31 Mar 2017

March 2017 – A Time of Change

by Tony Drew | posted in: News, Observations | 0

Welcome to Spring 2017, guitar aficionados. If there is anyone out there keeping tabs on what’s going on at CRAVE Guitars and wondering about the lack of recent vintage purchases, here’s a quick (and short-ish) update.

I have mentioned previously about a necessary life-changing relocation and the fact that this has (hopefully only temporarily) curtailed my mission to bring you more Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric Guitars. You may have noticed that there has been a dearth of ‘new in’ articles and a consequent increase in ‘pretentious monologues’ (or as I prefer to call them, well-researched, in-depth, objective investigations) about guitar-related matters. This shift in emphasis was a conscious decision and directly related to the necessary change in circumstances.

Change is inevitable, positive change needs to be driven. As John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) wisely stated, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future”. The time is fast approaching when it all happens, at long last. The whole process seems to have taken forever – over 12 months already. By mid-summer, the main move will have occurred (fingers crossed).

In the meantime, I am taking some heart breaking decisions and, to me at least, making some painful sacrifices. To be precise, that means selling guitar stuff. If you suffer the guitarist’s common malady of Gear Acquisition Syndrome (a.k.a. G.A.S.), you’ll understand exactly what I mean. I have accumulated quite a lot of musical equipment over the years and it’s time to be ruthless and rational about what a remodelled CRAVE Guitars actually needs, as well as to concentrate on what it will focus.

So… Why do it? Good question for a self-confessed gearhead. There are basically three factors involved here. The first is that permanent, full-time gainful employment has ceased for now, to become a full-time carer and to concentrate on the relocation. Whether this can be categorised as ‘early retirement’ or not is irrelevant – the fact is that there currently aren’t any sources of income to fund vintage guitar, amp or effect purchases. The second is that the cost of adapting a clunky, structurally unsound, damp (and very modest) old property in a poorly accessible location costs WAY more and takes WAY longer than envisaged. It has taken every last penny of available cash and it hasn’t even happened yet. The third is that the lifestyle change demands a much simpler way of living, away from the self‑seeking, avaricious intensity of the South East of England. I am not underestimating the cultural adaptation that will be required to all the above; it will be difficult and it has to be done. A positive mental attitude is most definitely needed.

So… what exactly does the sacrifice entail, you may ask? Well, at the moment, the vintage guitars, amps and effects are as safe as they can be. However, most of everything else sadly has to go. This means releasing CRAVE’s more modern guitars, non-American guitars, amps, studio gear, effects, accessories, etc. The home studio gear has largely gone and the modern effect pedals are all on their way. At the time of writing, quite a few items have departed for pastures new and there are still a few more bits and pieces to go, so the hurt continues for a while. If you are interested, keep an eye on the ‘For Sale’ section of the web site – all pre-owned items are auctioned on eBay UK and, because they have to go, there are some bargains to be had. https://www.craveguitars.co.uk/home/for-sale/

Sadly, four guitars have already gone (ouch!) and a fifth is likely to go imminently. Amongst those already re‑homed are the sunburst 1999 Fender Stratocaster American Standard and the cherry 1999 Gibson SG Standard. These are superb pro instruments and I’m very sad to see them go after many years of companionship but, as ‘they’ say, needs must. If you’ve looked at CRAVE Guitars’ website home page, these two have been front and centre for a long time, even though the guitars themselves are still a few years off vintage status – time for a new photo! Just for a change, I’m looking to use CRAVE’s vintage 1962 Gretsch and 1964 Silvertone by Danelectro (see below).

I may try to hang onto a couple of modern guitars as reference instruments but the rest are either on their way or will be shortly. Most of the electronics don’t have such an emotional connection as the guitars but it is still very sad to see such a lot of good quality gear disappearing out of the door at relatively low values. I genuinely hope that the new owners are happy with their purchases.

If I have to excise any of the vintage gear due to circumstances, it will be immensely regrettable. That isn’t to say that I won’t sell some vintage items but the proceeds therefrom can, I hope, be reinvested in ‘new’ vintage equipment. CRAVE Guitars has to continue developing, otherwise it just becomes another stagnant private ‘collection’, the idea of which doesn’t excite or motivate me (in fact it’s one of my bugbears). I need to keep the faith and plough on, otherwise I won’t have anything to write about here!

One thing that struck me is the harsh economic reality of life. Costs of things one has to pay out for end up being far higher than one expects and the residual worth of things previously paid out for is far less than one thinks it should be. It may be stating the bleedin’ obvious that, as avid consumers, the level of depreciation between acquisition and disposal is severe but the recent experience has brought it into stark focus. Let’s just say that the cash flow sits firmly in the ‘outgoing’ column, not the ‘incoming’ one.

Exacerbating the value gap are the fees that eBay and PayPal rake in just for letting people sell stuff online. While I recognise that businesses have to make money, it is clear that everyone except me is making shedloads of lucre at every step along the way!

The economic laws of supply and demand mean that, at least in business terms, straightforward ownership isn’t financially sensible or maintainable without adequate income. Such is the price of an inadequately controlled hobby over a long period of time. It isn’t all bad though. There are positives, of course; one good thing is that we guitarists can get a great deal of enjoyment from using our equipment during the course of ownership. Thankfully, guitars (and everything that goes with them) can be usefully employed and are far more than static assets representing an ‘investment’ to be protected.

