With a P-90 in the neck position, this guitar built from a modified Squier Affinity body speaks a language blending Gibson and Fender.
Every now and then I see a guitar that's been modified just the way I would do it, only better. This guitar was selling on eBay a few months ago. The seller was very up front about the fact that it actually was a Squier Affinity body and neck that he'd modified. For starters, the body has a handsome blonde butterscotch finish topped off with a cool-looking tortoiseshell pickguard. The neck pickup is an Epiphone P-90 measuring around 9k, and at the bridge is a hot Fender Mexican ceramic Tele pickup measuring 10k. The 3-way switch puts both pickups in hum-cancelling mode in the middle position, so this guy obviously knew his stuff. The seller also upgraded the capacitor with an orange drop .022 µF epoxy cap for smoother tone response. To top it off, he stuck a Fender Telecaster decal on the headstock (something I don't recommend), with plenty of layers of clear-coat finish to make it look really good.
No question about it—this guy was a true guitar nut, like me. He called it a Custom Shack P-90 Tele. The builder is known for taking parts from various guitars and making very affordable Frankenstein masterpieces. Anyway, the auction was coming to an end with the price around $120 when I put in a snipe bid of $225. I really didn't think there would be much interest, but 27 different bids came in and I won it for $199.99 plus $25 shipping. I was happy because I really wanted it bad, and I still saved a few bucks from where my maximum bid was.
The 3-way switch puts both pickups in hum-cancelling mode in the middle position, so the previous owner obviously
knew his stuff.
When it arrived, it played perfectly for me right out of the box. It was also very light: 6.3 pounds, which was a real plus. The intonation was spot-on and everything was well adjusted—both pickup heights, action, and neck relief. The two pickups were both well balanced in terms of tone and output. Bottom Feeder tip #287: Sometimes you find a guitar that has been modified in such a way that keeps you from having to go through the trouble yourself. It saves you time, energy, and probably money, too. When that happens, just buy it. Don't go through life with any regrets.
A Fender Telecaster decal was applied to the headstock, with plenty of layers of clear-coat finish to make it look convincing.
Funny, but this Telecaster kind of reminds me of a guitar that my friend Tim Page from Buffalo Brothers Guitars designed years ago for G&L called the Bluesboy. It sported a Telecaster style body, bridge, and pickup, but with a more Gibson-ish humbucker in the neck position for more warmth. Tim understood that some players like the melding of Gibson and Fender aspects into a single guitar. I call this one my little Fender Bluesbird because it, too, is a monster that eats the blues for breakfast. So is it a keeper? Yep. For now. She's a sweet little guitar.
Billy Gibbons is an undisputable guitar force whose feel, tone, and all-around vibe make him the highest level of hero. But that’s not to say he hasn’t made some odd choices in his career, like when ZZ Top re-recorded parts of their classic albums for CD release. And fans will argue which era of the band’s career is best. Some of us love drum machines and synths and others don’t, but we all love Billy.
This episode is sponsored by Magnatone
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.