You may have a different idea as to what a toolkit should be and that’s to be expected as each of us have different guitars and rigs. This is meant only as a basic guideline to being prepared for whatever repair and maintenance you may have to do.I should also point out that no one should ever attempt doing any sort of repair without a good understanding of the work entailed. If you do not know how to do a repair then take it to a technician and save yourself the headache.

- Contact Cleaner
- Fast Fret
- Tape -Masking, Duct& Electrical
- Cable Ties
- Screws – Wide assortment of size
- Batteries – Whatever you have with batteries powering it try and make sure that you have the same replacement
- Files & Rasps
- 25 watt soldering Iron (Not Soldering Gun)
- Resin Core Solder
- Small Phillips head screwdriver
- Small Flat head Screwdriver
- Small Needle Nose Pliers
- Standard Size Pliers
- Wire Cutters
- Sharp Bladed Knife -Olfa or Xacto & replacement blades
- Jewellers screwdriver set
- Allen Keys
- Multimeter
- Strings & Stringwinder
- Guitar Tuner – Even when you are at home it is still good to have one close at hand.

Ok, that is a basic tool kit for a guitar players duffel bag. Below are some other items which also deserve a thought.

- Multi outlet powerbar – Preferably one with surge protection
- Small flashlight – Mag, Dover,or other
- Various Fuses
- Book of Matches, Bic lighter – Hey, you never know.

There you have it. The basic as basic can be Guitar Players Toolkit.

The previous December, I had decided to set up a small 2 track tape recorder in my apartment and just roll tape. There wasn’t a conscious effort to play anything in particular but rather jam an what would be, would be. At first I had played along with a few prerecorded drum riffs from DR. rhythm machine and sort of loosely based the odd riff around the drum groove. That was an interesting thing to do as I often created different riffs out of the existing ones that I had been working on.Then I played back a few of the compact discs that I had made with the help of some computer software. Harmonized guitars, Quadruple tracked guitars,Backward guitar solos!!! Man, you name it and I was working on it at one time or another!! What was astounding is that all of the semi done tunes that I had been writing and editing post 2 track sessions, were started from a small little tiny riff!!! No chord progressions or even playing of chords, just a variety of different guitar riffs played either clean, crunch or chunk, effected or dry,loud or soft! There were literally 200 or so hours of musical ideas on these discs and tapes and I can tell you that even after 4 months of playing the stuff back I”am only now about 85% through the material.Some of the stuff was played at break neck speeds and other stuff was played to whatever mood that I was feeling at the time. No, it’s not ready to play for people in a recorded format but it is a wealth of ideas that has seen me never have a dry creative spell for a while now. That’s why I say that riffs are really the answer to getting ones playing out of a rut, should you find yourself sounding a little stale. It’s a great way to make sure that you are always improving and it also gives you a great rhythm track to play over and further develop song ideas!!It’s also very easy to do. Unlike when you are recording a demo, for example, you need only to have whatever recording unit you choose, whatever guitar and amp(if that”s what you want to do) a pencil and piece of paper (I find it helpful to log the date and time you started the session) and away you go!!Press play-Record and get on the road to riff s that you can use for whatever you want.!!The only other thing that I have found somewhat a necessity is to make sure that you title the tape/cd of your work. It is important because it will cause you to recall exactly what you were feeling and thinking at the time of recording. Maybe, maybe you don’t need to do that as you know what was running through your mind during the recording process, well, all the power to you. I just think that for songwriting purposes it is always good to be able to tap into whatever emotional state you were in while you were recording. I usually would not stop the tape/ disc until I had finished at least one side of the tape and half of the disc time (Remember to always use re CD-R discs) and in that way I knew that I had at least 30 – 45 minutes of guitar work to play back.It ‘s important to allow yourself a little “distance” from the material when it’s done.You want to have fresh ears while you listen back to the stuff and a couple of days or a week is usually fine (Depending on how long you have been recording for) but if you have only recorded a few minutes of material than listen whenever you want, I’m only trying to say that if you want to develop some of your riffs into songs it is best to be fresh and focused when you are to play them back. Ok, after I tired of the drum machine grooves I took the advice on one Mr. Steve Vai, having been a fan of his work for nearly 25 years i often read interviews where he says to get out of ones comfort zone. The particular interview I was reading spoke of how “vocalizing each note you played”, while playing it was an excercize he often did and does to this very day. The idea being that while you are playing you r notes or runs or whatever, singing the particular pitch of each note will dramatically improve your ear for hearing different pitches as well as maybe helping your vocals! (Important note: Don’t forget to breathe,.As funny as it may sound it can happen) Was I ever surprised at some of the cool stuff that I came up with!! Things that I would never have been playing had I not tried this different method!! I also heard a lot of cool vocal melodies as I played the stuff back!! No mater which way you want to look at it , if you are in a guitar rut and feeling as though you are playing the same old, same old, in my opinion Riffs, Riffs & More Guitar Riffs is the answer to how you can breathe some new life into your playing.

The Avedis Zildjian Company is nearly 400 years old and is the oldest family run business in America.  Its current manufacturing plant is in Norwell, Massachusetts.  The name Zildjian derived from the Turish word which translates zil – cymbal, which means maker=seller.

The first Zildjian cymbal made was in 1623 when Avedis Zildjian was looking for a way to turn base metal into gold.  He combined tin, copper and silver into a sheet of metal that could make music without shattering.