While on the subject of economic value, one thing that I’ve learned with vintage guitars is how long it takes before prices bottom out and values start appreciating again (if ever). Many vintage pieces remain in the economic doldrums for a period before regaining a higher proportion of their original retail price. The vintage market is by no means perfect; it only takes a relatively small number of wealthy collectors to intervene in the finite market and to drive prices to stupid levels (don’t get me started!). There is truth in the old adage that ‘if you’ve got money you can make money’. The converse is equally true, and sadly depressing, as I’m finding out. Although it isn’t yet consistent, some post‑recession vintage prices are beginning to escalate rapidly again which, if the trend becomes more predictable, signals the start of another unsatisfactory ‘boom and bust’ inflationary cycle.

Being didactic, if CRAVE Guitars is ever going to become a going concern, the business model needs objective re‑appraisal to ensure it can be adequately sustained as a viable entity. As a closet socialist, it goes against the grain to think about buying and selling to make a ‘profit’. As I’ve mentioned before, I have been a enthusiastic consumer but not necessarily a canny buyer and certainly a reluctantly ineffective seller. My recent experience provides tangible evidence of what I suspected all along. The culture of trading in sufficient volume to make a living is a complete mystery to me and it will be a difficult lesson to learn for someone who is not naturally inclined to commerce. I can safely say that CRAVE Guitars will never earn enough to live on but that has never been the point of the venture. However, whatever happens, I will have to stop losing money hand over fist.

You may well know that, to me, vintage guitars are not just soulless products to be pedalled without any sort of emotional connection with what they represent. I think that, if I harden my attitude to what are, after all, fundamentally just bits of wood, metal and plastic, it would take away a great deal of the beguiling nature of the instruments and the almost mystical vibes they generate.As Richard Branson (1950-), founder of the Virgin empire observes, “A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts”.

Guitars, generally, have become an obsession which goes way beyond the core vintage ‘collection’. if you have ever taken a sneaky peak at CRAVE’s Twitter feed, for instance, you’ll see what I mean. I don’t anticipate that the underlying preoccupation that drives CRAVE Guitars ending any time soon.

The proceeds from the sale of the non-vintage music gear will, I hope, contribute towards the monumental costs of change. While it is sad to think that my non-vintage gear is going to fund the change in circumstance, at least the ‘career’ change is for an ethically and morally good cause. The other advantage of thinning things out is that there is less that has to be moved and less that space will be needed to home it all in the future.

It will take some time before the vintage items can be safely and securely relocated and I am looking forward to the time when the ‘family’ is readily to hand again. I am also looking forward to redesigning and updating the web content accordingly. Then, maybe, the mission to seek out more ‘Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric’ Guitars and bring them to your attention can be resumed. Bring it on – it can’t happen soon enough as far as I’m concerned.

As the likelihood of ‘new in’ articles remains a way off yet, next month may revert back to observational soliloquy, for which I apologise in advance. Until then… back to thinning out CRAVE’s non-vintage gear. Boohoo!

CRAVE Guitars ‘Quote of the Month’: “Wealth is not an absolute. It is what you do with what you’ve got, while you’ve got it that matters. Use it wisely”

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29 Oct 2016

October 2016 – The South of England Guitar Show 2016

by Tony Drew | posted in: Event, News, Observations, Opinion | 0

Here’s a change of tack for CRAVE Guitars this month and not something I would normally pontificate about. Yes, there is still some pretentious waffling, so October 2016’s article is not a complete volte face on my part. Before I get going, though, a wee bit of background in 3 points…

My adult working life started in the music industry many, many years ago with very well-known UK south coast musical importer and distributor, which is still in business (and present at the titular event). The only point in mentioning this is that I’ve seen the world of guitar business from both sides of the tracks for a long time.
I have also been to many trade shows over the years and, like many, they become pretty ‘so what’ after a while, especially those where the big manufacturers predictably roll out their shiny new stock and their professional sellers push to move product to eager consumers (or dealers). This is a necessity in any sector and is just par-for-the-course in the world of music trade. The only point in mentioning this is that, over several decades, I’ve become jaded and the anticipatory excitement of pretty new toys at these gatherings has long-since faded. As a result, I haven’t been to a sales/exhibition event for a very long time.
I have also shifted away from new guitars, amps, pedals, etc. and refocused on older and vintage stuff. This passion for vintage guitars ‘n’ things germinated because I hung on to some nearly-new gear back in the day and it has now, inevitably and rather obviously, became old. New equipment rapidly lost its superficial gleam and, like me, the relic patina gained through years of continual use began to shine through in a very different way. The only point in mentioning this is that what I’m looking for now is very different to what appealed to me as a naïve teenager, when new=good, old=bad.

Beyond the cyclical round of big trade shows, I became aware of some regional shows also taking place in the calendar, clearly run by enthusiasts passionate about the subject matter, rather than sterile accountants obsessed with maximising the contribution to the bottom line. These ‘boutique’ events looked much more alluring to me because they encapsulated the desire for guitar music, rather than the drive for mere cash profit. To my chagrin, though, most of these provincial events took place around the north of England. Now, I have nothing against the north other than my own innate laziness to travel and the demands of a full working/family life, so these events came and went without me.

