My Guitars and Other Stuff

Here are some of my instruments and notes on other equipment I use, both on stage and for teaching at schools or in my studio at Red House

My pride and joy, my Fender Stratocaster, built in USA September 1977. I bought her new in 1980 (for Ł320, a fortune to me then) and she has been my main guitar ever since, being played in hundreds of gigs. The only non-original features are the replacement frets, the other ones being too worn down to tolerate any longer. Her serial number which could be 1977 or 1978, but the codes stamped on the components inside narrow down the date. My acoustic guitar, also a Fender. The model appears to be a DG17, made in Korea. This was a replacement for one that was stolen, and in the usual way of things, isn't as good. An unusual and rare guitar, this, a Westone Spectrum ST, purchased 1986. An excellent guitar, which I used as a standby at gigs for many years, but I couldn't get on with the humbucker pickups, or the lack of numbers on the volume control, so she is now my main teaching guitar. My standby guitar is now a Fender Squier Strat, not pictured here. A Legend "Precision" bass, bought off eBay about three years ago. My daughter Cat has exclusive use of this for gigs (she sometimes plays for Razor Sharp), but it is drafted in for teaching when needed!

Another rare guitar, but only because most of her contemporaries have probably been thrown away! This is a Telecaster copy made by Rose-Morris in the 1970s, in the Avon series. This one dates from 1974, and was my first electric guitar. All the other Avons I have seen on the Web have been Gibson SG copies. She was a pretty cheap and dreadful guitar, but I did a great deal of work on her, and she now plays almost as well as my "real" guitars. The only drawback is the chunky "C" shape of the neck, and her tendency to screech at higher volume on the treble pickup. I used to gig with her, until I bought the Strat! Two little amps which I use for teaching at Red House. They have plenty of poke when required. My main teaching amp at schools, incorporating a slowable CD player and several effects, as well as a powerful amp. Quite a discovery, and highly recommended. My equipment in 1976. As well as the Avon Tele, you can see my first guitar, obtained Xmas 1972! It was a crappy nylon string job. I soon put steel strings on, with predictable results. The amp is an HH 2x12 100W combo, a faithful workhorse which I used until the mid-90s. The foot pedals include the HH reverb/tremelo and distortion channel switches, and my Colorsound wah-wah/swell/fuzz. I actually used this more as an eq boost than anything else. The first riff I learned was...wait for it...Blockbuster by The Sweet! My present-day equipment seen at the Waterfront, supporting Doctor Feelgood. My amp is a Marshall JTM30 valve combo, finished in a retro style. A very nice-sounding gain with my Strat, and quite enough poke, despite being only 30 Watts RMS. Out of sight on the floor is a Digitech effects pedal. I use chorus, phase, echo, octave dividers and a little fuzz. A compact and useful gadget.

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My pride and joy, my Fender Stratocaster, built in USA September 1977. I bought her new in 1980 (for Ł320, a fortune to me then) and she has been my main guitar ever since, being played in hundreds of gigs. The only non-original features are the replacement frets, the other ones being too worn down to tolerate any longer.	Her serial number which could be 1977 or 1978, but the codes stamped on the components inside narrow down the date.	My acoustic guitar, also a Fender. The model appears to be a DG17, made in Korea. This was a replacement for one that was stolen, and in the usual way of things, isn't as good.	An unusual and rare guitar, this, a Westone Spectrum ST, purchased 1986. An excellent guitar, which I used as a standby at gigs for many years, but I couldn't get on with the humbucker pickups, or the lack of numbers on the volume control, so she is now my main teaching guitar. My standby guitar is now a Fender Squier Strat, not pictured here.	A Legend "Precision" bass, bought off eBay about three years ago. My daughter Cat has exclusive use of this for gigs (she sometimes plays for Razor Sharp), but it is drafted in for teaching when needed!

Another rare guitar, but only because most of her contemporaries have probably been thrown away! This is a Telecaster copy made by Rose-Morris in the 1970s, in the Avon series. This one dates from 1974, and was my first electric guitar. All the other Avons I have seen on the Web have been Gibson SG copies. She was a pretty cheap and dreadful guitar, but I did a great deal of work on her, and she now plays almost as well as my "real" guitars. The only drawback is the chunky "C" shape of the neck, and her tendency to screech at higher volume on the treble pickup. I used to gig with her, until I bought the Strat!	Two little amps which I use for teaching at Red House. They have plenty of poke when required.	My main teaching amp at schools, incorporating a slowable CD player and several effects, as well as a powerful amp. Quite a discovery, and highly recommended.	My equipment in 1976. As well as the Avon Tele, you can see my first guitar, obtained Xmas 1972! It was a crappy nylon string job. I soon put steel strings on, with predictable results. The amp is an HH 2x12 100W combo, a faithful workhorse which I used until the mid-90s. The foot pedals include the HH reverb/tremelo and distortion channel switches, and my Colorsound wah-wah/swell/fuzz. I actually used this more as an eq boost than anything else. The first riff I learned was...wait for it...Blockbuster by The Sweet!	My present-day equipment seen at the Waterfront, supporting Doctor Feelgood. My amp is a Marshall JTM30 valve combo, finished in a retro style. A very nice-sounding gain with my Strat, and quite enough poke, despite being only 30 Watts RMS. Out of sight on the floor is a Digitech effects pedal. I use chorus, phase, echo, octave dividers and a little fuzz. A compact and useful gadget.