The original Airline guitars were cheap, plastic (or rather, “Res-O-Glass”) models made between 1958-1968 and sold by Montgomery Ward via shops and catalogues. They were never intended to be great-quality instruments – but cheap alternatives for beginners who couldn’t afford bigger brands such as Fender, Gibson or Gretsch.

Most Airlines were made of Res-O-Glass simply because it made them cheaper and quicker to be put together – with no particular regard for quality or tone.

However, this characteristic made those guitars quite unique, and eventually a few professional players started to appreciate the qualities of the Res-O-Glass tone as “a thing”.

One of the first performers to be closely linked to the instrument was bluesman J. B. Hutto, whose red Airline must’ve been one of the inspirations for Jack White playing one, decades later:

Ah yes… Jack White. Despite the fact other musicians over the years have opted for vintage Airline Guitars (PJ Harvey, Calexico, Black Keys, Brian Jonestown Massacre) it was Jack White who most certainly brought the brand (especially the now-iconic JB-Hutto guitar shape) to the attention of a wider audience.

Jack White live with his Airline Guitar, in The White Stripes

Vintage Airline Guitars vs. Eastwood Airline Guitars: What’s the Difference?

When considering which one to buy, it’s important to remember a few things.

1) The first is this: Jack White didn’t really like his Airline guitar. 

Yes. True. He, basically, thought they were terrible. Not long ago, White described his experience playing them: 

“If people only knew how hard it was on these shitty guitars …  because I didn’t know!”

New Airline guitar headstock – it is what it says it is… an Airline!

The inside of a vintage Airline guitar… not a pretty sight!

Airline 59 2P – the current version of the classic Airline model, by Eastwood

But, of course, there are other, less obvious but very important changes – or, as should we call them, upgrades: the tone-chambered mahogany body, Airline vintage voiced Single coils (Humbucker-sized), tune-o-matic bridge and bolt-on maple neck. The new Airlines sound great, rich, and are more comfortable and familiar to play than vintage ones.

The vintage Airline Res-O-Glass guitars are undoubtedly cool, and any guitarist will get extra kudos for owning one. If you got one dirty cheap in the 90’s, that would’ve been definitely 100% worth it, even if no one wanted to buy one anymore, today. But now… are they really worth the price tag they go for today, after the Jack White hype? Mmmm…

So, the big question, then: are the new Airline guitars by Eastwood better than the originals? We would say so – just as many professional musicians playing one, worldwide also would. Let’s face it, a tone-chambered mahogany body beats plastic any day. There’s a reason why most guitars by most brands are made of wood, after all.

But we’ll leave the final answer to you – after all, in everything in life, and certainly when it comes to guitars, your own taste is what matters, and it’ll change from player to player. If you ever come across a Res-O-Glass guitar, by all means have a go – you might even love it. But will it be worth the investment, especially if you’re a gigging musician? Perhaps… perhaps not. 

Watch: Vintage Airline Guitar vs. New Airline Guitar by Eastwood

Vintage Airline guitar demo:

New Airline guitar demo:

What’s the Difference Between Vintage Airline Guitars & New Airline Guitars by Eastwood? from MyRareGuitars.com

John Lennon and Fender VI

The list of 6-string players include The Beatles (both John and George were pictured playing one), Peter Hook, Robert Smith of The Cure and Jack Bruce in Cream. Do you see a pattern, there? They were either guitarists, or very melodic bass players who played bass more like a lead instrument than “just” part of the rhythm section.

Peter Hook and his Shergold bass with Joy Division

4-String vs. 6-String Bass… Who Wins?

Though 4-string basses are the most commonly used by bassists of any style, there’s an argument for the benefits of owning a 6-string bass. 

The 6-String bass wasn’t invented as a gimmick or to make things more complicated – in fact, it can make playing even easier!

Firstly, it’s not more difficult to play than a 4-string bass – because you can play just the same, but the two extra strings actually make it easier for the bassist to hit higher notes without moving too far down the fretboard – which some players might prefer.

Also, it’s worth considering that while a 4-string bass is tuned EADG, a 6-string bass is tuned EADGBE – just like a guitar, in other words. So, while you can still play songs the same way you’d play using a 4-string bass, because you’ll have 4 strings tuned the same, you can also play chords just like a guitar thanks to the extra two strings, which can be very interesting.

The only issue about 6-string bass is the string spacing. In some models, which have narrower necks more like a guitar, the strings are closer to each other than on your average 4-string bass, which means bassists used to a 4-string bass might sometimes find it harder to adapt. On the other hand, if you choose a 6-string as your first bass or if you started playing guitar, then you’ll no doubt feel comfortable with a six-string bass.

Watch: Cream, ‘Strange Brew’

6-String Bass vs. Baritone Guitar

It’s important not to confuse 6-string basses with Baritone guitars. Some may think they’re similar, but the results are very different – a baritone guitar can sound deeper than a normal guitar, because it’s tuned lower, but it’s still unmistakably a guitar.

Whereas a 6-string bass might look like a baritone sometimes – but it has thicker bass strings and sounds, obviously, bassier than a baritone.

Having said that – guitarists used to baritone guitars might be pleasantly surprised to find that a 6-string bass is a great alternative to use, whenever they want something “meatier”.

Watch: Eastwood TB-64 review

Eastwood TB64 Teisco Tribute

One of the hottest 6-string basses right now is, without a doubt, the Eastwood TDR-Series TB-64 bass. This model is a tribute to a very rare Teisco model, as used by Kazu Makino from New York’s Blonde Redhead.

Kazu from Blonde Redhead

Alongside the Sidejack Bass VI and the Squier/ Fender Bass VI, the TB-64 is one of the few six-string basses suitable for indie/ alternative/ classic rock – well, at least in terms of looks!

In fact, there are other types of 6-string basses by brands such as Warwick, who makes the Corvette bass. This type of 6-string bass has much wider neck to allow for bigger string spacing, like that of a regular 4-string. 

Warwick 6-string bass

It’s never a great idea to generalise, but it’s probably true you won’t find many players in rock bands playing a bass like that. This kind of bass is great for jazz players and slap bass, for instance.

But whatever your style – maybe it’s time you considered a 6-string bass. After all, why limit yourself?

Why Play 6-String Bass Guitar? from MyRareGuitars.com

Adrian Belew fronted prog-legends King Crimson for many years

Adrian Belew’s Spectrum 5

Adrian Belew and his Parker Fly

The Fractal Audio Axe-FX

David Bowie with Adrian Belew

Find Out More:

Adrian Belew on Facebook

Celebrating David Bowie concerts

Adrian Belew Interview: Lessons in Hard-Working from MyRareGuitars.com

If you were curious to know more about short-scale bass guitars, we hope this blog will make clear as to why they’re a great choice for any bassist – novices and pros alike!

What’s the scale length of short-scale basses?

The scale of a guitar is defined by the distance between the bridge and the nut. Short-scale basses have usually a 30″ scale length or a bit more, but always under 31″. But the scale can be even shorter than that, such as with the legendary Airline Pocket Bass, which has a 26.5″ length (and is now being reissued by Eastwood Guitars.)

Airline Pocket Bass… even shorter scale length than usual short-scale basses! View info

Compare that to the length of the traditional long-scale basses (34″, made popular by the legendary Fender Precision Bass) or the less-common 32″ medium-scale (such as the Eastwood Sidejack 32), and it seems plain obvious that there are bound to be quite a bit of difference between them, and not just cosmetically!

Short-Scale Bass vs. Long-Scale Bass: Why Play One?