I have, though, campaigned for a while on social media to bring guitar shows down south. Let’s face it, the urbanised south east is where a lot of the country’s filthy lucre is stashed away, so the vacuum down here was a bit perplexing. This may be because of the prohibitive costs of putting something on anywhere near London, especially during recessionary times.

My ‘prayers’ were to be answered. Roll forward to October 2016. Peter and Gail from Northern Guitar Shows (notice the name) thankfully saw an opportunity to address the issue and hosted the South Of England Guitar Show at Kempton Park Racecourse in Surrey this year. Even better, they put me on the guest list – so a big “thank you” to them. Now there was an additional incentive to get out of bed and haul my lazy fat arse over the county boundary and go see what was on offer.

My jaundiced and sceptical view of the music instrument industry (colloquially known as M.I.) has been reinforced by my recent experiences of arrogant vintage and new guitar retailers in both London and the south east. Restoring a little faith, the South Of England Guitar Show was very busy with ordinary folks keen to partake and it looked to be a major success. It also turned out to be an enjoyable experience for a weary, road-worn music veteran. All credit to Northern Guitar Shows for taking the risk with us fickle softy southerners.

Yes, there were the usual trade exhibitors, which one accepts, but none of the corporate big boys – no Gibson, Fender, Marshall, etc. For some, that may have been a disappointment, to me it was a blessing. To many stallholders, exhibitors and performers, it was probably run-of-the-mill and part of the annual trade circuit. Again, to me, it was refreshingly ‘intimate’ and, mostly, friendly. There were, of course, the usual dickheads who come out of the woodwork to frequent these things and make their presence known but, like bad weather, one just has to put up with them.

I was pleasantly surprised at the diverse range of smaller companies making the effort to extract my (sadly hard-earned, rather than ill-gotten) currency. Of note were some up-and-coming guitar makers presenting their wares, including among many others, Palm Bay Guitars, Stone Wolf Guitars and Flaxwood Guitars, all of whom make very pretty and practical musical instruments.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the number and variety of vintage instruments for sale including some VERY nice, but expensive, pieces – too many to mention here. The mix of new and vintage was something that has clearly come about since the last time I trudged around exhibition halls – thinking about it, there probably wasn’t a mainstream ‘vintage’ market way back then, at least not in the way there is now.

There was also decent live music on offer and a host of fringe stuff to maintain broader interest. Of note was The John Verity Band – to those that remember, he was in the band Argent and is a very good blues/rock guitarist. Also worth a listen was industry veteran Phil Harris commentating provocatively about the obsession with vintage authenticity by suggesting that reproductions can not only be as good as the originals but in many cases better. It was refreshing to hear someone who has profited considerably from the vagaries of the vintage market arguing to the contrary in very pragmatic terms. He is quite a nifty guitarist too. The objectionable high-net worth collector market aberration is something that I have also tried to articulate in my blogs but, heh, who listens to me?

Not only did I wander the aisles academically looking for a variety of desirable bits and pieces, I actually shelled out some dosh on a selected vintage item. I had made the effort to be there and so had the sellers, so I wasn’t about to leave empty‑handed. Was I tempted by the usual array of vintage Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, ES‑335s, et al, all going for what I still think is silly money? Hell yes, of course I was – don’t be ridiculous! Even though the art of haggling is still accepted at these events, the prime guitars were all (sadly) way out of my price range, especially during my current period of enforced purchasing abstinence.

So, you may ask, what did I come back with? My eye had been caught by a very modest and reasonably priced cute little guitar… a 1964-ish black sparkle Silvertone 1449 complete from Terry’s Guitars. Terry is selling much of his guitar collection and this baby was up for sale. For those who may not know, Silvertone guitars were made by Danelectro in the ‘60s for the American Sears & Roebuck department stores and were sold as a set with their ‘amp-in-case’ as an ‘all-in-one’ solution for beginners. The Silvertone is pure Danelectro, complete with twin ‘lipstick’ pickups and vinyl tape body edging. The 1449’s sweet 5-watt valve amp features a tremolo circuit and 8” speaker, all of which is cleverly integrated into the slim (and heavy) guitar case. While not the first or last, as an offering to the mass market, it was a genius idea from half a century ago and a move that proved very successful for Sears and Danelectro.

The guitar was very competitively priced because the headstock has a crack in it which, while relatively common, had been poorly ‘repaired’ (with screws – yikes!). This will need professionally seeing to and I feel a trip to see Dave at Eternal Guitars coming on. However, the guitar was otherwise very clean and all-original, and the ‘amp-in-case’ was working (albeit with a new Weber speaker to replace the original). In fact, the valve amp sounds VERY good for what was originally a budget practice amp. So, 52 years after it was made, this particular Silvertone has found a new home at CRAVE Guitars. One wonders where it might be in another 52 years’ time. Who knows?

I was interested in this particular guitar because I have been looking for a vintage Danelectro for ages; CRAVE has a 2008 Chinese-built Dano ’63 which is a modern interpretation of the 1449 (but no case), so this seemed an ideal match. The Silvertone also fits with CRAVE Guitars’ core ethos – Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric guitars (that’s what the acronym CRAVE stands for after all) – and the meek little hybrid ticked all 5 essential criteria. After a short haggle, Terry let me have it for a reasonable price, including the step-down transformer for the amp’s 110V power supply, which all works perfectly. Thanks Terry. What a cool guy! Striking a great vintage deal was the icing on the cake for a Sunday out with a difference.

