FORMER INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT
On this page, are photos of some equipment I formerly owned. Included is a little bit of trivia about each. The most recently owned ones are at the top of this page, with the earliest one(s) at the bottom. They are categorized by instrument type.
WASHBURN D-10ST 6-STRING ACOUSTIC DREADNOUGHT
This Washburn guitar was basically purchased as a replacement for my former D-10S. But I was never that impressed with the sound of it like I was with the one I sold to Ken S. So I ended up trading both it and the Yamaha G245S (shown down below) for the Austin AA50-D, seen on my current instruments page. Traded 7/31/2010.
YAMAHA CG-245S 6-STRING CLASSICAL GUITARThis Yamaha classical guitar was one of the first models produced with a solid top by Yamaha when they opened a factory in Taiwan. The model was the first one produced in the factory. It has not only a solid spruce top, but also boasts rosewood sides and back. I acquired the guitar by trading my Harmony H-6365 for it. Acquired April 16, 2010.
NOT FOR SALE
SILVERTONE ARCHTOP MODEL 367.12459 (formerly 57H1245) This guitar was given to me by a co-worker. It is all original except it has had Schaller tuners installed. It was easy to tune, stayed in tune, and was as immaculate as it appears here. The model is a solid maple top sides and back, with mahogany neck, and rosewood bridge assembly (adjustable) and fretboard. The action is about 1/64" at the 3rd fret and 1/8" at the 12th fret--as is typical with all of my guitars. I hope to repay the co-worker in some way for his generosity in giving me this beautiful instrument. TRADED FOR ANOTHER GUITAR ON JULY 3, 2010.
YAMAHA G-65A ACOUSTIC 6-STRING CLASSICAL GUITAR
This guitar is constructed of a laminated spruce top, and laminated katsura (or kaya) sides and back, nato neck, and rosewood fretboard and bridge (source: Yamaha archives of models). The G-65A model was made between 1972 and 1974 in China, and the original MSRP was $95.50. Yamaha also maintains a serial number history (click). TRADED TO BROWNSBURG GUITARS JULY 3, 2010.
FENDER JG12CE 12-STRING ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC GUITAR
This 12-string accoustic/electric guitar is one that I thought I would keep for the rest of my life. It had the most amazing range of tone I've ever heard for a mini-jumbo--let alone one that is all laminates. But the bridge began lifting, and I discovered that my pushing the E string off the fretboard every time I keyed E chord was because the bridge was actually mounted off center toward the low E String. So I exersized my rights under the lifetime warranty, and Fender opted to send me a new guitar. This one was discontinued some time in 2008, so they offered to substitute a Fender CD160SE-12--which was introduced in January 2010. I appreciated Fender's offer--the new guitar had a solid top, improved electronics, and a front strap button (I stand when I play). The JG12CE-12 was manufactured in November 2004, and I purchased it new in May 2006.
WARRANTY EXERCISED MAY 3, 2010.
OSCAR SCHMIDT OE-30 DELTA KING (at left)
6-string electric guitar. This guitar was in my wish list for a long time. Finally I acquired one. This guitar features the "335" styling (similar to the legendary Gibson model 335). Washburn did a fine job of making a hollow-body electric with nice dual humbuckers, and Grover tuners. The model was discontinued around July of 2008 but models continue to bring a high dollar. This one was acquired from a family in Missouri in December 2008. It was made in December 2004. I decided to sell it to Kolby Bath who was looking for a new guitar to play in a Christian band. So I sold it and my Peavey Chorus 70 amp to him and bought a bass guitar and practice amp (see my instruments page).
SOLD APRIL 30, 2010
HARMONY H6365 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITARThe date stamp was gone from this guitar when I got it, but I was able to research it enough to determine quite a bit about it. It was a 1971 model. Harmony included the headstock binding only on the early H6365's in 1971. By 1972 the painted-on headstock binding was dropped from the model. I guess this makes these rather rare. I especially find it intriguing how the woods are all solid--not seen on anything but very expensive guitars today. Also, it was made in the USA in Chicago by the original Harmony company. It was an all-original guitar--except I replaced the bridge pins and strings. I decided, kind of on a whim, to swap it. I had it for sale on consignment in a music store called 6-Strings Down in Plainfield, Indiana. The owner had a Yamaha CG-245S (G-245S) for sale there. I had been looking for a good classical guitar, so I asked him if he would swap me the Yamaha and a Crate Taos amp for my Harmony and my Crate CA125D amp. We swapped even, and I felt I got the better end of the deal, while he also felt he got the better end of the deal.
