Even though I am not a guitar player, I have accumulated a number of guitars over the years. Each offers something that none of the others can in terms of a distinctive sound which is why I guess I've managed to keep them. If I had to pick one that is my favorite it would have to be the 2002 Cherry Sunburst Les Paul Standard, followed closely by the 2003 Tobacco Sunburst Fender Telecaster. 

HOLLOW/SEMI-HOLLOW BODY GUITARS

I have always gravitated towards hollow body and semi-hollow body electrics. My first electric guitar was a 1966 Decca DMI 501 semi-hollow body. The oldest hollow body that I currently have is the Washburn HB-35, a Gibson ES-335 copy that has been with me for over 25 years. The Ibanez is a joy to play with its flat wound strings, and the Gretsch sits in between the Ibanez and Washburn in terms of sound.

ELECTRIC GUITARS

My Tobacco Sunburst Strat was recently acquired, a replacement for a 1987 Fender Olympic White Strat that I passed on to my son. I made do with the Tely when I wanted to get that "Fender" sound but the lipstick pickup on the Tely doesn't quite generate the same sound as a Strat's middle and neck single coil pickups. The HSS Strat is the newest guitar in the group, bought only because it was being auctioned off on eBay, the auction ended at 3:15 a.m.,  and no one but me bid on it. The cost was just over $100 including shipping.

MISCELLANEOUS GUITARS

I bought the Harley Benton to have an electric 12-string and because it reminds me so much of the Rickenbacker 360. The reviews on the guitar were dead on, and short of dropping $3,000 for a Ric, you can't beat the quality and sound of this poor man's Ric. The Yamaha is essentially an electric classical guitar, making it easy to record when I want a classic guitar sound.

ACOUSTIC GUITARS

Moving into the world of acoustics, the Washburn is a guitar that I've played on stage with various bands and have also used  often in the studio. I was blown away when I saw George Harrison playing one at the 1987 Prince’s Trust Concert in London. The Seagull 12-string is a Canadian made acoustic with a dreadnought shape, a requirement for a guitar that has to project the sound of 12 strings in beautiful and meticulous detail. The shape lends itself to creating a powerful sound with great intonation, emphasizing the bass tones. The powerful projection comes especially handy when attempting to fully generate the range of sounds that this 12 string guitar possesses.

BASS GUITARS