Live at Montreux 1997/1999

Playing his Fender® Stratocaster® flat on his lap Jeff Healey has developed an instantly recognizable guitar sound and image. Blind since the age of one he burst into the big time with The Jeff Healey Band's platinum selling debut album "See The Light" and the hit single "Angel Eyes" in 1988. This concert filmed at Montreux on July 3 1999 features many of the band's most popular tracks.Tracks:1. My Little Girl2. Stop Breakin' Down3. Third Degree4. I Think I Love You Too Much5. Stuck In The Middle With You6. I Can't Get My Hands On You7. Angel Eyes8. Roadhouse Blues9. See the Light10. Hoochie Coochie ManFounded in 1967 the Montreux Jazz Festival has established itself as one of the most prestigious annual music events in the world. The extraordinary list of artists who have played there is drawn form across the musical spectrum and from around the world. Now with the consent of the festival and the artists Eagle Vision is making these concerts available on DVD for the first time.System Requirements:Running Time: 100 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: NR UPC: 801213913299 Manufacturer No: EE39132-9
Customer Review: RIP Jeff Healey...you were sent down from heaven you just went back home..
No words to describe this man, just watch him live and you will know what I mean. I want more and more and more and more from this man, I can't get enough.....amazing talent

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Fender 5 Way Pickup Selector Switch for Stratocaster

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There are many factors to consider when choosing an electric guitar and each factor will impact your choice of guitars available for you to buy in the marketplace.

Perhaps one of the first things to consider is whether you are looking for a famous brand, such as a fender electric guitar, an Ibanez electric guitar, a Gibson electric guitar or you may not have a preference regarding the brand of guitar that you are looking to purchase.

You then need to consider whether or not you want an acoustic electric guitar. Once you've deciphered that, even if you do choose a specific guitar maker, the following list of factors will need to be considered.

Body style

There are three basic body styles of electric guitars - solid body, semi hollow/semi solid and hollow body.

Guitar Body Shape

There are various different guitar shapes to choose from and you should try a few different ones for comfort and feel before making a decision when buying your electric guitar. Shapes available include the Strat shape designed by Fender, the telecaster shape, again designed by Fender, and also the Les Paul and SG shape designed by Gibson guitars.

The Fender strat and Telecaster shape guitars are favoured by famous guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bonnie Raitt. Guitar heroes such as Joe Perry and Slash prefer the Gibson Les Paul shape of guitar. Guitar shape does not have a direct effect on sound when played.

Neck

The style and type of neck for your guitar is dependent upon your hand size and what is most comfortable for you to play with. There are a variety of shapes including wide, thin and C-shaped.

Scale length

The scale length impacts the tone quality of the notes and the string tension at a particular pitch. The scale length is determined by the distance between the bridge saddle and the nut. There are most often two common scale lengths to choose from - the Gibson scale and the Fender scale. There is a third scale as well, which is used by Paul Reed Smith as well as others, which produce a different sound from the two most common scale lengths.

Intonation

Intonation is the term used to describe if the notes are in tune as you move up the neck of your guitar. Intonation can be affected by different factors such as playing style. Pressing harder on the strings can create a bow and this in time can affect guitar intonation.

Set neck/Bolt on neck

The choice between these two may leave you with less choices of the instrument you choose - Stratocaster electric guitars are bolt on necks, while the Gibson Les Paul is a set neck.

Number of frets

Most electric guitars have 22 frets, however you may choose a 24 fret as well that will give you another octave.

Finish

Even if you are looking for a pink electric guitar, the finish on the guitar doesn't impact the sound as it does with acoustic guitars.

Bridge

The choice between tremolo bridge and stop tail bridge.

Pickups

Most electric guitars have two pick ups. A 3-position switch allows you to choose between these pick ups, while others have a 5-position switch.