The Zildjian Company’s mission statement is as follows:

To expand the company’s global leadership as “the only serious choice” in cymbals, drum sticks and selected specialty percussion instruments by providing superior quality, product innovation, and outstanding customer service.

The current product lines include the following:

Sheet Bronze Cymbal line

Planet Z: the least expensive and made from copper & zinc; made for beginners and for practicing

ZBT: the lowest end of Zildjian sheet bronze; 92% copper & 8% tin

ZXT: mid level sheet bronze; 92% copper & 8% tin

ZHT: high end sheet bronze; 88% copper & 12% tin

Cast Bronze Cymbal line

FX: special effects cymbals; oriental, Azuka, spiral trash, chinas, Zil-bels, finger

Z3: For loud music, very heavy; 80% copper & 20% tin with traces of silver

Avedis Zildjian: original line of cast bronze; 80% copper & 20% tin with traces of silver

Armand Zildjian: similar to the Avedis Zildjian but with a slightly less profile to approximate the classic cymbal sounds of the 1960s

A Custom:  thin weight making them responsive and bright; 80% copper, 20% tin with traces of silver

K Zildjian: original hand hammered line, dry & dark; 80% copper & 20% tin with traces of silver

K Custom: based on the original K Zildjians but made with a very complex hammering technique; dry and complex – popular with jazz drummers; 80% copper & 20% tin with traces of silver

Each Zildjian cymbal has its own unique sound which is determined by its alloy content, size, shape, hammering and lathing pattern.  The cymbals should not be forced to produce volume beyond its range as this can cause uneven wear or breakage.  Please choose the right cymbal for the right sound you want to achieve.

When cymbals are in transit or not in use they should be stored in a specially padded bag, separated with soft cloths and stored sway from heat/cold.

Some popular musicians who use/used the Zildjian Cymbals include:

Dennis Chambers – Santana                               Eric Singer – KISS

Tommy Lee – Motley Crue                                  Will Champion – Coldplay

Tre Cool – Green Day                                            Rob Bourdon – Linkin Park

Nick Menza – Megadeth                                      Adrian Young – No Doubt

Roger Taylor – Queen                                           Matt Sorum – Velvet Revolver

Lars Ulrich – Metallica                                          Travis  Barker – Blink 182

Phil Collins – Genesis                                             Mick Fleetwood – Fleetwood Mac

Sib Hashian – Boston                                            Danny Seraphine – Chicago

Mel Gaynor –Simple Minds                                 Kenny Jones – The Who

Joey Kramer – Aerosmith                                                Neil Peart – Rush

The Beatles

Besides Zildjian Cymbals, the Avedis Zildjian Co also makes gongs, drum sticks, mallets, bags & cases, gloves, wax, polish as well as various cymbal hardware.

In 1988 the Zildjian family created the American Drummers Achievement Award (ADAA) to acknowledge individuals that have made extraordinary contributions in the music business through drumming.

In 2005, the Zildjian family also set up an annual Kerope Zildjian Concert Percussion Scholarship which recognizes an outstanding student percussionist, who is enrolled in an undergraduate music program.

Buy used Zildjian cymbals for sale.

Much of Tama’s research and development as well as the production of its professional drums is done in Seto, Japan.  All hardware and more affordable line of products are made in Guangzhou, China.

While Hoshino has several offices around the world for marketing and distribution, its US office in Bensalem, Pennsylvania also contributes to Tama’s market research and development.

In 1965, Hoshino began marketing their drums under the name “Star Drums”.  In Japanese tradition the Hoshino name translates to “star field” so they adapted the name.  Hoshino’s wife’s name is Tama which means “jewel” so they adapted the Tama name on all their higher end high quality products.

Tama has a wide range of drums from high end professional models to lower cost models for beginners.  They are made of several different materials and come in a wide range of sizes and finishes.

The Tama Starclassic is the professional line of products and can be made of 100% bubinga, 100% maple, birch/bubinga hybrid, or brass. All the starclassic drums feature the die cast hoops.

The Superstar and Imperialstar lines are cheaper and come in 100% birch and 100% poplar shells.  Limited edition models would feature special wood and finishes.

Tama also has introduced the cordia wood Artstar line with a thinner drum shell aimed at the American market looking for high quality drums with an exotic finish and a great price!

Tama Drum kit lines include the following:

Starclassic bubinga Omni-tune                            Starclassic bubinga Elite

Starclassic bubinga                                                             Starclassic maple

Starclassic performer B/B                                       Superstar Hyper-drive

Superstar                                                                   Imperialstar

Some popular bands that use the Tama drum include the following:

Stewart Copeland – The Police                            Chuck Burgi – Billy Joel

Simon Phillips – Toto                                              Dave MacKintosh – Dragonforce

David Silveria – was in Korn                                 Mike Malinin – Goo Goo Dolls

Lars Ulrich – Metallica                                            Bennie Rodgers II – Mariah Carey

Dave Lombardo – Slayer                                        Bruce Rutherford – Alan Jackson

Shauney Baby – The Pussycat dolls                   Jeremy Stacey – Sheryl Crow

Frank Beard – ZZ Top                                             John Tempesta – The Cult

Justin Bennett – Skinny Puppy                            Roger Taylor – Duran Duran

Jimmy Keegan – Santana/Kenny Loggins         Bill Ward – Black Sabbath

John Roberts – Janet Jackson/ Jill Scott             Pete Prada – The Offspring

Tama drums are handmade and in most limited edition models. The inside of the drum is signed by the person who made it.  Most limited edition sets have matching snare drum while most other sets come as a shell kit without a snare drum.

