitars.  Nik Huber and his team of 5 luthiers have been building fine guitars at his shop near Frankfurt German since 1997, currently building around 120 instruments per year.  If you frequent the guitar forums, you know his reputation as a builder is unsurpassed.  This is the second Dolphin I've had over the years and it's undoubtedly as fine as any guitar I've ever played.  The first thing that will strike you when you pick up this guitar is the weight.  At only 5.6 lbs. it's the lightest all-wood guitar I've ever had and, remarkably, it has as much acoustic volume as any chambered guitar I've ever had.  Nik uses  Harry Häussel pickups exclusively, which seem to be a perfect marriage for this design.  The guitar has a crisp, crystalline tone, while retaining a warmth and fatness that gives it plenty of muscle.  It sounds good on virtually any style of music, save perhaps metal.  With a clean amp it covers the ground from round, jazzy tones, especially on the neck humbucker - to twangy country licks with the coil splitter activated in the bridge/both settings.  With a higher gain amp setting, it can cover the ground of a Les Paul, with searing sustain with a good measure of grit.  My favorite setting though is probably the neck pickup with the coil splitter engaged, which brings to mind the tone and "feel" of a vintage Strat, with a fat but articulate tone that sounds great, especially with a slightly overdriven amp.  Features include Mahogany Body (semihollow) with a thick, carved redwood cap; Mahogany Neck with Ebony Fingerboard and side markers only; Ebony Headstock Veneer with inlaid whale; 25 ½ “ Scale; Harry Häussel pickups which are made exclusively for Huber; Master Volume; Master Tone with push/push coil splitter; 3-Way Toggle Switch; Adjustable Stoptail Bridge; Schaller tuners with ebony buttons.   As soon as you pick this guitar up you'll sense the elegance and attention to detail, perfect fit and finish, all the way down to the mahogany control cover recessed to fit perfectly flush with the back.  This guitar is ergonomically precise, it feels great when playing seated or standing, your right arm feels comfortable over the edge, while the unique neck joint makes playing in the upper register effortless.  For details of the Dolphin, click here for Huber's site.  Sells new for $4000 ($5k with transparent top), very reasonable for a hand-made guitar of this quality, but who doesn't want to save money these days.  This fine guitar has seen only limited home use by the original owner and is immaculate.  For most players this will be the finest guitar you've played, priced less than a used assembly line Custom Shop Les Paul at just $2700.
85. 1977 Ovation Viper, (pic2), this are very cool guitars and one of the best values in vintage USA solid bodies.  The Viper is one of Ovation's less radical solidbodies, coming from the company that produced whack-o models like the Breadwinner and Deacon.  The Viper is loosely based on a Les Paul style, featuring a single cutaway, large mass Schaller bridge with brass saddles, huge radio-type knobs, and a pair of single coil pickups, with the bridge pole pieces in a stair-step pattern.   This one also has a very nicely flamed maple neck (headstock&fretboard).  This guitar has seen its share of playing time with normal player's wear plus a worn area on the arm area on the front, plus pickguard has a piece glued on (both pictured here) but it does include a new pickguard that you can install if desired.   Again, the Viper is one of the best values in an extremely well built American guitar, perfect for the player who's looking for his/her own signature tone and look.  Good player with cool tone and at $575, a good deal on a 30-year old USA guitar.  Includes original Ovation case in rough shape. 
86. ca. 1964 Panaramic Triple-Cutaway, (front/back), (headstock, 3-pc neck, low action), (bridge, pickup, 3rd cutaway).  Very near museum condition - Italian design at its best.  It's been a while since I've had any cool old Italian guitars in stock, other than a few vintage Vox's which are in a different category altogether.  Vox rose to great fame through some major artist endorsements, such as Paul Revere and the Raiders, appearing daily on "Where the Action Is".  While Vox may have stolen the limelight, there were many other Italian brands, which never got the publicity they deserved.  Guitars such as this Panaramic, made by the Crucianelli accordion company, which also made guitars bearing the Vox, Elli-Sound, Elite, Tonemaster, etc., are very well crafted with quality components and, inevitably, feature some cool innovation and/or pure wackiness.   This guitar sounds great, looks as cool as any Fender surf guitar from this era, and the setup in absolutely incredible with remarkably low action and a excellent neck.  One of the quality features of this guitar is the neck joint, which is so tight fitting it looks more like a set neck, as if you could remove the screws and it would stay in place.  A precision fit like this is an indication of the overall quality craftsmanship on this guitar.  Controls are simple on/off sliders for "All, Treble, Bass, Off" with a master volume and master tone.  Good quality nickel tuners with nickel buttons and treble clef engraved on the back, zero fret, 21 fret neck, near immaculate sunburst finish that is close to Fender's Sienna Sunburst, with a transparent yellow finish in the middle, with brown on the edge - neck and headstock have the same sunburst finish, bound neck, bound headstock, raised metal logo over headstock veneer.   Overall this guitar is exceptionally clean, especially for 40+ years with around 4 major check lines on the back and a few smaller ones on front, but in terms of actual player's wear this guitar looks like it was played for a month or two after the Beatles first appearance on Ed Sullivan - and then put away in a closet, where it stayed until last week.  Remarkably, this guitar has action that rivals any high-end guitar you'll find, with a perfectly straight neck, obviously, that will sustain this type of setup.   Fetishguitars.com has some great info on vintage Italian guitars such as this Panaramic (link to identical model), with loads more info including this page (click here) dedicated to similar triple-cutaway models built under Panaramic, Ellis Sound, Crucianelli, etc. definitely worth bookmarking it. This guitar is obviously of interest to collector's of Italian or European vintage guitars but I could see a player making this their main stage guitar and to that end you would definitely break out from the masses of Fenders, Gibson, and their clones.  Fabulous guitar in all regards, better than nearly any Vox I've ever had, but priced less.  Just $599 for this beauty.  
87. 2005 Parker PM10 Hornet, (front/back), (headstock).  The PM10 delivers the first new shape in the Parker line-up since the Parker Fly was first introduced in the mid-90's and is basically the same silhouette as the USA Fly Mojo Single Cut (shown here).   PM10 is a single cutaway design with a solid one-piece mahogany body and mahogany set neck, outfitted with a pair of custom wound Parker Stinger Alnico humbuckers, controlled by a 3-way selector plus push/pull pots on both the volume and tone knobs.  Other features include 25.5" scale, 1.65" nut width, Ebony fretboard with nickel/silver frets, 10-13" compound radius neck, "fat" neck profile that's similar to PRS wide-fat, and Grover tuners with 18:1 ratio.  This is a lightweight guitar at just 7 lbs. and is ergonomically and well-engineered guitar, perfect for playing multiple sets with minimal fatigue.  The set-up is fantastic and it's one of the nicer guitars you'll find in the under $1K list price range.  With a list of $799, this model sells new for $559 and is one of the better made imports at that price.  This beautiful used one is just $375 and includes a quality gigbag.  
88. Peavey EVH Wolfgang Standard Deluxe - Red Flame, (front1 front2), (back), (headstock), (neck), (accessories), (case).  I'm not getting in nearly as many Wolfgangs as in years past.  With the release of the new EVH Wolfgang by Fender, with the figured tops selling for $3149, most players are content to hang onto their Peavey models.  The Standard Deluxe is the top of the Wolfgang line, short of a custom shop model.  Features include archtop body with flamed maple top over a solid basswood body, cream body binding, birdseye maple neck with oil-finish, dual graphite reinforcements with adjustable truss rod at the body end of the neck, 25.5" scale, 22 jumbo frets, 15" fretboard radius, 10 degree headstock angle, Schaller tuners with pearl buttons, custom-wound EVH/Peavey zebra humbuckers mounted directly to the body,, Switchcraft 3-way toggle and output jack, Peavey/Floyd Rose tremolo in highly polished chrome and D-Tuna on the low E string.  The D-Tuna is a handy feature if you play an occasional song in drop D tuning.  With the flick of your finger you can drop the low E string, to a perfectly in tune D; then back up to E when you're ready and, again, perfectly in tune.   Even though prices have risen on the used market, the Peavey Wolfgang remains the most affordable EVH model, considerably less than the 90's Musicman and current EVH/Fender model, and the quality is definitely on par with these other two models.  Quality control on these guitars was very high and I've yet to get in one that had any issues at all, with great necks that never fail to deliver the ultimate perfect set up.  Other than very light discoloration to the neck, which is inevitably even if you only play occasionally, this guitar is pretty much immaculate - no pick scratches; no buckle scratches; clean headstock; perfect frets; clean hardware.  The flamed maple is narrow, even bands, i.e. "fiddleback" pattern.  The neck is moderately figured with birdseye fairly evenly spaced around the back.  The only mod is an Allen wrench holder on the back of he headstock, easily removable if desired.  Pots are original '98 but with the serial 91012670, I would guess that it's a late '98/early '99.  Wolfgangs, especially Standard Deluxe w/trem, consistently rise on the used market and you'll see a few Ebay dealers who specialize in Wolfgangs relisting them until they get $1600-$1800 for a Wolfie like this.  This models listed at $2199 and at $1350(HOLD-Darren W 12/19) it's priced less than it cost 10 years ago, and will likely follow the direction of the Musicman, going over $2K in the not too distant future.  Includes original case, trem arm, tools, and fretboard protector which folks have been parting out on Ebay for $40.  
89. Peavey Wolfgang Special NT with Ibanez V7/V8 and recessed straplocks, (front/back), (headstock), (recessed Dunlops), (pickups).  Great playing, great sounding USA Wolfgang with a few mods.  We tried several pickups in these guitars over the years and the best match I've found turned out to be a V7/V8 set of from an Ibanez Prestige RG1570.  The V8 Alnico bridge is bright and articulate but not at all brittle, while the V7 Ceramic neck is very thick and lush, without being overly muddy; both pickups display superior harmonic overtones to the stock Wolfgangs.  I honestly think this set sounds better than the originals but I realize that's a matter of taste.  Also installed is the Dunlop straplock system recessed into the body which allow the strap to hug the body and that provides optimum balance when slung around your neck.  Wolfgangs seem to be the most consistent production guitars made; I've never had a bad one and these Specials with flat top Basswood bodies are the best value plus they  have the simplicity of a single volume control with a minimal circuit.  Also, Peavey and Ed designed this guitar very well, with the bridge and tailpiece recessed into the body, right against the wood, which provides better transfer of energy than sitting up on studs, while the pickups are mounted directly to the body, rather than being suspended by pickup rings.  Athough not spec for the Special, it has some moderate flame in the fretboard (pic).  This one's in overall nice shape, around an 8.5, with perfect frets and an extremely comfortable low set up.  For a USA guitar of this quality it's a very good buy at $639.  Includes gigbag and Strap with Dunlop straplocks installed.  
90. 2000 Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special TR FMT,  (front/back), (headstock), (trem/D-tuna), (case/etc.).  (Note: I also have two of this model in Amber and one in rare Black opaque). The USA Special FMT is my personal favorite of the Wolfgang series and 10X more rare than flametop Standards. This Special TR (tremolo) FMT (flamed maple top) is the model that most closely resembles the Musicman EVH from which it was derived - with a flat figured maple top with maple binding rather than the carved top of the Standard.  Same USA quality and the flame on these Specials is usually more consistent than the average Standard.  This one's in beautiful condition, around a 9.7 on a 10 scale.  Frets are perfect and, of course, it's a killer player with low action, no fret out, and trem stays in tune through heavy dive bombs.  Prices on Wolfgangs began to rise as soon as Ed's contract with Peavey ended and many original owners have sold them for more than they cost new.  I've predicted in the past that these particular Wolfgangs are going to be the hottest ticket in years to come. Throughout the years I've gotten in around a dozen Standards for every Special Flametop.  This one is $999 which is lower than a Standard, although it's much, much more rare. Includes clean Peavey case, manual, and factory checklist.
91. 2000 Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special NT, USA.  Super playing - beautiful condition - non-tremolo (NT) Wolfgang.  When Ed and Peavey designed this hardtail model, they did it right, with the bridge base attached directly to the body which definitely enhances the transfer of energy from the strings to the body.  Add to this the pickup design, which has the pickups screwed directly into the body instead of being suspended from pickup rings, and the result is a very lively body with increased sustain.  For players who don't use the whammy, this is simply a better guitar.  This Wolfgang has barely been played and the body has no scratches or wear, frets are perfect, and just the typical slight discoloration to the unfinished neck.  Some 000 steel wool will clean it nicely but it it's impossible to keep clean unless you wash your hands prior to use and stop playing before you perspire.  You might notice my old style picture above.  As sometimes happens, the guitar "fell off" the web site for a long time and I just recently discovered that it wasn't on the site.   Own this wonderful Wolfgang for $679 with original case.  