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Stratocaster Greats: Playing in the Style of Fender

Back in the days of what was the explosive Woodstock music scene of Bristol and the West Country, a vocalist emerged from the new genre, known as indie, in the shape Gerard Langley. Hardly, as you would first think, a name to be reckoned with in the glitzy world of music showbiz, but a fairly stable name even so. Along with his brother, who took up the position of drummer, they soon gathered together a collection of some of the most talented and composed musicians in the city area. In fact, they were, as they called themselves, The Blue Aeroplanes, known to have the biggest musician - participation in, probably, modern music history.

Although their commercial contribution to the world of music looks vaguely more successful that a Pop Idol winner, their gritty and uniquely timed anthems had far from been on the same level. Langley, the headman was known, in the fast growing indie scene for his deep, menacing and half spoken vocals and other than supporting a then, little known U.S band called, R.E.M, although the band had collaborated with Michelle Shocked on one track.

It would appear that there seems to be a silent, yet, growing interest in this distant indie band who, tragically, graced only the bottom half of the Top 75 at any given time. It perhaps should be more the question of why didnt they ever make the grade? Well, that could be answered as simply as bad timing. Due to their haunting renditions of a familiar Smiths sound, they would have been noted as to be almost a decade out of date. I do believe that if they had been around a lot earlier, then their level of success would have vastly improved. That comatose style of backing vocal, at the time of, Jacket Hangs was the tones of Rodney Allen, Alex Lee, John Langley and Andy McCreeth, was more along the lines of The Waterboys, which, is certainly no bad thing, but on listening back to Blue Aeroplanes tunes today, we find ourselves puzzled as to why they werent better recognised. What we dont perhaps remember, is how much the talent odds were stacked against them. With a sound that was unique and so in tune with the outside world, it was also the backdrop of every other band at the time. Not to mention the members list grew to around thirty...

It is also arguable that there were far less talented bands around the time of the mid Eighties to the early Nineties, who, simply didnt deserve to achieve the success that they did. Who really could have forgotten that rhythmic perfect of John Langleys drum backing and that non melodic, jangle effect on guitars from Lee and Allen? They fused together as a band and never failed to let their fan base down. They might have been predictable in their approach to their own expression of indie music, but at least that meant never having to cringe ferociously at surprising and embarrassing diversions.

Their first notably successful album, Bop Art, in April 1984, may have sounded more like a Gene Vincent take on an old Transvision Vamp album, but it was surprisingly fresh enough to create a lasting appeal on certain listeners who, it would seem, became the backbone of the circle of devoted fans today. Although, since their early days, when their influences swayed heavily towards Elvis Costello and The Velvet Underground, they have somehow taken what they had learnt from these artists and actually drawn up, by themselves, a sound that, truly, came from themselves. We wonder how it came to be that they had come and gone from so many record labels. Their career path has certainly trodden a steady route through all the alternative labels of that time. Finally, standing firm behind the legendary label that brought us Icicle Works and Gene Loves Jezebel - Beggars Banquet, they had driven the idea through following bands, that it was the way that stable, tight knitted bands worked to get the maximum coverage.

Albums followed plus a couple of singles that failed to make any lasting notability with the regular record purchaser. Tolerance in 1986 and Spitting Out Miracles in 1986, after which, they enjoyed little in the way of pleasing positions from a string of EPs and one or two singles that followed.

They did, however, change their attitude through this far from joyful period in their early career. Shifting from Art Rock and layered pieces to dirty, simple guitar rhythms and slapping drums, their move towards the indie scene seemed sensible and optimistic. Two singles followed through another label, Chrysalis, Jacket Hangs, and ..And Stones, first in February and second in May 1990. Both failed to cut into the Top 70. Albums trailed accordingly in the shape of Swagger, (1990), Beatsongs, (1991) and Life Model, (1994). The middle of these, Beatsongs, graced the Top 35, but failed to hang around longer than three weeks. They had, already, toured with R.E.M in 1989 by this time, who, were enjoying critical acclaim with their politically observed, Green, the year before.