So, kudos to all concerned. The good news is that the South of England Guitar Show will return to Surrey on 29^th October 2017. My advice? Why not give it a go if you like the idea. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Music Quote of the Month’: “Age does not stop a guitarist, death does.”

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28 May 2016

May 2016 – New Stuff At CRAVE Guitars

by Tony Drew | posted in: News | 0

It’s been a few months now since I covered any new CRAVE Guitars’ acquisitions and it suddenly occurred to me that quite a bit has happened since Christmas 2015. So, I’ve put arrogant, pretentious rhetoric on hold in order to get back to the core of what CRAVE Guitars is all about.

In March 2016, I mentioned that I am on a new mission, money permitting, to accumulate a range of classic vintage guitar effect pedals. Progress to-date has largely fallen into 3 categories:

Purchasing a range of cool vintage effect pedals
Recovering a number of older effects from storage that I bought new in the 1970s
Getting out a horde of modern effects, some of which will probably have to go over coming weeks/months to fund further vintage purchases

Only some of the ‘new’ vintage pedals have made it to the web site at the time of writing – I am in the fortunate position of having a backlog of features and galleries to update, so keep an eye open to see newly published material. There is too much to cover in this article, so take a peek at the ‘Amps & Effects’ features pages (click here to see feature menu page…). These particular pedals have been selected because they were the tools of the trade in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, so represent familiar territory for me.

In summary, cool vintage stomp boxes that are ‘new in’ since March 2016 include:

1981 BOSS DS-1 Distortion
1985 BOSS OC-2 Octave
1976 Electro-Harmonix Doctor Q (envelope follower)
1982 Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay
1984 Ibanez CS9 Stereo Chorus
1981 Ibanez FL301-DX Flanger
1982 Ibanez FL9 Flanger
1981 Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer (overdrive)
1980 Jen Cry Baby Super (wah)
1977 MXR Blue Box (octave/fuzz)
1975 MXR Distortion +
1977 MXR Phase 90

My personal collection of cool vintage Electro-Harmonix effect pedals includes:

1977 Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (fuzz)
1977 Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man (echo)
1977 Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress (flanger)
1976 Electro-Harmonix LPB-2 (clean boost)
1977 Electro-Harmonix Small Stone (phase)

Now, if you know about or even have a passing interest in vintage effect pedals, that’s quite an impressive little haul for starters, albeit from the mainstream brands. Like all CRAVE Guitars items, they will be used (but not, I hasten to add, all at the same time!).

That’s not all folks… Despite my declared ‘temporary change of direction’ I haven’t completely been able to resist the temptation to purchase more vintage guitars. There have been 2 new purchases that are complete polar opposites in almost every respect. Both are great instruments; they are just very, very different from each other. Both guitars have features written on them, so I won’t repeat the detail here, other than to say that they are fabulous additions to the CRAVE Guitars stable. Go take a deeper look:

1962 Gretsch 6120 Double Cutaway Chet Atkins Hollowbody (click here to see feature…)
1981 Gibson RD Artist (click here to see feature…)

The time is coming for a bit of rationalisation at CRAVE. If anyone out there is interested in purchasing any ‘modern’ (i.e. post-1990) guitars, amps and/or effects pedals, let me know and I’ll send a list. I’m not a dealer, so I’m not sure about how much they are worth, so I might just let eBay auctions determine the market value (time permitting). They deserve more use than they’re getting now.

While the stomp box mission is in full swing, I am also mildly interested in getting hold of another vintage valve amp. I’m thinking of one of the smaller ‘student’ models from Fender (black or silver face), probably from the late 1960s up to the mid‑1970s – perhaps an all-original Champ, Vibro Champ or a Princeton in good used condition (and UK 240V).

Guitar-wise, I am also browsing the Internet for some cost-effective vintage guitars to fill gaps, for instance a 1970s Fender Bronco, a 1960s Danelectro and a 3^rd generation Melody Maker from the mid-1960s (these are the ‘ugly duckling’ ones with the amateur-looking pointy cutaways, i.e. not the pretty 2^nd generation or the SG-like 4^th generation ones). I am more pernickety about guitars and these have to be in good-to-excellent original condition (i.e. no refinishes, major modifications or breakages).

I simply can’t afford ambitious ‘retail’ vintage prices for guitars, amps and effects, but we may be able to find common ground around realistic values. What may come my way will be shared on the site.

That’s more than enough for now. Stay cool. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Music Quote of the Month’: “Music is not necessarily the only road to true enlightenment. According to many musicians that’s also what sex and drugs are for.”

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27 Mar 2016

March 2016 – A Temporary Change Of Direction

by Tony Drew | posted in: News, Opinion | 0

A couple of months (and posts) ago, I mused on the other key elements of a guitarist’s arsenal, amplifiers and effects. While often regarded as 2nd class citizens of the vintage signal chain, they are, however, both essential items as well as intensely personal in terms of shaping musicians’ individual sound signatures. Being fortunate enough to have a number of Cool & Rare Vintage Electric Guitars, it made some sense to explore these other gems that contributed to modern music as we know it.

The first step was to ditch modern transistor amps and acquire a solid, reliable (but small) vintage amp. The early ’70s Music Man 210 ‘sixty five’ (click here to see the amp feature…) designed by Leo Fender was the first of these, and what a great addition this was.