SOLD (traded) April 16, 2010.
WASHBURN D10S 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Solid Spruce Top, Solid Mahogany Sides and Back, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, Grover Tuners. This was my original "bang around" guitar. It had damage on the lower right side of the lower bout where it was dropped (before I bought it) and it broke the wood. It still sounded great, and the rest of the guitar was pristine. A sales associate who works in a local music store had advised me not to buy this guitar in the condition it was in. I'm glad I don't always take the "experts'" advice. I repaired the damage, and restored it essentially to original (see my "Lutherie" link). It sounds great and I've adjusted the action very low. This is my advice to you...don't always think that the "experts" are your only source of good decision-making...you have to also trust your own heart and instinct. Still, with the 1-11/16 neck width, I had some difficulty playing it, so I decided to sell it. I wasn't looking for a buyer, but offered it to a friend for $50 and he decided to buy it. It was a lot of guitar for $50. SOLD TO KEN STECHER IN JANUARY 2010
ALVAREZ RD20S ACOUSTIC 6-STRING GUITARI bought this Alvarez in August 2009. It was a factory second. It had a crack in the top solid wood, no tuners, and no bridge pins. I purchased some nice Wilkinson gold tuning machines, bridge pins, and replaced the nut and saddle with bone. The instrument cost me $80 plus the $30+ for parts, for a total of about $110. Not a bad deal for a nice solid-top. But alas, my fat fingers struggled on the standard 1-11/16 neck width, so I decided to sell it. I never listed it, but instead decided to give it to the youth pastor at my church.
YAMAHA FG-230 12-STRING NIPPON GAKKI RED LABEL ACOUSTIC GUITAR
This guitar is a subject of my repair page. I purchased it on eBay in August, because it was a Nipppon-Gakki Red Label Yamaha (1970's). These are becoming quite rare, and are very nice guitars. After repairing this guitar, I decided I did not want it as badly as I thought I did, and decided to stick with the core guitars I already had. I decided to sell it. But once again, before I ever listed it, I remembered how my brother had visited me and how he loved my Fender 12-string, so I gave this Yamaha to him in September 2009.
STELLA H927 VINTAGE 1970 ACOUSTIC 6-STRING GUITAR
I bought this Stella in late August 2009, because I got a fabulous price on it. It is a rare model, and rather well made for a Stella. But it had a crack in the top near the neck in the soundboard. So I repaired it, replaced the strings, set it up, and sold it on eBay in September 2009.
STELLA (BY HARMONY) MODEL #H934 SIX-STRING ACOUSTIC
This Stella guitar was a project. My friend Howard gave it to me one day in January 2009. He found it in one of the closets in his home. It was apparently left there by one of his children who formerly lived at home (grown now) who surely felt it was unsalvageable (and it may be). But in fact, it was a project that I decided to attempt to restore. More can be seen about this on my Lutherie page (scroll to the bottom of that page). It is a model H934, and was manufactured at Harmony factories in Chicago, Illinois in the Fall of 1971 (inside it is stamped F-71). It carries the full model number 4041H934. Seen below is what the guitar SHOULD look like (this is a photo from Demont Harmony web site, and is not the actual Stella). See the actual Stella using the link in the menu bar at the left side of the page. It looked this good once it was finished. When completed (July 28, 2009), I gave it
back to Howard for his son, Bill. 
LOTUS MODEL #L20 SIX-STRING ACOUSTIC
I didn't know much about this Lotus guitar. It seemed to be rather well made, but I knew little about it--other than it appeared to be 
a Martin 000 knock-off (imitation). It was a grand concert body style with a laminated spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides, and was missing one tuning peg and a dot marker when I acquired it. I restored it to playability and lowered the action to an easily playable level, and it sounded quite nice--as good as my Yamaha FG-180. NO PICTURE...
CARLOS MODEL #438 SIX-STRING ACOUSTICAgain, I knew little about this guitar. It was seemingly well constructed, but I had little time to research it. What research I did revealed that this model was extremely rare and sought after. I restored this to a playable condition. It was a dreadnought and sounded average--made of laminated spruce and mahogany. This guitar is no longer in my possession.