Tama was also one of the first companies to offer a free floating drum mounting systems which allows space between the drums for a more improved sound.

The Tama drum is professionally made using the Tukumi technique and only the most advanced craftsman and skilled individuals can touch and “feel” the wood that is used in making the highly regarded Tama drum.

The shell molding process involves tapping the wood into the shell with a block of wood and hammer, which helps the craftsman to “hear” the wood.  This assists the craftsman to shape the wood appropriately into the best possible position to make the best possible sound.

The cutting edge process combines new technology of digital cameras and cutting tools as well as the old world technique of sanding by hand to produce the best looking and best sounding drums on the market!

The lacquer finishing process involves about 20 different processes including spraying, drying and buffing.  All woods are different and require skilful application, All finishes are selected by highly experienced craftsman and they strive to make each kit match as close to perfection.

As you can see, the drum making process is nothing simple and can be manufactured in factories with machines and mass produced, but only the quality of a high end professional product can be enjoyed by the craftsman feeling and hearing the wood by putting his heart and soul into the fabrication process. The Tama drum is second to none!

Search for used Tama Drums for sale.

Listening back to some of my early influences :Joe Perry, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix and Davey Johnstone, I was blown away at how much attention these guys paid to Rhythm Guitar!! Solid chord structures and the various fragments of chords they employed were and are second to none. It is no wonder that their careers took off and maintained a height that few will ever reach.

Whenever I hear the term “Shredder” the first thing that comes to mind is self serving ego type songs. There are obviously the exceptions in players like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani & Reb Beach, these are shredders who serve the song while weaving skillful passages of musical brilliance. They are the exceptions.Each one of those players is an outstanding example of how rhythm guitar provides the foundation for shred.

Bring your own instrument: Other than drummers (Most drummers bring their own snares and kick pedals) – their is no excuse for showing up without your guitar or bass. It’s unprofessional to say the least. Most hosts of the jams I have been to will not allow other people to play their personal guitars.So if you want to jump up on stage and jam, bring your own guitar or bass.

Have your instrument in tune prior to your slot: It’s a small thing that turns out to be very big when the house band is ready and tuned up and your name gets called but you didn’t tune your guitar up. Also unprofessional and disrespectful to both band and patrons.

Keep Your stage volume comfortable: Most jams are pretty well run and usually have a semi decent P.A. System with someone manning it. Don’t be a lame ass and go turning up the amplifier you are using so as it is crazy loud. Aside form causing the performance side of things to be unbalanced and awkward, the amp you are using probably is not yours to crank up.

Don’t be a hog: When it is your turn to have a few seconds in the spotlight, well then, go for it!! Show the stuff that you have in your arsenal! Wail away and enjoy yourself, it is what you are there for, right? What you are not there for is to overplay, steal the show, or anything else so self serving. Your name is not the name that people came to see. Remember that. The house band is what people came to see and maybe a few players who have been their jamming with them previously.

The last guideline I would like to talk about is a simple one. It is more important than almost all of the others. BE RESPECTFUL!! Say thank you to the house band after you have jammed with them. Don’t show up after your turn and be half drunk or buzzed or whatever. The band is there to work and their work is playing music and jamming with the people who are there. It’s often a job for these guys and they do not want to be dealing with drunk, stoned or otherwise intoxicated people.

As I said at the start of this post, follow these simple guidelines and you should have a great time jamming but more than that, you will be asked to come back again to jam and welcomed by the house band. Remember, playing music is about playing with other musicians and not about only you. Jam etiquette will go along way to making your experience a good one

“Do It Yourself With A Common Sense Approach”. We have all heard the saying that you gotta start somewhere, I couldn’t agree more, It’s just not a good idea for the somewhere to be a 1969 Les Paul Standard and the job to be a Fret dress. That has just got disaster written all over it. Like many , many areas of guitar and instrument repair, fret dressing is a skill learned after watching, reading, and maybe a few dozen mock fret dressings on a bargain bin special.

To state the obvious,if you had a problem with your cars engine I doubt very much that most people would open the hood, grab a tool and “get on with it”. Not if you know nothing or next to it, about the engine. Well, let that be your gauge and guide before you decide to mess up or all together ruin,a guitar, any guitar.

There is a reason why mechanics charge you a lot of money to fix a car. That’s because they have worked and worked to accumulate their knowledge and have invested thousands of dollars into learning about their craft and honing it. They have spent the seriously big dollars for their tools and they are well versed in the specialized areas that we common folk are not.

Likewise about guitar techs, luthiers and craftsmen. We are the mechanics for your gear and guitars. We have spent hours and hours learning and honing our craft, reading & researching, we have bought the tools that we need to do the job.While we love to fix, mod and hotrod, whatever piece you want us to, we also cringe at the amount of “Tim Allen” type mentality when it comes to repairing guitars.

Like anything you want to know about, guitar repair takes a lot of hours to learn. Very rarely have I seen a job that is exactly the same as one that I have done before. It’s never the same twice and I think that I speak for most techs when I say that.Each guitar is different and every owner is also different. Point being that each guitar is treated different and thus wears out, breaks down, and craps out, differently.

