Biz Prof

Nope, that was an actual option back in the late '80s, early '90s.

One of those expertly-produced, artsy documentaries on Knopfler's love for the guitar shows him cradling one of his 'bursts (yes, he still has two AFAIK) in a room with nice hardwood floors (in his home, I would venture a guess) where he selects a well-used Crybaby pedal, a couple of leads, and then connects everything to a brownface Deluxe, Vibrolux, or similar. After powering up the little Fender and adjusting the wah to the perfect spot, he scrubs out the iconic "Money for Nothing" riff. The result? It sounds like Knopfler and exhibits a high level of fidelity to the recording, albeit with less hair on it (and less on his head). If the Kemper can capture the essence of such tones accurately, then he'd be smart to employ it and leave the vintage gear and monster racks at home.

Clapton and his fiber supplements agree.

Clapton agrees with you.

Yep, pre-pro is how some folks define the "real" Strathead Charvels, although that has more to do with manufacturing scale than headstock style. Early 1983 seems to be the conversion point on headstocks, even though there are a few examples of USA Stratheads built all the way through late 1985, which is just ahead of Grover's decision to move Charvel production overseas. I think VERY late 1985, early 1986 started the new era in which bolt-on Ontario-built guitars sported Jackson logos, and guys like Adrian Smith and Phil Collen bought their first custom orders. FWIW, I don't recall ever seeing any pointy headstock Charvels with an '82-or-earlier build date, although you never know. Charvel/Jackson was every bit the do-anything builder that Hamer was in its salad days.

Yes. the MIJ Charvels during that era. Sorry, I should have made that clear. I know that the USA models with the pointy headstocks had the original 3+3 logo, but numbers-wise, they aren't plentiful compared to their MIJ brethren.

Correct, Jim, although I was also referring to the second-generation Charvel logo in which the headstock embedded in the logo was, itself, pointed and underscored by the text "By Jackson/Charvel." Very few of the pointed headstocks received the original guitar-shaped logo sporting the 3+3 configuration like the one I put on mine. "

Certainly a matter of opinion, but I share yours. I can deal with the logo and the headstock, but the German carve has been done to death by boutique builders at this point. I'm sure it plays like buttah and sounds nice, to boot. Jol's body designs, like some others in his market niche, just don't appeal to me...at all. Even Mike Shishkov's single-cut design (the Maverick?) looks extremely awkward to me, yet I love the look of his DC Custom and the Super C. To each, his own, especially if he is paying for it.

Sign of the times, I guess. I do recall that during that same era, Steve Howe could be seen playing a teal blue Steinberger.

Had he (and RVZ) survived, I think Gaines' name would ended up on a lot of "Top #" and "# Greatest" lists and the band might have sustained itself as a viable entity rather than the pathetic tribute act it became. He was just that damn good and barely got a chance to show it before he died. Incredible musician by any measure. His recorded work speaks for itself (esp those mentioned, plus "I Know a Little") and his contributions to Skynyrd are what I prescribe to non-fans when they suggest that their anthology is little more than redneck blues rock. ETA: Ed King was a monster player in his own right and his solos on "Sweet Home Alabama" are both technically strong and musical.

Agree with your choice of version. I don't hate that song, at all. I simply don't find that solo to be anywhere close to Allen's best work, even though a lot of non-players from my neck of the woods consider it virtuosic. It fits the end of the song, stylistically speaking, yet I hear too much repetition of phrases and not nearly enough dynamic range for such an epic finale. The definitive Skynyrd solo(s), IMHO, can be found on "That Smell." You can tell that the former was largely improvised, recorded in a single take and then doubled, while the latter was thought out and composed.

The day after the gig, use a cotton swab wetted with either Brasso or Silvo to run up and down each of the plain strings (the swab is narrow enough to run underneath each string), then wipe it off with a lint free polish cloth that you keep in a ziplock bag solely for this purpose. I actually pinch the cloth tightly over each string when removing the cleaning solvent, and I find these mild polishes to be more effective than Dunlop 65 or even my favorite bottled cleaner, Dr. Stringfellow. The same cloth can be used to wipe the wound strings effectively, but it's not as neat a cleaning as on the plain strings.

Same here.

Aw, come on, Jeff. Don't be so quick to exaggerate. If you priced those screws at $2,300, I bet you could actually sell a few sets to Gear Page guys.😆