Custom Built
I’m on my sixth issue of
Premier Guitar and I’m
convinced this is the best
magazine out there. I‘ve
been buying guitar magazines
for 30 years and have
seen most of them. I discovered PG on the internet and decided to
subscribe because of the tech articles and gear reviews: I’m a total
gear nut. I love everything about guitars—I’m even a hobby builder.
This magazine is a perfect fit for all my guitar interests. You got
me for life. I have included a photo of a few of my guitars. (Left to
right) First is my EVH tribute. I made the body from Alaskan
yellow cedar and painted it 5150-ish distressed. The neck is from
an old Ernie Ball I had. The hardware is all GFS. The Floyd has a
brass block and the pickup is a GFS EVH copy, with an onboard
preamp next to the volume knob. Next up is a solidbody—my
design. It’s all red and yellow Alaskan cedar (even the 3-piece
neck), has a pair of hot DiMarzios, a Floyd Rose, and a 5-way
switch. Next is a Telecaster copy I named “Bent Fender” because
the only similarity to a Tele is the body shape. It’s yellow cedar with
a red cedar top, rosewood fretboard, 34 3/4" scale, 3-piece cedar
neck, Seymour Duncan blackouts, and 3-way switch with a coiltap
switch. Next is my main axe—I didn’t make this one but did
an electronics upgrade with active humbuckers and 9–18V mod. I
think yellow cedar is a valid tone wood and have been experimenting
a lot with it. My goal is to build a guitar completely of Alaskan
indigenous wood. I have been experimenting with mountain ash
for fretboards and so far, so good. Thanks for a great magazine!
—Eric Larson, Somewhere in Alaska
Smitten by Sophia
As a young prepubescent boy, I
happened to catch an old movie
on television
entitled
Boy on
a Dolphin,
featuring a
very young
and very
nubile
Sophia
Loren. She spent most of the
time in the film climbing in
and out of the Mediterranean
Sea in a very light dress as the
star characters pursued a sunken
gold treasure. I was immediately
smitten by the beauty and exotic
features of this legendary sex
symbol, and there have been few
that have captured the hearts of
so many. Imagine my delight
when I received my June issue in
the mail, only to see this silverscreen
Goddess immortalized
forever on such a lovely guitar
(Martin Off’s Soulsista Italian
Diva). Wow—this gorgeous axe
has once again instilled a case of
major G.A.S., as so often happens
to me when I peruse every
issue of your fine magazine.
Bravo, Premier Guitar. Encore?
—Tim Dunn, Indianapolis, Indiana
Kindle Fix
I finally got my PG magazine on
my Kindle and I love it. I find
that I read a lot more using the
two Kindles I have, but the Fire—
being color—is the one I use for
your magazine. Now I can stop
my other subscription for Guitar
World. I only got that because it
offered a Kindle version right out
of the box (so to speak). However,
once I started reading Premier
Guitar, I was totally sold on your
way of looking at the subject
material. It’s the most enlightening
magazine for players I’ve ever
seen. So please keep up the great
work and I look forward to many
magazines to come!
—Dave Belaire
Budget Guitarists
Love, love, love the magazine.
One small thing bugs me a little
though: no reviews of massmarket
or lower-end gear. Your
mag is large enough that I think
you could devote a page (maybe
two?) to the kind of stuff us hobbyists
are likely to afford ... solid-state
modeling amps (GASP!),
mass-produced multi-effects.
Again, love the mag, but one
page monthly for us “Walmart”
guitarists would be awesome.
—Fletcher Chambers, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
We hear you Fletch! In March
we debuted an online column,
Cheapskate Collective, for this very
reason. Thrifty enthusiasts such as
yourself now have a forum to wax
poetic and trade tips with other
low-end gear seekers. Enjoy!
Your magazine and online content
are amazing. David Abdo’s
review of the Warwick Jack Bruce
Survivor bass was informative
and balanced until stating that
“the more than $10,000 price
may not be for everyone.” Twang!
Are you kidding me? $10K is by
any measure $6K beyond even
the most generous comparables
on the market. We all understand
that there are reasons why some
guitars are very expensive, and
I am lucky enough to own two.
And sure, it’s a matter of taste
and even good fortune when
someone plonks down that kind
of cash. But the Warwick is a
$3K construction, tops; add an
outrageous $2K more for this,
that, and Jack Bruce’s name, and
you’re only halfway there! Get
an Alembic—at least you can see
where your money went!
—Patrick Collins, Santa Barbara,
California
Eyes and Ears Peeled
I’d like to respond to a reader in
your Your Feedback section of
the May issue. Phil Starr wrote
in for “Down to Earth,” where
he dogs on the PG staff for the
“obscure” music that they claim
to listen to. You guys politely
didn’t respond, so please allow
me to. I figure that every week
I listen to music for around 55
hours. This past week I listened
to Angel, Joan Jett, Prince,
T-Rex and The Incurables. I
listen to these bands because
I love them and their music,
not because I want to be deep
or cool. I love Zeppelin and
Aerosmith as much as the next
guy but there is a ton of great
music that you’re missing out on
if you don’t look around a little.
—Todd Bowen, St. Louis, Missouri
For the Record
In Paul Allen’s “Tone Stacking
with Two Amps” column [ToneTips, May 2012], the Lehle Little
Dual was incorrectly referred
to as a Little Lehle. Thanks to
reader Andrew Sudlow for alerting
us to this error.