A confession ... I am a guitar-a-holic
How many guitars do I need? Just one more...
A week ago, I went to see Zepparella, and the opening act was Gretchen Menn’s trio, where they played about 50 minutes of instrumental music.
But I noticed that she was playing an absolutely gorgeous guitar. Based on the headstock, I knew it was an Ernie Ball Music Man guitar. A wee bit of sleuthing led me to the Sabre model in the Blue Moonstone color.
It is a Strat style body, with a flamed maple cap, carved (shaped top), figured roasted maple neck, with top tier hardware.
And I should let it lie there. But, damn, that is one FINE looking axe.
Then I found myself scouring Youtube to watch reviews.
This is the point where I have to enter a program. As I sit here in my office, I am able to put my eyes on FIVE six string guitars (as well as my father’s circa 1960 Martin 000-15T tenor guitar and a 5 string banjo, and my modern Martin 000Jr acoustic).
The last fucking thing I need is yet another guitar. But I find myself jonesing for a new pretty toy.
I need help.
Lotsa help.
Sure, I can afford to add a $3,500 toy to my wall.
But I really can’t justify it. I have more than enough.
Please, save me from myself.
The cure
In 2004 when I got my bonus, I went to a local music store where I lived in Tucson, Arizona. On Speedway there was a shop called “Guitars, Etc.”, and it was a killer shop. But they were also an authorized dealer for Tom Anderson Guitarworks.
That meant that they had close to a dozen of these small batch, hand-made guitars hanging on the wall. Being someone of obviously adult in age, they had no problem with me pulling any of them off the wall to plug into an amp to see how I liked it.
At the time, the new ones were about $3K.
As I mentioned, my bonus came in, and my wife gave me the thumb’s up to buy a new guitar.
The one that caught my eye was a lightly used Drop Top in red flame top maple, with a mahogany neck. I paid a tick less than $2K for it including tax, and it became my constant companion.
During the early days of Covid, I checked this model on Reverb, and bloody hell, these are going for nearly $5K new! So, into the case it went (because it is valuable) and I bought me a Charvel.
Fast forward 4 years, and adding 3 more guitars, guitars that I am very happy with (read my posts about the three Harley Benton guitars I have added to the stable) I pulled the Tom Anderson out of the case.
I put it away with fresh strings, and it came out of the case with these fresh strings and just needed a slight tuning to make it playable.
Immediately, I understood why these small run makers turn out great instruments. The fretwork is impeccable. Perfectly dressed, coupled with rolled fingerboard edges make this an effortless guitar to play. The neck is thin, and comfortable, on par with my original Charvel from 1986, as well as the 2021 vintage one that hangs on my wall.
The two custom wound pickups (TA Guitarworks makes their own pickups) are bright and punchy, very quiet electronics, and very versatile in the tones and sounds that come out of it.
Ah, I am inoculated from lightening my wallet by $3500.
My good fortune
The fact that I have the means to own a guitar like this Tom Anderson is a blessing. If I was to spec out a custom build like this from TA today, I would likely be dropping $5K. If I was a practicing professional musician, that wouldn’t bother me. But as a hobbyist, that is over kill.
While I could add the Music Man to my cadre of guitars, I already have a high quality, hand-built guitar that is impeccable in its playability.
I find that I am really enjoying pulling it off the wall. I still mostly grab one of my H-B guitars when I am noodling on the couch watching bad movies, but the fit and finish of the Tom Anderson is head and shoulders above the mass market guitars.
That is not to dish on the H-B’s. None of them cost more than $400, and for that price point, they are OUTSTANDING guitars. Vastly superior to the entry level garbage from the 1980’s when I began playing, they are an amazing value for the money.
But if you can get your hands on a Suhr, or a Tom Anderson, or an Ernie Ball Music-Man made in California, you will not regret it.
Coda
The fact that I pulled the Tom Anderson out of the case means that I should write some more about it. A future post, I will do a deeper dive and try to explain the difference that a few thousand dollars buys you. Not really to justify it, but to feel good about having this in my stable.
Update (1/28/2025)
I am disappointed in my audience. To many of you were encouraging me to just do it.
Ugh, so I found a lightly used one on Reverb (a marketplace for musicians), for $800 less than new, and after a few back and forth messages with the seller, I pulled the trigger.
See what you made me do?
Well poop. There's a lightly used one on Reverb for $700 off.
This is not getting any easier...
Great story. I suspect if I still had the guitar I owned back in the ‘70s, I’d have saved a lot of money I spent trying to replace it over the years. I was told it was a Les Paul TV but it didn’t look like any TV I’ve seen since. Looked like a white single pickup SG. All I know for sure is it played like a dream and I was a damn fool for ever letting it slip out of my hands.
At one point, I owned almost three dozen stringed instruments, mostly guitars. I’m now down to . . . let’s see, maybe . . . a dozen? Currently trying to find new homes for some now that I’m old and don’t play that much anymore. I just gifted a stepchild with a Les Paul Special Doublecut - the 2015 model, not an original, alas - along with my late mother’s mountain dulcimer, an old autoharp, and an electronic drum kit I bought on a whim maybe a dozen years ago when I was working and flush. If their kids want to start a band, they’re all set.