It’s fair to say that short-scale basses can hold special appeal for younger players or anyone who feels somehow challenged by the extra reach required by the usual long-scale bass guitar (which still is the most common and popular, let’s not forget!) For instance, many guitarists who decide to also learn bass, might find that a short-scale model feels more familiar.

However… short-scale basses are by no means simply a “beginners” guitar – on the contrary! Many seasoned pros prefer the fat (and we mean “phaaat!”) tones that a short-scale bass guitar can produce. Because of the lower tension required by the shorter strings, short-scale basses can give you a deeper, bassier low-end. In the studio or live, short scale basses are a great tool to have.

Even if, as a bassist, you generally prefer long-scale basses, it might be a great idea to have a short-scale model too, for extra sonic palette! 

The Airline MAP is a very popular short-scale bass. (Photo: The Skeleton Krew, live)

Of course, long-scale basses have their own advantages, too, such as better sustain and more defined trebles, ideal for slap bass.

At the end of the day, it all depends on how you plan to use your bass, and how it fits your style – but you should definitely try both to find out for yourself! 

Which Famous Players Play Short-Scale Bass?

Some of the greatest bass players ever have used short-scale bass guitars. To start with, we can mention none other than Paul McCartney! Yes – his iconic Hofner Violin Bass is indeed a 30″ short-scale bass… so all those wonderful bass lines in early Beatles records are, that’s right, straight from a short-scale model!

Other top bassists who’ve used short-scale bass guitars include Jack Bruce (Cream), Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones) and Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), to name but a few.

If you too want to join the short-scale team, few brands can be said to offer so many great short-scale bass guitars for sale as Eastwood Guitars, so make sure to check their short-scale basses.

A Short Guide To Short-Scale Bass Guitars from MyRareGuitars.com

What is a tenor guitar? A brief introduction…

A tenor guitar is a 4-string guitar, generally with a suitably narrower neck than the usual acoustic or electric guitars we’re all used to, which have 6-strings of course.

Even though tenors have been around since the 1920’s, they’ve been pretty much a niche instrument limited mostly to jazz as an alternative to the traditional 4-string banjo, and only relatively recently have they started being used by a new wave of folk musicians, such as Seth Lakeman.

Seth Lakeman and his tenor guitar. He recently also started to use a Warren Ellis Tenor 2P.

But in the last few years, it’s true to say that tenor guitars have been enjoying a revival, and thanks to a wider range of musicians from different styles playing the instrument, such as Warren Ellis from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and now even indie rockers are discovering the joys of the tenor guitars – in no small amount thanks to the Eastwood Warren Ellis range of electric tenor guitars.

However, besides being until recently not that widely available, there’s still a sense that most guitarists simply  don’t know what tenor guitars are for – so why bother playing one! Well, if you were wondering if you should get a tenor guitar, then read on! And if buying one never crossed your mind before, then you definitely need to read this!

1) Tenor guitar vs. Ukulele?

Hey, we don’t want to diss the ukes! Ukes are great fun to play – but because they are almost toy-like, their use can be very limited. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – on the contrary, people love ukuleles because they sound and look the way they do, after all!

But even though they are very different instruments, there are similarities, too, and it’s no wonder many uke players also end up turning to tenor guitars when they fancy… something else.

Both have 4-strings, and you can play a tenor guitar using a standard ukulele tuning, too! So if you want to make the transition from ukulele to something that can sound bigger and which can more easily fit into a plugged-in band context, but without having to learn new chords, then a tenor guitar is the perfect instrument.

Tenor guitars, however, are much more versatile, and can be tuned in many different ways and still sound good. Also, if you choose an electric tenor guitar you can totally rock out through amps and effects in a band, just like a normal guitar… you can do a lot more with it, basically.

2) Tenor guitars are great for beginners

Like the ukelele, tenor guitars can be suitable for those learning to play a stringed instrument, because they can be easier to play than a 6-string acoustic! After all, like the humble ukulele, tenors also only have 4 strings, as we’ve just mentioned!

Whether you’re not comfortable with the close proximity of the six string son a regular guitar, or simply can’t come to grips with the more complex chord shapes of a 6-string guitar, the tenor might prove to be just what you need. We’ve heard of many people who simply couldn’t get around playing guitar well enough, and who are now happy tenor guitar players.

You know the old cliché that some people choose to play bass because they only have 4 strings and therefore are easier to learn? Well… with a tenor you CAN do the same, and rock out on an actual guitar that just happens to have less strings than usual.

Which leads us to…

3) Sometimes you really don’t need 6 strings…

Warren Ellis Signature tenor…only 4-strings, but sometimes that’s all you need!

As any Keith Richards fan will know, you don’t always need 6 strings… and, in fact, you may not even need 5! With the Warren Ellis Tenor guitars, for instance, you can easily consider them like a simpler electric guitar, which just happens to have 4 strings! That’s right – you can, for instance, tune a tenor guitar to EADG, the standard 6-string tuning minus the top two strings, or DGBE like standard guitar tuning minus the bottom 2 strings.

Which means – playing a tenor guitar doesn’t really require learning new chords… unless you want to!

4) Tenor guitars can inspire experienced 6-string players, too!

One of the great things about tenor guitars is that when you start playing one, and start experimenting with different tunings than you’d normally use on your standard guitar, it really feels special – like a whole new world opening in front of you, easily.

That may sound a bit too dramatic, but it’s true – whatever style you play, you may feel inspired by the different sounds you’ll get from the alternate tunings you use on a tenor guitar. Even though the tenor guitar was introduced in the 1920’s as a jazz instrument, it doesn’t mean it’s limited to this – especially when it comes to electric tenor guitars.

Anyone playing indie, psych or even metal, will find that the tenor guitar can be very inspiring – and make you play things you wouldn’t come up with on a standard 6-string guitar – because of the different tunings, and even because of the limitations imposed by less strings. Sometimes, less is indeed more…

5) Warren Ellis shows tenors can rock!

And if you needed any more convincing, look no further than Warren Ellis himself! The multi-talented artist who collaborated with Nick Cave in various musical projects (The Bad Seeds, Grinderman, various soundtracks) is without a doubt one of the main reasons a whole new kind of tenor players is emerging – thanks to the Eastwood Warren Ellis signature range.

Music is above all about being creative. It’s no coincidence such a versatile and productive musician such as Warren Ellis plays so many different instruments – but it’s not even about how well you play it. Grab something new, experiment and create your own sound and style. You can do it with a cheap kazoo, or with an expensive synth… but if you’re a guitarist, there’s no doubt that a tenor guitar is a pretty good start!

Tenor Guitar: Top 5 Reasons Why Every Guitarist Needs One from MyRareGuitars.com

The new footage shows the band – then called Ted Ed Fred – miming to a backing track, with Dale Crover playing drums live. This is a real piece of rock’n’roll story – filmed the day after the soon-to-be-renamed Nirvana recorded their first proper demo, with Jack Endino (‘Bleach’ producer).

Note that back then, Kurt Cobain was playing a Univox Hi-Flier guitar – the model which inspired the Custom Shop Eastwood Univox Hi-Flyer.

Early live footage of Nirvana found from MyRareGuitars.com

After years working with top names such as Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and Sheryl Crow, as well as innumerable studio sessions for other musical legends, Doyle is currently re-launching himself as a solo artist, promoting his latest album, the excellent ‘Rich Man’.

