Here is a 1956 Fender Telecaster, found in a barn!!! ... and it looks it! Rode hard and put away wet!! Given to the new owner by his uncles neighbor. Old spraybomb refin, single ply, white guard with lots of wear adorned by rust. Big "V" maple neck that needs a refret, 11/56 date with lots of fingerboard potholes. Body is one piece, flatsawn "Swamp Ash" dated 10/56', originally this had a "Blond" finish. Pickups were non funtional when it came in. All original parts. Currently being restored, pictures to follow...

...back to original specs!

"Washboard Hanks" Troubled 57´ D-18 gets a new side, and a re-fret!

70's Ibanez JazzMaster re-contour body prep/re-fin

71' Dan Armstrong

This instrument was manufactured in 71’ and for me, has a story that goes back to 1976! It was owned by the oldest brother of a good friend of mine, whom I met the first day of Kindergarden and have remained in contact with since. I first played this guitar in 76' after school. My friend Dan “TheMan” played drums and we would often jam in his basement using his brother's Armstrong and 4x12" marshall amp. Dan's younger brother began playing guitar in the early eighties, and his older brother, having married and started a family had gave him the guitar. With drill/chisel in hand, the young guitar player added two P.A.F.'s and at some point managed to break the headstock. The older brother soon reclaimed the butchered instrument and kept it in storage. In the early nineties he commissioned me to build him a "mini" 22 inch scaled Strat for his ten year old son, as a Christmas gift. I delivered the finished strat on Christmas Eve, to great excitement! Then he reaching under his couch he pulls out a case, and presents me with the butchered Dan Armstrong! In the case was a platic bag with all the original parts. He figured I was the only person he knew, who could possibly restore it to it's former self, and gave it to me.

I fixed the broken headstock and played it, as is, for a few years. I started fabricating templates from the body. I contemplated filling the routes and caping the body, but once I remove the neck and saw how much damage was inflicted by the previous mod, I decided to fab a new body from some flat sawn, one piece Honduras mahogany (same as the original). The original cavity route design was still visible, as the drill/chisel damage was not deep enough to eliminate them. It took awhile to restore, juggling it between lots of other repairs and builds, but the finished guitar is so unique, plays and sounds like nothing I've ran across. Any gig I take it to, someone always asks about it, marvel at the sliding pickup idea and love the look/sound of it. The tone circuit is bazzaar and very versatile! From zero to five it works normally, then on, it begins to turn off the outer coil of the Humbucker. With the slider at the bridge, it's the same sound of a “Tele” bridge pickup! If you hammer a cord and slide the pickup back and forth, you can hear it flanging between positions!
This instrument, 1 of 333 manufactured, is currently residing in my collection.

Heres another suprise at the shop! An early 30's Harmony “SuperTone” Parlor with an Airplane bridge, in commemoration of the first Atlantic plane crossing (Lindbergh in 1927). This was bought at auction with it's OHSC for $25.oo! A few loose braces and a couple of top cracks, the bridge and end pin marketry were in the case's pick compartment. With a solid one piece Flamed Honduras Mahogany back/ sides and a soild, tight grained Spruce top, this small Haiwian has alot of charactor! This instrument spent it‘s life under a slide and finger picks, as the fingerboard has no wear at all on it! Now restored‚ it has a great “Open” sound that records real well!!!

I first saw one of these in a collection of my old friend Tim Kemp. At the time, late seventies, we didn't know anything about it, only that is came from his Grandfather. This was always hanging on the wall in his small, instrument crowded room, missing a few strings. At some point, somehow, it ended up leaning in a corner and accidently got stepped on! I've been pestering Tim for years to bring it in and let me restore it. I hope the sweetness of this one will inspire his interest in having me fix his!!