HARMONY H173 CLASSICAL 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR (#1) (shown without strings and tuners)
This 1969 beauty is another rare find from Harmony. It is, as the above guitar, constructed with a solid spruce top, solid mahogany sides and back, mahogany neck, and Brazilian rosewood bridge and fretboard. It is a classical guitar, meaning that it must use only nylon strings. This guitar was manufactured in the Summer of 1969, and I purchased it in Orange County, California in February 2009. It came with "aftermarket" tuners. Sold late May 2009.
HARMONY H173 CLASSICAL 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR (#2)This other H173 Harmony, a 1960 beauty is rare. It is built solid as guitars were in the 1960's. It is constructed with a solid spruce top, solid hardwood (birch?) sides and back, mahogany neck, and Brazilian rosewood bridge and fretboard (Brazilian rosewood is now a protected species--it was not rare or protected in 1960). It is a classical guitar, meaning that it uses only nylon strings. This guitar was manufactured in the Fall of 1960, and I purchased it in Cincinnati Ohio in January 2009. Owner satisfaction can be seen at the
unofficial Harmony history web site. My own comments are there as well. I put a lot of work into this instrument and restored to 100% original condition. It looked barely-used when I owned it.
Sold to Yvonne in 5/9/2009.
TAKAMINE EG460SC 6-STRING ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC GUITAR
This was added to my collection in July/August 2008. It was beautiful to look at but its best feature was its great tone range and quality. The body--a shape unique to
Takamine--is called an NEX body. It has the lower bout width of a dreadnought, and the upper bout width of a Grand Concert, with a small waist (resembling a jumbo but smaller). It has double bracing (scalloped) at the top of the soundboard. It features a solid spruce top and solid rosewood sides and back, with real mother-of-pearl trim around the front binding and on the rosette. The nut and bridge saddle are Tusq and the fretboard and bridge are rosewood. It also has an onboard tuner. A real beauty! I listed it for sale about 4 times on eBay©, and 4 times on Craigslist, but I actually pulled it off early all 4 times, because I was so torn about selling it. I bought it because I wanted an acoustic-electric 6-string that I could keep for years, that was well made, and that had the spruce/rosewood combination. This one fit perfectly, so I bought it. Sometimes I'm not sure what makes me sell a guitar that I love to play as much as I loved to play this one. It remains one of the guitars that I wish I still had. Still, I did finally list it again on Craigslist, with the same seller's remorse I'd experienced before, and it sold. I am happy at least that the gent I sold it to appreciated it as much as I. Manufactured in July 2007, purchased new in July/August 2008.
Sold to Joe who plays with a band called 40%Steve 4/1/2009.
FENDER 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR MODEL CD-220S
This Fender was a real class guitar. It was reasonably priced, but was a second-level guitar (in other words, it was not an entry-level instrument). It featured a solid spruce top, mahogany neck, Asian striped ebony back and sides, rosewood fretboard and bridge, Tusq saddle and nut, tortoise-shell pickguard, and die-cast gold tuners and hardware. It sounded like a dream. But the narrowness at the nut (standard Fender 1-11/16 was too narrow for my chubby fingers, so I was always touching more strings than intended. I sold this guitar for only that reason...or I would certainly have kept it. It was a beauty with a full range of tone including loud bright and dark tones. The wood combination made this a guitar that will certainly increase in value over time as musicians continue to discover it's great range (it was discontinued by Fender in August 2008).
Sold to Philip for his wife for Christmas 2008. 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Solid Spruce Top, Laminated
Asian Striped Ebony Sides & Back
HOHNER HW300G-SB 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Mahogany all over (Top, Sides and Back), Nato neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Has NuBone nut and saddle (Graphtech). The guitar has no flaws, but some wear (light surface scratches). The wood is gorgeous. I replaced the strings on Feb 2, 2009 with medium weight D'Addario EJ17's, and it has a boomier sound now. The neck was overtensioned when I got it, but a quick turn of the truss rod, and all was well. It also buzzed, but I fixed that. I did enjoy playing this guitar after I got the action lowered. It was pleasant to play--easy and sounded great. I would get another one in a heartbeat, and I would recommend them to anyone for a very nice inexpensive guitar--comparable to most I've seen in the $250 price range, although it is less expensive than even that (sells new for around $150).