Few people have worked for so long with Eric Clapton, and Doyle Bramhall II is one of them. So, how did he become such an important part of Clapton’s band for so long? Doyle says:

“I’ve always liked making music with other people, I love collaboration, I love playing off other people, because I get inspired by what other people do, too. I like throwing ideas back and forth, I love improvisation… so I’ve always felt like I’m a counter-puncher, so when I hear something I immediately play something to counter that, like a counter melody or a counter rhythm. And I think that’s why I actually had a career with Eric [Clapton] for that long, because I countered everything that he did, and sort of accented what he did.”

Of working with Roger Waters, Doyle explained:

“I think all the experiences are meaningful to me. But playing with Clapton is very different than with Roger Waters, and playing with Sheryl Crow is different than that. With Eric you play the songs he wants to play and it’s his music, but he still wants you to be yourself. With Roger it was similar, he still wanted me to play like me, even though I had parts I was stuck to. But for instance, in ‘Mother’ I wouldn’t think of going away from that solo because its melody is as part of the song as the rest of the song. With Roger it was a much more structured experience.”

In the interview, Doyle talks about growing up u a very musical family in Texas, how he became a guitarist, and much more.

READ FULL INTERVIEW

Eric Clapton’s Collaborator Doyle Bramhall II Opens Up from MyRareGuitars.com

There’s just something so cool about a Bigsby vibrato, doesn’t it? Well, not everyone will agree with this, but they look sturdy and go well with most kinds of guitars – unlike Fender-style vibratos (also wrongly known as tremolo arms). 

Two different Bigsby vibratos

Nothing wrong with Fender vibratos – especially the Jazzmaster / Jaguar ones, of course, as any My Bloody Valentine fan will agree. “Floating tremolos” can be fantastic. But can you image a Les Paul with a Fender trem? Exactly – sometimes, only a Bigsby will do!

Besides, Bigsby vibratos were designed so they can be easily retro fitted to most types of guitars – so pretty much anyone with a hardtail guitar can easily modify it with a Bigsby, whereas if you wanted to fit a Fender-style trem, for instance, it’d be more complicated. (Check Bigsby for sale here)

If you still have any doubts about it, here’s our pick of Top 7 very different guitars with Bigsby vibrato, as played by famous guitarists. Post a comment to let us know which one is your favourite, or whether we forgot a guitar that should be here!

7) Airline 3P: PJ Harvey, Ripley Johnson, G. Love, Jeff Wootton

PJ Harvey and her Airline 3p

Polly Jean Harvey is not just an amazing singer and gifted songwriter – she’s got a great taste in guitars, too! After playing Gretsch, Gibson Firebird and Fender Telecaster and Jazzmaster, she chose a (vintage) Airline 3P with Bigsby.

Airline 59 3P DLX

Since then, we’ve seen many more guitarists choosing this model. Users of Eastwood’s Airline 59 3P DLX include Ripley from Wooden Schjips / Moon Duo (who now plays his signature 3P), G. Love (who’s also got his own signature guitar), and Jeff Wootton of Gorillaz.

Whereas some people might thing an Airline 2P looks “too Jack White”, the 3P with Bigsby is even more versatile and ideal for guitarists who want to experiment.

6) 1959 Les Paul Standard, the “Keefburst”: Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor

Keith Richards and his 1959 Les Paul

Some of us (maybe most!) might say that a Les Paul is better with its traditional hardtail bridge, but we perhaps wouldn’t even be talking about Les Paul guitars if not for this model – the legendary Keefburst. Why? Well, for the simple reason Keef was the first notable player to play a sunburst Les Paul. He used it on the Rolling Stones’ first US tour and extensively on TV shows and recordings, such as “The Last Time”. 

A Keefburst-style Les Paul with Bigsby

And more – Keef’s Les Paul might’ve inspired Jimmy Page to get his own sunburst Les Paul, too! As a session musician, Page used Keith’s LP on a version of the Stones’ “Heart Of Stone”. And that’s not the end of it: Eric Clapton is said to have borrowed it for a while circa Fresh Cream, and Mick Taylor also played it.

5) Epiphone Casino w/ Bigsby: George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Johnny Marr

George Harrison and his Epiphone Casino

What can we say? Both George Harrison and Paul McCartney had Epiphone Casinos equipped with Bigsby. They used it on tracks such as “Drive My Car”, “Taxman”, on lots of the “Sgt. Pepper” album, and during the Beatles last tour, which included legendary gigs such as Candlestick Park.

Johnny Marr’s Casino, today – minus trem…

Even though both Keith Richards and Brian Jones also played Casinos, it was The Beatles who truly introduced the model to a wider audience. Which also included an young Johnny Marr – who bought a Bigsby-equipped Casino because of the Fab Four, and used it on one of The Smiths’ best songs, “How Soon Is Now?” (Check Johnny Marr website for more). 

Epiphone Casino with Bigsby, still available from Epiphone

The list of Casino with Bigsby users also includes Thom York from Radiohead, The Edge from U2 and Gary Clark Jr.

4) Harmony H78: Dan Auerbach, Anton Newcombe

Dan Auerbach and his H78 with Bigsby

Make no mistake – Gibson/Epiphone semis are great, but if they are guilty of one thing, is that over the years they’ve become a bit generic. Sounds hard to believe, but so many players still get them all mixed-up: 335, 345, 355, Riviera, Sheraton, Casino… 

With the H78 there’s no mistake! No other semi-acoustic looks like it. The current Airline H78 is a fitting tribute to the original H78, as used by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Anton Newcombe and Matt Hollywood from Brian Jonestown Massacre. Many players who’ve tried both models will testify that the new H78 is even better than the original!

Betterthan the original? The Airline H78, a truly unique semi-acoustic…

3) Supro Dual Tone: David Bowie

David Bowie and his Supro Dual Tone

A fact not always acknowledged by many fans is that David Bowie had a great taste in guitars, as discussed on our dedicated article about Bowie’s guitars. So his choice of instrument for his final tour, in 2003, couldn’t be better: a Supro Dual Tone with Bigsby – a stunning guitar! That was the first time many people saw a Dual Tone, but in fact this vintage classic featured on some of the most influential recordings from the 1950’s… after all, Link Wray used it in classic tracks such as “Rumble”.

An original Dual Tone will set you back thousands of bucks, but fortunately, Eastwood’s Airline Twin Tone DLX can give you a taste of the original:

The Airline Twin Tone DLX… as close as it gets to a Supro!

2) Gretsch Triple Jet: Jack White

Jack White and his Gretsch Triple Jet in copper finish

The Gretsch Triple Jet in copper finish is perhaps Jack White’s most iconic guitar, after the red Airline. After years with The White Stripes, White had to really choose a striking new guitar to help setting his new project The Racounteurs apart… and besides an Airline Town & Country (as featured on the ‘Steady As She Goes’ video) he opted for the Triple Jet, which was actually his main axe, live.

Jack White’s Gretsch Triple Jet in copper

A wise choice, too. His customised Triple Jet in copper was a stunning guitar which got many guitarists wondering if they could find one just like it. Sadly, the answer was “no”…

For more about Jack White’s guitars, read our previous blog, A Brief History Of jack White’s Guitar Collection.

1) Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty: Jimmy Page 

Jimmy Page and his Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty

What’s so special about this Les Paul? Besides being a gorgeous instrument, this is the instrument that helped to establish Page’s name: pre-Led Zeppelin, this was the guitar he used on several studio sessions for other artists. He also used it in the early days of Led Zeppelin, but then lost – only to be found more than 40 years later!

Jimmy Page and the Black Beauty

So… we think the Black Beauty with Bigsby deserves the #1 spot: a gorgeous guitar, owned by one of the greatest guitarists ever in legendary recording sessions and gigs, and considered lost for many decades – but miraculously found years later. How cool is that? 

