cmatthes

Looks like you did okay - McCarty models ("McCartneys" on eBay and Craig's list, typically) are great guitars, and the birds are not typically ordered on that model for some reason. Looks like a Black Cherry finish, since it appears to have the black back (why, oh why do you do that, Paul?!?!?!!). Enjoy!

+ 1K on Dada. I just missed them here in DC last month, sadly. Best Strat sounds ever recorded. Also add Sloan to the mix. The Jellybricks are another great band that never seemed to break out despite an amazing catalog of great power pop rockers. I'm also a huge fan of TFC and Ash, but nobody in the States seems to know about these bands. Don't know why that is - they both kick righteous ass in my book.

Yes indeed! Have a good one, Pal!

Jim: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailp...ge_Tremolo.html StewMac http://www.allparts.com/store/guitar-bridg...001,Product.asp Allparts

We still get flashed occasionally, but I think that's because the hotties dig EL's classic Rock & Roll hair...

The creepiest thing I've seen lately is that damned Viagra ad where the 5 guys are sitting around playing. Good lord, that's awful!

You put your weed in there.

No. Valerie did.

More CORPORATE friendly. Ain't THAT Rock n' Roll!?!!

No doubt - I was pretty much shut out with Ticketmonster when they went on sale a couple of Fridays ago. We have a reserved box at Verizon Ctr though (corporate), so we're hoping to snake that.

Earlier today, a co-worker and I may have been successful into talking our Marketing Manager into letting us get the Verizon box for VH in November... THAT would be the coup of the month!

Naw... You're thinking about the OTHER LP Forum. They'll kick you out for a typo (or for owning an Epiphone!).

I've got a mid-90s Brit "Guitarist" mag (I'm pretty sure that's the one) with Jan Cykra reviewing that guitar. I think he used one just like/very similar to that for a few years in there.

That phone number is for an unlisted number in Boca Raton, Florida. That's about as far away from LA as you can get! If it is really a (562) area code, that's a cell phone in the Long Beach, CA area. A lot more likely!

Having had (at times) both feet in it and also monitoring it for well over 20 years, it has really heated up in the last couple of years. Prices are going nuts, and the increase is sharper than at any other time I can recall - including the "Strat Mania" of the late 80s/early 90s when those things started to skyrocket. I think eBay has pretty much killed off the Guitar Show circuit compared to what it was in the golden days, but there are pockets where it is still trying to raise its head. What gets me is the shameless stripping and parting out of anything vintage. This is primarily an eBay play, although there are more and more dealers now specializing in parts-only sales...for a premium. If I see one more poor Jazzmaster gutted to sell the neck to a future vintage Strat forger for 2 to 3x the value of a straight JM, I'll puke. The forgery market is getting really good too, so you really have to know your stuff. I think the best thing to do at this point is to try to either determine what you can get into at a reasonable point and focus on that. At this point, most 50s LPs and Korina, Pre-CBS Strats are out of the picture for the majority of us. The "Second Tier" is the stuff that I was picking up 10-15 years ago, and now that stuff has gotten nutty. That is where Pre-CBS Teles (and now Esquires), LP Juniors, Reverse 'Birds, 6120s, 60s RICs, early 60s SGs, and old P-90 Goldtops fly. Up until a year or two ago, 60s Fender offsets (JMs/Jags/Elec 12s/Bass VIs) were still good deals, but those seem to have absolutely taken off. Still a chance to score something there if you really look though. In this same "band", 60s SG Jrs and Fender Mustangs (!!) have really started to pick up steam, but bargains are still out there. I am surprised to see how quickly people are scrambling for 60s Melody Makers, 50s/60s DuoSonics, 70s Fenders, etc. that were all sub-$1k guitars 5-10 years ago. I say at this point, if you're looking to get into something, the good bets are (this is just MY OPINION!): - 70s Ibanez - particularly copy-era and Iceman guitars - Older Hamers - 70s BC Rich - 70s-82 Deans - 70s LP Deluxes/Pro Deluxes - 70s/80s Tokais, Fernandes (and sister company) Copies - 60s/70s Dan Armstrong Plexis (still some @$1k mark, believe it or not) - 80s RI Fenders (57/62 Strats and 52 Teles) - San Dimas / 80s Jacksons - Schecter PTs from the 80s (NOT NEWER ONES!) - 80s-94 Les Pauls - Korina Lap Steels (Gibson) and Pre-CBS Fender steels - VINTAGE PARTS !!!!!!!

I thought I had a little Deja Vu moment there!

Naw. You're thinking of Facebook.

I think that bass had white (or white/black or white/gold?) powdercoated hardware on it originally. That was an upcharge item back then. I've always dug the color scheme on that one too, BTW...

All the best!

I don't want to throw water on that one or anything, but somebody "in the know" at Hamer told me several years ago that a certain gentleman named Ed, uh, let's just call him "Ed Bloman" made fake Hamers while at East Coast Music Mall in CT in the early/mid-90s. I have seen one dubious one that did not have a serial number but did have a "USA" after the logo. Buyer beware, but I'd get verification from Hamer before I'd bid on that one.

That's not a Hamer "model", just a custom order of a stock model with somebody's name on the headstock. Very cool guitar no matter what.

Wait... You mean the Duncan pickups aren't upgrades?

Seller decides to make $#!+ up...

Dude - I SO hate you right now!

"Love Explosion" by Weezer - been stuck in my head all damned day...