92. 2000 Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special TR FMT #215,  (front/back), (headstock/neck), (side/binding), (case).  The USA Special FMT is my personal favorite of the Wolfgang series and 10X more rare than flametop Standards. This Special TR (tremolo) FMT (flamed maple top) is the model that most closely resembles the Musicman EVH from which it was derived - with a flat figured maple top with maple binding rather than the carved top of the Standard.  This one's in very nice shape, with just a few light scratches on the top in the clear coat only, no buckle scratches, and frets are perfect.  We steel wool'd the fretboard but left the back alone since nothing beats the feel of a broken in natural finish neck.  It's all original except for added Dunlop strap pins.  Frets are perfect and, of course, it's a killer player with low action, no fret out, and trem stays in tune through heavy dive bombs.  Prices on Wolfgangs began to rise as soon as Ed's contract with Peavey ended and many original owners have sold them for more than they cost new.  If you've priced the new Fender/EVH Wolfgang, its no surprise that the Peavey models are getting good money.  It's been my prediction that the early quilt top Standards, and these maple top Specials are going to be the hottest ticket in years to come. Throughout the years I've gotten in around a dozen Standards for every Special Flametop.  This one is $899, $100's cheaper than a flametop Standard, although it's much, much more rare. Includes original Peavey case, trem arm, and installed D-Tuna.
93. 1999 Peavey EVH Wolfgang Standard, (front/back), (headstock), (fretboard), (case/acc.).  Beautiful world class axe and remaining a very hot ticket on the used guitar market as an alternative to the pricey Musicman EVH.  Quality control on USA Wolfgangs is perhaps the highest I've seen on a regular production model and I've yet to get in one that had any issues at all, with great necks that never fail to deliver the ultimate perfect set up.  This one is in beautiful shape, owned only by two collectors, with no discernable flaws anywhere.  Neck is beautifully figured with plenty of birdseye that I would rate above average figuring for this model.  Flame is evenly figured left to right; top to bottom.  Frets are near perfect, 99%, and the setup is superb.  The "NT" (non-tremolo) models are an example of superb engineering, with both the tailpiece and bridge recessed into the body for maximum transfer of energy from the strings to the body.  These guitars consistently rise on the used market and you'll see a few Ebay dealers who specialize in Wolfgangs relisting them until they get $1600-$1800 for a Wolfie like this.  At $1299, this one is priced less than it sold for new so in my book that's a decent deal on a guitar that has shown consistent appreciation over the past 4 years. Includes original case, factory check-list, manual, polishing cloth, and fretboard protector (not pictured).
94. 2002 Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special FMT TR, (pic2) (maple binding).  This is the only one of these I've ever seen, and it's just been traded back in after a long absence.  Very rare Special FMT in *black*.  At a quick glance you'll think it's just a regular Special but the maple binding is a dead giveaway and this guitar in fact has a maple cap.  Offered in mint condition - even the unfinished maple neck is clean - and 100% original except pickups were changed to Seymour Duncan Phat Cats, which are P90's fit in a humbucker route - and then we changed back to EVH pickups, although now with pickup rings.  Also includes a white Tone knob and tip (installed) EVH style, but the original black Vol knob and tip are in the case.  It sounds absolutely amazing, but I'm a big P90 fan.  This is probably the most rare EVH Special I've had and the new owner will be delighted - as if they went back 6 years and bought a brand new guitar.  At $1099, it's nicely priced for a such a rare and pristine Wolfgang.  Shown in this pic with the Phat Cats installed as well as Wolfgang case, inspection sheet, manual, etc.  Offered with your choice of EVH or Phat Cat pickups.  
95. 2001 Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special TR FMT #931,  (front/back), (headstock), (trem), (case).  Another Amber FMT Special!  The USA Special FMT is my personal favorite of the Wolfgang series and 10X more rare than flametop Standards. This Special TR (tremolo) FMT (flamed maple top) is the model that most closely resembles the Musicman EVH from which it was derived - with a flat figured maple top with maple binding rather than the carved top of the Standard.  This one's in very nice shape with no noteworthy flaws, overall an easy 9.5+.  Fretboard has typical discoloration that we can steel wool if desired but it feels best just like it is now.  Like virtually all of these, a killer player with low action, no fret out, and trem stays in tune through heavy dive bombs.  Prices on Wolfgangs began to rise as soon as Ed's contract with Peavey ended and many original owners have sold them for more than they cost new.  If you've priced the new Fender/EVH Wolfgang, its no surprise that the Peavey models are getting good money.  It's been my prediction that the early quilt top Standards, and these maple top Specials are going to be the hottest ticket in years to come. Throughout the years I've gotten in around a dozen Standards for every Special Flametop.  This one is $979 which is lower than a non-flametop hardtail Standard, although it's much, much more rare.  Includes original Peavey case, trem arm, installed D-Tuna, factory checklist, manual, etc.
96. 2002 Peavey Custom Shop Wolfgang, (pic2), (pic3).  Here's one for the collectors, a one-off Custom Built, offered in pristine condition.  This actual guitar was featured on Peavey's web site as an example of the variety of graphics their custom shop was capable of doing.  What immediately strikes you is the custom finish, blue and green stars on a field of black but look closely and you'll also notice the fretboard...it's Rosewood, which was another custom option that was featured on only a handful of Wolfgangs.  You'll be tempted to gig with this guitar since it's an absolute killer player, but there's definite investment potential on Wolfgangs, especially custom built models such as this.  It's definitely the rarest Wolfie I've had, among the 50 or so I've sold over the years and it would look extremely cool under the stage lights.  Be the only kid on the block - or in the world - with this custom Stars finish.  This is truly one for the player who wants something that's truly unique, and it's priced accordingly.  $1699.  Accessories include Wolfgang case, fretboard protector, check list, manual, warranty, tools.  
97. Peavey HP Signature Blues EX, (front/back), (headstock), (bridge/tail/pickup).  A chambered body keeps it feather weight - an insanely light 5.6 lbs. -  but the tone is anything but lightweight.  Designed as a tribute to the blues musicians who inspired Hartley Peavey in his youth, this is, in fact, a great blues axe but certainly not limited to that genre and easily covers heavier music.  This is another of the many guitars that initially arrived as a mediocre player, and it's easy to understand why the original owner didn't bond with it.  After Martin did some major tweaking, it emerged with an incredibly nice setup that rivals USA models at 3X the price; an absolute joy to play.  The first thing I noticed upon plugging it in was the pickups. Not the standard PAF style you see on 95% of the set neck guitars on the market. The pickups on the HP Blues EX look similar to Rickenbacker "Toaster" pickups and are in fact humbuckers, but with a tone that's a bit brighter than a PAF, yet not at all harsh. The closest comparison I can think of is that the sound similar to Gibson mini-hum's. Features include chambered mahogany body, maple top with binding, rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlays, vintage style tuners with Keystone buttons, dual truss rod, 24 3/4 inch scale, 24 frets, Tune-o-matic bridge with Peavey's "dual compression" tailpiece with string-thru tubes, dual "mini bucking" pickups, master tone and two master volume controls with 3-way toggle switch, and chrome hardware.  Recently discontinued with a list price of $700, you'll still find a few dealers who have one in stock for $549.  This one's in perfect condition, set up perfectly, and is an excellent all around blues/rock guitar for just $329. 
98. Peavey Raptor Strat copy, good quality Strat copy in nice shape, nice set-up and highly recommended for a beginner - or skilled player who wants a good playing 2nd guitar, $145.
99. 1983 Peavey T-30, (pic2), (pic3).  See the T-60 above some background on the T-series.  The T-30 is more of a scaled down model, with simpler electronics and hardware, and an ash body with only a sealer coat.  The quality of construction however was as good as the T-60 and this is a well made guitar and one of the biggest bargains on the used/vintage market.  Features a trio of single coil pickups with standard 5-way selector, master volume, and master tone.  The bridge is an effective but simple compensated bar and like a Les Paul Jr. is adjustable forward and back - up and down.  Tuners are Klusons style Peavey "Truelock".  It features a tilt-adjust neck attachment to easily set the neck angle.  It has a thin and comfortable neck with an excellent setup and, as you might expect, very much a Strat tone.  Includes the original plastic case and in my opinion a steal on a 24-year-old USA guitar at $399.
100. 2005 Reverend Jetstream HB-FM w/Tremolo, (front), (headstock), (trem), (side/back), (case).  Reverend has built great guitars for around a decade and like their entire line of guitars, amps, and effects, they have been one company that has proven that great gear need not cost great money.  It's hard to find fault with their gear and the only problem they've ever had were periods where dealers were out of stock.  The Jetstream HB-FM (humbuckers, flamed maple) is a good example:  immaculately constructed, superb playability, and quality tone.  It features a solid Mahogany body with a real maple cap, covered with a flamed maple veneer.  The tone of the Korina and maple is warm, with a nice high end snap on the attack.  Other features include:  body binding, dual Reverend humbuckers with output/tone calibrated for each position, maple neck with amber tint, dual action truss rod, bound rosewood fretboard, 25.5" scale, flat 12" radius, 22 jumbo frets, medium oval neck shape, 1 21/32" graphite nut, Wilkinson tremolo, custom volume and tone pots with Reverend's "contour" control.  The contour control allows you to add bass for fatter tones, or back it off for twangy tones which resemble single coils.  Click here for a YouTube demo by Guitar World and here for a demo that focuses on the contour control.  Reverend is a little known secret, although highly cherished by a cadre of Reverend fanatics who know what great products they are.  This guitar is in beautiful condition, with virtually no wear at all, and plays superbly.  If you haven't tried a Reverend, I can highly recommend this one - or a Manta-Ray HB-FM (semi-hollow) that I also have in stock.  I don't think Reverend offers the trem any longer on this model but the Wilkinson stays in tune very well and makes it more appealing to many players.  $650 for this one.  Includes a nice Ultra-lite case which has the stiffness of a hardshell but the convenience of a gigbag with both shoulder strap and handle straps.  
101. 1946 Rickenbacker Model B Hawaiian Lap Steel, (front/back), (headstock), (case), (back), (electronics).  This wonderful old Ricky, built of Bakelite, was made the first year following the War and is in very good vintage condition, appearing all original except for one mis-matching tuner which I believe is the original one.  It sounds excellent with strong output, original electronics perform flawlessly with no scratchiness in the volume or tone pot.  Some finish wear and chips on the ivory painted metal plates.  Serial B8-192.  The B6 was made in Los Angeles, California with a molded bakelite body and neck.  Overall length is 30 in, 9 3/8 in. wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. deep at side of rim.  Scale length is 22 1/2 in. and nut width is 2 1/4 in. Original red-lined case is in nice vintage condition with all latches and hinges intact.  This is a wonderful working instrument and an iconic piece of Rick history for $799. 
102. SX EVH Wolfgang/Axis Copy w/Upgrades, (front/back), (side), (headstock), (pickups), (truss rod adj.).   Here's what you do when you happen across an excellent playing import that's just a few parts away from being a pro quality axe.  First you throw away the no-name Asian humbuckers and replace them with a pair of Seymour Duncans (Duncan Distortion bridge and neck).  And because a good sounding guitar is wasted if it's out of tune, you replace the generic die cast tuners with a quality set of locking Sperzels.  Over $200 worth of upgrades in parts alone, but it transformed a mediocre guitar into one that's good enough to take to a gig.  Features include 4+2 headstock, quilted maple top with matching headstock, maple neck with truss rod adjustment wheel at the base of the neck, locking tremolo and nut, bound body and neck, 3-way pickup selector with only a single volume control.  This guitar has seen very little use and is in near pristine condition with no fret wear or scratches, and plastic film still on control cover.  This guitar was worth sinking some money into and I'm glad to offer it at a price that's reasonable these quality upgrades, just $329 with gigbag.  