Les Paul Black Beauty with Bigsby

The Top 7 Guitars with Bigsby… As Played by Famous Guitarists from MyRareGuitars.com

There’s little doubt that the Ovation Ultra GP is one of those mouth-watering rare guitars, the classic case of a model which didn’t sell well at the time of release, but then became mega-rare, very collectible and desirable instruments, years later. The clue for the main problem with the Ultra GP – and also for one of its main selling points today – lies in the name itself: GP stands for “Guitar Paul”, because, well, at the time of release, this guitar was meant as a head-to-head competition with the Gibson Les Paul. Bad move.

Why? As we explained on a previous blog, the Ultra GP was priced the same as a Les Paul, and people simply didn’t bite. If you wanted a Les Paul, most people probably thought, you might as well buy a Les Paul, rather than an electric guitar from a brand better known for acoustic guitars! And what’s worse – they couldn’t even get things right: called it a “ultra hard body” guitar, rather than “solid body”? How could you trust them?

Ovation Ultra Hard Bodies ad

The thing is… heck, you really could trust them! The Ultra GPs are superb guitars, as proven by the fact that so many players who actually played a GP would choose it over a Les Paul any day. Ovation thought they could improve on a Les Paul – sounds like sacrilege, but years later, many players will agree they succeeded. 

Queens Of The Stone Ages Live. Josh Homme and his Ovation Ultra GP

The most notable case was Josh Homme, who used an Ultra GP for a good part of his career – from his early years with Kyuss, to Queens Of The Stone Age. Today, the Ultra GP is quite rare and expensive, and no longer an instrument within most players budget!

The Eastwood Custom Shop GP (2017)

Eastwood GP

Which brings us to the Eastwood GP. Discontinued in 2012, this tribute to the Ultra GP became very rare and collectible in its own right – it’s unbelievable how many guitarists say this Eastwood model has become their favourite guitar! 

Now, in 2017, the Custom Shop Eastwood GP is about to be unleashed, but as a very limited run of only 12 guitars – available to pre-order for just $150 deposit (final price will be $799). It seems that twelve guitarists are about to become very, very lucky and happy indeed. As for the rest… they’ll have to keep searching! It really seems like the destiny of the GP (either Ovation’s or Eastwood’s) is to be a guitar desired by many, but played by just a few…

Limited-Run Ovation Ultra GP Tribute: Eastwood GP Returns! from MyRareGuitars.com

Before we start a fight, let’s be clear: we LOVE Mosrite here at My Rare Guitars, as Mike himself made clear in previous blogs. They sound amazing, look beautiful, and are some of the most iconic and unique guitars ever made. From a collector’s point of view, it’s a no-brainer: if you can find and afford an original, vintage Mosrite, you should just go for it!

But we all live in the real world, and from a musician point of view, things get a little bit more complicated… and vintage may not be convenient, nor necessarily mean better.

Over the years, there’s been many variations of the Mosrite models: from the Univox guitars in the 70’s, to 80’s and 90’s replicas branded Mosrite, besides other brands making their own versions of the classic design, to varying degrees of success (Hallmark guitars, Danelectro and others).

The thirst for Mosrite guitars has been there for many years – not just because of the Ventures surf-music connection, but also due to it’s connection to seminal rock bands such as The Stooges (Dave Alexander played a Mosrite bass), MC5 (Fred “Sonic” Smith) and, especially, the Ramones (Mosrite was *the* Johnny Ramone guitar).

Fred “Sonic” Smith and his Mosrite

The first problem regarding Mosrite is precisely that – most musicians inspired by those artists, who want to actually rock out onstage, wouldn’t (shouldn’t?) really choose a vintage Mosrite to play. After all, Mosrites are too rare, too expensive for actual rock gigs, now! So no wonder so many copies have proliferated.

And then, there’s the other, more pressing question: were the original Mosrites actually that good?

Some well-known Mosrite issues

Vintage Mosrite guitar

While there’s no question about the build quality of the original Mosrite guitars, and even less doubts about their amazing sound, there WERE some issues which have bothered many players over the years.

Basically, the Mosrite neck were quite idiosyncratic and a big barrier for many, many players who’d otherwise love the guitar: tiny frets, and very thin necks very narrow at the nut – which quite a few players could enjoy but not all – especially if playing lead.

The frets, though, were definitely a big issue. We’ve heard of people who bought original Mosrites and decided to actually re-fret them! Just imagine – you buy a rare, expensive vintage guitar, and feel the urge to actually change its specs – and, by making it not all-original anymore, devaluating the guitar. 

Yep, that’s how bad some people didn’t like those frets.

It’s important to note this because, lo and behold, not even The Ventures were too keen on them! Despite their association with Mosrite (after all, mk I model was called “The Ventures”) they actually preferred to use Fender guitars in the studio, and used Mosrites live just because of their contracts.

The Ventures… and their Fenders!

According to an old blog post we found:

“…remember, it was the Ventures that really started using stringbending….and try to bend a string on an orignal model…there is no fret to use…It’s all but filed off… They had specifically asked that the Mosrite necks have the same frets and feel as their favorite Jazzmaster, Stratocaster and PBass.”

Another interesting thing about Mosrites: they didn’t have a nut!

Mosrite headstock

Instead, Mosrite guitars have a  zero fret that acts as a nut, and behind it, they feature a metallic string slide device to keep the strings in place. Looks weird but, apparently, is a very clever design that helps with the intonation.

Vintage 1964 Mosrite bridge

Another interesting detail is that Mosrites used a roller bridge, not too dissimilar to a tune-o-matic, but the saddles were actually little wheels that would allow for smooth tuning and smooth tremolo action. However, some players say that  that some of them had issues where the bottom of the saddle didn’t conform to the bridge plate, and would cause buzzing – some players would then put a small and thin piece of felt under the saddle!

All told – everything does seem to show that, for such an expensive piece of rock history, the Mosrites (or some of them) did have playability issues most people shelling out thousands of bucks, today, would rather avoid…

Are Eastwood Sidejacks Better Than Mosrite?

Eastwood Sidejack DLX

Now… here’s the million dollar question: are the new Eastwood Sidejack guitars actually better than the legendary Mosrite guitars? As the recent Re-Inventing The Past: From Mosrite to Sidejack blog says, there’s little doubt that the Sidejacks are, today, more popular than the original Mosrites ever were.

Over the past few years, other brands have also jumped on the Mosrite bandwagon,such as Hallmark and Danelectro, who also makes popular Mosrite-style guitars – the Danelectro 64 and Danelectro 66 models, which also look great, though yet again featuring their own take on the famous Mosrite look.

For instance, both the Danelectro 64 and Danelectro 66 feature lipstick-style bridge humbuckers, which can put some players off, as it deviates quite a bit from the original Mosrite look (though it could, of course, appeal to other players who want that kind of tone). They have a less Mosrite-ish headstock, but, on the other hand, have zero fret and Mosrite trem, which some hardcore Mosrite fans might appreciate. 

Mosrite, Danelectro or Eastwood Sidejack?

It’s the same old story – to each their own. Even though Mosrites are legendary, and sound great, not everyone will actually enjoy playing one. Meanwhile, some players will prefer the Mosrite features of the Danos, while others will prefer the different Mosrite features of the Sidejacks, especially of the new Sidejack Pro DLX.