They had achieved as much as they could in those early times. They appeared in such audience participating venues such as the Town And Country Club in Kentish Town, North London; a venue known for the closeness felt through band and crowd. It was a favourite for indie and up and coming bands. Regulars there had been Hard Rain, Then Jericho, Three And A Half Minutes, not to mention, unknown Scottish smilies, Wet Wet Wet. Some, who got to see the B.As always commented on their live performances, noting them as born gig masters. After all, not all bands could boast their own Polish dancer in the shape of Wojtek Dmochowski.

It has undoubtedly crossed the minds of some of you when we say we must still remark on the history of The Blue Aeroplanes when they seemed to have achieved so little. One is for sure, they have remained true to themselves - never faltering in any shape or form, always pleasing to the eye and enjoyable to listen to. They take you back in time to a place in music history where bands were made up of young people who actually played instruments. Any band of that time, composed, rehearsed and performed over and over again to get it right. They worked hard, sweated and were devoted to their craft. Unlike today when a band is only made up of people who can just about sing and who couldnt compose a tune and lyric if their lives depended on it. This, I think it why, we should still celebrate bands like The Blue Aeroplanes for their determination and continuous contribution to British music. Whether it was experimental with different musicians and arrangements of sounds laced together with synths and percussions or taking the dive into all that was the bitter, edginess of the birth of indie, they have gathered up the growing trends into their arms and come with their own style of sound. They came back with gusto in 2000 with the album, Cavaliers/Roundheads, and now, just this year, 2006, we see the release of a long awaited, two CD set of a remaster of the 1990 album, Swagger, probably their most rewarding and well received album of the Nineties. This re working contains 14 bonus tracks and goes, unmistakeably as, Swagger Deluxe. The B.As are back, still standing strong and still eagerly eclipsing new sounds with traditional B.A rhythms and techniques.

We feel as if we know them know, but exactly where, when, how and why the band formed originally and who gelled with who is not entirely known. Their initial birth seems to be a mystery, and perhaps only known by Bristol residents and those who knew them, so it is with this, that they remain intriguing and their records, desirable. These ordinary student, type guys, who are now in their forties, still capture a moment in time when music was still exciting and new; when records were still bought in Woolies on vinyl and singles were only 45s for 45 pence. As far as The Blue Aeroplanes themselves go, all we know is that in Bristol and also in certain places of the Globe, this band still take a secret pride of place in the musical Hall of Fame.

Michelle Duffy 2006

Michelle is a freelance writer in the South of England and owner of the websites, http://www.generationsounds.co.uk, http://nevermindthebloggers.bravehost.com and their successful sister, Never Mind The Bloggers at http://paperback-writer29.tripod.com She has been writing over the last year, for five major consumer websites across the world and is one of the only two music category advisors for one website in the U.K. Her websites promote young, amateur and professional bands/artists and their fan clubs whilst also reviewing them for local and world wide promotion. She has also recently launched the blogs; 'The Ramblings Of An Old Rocker,' 'Bohemian Waffle,' The Rhythm Rock And Blues Machine and The Mopeds Musings and Generation Sound Suite. She is currently working on two shops selling her music styled artwork and now sells on Ebay.

the fender stratocaster handbook pdf

Pink Floyd: The Black Strat: A History of David Gilmour's Black Fender Stratocaster

