ezbass

PRS build quality is stunning and the McCarty was the best humbucker equipped guitar I’d ever heard. I bought the Swamp Ash Special to compliment it. However, after a while I found that the ergonomics didn’t suit me, anything from the 10th fret upwards made it feel like my left elbow was squashed against my side and felt cramped. The SE singlecut was better in that respect, but I had moved to bass by then and it didn’t get played that much (another stunner with pickups that were as good as Duncans and Bareknuckles, which I tried in it). The McCarty paid for my first ‘quality’ bass, a Fender USA Jazz, with change left over. I had a count up in bed last night as I couldn’t sleep, I got to 34 guitars over the years, both electric and acoustic, but I’m sure I must’ve forgotten one or two. I might have to make that list after all.

During these days of isolation, I wondered if a pictorial history of the guitars we have owned might not fill the time. Therefore, I opened up my photos app and was shocked to find so few in digital form. Undeterred, I made a collage of those I could find and leave it here for your perusal and, hopefully, additions of your own. Notable guitars missing from this selection are: my very first guitar, an Audition Strat-o-like; my PRS Swamp Ash Special; a Fender Fotoflame Strat (great playing guitar but heavy as a boat anchor); a Gibbo ES335 (one of the few guitars I made a profit on when I sold it); Tokai Love Rock and Breezysound (LP and Strat, fabulous instruments); there are many others too, but not really worthy of mention and when totalled up, a little embarrassing. I'm sure I have photos of them somewhere in the loft, but we'll see how the ennui progresses in the coming weeks before I feel the need to venture up there. And so, on with the show... Apologies for those 4 string things photobombing our hallowed, treble pages 😂

I think we’re all about to become a bit Zen about small tasks, learning to take joy in little everyday things. For my part, I always enjoy tinkering with guitars, but I’m up to date with all of that at the moment, so I’ll have to find other things that need doing, although I draw the line at painting skirting boards - hateful task.

I’ve always been a firm believer that the biggest tonal differences are to me made with the transducers in the signal chain (pickups and speakers), so this would be very interesting indeed.

I’ve done it in the past, loads of fun and really satisfying. Unfortunately, the company I bought from are no more I think..

I’ve liked the look of these since release, it’s good to know that they’re playable and good sounding too.

Every fool knows you can’t use a plastic slide on guitar, sounds awful.

I replaced the body on my CV again, as I fancied a more classic look and I’ve always been a sucker for a bound body.

If they’re causing you nausea, then yes. 😉 Ooh, is that my coat? It’s ok, I’ll get it myself.

Any tuning is ‘right’. However, I found taking off the E string and tuning to open G, like Keef and Chris Rea, gave the most pleasing results (you can also leave the E string on and down tune it to D). You can get some nice chord voicings by fretting notes behind the slide. If you haven’t already, check out Sonny Landreth, IMO the king of slide.

No, it’s a replacement. I initially changed to a contoured body as I was finding the original pine body a bit heavy and fancied something a bit more colourful. Just recently I’d been hankering for a more classic look and I’ve always been a fan of the bound Deluxe look, so we have the result of my desires.

Another low ender enters the fray.

Well look who showed up. Fresh meat, fresh meat!