Eastwood Sidejack Pro DLX… find out more

Right now, there’s no question that the Eastwood Sidejacks are the leading models keeping the Mosrite flame alive: they’re not “reissues” or replicas of the Mosrite, but modern, updated tributes to the original.

They definitely feel more playable, and feature a more familar jazzmaster-style tremolo,  besides adjustable bridge. So, while not 100% like an original Mosrite, the Sidejacks are the true heirs, keeping the Mosrite cult alive – and doing it the RIGHT way: by being used by lots of bands who really love to rock out!

While not quite as well-known as the Jazzmaster (yet?), the Sidejack is equally suitable for surf music, punk or indie rock. For fans of the P-90 sound, simply an amazing choice.

Now… better than a Mosrite? Only YOU can tell, really, if you ever have the chance to compare both. Everyone will have their own opinions… but I know which one I’d rather take to my next gig!

Mosrite vs. Sidejack: Which One Is Better? from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood Flying BV bass in black or natural

Flying V guitars have always been very niche, and not a huge amount of famous players have favoured them over the years, when compared to other, more usual models – for this reason, perhaps, there’s still an air of novelty when anyone is faced with a “V-shaped” guitar. And if the list of players who’ve used “V” guitars isn’t massive, it’s certainly impressive: Jimi Hendrix, Dave Davies (The Kinks), Albert Lee, Lennie Kravitz, Lonnie Mack, Michael Schenker, Noel Gallagher and John Entwistle included.

Some (most?) players won’t own or wish to own a V-guitar. It’s often seen as a bit “too much”. But… and this is a big “but”, those who do like a Flying-V shaped guitar don’t just “like” it, they really love it! Maybe this explains the recent success of the latest Eastwood Custom Shop projects, the Flying TV Tenor guitar, and the Flying BV bass. The former reached it’s 100% target in under a week and is on the way of at least doubling it, whereas the latter is on its way to repeat that same level of success.

Eastwood Custom Flying TV tenor guitar

Maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised: after all, a Flying-V bass or a Flying-V tenor guitar are not something you see everyday! Both projects are still crowdfunding at the time of writing, so if you want to guarantee yours, make sure to leave a deposit soon: crowdfunding ends May 11 for the Flying TV, and June 1 for the Flying BV.

Flying High: New Eastwood “Flying V” Bass & Tenor Guitar! from MyRareGuitars.com

On this video, Moon Duo singer / guitarist Ripley Johnson uses, as usual, his Airline 59 3P Ripley Custom, his own signature guitar and also an unique model in the Airline 59 family, as it features our Transwarp Drive boost.

Airline 59 3P Ripley Custom

Rock on, Ripley!

Moon Duo’s worldwide tour continues in the U.S. and Canada. If you’re around to catch one of those dates, don’t miss it!

21/4/17 Chicago @ The Empty Bottle w/ Jackie Lynn 
22/4/17 Detroit @ El Club w/ Jackie Lynn 
23/4/17 Toronto @ Horseshoe Tavern w/ Jackie Lynn 
25/4/17 Montreal @ La Sala Rossa w/ Jackie Lynn 
26/4/17 Boston @ Great Scott w/ Jackie Lynn 
27/4/17 Brooklyn @ Rough Trade w/ Jackie Lynn 
28/4/17 Philadelphia @ Johnny Brenda’s w/ Jackie Lynn 
29/4/17 Washington DC @ DC9 w/ Jackie Lynn 
30/4/17 Cleveland @ Beachland Tavern w/ Jackie Lynn

More info:

Moon Duo official website

WATCH: Moon Duo Covers The Stooges’ ‘No Fun’ from MyRareGuitars.com

On a recent interview on the Eastwood website, Jeff Senn Explained the inspiration behind his new design, which also has a certain hint of the legendary Supro Ozark to it.

“When I was building the original Continental for myself it was built with a vintage Supro pickup in the bridge position and a vintage Guyatone pickup in the neck position. When we decided to make The Continental available as a production instrument I chose pickups that evoked a similar tonality but were easily accessible. 

“It’s a very versatile combination as the guitar can twang, growl, sparkle and cover many genres of music from Punk to Western Swing, Blues and Jazz. I’m personally drawn to guitars that I can take on almost any gig without worrying if they will fit the style of music. Versatility is a good thing and this is what I had in mind for The Continental. Another aspect of the pickup choices is that they are easily replaceable with a plethora of choices should the player want a different sound or output. By mounting the mini-humbucker in a P-90 rout the mini can be traded out easily for a P-90 should the owner wish to, which would be another great version of the instrument.”

Read the full Jeff Senn interview here.

More about the Continental by Jeff Senn

The Continental by Jeff Senn

It’s worth mentioning that The Continental is NOT in production just yet (March 31 as we write this) because this is a new crowdfunding project by the Eastwood Custom Shop. Even though the guitar was designed by Jeff Senn, this model won’t be manufactured or sold by Jeff Senn Guitars, Senn’s own brand.

Those interested can simply pay a deposit ($200 for hardtail version, $250 for Bigsby version) via the Eastwood Continental Page, to guarantee theirs – if Eastwood reach their target! If they don’t reach at least 100% of their goal, the guitar won’t be made and those who left a deposit will be refunded.

Crowdfunding ends on April 27, 2017.

But, oh boy… it’s such a beautiful guitar, that we can only hope she’ll get made! It would be a shame otherwise, wouldn’t it?

New Jeff Senn & Eastwood Custom Shop Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

A few years ago, Gibson announced their 2015 range of electric guitars, which featured several changes that didn’t please many of their core customers – and one of those changes was a wider neck. The move proved a big PR fiasco, with many players thinking that Gibson had finally lost the plot, and that the wide necks were one of the most visible signs of that.

Looking back, perhaps Gibson had the right idea, but just dealt it the wrong way, by having all their 2015 models being made with wide necks – thus depriving their customers of choice: there is indeed an increasing market for wide neck guitars, no question about that… but it’s not for everybody!

Why play a Wide Neck guitar? Is it for YOU?

The fact is, if we’re honest, that a good chunk of the population is, well… getting chunkier! To be totally blunt about it – fatter people have fatter fingers, and it can (sometimes, for some players) make it harder for  them to play a guitar which has a narrower neck. But also, anyone who’s bigger and thus got bigger hands might find it a bit troublesome to deal with a standard, narrow neck guitar…

For those players, opting for a wide neck guitar can make a huge difference! It’s in fact quite remarkable that for so many years, the industry has not focused on this problem, but now guitars with wide necks are not such a rarity anymore.

Please bear in mind that when we say “wide neck” we don’t refer to the thickness of the neck, which is something else altogether – as most players will be aware, different guitars my have different neck profiles, with different shapes and different thickness (which is a subject that’s itself worth a separate blog!)

We are, of course, talking about the actual width of the fingerboard. Visually, at a quick glance, many people might not notice any difference in some cases, but the relationship between the player’s hand and the fretboard is so crucial and subtle, that just a matter of tiny millimetres can make a huge difference – the difference in fact, between you loving a guitar or maybe even loathing it!

What’s the Nut Width of a Wide Neck Guitar?

A regular guitar may have a width at nut of 1 11/16″, while a wide neck would have a width at nut of 1 7/8″, for instance.

We’re talking about minimal differences here, but which play a crucial factor on how much playable you will think a guitar is – depending on how comfortable either of them feels on your hand!

Going back to Gibson, here’s another comparison: the maligned 2015 Les Paul had a width at nut of  1.795″, whereas “normal” Les Paul Standard has a width at nut of 1.695″. That’s right – 0.1″ of difference that’s enough to make someone simply hate an instrument!