If you are seriously thinking about trying to become a guitar tech, I would advise that you find a tech that is willing to take you under his/her wing, yes, there are several very highly skilled female guitar techs in the industry, and learn as much as you are able to from them. You may find it tough to get into the loop and that’s just something that comes with almost any field of specialized service. You just have to keep trying (don’t ever be rude and don’t ever be a know it all. These are two of the very fast track ways to ensure you get doors slammed in your face even before they are open) – and show that you really want to learn and are willing to do whats needed in order to learn.

There are different kinds of techs for different kinds of situations. Rock bands carry different techs and often have them pull double duty. Meaning that you may be a guitar tech but if you are out with a certain band you will have to handle bass tech duties, as well. Drum techs, light techs, sound techs, electrical techs and so on. Know what field you want to specialize in and go for it.

As mentioned earlier, reading, researching, studying, anything that will garner you more knowledge about you related field, that’s what you want to store in your head. Now, another aspect of repairs. Most of us techs are also players. We like to plug in and rip just as much as you do. Each of has a different story to tell about how and why we are now the technician,but we all have loads of stories to tell about lack of common sense repair.Rather than see a great piece destroyed by lack of knowledge, I think I speak for most techs when I say that when in doubt, don’t.

Call us at the store, bring it in, read an article in a trade mag, ask a friend who knows or friend of a friend who knows, however you want to go about it. Just don’t try to start at the top of the mountain when you want to start somewhere.

Fender Amps have been used in almost every genre of music:  rock ‘n’ roll, country and western, jazz, rhythm and blues and many others.  Leo Fender remained a major creative force over the years and introduced many amplifier designs one of them being the Twin Reverb® amplifier.  Leo, due to ill health, later sold his company to CBS in 1965 but they did not have the commitment or understanding of music needed by musicians even though they recruited new management to help them.

Then, in 1985, a group of dedicated employees and investors bought the business that produced Fender Amplifiers and it became the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC). They had to start from scratch but eventually, in 1987, they opened the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, California.  Their corporate headquarters are now located in Scottsdale, Arizona with satellite facilities in England, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden and Mendello became the CEO.

Fender Amplifiers, at the beginning, were very distinct for their covering and also their construction.  The chassis are mounted to the back with the tubes pointed down and they were constructed in “wide panel” which means that the top and bottom panel are wider than the sides.  Later on, they used a “narrow panel” where all the panels are the same width and, near the end, they used tolex to cover their amplifiers.

Except for reissues and Custom series, Fender Amplifiers Hot Rod series is the only modern line that still uses this same construction.  There are many different styles of Fender Amplifiers and following is a list of the most popular ones:

Bassman

Twin Reverb

Champ

Bandmaster

Deluxe Reverb

Pro Reverb

Super Reverb

Tremolux

Showman

Vibroverb

Fender Amplifiers today have been and are being used by the following guitarists and bands and this is only a partial list.

Steve Tones The Pistols

Matt Heafy Trivium

Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)

Allison Robertson The Donnas

Robin Trower

Jeff Beck

Gary Moore

Bob Balch Fu Manchu

Larry LaLonde

Duane Allman

James Burton

Elvis Presley

John Denver

Mike Campbell

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Eric Clapton (Derek and the Dominos, Cream, Blind Faith)

Kurt Cobain Nirvana

Robert Cray

Trey Anastasio Phish

Dick Dale

John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)

Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)

Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures)

Brian Setzer (The Stray Cats, )

GE Smith

Hall & Oates

Bob Dylan

Saturday Night Live

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Dweezil Zappa (Zappa plays Zappa)

Ricky Nelson

Following is a list of the products available today in Fender Amplifiers.  Take your time going through it so that you will know all the choices you have.

Vibro-King® Custom
Series: Custom
Model: 8110000010

Model: 8130400010

’57 Twin-Amp™
Series: Custom
Model: 8140500000

‘57 Deluxe™
Series: Custom
Model: 8150500000

’57 Champ®
Series: Custom
Model: 8160500000

’59 Bassman® LTD
Series: Vintage Reissue
Model: 2171000010

’65 Super Reverb®
Series: Vintage Reissue
Model: 0217600000

’65 Twin Reverb®
Series: Vintage Reissue
Model: 0217300000

’65 Twin Custom™ 15
Series: Vintage Reissue
Model: 2173000010

’65 Deluxe Reverb®
Series: Vintage Reissue
Model: 0217400000

’65 Princeton® Reverb
Series: Vintage Reissue
Model: 2172000000

’63 Fender® Tube Reverb
Series: Vintage Reissue
Model: 0217500000

Super-Sonic™ 112 Combo
Series: Pro Tube
Model: 2160500000

Super-Sonic™ Head
Series: Pro Tube
Model: 2160100400

Super-Sonic™ 412 Enclosure
Series: Pro Tube
Model: 2161400000

Super-Sonic™ 212 Enclosure
Series: Pro Tube
Model: 2161200400

Twin-Amp™
Series: Pro Tube
Model: 0215700000

Custom Vibrolux® Reverb
Series: Pro Tube
Model: 0215100000

Deluxe™ VM

Series: Vintage Modified Amps

Model: 2220000000

Band-Master® VM Head
Series: Vintage Modified Amps
Model: 2220200000

Band-Master® VM 212 Speaker Enclosure
Series: Vintage Modified Amps
Model: 2221200000