Then, because of a recent change in personal circumstances, I took a strategic decision to stop looking at the pricier (for me) end of the market and start re-exploring the landscape of vintage effect pedals. I have a number of original ’70s Electro-Harmonix (EHX) American stomp boxes, although these are (sadly) in storage at the moment. I also have a range of modern BOSS and Line 6 pedals which, when I started thinking about it, just didn’t get me excited. Don’t get me wrong, they are great pieces of electronics. However, they didn’t inspire my playing in the way I thought they should. So… unless there isn’t a vintage equivalent, I think that they are now going to have to go the same way as modern amps. My first dalliance with vintage effects has resulted in a number of interesting little effect pedals. I have to say that this may be dangerous territory and I might be opening another Pandora’s Box of addiction for me.

The first area to explore was the sonic continuum from compression to add clean sustain at one end to absurdly dirty fuzz at the other extreme. As far as effect pedals are concerned, the top Japanese brands like BOSS and Ibanez deserve as much respect as their American counterparts like EHX and MXR. I therefore make little distinction, as long as they are both vintage and classic (and good!). Recent additions include (in order from serenely subtle, through sensuously sublime, to seriously psychotic):

1980 MXR Dyna Comp Compressor
1980 BOSS CS-1 Compression Sustainer
1980 BOSS OD-1 Over Drive
1988 Pro Co Rat Distortion
1978 Electro-Harmonix Little Big Muff π (fuzz)

I won’t repeat myself here, other than to say these diminutive boxes provide an infinite range of tonal possibilities (Click here to see features on all these classic pedals…). This is just the start. Over the next few months, I will try to add to the above and also, hopefully, retrieve my original EHX pedals. I have also started looking at the other families of effects, the time delay-based warbles of phasers, choruses, flangers and echoes, as well as other oddball sound manglers such as envelope followers, ring modulators and pitch shifters. When I started looking, I couldn’t believe the prices of some vintage pedals, original Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamers for instance or Roland Space Echoes (OK, the latter is strictly not a pedal but you know what I mean). Even battered and beaten examples can go for eye-watering sums. I am just (re-)learning all about this stuff, so it will take a time to get re-acquainted with the nuances.

By the way, I haven’t completely resisted the temptation of vintage guitars. I have been ‘naughty’ and continued to dabble in my 6-string obsession with some diverse acquisitions. I hope to be reprising these in another ‘What’s New at CRAVE Gutiars’ post soon. Generally speaking though, guitars will have to take a back seat for a while, so I may go on about ‘Amplifiers and Effects’ for a while yet. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Music Quote of the Month’: “Music doesn’t provide answers to life’s complications but it does provide solace for the soul when the questions are asked.”

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19 Dec 2015

December 2015 – What’s New at CRAVE Guitars (yet again)

by Tony Drew | posted in: News | 0

A busy end to 2015! As mentioned in my November 2015 article, “… another great imported ‘Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric’ guitar [was] wending its way from its birthplace in New York via Texas…”. Well, it arrived safe and sound and I can reveal that it is a rather tasty and very cool 1965 Gretsch Corvette. No, on reflection, let’s use hyperbole, this guitar is AWSOME! Take a look at the feature for more information (click here to see guitar feature…)

While most pundits understandably veer toward the classic hollow body models, particularly the iconic 6120 Chet Atkins, I took a conscious decision to find something from this great company that is unusual and distinctive. The Corvette, I believe, fits the bill nicely. In the shadow of it bigger and bolder brothers (and, let’s face it, more ubiquitous, more expensive and, well… more orange), the Corvette (designated 6135) was considered to be at the ‘budget’ end of the Gretsch range. It didn’t succeed in competing with Fender and Gibson’s ‘student’ line-ups. However, that doesn’t mean that it should be overlooked or disregarded, quite the opposite in my view. Just look at it! I almost feel honour-bound to promote the Corvette’s unique charms for a discerning audience that appreciates ‘Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric’ Guitars.

So, what are we actually talking about here… well, firstly, it is a solid body guitar, so it won’t feedback as much in higher gain environments. AND, it doesn’t have the body binding of the hollow body guitars, so many of which are now sadly irrevocably disintegrating. The Corvette sports 2 original HiLoTron single coil pickups (rather than the upmarket FilterTrons). Despite what some critics say (weak, thin‑sounding), it depends how you use them. The neck pickup, in particular, has a lovely ‘60s jazzy vibe that modern pickups struggle to replicate, while the bridge pickup has a steely, crystalline clean sound. Perhaps HiLoTrons just suit the solid body guitars better. It also has an unusual, factory original Burns vibrato in gleaming chrome, which is great and not hugely familiar to players used to the more commonplace Bigsby, Fender or Gibson units. Interesting factoid – around 2 decades before Music Man famously went with asymmetric 4+2 tuner layouts on its guitars, Gretsch did it on the mid-60s Corvette – here’s the evidence (NB. So did Japanese manufacturer, Teisco!). Aesthetically, I am drawn to this idiosyncratic approach rather than the more familiar (read ‘predictably boring’) Gibson-esque 3+3 used on so many guitars. The fingerboard is quite wide and flat compared to, say Fenders of the era, so easy to play.