But that’s the crux here – it’s not about the instrument, because there’s nothing wrong with a wide neck, it’s just a matter of: do YOU actually need one?

Guitar Companies Who Make Wide Neck Guitars

There are brands who’ve been adopting the wide neck design, over the years, besides Gibson.

The Zarley Wide Neck Guitars was founded by Tracy Todd, who decided to make wide neck models after years struggling with playing standard guitars, and their instruments have been welcomed by players who fancied wide necks:

Zarley Wide Neck

Many “Heavy Rock” brands such as Ibanez, Jackson, BC Rich also make guitars with necks wider than the usual Fenders, Gibsons etc you see around. 

Best Fingerpicking (“Fingerstyle”) Guitars?

Another common use for wide neck guitars is for those who play guitar “finger-picking” style… whatever the size of your hand! Though most fingerpicking guitarists use acoustic guitars, you can also use electrics for that style, and wider necks offer a distinct advantage, due to the wider width at nut and string spacing.

Wide Neck Guitars: for Beginners, too?

Perhaps another angle we could look at, is that wide neck guitars are also perfect for beginners and less experienced players, as it may be easier to try chords. Many people start on guitar playing a cheap Classical acoustic guitar (also known as Spanish or flamenco guitars) which are usually about 2″ wide (approx 49-52mm).

So we can’t see why wouldn’t beginners opting for an electric guitar not enjoy a wide neck model, in fact it could make learning even easier.

Is wide neck right for you? Well… first look at your hands, then let us know!

All You Need To Know About… Wide Neck Guitars from MyRareGuitars.com

David Bowie has had many different faces and personas over the years, but, surprisingly, one has been overlooked by most – David Bowie, the guitarist. In a way, it’s not very surprisingly, considering he was far from being a guitar hero, and, most importantly, has collaborated with some truly stellar guitarists who contributed greatly to his music, including: Mick Ronson, Carlos Alomar, Earl Slick, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Nile Rodgers and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Quite an impressive list!

Which Guitars Did David Bowie Play?

Though not primarily a guitarist, Bowie had a consistent taste for vintage, rare guitars and his choice of instrument often changed with his ever-changing musical directions. Here’s a guide to some of his most notable guitars. We usually talk about electric guitars, but in Bowie’s case we can’t help but mention a few acoustics, too… after all, he was a huge fan of 12-string acoustic models, throughout his career! In any case – Bowie was a true connoisseur, and his choice of guitars over the years is nothing short of fascinating! 

Here’s Bowie’s career – in 20 rare, amazing guitars.

1) Framus 12-String Acoustic (1965-66)

Of course, many of you will know that Bowie started his musical career as a saxophone player, and then became the frontman of different bands (The Mannish Boys, The Lower Third) but never playing a guitar. This pic of an young David Jones with a Framus 12-string  is the earliest photograph of Bowie with a guitar.

David Bowie circa 1965-66 with Framus 12-string 

According to Bowie biographer Paul Trynka, Bowie bought a guitar in late 1965. Considering Bowie’s well-documented taste for 12-string acoustics in later years, it’s fair to assume that the Framus in the photograph was indeed his first guitar, though there has never been any specific information about it. It’s interesting to note that his guitar had pickup, volume and tone controls – perhaps it was modded and bought second-hand by the still struggling Bowie. Little trivia: the guitar was redburst. 

Playing guitar was an important step in David Bowie’s career, as he started to use the instrument to compose songs, such as “Maid Of Bond Street” and his first true classic, “Can’t Help Thinking About Me”.

2) Gibson B45 12-String (1968-69)

Bowie performing with Feathers

After the commercial failure of his 1967 debut album, Bowie tried other directions, including joining Lindsey Kemp’s mime troup, buddhism and forming folky trio Feathers with his girlfriend Hermione Farthingale and John Hutchinson. During this period, Bowie used a Gibson B-45 12-string acoustic.

Gibson B-45, as played by David Bowie

He’s never been seen or photographed with this guitar again, after the end of Feathers. We actually believe this is the first time this guitar has ever been mentioned in relation to Bowie, as we couldn’t find anything else elsewhere. Well, now you know!

3) Hagstrom 12-String Acoustic (1969-1972)

Bowie live at the Beckenham Free Festival in 1969, with his Hagstrom.

This is perhaps Bowie’s most legendary guitar. It’s believed it’s the one he used to write his first hit, ‘Space Oddity’, as well as used live and to write most ‘Ziggy Stardust’-era songs, including ‘Starman’.

Curiously enough, the guitar is now on display at the ‘Beatles Story’ museum, in Liverpool. At some point, it seems to have had pickup and tone & volume controls added to it, though it’s not shown with this configuration in any Bowie photos.

David Bowie’s Hagstrom on display in Liverpool.

4) Espana 12-String Acoustic (1969)

Bowie and his Espana 12-string

This guitar was used on a famous promo shot for the ‘Space Oddity’ single, but strangely enough, there’s not a whole lot info about it. It might have been used just as a prop for the photograph. It looks very similar to the Hagstrom 12-string, and it could indeed be the one he’s using in other pics and footage, but it’s hard to be sure!

5) Guild 12-String Acoustic (1971)

David Bowie live in 1971 with Guild 12-string

When David Bowie toured the US for the first time, to promote ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ in 1971, he could be seen playing a Guild 12-string acoustic. There’s no report or pics of him using one before or since, so he probably just borrowed it for the tour.

6) Harptone 12-string (1972-83)

Bowie and his Ziggy-era Harptone 12-string

This Harptone 12-string is “the” Ziggy-era Bowie acoustic. He used it when touring with the Spiders From Mars and this guitar can be seen on most footage from the era. 

Curiously enough, it seems Bowie decided to dust it off years later, after the release of Let’s Dance, as this live pic suggests:

Eighties Bowie meets Ziggy-era acoustic.

7) Harptone 12-String Jumbo (1972-75)

Bowie Harptone 12 Jumbo

Many people don’t realise this, but Bowie also regularly used ANOTHER Harptone 12-string, which at first sight looks similar to the previous one, but you’ll notice that it has a different scratchplate and is also bigger. He used this model on the second, Ziggy-era “Space Oddity” video; during the Ziggy tour and up until the Young Americans- era.

8) Egmond 12-String, Blue (1972)

Bowie and his blue Egmond.

This is one of Bowie’s most important guitars – if not for anything else, simply for being the guitar he used on the watershed moment of his career – playing “Starman” on Top Of The Pops, which finally launched Bowie as a bona fide popstar in the UK! He also used the Egmond on a few promo shots, and that seems to be about it.

9) Vox Teardrop Mark XII 12-String (1972)

There’s no record of Bowie using this cool Vox guitar other than in 1972, for promo pics. Years later, he used a Vox Teardrop Mark VI for the recording of one of his best songs in the Eighties, ‘Absolute Beginners’. The guitar is now on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Warsaw. There’s no photo of him and this guitar, though.

10) Gibson 1972 Deluxe Les Paul (1972)

David Bowie and a Gibson Les Paul

David Bowie was always very conscious about his image and symbolism. That’s why he posed with a borrowed Les Paul on the cover of the “Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars” album – to show the world he was now a tougher, “rock’n’roll” act.  Maybe for this reason, he was up for using a Les Paul during his 1972 USA tour.

Presented to Bowie by Gibson, he used it live and on the ‘Jean Genie’ promo film. But given his more esoteric tastes in guitars, it’s not surprising that it soon became Mick Ronson’s back up guitar, never to be used by Bowie again. 

