Leaderboard

My pedal board has got'n out of hand... Kidding... just some internet pic...

I saw something cool on Guitar Center's website, soon after I got my Yamaha jones: a Yamaha SSC 500, $300. I talked them into $330 shipped: http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7532_zpsafcb3b99.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7533_zps9969a7c2.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7534_zpsca2e0b4e.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7535_zpsb2e7f77b.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7536_zps0fa79543.jpg.html'> Set neck. Made in Japan. 3 on/off toggles, one for each pickup. And for some reason, a push/push vol pot that various reviews have said is a coil tap. On a single coil? Really? The only thing I can think of is that if they are overwound single coils, then maybe you could tap the coil partway for a less hot sound. Or maybe it is an EQ boost of some sort. Or maybe it switches parallel to series wiring. I dunno. It sounds different, but I haven't done more than test it for functionality yet. Having too much fun with high-end Yamahas.

http://s253.photobucket.com/user/scottcasey66/media/Boardwithtags_zps0a76baeb.jpg.html'> New board with MFC-101, Mission Exp. Pedals and Kicktags!

Last but not least: The one that kicked all the guitar acquisition off was actually a Steinberger ZT3. I decided I wanted a trans-trem extremely urgently. I had been watching used ones go (losing auctions I was competing in at the $1000 price point) for $1100, $1200, and then saw this Brand New In Box one for $1000, free shipping, so I Bought It Now. Then over the next 3 weeks, I watched another seller attempt to sell a brand new one for decreasing BIN amounts, finally going no lower than $699. I actually considered buying it and then listing it for the $1000 BIN I got mine for, but then sanity reasserted itself. Pictures: http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7547_zpscab00ff5.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7548_zpsd810efd0.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7549_zps7c85de52.jpg.html'> And that's it. These are the guitars I got as a consolation prize for losing early/often in the Buy No Guitars Challenge 2013. Two more on the way, pictures when they get here: a Yamaha AES 820 for $215 shipped a Yamaha PAC 812v (different generation than the 812s mentioned earlier...this one has a flame-top strat body, Wilkinson-style trem, locking tuners, and Seymour Duncan pickups) for $350 shipped And that's it. I'm pretty much in guitar heaven these days.

A week later, and what do you think happens? My standard "Westone" search on eBay returns a Westone X390 Caspian Blue with a BIN of $850, free shipping. What could I do? What would you do? I Bought It Then (Now, past tense). http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7537_zps613f02dc.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7538_zps27b881d4.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7539_zpsbee47503.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7540_zps0515fb4e.jpg.html'> http://s716.photobucket.com/user/brainfertilizer/media/all%20guitars/DSC_7541_zps5ce70d26.jpg.html'> Notice how the back is concave. It isn't neck through, it is a long-tenon set neck. Active pickups. Coil tap with the push/pull knob. This became the Trevor Rabin signature model in Westone's last year, and when Westone became Alvarez. You can see him playing a Caspian Blue Westone in some of the Yes concert videos on YouTube. I wish it was this one, but I'm not that naive. So, yeah: I currently own 2.1% of all Westone X390 Panteras ever made.

This one looks great to play lullabies:

Requesting permission for Tumbling Victoms on my next project guitar...