Super-Champ® XD
Series: Vintage Modified Amps
Model: 2331100000

Vibro-Champ® XD
Series: Vintage Modified Amps
Model: 2331000000

Champion™ 600
Series: Vintage Modified Amps
Model: 2330100000

Hot Rod DeVille™ 410
Series: Hot Rod
Model: 0213201000

Hot Rod DeVille™ 212
Series: Hot Rod
Model: 0213200000

Hot Rod Deluxe™
Series: Hot Rod
Model: 0213202000

Hot Rod Deluxe™ 112 Enclosure
Series: Hot Rod
Model: 2231010000

Blues Junior™
Series: Hot Rod
Model: 0213205000

Pro Junior™
Series: Hot Rod
Model: 0213203000

Blues DeVille™ Reissue
Series: Hot Rod
Model: 2232100000

Blues Deluxe™ Reissue
Series: Hot Rod
Model: 2232200000

Cyber-Twin® SE
Series: Cyber
Model: 2290000010

G-DEC® Junior
Series: GDEC®
Model: 2351000000

G-DEC® 3 Fifteen
Series: GDEC®
Model: 2354000000

G-DEC® 3 Thirty
Series: GDEC®
Model: 2354500000

FM 412SL Enclosure
Series: FM
Model: 2317800000

Frontman™ 212R
Series: Frontman™
Model: 2316500010

Frontman™ 65R
Series: Frontman™
Model: 2316000010

Frontman™ 25R
Series: Frontman™
Model: 0231502000

Frontman™ 15R
Series: Frontman™
Model: 0231501001

Frontman™ 15G
Series: Frontman™
Model: 0231500001

Frontman™ 10G
Series: Frontman™
Model: 2311000000

Acoustasonic™ SFX II
Series: Acoustasonic™
Model: 2213100010

Acoustasonic™ Junior DSP
Series: Acoustasonic™
Model: 2213200010

Acoustasonic™ 30 DSP
Series: Acoustasonic™
Model: 2213300010

Jazzmaster™ Ultralight 112 Enclosure
Series: Ultralight™
Model: 2277700000

Acoustasonic™ Ultralight
Series: Ultralight™
Model: 2271000000

Jazzmaster™ Ultralight
Series: Ultralight™
Model: 2277000000

Rumble™ 350 Combo
Series: Rumble™
Model: 2315700020

Rumble™ 150 Combo
Series: Rumble™
Model: 2315600020

Rumble™ 75 Combo
Series: Rumble™
Model: 2315500020

Rumble™ 30 Combo
Series: Rumble™
Model: 2315400020

Rumble™ 15 Combo
Series: Rumble™
Model: 2315300020

Bassman® TV™ Fifteen Combo
Series: Bassman® TV™
Model: 2248300000

Bassman® TV™ Duo Ten Combo
Series: Bassman® TV™
Model: 2248400000

Bassman® TV™ Twelve Combo
Series: Bassman® TV™
Model: 2248200000

Bassman® TV™ Ten Combo
Series: Bassman® TV™
Model: 2248100000

Bassman® 300 PRO
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 0213302010

TB-1200 Head
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 2245700000

TB-600 Head
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 2245800000

TB-600C Combo
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 2246000000

115 PRO Cabinet
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 2217800010

TBP-1 Tube Bass Pre-Amp
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 2247000010

MB 1200 Power Amp
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps

Model: 2247500000

610 PRO Cabinet
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 2216200000

810 PRO Cabinet
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 2217200010

215 PRO Cabinet
Series: Pro Series Bass Amps
Model: 2215200000

Wow!  That’s a lot of material to look through but well worth your time and effort to find exactly what you want.  Search for used Fender Amplifiers for sale NOW!

Now today, Gibson represents not only the future of electric guitars but the history of them also and some of them have become classic designs such as ES-175, ES-335, Flying V, Explorer, Firebird, SG and Les Paul.  This company had a 40 year tradition of quality and innovation before beginning its work on their first electric guitar and it had to be the very best.

Gibson Guitars introduced the Les Paul Model in 1952 and it grew into a family of four models – Junior, Special, Standard and Custom – and they have all become Gibson classics.  Their top models had a tune-o-matic bridge which is still standard on the Gibson electric guitar and then, in 1958, McCarty came out with two radical new ideas:  a semi-hollowbody electric and a group of solidbodies.  The Es-335 was instantly successful as it combined the archtop styling with solidbody construction.

In 1935, Gibson came out with the distinctive hexagonal pickup on a lap steel model which was installed on an F-hole archtop guitar and was dubbed the ES-150 (Electric Spanish).  The ES-150 is still known as the Charlie Christian model because he thought it was the best and that it had its own unique voice.  Then, in the 1960’s, Gibson came out with two more solid body lines – the double-cutaway SG model of ‘61and the reverse-body Firebird of ’63.

Following is a list of guitarists and bands who use the Les Paul model so have fun looking through it.