This exquisite guitar plays as well as it looks, with a sparkling, jangly resonant sound that, while it isn’t perhaps as evocative as its more illustrious Gretsch sibling, it is distinctive in a way that differentiates it from ‘mainstream’ guitars by Fender and Gibson. Anyone familiar with the CRAVE Guitars’ ethos will understand where I’m coming from. Gretsch has wisely reissued the Corvette for the new millennium as an off-shore produced budget model, suggesting that there is growing interest in the ‘alternative’ side of Gretsch instruments. GOOD!

This beautiful little vintage guitar was made by the family-owned Gretsch company in Brooklyn, New York, USA before the firm was sold to the Baldwin Piano Company in 1967, a move that ultimately led to the brand’s decline and subsequent demise. Pre‑Baldwin Gretsch guitars are now becoming much more sought after, and prices will increase accordingly. Why not find out more about Gretsch’s long history as a guitar brand (since 1883) by taking a look at the CRAVE Guitars feature on Gretsch (click here to see brand feature…). Thankfully, Gretsch’s fortunes have recovered strongly since the 1990s and the brand is successfully resurgent under Fender’s paternalistic wing. Hopefully, the classic ‘T-roof’ Gretsch logo will grace fabulous guitars for many years to come.

Thanks for your interest in cool vintage guitars in 2015. CRAVE Guitars is now looking forward to 2016 and wondering where we will be a year from now. In the meantime, I’m off to ‘plink my planks’. Peace and Love to the world before it’s too late. Until next time… P.S. Keep an eye on the CRAVE Guitars ‘For Sale’ web page with links to any active eBay items (click here to see CRAVE’s ‘for sale’ items).

CRAVE Guitars ‘Music Quote of the Month’: “If music be the food of love, plug in, turn up the volume and head bang the hell out of it like there’s no tomorrow!”

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28 Nov 2015

November 2015 – What’s New at CRAVE Guitars (again)

by Tony Drew | posted in: News | 0

There’s been quite a flurry of guitar activity at CRAVE Guitars this autumn, way more than enough for a single article. For November, I’ll focus on some recent 4 and 6‑string additions. Unfortunately, cool guitars from Fender and Gibson that fit the CRAVE ethos have been few and far between recently, especially in the UK, so I’ve taken a bit of an expedition off-the-beaten-track over recent months, with Music Man, Epiphone and now…

The first newbies aren’t actually ‘new’ in that they’ve been part of CRAVE for a few years but sitting, somewhat overlooked in the background. It is time to bring them into the fold. I hinted at them in my last article and they get a bit more exposure this month. See the new features on the web site for pristine examples of:

Danelectro Dano ’63
Danelectro Dano ’63 Long Scale Bass

2008 Danelectro Dano '63 — 2008 Danelectro Dano ’63

2008 Danelectro Dano '63 Long Scale Bass — 2008 Danelectro Dano ’63 Long Scale Bass

This pair of Danos are neither vintage nor American – they were made in China in 2008 so, you might ask, why are they here? Well… firstly Danelectro is an American company that has a very long history of innovative guitar manufacture dating back to 1947, so they certainly deserve attention and respect. Danelectro’s fascinating heritage has been covered in a recent CRAVE feature on the brand. (click here to see brand feature…)

OK, so they aren’t ‘made in USA’. However, if they were, they probably wouldn’t exist at all because of the economic imperative driven by cutthroat competition in global capitalist markets. While the ‘reissues’ aren’t accurate recreations of American originals, they are heavily influenced by the 1449 guitar and 1447 bass made by Danelectro for the American Sears‑Roebuck department chain in 1963. They also have ergonomic features for modern players while also keeping manufacturing costs down. And, let’s be honest, once one overcomes any snobbery, they are SO cute, especially in cool satin aqua blue. They are straight from the manufacturer, and have never been played, which is unusual. So that’s my justification for including them here. Go take a look. They may, however, have to go ‘for sale’ soon.

Next up is a new arrival and a more ‘authentic’ CRAVE Guitar, also the subject of a feature on the web site. At long last, I have my hands on a sumptuous Mapleglo Rickenbacker 480, this one was born to the world in California in early 1974. The 480 is nowhere near as celebrated as its 300 series counterparts but in my opinion a fantastic instrument and very much a ‘sleeper’ for the discerning guitar fan. Its closest relative is actually the iconic 4000 bass guitars. One day, hopefully, the 480 will receive the recognition it thoroughly deserves and RIC will consider a reissue. In the meantime, challenge your preconceptions and revel in the Rickenbacker 480’s beauty. It is also a great guitar to play and quite different from other guitars of the time. Go take a look at this immaculate little near-42‑year old stunner (click here to see guitar feature…). As with Danelectro, Rickenbacker’s significant contribution to modern guitar history is covered in a recent CRAVE feature on the brand (click here to see brand feature…).

This Rickenbacker 480 was sought out and imported from America, something I’ve touched on before. The UK vintage guitar market is dysfunctional at the moment, which is why 3 out of the last 4 guitar acquisitions have come from the other side of the Atlantic – a pain to do but, when the results are as cool as other recent CRAVE purchases, it’s worth the effort. Watch this space for another great imported ‘Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric’ Guitar, wending its way from its birthplace in New York via Texas as I write.

Plug time… CRAVE is and will be selling some surplus guitar bits and pieces initially. There are also a few non-vintage instruments that I hope will find caring new homes in order to fund future vintage purchases. Must… feed… the… habit! Keep an eye on the CRAVE Guitars ‘For Sale’ web page with links to any active eBay items (click here to see CRAVE’s ‘for sale’ items).