SOLD TO AMANDA VIA CRAIGSLIST ON 2-13-2009
VINTAGE EMPERADOR MODEL #AW-1 SIX-STRING ACOUSTIC (1973) -- RESTORED JAN-FEB 2009 Emperador 6-String Acoustic guitar. I don't know much about it, except that they are pretty rare nowadays. Fred, of Shannon Illinois, sold it to me. It is laminated spruce on the top and mahogany on tbe sides and back (also laminate). The inner kerfing is interesting--it appears to be about 1/16" solid mahogany strips versus conventional fluted basswood or ash. I have it from a reputable source that this guitar was made in the early 70's. SeriaL number inside is mostly illegible but appears to say either "M0203" or "W0203". I read some great reviews on Harmony Central about Emperadors, but this particular model was not covered. It says "Made in Korea" on the inner label. The Japan-made models are more in demand than the Korean-made ones--although this one was really very nice, so I'm not sure why the Japanese ones bring a better price. Sold via Craigslist to Woody on 2/9/2009.
MICHAEL KELLY VIBE 6-STRING ELECTRIC HOLLOWBODY JAZZ GUITAR
The Michael Kelly line of guitars is a class act indeed. They became noted for folk instruments, and acoustic guitars, then successfully entered the electric guitar business. Their electrics are among the most finely made instruments that you can acquire. I had this Michael Kelly Vibe for only 6 months. It was by far the nicest guitar I've ever had. It had Grover Imperial 18:1 tuners, D'Addario EXP strings, Bigsby tremolo, and pearl inlay. It not only kicked butt, but it also was beautiful and meticulously crafted. But I tired of the electric world--opting to focus all my energies on becoming proficient at acoustic guitar.
So I sold this MK Vibe on eBay to Craig in Wisconsin on 11/30/2008.
HARMONY 6-STRING ACOUSTIC MODEL H-6659
Next is a 1973 guitar that is one of the rare Dreadnoughts that Harmony made. It is in very nice condition, but does not have the tone quality of the H162 nor the H-6365. It does have a fully adjustable truss rod. The action is a not bad at all. It has had some work done to restore the finish and overall is in nice condition. Sold 8-4-2008 to a gentleman in Lake Havasu City, AZ.
HARMONY 6-STRING ACOUSTIC MODEL H-6365
Next is a 1972 guitar that was in very nice condition, and had a grand concert body design. It had a fully adjustable truss rod. The action was a little high, but didn't affect the way I play since I play mostly open chords on the lower frets--the action there was not bad at all. It had had some work done to the finish and overall was immaculate. I always regretted selling this guitar...it was a real beauty and actually sounded a little better than my 1971 H-6365 (see Current Equipment).
Sold 8-4-2008 to a Harmony guitar collector in San Francisco.
HARMONY 6-STRING ACOUSTIC MODEL H162
The H162 is a 1962 guitar, concert body design with a steel-reinforced neck. Back then, the "cheap" guitars were made by hand with materials like the most expensive guitars are made today. This guitar is in amazing condition and features a solid spruce top and solid mahogany sides and back. The neck appears to also be mahogany. It does have somewhat high action--although, again, not that bad. A previous owner appears to have worked the bridge saddle to lower the action, and it seems to be not bad overall. Sold 8-4-2008 to a gentleman in Dublin, Ireland.
FIRST ACT MG431 6-STRING ACOUSTIC
This is one of those FIRST ACT brands that is sold mainly at Walmart and at Toys-R-Us. Because of that, the brand gets a bad rap. But this guitar was one of the nicer guitars that I owned in terms of ease of play and tone quality--not to mention it was darn good looking. With a transparent burgundy finish you could see the wood grain through, and black binding and purfling. It had both deep bass tones and crisp teble tones. I've already corresponded with the buyer asking him to notify me if he decides to sell it. I guess at this time the only reason I can think of for having sold it is the "need" for a Martin HD-28--which never materialized (I bought the
Seagull instead). The buyer told me he would let me know if he wanted to sell it...so far I haven't heard anything.
Sold July 2008 to a gent in Broad Ripple, Indiana.
JACKSON DXMG DINKY 6-STRING ELECTRIC GUITAR
On April 1, 2008, I traded in my Jackson DXMG Dinky. It was black, shiny, and beautiful. I bought it new in January 2007 from
R&R Music Central, in
Brownsburg, Indiana. Note the classic Jackson reverse "Concorde Nose" tuning head designed by guitarist Randy Rhoads (who actually bought the first custom-designed and built by Grover Jackson in December 1980). Jackson Guitars have a unique history that you can read about at their web site, but are owned today by Fender--who maintains and builds them to the same quality standards as the first guitar built by Jackson himself, in Corona, California, while employed by Charvel Guitars. See more at
www.jacksonguitars.com. My only real dislike about this guitar was the Floyd Rose locking tremolo and mechanism. I was always bending the pitch by placing my palm of my hand on it. But it was a beautiful guitar and built really well...a great guitar for the price!