Johnny A

Jan Akkerman

Duane Allman (The Allman Brothers Band)

Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)

Chet Atkins

Martin Barre (Jethro Tull)

Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds/solo)

Chuck Berry

Dickey Betts (The Allman Brothers Band)

Marc Bolan (T.Rex)

Mick Box (Uriah Heep)

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown

Jack Bruce (Cream/solo)

Buckethead (real name: Brian Carroll)

Sam Bush

Larry Carlton

Charlie Christian

John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service)

Eric Clapton

Dennis Coffey (veteran Motown session guitarist)

Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rossington-Collins Band, Allen Collins Band)

Stompin’ Tom Connors

Sheryl Crow

Dave Davies (The Kinks)

Reverend Gary Davis

Buck Dharma (Blue Öyster Cult)

Al Di Meola

Bob Dylan

Duane Eddy

Elliot Easton (The Cars)

The Edge

(U2)

John Entwistle (The Who)

The Everly Brothers

Tal Farlow

Don Felder (Eagles)

John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival and a solo artist)

Peter Frampton (Humble Pie and a solo artist)

Ace Frehley (Kiss)

Hank Garland

Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)

David Gilmour

Freddie Green (Grant Green Peter Green )

Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures, Nirvana)

Arlo Guthrie

Woody Guthrie

Steve Hackett (Genesis, GTR)

Kirk Hammett (Metallica)

Emmylou Harris

George Harrison (The Beatles)

Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule)

Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues)

Jimi Hendrix (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)

James Hetfield (Metallica)

Brent Hinds (Mastodon)

Steve Howe (Yes, Asia, GTR)

Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)

Matthias Jabs (Scorpions)

Joan Jett

Eric Johnson

Robert Johnson

Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones)

Mick Jones (Foreigner)

Mick Jones (The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, Carbon/Silicon)

Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Jorma Kaukonen

Barney Kessel

Albert King

B. B. King

Freddie King

Paul Kossoff (Free)

Lenny Kravitz

Robby Krieger (The Doors)

Andrew Latimer (Camel)

Albert Lee

Alvin Lee (Ten Years After)

John Lennon (The Beatles)

Alex Lifeson (Rush)

Lonnie Mack

Frank Marino

Bob Marley (Bob Marley and The Wailers)

Jeff Martin (The Tea Party/solo)

Pat Martino

Daron Malakian (System of a Down)

Tak Matsumoto (B’z/solo)

Paul McCartney (The Beatles)

John McLaughlin

Ralph McTell

Pat Metheny

Bill Monroe

Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy, Skid Row,  solo)

Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley’s original lead guitarist)

Wes Montgomery

Jimmy Nolen (The J.B.’s)

Ted Nugent

Mike Oldfield

Roy Orbison

Jimmy Page (The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, solo)

Joe Pass

Les Paul

Joe Perry (Aerosmith)

Carl Perkins

Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash)

John Prine

Mick Ralphs (Bad Company, Mott the Hoople)

Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne)

Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones)

Lee Ritenour

Howard Roberts

Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy, Motörhead)

Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes)

Mick Ronson (David Bowie)

Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Carlos Santana

Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO, Michael Schenker Group)

Rudolph Schenker (Scorpions)

Tom Scholz (Boston)

Neal Schon (Journey)

Gene Simmons (Kiss)

Earl Scruggs (one of the original Bill Monroe Blue Grass Boys)

Nikki Sixx (Mötley Crüe/Sixx A.M.)

Slash (Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit, Velvet Revolver, Slash’s Blues Ball)

Johnny Smith

Bill Spooner (The Tubes)

Paul Stanley (Kiss)

Hubert Sumlin

John Sykes (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder)

Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones, solo)

Rosetta Tharpe

George Thorogood Johnny Thunders

Pete Townshend (The Who, solo)

Eddie Van Halen

Joe Walsh (James Gang, Eagles)

Muddy Waters

Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys)

Johnny Winter

Ronnie Wood (Faces/The Rolling Stones)

Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society)

Angus Young (AC/DC)

Neil Young

Frank Zappa

There are a number of features that distinguish Gibson Guitars aside from the shaping and body design.  The strings of Les Paul guitars are mounted on top of the guitar body and the bodies have a variety of colors such as Wine Red, Ebony, Classic White, Fire Burst and Alpine White.  They also have a variety of finishes and decorative levels, numerous hardware options and a very new array of electric pick-up options.

Now, following is a list of models and it is quite long but so worth reading through.  Have fun as you do.

Gibson Custom

Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul

Epiphone

Les Paul Standard

Gibson USA

Les Paul Studio

Gibson USA

2008 Les Paul Standard

Gibson USA

Slash Appetite Les Paul

Gibson USA

Les Paul Studio Faded

Gibson Custom

50^th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Standard

Gibson Custom

50^th Anniversary 1060 Les Paul Standard

Gibson USA

Sammy Hagar Red Rocker Les Paul

Gibson USA

Les Paul Tribute 1952

Gibson Custom

50^th anniversary 1960 Les Paul Custom ‘Black Beauty’

Gibson USA

Les Paul studio 60’s

Gibson Custom

1958 Les Paul Plain Top VOS

Gibson Custom

Les Paul Custom

Gibson USA

Les Paul Traditional Pro

Gibson USA

Les Paul Studio Silverburst

Gibson USA

Les Paul Studio Mahogany

Gibson Custom

Billy Gibbons ‘Pearly Gates’ Les Paul Standard

Gibson Custom

Les Paul Axcess Standard

Gibson USA

Les Paul Doublecut Classic Japan Exclusive

Gibson USA

Les Paul Jr Doublecut Japan Exclusive

Gibson USA

Zakk Wylde Les Paul BFG

Epiphone

Les Paul Custom

Epiphone

Les Paul Standard Ultra

Gibson USA

Les Paul Florentine with Bigsby

Gibson USA

Buckethead Signature Les Paul

Gibson USA

Les Paul Jr Special Japan Exclusive

Gibson USA

Les Paul Studio Mahogany Japan Exclusive

Gibson USA

Les Paul Piezo

Gibson USA

Les Paul Traditional

Gibson Custom

Michael Bloomfield 1959 Les Paul Standard

Gibson Custom

Jeff Beck 1954 Les Paul Oxblood

Epiphone

Les Paul Standard Plain-Top

Epiphone

Les Paul Standard Plus-Top

Epiphone

Ltd Ed Les Paul Custom Silverburst

Epiphone

Ltd Ed Les Paul Custom Chrome

Gibson USA

Les Paul Studio Raw Power

Gibson USA

Robot Les Paul Jr. Special

Gibson Custom

1957 Les Paul Goldtop VOS

Gibson USA

Les Paul Jr.