The Black Strat book is the first and only accurate and knowledgeable account of David Gilmour's favorite Stratocaster guitar. Written by Phil Taylor - David's personal guitar technician since 1974 - to coincide with the release of the long awaited and much requested Fender 'David Gilmour Signature Strat': an instrument replicating the look, set-up, sound and feel of David's famous black guitar as it is today. The chronological story begins with David Gilmour joining Pink Floyd in early 1968, his guitar at that time, his subsequent instruments leading to the purchase of the Black Strat in 1970, and the other guitars that have come and gone. The book details all of the changes and modifications made to the Black Strat, its use on Pink Floyd tours and iconic albums, David's solo projects, and various guest appearances throughout the years.
Customer Review: Pink Floyd: The Black Strat A history of David Gilmour's Black Fender Stratocaster
After reading this book in one sitting, it became an inspiration for me to build my own Gilmour black strat. It is a must for any fan of Pink Floyd as well as David Gilmour fan. A very detailed history of the guitar and it's owner and the various changes the guitar went through 'til it reached its current state. A wealth of pictures as well as info, so much as i said that i built my own gilmour strat. The only changes i made were in the neck, it is a C-shaped but a bit smaller to fit my hand, i did put a duncan ssl5 in the bridge, but instead of the fat 50's in the neck and 69 in the middle, i put 2 duncan ssl-3 in the neck and middle but the middle pickup is reverse wound, and instead of drilling a hole in the pickguard for the extra switch to turn on the neck pickup, i used a push-pull pot on the lower tone control to add the neck pickup. I decided to do the N.O.S version instead of the relic'd version. See if this book had that kind of inspiration for me, imagine what it may do for you. Go out and get it, enjoy yourself reading it, even if you don't build guitars.
Customer Review: David Gilmour's Black Strat-GRN
I, at first, scoffed at this story of David Gilmour's Black Strat; however, the more I thought about it, the more I believed that it would offer something of a storied journey. This proved to be a good historical read and journey of not only David and Phil Taylor, Daivid's Guitar Technician, but also of the journey of the Black Strat and several other Floydian Guitars. I am glad that I purchased and read this account.

Every guitar player that has ever been born lives for the day when he/she can pick up a vintage guitar. Vintage guitars are available in all major manufacturers and brands. But it's not only musicians and guitar enthusiasts that are attracted to these masterpieces. Vintage guitars can also be viewed as an investment.

You're probably saying to yourself right now "How can a guitar be an investment?", "Is buying a vintage guitar really a good investment?" Allow me to enlighten you a little. To the untrained eye, a guitar is a guitar. Now we aren't talking about the walls of instruments you see at Guitar Center or Sam Ash. We are talking about those special few extraordinary guitars that just scream to be torn into.

Guitars are a great investment for a few reasons. First, they are beautiful and command a room where they are displayed. Second, vintage guitars don't depreciate or lose value with time. On the contrary, these babies appreciate and gain value as they age, especially if they are kept up nicely. Third, they have superior tonality and action when played due to the quality workmanship that went into their construction.

Undoubtedly, the most popular is the Les Paul by Gibson. This guitar carries the name of the man who invented the solid body electric guitar. In the 1960's, the Les Paul was just about THE choice of instrument. These are still made today, but the older ones were made of superior materials like mahogany and oak. Some even had gold frets and mother of pearl inlays on the fret board.

Fender also has a stranglehold on a couple of highly sought after guitars, especially the Stratocaster, the Telecaster and the Thunderbird. These were favorites among blues and rock players alike. Again, the ones everybody wants were made in the 1950's and 1960's.

Certainly among the reigning Kings of vintage guitars are those made by the CF Martin company. Martin emigrated here from Europe in the late 19th century and set up shop in New York. The craftsmanship he imparted is not only extraordinary. It is absolutely earth shattering. Martin pioneered the X-bracing system for acoustic guitars adding years to the longevity of the instruments he made. Many Martin's are still in use at nearly 100 years old!

Guild is another vintage guitar that is vastly overlooked these days. Guild was only in operation for about 25 years and was bought by Fender in the 1990's. Some of the older Guild guitars are extremely rare and sought after as they exhibited the same quality as the Martin instruments of the same time period.

Every one of these guitar manufacturers has made an exceptional line of guitars. Players like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Chet Atkins, Roy Clark and Les Paul have chosen them time and time again as their guitar of choice.

When bought as an investment, the vintage ones hold the possibility of giving a fantastic ROI (return on investment).

