velorush

Thanks for posting. I could actually hear some useful comparisons. That seems to be one fine guitar.

Much butt that does kick! Thanks for posting. I did just learn that I missed them in Memphis on July 21st. Crap! It takes months for news to makes its way here through the sunshine pipe!

This one? Way cool. Probably the only non-reverse Firebird I've ever liked! And that's probably only because of who's driving it.

Ghetto? My board laughs at your refined, well-fashioned board! Feast your eyes on what happens when you have no board but get tired of setting up and tearing down pedals every gig/practice, find a can of high heat WalMart spray paint, an old bicycle chain and a piece of scrap 5/8 plywood under the house (JEM-inspired monkey grip): The backline is just a bit more upscale: an old Kenneth Cole briefcase from my days as a banker, more plywood and bicycle chain: The coiled tubing houses two 20' George-L's cables for the loop, another cable for the amp-to-frontline link and the cable for the amp's footswitch. I have about $2 (wood screws) in the whole rig. At the time this was put together I needed to throw something together quickly, but this has worked just fine so I haven't bothered it. I'll get around to that some day, but in the mean time it's super ghetto!

Happy Birthday!

Hysterical. Thanks for posting.

Uuuuuuuuuh... I talked to BCRGreg on the phone a few times...

Dug up that old post of measurements. Rather than post a link, here it is: Hope this helps.

If it helps, my '83 has a scale length of 24 3/4; fretboard radius is Hamer's 14"; neck carve (and I measured) is nearly identical to an American Standard Strat, but with more shoulder on either side of the back center line. That said, it plays nothing like a strat (mostly due to the differing radius, but also due to the shoulders). I posted the actual measurements here somewhere, but I can't find them with the search function. Still looking...

Is that an honest to goodness fiesta red Farter?

Kinda depends on the application. IMHO, hard to beat the TOM/stop for most applications. That said, I REALLY like the sustain block.

Is that an Affinity Tele? Bought my daughter one for her first guitar a couple of years ago - think it was $179 new. I was blown away with the bang for $. Nice solid (three-piece) plank of ash. Only issue on the whole thing was the fret edges were a bit sharp. She doesn't play it - I've been considering getting it out and tweaking it a bit - pickups, through-body stringing, maybe a Warmoth neck...

Two words: Bela Fleck

Spectacular! I've had to keep my checkerboard tendencies in check (so to speak) since my checkerboard Spicoli's back in the eighties. I'd suit me to have checkerboard everything (no tattoos, however). That looks fantastic.

To make this more interesting, Mitch will send them to me for a month after he has finished. I, having a completely different background from Mitch, will offer the counterpoint to his review. Mitch has called out the first two, I call out Serial's green custom Studio (my favorite guitar ever, three coil bridge, P-90 neck) and PirateFlynn's Newport. Edited to add: Mitch will even pay a portion of the return shipping.

Seconded!! And a third! Great idea!

'97 Roadhouse Strat (Am Std with Texas Special pups) - they all came stock with either tort or white mother of toilet seat guards. Very cool! Here's mine: Sorry for the derail Mitch, but TORT ROCKS!!!! Also very cool! If I were anywhere near Canada it'd be great to try them out side by side (I know, I know, the Hamer MUST be superior - but I DO like my Fender ) and also sorry, Mitch, for the derail, but repetition is key to learning basic life principles: multiplication tables, abbreviations in the periodic table, the fact that TORT ROCKS! etc.

'97 Roadhouse Strat (Am Std with Texas Special pups) - they all came stock with either tort or white mother of toilet seat guards.

Tort just rocks, of course: But must confess, when I get kind of tired of the tort I have a three-ply mint green guard I stick on there for a while. I usually go back to the tort after a few months.

Yes, mine arrived I think on Thursday. Beautiful guitars. I've got to get out of Egypt some time and get to the big city to try some of these out!

I caught BB King in 1985 at the Dyersburg Community College. He was still standing during performance back then and the concert was great, however, the concert AFTER the concert was the best concert I've ever been to. What I mean by that is that, after everything was done and people were shuffling out, he came back out on stage with Lucille and began to talk to all us young guitar players. Here we stood, not ten feet from him and he began to talk and play and talk some more. He must have spent 45 minutes with us. We were in shock. Best one I ever missed was Mel Torme in an outdoor concert in Chicago. I happened to be up for the blues festival and the Velvet Fog was performing in a separate, unrelated venue. I still kick myself.

Now he says he can make out the serial number: "With a magnifying glass the serial number looks like 8 0468." In response to my question, he says: "Yes, there were strings on the guitar and everything looks and feels straight. Guitar feels solid. It appears someone did some modification then got bored." Could be okay. I am tempted. If the neck really is okay, this could be a killer guitar... I'm just put off by the valid "beware" points made earlier and by the seller's 97.6% approval rating. Some neutral ratings in there about "item not as described" and "poorly packaged." Questionable merchandise + questionable seller seems... questionable.

VEry good point. If this is indeed a '78 that would mean a one-piece neck, right? Could there be issues? My real estate appraisers used to use the term 'latent defects' as a catch all. Of course, this is all conjecture. Could be a great guitar.ETA: Okay, I couldn't help myself. I just emailed him asking about the neck and whether or not he'd had strings on it.

I've got a better monitor at home. I'll check it out there later, maybe I'll be able to tell better. On another note, are those GOLD tuners? Add that to the repair list... oh yeah, I forgot in the earlier post, + new sustain block bridge...

You know, he says, "There is no s/n that I can find," but isn't the serial number visible in the headstock photo: 8 0458? Edited to add: Mathman beat me to it! But what is up with that bridge? Back looks like it was originally a sustain block. I suppose the holes for that are underneath. Repair list: 1. remove middle pickup, fill route, fill bridge stud holes, fill four toggle holes, new veneer for top, refinish top. Greg or Roy, any estimates? After some of the stuff I've seen you guys do, this should be a cinch!