crunchee

It depends...what kind of pine? Pine Wood: An Overall Guide | The Wood Database (wood-database.com)

How much does this Tele weigh? Seems to me that an oak body might be pretty hefty.

Alzheimer's at 75 seems way too young. RIP. BTW, he's the guy who's driving the car at the end of this video: "Weird Al" Yankovic - I Lost On Jeopardy (Official HD Video) - YouTube

Don't forget about its 'acoustic voice', too!

Seems to me that knots in any wood are a sonic dead end as far as resonance goes, because they're considerably denser than the surrounding wood, and they're a natural sonic barrier to the rest of the guitar body. Plus, like Steve Haynie said, they can separate from the rest of the wood too. And ask anybody who's ever cut a tree down how much fun it is to cut through a big knot in wood, even with a chain saw! Also (from looking at the photo above), it seems to me that a 'natural split' in a chunk of wood is pretty much the same as a crack. And do you really want a guitar made from wood with cracks in it? Time to dust this article off again: Pine Wood: An Overall Guide | The Wood Database (wood-database.com) I don't like soft woods in general, like basswood and paulownia and soft pines, because they dent easily, and screw holes can strip out just as easily. Plus if you're not careful, you can get uncured pine which can ooze pine sap. If I get a guitar made of pine, I'd want it to be cured aged hard pine, with NO knots whatsoever. Funny how manufacturers make 'pine' bodied guitars but have no idea what kind of pine they're made from...either that, or they can't tell you, don't want you to know, or think that no one cares.

Has Rick signed it yet?

I do that on my guitars, it saves me from excavating an entire closet to find something, especially if it's a hassle to put things back (and it nearly always is). Getting back to the OP, it's like the old saying goes: "It's always in the last place you look."

Play out in good health while you can. Things could always be (or get) worse: How late Muffs frontwoman Kim Shattuck made final album while secretly battling ALS (yahoo.com)

I wonder how tall Steve Stevens' boot heels were for this photo session?

It appears to me to be a Gibson 'patent number' HB pickup, and I don't see a molded 'T' on the top of the PU bobbin in your phoros. I am no expert, the website below is what I found online. Hope this helps somewhat without getting too complicated or causing you to go down too deep of a rabbit hole...plus, this website's been around for several years too, so the article might be in need of updating: Gibson PAF Humbucking Pickups Humbucker Patent Applied For Pickups M69 M-69 pickup rings - Vintage Guitars Info (guitarhq.com)

If there's one thing that turns me off about a guitar or bass, it's fret buzz. I HATE fret buzz. I grew up playing guitar in the '70's and listening to hard rawk and blues, and that's how I learned to set up guitar...to let the strings ring naturally. I always thought that low string height tended to kill string vibration, but maybe that's just me. Of course, I ain't a lightning-fast shredder, either!

I have to laugh when I hear that a vintage, 'collectible' guitar hangs around for over sixty years without getting set up into optimal playing condition. I guess it was owned more for looking at instead of playing, or maybe for 'bragging rights'? Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a guitar factory at your disposal to get it set up properly: What Makes a Guitar Worth The Price? - Premier Guitar

I had a sandblasted ash Fender Tele (limited run) a few years ago, the finish didn't bother me though the paint was about as matte as a chalkboard...I sold it eventually, as I didn't want to get too many greasy fingerprints on it. DGS gets in some SE series guitars now and then with sandblasted ash tops. Apparently the 'distressed' look is in nowadays?

The Reverb item site says it was listed two years ago, and has had three offers...none of which appear to have been accepted (obviously). Hard pass.

I don't have an allegiance to a brand anymore, not since Hamer USA went away. I just go with guitars on an individual basis nowadays...if I like it, I keep it. If I don't, I won't.

I had one of these many years ago, seems like Hamer made a good number of these in '96 and '97. They're a little different from a Standard Custom (besides the trim), as the neck heel on these is curved rather that square, with a little ledge at the neck/heel joint. Mine also had a two-piece body joined down the center, dunno if these were all like that or not.

What's this, something bought from Morgan Wallen? Morgan Wallen Arrest Controversy, Explained (vulture.com)

No affiliation. Very Gibson Firebird-like, S/N 024: Banshee, Recent – Dave's Guitar Shop (davesguitar.com)

Head and two matching Sunn 4x12 cabs, operating guide, catalog, and original receipt. No affiliation: Model T Full Stack, '74 – Dave's Guitar Shop (davesguitar.com) For historical info purposes: The History of Sunn Amplifiers | Stringjoy

IIRC, I think this is the first time I've heard of a guitar company formally acknowledge the second-hand market as a factor in their demise. They have grumbled about it here and there in the past though, as in a company's gear being it's own worst/best competition when bought used: Fernandes Guitars Bankruptcy: Iconic Brand Ceases Operations - Premier Guitar

Don't forget, blue guitars sound better. GLWTS!

Saw Bikini Kill on Late Night With Steven Colbert a couple of nights ago. Straightforward, unadorned Rawk. Basic stage setup. I liked it a lot. I want more of that! I wonder if overthinking things is the greatest impediment to getting anywhere? Sgt. Pepper's already been done, maybe the answer is in not reinventing the wheel?

When I saw 'guitar break' in the topic header, I was thinking along the lines of the DLR statement at about 2:30, and not about putting the guitar down for a prolonged period of time: I'm guessing that not playing for awhile qualifies as being in a rut, sort of. My advice is to go back to what attracted you to guitar music in the first place, listen to old favorites, and find new favorites that do the same thing for you...and hopefully, you'll find something that'll inspire you to play again. Above all else, playing music's supposed to be fun, not drudgery. So have fun! Good luck!

They make batteries too, don't they?

Do Couch straps have any vinyl in them? I've seen what old straps composed of vinyl can do to a nitrocelluose finish, vinyl kinda acts like a solvent and turns a nitro finish to goo.