For a number of reasons, CRAVE is going to be taking a slightly different direction over coming months and these articles will, I hope, illuminate the 6‑string journey that I’m currently on. I intend to explore new and different (for me) guitar-related adventures and, hopefully, get excited about. It just has to be done. Why not come with. Watch this space. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Music Quote of the Month’: “Music cannot be silenced… or life would be very quiet indeed.”

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18 Oct 2015

October 2015 – What’s New at CRAVE Guitars

by Tony Drew | posted in: News | 0

Quite a lot has been happening at CRAVE Guitars over the past few weeks. Firstly, the web site has had quite a major overhaul. While it doesn’t look very different at first glance (intentionally) it has been comprehensively updated with nearly all pages having had some work done on them to one degree or another. There are now quite a few new pages added to the original ones, so now there are even more reasons to (and fewer excuses not to) revisit CRAVE Guitars.

For example, the footers on each page now show the last 2 tweets from CRAVE’s quite prolific Twitter output. Twitter is where the general, topical and fun stuff about guitars appears, usually with multiple tweets daily. Don’t take it seriously, it is just light entertainment. The Twitter feed is basically replicated on Facebook and Google+. You can now also subscribe by e-mail to these opinionated ramblings, so you don’t need to visit the site to see if there’s something new that I’m waffling on about. I only post ‘blogs’ about once a month with longer, more in-depth articles like this, so it isn’t a daily deluge of irrelevant irreverence! For a more business-like approach, CRAVE is now also on LinkedIn and I’m trying to work out what to do with it that’s different and a bit more, well… professional and fundamentally meaningful than the lighter side of the guitar universe on Twitter. Why not take a look?

CRAVE Website Footer Screenshot — CRAVE Website Footer

There are new Galleries on ‘amplifiers and effects’, Instagram, ‘impressions’ and YouTube. These are the beginnings of more visual content to come in the future. The Features section now includes short articles on brand histories of the major US guitar manufacturers whose past output provided us with the instruments we now cherish as vintage guitars. All vintage guitars were shiny and new once. I am also writing some new features to add to the site in the future. There will also be new features on vintage amplifiers and effects; the first of which has just appeared (see more below). I have lots of vintage Electro Harmonix effects to dig out for instance. All the guitar features have been improved with some brand new and some updated material. There are a couple of new(ish) matching Danelectro instrument features (1 guitar and 1 bass) which aren’t quite part of the core CRAVE ethos but which are modern takes on cool American guitars of the past (1963 to be precise). Fantastic colour too (aqua).

The Resources section of the site has been completely revamped and extensively expanded from a single web page to 7 pages with, hopefully, a cornucopia or even a smorgasbord (i.e. lots) of interesting and useful information about guitars, guitarists, guitar music and guitar references. There is too much to go into here. Take a look and hopefully there is something to fire your imagination and make a visit worthwhile. I welcome input, ideas and even corrections (this isn’t a bible and it can be improved with your help), so drop me a line if there’s something you think will make it better.

There is a new ‘For Sale’ section although it’s a bit, erm… thin at the moment. I have some newer equipment and some guitar bits and pieces that I need to sell in order to feed the vintage guitar habit. This won’t be an online shop from the start but it will (I hope) promote some upcoming sales on eBay. If this proves popular, I might venture into direct e-commerce. Watch this space. I also want to use this section to highlight some relevant items on Amazon for guitarists and vintage enthusiasts to peruse (I’m testing it on the ‘guitar books’ section under Resources at the moment). It might even earn some pennies to help fund CRAVE’s non-profit enterprise.

Anyway… enough about the CRAVE Guitars website for now. While I should be selling stuff, I’m actually buying again at the moment. My ‘buy of the month’ is an exquisite mid-‘70s Music Man 210 ‘sixty-five’ guitar amp, which was not only a bargain but also a superb example of what Leo Fender designed after he left Fender. The ‘sixty-five’ was the first MM product to see the light of day in 1974 and the early ones are particularly great. These fantastic amps are so ‘under the radar’, it’s unbelievable. Ssshhh… don’t tell anyone! There is a feature on this remarkable little amp on the website (click here to see amp feature…), so I won’t repeat that here. Suffice to say, I’m excited by it. There is a personal connection here too – I used to work for Strings & Things, who imported Music Man into the UK in the late 1970s. I have finally got around to having a credible vintage amp that does justice to CRAVE’s vintage guitars. I have a funny feeling that this may be the start of a distracting side venture for CRAVE.

It’s not only amps on the shopping list; CRAVE is also back on the guitar buying trail again. I am tracking down another ‘Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric’ Guitar model which, if I’m successful in acquiring one, is likely to make an appearance on the CRAVE website before too long. This particular model isn’t either a Fender or a Gibson and it’s not a brand I’ve owned before – diversity can be a good thing and it should certainly complement other CRAVE guitars nicely. The guitar in question was a niche model and not hugely popular at the time. However, it is one that I believe the company involved should seriously consider ressurecting. Intrigued? Keep an on the website and for a future ‘blog’ post where I hope to explain ‘what’ and ‘why’.