To see a collection of vintage guitars that are available right now, get on over to Vintage Guitar Zone and see what you can get your fingers around for a great price.

http://www.vintageguitarzone.com/investing

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Fender Custom Shop No Way Out Skull Studs Rocker Shirt. Black Short sleeve Button Front Fender Guitars Shirt

New Fully Licensed Mens Fender Guitar Tour Wear Shirt. Fabulous rock band stage wear shirt for Musicians or a just a great shirt for Fender Guitar lovers. Great Rocker shirt for those special nights on the town. From the Fender Custom Shop. This Design is Killer - it is called No Way Out. It is a short sleeve Black Cotton shirt with a small Fender Custom Shop Skull embroidery design on the front. The front features Fender Snap closures in a Rockabilly style. The back has a large print of the Fender Skull and crossed Fender Guitars Design and says Rock n Roll Religion on it. The Skull has Metal Studs in his eyes and there are Metal Studs between the words. Great for all musicians from Heavy Metal to Rockabilly and as a clubbing shirt for anyone. These shirts are new but made to look vintage with wicked cool detailing. Fabric is 100% Cotton for a soft comfortable fit and ease of care.Sizing on This Mens Short Sleeve Button Front Cotton Fender Guitar Shirt:Medium: 43 inch chest.Large: 45 inch chest.XL: 47 inch chest.XXL: 49 1/2 inch chest.

The two main choices in beginner electric guitars.

There can be a fair amount of disappointment when the wrong choice is made, and all it takes is a look through the guitar user reviews of popular beginner electric guitars to see the truth of it.

There are two main types of electric guitar, and they're the two most popular electric guitars available. They are the Gibson Les Paul and the Fender Stratocaster. These guitars sound totally different, in fact you could say that they are the two most distinct sounding electric guitars available.

I'm not saying that you should buy a Gibson or Fender to get the right sound for the kind of music you like, although that's certainly an option.

What I am saying though is that there are some excellent copies of Gibson Les Paul's and Fender Stratocasters that you might want to take a look at.

Let's first look at the Stratocaster as a beginners choice.

The Stratocaster is a very comfortable guitar design, with contouring to accommodate your strumming hand as well as your stomach. The main feature that makes a Stratocaster sound the way it does, is its pickup configuration.

The standard pickup configuration on a Strat is 3 single coil pickups, a 5 way pickup selector switch, one volume control and 2 tone controls.

The typical single coil pickup is made from 6 pole magnets, one for each string, around which copper wire is wound. When the guitar string vibrates, the magnetic flux of the magnet is disturbed and a corresponding electrical current is produced in the coil surrounding the magnets. That's the signal that gets sent out to the amplifier.

Single coil pickups typically sound very bright, and this is the signature sound of the Stratocaster. A good example of this is the guitar sound of Mark Knopfler on Sultans of Swing. Guitarists who's sound comes mainly from a Strat are Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Hank Marvin of The Shadows, Eric Clapton, and a whole list of other guitarists who's names would make this article way too long.

A lot of beginner guitarists complain about the Stratocaster, and the main reasons for this are:

1.) The Strat is best suited to clean sounds, and a lot of beginner guitar players become disappointed when they don't get a good distortion, or overdriven sound out of the guitar.

It is possible to get a good distorted rock tone out of a Stratocaster, but you need to know how to get a good guitar sound and tailor your sound to suit you. A beginner guitarist won't know how to do this and a Strat isn't very forgiving, mostly because of its treble sound.

If you're into heavy metal then this is not the beginner guitar for you.

2.) The single coil pickups you'll find on a beginners Strat, or any standard Stratocaster for that matter, will pick up a lot of electromagnetic interference from flourescent lights, TV's and computer monitors, and any other sources of electromagnetic radiation. There are ways around this, but it's important to remember that this problem only really shows itself when you put your guitar through a distortion unit.

The guitar was designed in the 1950's at a time when distorted guitar sounds weren't that common. Some of the more expensive models of Fender Stratocaster have improved pickup design that eliminates the electrical hum. This won't be on the beginner Stratocaster models.

Why the Stratocaster is still a good choice for a beginner electric guitar.

Despite the problems mentioned above, the Fender Strat still remains one of the most popular electric guitars available today.

The three single coil pickups that it has are capable of producing some beautiful shimmering clean tones, especially when the five way selector switch is in positions 2 or 4. These positions are also hum cancelling, but unfortunately don't lend themselves to a great rock guitar tone.

