Electric Solid Body Guitars

This delightful instrument, appropriately called a Masterpiece, was made by builder Chris Forshage.  It is a chambered electric, meaning that it is not a solid body, but has air inside as does a Benedetto Benny or a Renaissance by Rick Turner or a Ribbecke Chambered Halfling.  This design is designed to reduce feedback at higher volume levels, and for the quality of its tone.

This instrument bears the Fender Custom Shop decal behind the headstock; both sides of that headstock and the back of the neck are intensely grained, memorable and fascinating birds-eye maple.  The shape of the 'stock, in keeping with the 1965 motif, is large and bears the large black “Fender® STRATOCASTER, with synchronized tremolo,” two patents and also “Original Contour Body” decals.   The fingerboard is black ebony to match the black finish on the body

The American Vintage series introduces an all-new lineup of original-era model year guitars that bring Fender history and heritage to authentic and exciting new life. With key features and pivotal design elements spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, new American Vintage series instruments delve deep into Fender's roots—expertly preserving an innovative U.S. guitar-making legacy and vividly demonstrating like never before that Fender not only knows where it's going, but also remembers where it came from.   The Fender List Price is $2499.99

The American Vintage series introduces an all-new lineup of original-era model year guitars that bring Fender history and heritage to authentic and exciting new life. With key features and pivotal design elements spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, new American Vintage series instruments delve deep into Fender's roots—expertly preserving an innovative U.S. guitar-making legacy and vividly demonstrating like never before that Fender not only knows where it's going, but also remembers where it came from.

There is something fascinating, almost hypnotic, about a custom color vintage period Stratocaster.   The color and the metallic nature of that color is nearly indescribable, and so memorable that it draws one in like a whirlpool in the Bermuda Triangle.

This was $20,105.  BUT IT IS NOW ON SALE for:  

In the year 1958 we suppose it’s inarguable that the most important news event of the year was that on December 28th “the Chipmunk Song” reached #1 in the charts.  Oh yes, and also Elvis Presley, that year, joined the Army, Liz Taylor divorced her third husband, Mike Todd, and the former Brooklyn Dodgers officially became the Los Angeles Dodgers.   Meanwhile in Fullerton Leo Fender was doing well with his new guitars, Telecaster and Stratocaster, which models still had maple necks, and the earlier two-tone sunburst color became three-tone (brown to red to yellow).    This WAS $21,645 but is NOW ON SALE:

The original Gibson Gold Top Les Paul guitar is legendary, in so many ways.   The years in which they had a "stop" tailpiece are considered extremely desirable (as opposed to the original period when they had the long trapeze).   This is a glorious and beautiful Gibson solid body electric guitar from the golden period of the 1950s.   It is largely factory original condition with few and minor aberrations, and would be the prize that awaits a player who is seeking to document his or her success in life with a rare and desirable, collectible, memorable and powerful piece from the “golden” period.      THIS WAS $20,104 BUT is NOW ON SALE:  

Chris Shiflett has his feet firmly planted in two worlds--with impeccable punk/hard rock credentials as longtime guitarist in the Foo Fighters, and with an authentic love for country, as heard in side project Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants. His abiding love for Telecaster® guitars and for huge humbucking sound now comes together in one kickass new instrument with his name on it--the Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe.

The Fender Retail price is $899.99

The American Vintage series introduces an all-new lineup of original-era model year guitars that bring Fender history and heritage to authentic and exciting new life. With key features and pivotal design elements spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, new American Vintage series instruments delve deep into Fender's roots—expertly preserving an innovative U.S. guitar-making legacy and vividly demonstrating like never before that Fender not only knows where it's going, but also remembers where it came from.  The Fender List Price is $2874.99

The American Vintage series introduces an all-new lineup of original-era model year guitars that bring Fender history and heritage to authentic and exciting new life. With key features and pivotal design elements spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, new American Vintage series instruments delve deep into Fender's roots—expertly preserving an innovative U.S. guitar-making legacy and vividly demonstrating like never before that Fender not only knows where it's going, but also remembers where it came from.  The Fender List Price is $2999.99

The American Vintage series introduces an all-new lineup of original-era model year guitars that bring Fender history and heritage to authentic and exciting new life. With key features and pivotal design elements spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, new American Vintage series instruments delve deep into Fender's roots—expertly preserving an innovative U.S. guitar-making legacy and vividly demonstrating like never before that Fender not only knows where it's going, but also remembers where it came from.  The Fender List Price is $2999.99

The American Vintage series introduces an all-new lineup of original-era model year guitars that bring Fender history and heritage to authentic and exciting new life. With key features and pivotal design elements spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, new American Vintage series instruments delve deep into Fender's roots—expertly preserving an innovative U.S. guitar-making legacy and vividly demonstrating like never before that Fender not only knows where it's going, but also remembers where it came from.  The Fender List Price is $2499.99

The Classic Player Jazzmaster® Special guitar updates the famous Jazzmaster model with several modern improvements, including hotter pickups, an Adjusto-Matic™ bridge, 9.5" fingerboard radius and neck pocket with increased back-angle for improved stability and sustain.  The Fender List Price is $1099.99

Professional guitarists in all musical genres have relied on the Fender® Telecaster® guitar since its early 1950s introduction for its powerful tone and smooth playability. The Standard Telecaster combines the best of old and new, with hotter single-coil pickups, shielded body cavities, medium jumbo frets, six-saddle strings-through-body bridge, cast/sealed tuners, tinted neck, parchment pickguard and control knobs, and'70s-style headstock logo.  The Fender List Price is $699.99

About this model Taylor Guitar Co. says:  “The sapele hollow body like the T5, except for a solid block of wood that runs down the length of the center. Unlike the T5, the T3 has no acoustic bracing inside it. Electric players who crave a deeper, rounder tone will find themselves at home with this body style. The semi-hollow design yields a guitar that fits comfortably in both the rock and jazz worlds.

The original Les Paul Special model was made from 1955 through 1959.  For this guitar Gibson introduced a new finish, sometimes called “TV Yellow” since performers who played on black and white TV looked better with this finish than they did with a white guitar.  We hold up before you an extremely classy, extremely rare (Gibson shipped a total of only 958 in 1958 but then they bounced back with 1,821 Les Paul Specials in 1959), and extremely beautiful guitar – as classic a Gibson Les Paul from 1959 as one can realistically ever hope to see.   It is flavorful and it is fine.

This guitar appears to be original but we reserve the right to fully inspect on our workbench and make sure. When it came in the electronics were scratchy and it needed a set-up but our crack staff of professional fangists have done their job and now it plays as fast and effortlessly as Mercury himself, or the car that he drives.

Per Wikipedia:  “The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar by Fender Musical Instruments characterized by an offset-waist body, a relatively unusual switching system with two separate circuits for lead and rhythm, and a medium-scale 24" neck. Owing some roots to the Jazzmaster, it was introduced in 1962 as Fender's feature-laden top-of-the-line model, designed to lure players from Gibson.

Here's something different (and rare) -- a Gibson Les Paul Model in the seldom seen color of amber orange ‘burst, in near mint condition (let’s call it “spotless” – formerly owned by a true obsessive).    Few Gibson Les Paul guitars are as beautiful or well taken care of as is this.   It has a flame maple top with substantial horizontal figure.   It derives from the Custom Shop with uncovered pickups . . . .