103. 2009 Schecter C-1 Artist II #441, (front), (back/heel), (headstock), (back), (features), (body/neck/headstock binding).  Finished in "Bloodmoon Red", this is another example of the quality of Schecter imports and guitars coming out of Korea in general.  It features top notch electronics and hardware, with cosmetic appointments that would be a $1000 upcharge on most USA models.  The entire guitar, body, neck, and headstock, is outlines in black pearloid binding, while the fretboard is adorned with Schecter's Abalone and pearl "Vector" fretboard inlays.  Throw in a quilted maple top, and you have a guitar that's really a head tuner.  This guitar is so much more than looks and Schecter didn't cut corners with any other aspects.  Features include quilted or flamed maple top over Mahogany body, set neck design with mahogany neck, matching quilted maple headstock veneer, Grover tuners, real Seymour Duncan pickups popular combination of a JB bridge and '59 neck - controlled by a 5-way switch for a good selection of single coil/humbucker tones, 24 jumbo frets, Tonepros TOM bridge with strings thru body.  The pickup combinations will suite a wide variety of styles:  1-Neck Humbucker; 2-Neck Single Coil + Bridge Single Coil (Parallel Hum Canceling Bridge Side Coil Tap); 3-Back Single Coil + Bridge Back Single Coil (Series Humbucker Tone); 4-Back Single Coil + Bridge Back Single Coil (Parallel Hum Canceling Neck Side Coil Tap); and 5-Bridge Humbucker.  With the "Ultra Access" neck joint the neck cutaway is beveled and cut very deep for incredibly accessible upper frets.  The top is beautifully carved with a sharp arch, as well recessed knobs and switch.  This guitar feels, looks, and plays like a guitar that costs well over its list price of $899.  This guitar is immaculate and unplayed, with an in-house set up that's way better than factory.  Overall a huge bang-for-the-buck winner at $479(HOLD-James S 1/11 - one more available below).  

