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GALLERY: Gear of the Month 2012

See all 12 unique instruments featured as Gear of the Month in 2012.

Chris Kies
By Chris KiesDec 23, 2012
Chris Kies
Chris Kies has degrees in Journalism and History from the University of Iowa and has been with PG dating back to his days as an intern in 2007. He's now the multimedia manager maintaining the website and social media accounts, coordinating Rig Rundown shoots (also hosting and/or filming them) and occasionally writing an artist feature. Other than that, he enjoys non-guitar-related hobbies.
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November: The Kinks' Dave Davies' 1977 Gibson Les Paul Artisan
  
"Davies was a man of many guitars, but probably best aligned with the Gibson Flying V. Throughout his years with the Kinks and various solo projects, he used several Gibson models including this 1978 Gibson Les Paul Artisan. During the early у80s, he preferred to use this guitar live when playing tunes from Low Budget, Give The People What They Want, and Chosen People, including the ripper рFreedom Lies.с Aside from cosmetics on the Artisan, the pickups were the only major functioning difference from the Les Paul Custom itуs based on. Daviesу Artisan is loaded with three humbuckersяtwo are Gibson Series VII humbuckers (bridge and neck positions) and in the middle position is a Gibson Super Humbucking pickup. The pickup selector switch was wired to three settings: rhythm pickup only, middle and bridge pickup with the switch in the middle position, and the bridge pickup only. "
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In early May, Currie received an out-of-the-blue call from friend Rob Timmons of Arcane Pickups, notifying him that Queens of the Stone Age were rehearsing nearby and he should stop over. “I couldn’t go over empty-handed because I’m a guitar builder—that’d be embarrassing—so I grabbed a few pieces that I recently completed to introduce myself and my brand,” Currie remembers. “I met Josh, we shared a laugh, and I welcomed him to try out one of my guitars.” Homme was immediately taken aback by the Downtowner Custom Koa’s beefy neck size (he has a tough time finding necks to fit his hands) and its feedback-resistant P-90s. Homme asked if he could borrow them for a few days to show the rest of the band—Currie excitingly obliged.

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1972 Dan Armstrong London

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Dan Armstrong was a brilliant, ambitious inventor who, like many gifted minds before him, became easily distracted with new ideas. Throughout his 64 years, Armstrong designed acrylic-bodied guitars for Ampeg, movable pickups for his own guitars, and graphic EQs for his Dan Armstrong bass amps, in addition to collaborating on bass and guitar amps for Ampeg and Fender, respectively, and launching his own line of effects pedals. In his spare time, he played studio sessions and live shows alongside Van Morrison and Carly Simon in the late ’60s.

Armstrong started honing his luthiery skills at Carroll Music. Owner Carroll Bratman hired him because he always returned the equipment he rented in better shape than when it left the shop. In 1965, Armstrong opened his own Dan Armstrong’s Guitar Service on 48th Street in New York City—across from Manny’ Music. The shop specialized in Danelectro upgrades and amp- and guitar-wiring mods. After a few years there, he was forced to relocate to Greenwich Village to accommodate the expansion of Rockefeller Center, and that’s when he changed the name to Dan Armstrong Guitars. Matt Umanov joined up and the two drafted prototypes for the Ampeg Dan Armstrong see-through acrylic instruments. On the heels of the relationship with Ampeg, Armstrong closed his NYC shop and moved to London for a brief stint with Orange. Then, in 1971, with the help of his son Kent Armstrong and Tony Pitt, Dan constructed the London Series instruments.

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