11) Hagstrom I Kent PB- 24-G (1974)

Now we’re talking! The red Hagstrom I Kent PB-24G guitar was Bowie’s first truly iconic electric guitar, which Eastwood Guitars are now bringing back – check it out HERE.

Though many fans will recognise and love it, this guitar was only used in promo shots for his ‘Diamond Dogs’ album, and there’s no record of him ever using it elsewhere, apart from a TV appearance:

As most hardcore Bowie fans may know, he played most guitar parts on the ‘Diamond Dogs’ album, but according to those who worked with him, his guitar choice during the sessions was a Dan Armstrong plexiglass model – which he’s never been pictured with… a shame! Unless, those recollections are slightly wrong and they really meant the next guitar…

12) Dan Armstrong 341 (1976)

Bowie’s Dan Armstrong 341

Yes, David Bowie had for sure another Dan Armstrong guitar, but it was not a plexiglass model! Auctioned in 1991, this is an important guitar. Besides featuring on a famous pic used for the Sound + Vision compilation, it was also used to write one of Bowie’s finest albums. According to Bowie, in ’91: “I’ve had this Dan Armstrong guitar since the early 70s. I wrote most of the songs for Station to Station on it.” Considering the cronology, it may have been used on ‘Diamond Dogs’, too.

13) Custom Fender Telecaster, Natural (1976)

Bowie and a customized Fender Telecaster

During the tour to promote ‘Station To Station’, Bowie played a custom Fender Telecaster, with 3 pickups with individual on/off switches. A pretty cool guitar, never seen since.

14) Fender Stratocaster, Red and Sunburst (1977)

Bowie and his Red Strat

Two  more conventional choices, during Bowie’s least conventional period! In 1977 Bowie could be seen playing a red Stratocaster for the ‘Be My Wife’ promo, one of the most commercial tracks from ‘Low’, which became a single. 

Bowie was also spotted playing a sunburst Strat that same year, for his duet with Marc Bolan, on Bolan’s TV show. This guitar belonged to Marc, who gave it to Bowie as he turned up without one on the day!

David Bowie with a Strat and Marc Bolan.

15) Gibson L4, Black (1989-90)

Bowie and his Gibson L4

Owned and used by David Bowie in the studio, on stage and while on tour with Tin Machine, accompanied by a Sound + Vision tour program showing Bowie playing this guitar, a signed letter of authenticity from Reeves Grabels and guitar picks. The guitar can be seen in videos for the Tin Machine 1 album, in Music News reports and was used heavily in the studio for the recording of Tin Machine II. 

16) Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, Wine Red (1990)

Bowie and his Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman

The guitar was used on stage by Bowie during his March – September of 1990, Sound + Vision World Tour.

Bowie also subsequently used this guitar during studio sessions for his 1995 concept album “Outside.”

17) Takamine FP 400SC (1990)

Bowie and his 12-string Takamine

Bowie used this guitar during his 1990 Sound + Vision tour. It was his main acoustic guitar then, used on classic hits such as ‘Space Odyssey’. The tour included 108 concerts over seven months in more than 80 cities around the world. Bowie promoted the tour as a “greatest hits” tour and stated it was the last time he was going to play songs from his back catalog. 

18) Steinberger GL2, Custom Silver (1991-92)

Bowie and hiscustom Steinberger

Bowie was a big fan of headless guitars, since he saw Tin Machine’s Reeves Gabrel’s: “David saw mine and decided he wanted one like it. My guitar tech, Andy Spray, called the factory in Newburgh to see if they could make another chrome L series. Apparently, they had a guitar they used as a test run for the chroming process. That one had a normal fretboard (it did not have a chromed fretboard) making Bowie’s copycat completely playable while mine was not. The non chromed fretboard is the easiest way to tell them apart.”

19) Supro Dual Tone (2003)

Bowie and his Supro Dual Tone

The Supro Dual Tone is one of his most iconic later-years guitars. He used it during his last world tour, in 2003, and it even appears on his 2010 live album of that tour, ‘A Reality Tour’:

Bowie ‘A Reality Tour’ cover

More recently, Eastwood did a great job at recreating this model (first made famous by Link Wray in the Fifties) as the Airline Twin Tone – a fitting tribute to Wray’s model, but now also a great choice for fans of Bowie who also play guitar…

The Airline Twin Tone DLX, inspired by a Supro like Bowie’s. NOW FOR SALE! Only $754 USD

20) Hohner G2, Red (2013)

Bowie and his Hohner G2

Bowie went back to a headless guitar in the video of ‘Valentine’s Day’, from his superb comeback album ‘The Next Day’. As ever, his choice of instrument was unusual but made total sense with his tastes over the years. Unique just like the man himself.

The Guitars Of David Bowie from MyRareGuitars.com

Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead, one of the players who discovered the joys of a Teisco offset – she plays the bass version of the TG-64, the TB-64 now being resurrected by Eastwood. VIEW INFO

Don’t get us wrong – we love a good Jazzmaster, Jaguar or Mustang. Fender was and still is the big daddy of the offset guitars. But if familiarity doesn’t always have to bring contempt, on the other hand many of us prefer guitars with that little spark of mystery, which add to an unique touch when you’re on stage, or simply helps making it more interesting to play. That’s why a few lucky guitarists can’t help but loving their rare, 1960’s Teisco TG-64. Let’s be honest, it has a certain mojo lacking in modern-day Jazzmasters!

The Forgotten Offset Classic?

While its shape is familar, it’s all about those other details: three single coil pickups stripy scratchplate, push buttons and that cut-out handle on the body – what’s it all about? One of those features no one really needs, but which in fact looks pretty cool. It was the Sixties, after all, and who knows what the designers were smoking, then!

Original Teisco TG-64

The thing about Teisco guitars, is that they were unashamedly cheap knock offs of bigger brands such as Fender – but with enough personality to stand out on their own. They were never meant to be GREAT guitars, but put them through a valve amp and a good fuzz pedal, and it could be the coolest thing ever.  Originally unpopular offset models such as the Jazzmaster and Jaguar were affordable, and for this reason rediscovered in the Seventies by Punk and New Wave acts, but as soon as they became a staple in 90s alt-rock, thanks to Nirvana, Sonic Youth and others, they became prized commodities – and, somewhere along the way, lost just a little bit of their “cool” factor (for all it’s worth!).

Owning a Teisco TG-64 is a bit like owning a Jazzmaster back in 1976 – because it’s still an odd and rather cool choice, not seen too often. Some of the people who’ve used one recently include Blonde Redhead and Conor Oberst. But this model is still not the easiest to find! This is perhaps the coolest of all non-Fender offset guitars, and certainly a “forgotten classic”!

Conor Oberst and his Teisco TG-64

Eastwood Custom TG-64 Monkey Grip

It’s great news that Eastwood Custom are planning to reissue the Teisco TG-64. The plan is to make it even better than the original, but still quite affordable. While in the past Teisco were cool but cheap guitars, the new ones are of much better quality. If you’re looking for a cool alternative to a Fender Jaguar or Jazzmaster that really stands out, maybe the new Eastwood Custom TG-64 will do the trick for you.

Eastwood Custom TG-64 Monkey Grip

At the moment guitarists have to pledge a small amount to guarantee theirs… if you’re interested, hurry up, because opportunity ends TODAY (17th November)

VIEW EASTWOOD TG-64 PAGE FOR INFO

Eastwood Custom TB-64 Monkey Grip

Teisco TB-64… new Eastwood custom project. Find out more

The Teisco TB-64 looks very closely to the TG-64, but with a few differences besides the longer scale: a more “Fender-y” headstock, different neck joint and a vibrato arm closer to the edge of the body. Yes, it might’ve been inspired – in principle – on the Fender Bass VI but, frankly, has quite a marked difference… and, dare we say, looks much better?