     2009 Schecter C-1 Artist II #482, Picture of top, same model as #441 above.  $479(SOLD 5/24). 

104. 1999 Schecter A-7+ (Avenger) 7-String, (front/back), (headstock), (bridge), There is a growing following for 7-string guitars.  Once the choice of many jazz players, in recent years they have become the choice guitar by some of the heaviest music ever created.  Beginning in the early 90's, led by Steve Vai, "Korn" sound became synonymous with the low, huge sound of the 7-string.  Numerous other bands and players like Avenged Sevenfold, Limp Bizkit, John Petrucci, Jeff Loomis, etc., have made the 7 a huge part of their band's sound.  The A-7 features some very unique contours and a distinct headstock which give this guitar a look all its own. Unlike most of the Diamond Series line, which is built in Korea, I read that this model was built in Mexico, with final inspection and setup done in the USA.  The quality control on this line is undoubtedly high as I've had dozens of Diamond Series, usually the Classic or "C" series, and every one set up extremely well with zero issues.  The A-7 Plus features a mahogany body for a warm & fat tone, complimented perfectly by a set of Duncan Designed pickups which were custom-wound to fit this model.  I've been very impressed with the Duncan-Designed HB-103 pickups used on most 6-strings and these appear to be of equal quality.  Other features include 6/1 headstock, maple neck with rosewood board, diamond inlays, 25.5" scale, 24 extra jumbo frets, licensed low-profile Floyd Rose built to specs of the Floyd Rose Pro, Grover tuners, black hardware, 3-way selector with master volume and tone with large radio-style knobs.  Although discontinued, the retail price on this model was $899 but this one is immaculate with plastic still on the back plates and could be sold as new - for $350.  Add a quality Schecter wedge-shaped gigbag for $22 (pic) if desired.
105. 2006 Schecter C1 Plus, (front/back), (headstock), (side), (string-thru body).  We've been very impressed with these higher-end Diamond Series and this is another of these killer imports with drop dead looks, quality construction and parts, excellent tone, and perfect setup.  Features include Violin sunburst finish, flamed maple top over Mahogany body, set neck design with mahogany neck, Abalone and pearl "Vector" fretboard inlays, Grover tuners, Duncan Designed HB102 humbuckers controlled by volume and tone with push/pull pot for single coil/humbucker tones, jumbo frets, Tonepros TOM bridge with strings thru body, and cream binding all around - headstock, neck, and body.  The top is beautifully carved with a sharp arch, as well recessed knobs and switch.  This guitar feels, looks, and plays like a guitar that costs well over its list price of $869.  Sells new for $599 but this one has barely been played with no discernable wear of any kind and is a smoking deal at $450 with a setup that's guaranteed to please.  Includes used gigbag - used C-1 case (pic here) available for $39 in good condition other than one corner took a hit and tape covers damage.  
106. Schecter C-1 Classic, (front/back), (headstock), (3/4 view), (vine of life inlay).  This is one stunning guitar.  From the perfectly  bookmatched flamed maple top, to the flamed maple binding, to the intricate vine of life inlay, to the gold hardware, it's a definite head turner.  Thankfully Schecter engineers quality components into their guitars so they're just not works of art and this one has quality parts in addition to great cosmetics.  Starting with a pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers, with a JB Bridge and SH-2N Jazz neck, you're guaranteed quality tone and a good variety of tones as well.  Hardware is top notch as well, with a TonePros locking bridge and quality Grover tuners in brushed gold.  From a design aspect, it's made for excellent sustain with a neck-thru design of Maple with Mahogany wings, strings-through body for good string to wood transfer, and the area where the neck joins the body is nicely beveled to make playing the upper frets a breeze.  Other features include 24 jumbo frets, slightly substantial maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, creme fretboard binding, 25-1/2" scale, and Schecter locking tuners.   I'm not sure what they call this finish but it's a dark tortoise shell, although the official name might be Antique Amber.  Regardless, it's stained in such a way that the figured maple is very pronounced, which isn't always easy on darker stains.  For over 100 ratings where it scored an overall 9.4 out of 10, click here for Harmony Central.  This guitar plays superbly and sounds as good as it plays.  With the quality of the high-end Korean guitars, players can finally get a top-notch guitar for well under a grand.  A new C-1 Classic is running $799 without gigbag ($1119 list) but this one is virtually flawless and a smoking deal for the intermediate to advanced player at just $599.  Includes used gigbag - used C-1 case (pic here) available for $39 in good condition other than one corner took a hit and tape covers damage.
107. Schecter C-1 E/A, (front/back/side), (headstock), (detail), (Schecter Gigbag).  Still another one of these fine C-1 series, the C-1 Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar with Piezo Pickup.  For me this guitar had an immediate vibe of the PRS Hollowbody with its dual F-holes, and slightly thick body that's 2" on the edge to around 2.5" at the center of the body.  The first thing you'll notice, as soon as you see it, is the perfectly bookmatched quilted maple top, finished in vintage sunburst - absolutely stunning in person.  Neck is a fast and comfortable 3-piece Mahogany set into the body with a unique sculpted heal-joint, allowing for easy playing access to the upper register.  With a pair of very good sounding Duncan Designed HB-103 humbuckers, plus a quality RMC piezo bridge, with your choice of summed or split output, this guitar is capable of many, many tones.  You'll first think jazz or blues with the hollowbody design, but this guitar was engineered to be feedback resistant and despite using the highest gain settings on my practice amp, I didn't get a hint of feedback.  Just pure quality tone.  Like it's electric sound, the RMC piezo does a good job of delivering acoustic tone which for many players means one less guitar to lug to gigs.  Features include: Quilted maple top on bound mahogany body with traditional F-holes, split crown pearloid fretboard inlays, 25-1/2" mahogany neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, Grover tuners, TonePros bridge, Duncan-Designed HB-103 humbuckers, RMC Piezo pickup system, Mixed or separate signal operation, Quilted maple top, Bound mahogany body, 25-1/2" scale, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, Grover tuners, and TonePros bridge.  This guitar plays perfectly with nice low action and no fretting out.  For looks, versatility, and tone, it's hard to beat this model.  It's remarkable that Schecter could build a guitar with these features for just a $999 list, without gigbag.  This used one is immaculate and one nice hollowbody for $550.  Includes well-padded Schecter gigbag and optional stereo cable for running into separate electric and acoustic amps.  

