Norm's Guitar Gear
Like many guitar players, I am afflicted with G.A.S. -- Guitar Aquisition Syndrome!
Many guitars and amps have come and gone over the many years I've
been playing,
some of which I regret selling and others I regret that I
ever bought. This is my current collection.
My archtop guitars. On the left is
a 1991 Gibson ES-165 "Herb Ellis" model.
It is special to me because I got the chance to meet jazz guitar legend Herb Ellis
the day after I bought it used in 1998. In the center is a Heritage Sweet 16
(named for the 16-inch wide body) that I had custom made me in 2003. It is a
wonderful instrument and my regular guitar for jazz gigs. On the right is a 1995
"Gibson" Epiphone Sheraton, a semi-hollowbody that has a great tonal range.
My two nylon string guitars are, on the right,
a Takamine C136S
that I bought new in 1983,
and a 2000 Godin electric classical. The Takamine
is particularly dear to me
because I accidently left it
at a train station in Germany just weeks
after I
bought it, but it was found and returned to me a few
hours later -- I happily paid to have it placed on the
next train
to where I was staying!
My acoustic steel string guitars, from left to right: (1) 1969 Airline, which I got
from Montgomery Ward in 1970 when I was a high school freshman and absolutely
played the heck out of it for many years; (2) 1995 Taylor 810, a fantastic guitar that
keeps sounding better and better with age; (3) 2001 Taylor 412CE that has a
smaller body shape that is great for fingerpicking; (4) Orpheum "parlor guitar"
made in New York City ca.1930, which was given to me by my dear friend,
guitarist Tom Gestwicki.
My solid body guitars (left to right): (1) 1999 Fender Telecaster,
a big surprise birthday present from my wonderful wife, Charlotte.
I substituted a Gibson humbucking pickup in the neck position,
which adds to the versatility of this great
axe; (2) 1969 Fender
Jazz Bass that I bought used in 1973 (for $125!) ; (3) Fender
"Stratimposter," a Fender Stratocaster neck on an Asian import
body; (4) Airline guitar -- my first real guitar -- that my parents gave
me for Christmas in 1969. The neck is stamped with a "1966"
manufacture date. It also saw a lot of playing when I was a kid.
Acoustic Image Coda R III amplifier (left). For years I
resisted buying a high-end (meaning expensive) jazz amp
but this one stole my heart when I tried it out.
Incredible
clean sound, tiny size and weight, and surprising power
(400 watts!). The
bass speaker actually points toward the
floor, and the
amp has legs to prop it up. It's even louder
with the Redstone RS-8 extension speaker cabinet (on the right).
Peavey Transtube Studio Pro (bottom), and Roland Cube 30
(top).
Both are fine sounding amps, very
dependable and real bargains.
The Peavey gets a lot of gig action while the Roland is mainly a
grab-and-go practice amp.
ElectroHarmonix Freedom amp. This is a rechargeable
battery-powered
charmer that I've used several times for
small gigs. Another gift from my
wife who thought the wood matched the Telecaster she bought me, and
that it was "cute."
Early '60s model Ampeg B-15N "Porta-Flex" bass amp.
Probably the most
popular studio amp for recording
musicians in history. It is a tone monster
that weighs in at a petite 80 lbs,
with "one convenient" handle. A back-breaker
but an
awesome bass amp.
As my guitar collection has grown I have been encouraged to curb my G.A.S.
tendencies. However, I am still allowed to buy guitar ties! These are part of my
standard gig attire.
Last but not least, my
custom guitar stool! This is a $25 stool from Target with JC
Whitney
motorcycle folding footrests attached. The footrests are at different heights for the traditional
guitar position and for the classical guitar position. I got
the idea from jazz guitar virtuoso
John Stowell who I had the privilege to meet when he performed at a friend's home.