Even though CRAVE Guitars is a demented enthusiast’s pastime and I have to work for a meagre subsistence; I may have to increase the frequency of posts to fit everything in! Until next time…

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23 May 2015

May 2015 – More ‘new in’ at CRAVE Guitars

by Tony Drew | posted in: News | 0

CRAVE has had some serious IT issues, which have made it difficult to keep up with things – apologies. Following on from my last post, saying that I’d been surprised by purchasing a cute 1959 Fender Musicmaster. Well, that trend of ‘leftfield’ acquisitions has continued into spring 2015. At first glance, these new old guitars may seem inconsistent with CRAVE’s philosophy but bear with me – “though this be madness, yet there is method in’t” as a certain Brit Bard wrote in Hamlet. Methinks, he would have been a wicked guitarist.

The first recent purchase is a really nice original 1976 Music Man Stingray I purchased from Ross Godfrey, founder and guitarist of Morcheeba, who bought it from its original owner in New Mexico. I used to work for the importer of Music Man in the late ‘70s (Strings & Things) and the 1978 Stingray bass that I still own came from there, so they make a good pairing.

1976 Music Man Stingray 1 — 1976 Music Man Stingray I

This Stingray is a lovely all-original early example with the white pickguard and retro knobs. The Stingray, designed and built by Leo Fender at Music Man after his 10-year post-CBS exile from the industry, showed where his prolific innovations in guitar design were going at the time. Sadly, for a number of reasons, the guitar didn’t survive into the Ernie Ball era like the bass did. However, in my opinion, it is a greatly underrated and underappreciated guitar. While some critics jump on the bandwagon of knocking it simply for the sake of it, perhaps it is time to re-evaluate it on its merits, which are many. They have a lot going for them and there is a lot of virtue in conserving these cult models for posterity. The connection between this guitar and Fender is therefore strong and credible. In my opinion, the MM represents a different and really cool instrument (and a relatively rare one – only 500 of these early examples were made).

The second recent purchase is a really cool 1966 Epiphone Olympic in lovely condition. Epis at that time were made by Gibson and, while some other models were Gibson clones, this particular Olympic has all the key hallmarks of Epiphone’s independent early ‘60s design.

I imported this one from Canada and it had to have a little bit of respectful restoration to the electrics on arrival (thanks to Dave at Eternal Guitars). Now it’s in perfect order, just as it should be. Taking all costs into consideration, I’m unlikely ever to make any profit on the Epi but that’s not the point of CRAVE Guitars. It is a lovely little vintage instrument, very light, beautifully made, easy to play and the single, often belittled and misunderstood, ‘60s Gibson Melody Maker pickup sounds great. As you may have noticed by now, CRAVE really likes stripped down back-to-basics guitars that the snobs (thankfully) tend to bypass. Dig that neat ‘batwing’ headstock too, SO cool. This Olympic model is undeservedly overlooked by collectors in favour of the Epiphone Coronet, Crestwood and Wilshire models of the same era, despite sharing many characteristics (especially the body and neck).

So… with Fender and Gibson DNA running strong through the veins of both the Music Man Stingray and the Epiphone Olympic, they typify the CRAVE Guitars’ niche ethos perfectly. The Epiphone is a real contrast to the Music Man but that’s kinda the point of what CRAVE does. Both cool and uncommon, both deservedly earning a CRAVE Guitars endorsement. Until next time…

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5 Apr 2015

April 2015 – New In At CRAVE Guitars

by Tony Drew | posted in: News | 0

In my previous post, I said it can be exciting not knowing for sure what the next vintage purchase would be. I mentioned quite a few priorities from my rather lengthy ‘most wanted’ list. So what did I do? Not what I expected, that’s for sure. I went and bought a really cute 1959 Fender Musicmaster in lovely 100% original, very good condition.

It has a few nicks and dents but, heh, it is over half a century old and, more importantly, it has been played, which is always a good sign. Great ‘50s 22½” scale length ¾-sized ‘student’ models are actually pretty rare in this country – this one was brought back from Boston, USA by the previous owner a few years ago and he bought it from the original owner. The ‘59-‘61 Musicmasters come with the single-ply white (actually cream) plastic scratchplate and slab rosewood fingerboard, complete with clay dot markers. The unfaded original coffee colour (Desert Sand) is not Fender’s finest colour and it is a bit different. Desert Sand was supplemented by an optional maroon-to-yellow sunburst in 1959 that was, arguably, unpleasant. Desert Sand was phased out in 1961. I guess they didn’t want the baby Fenders to compete with their higher range guitars in the looks department. The simple aesthetic and stripped down features were still built to Fender’s high quality standards at the time, so it isn’t second rate in that department. It is a joy to pick up and play; its back‑to-basics features mean that it makes one focus on technique. Plugged in, the angled single coil pickup mounted near the neck sounds really funky and the short scale ensures it is quite resonant. Surprisingly, the strings don’t ‘choke out’ when bent high up the neck, so the set-up is spot on. One soon gets used to its diminutive stature and the short scale is not a problem, especially if, like me, one doesn’t have long fingers.

Many of these old guitars are now being broken for valuable parts to make a quick buck, which is a shame but it makes the surviving all-original ones even rarer. It comes in an original maroon Fender-Bulwin case of the era, as supplied, rather than the more common Fender tan one. Still, the emphasis is really on the guitar, not the box it comes in. I am not a vintage guitar snob – all in all, it’s a great 56-year old guitar that I’ve quite taken a shine to. Cheers to Keith for selling it to me. What next? Watch this space…

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