Gibson Custom

Peter Frampton Les Paul

Gibson USA

Les Paul Studio Swamp Ash

Epiphone

Prophecy Les Paul Custom GX

Gibson Custom

1959 Les Paul Standard VOS

Epiphone

Ltd Ed Twisted Sister Les Paul Standard

Gibson USA

Les Paul Supreme

Epiphone

Les Paul Standard Ultra-II

Gibson Custom

Joe Perry Boneyard Les Paul

Gibson USA

Gary Moore BFG

Epiphone

Les Paul Black Beauty

Gibson Custom

1956 Les Paul Goldtop Vos

Epiphone

Les Paul Studio

Gibson Custom

Zakk Wylde Les Paul Bullseye

Gibson Custom

1954 Les Paul Custom VOS

Gibson USA

Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Jr.

Epiphone

Prophecy Les Paul Custom EX

Gibson Custom

1954 Les Paul Goldtop Gloss

Gibson Custom

1957 Les Paul Goldtop Darkback VOS

Epiphone

Les Paul “Slash” Signature Goldtop

Gibson Custom

Joe Bonamassa Les Paul

Epiphone

Les Paul Custom Zakk Wylde “Bullseye”

Gibson Custom

1957 LP Custom 2 Pickup VOS

Gibson Custom

1957 Les Paul Custom 3 Pickup VOS

Epiphone

Les Paul Custom Zakk Wylde “Camo”

Epiphone

Les Paul 100

Epiphone

Les Paul Special II

Epiphone

Les Paul PeeWee RaveRig

Gibson Custom

1959 Les Paul Reissue Gloss

Gibson Custom

1957 Les Paul Jr. Single Cut VOS

Gibson Custom

1960 Les Paul Standard VOS

Gibson Custom

Mick Jones Les Paul Custom

Gibson Custom

1960 Les Paul Special Single Cut VOS

Gibson Custom

1958 Les Paul Jr. Double Cut VOS

Gibson Custom

1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut VOS

Gibson Custom

Steve Jones Les Paul Custom

Gibson Custom

Slash Les Paul

Gibson Custom

Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard

Now – take your time, relax and think it over and then search for used Gibson guitars for sale.

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is the world’s foremost maker of guitars, basses, amplifiers and related equipment and they have touched and transformed music all over the world in almost every genre.  The most important addition to the guitar was the new Fender vibrato (tremolo) bridge which is intended to let guitarists bend strings which achieves the pedal steel-like sound that is so popular with country music artists today.  No one foresaw that the Stratocaster would revolutionize popular music and it has remained basically unchanged since its 1954 debut.

Leo Fender sold his company, which makes Fender Guitars, to CBS in 1965 due to poor health and over the next 20 years they had tremendous growth but CBS failed to understand the music and musicians and their lack of commitment became very much known.  To rectify this, they hired a new company president, William Schultz, in 1981 and he was supported by his associate William Mendello.  By 1985 CBS decided to sell it and it was bought by a group of very dedicated employees and investors led by Schultz who were committed to creating the world’s best guitars and amplifiers.

Fender Guitars new name was now Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) but they had to start from scratch again so they set out to rebuild it.  They started by importing very good guitars from offshore but wanted greater quality control so they started a Fender U.S. factory in Corona, California in 1985 and a second one opened in 1987 in Ensenada, Mexico.  The FMIC headquarters is now in Scottsdale, Arizona with satellite facilities in England, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden and Mendello is now the CEO.

Fender Guitars, in their original form, were a double-cutaway guitar with an extended top horn for balance while standing.  It was originally offered in a 2-color sunburst finish on a solid, deeply contoured ash body with a one-piece maple neck with 21 frets, black dot inlays and Kluson machine heads.  In 1957, they started using solid alder and their single ply, 8 screw hole white pickguard allowed all the electronic components – except the recessed jack plate – to be mounted on one easy to remove surface.

The Fender Stratocaster, has a sleek, contoured body shape with a curve on the upper back and a gradual curve at the front bottom.  It has a one-piece maple neck and the strings are anchored  by a pivot bridge which is attached with springs to a ‘claw’ in the bridge cavity on the back of the guitar.  It had three single coil pickups and a 3 way switch which has now been replaced by a 5-way pickup selector which provided the ‘quacky’ tone made popular by players such as David Gilmour, Rory Gallagher, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Robert Cray

.