108. 2008 Schecter Hellraiser C-1 FR and 2008 Schecter Classic C-1 - both new, old stock, and immaculate.  Schecter's high-end C-1 Series with upscale appointments like quilted maple top, real Duncan pickups and Tonepros bridge (Classic) and EMG Active 81/89 and Original Floyd Rose bridge (Hellraiser FR) - both are neck-thru models with stunning Abalone appointments.  Along with PRS and Brian Moore, these are the finest Korean imports on the market in my opinion.  If purchased separately, the top-quality hardware and electronics alone on these guitars would run you $400-$500.   Details include:

     • Schecter Hellraiser C-1 FR front/back, (headstock), (2 push/pull knobs), (appointments/features).  A remarkable guitar in terms of features, playability, and looks, at an incredible price.  The C-1 FR Hellraiser features high-end EMG active pickups (EMG81TW and EMG89), both with coil split via dual volume knobs; an Original Floyd Rose tremolo with original Floyd locking nut; stunning Abalone inlay along the entire edge of the top; Abalone bound headstock; Abalone Gothic Cross inlays, black chrome hardware, neck-thru design with "ultra access" design for easy playing to the top frets, 24 extra jumbo frets, 25.5" scale, mahogany body with 3-piece mahogany neck-thru.  For a quality made Korean neck-thru, with top-quality hardware and EMG's, the Hellraiser C-1 FR retails at a remarkable $1299, currently clearance priced online at $899.  Better still, this one has never been retailed and is immaculate, with our killer in-house setup, for just $729.  Includes used gigbag - used C-1 case (pic here) available for $39 in good condition other than one corner took a hit and tape covers damage.  

     • Schecter Classic C-1 front/back, (headstock), (inlay/close-up), (maple binding).   SOLD 

      

109. Schecter USA Custom Shop "Vargas Girl" Tempest, (front/back), (headstock), 2003.  Here's another one for the discriminating collector - a one-off created for the 2003 NAMM Show with a hand-painted masterpiece by Chris Compston featuring his rendition of the Vargas Girl (close-up).  The original Vargas Girls rose to fame in WW-II as very risqué' (for the time) pin-ups, serving as a morale booster for troops serving overseas.  The artist for which these type paintings have become synonymous, Alberto Vargas, was never given the true credit he deserved.  His pictures, taped to the inside of countless lockers, or kept in shirt pockets and unfolded a thousand times, served of a constant reminder to the troops of what they were fighting for:  freedom and beautiful women.  Okay, on to the guitar...  Made in Schecter's Burbank CA Custom Shop so it's an impeccably made guitar in its own right, and the fact that it was a NAMM show display model is further assurance that it was checked out very closely before it was presented to America's musical instrument dealers.  Specs include: Solid Mahogany body with TV finish, bolt-on 22-fret maple cap neck with jumbo frets - one piece with NO scarf joint, 12" neck radius, 25.5" scale, Tempest 3/3 headstock with Sperzel locking tuners, bone nut - 1.673", neck width - 2.032"  at 12th fret and 2.193" at end of fingerboard, Wilkinson bridge/tailpiece - adjustable, Seymour Duncan pickups - P-90-1B and 1N, and dual volume with master tone.  This is an excellent playing guitar with a very meaty tone, without the usual noise level associated with P90's.  Another observation - the tone control on this guitar is very effective.  Rather than on/off, the way most tone controls seem to work, this one affects the tone in a more dramatic fashion, with a differentiation in tone at every number tone control changes at every I've always been a fan of the single wraparound tailpiece, despite their usual shortcomings, because they are perfect for string muting and just feels "right" with my right hand resting on it.  Unlike the old style wraparounds though, this one features intonatable 2/3rd string and 4/5th strings, allowing for near perfect intonation.  Offered in immaculate condition, other than a few scratches on the pickguard which we can probably buff out if desired.  Includes Schecter certificate and hang-tag, showing it's selling price as $3495 (shown here).   This is a cool find for the collector looking for the truly unique, one of a kind guitars - but at this price - most players can afford this and actual make it a working guitar.  Just $1799 and includes original Schecter/G&G custom-fit hardshell case (picture).  
110. Schecter Omen-6, 2001, Electric Blue, body very similar to my USA Sunset Classic with sleek lines and carved top, features straight-ahead setup with dual humbuckers, 3-way switch, tone, volume, stop-bar with tune-o-matic bridge, mint condition with plastic still on back plate, quality Grover tuners, looks-sound-plays great, looks identical to the ESP Ltd H-100 above, list price in ’01 was $469 but this used one is perfect with nice setup and just $225.
111. Schecter Omen-6, another Diamond Series and features the same body shape and headstock of the C1+ above, in a scaled down, more basic model.   Advertised as a great metal axe, I can easily recommend this to any entry-level or intermediate metal head.  Excellent setup, good pickups, and killer looks in a gloss black with carved top.  With a list of $499, this one's like new but the price isn't - just $239.  

112. Silvertone Paul Stanley's - Kiss Fans:  Life size Paul Stanley Standup with his signature Silvertone guitars.  Original dealer display and great for you Kiss fans.  $79

113. SILVERTONE PAUL STANLEY MODELS:  KISS FANS and other Collectors:  After years with Ibanez and later Washburn, Paul Stanley has signed with Silvertone (dist by Samick) for manufacture of his signature model guitars.  I have a very limited selection of the entire line of electrics which are two different set-neck models and two bolt-ons.  The bolt-on’s feature Agathis bodies with sculpted Maple necks, 14” flat radius fretboard, dual high-output humbuckers, and die-cast tuners.  The set-necks feature sculpted Mahogany necks set into Agathis bodies, 14” flat radius fretboard, Grover tuners, and Seymour Duncan-Designed humbuckers.  I wouldn’t waste your time—or mine—by posting them at normal store prices.  Very limited quantity so grab one quick. 

     • Paul Stanley Apocalypse Special PSAP1, List $499, Sale $209(SOLD-KRIS 10/3)

     • Paul Stanley Apocalypse Pro PSAP2, List $699, Sale $362

     • Paul Stanley Sovereign Special PSSN1, List $399, Sale $199

     • Paul Stanley Sovereign Pro PSSN2, List $699, Sale $SOLD

114. 2009 Suhr Standard Chambered - Flamed Koa - Brazilian Board, (front), (back/side), (headstock/neck), (case), (spec sheet).  Uncommonly beautiful Suhr; mint condition.  If you missed the Brazilian neck Carved Archtop Standard a few months ago, here's one that's equally beautiful, and around $1K less.  This is perhaps the  finest flamed Koa I've seen and with quality Koa becoming harder to harder to find, you'll see less and less woods approaching this quality--and paying more for them.  Features of this stunner include mahogany body with solid 5A flamed koa top, mahogany neck with Brazilian rosewood fretboard, C-shaped neck with compound (10"-14") radius, abalone inlaid logo, jumbo stainless steel frets, gold hardware, hardtail bridge, Sperzel locking tuners, Tusq nut, rear-routed controls--no pickguard, 1 5/8" nut, side output jack, natural gloss finish.  Controls are volume, tone, 5-way selector with push-pull pot to blend in the bridge pickup for 7 tonal options, with great sounding Suhr pickups:   JST SSV neck humbucker, JST FL middle single coil, and JST SSH+ bridge humbucker.  This guitar has a great feeling neck, with only a light sealer coat for a very natural feel and features a compound fretboard radius from a rounder 9" "modern" radius to a flat 12" radius at the top.  One additional factory option - the neck has been Plekked to ensure the best possible setup.  Using a specially designed machine supplied by Plek (link here), a guitar's neck gets a perfect level and dress to ensure the lowest possible action.  The Suhr treble cutaway features a deep cut bevel on the treble side which makes playing the high register very easy and comfortable.  Includes original G&G black tolex with crushed velvet lining and dual combo locks - plus plastic fretboard protector.   The set up on this tone is spectacular; the tone sublime, capable of playing virtually any style of music.  Suhr's are fairly pricey guitars, even their basic models with painted finishes.  For a guitar with one of the nicest 5A koa tops you'll ever see, plus a Brazilian board, this one's hard to beat at $2800.  
115. Switch Stealth, (front/back), (headstock), (detail).  Only the second Switch I've had and like the last one, very impressive guitar for the money.  Switch uses alternative materials in building their guitars, namely a Vibracell® body and neck, which is a synthetic material that has tonal properties that, to me, are extremely similar to wood.  They're not the first company to experiment and I remember the original Dan Armstrong Plexiglas bodies as far back as the 60's.  The Stealth, whether intentional or not, has a vibe very much like a Parker, specifically, the Parker PM10 Hornet.  Features include a pair of Switch humbuckers, bi-level headstock with Grover tuners, nicely beveled body - especially in the cutaway areas.  The guitar is also beveled around the entire body, providing a thin, comfortable edge, contoured to a regular thickness toward the middle.  Electronics are simple with a volume, tone, and 3-way.  Finish is a charcoal metallic.  Nice playing guitar with good tone and for a set-neck axe, a good value at $239.  
116. 2009 TTM Guitars Devastator,  (front/back), (headstock), (double-locking trem), (bound body/neck).  A shredder's delight at a remarkable price.  I don't know they do it, but TTM imports their parts but then custom builds their guitars in the USA and puts them out on the street at prices that are comparable to regular imports.  You can custom order any parts your heart desires - it all depends on how much you want to spend.  This guitar is stock with perhaps the top being the only upgrade, but you can order this same guitar with Sperzel tuners, Wilkinson trem, EMG's, etc.  This model, and the brand in general, is aimed at hard rockers - the harder the better - and the have a client list of some very big name shedders.   Beautiful looks, with a perfectly bookmatched quilted maple veneer over a bound basswood body, it features a pair of very hot humbuckers that actually sound very good, 5-way pickup selector, 24 medium jumbo frets, bound maple neck with rosewood board, fretboard inlays that spell D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-O-R, reverse headstock, and Wilkinson tuners.  The fit and finish on this guitar is excellent.  Check out the neck fit (click here), which is as tight as a set neck.  You couldn't fit a cat hair between the body and neck.  Click here for a few reviews from guitargearheads.com and for a good YouTube demo, click here to see a young dude absolutely wailing away on his Devastator.  Is this guitar as good as a USA Jackson?  No, but it's 80% as good  - and at 25% of the price.  I would love to try out one of their more upgraded models but for the money, you're not going to beat this for a very heavy metal axe.  Just $399 for a guitar that was actually built in America.  Amazing.  