Traded with $$$ for the Michael Kelly Vibe above to Arthurs Music Store 4/1/2008.
ABOVE: Jackson DXMG Dinky
HAMER 'SLAMMER' SB4F SHORT-SCALE BASS GUITAR
On January 3, 2008, near St. Louis, I picked up this Hamer Slammer SB4F-CS Bass. I decided to give the Bass guitar a try so I was able to do so at a low price for the Hamer. It was a well-made guitar, and is not very costly when brand new. So I decided to try learning to play bass. However, in June 2008, I decided I was suffering from guitar overload, and that I really did not have time to devote my higher priorities, which were becoming proficient on Mandolin, Guitar, Dulcimer, and Violin--not to mention the restoration work I was learning to do (and enjoying immensely), so decided to sell the bass and the amp that went with it. Sold (along with the Rogue amp far below) to Bruce of Indianapolis, for his son's birthday.
ABOVE: HAMER 'SLAMMER' SB4F SHORT-SCALE BASS
FLAME MAPLE SUNBURST FINISH
FENDER SQUIRE SA100 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR
This was my first guitar after a 30-year hiatus (1973-2003). It almost changed my mind...no disrepsect to Fender, but the action out of the box was so high, and I didn't know about action then. I just assumed I'd gotten old, and that I didn't have the strength in my fingers to play any more. I simply had difficulty believing it was anything else, because this was a Fender, for crying out loud. I'm glad I went to a local music store, and played the Fender JG12-CE--which I found easy to play with nice low action. There's a lesson for ya folks. Buy from a dealer who knows how to do professional setup on guitars...you might actually stay with it if the guitar is not an obstacle to learning to play.
Consigned and sold at R&R Music Central in Brownsburg, IN to apply toward buying the Jackson guitar above 12/2006.
FENDER FLOYD ROSE STRATOCASTER GUITAR
Then there was the guitar that re-started my real interest in playing. Given to my by my sister Katie, it was unplayable when I got it from her. I invested about $75 and some sweat and made it a nice playable instrument with great low action. It was a Fender Stratocaster, Mexican made in 1996. It had the Floyd Rose tremolo and lock mechanism. I never really cared for that because I found myself resting my palm on it to play and subsequently distorting the pitch. However, it played really easily--great low action. And except for a few blemishes in the body, it was pretty much immaculate. I sold it to buy the Fender 12 string shown on the "
Hobby: Making Music" page.
Consigned and sold at R&R Music Central in Brownsburg, IN to apply toward buying the Jackson guitar above 12/2006.
FENDER FLOYD ROSE MEXICAN STRATOCASTER
MANDOLINS
KENTUCKY KM140S MANDOLINI owned, then sold a Kentucky brand mandolin for a short time. I bought it in September of 2007, and sold it in February 2008, in order to buy an acoustic-electric Dean Tennessee AE. I regretted that I ever sold it, but I was happy to send it to a good home. I sold it to a lady on eBay who planned to learn to play it. I was ok with selling it to her because she asked frequent questions before she bought it and always referred to it as "the little beauty"--which was a name it was worthy of. It was a beautiful instrument. I gave up buying the Dean--finding none in stock anywhere and being quoted as much as a year lead time to get one. I instead bought an Oscar Schmidt OM10E acoustic-electric (can be seen on Photos/Hobbies page). Sold to Heather in Missouri Feb 2008.
Note the "Kentucky" logo in Abalone. It really was a BEAUTY!
SAVANNAH SA-115E MANDOLIN
This was a mandolin that I got cheap to tie me over until my Oscar Schmidt OM10E arrived (which was on back order for 3 months). Although the Savannah (made by Johnson) had a pickup that was rather weak, and didn't projection well when plugged in, it was still a lot of mandolin for the money. I didn't really need it after the Oscar arrived, so I sold it for what I paid for it...it was worth it! Sold to Rick in New Mexico 7/12/2008.
DULCIMERS
CRIPPLE CREEK "THE PROFESSIONAL" DULCIMER
In July 2008 I purchased another dulcimer. This one is made in Manitou Springs, CO.