Some other guitarists and bands who use the Stratocaster Fender Guitar are:

Randy Bachman

Jeff Beck

The Jeff Beck Group

Ritchie Blackmore

Blackmore’s Night

Tommy Bolin

Bill Carson

Eric Clapton

Ry Cooder

Robert Cray

Dick Dale

The Edge

U2

Billie Joe Armstrong

Green Day

John Frusciante

Rory Gallagher

David Gilmour

Pink Floyd

Buddy Guy

George Harrison

The Beatles

Jimi Hendrix

Buddy Holly

Eric Johnson

Mark Knopfler

Dire Straits

John Lennon

Beatles‘

Alex Lifeson

Rush

Yngwie J. Malmsteen

Hank Marvin

The Shadows

John Mayer

Mick Mars

Mötley Crüe

Mike McCready

Pearl Jam

Dave Murray

Iron Maiden

Mike Oldfield

Bonnie Raitt

Robbie Robertson

The Band

Jim Root

Slipknot

Stone Sour

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Richard Thompson

Pete Townshend

The Who

Robin Trower

Ritchie Valens

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Ronnie Wood

The Rolling Stones

James “J.Y.” Young

Styx

Following is a list of Stratocaster Fender Guitars with names, series and model numbers.  There are a lot to look at so take your time and go through them carefully to find what you are looking for.

Eric Clapton Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0117602806

Jeff Beck Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0119600805

Eric Johnson Stratocaster® Maple
Series: Artist
Model: 0117702806

Eric Johnson Stratocaster® Rosewood
Series: Artist
Model: 0117700899

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0109200800

John Mayer Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0119700805

Mark Knopfler Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0117800815

Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0107110841

Dave Murray Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0118802806

Billy Corgan Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0115002805

Jim Root Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0114545705

Robert Cray Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0139100326

Jimmie Vaughan Tex Mex™ Strat®
Series: Artist
Model: 0139202309

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0138240300

Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0139010305

Buddy Guy Stratocaster®
Series: Artist
Model: 0107802803

Buddy Guy Standard Stratocaster®
Series: Artist

Model: 0138802306

Vintage Hot Rod ’57 Strat®
Series: Vintage Hot Rod
Model: 0100132809

Vintage Hot Rod ’62 Strat®
Series: Vintage Hot Rod
Model: 0100140805

American Vintage ’57 Stratocaster® Reissue
Series: American Vintage
Model: 0100102857

American Vintage ’57 Stratocaster® Reissue Left Handed
Series: American Vintage
Model: 0100122803

American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster® Reissue
Series: American Vintage
Model: 0100100857

American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster® Reissue Left Handed
Series: American Vintage
Model: 0100120800

American Vintage ’70s Stratocaster® Reissue
Series: American Vintage
Model: 0100070821

American Deluxe Stratocaster®
Series: American Deluxe
Model: 0119000700

American Deluxe Stratocaster® Left-Handed
Series: American Deluxe
Model: 0119022700

American Deluxe Strat® HSS
Series: American Deluxe
Model: 0119100723

American Deluxe Strat® V Neck
Series: American Deluxe
Model: 0119202703

American Deluxe Strat® Ash
Series: American Deluxe
Model: 0119300775

American Standard Stratocaster®
Series: American Standard
Model: 0110400769

American Standard Stratocaster® Left Handed
Series: American Standard
Model: 0110420700

American Standard Stratocaster® HSS
Series: American Standard
Model: 0110102706

American Special Stratocaster®
Series: American Special
Model: 0115602309

American Special Stratocaster® HSS
Series: American Special
Model: 0115700300

Highway One™ Stratocaster®
Series: Highway One™
Model: 0111162300

Highway One™ Stratocaster® Left Handed
Series: Highway One™
Model: 0111126306

Highway One™ Stratocaster® HSS
Series: Highway One™
Model: 0111760306

Road Worn™ ’50s Stratocaster®
Series: Road Worn™
Model: 0131012303

Road Worn™ ’60s Stratocaster®
Series: Road Worn™
Model: 0131010305

Classic Player ’50s Stratocaster®
Series:  Classic Player

Model: 0141102303

Classic Player ’60s Stratocaster®

Series: Classic Player
Model: 0141100300

Classic Series ’50s Stratocaster®
Series: Classic
Model: 0131002306

Classic Series ’60s Stratocaster®
Series: Classic
Model: 0131000309

Classic Series ’70s Stratocaster®
Series: Classic
Model: 0137000321

Deluxe Power Strat®
Series: Deluxe
Model: 0139300306

Deluxe Players Strat®
Series: Deluxe
Model: 0133000327

Roadhouse™ Stratocaster®
Series: Deluxe
Model: 0139312332

Lone Star™ Stratocaster®
Series: Deluxe
Model: 0139410380

Standard Stratocaster®
Series: Standard
Model: 0144600332

Standard Stratocaster® Left Handed
Series: Standard
Model: 0144622309

Standard Stratocaster® HSS
Series: Standard
Model: 0144700302

Standard Strat® HSS with Locking Tremolo
Series: Standard
Model: 1144700302

Standard Roland® Ready Stratocaster®
Series: Standard
Model: 014466030

Fender Guitars has a very simple goal:  To ensure the Spirit of Rock-N-Roll for Future Generations.  Their Fender Music Foundation awards grants to music programs and a brief description follows:

The Fender Centre for Music Education:  A 501 © (3) non-profit center dedicated to the music education of children located in Corona, CA.

Little Kids Rock:  A nationally recognized 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations that restores music education for underfunded public schools.

This is only a very brief overview of the guitars and you really need to check them out for yourself so do so NOW!  Search for used Fender Guitars for sale.