117. TTM SLAYER GUITARS:  I just got in 3 models of some of the best vintage style guitars I've seen for the money.  They arrived with a very good setup, the fit and finish is excellent, and they are made with quality hardware and electronics including a Wilkinson vintage style tremolo with "pop-in" trem arm and Allen-screw tightness adjustment, Sperzel USA locking tuners, and TTM's own Palladium Series pickups.  All of these are HSS which gives you a very fat humbucker tone on position 5, or the traditional Strat tones on positions 1-4.  These are supposedly made in the USA but I don't know the details.  My take is that these are likely Korean bodies and necks, assembled and perhaps finished in the USA but I don't know this to be a fact.  I only know that they bury all of the competition in the under-$500 price range AND these also come with a nice quality Canadian made case, instead of a cheap-o Chinese case or flimsy gigbag.  Right now I only have one of each but depending on response, I might be getting in a freight shipment of 25-30 more pieces. Read more about the Slayer and TTM at TTM's Site Here.   Currently in stock are: 

     • TTM Slayer Deluxe, Olympic White with Rosewood Board, (front/back), (headstock), (hardware), (case).  $399 with case.

     • TTM Slayer Ultra, 3-tone Sunburst with gold hardware and Maple Board, (front/back), (headstock), (hardware), (case).  $449 with case.

     • TTM Slayer QMT, Red Quilt top with Rosewood Board, (front/back), (headstock), (hardware), (case), (add'l pic/top)  $449 with case.

