Silverburst! - This is the first good guitar I ever bought (new in 1980). Upgrades include Gibson's TP-6 fine tuning tailpiece, a Groove Tubes Fat Head on the headstock, and Lindy Fralin High Output humbuckers. The bridge pickup's tone control is a Stellartone ToneStyler, which gets 16 different tone variations for this pickup. The neck pickup's tone control features a Hovland capacitor for extra smooth woman tone. It's got vintage vibe, with a lot of teeth for aggressive lead playing, and this guitar sustains for days. Like Nigel Tufnel says, "play a note, go out for a bite, come back - it's still sustaining!" It's my main instrument for Dino rock, classic rock, blues, southern rock and heavy metal.

This Les Paul is very light weight and resonant. The previous owner installed Fralin pickups on it, and it's a singer. It has my typical upgrades of RS Guitarworks pots, a Hovland cap and a Stellartone ToneStyler.

Long live the 80s! My hot red Super-Strat, with Floyd Rose bridge and Duncan Pearly Gates neck and Custom Custom bridge pickups. There is also a coil split and another Stellartone ToneStyler.

What started life as a basic MIM Strat has a few updates, including Duncan Five-Two neck and Custom middle pickups, and a Fralin Steel Pole 43 in the bridge. Another Stellartone ToneStyler completes the electronics scheme. It has an alder body, a maple neck and a traditional Fender Stratocaster bridge. It's the best playing Strat I've ever owned.

Another MIM, upgraded with Lindy Fralin Blues Special pickups and RS Guitarworks pots and caps.

1999 Danelectro DC-12

Not a bad novelty instrument for the low price. Bone stock, the lipstick tube pickups have that classic Dano jangle. I play Beatles, Petty, Eagles ("Hotel California") and country music with this one. It sounds awesome when played through a compressor pedal.

2003 Squier Bullet Special

Crapped ...er, crafted in Indonesia. This is the "basement beater" guitar - the one I knock around with casually. I reworked the heck out of it with some Carvin parts; a string-through bridge, tuning pegs and straplocks, plus an old Duncan Distortion pickup and another Fat Finger. And, the secret weapon - a Torres Engineering 2Meg Pot and Volume Kit. All the power of the pickup hits the amp, with no loss of tone when turning down. Great for metal and punk - this guitar doesn't sound too bad, but it never leaves the basement!

This is the first edition of the 410 model. Newer ones use a different wood (mine's mahogany) and have bound necks. I have played in a church folk group off and on for many years, and this is my main instrument when I have my "gig with God." I added a Martin Thinline pickup.

An awesome 12-string, if I do say so myself. A real joy to play. It has seen plenty of folk group action over the years too. If I need to amplify this guitar, I use a Dean Markley Pro Mag sound hole pickup. Because of this guitar's unusual bridge saddle length, I haven't been able to find a suitable piezo pickup for it.

Another contest win. I used to play classical back in the '80s (in the wake of the Randy Rhoads / Yngwie Malmsteen craze) but stopped in 1990. This one is an Indonesian cheapie, but since it was free, who's complaining?

I started to play mandolin in 1998, and used it in the folk group a little bit too. This model has a unique sound, and is quite loud. I also added a contact pickup to it, and it's very loud when amplified.