Cripple Creek dulcimers are all hand made, and every one of them features unique artistic soundholes that are all designed and hand carved by
Master Luthier Donna Ford. It was a beauty, but I was in instrument overload.
So I sold this one on eBay on 12/9/2008 to Cynthia.
AUTOHARPS
OSCAR SCHMIDT AUTOHARPS
OSCAR SCHMIDT TO BE CONTINUED
SILVERTONE BY OSCAR SCHMIDT Sold to Nita of Connecticut on 6/29/2008.
AMPLIFIERS
PEAVEY STUDIO CHORUS 70 ELECTRIC GUITAR AMPLIFIER - 35/45 WATTS RMS
The amp I used with my Delta King (OE-30) guitar was this Peavey Studio Chorus 70. It was loaded with effects; chorus, reverb, gain, and multiple adjustments for each of these. It has a lot of versatility for a 35-Watt RMS amp. I acquired it from Mel McCullough on July 31, 2009. If you own one, but don't have the manual, you can download it here:
SOLD TO KOLBY BATH APRIL 30, 2010.
CRATE CA125D ACOUSTIC GUITAR AMPLIFIER - 120 WATTS RMS
The amp I used with my Fender JG12CE 12-string acoustic/electric guitar, the Oscar Schmidt OM10S Mandolin, and with my Takamine EG460SC was this Crate CA125D. It was a 1996 model with reverb, and chorus effects. Yes, that strip across the front with the CRATE name on it is solid oak. Crate does a nice job with cosmetics. I traded it for a newer 30-Watt Crate Taos, to get a newer amp, and one that didn't rattle the walls. You can download an owner's manual for the CA125D from Crate, or you can download it here:
CRATE CA125D SOLID STATE 125-WATT ACOUSTIC GUITAR AMPLIFIER
TRADED FOR A 2008 CRATE TAOS APRIL 16, 2010.
CRATE GX-15R ELECTRIC GUITAR AMPLIFIER - 15 WATTS Below is shown my Crate GX-15R. This amp is simple yet powerful. It features a Gain setting with power and level settings, and a reverb setting. I bought it to use with the above Oscar Schmidt Delta King (OE-30). It really is LOUD for a small amp. Great
choice! The amp is about 14"h x 14"w x 8" deep with an 8" speaker. It has a single instrument input, and has outputs for a 4-ohm external speaker, and for headphones. You can download an owner's manual directly from Crate, or you can download it here:
ROGUE RB-120BT BASS AMPLIFIER
I had the bass guitar amplifier shown at right. It is a Rogue RB-120BT Bass Amplifier. It was a 120 Watt amp powering a single 15" speaker. I used this amp with the Hamer Bass Guitar. Did you know that Rogue is a brand owned by Musician's Friend? I just found that out recently. This was a very nice amp for the money. It would really rattle the walls!
PEAVEY SPECIAL 150 AMPLIFIERI've had a few amplifiers that I've parted with. The buyers of these got great deals and I unloaded amplifiers that I really didn't "need" any more. With musicians there is this thing about that word, by the way. Need does not always define what we have. Usually we want as much variety in equipment as possible, but in my case need was defined by the ability to acquire other equipment that I wanted more than what I had. So I've sold these in the interest of acquiring other instruments and amplifiers. Shown below are some that I owned. The first is a Peavey Special 150. I loved this amp. I always took care of it and it looked as good when I sold it as the day it was new. It was 1988 digital amp that was an early digital...very heavy like a typical tube amp, but rugged (heck it was PEAVEY). I sold it after first advertising it, cancelling the ad (I had second thoughts), and then advertising it again. I just had a hard time deciding to sell it. It had 150Watts of output. But it had no line out for an external speaker, so I finally did sell it on eBay to a gentleman in Alaska. By the way--check out his band!!! >>> The Mike Olson Band at
http://www.myspace.com/themikeolsonband. Mike told me he uses this for smaller gigs, but it has power enough for bigger gigs.
ABOVE: PEAVEY SPECIAL 150
FENDER FRONTMAN 25R AMPLIFIER and KUSTOM KGA10 AMPLIFIER
I also had a couple of other amps that I sold. I had a Fender Frontman 25R (2006 model), and a 2005 Kustom model KGA10 practice amp. I had the Fender simply because I always wanted a Fender Amp. I think that they have a standard established that is hard to beat...although Peavey is definitely their big rival in my repertoire. The 25R had great sound with reverb and gain that were hard to believe. At only 25 Watts it really put out some big sound. Same thing with the Kustom...it put out some pretty wild sound with great effects for a small practice amp. But as before I didn't really need these so I sold them in favor of buying other equipment.