118. 1985 Tokai JSX-75 Super Edition Jackson Style, (front), (headstock), (trem), (back).  Great playing Japan-made Tokai with the flavor of an '85 San Dimas era Jackson including small control cavity.  Finished head to toe in pearl pink, it's an outstanding player and the stock pickups sound good.  Features include 2-piece contoured alder body, one-piece hard rock maple neck with rosewood fretboard, 25.5" scale, 22 wide frets, Tokai neck contour which is a well-rounded C-shape with small shoulders, 2 single coil and 1 humbucker T.A.R. (Tokai Advanced Reproduction) pickups without exposed poles on the single coils, 3 mini pickup switches which allow any combination, no pickguard, Ayers Rocker III tremolo with fine tuners, lightning bolt fretboard inlays with black side markers, pink pearl finish with matching neck and headstock, Tokai deluxe vintage tuners, black hardware, football output jack, pointy non-angled headstock, and San Dimas style control route with shielded control cover (pic here).  Overall this guitar is in in nice shape for its age with no cracks or serious issues and just some minor flaws including shown here - a small finish touch-up near the output jack, some light clearcoat scratches on back, a small rub on the headstock tip, and other very minor finish imperfections.  Not clean enough for the collector types but for a player - this thing plays great, with low action and no fret outs on bends.  Although it's missing parts in the locking nut, it's a rather primitive system and would better be used like a vintage tremolo, i.e. without a locking device on the headstock.  It stays in tune very well when used like a vintage Strat with down push; doesn't stay in tune as well with up-pull.  These Japan made Tokai's are very highly regarded and are excellent utility instruments.  For tone and playability, it's hard to beat at $339
119. Unique Mahogany Body Style Custom Made Strat Head, (pic2).  For the player who wants something truly unique...this is a one-off Custom made guitar.  Very unique looks, top-notch parts, and quality woods.  The body style is a cross between a Les Paul Single Cutaway, although with a much rounder upper bout and deep & pointy cutaway - while the lower bout is something straight out of the builder's imagination - there really isn't a comparison that I'm aware of.  The neck appears to be custom built as well and is perfectly straight, featuring a rosewood board and Strat headstock.  Please note that we relocated the string tree to the traditional position and plugged the small hole where it is located in the pics.  Excellent electronics all around with a cool blend of Fender, Les Paul, and acoustic.  Pickups are a DiMarzio DP-181 Fast Track in the bridge, Gibson PAF in the neck, and a Fishman HS100P piezo bridge for acoustic tones.  Switches are 3-way selector for the magnetic pickups on the upper bout, 3-way mini-toggle near the knobs to select magnetic - magnetic and piezo - piezo alone.  Control knobs are master volume, master tone, and Piezo volume (white knob).  Body is one-piece mahogany (end view) which yields a very warm and full tone.  Control cavity is shielded, neatly wired, and contains the circuit board for the Fishman system and 9V battery (pic here).  Output jack is conveniently located out of the way, in the cutout area at the end of the body which also features a bird in flight Abalone inlay (pic here).  This is a great playing guitar and should appeal to players who want a lot of versatility but, especially, want to strap on something that's truly unique and a hand-built one-of-a-kind instrument with top quality components.  Very cool piece for $750.  
120. Vinetto Artifact SC 50 BG, (front), (headstock/neck), (back), (front-detail), (case).  "Relic Mint" condition.  From the man behind Fender's original Relic series, Vince Cunetto, comes this fantastic Vinetto Artifact.  You possibly remember Cunetto as the original "Relic Master" for Fender.  After seeing his amazing aging process, Fender started their Relic series, outsourcing them to Vince.   They would ship him raw bodies, necks, hardware, and pickguards and he would paint and "age" them, prior to returning the parts to the Fender factory for assembly.  These early model "Cunetto Relics", as they're called, are so highly regarded that they're selling for twice the price of later models, and many have sold for $4K to $5K.  His relationship with Fender ran from '95 to '99 before Fender decided to do the work in-house to increase production an save manufacturing costs.  For a very informative page concerning the Cunetto/Relic history, click here for TheFellowshipOfAcoustics web site.  Vince is a premier luthier, with talents well above the perfect relic process and his own line of Vinetto guitars he offers to the public master-built quality guitars with tasteful improvements on classic designs.  Only 7.2 lbs. and as fine a Tele style as you can possibly find.  If you haven't played one of these, you're missing out on what is described as "the best modern take on the Telecaster on the planet."   Like all Vinetto's, the SC 50 BG has an all nitro-cellulose lacquer finish, body and neck, which gives it a vintage look and is much more tone-friendly than a thick poly finish.  The Relic job is uncanny, better than his Fender-era guitars.  The bakelite pickguard is extremely realistic--way better than plastic--and the body and neck are dead on.  The body and neck wear isn't extreme, rather it's like one-owner guitar that's been in the family for 45 years.  Other than finish checking all over the body it exhibits only wear around the edges, some fretboard wear, and oxidized hardware.  Features include butterscotch blonde finish over lightweight (guitar weighs 7.2 lbs.) swap ash; quartersawn neck with very chunky U-shape; 9.5" fretboard radius; FWSS6105 fret wire which is a vintage width but tall, black Bakelite pickguard; Jason Lollar "Vintage T" pickups; aged nickel hardware, Glendale vintage style bridge with brass compensated saddles, bone nut, vintage Broadcaster knurled knobs, and aged/checked finish.   The hand-made aspect of this guitar is obvious as soon as you see it up close and holding it, you'll sense the quality immediately.  It's easily one of the best T-style guitars I've ever played, which is echoed in Harmony-Central reviews (link - click on columns on right for other reviews).   This one is in dead mint condition, i.e. no non-factory wear with perfect frets.  It is, in my opinion, Master Built quality at less than 1/2 the cost.   This is serial number 0023 for those who care about low serials.   It's very hard to find a new one of these but if you do, they're going for $2895.  It's more likely that you'll have to order one and wait to have it built.  If you want one now--and a guaranteed great one--this one's available and $1999(HOLD-Charlie H, local 8/9).  Includes a quality velvet-lined G&G tweed case, build sheet, certificate of authenticity, etc.  
121. VALLEY ARTS !!!  The authenticity of the guitars below is without question.  As many of you know, my world-class luthier (the man who sets up the fine guitars we ship out) is unquestionably one of the world's top authority on these guitars as he was General Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing for VA until the sale to Samick.  These are true “hand-made” guitars and each body was contoured, painstakingly, by hand.  Check out the tremolo cavities and the gentile slope on all edges – real works of art. These are all the real deal VA's, built by the original VA craftsmen and all original down to the last screw.  VA was the original “boutique” builder of solid body guitars and they used only the best woods, electronics, and hardware.  Other than the M-Series, a fine guitar in its own right, these are all considered "real deal" VA's, either built entirely before the sale to Samick, or "transition" models which carry the same pedigree, but happened to be one of the 400 or so guitars already in progress when the sale occurred.  These transition guitars have no Samick influence and bodies and necks were built before the sale and they were completed by the same pre-Samick employees.  Transition era guitars are unremarkable except to the uninformed.  By all measures they are indistinguishable from the earlier models and the ONLY difference is Samick had begun buying the company.  As months passed the actual turnover took place and then you'll begin to see the Samick influence with easily recognizable features such as the new "Studio City" logo and names like "California Pro".   
122. Valley Arts USA Custom Pro , (pic2), (pic3), (pic4), Swamp Ash finished in Yellow and verified to be the first Swamp Ash ever made by VA.  Custom made to the customer's specs, called a "Custom-Custom" by VA employees, easily recognizable by the customer's name on the neckplate, in this case, one of the VA employees.  Serial 304.  Features of this world-class guitar are swamp ash body with nitro finish, Kahler Pro locking tremolo, original Tom Anderson pickups  (HN2+ and two SK1's) with individual 3-way selectors, each selectable as single coil, off or double coil, which, doing some quick math, is at least 18 combinations.  The last switch is an Anderson-inspired "blow" switch for the bridge humbucker only - going straight to the output jack.  Fans of skinny necks will appreciate this as it has one of the thinnest profiles of any guitar from this era I've ever felt.  I believe the fretboard is probably Brazilian rosewood as shown here.  This guitar is of definite interest to the collector by virtue of its unique features, early lineage, and beautiful condition.  Includes original case, Kahler manual, and VA fretboard protector (this idea was later copied by other makers).   An exceptional VA for $2199.  Letter of authenticity from former Gen. Mgr. of Valley Arts USA included upon request.
123. Ca. 1990 Valley Arts USA Custom Pro Bent T, (front/back), (headstock), (neck).  Trans red flame top that looks much more stunning in person and is better shown in these close-up pics (neck pocket) and (pickup cavity).  My man Martin says this is a Pre-Samick model (serial 2029), despite the 3/31/93 neck date.  It's signed by Mike McGuire on the neck and body/neck/neckplate serials all match.  The Bent T (as in "Tele") is a Gibson scale with a 7/8 size body and a joy to play.  With the small body and featherweight  6 1/2 pounds, there's absolutely no fatigue during long nights of gigging.  Features include nitro-finish Alder body with a nicely figured maple top that's "bent" on the corner for comfort, exceptionally figured birdseye maple neck with a thinner profile than most VA's plus a sleek Ebony fretboard.   Other features are Seymour Duncan pickups and gold hardware.  Overall condition is nice, a solid 8+, and the set-up is unbelievable.  There are a few scratches, not through the lacquer and as with all of these gold-logo over red headstocks, the lettering has bled into the finish - it's inevitable.  This is an exceptional guitar and, unlike later models, is truly hand-made.  Priced at just $1350(SOLD-Steven K 12/7) with case, well below what it sold for new nearly 20 years ago .  Letter of authenticity from former Gen. Mgr. of Valley Arts USA included upon request.
