Figured I’d tell you about the 3 guitars that are out on the stand today. Or more accurately, hanging on the wall today.
Epiphone IBGC 1959 ES-355
The first is the one that, for the last year, is the one I generally grab. It’s my IBGC ES-355. Picked it up May a year ago. Mrs Snarf knew I wanted one, so she told me I should get it as a happy-new-job present to myself. She didn’t have to tell me twice.
I’ve always dug the sound of a good semi-hollow. This one is, imho, Epi’s top of the line for those. It’s a really great guitar. It’s got those Gibson Custombucker pickups in it that sound really, really good to my ear. The neck on it just sings. It’s satin red. It’s got the fancier binding and inlays. And my #1 fave thing about it is the big neck.
I bought it mainly because of the neck and pickups. They haven’t disappointed. In fact, I had a real, live GIbson ES-335 for a few years. It wasn’t a bad guitar, but it was definitely a Friday afternoon guitar. There were some things about it that just…weren’t right. It eventually got traded off. Adjusting for inflation, there was a $1,300 difference in the two guitars. In the case of these two, the less expensive one has turned out to be the better instrument.
Sounds good. Looks good. It’s been my main player since I bought it.
Epiphone 1962 50th Anniversary E212T
Next up is my 1962 50th Anniversary Sheraton. It’s number 240 of 1962. It was the original guitar I bought trying to scratch the 335 itch. I probably don’t talk about this one enough. It probably deserves its own post someday. For several reasons, it didn’t really scratch the itch, but, when I had the real 335, the Gibson went away, and I still have this one.
It’s got a super skinny neck on it. That’s probably the thing I dislike most about it. However, the pickups in it more than make up for the toothpick neck. They’re Gibson mini-humbuckers. I’ve never been able to put my finger on why I like them so much. If I had to give a description of them, I’d say they’re just super smooth.
It had actually been in the closet until a couple weeks ago. I picked up the Les Paul to play it for something, and the sound wasn’t right. So I grabbed the 355, and it still wasn’t what I was after. So I grabbed the Tele, and that was strike three. So I went to the closet. Went to grab a couple others, but grabbed the Sherry instead. That was it! The sound in my head for what I was playing.
Also, I don’t typically like gold hardware on a guitar. To me, that’s the worst thing about my 355. I just am not a gold fan. However, on this Sheraton, the gold looks really nice. Imho, it’s a really good looking guitar. Looks and sound…a killer combo,
Fender Road Worn 50’s Telecaster
I’ve talked about this guitar before. It’s my Road Worn 50s Tele. I wasn’t really a fan of it until I stuck those Bootstrap pickups in it. After I did that, it has stayed in constant rotation.
Not a whole lot to say about this one that I haven’t already said. It sounds like a Telecaster should sound. Looking back at the original Road Worn 50s Tele that had (from 2010), I would’ve probably kept that guitar if I had changed the pickups in it. But I like the look of this one a LOT better.
The only thing I liked better on that other Tele, weirdly enough, was the look of the neck. Those original Road Worn maple necks got a LOT of the anti-relic crowd all riled up because the frets looked like they had been through it. In fact, when I traded the guitar in, the guy at the store said, “you played the finish off this neck.” I hadn’t. The finish was still on there, it just looked like it wasn’t. Again, weirdly enough, I really dug the neck because of the fact that so many people didn’t like it.
The neck on the Road Worn I have now is worn in the back, but the frets don’t look like they’ve been beat to heck like that other one. The overall relic job is, also, not as relic-ed looking. Makes me think that over the years they toned down on the relic process.
But it’s a great guitar as well. Sounds good. Looks good. I enjoy playing it.
So what guitars are you playing right now? Anything cool and interesting and different?