Of the 3 pickups, the one at the neck position is the most capable of producing a classic blues rock tone, and a very desirable one at that. The pickup that normally puts people off when it comes to rock guitar tone, is the bridge position. This is the brightest sounding pickup on the guitar.

I personally don't mind it too much, seeing as it adds a bit of chalkyness to the sound. A good solution here is to later buy what's known as a hotrail pickup and replace the one that's there. This will give you a fatter rock guitar tone without the hum.

Alternatives to the standard Stratocaster.

There is another alternative to the standard Stratocaster called the Fat Strat, which features a humbucking pickup at the bridge. If there's one saving grace for the beginner metal guitarist who wants to buy a Stratocaster, it's the Fat Strat.

Humbucking pickups are a special design of electric guitar pickup that eliminates outside electromagnetic interference. They are generally louder than single coil pickups and not as bright sounding.

By having a humbucker in the bridge position and two single coils in the other two, you've got a good combination for getting a decent rock tone in the bridge pickup as well as all the other classic Fender Strat tones.

Just one last thing about the standard Stratocaster. It has a tremelo system, but don't use it. There are a few people who know how to make these things stay in tune when used, but they're not telling. If you leave it alone, it'll leave you alone.

The Gibson Les Paul as a beginners electric guitar.

This has to be the ultimate symbol of heavy rock tone. Unlike the Strat, the Les Paul has a glued in neck, or set neck as it's sometimes called.

This neck to body joint has the effect of increasing the sustain of the guitar. Because of its more complex construction, the Les Paul is a bit more expensive to manufacture.

It's a heavy guitar that can become quite uncomfortable when standing and playing for a long time. It also has a thicker neck, depth wise, than many other guitars, which can also add a bit to the discomfort factor.

What makes the Les Paul a good rock guitar?

The same things that make the Gibson Les Paul uncomfortable to play are what make it sound so great for rock.

First of all, its made out of mahogany wood. Mahogany is an excellent tone wood for electric guitars as it has a lot of bass coupled with a distinctive upper midrange bite. What makes it uncomfortable with this guitar is that there's a lot of it.

A heavier body and thicker neck all made out of mahogany adds up to tons of sustain and great tone.

Your typical Les Paul guitar has two humbucking pickups - one in the bridge position and one in the neck position.

The only real downside to the Gibson Les Paul as far as sound goes, is that although one can sometimes get close to the sound of a Stratocaster, by using some simple electronic tricks, like splitting the humbucking pickups so they can do single coil sounds as well, It's never really quite the same.

To make sure your beginners electric guitar plays at its best, there are two resources you may want to look at. The first - Beginner Electric Guitars, what to look for which also deals with the Stratocaster, and the second - Rock guitars for beginners will show you the best value Les Paul copy

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Stratocaster Greats: Playing in the Style of Fender

You might think of buying used instruments from a pawnshop, classified ads or Ebay. If you have the money then you might as well drop the idea because electric guitars are supposed to be expensive for you to get the quality you deserve. However, if you're on a budget, you may still need necessary precautions in buying used guitars. The key here is if you can't try it, don't buy it. And "trying" means that you have someone in tow who is experts in guitars to avoid being ripped off.

Before heading to the music store, you should already have an idea as to what kind of music you would like to play on your electric guitars. Guitar makers model their guitars with an icon they saw best using it that's why guitar models are usually named after guitar legends. If you are someone who likes to play the country, folk rock genre, then choose a Telecaster. For metal-heads and heavy rockers out there, they keep their eyes on the Jackson, Ibanez, and B.C. Rich. Stratocasters are the most flexible amongst all electric guitars and thus best fits a beginner who is still undecided on musical genre. Stratocaster is a safe choice so you might want to get one of these babies.

