Electric Bard

Gibson and Fender guitar companies are in the enviable position of having defined the standard in solid body electric guitar designs way back in the 50’s. I can’t think of any guitars that have been more sought after, more copied and more popular than the Gibson Les Paul and the Fender Stratocaster. Both companies got those respective designs so right way back when, that ever since that time it’s been mostly variations on a theme. Today, there are a lot of different Les Paul and Strat models to choose from, but they all still display their heritage with obvious pride.

Personally, I’m fortunate enough to own two Strats. The first one was a gift given to me in 1980. It’s an all black hardtail, with a maple neck. It’s not entirely original anymore. I wore out the bridge saddles to where they had multiple deep grooves where the strings had eaten the metal away. I replaced the originals with a set of black graphite saddles, and I have to say they’re terrific. The package promised more sustain, and they delivered that for sure. They also look cool and feel very comfortable under the heel of my right palm. The original tuning pegs are long gone. They were awful to begin with, and I replaced them early on with a set of, at the time, unheard of tuners from Japan called Gotoh’s. They’re still good as new, and the guitar stays in tune through thick and thin.

My other Strat is a Mexican-made Robert Cray signature model. It’s finished in Inca Silver. I really liked the look of the stamped saddles, but they were uncomfortable and I soon replaced them with a set of off-white graphite saddles which are awesome. Other than that, the guitar is all stock. It’s marvellous to play.

I own a Gibson guitar, but it’s an acoustic, a J-45. I love it. I also have a Gibson A-4 mandolin. One day I’d like to add a Gibson electric to my collection. My preference would be a Les Paul, I think. But no matter how many Les Paul models I check out, they don’t make one quite the way I’d like it. I could solve that in a flash if I was a famous guitarist and Gibson offered to make me a signature model. If I had my own signature Les Paul, it would build on the tradition, but add a few new twists.

Tomorrow I’ll start with the body, and we’ll go from there.