124. Warmoth Custom-Built Strat - Warmoth Korina Body w/Pao Ferro Neck, (front), (back), (headstock), (neck), (graphite saddles/trees.), (trem cavity), (body/neck markings), (case).  Fantastic custom-built Strat with Warmoth Korina body and Musikraft Pao Ferro Neck, equipped with quality electronics and hardware.  To go with the Korina/Pao Ferro body and neck, a perfect choice was the "DiMarzio Billy Corgan Prewired Pickguard" ($279).  The Billy Corgan is comprised of a BC-1 in the neck, Chopper in the middle, and BC-2 in the bridge.  The BC-1 and BC-2 pickup used an Air Norton and Tone Zone S as a starting point and were fine tuned to lower the frequency response in one coil of each of his signature pickups, providing a deeper sound from the low strings - but without losing any punch.  In addition, the BC's are resistant to any muddiness in high gain amps.  The end result, in concert with the wood choice, is a guitar that is very dark sounding, much like a Baritone in feel and tone.  It won't appeal to everybody but it is a unique sounding guitar that would work well with players who like the tone of dropped tuning or Baritones.  Additionally, it's outfitted with graphite saddles, nut, and string trees, which help eliminate breakage and also contribute to the subdued tone.  Tuners are quality Kluson style staggered-height vintage tuners, while the bridge is a Gotoh with heavy block.  The trem is also fitted with Tremol-no which, if the bridge is set to a floating position, can convert it from full floating, to fixed, to dive only.  I'm not sure how useful it will be with a vintage tremolo but it's there if you want to explore it.  The body is a beautiful piece of African Korina (aka Black Limba), finished with a high-gloss blonde lacquer.  The finish job is immaculate.  Korina is in the mahogany family and is a more exotic wood.  Tonally, it produces a beautiful, warm rich tone, similar to mahogany, but with a little more resonance and perhaps a little more brightness.   The neck is solid Pao Ferro, a wood which  is best known as the fretboard material in Fender's SRV Strat and was chosen as it closely resembles the unobtainable Brazilian rosewood.  Tonally, it's slightly brighter than Rosewood and it has the sleek feel of Ebony, in fact, this neck is the slickest, fasting feeling neck imaginable.  It features clay dot inlays, medium frets, and a very well rounded C-profile, perhaps just a tad thicker than an American Standard Strat.  It also has some beautiful figuring; one of the nicest pieces of this wood I've seen.  Since the pics were taken Martin conditioned the neck and it's darker in appearance.  This guitar is flawless, zero fret wear, and The parts alone on this guitar will run you over $1200 and for a competent tech, at least $300 to assemble and set-up.  Get this one, already to go and set up to perfection, for just $899, including a new molded hardshell case - or $950 with custom shop Fender/G&G "black tweed" case (pic), that sells new for $145. 
125. Warmoth DIY Special:  Fender Strat Style DIY Warmoth Strat - Warmoth Body&Neck and all top notch parts--all brand new--including everything you'll need down to the last screw.  Warmoth Body (pic) is Swamp Ash with nicely flamed koa top, routed for dual hums and 2-point fulcrum tremolo.  Neck (pic) is Warmoth's Conversion Neck, which can be used on any body which will automatically be "converted" to Gibson scale (24 3/4").  You'll notice better ease of play, more dramatic bends, and difficult chord shapes are easier to finger.  You'll also notice an unusual headstock, originally a Strat, but at the request of the owner Martin carved it down to be something truly unique.  For the remaining components (click to enlarge) you have a pair of DiMarzio's (PAF Pro and Steve's Special), Wilkinson fulcrum tremolo, and choice of Sperzel locking or Steinberger "Banjo" type tuners - plus every other part needed to complete the project including stacked CTS pots with stacked knobs so you can have dual volume and tone with just two pots for a cleaner look, control plate, tremolo cavity plate, neckplate with plastic base, humbucker rings, 5-way switch, and football output jack.  Not shown but included are all the little screws you'll need to complete the project.  Original owner had this entire project designed and over the course of a few months assembled all the parts.  By the time he had assembled all the parts, his interest had changed and he sold this entire "kit" to finance his new guitar.  If you have the mechanical ability of the average 12-year-old, and some simple soldering skills, this will be an easy project to complete and in the end you'll have one extremely nice, high-end guitar.  He has over $1200 invested in these parts and this is a steal at $699.  If you really want to go over the top, substitute with this Trilogy Bridge by Hipshot TMB3 for just $125 more.
126. 2002 Washburn Tabu TB-400, (front/back), (headstock), (3/4 view), (Floyd-licensed trem), (heel).  This is a killer axe.  Excellent quality Korean import and from what I recall, these were a Mars Music exclusive.  Martin used to be the repair manager at Mars and I'll try to verify with him.  The Tabu is very much a copy of the Gibson Les Paul DC, with similar body shape and contours, dual humbuckers, dual volume/tone controls with 3-way selector, bound body, bound neck with dot inlays, and 3+3 headstock with binding.  It was designed with a very small rounded heel that makes playing in the upper register a breeze.  Other features include 24-fret neck with 24 3/4" scale, Grover 18:1 tuners, black chrome hardware, silver finish with gloss lacquer, special inlay at 12th fret, medium frets, Washburn Head Hunter EL921 and EL923 humbuckers.  The set up on this guitar is fantastic - low action fans will love it - and the stock pickups sound very good with a bright, articulate bridge pickup and a very warm and fat neck pickup.  The tremolo is a Floyd-licensed double-locking type that's a copy of the Floyd Pro, low profile and recessed.  It stays in tune perfectly.  This guitar appears to have seen no playing time with zero scratches anywhere, perfect frets, and plastic still on the back plates.  The only flaw is some slight discoloration to the Floyd plating, overall a 9.9.  This is definitely one of the better Korean models I've had and that's saying a lot considering the high quality of Korean imports in the past decade.  It's very comfortable to play and for a "nearly new" guitar, a sweet deal at $399.  Add a nice SKB Freedom case for $49 if desired.  
127. Washburn Dime 32 Camo, signature model 2004, for the late, great Dimebag Darrell (RIP) and features Limited Edition Camo finish, strings thru body tuning, good quality Washburn WB630 pickups, Grover 18:1 tuners, and jumbo frets.  This isn't your $2K custom shop model but for the price, it's an excellent playing guitar with nice tone and solid Metal vibe - a nice tribute to Dime for a nice price. List was $599 on these but this one is like new and includes original Camo padded gigbag for just $325. 
128. Washburn KC-70V, excellent quality rock/metal axe with all the necessary features from the metal days including an excellent quality licensed Floyd Rose, thin profile with flat fretboard radius, HSS Washburn pickups, volume and tone with push/pull pot, and 5-way selector.  The body is extremely comfortable with contours in the cutaways to allow easier access to the upper frets.  Setup is great, with the low action these guitars are famous for, stays in tune perfectly during whammying, and the tone is rock solid.  This model got incredible reviews on Harmony Central (click here), where it scored an impressive 9.3 overall rating.  Not a cheap guitar back in the day and when you play it you'll note the quality.  This one's not clean enough for the collector with some paint touch up's here and there, but the frets are perfect and it's seen little actual playing time I would guess.  A nice axe for just $325.
129. 1998 Washburn Paul Stanley Signature PS500, (pic2), (pic3).  Has its roots going back to Paul's Ibanez Iceman series, with the same body style and similar headstock and tailpiece.  It was a very radical design when it came out in the 70's but despite the looks it is a very well balanced guitar that hangs very comfortably, and allows extremely easy access to the top frets.  The PS500 is a set-neck guitar that's bound on every edge - body, neck, and headstock.  The "star" tailpiece seems to work well in transferring energy to the body and the humbuckers sound good.  Quality Grover tuners keep it in tune nicely.  One thing that must be mentioned is the quality of this case.  It's your usual higher quality case with tolex covering and white piping, with a form-fit interior that hugs the body all around but most notably, it's the heaviest case I think I've ever had.  The case alone weighs over 22 lbs., which is the weight of many of the boxed guitars we ship out, including guitar, case, box, and packing material.  The wood must be twice the density of a standard G&G case.  Suffice it to say it provides excellent protection.  This guitar is exceptionally clean, plays fantastic, and is a nice choice for the Paul Stanley or Kiss fan, or anyone who wants a quality set neck for a nice price.  List price was $1249 - this beautiful barey used one, $599.   Includes original form-fit case. 
130. 1993 Washburn Steve Stevens SS-40, (pic2), (pic3).  This is a pretty cool signature model, and the only guitar I can recall with dual slanted humbuckers - sort of like the Baretta idea with a slanted bridge pickup and single volume pot - but with an additional slanted neck pickup and 3-way selector.  Factory original non-covered trem cavity (pic) so no holes are present.  Rather elegant look with gloss black finish and gold hardware which is good quality with a double-locking licensed Floyd Rose (pic) and Grover tuners.  This guitar is being sold "as is" and could really use a new neck.  We've tightened the truss rod all the way and the action is still quite high in the middle.  It's actually at a height that a few players like but higher than 98% of my customers would be happy with.  Use the parts and build your own Super Strat - or simply get another neck and you're up and running.  Was $350 - marked down on "as is" sale to $199(Tent. Hold - Jeff T 1/13).   
131. 80's Washburn G-IV Baretta Style, (pic2), (pic3), (accessories included).  Borrowing from the insanely popular Kramer Baretta, Washburn got onboard with this model, with defining features such as single bridge humbucker and single knob (volume control), 6/side pointy/angled headstock, black headstock veneer, and Floyd Rose licensed tremolo (pic).  A few upgrades on this guitar including DiMarzio Tone Zone pickup (original will be included) and Dunlop strap lock system including strap.  The Kahler-style locking nut is included but, as shown in the pics, isn't required since this model has the Kahler-style nut/locking nut combination.  We will install it at no cost if the new owner wants it installed.  This guitar is in really nice shape with no major flaws.  Body will be buffed out prior to shipping and will shine like new.  Speaking of the body, it's a smaller (aka Dinky) size, around 7/8 of a standard Strat style.  The setup on this guitar is fantastic, easily on par with the higher end shred guitars from this era, with low action at the nut - all the way to the top frets.  With this DiMarzio installed, this axe has a screaming lead tone that cleans up when you back off the volume a bit, making it more versatile than you might expect from a single humbucker guitar.  Includes original gigbag and other accessories pictured and is an excellent quality guitar for a modest price, $229. 
132. 2002 Yamaha Ty Tabor RGX-TT, (front), (back-output jack), (headstock), (case).  One of Yamaha's finest, built in collaboration between Yamaha and Ty Tabor (King's X).  Lightweight, comfortable, and aerodynamically sound - when you strap this guitar on it feels like an extension of your body.  Features include double cutaway Basswood body with extreme contours and a distinctive raised, figured maple center platform.  The body has a "bent" shape, much like a Brian Moore, thin at the edges with a maple ridge in the center.  The contemporary, fast maple neck sports a slick rosewood 22-fret fingerboard and easy-view position markers on the side only, while the truss adjustment is on the side, in the treble cutaway, like a new Warmoth.  The 12-degree angled headstock features a "3D" design with three tuners per side, straight string pull, and black Sperzel Tremlock tuners which are recessed into the headstock.  The RGX-TT also features an excellent choice of electronics with Seymour Duncan Vintage Rail neck and middle pickups, Duncan JB bridge, controlled by a 5-way with a large pushbutton to split the bridge humbucker, yielding 7 quality tones.  Other features include thin beveled neck heel, TT inlay at 12th fret, and Wilkinson VS100 tremolo.  Here's a YouTube demo of a guy noodling on his TT (link).  Excellent condition, with a super comfortable set up.  Yamaha recently discontinued this model but it had a list price of $1599 and it's one of my favorite guitars currently in stock - at just $750.  Includes Yamaha case and trem arm.