S
stevieb
Just another guy, really.
Well, old friend, I think it’s time we parted ways. Yes, I am a bit sad about it, but really, we both will be better for it, and I am glad we part as friends. The nature of our relationship is such that we probably will not meet again, but that’s okay, too- and if we do, I will certainly be glad to see you, again.
I remember our first meeting- 1998, 1999 it was?. I was looking for a lefty Stratocaster, but was on a very tight budget and anyway I always liked bringing something back from the brink. You were listed on eBay, a “Left-handed Strat copy, needs work.” Boy, was THAT the truth. Your body was basically smooth but in serious need of paint, your wiring and electronics were of undetermined lineage and condition (but certainly completely un-connected) pickguard had been very roughly routed out for a humbucker in the bridge position. You had only one or two pickups, a 3-way switch, all three pots and an extra mini-switch. Your neck and fretboard were not bad, but your neck needed refinishing, and you had no tuners. I was happy to get you.
Then the work began. Several coats of filler on your body got you to the point where you were not so thirsty, so that a few coats of a dark blue metallic paint sat on top and shined up well. I knew Fender probably had never painted a Strat dark blue metallic, but you were for me, and that’s the color I wanted you to be. Your neck was, in some ways, easier- sanded down smooth, cleaned and tacked, then several coats of nitrocellulose lacquer and you were starting to come together! I loved your maple fretboard and black dot fret markers, which got nothing more than a good oiling.
A set of HSS pickups from a Yamaha Pacifica, with 5-way switch fit onto the somewhat ragged pickguard, with the mini-switch used for a coil-tap. The humbucker needed a pickup surround to cover up the rough hole left by the careless cutting already done. As the pups were black and your pickguard was white/black/black, black knobs completed the “tuxedo” look. The hard-tail bridge you came with went back on. Your first set of tuners were Pings, but they were for a right-handed guitar, so I learned to turn the knobs backwards. A pair of new string trees, and a set of strings, and you were done!
Ah, we had some fun, eh? Lots of playing. The Yamaha pickups were not the best for you, so a new pickguard and a set of Bill Lawrence pickups (all single coils), and then a set of Fender Lefty tuners, and you were looking good- and playing good- indeed! I always wanted to put a Fender decal on your headstock so that other guitarist would give you the respect you deserved, but that never happened. You and I knew you were the good stuff, so the heck with those other people- let them be as shallow as they want.
It’s been a good ten years. We’ve become good, familiar friends. Hundreds of hours practicing, dozens of shows- you’ve been there, my journeyman axe, quick to tune and fun to play. Your hard tail bridge, at first a little of a disappointment, proved to be a real asset, keeping you in tune and improving your sustain. Great playability and reliability was your forte’, and you only needed two setups during that whole decade- one at the beginning, and another at about year nine. We had a lot of fun.
But now, it’s time to move on. Other guitars, with famous or obscure names on them, have joined you and your stable mates, and another player wants to have the advantages you offer, and is offering a great set of pickups for one of your friends who is staying on with me. I am glad you don’t mind, me finding you a new home- we both know you will be cared for and treated well. I guess I am the one who will miss our relationship the most. If I can be so bold, please, give your new partner the same tireless service you gave me.
I am honored I was able to make you shine and sing again. We stood proud together, providing the backline and taking the front of the stage.
Play on, my friend. Play on.
I remember our first meeting- 1998, 1999 it was?. I was looking for a lefty Stratocaster, but was on a very tight budget and anyway I always liked bringing something back from the brink. You were listed on eBay, a “Left-handed Strat copy, needs work.” Boy, was THAT the truth. Your body was basically smooth but in serious need of paint, your wiring and electronics were of undetermined lineage and condition (but certainly completely un-connected) pickguard had been very roughly routed out for a humbucker in the bridge position. You had only one or two pickups, a 3-way switch, all three pots and an extra mini-switch. Your neck and fretboard were not bad, but your neck needed refinishing, and you had no tuners. I was happy to get you.
Then the work began. Several coats of filler on your body got you to the point where you were not so thirsty, so that a few coats of a dark blue metallic paint sat on top and shined up well. I knew Fender probably had never painted a Strat dark blue metallic, but you were for me, and that’s the color I wanted you to be. Your neck was, in some ways, easier- sanded down smooth, cleaned and tacked, then several coats of nitrocellulose lacquer and you were starting to come together! I loved your maple fretboard and black dot fret markers, which got nothing more than a good oiling.
A set of HSS pickups from a Yamaha Pacifica, with 5-way switch fit onto the somewhat ragged pickguard, with the mini-switch used for a coil-tap. The humbucker needed a pickup surround to cover up the rough hole left by the careless cutting already done. As the pups were black and your pickguard was white/black/black, black knobs completed the “tuxedo” look. The hard-tail bridge you came with went back on. Your first set of tuners were Pings, but they were for a right-handed guitar, so I learned to turn the knobs backwards. A pair of new string trees, and a set of strings, and you were done!
Ah, we had some fun, eh? Lots of playing. The Yamaha pickups were not the best for you, so a new pickguard and a set of Bill Lawrence pickups (all single coils), and then a set of Fender Lefty tuners, and you were looking good- and playing good- indeed! I always wanted to put a Fender decal on your headstock so that other guitarist would give you the respect you deserved, but that never happened. You and I knew you were the good stuff, so the heck with those other people- let them be as shallow as they want.
It’s been a good ten years. We’ve become good, familiar friends. Hundreds of hours practicing, dozens of shows- you’ve been there, my journeyman axe, quick to tune and fun to play. Your hard tail bridge, at first a little of a disappointment, proved to be a real asset, keeping you in tune and improving your sustain. Great playability and reliability was your forte’, and you only needed two setups during that whole decade- one at the beginning, and another at about year nine. We had a lot of fun.
But now, it’s time to move on. Other guitars, with famous or obscure names on them, have joined you and your stable mates, and another player wants to have the advantages you offer, and is offering a great set of pickups for one of your friends who is staying on with me. I am glad you don’t mind, me finding you a new home- we both know you will be cared for and treated well. I guess I am the one who will miss our relationship the most. If I can be so bold, please, give your new partner the same tireless service you gave me.
I am honored I was able to make you shine and sing again. We stood proud together, providing the backline and taking the front of the stage.
Play on, my friend. Play on.