FENDER FRONTMAN 25R 25W RMS KUSTOM KGA10 10W RMS
CRATE XT65R AMPLIFIERI had a Crate XT65R that was brand new when I sold it. I bought it new and really never used it much (I always used the Peavey above) so I sold it to buy the Crate GT120 shown on the other Photos page. It had some great features, but I don't think I ever really used them all. I only used it a few times. Sold to a college student in Lansing, Michigan.
CRATE XT65R 65W RMS AMPLIFIER
CRATE GT212 AMPLIFIERLastly, regarding amps, I had a Crate GT212 that was immaculate when I sold it. It had some great features, but I don't think I ever really used them all. I only used it a few times. Just lost interest. Sold in November 2008 to Ryan Krepp.
ABOVE: CRATE GT212 TWIN-TWELVE 120W AMPLIFIER
EARTH SOUND RESEARCH TRAVLER
For a short time I had this rare 50-Watt Amplifier. The brand was Earth Sound Research. They were made in New York from about the late 60s to the mid 70s. This one was called the "Travler" (no it's not misspelled). Notice the resemblance to a 70s or 80s Peavey. Without saying much more, that's why they had such a short life. But they were KILLER amps. I sold this to a gentleman who lives in North Carolina a short time after I acquired it. I really had no use for it but just bought it because it was rare and I got it for a great price. The gent in North Carolina was the former Chief Test Engineer for the company that made them, so he kind of had a special interest. Also I found it interesting that his initials were actually etched onto the amp--indicating he had personally tested it some 30 years earlier. Interesting eh? Neat how those things happen. He is currently using it along with another one that he already had in a stereo setup for a Gibson stereo output guitar. We've maintained communication and become "friends on line".
EARTH SOUND RESEARCH TRAVLER 50W RMS AMPLIFIER
OWNED BEFORE 1971
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HARMONY MODEL H1233 12-STRING ACOUSTIC
This picture is not my own but is from the
Harmony Guitars Database. But I did own this exact model in 1970. I probably had it all of a year and then it was no more. I really don't remember what became of it. I didn't really think about it much until recent years, and now I can honestly say I don't even remember what I did with it. I probably sold it but I honestly cannot remember. I learned to play "Norwegian Wood" (Beatles) on this guitar the day I bought it in Broad Ripple, Indiana. I don't remember the name of the store but it was right on main street in downtown Broad Ripple.
HARMONY MODEL H1230 12-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR
HARMONY MODEL H14 BOBKAT 6-STRING ELECTRIC GUITAR
My very first guitar was this one that my parents (Santa) presented to me on Christmas day in 1965. It was a Harmony model H14 Bobkat. It had a single D'Armond foil pickup, with volume and tone control, and a tone switch. The switch had the effect of changing the tone from high to low, then you could adjust within that tone range--giving it a broader range of achievable tones. It was simple but an effective guitar and is the one I played when I started The Sound Invasion band. I played this guitar until I was 17 or 18, then put it away, and honestly do not remember what ever became of it. I do wish I still had it today. Again, this picture is not my own, but is the exact model, color, and case that I had, and is borrowed from the Harmony Guitars Database mentioned above.
HARMONY H14 BOBKAT 6-STRING ELECTRIC GUITAR--MY FIRST GUITAR
HARMONY HOLLYWOOD MODEL H41 6-STRING ARCHTOP ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC
I had a hand-me-down for years, but I never took care of it, but it was probably in great shape--I just didn't know anything about it, so I thought it was a piece of junk. I inherited it from my dad who passed away in 1986. I don't know why I continued to hang on to it for so long, but I wish now that I had never discarded it. I donated it to Goodwill about October of 2004 while "cleaning house" of a bunch of stuff I never used, and finally coming to terms with my dad's death, and realizing I couldn't keep everything that reminded me of him I forever. I now realize it was probably a real solid model with great possibilities. I knew nothing about "action" then, and the action was high so I simply thought it was a cheap worn-out instrument. I regret having unloaded it. It had F-holes and D'Armond foil pickups. I don't know much else about it (where my dad got it, etc). I'm sure someone bought it from Goodwill...I've seen these on vintage web sites listing at $500-600. The picture shown here is not the actual guitar but was borrowed from Harmony's unofficial Demont web site to show what it looked like.