Having said that, you have to choose the right brand which is, basically, all the familiar brands you hear - Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Epiphone, etc. These are the names who sell reasonable prices for beginners. Choose between Fender and Gibson, they have a line dedicated to aspiring guitarists and you could never go wrong with these brands. You can also consider some unknown brands as long you have a friend expert recommending it to you. But if you're on your own, be on the safe side with the familiar brands.

May it be a Fender or a Gibson you choose on buying, don't walk away from the store without trying out a few stock. You chose a trusted brand, yes, but to hear is to believe. Listen and choose the best sound.

It's always best to bring a friend with you to get expert opinion. This will also make you feel more secure in buying your first electric guitar. And of course, don't forget the amps.

Now there you have it, your first step to being a guitarist is done. You may now proceed to the learning process by visiting http://freeguitarguide.googlepages.com/ and see yourself bringing the house down overnight!

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Fender Samarium Cobalt Noiseless SCN Stratocaster Pickups, Aged White

Guitar Replacement Pickup. Made by Fender.

Stick a set of these babies under your Strat's hood and take that checkered flag!

Fender Mod Shop SCN pickups deliver souped-up fireball feel and time-honored Fender tone heritage with a noise-free design that'll let your guitar purr like a kitten or howl like a banshee.

With the special design combination of traditional magnets and new Samarium Cobalt magnetic material, the illustrious spank-and-clank Strat sound roars forth from these pickups with eight-cylinder dynamic and magnetic response that actually dusted most of Fender's coveted Kennedy-era test pickups.

Specs:

• Bridge - DC Resistance: 11.6K, Inductance: 3.8 Henries
• Middle - DC Resistance: 6.5K, Inductance: 2.4 Henries
• Neck - DC Resistance: 6.5K, Inductance: 2.4 Henries

Collecting guitars for so many people is not just a hobby, but a passion. Most of the greatest guitar collectors know how much the hobby has changed over the past 10 years or so, but it is still possible to begin a "career" in guitar collecting if that is what you choose to do. Although you can no longer walk into any pawn shop in Hollywood and buy a Les Paul or Stratocaster for less than $100, it is still possible to find a good deal on a vintage guitar.

The think you have to realize is that you are going to find the best deals on a vintage guitar if you buy only American guitars. It isn't to say that other countries such as Japan do not make a great guitar, but the vintage market is best for American made guitars. You will then be able to buy a guitar that will increase in value over the years. Also, the reputation of the American made guitars, especially the older ones, is increasing. It used to be that people looked down on the 1970's Stratocasters but now you can find them sold on auction sites for thousands of dollars. It is the same thing with 1980's Gibson guitars which were once thought of as poor quality replicas.

This is simply because of buyer's demand. After all of the "desirable" guitars have all been bought up, the collectors go to whatever is left that will command attention. So that is why if you want to find a real deal on vintage guitars that will increase in value you should buy guitars that collectors are currently not paying much attention to. That way, by the time they get around to these guitars, they will be worth a great deal of money. For example, you may not want to go with Fender Mustangs or Gibson Melody Makers which are already desirable. Instead you should go with student models that haven't been noticed yet.

An example of this would be the Fender Bullet. It is still popular in brand name but it is considered to be a student model guitar. You can still find great deals on the ones that were made in the early 1980's but they are garnering attention now which will make them hugely popular in a few years. Fender also put out other great American made student models such as the Lead I, II and III which you can still buy for less than $300.

Gibson is also another collectible brand. Granted the Melody Makers are already expensive but the Kalamazoo line hasn't been tapped out yet. Similar to the Melody Makers you can find them for less than $100 and have a great guitar in which to invest in for later on. In general if you stick with Gibson and Fender and watch out for the less talked about student models you are already finding deals that will appreciate in value over the years. But more so you are finding quality made guitars that are great to look at, wonderful to play sometimes and have a nice background to them.

Looking for quality video guitar lessons? Crazy Dave of MadGuitarLicks gives away free video guitar licks and lessons, along with honest reviews of over 20 instructional guitar courses. Styles range from metal, rock, and blues, with a few shred guitar lessons too. Why pay when you have access to such a huge archive of free guitar lessons!

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