Eastwood launched a custom shop project to reissue the TB-64, ending on April 20, 2017. They’ve successfully crowdfunded the TG-64 and it looks likely the TB-64 will also get made… but the best way to make sure this happens, and to guarantee yours, is of course to help crowdfunding and leave your pledge, too!

VIEW EASTWOOD TB-64 PAGE FOR INFO

Watch: Teisco TG-64 Demo

Forgotten Offset Guitars: Teisco TG-64 from MyRareGuitars.com

Limited Edition Airline Twin Tone Double Cut – only 24 Made. (Reg Price $499)

Airline Guitars has produced a limited edition Twin Tone Double Cut. Order yours TODAY!

20% OFF this week only. Just $399 while supplies last plus FREE SHIPPING

Specifications:

• Colours: White
• Body: Basswood
• Neck: Maple, Bolt-on
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
• Scale Length: 24 3/4″
• Width at Nut: 1 5/8″
• Pickups: Two Hot-Rail Humbuckers
• Switching: 3-Way
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
• Bridge: Fully adjustable Tune-O-Matic
• Hardware: Gotoh style Nickel/Chrome
• Strings: 10-46 D’Addario
• Case: extra – gigbag $39, hardshell case $99
• Unique Features: Limited Edition – only 24 available

Watch this product demonstration by Keith McFadden:

Limited Edition Twin Tone Double Cut – only 24 Made from MyRareGuitars.com

Simply put, they are exactly the same as any standard electric guitar but with a lower voice. A standard guitars tuning (from lowest string to highest) is E A D G B E. Baritone guitars are usually tuned a fifth lower (A D G C E A), or a fourth lower (B E A D F♯ B). Therefore, all the chord patterns you already know are exactly the same on a baritone, but simply produce a lower voice.

Why use a baritone when I can tune my standard guitar lower?

“So why not just take my trusty Fender and tune it lower?” you might ask. If you did, you’ll find the strings to be too “floppy” and not enough tension to produce a useable sound. The solution? Make the neck longer and use heavier strings. More precisely, make the “scale length” longer and use heavier strings. What is the scale length?

Airline Baritone Guitar & Eastwood Baritone Guitar

The scale length is the precise length of the suspended string, the length between the nut and the bridge. Generally speaking, most Gibson style guitars have a 24 ¾” scale and most Fender style guitars have a 25 1/2” scale. String sets of 10-46 gauge are typical for these guitars tuned E-E. On the other end, tuned a full octave below the standard guitar at E-E, a Fender Bass has a scale length of 34” and strings in the 45-100 range. Eastwood produces a number of “short scale” bass models, with a 30 ½” and 32” scale, also with the 45-100 string sets.

Most Baritone guitars fit in the middle and have a scale length ranging from 27” to 28”. Eastwood’s Sidejack Baritone has a 27” scale and uses D’addario Baritone Light strings, 13-62, tuned B-B.

Why is a baritone guitar useful and why should I buy one?

OK, with all that technical stuff out of the way, the next question, “why is a baritone useful and why should I buy one?” The real advantage is that ANY guitar player can pick one up and be an expert baritone player immediately as the tuning is identical to their standard guitar, just lower. So every chord pattern you play is identical on the baritone.

For example, when you play an open E chord on your guitar, you’ll do exactly the same on your Eastwood baritone, but it will be an open B. Get it? So you can play any song or riff you already know, right out of the box, but you’ll notice a darker, more haunting texture in your tone.

Jeff Senn Model One Baritone Demo

The Jeff Senn Model One Baritone is a new Eastwood Custom Shop model, and one of those guitars that really could tip you into falling in love with baritones! VIEW MODEL ONE BARITONE INFO

NEW: Classic 6 Baritone semi-acoustic

New Eastwood Custom Shop Classic 6 Baritone

Truth be told, baritone guitars are still a little bit of a niche, though not as much as it used to be, and we’ve notice a steady increase in the number of users over the years. But still, you won’t find many semi-acoustic models available out there, which makes this recent Eastwood Custom Shop very appealing: Imagine a George Harrison Country Gent-style guitar… but with longer scale for a slightly darker tone! Sounds amazing… at the moment, the Eastwood Customs Classic 6 Baritone is a crowdfunding project, and those interested need only leave a small deposit to guarantee theirs and make sure the guitar gets made. 

A brief history of… Baritone guitars

Next, let’s take a look at the history behind the baritone. Danelectro was the first to introduce the electric baritone guitar in the late 1950s where it soon appeared in a lot of 60’s surf music as well as background music for many movie soundtracks, especially spaghetti westerns. These days you’ll hear baritone in all types of music from folk to rock to heavy metal. The voice of the baritone is low enough to stand out in the mix next to a standard guitar and is high enough to cut through well above the bass.

Ian McKeye and his baritone guitar, live with The Evens

Brian Wilson used baritones often in his arrangements with the Beach Boys. Glen Campbell used them in great songs like Wichita Lineman.  Ian Mackaye from Minor Threat uses a Sidejack baritone with his band The Evens. Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny uses baritones in his arsenal of guitars. Pat Smear of the Foo Fighters also uses a Sidejack Baritone. Colin Newman of Wire (who came up with the idea) uses the Airline MAP Baritone. The great Richard Hawley (can you tell I’m a big fan?) uses a Sidejack Baritone on his recordings, many of which were inspired by one of the earliest adopters of the baritone, the fabulous Duane Eddy.

If you have a studio, you really NEED a baritone electric. You won’t have to invest any time in learning to play it and you will quickly discover many useful applications. Eastwood produces a few variations and price points to suit every need. The Sidejack Standard and Deluxe baritones are under $500, great bang for the buck. The new Airline MAP and MAP DLX are killer baritones and come in under $900.

OK… How does a baritone guitar sound?

Here is a great example, where RJ Ronquillo rearranges Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus using the new Airline MAP DLX Baritone. The result is a deep, dark, beautifully haunting and more tearful composition than the original – “stripped” down to just a Baritone, without the need for gratuitous nudity.

Check out RJ here again, riffing along with his Sidejack Baritone giving “Hey Joe” a darker bluesy vibe, then showing the versatility of a baritone in surf and western styles.

Here is Lance Keltner taking a Sidejack Baritone for a spin with his band. Note the clarity when played along with a Stormbird Bass.

The baritone is also very useful when paired with a wide variety of effects:

..and with a little dirt too to give you that garage rock sound.

..and you can have hours of fun driving the baritone through GuitarRig 4:

So there you have it. Starting at just $429, it’s time to jump on the baritone bandwagon! Take home one of Eastwood’s family of baritone guitars and add some punch to your playing and recording endeavors. You’ll be glad you did.

update Oct 5/2014: here is a link to a recent Premier Guitar review of the Airline MAP Baritone:

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/20377-eastwood-guitars-airline-map-baritone-review

Also just announced the MAP Baritone received the 2014 “Premier Gear Award”

BARITONE GUITAR: What It Is & Why You Need One from MyRareGuitars.com

Feast your eyes on this new Airline MAP in Sunburst. Available TODAY, only 16 in this production run, so don’t wait too long to pull the trigger.

only $879 (optional hardshell case $99. VAT extra for UK and EU).

Body: Tone Chambered Mahogany
Neck: Maple, Bolt-on
Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
Scale Length: 24 3/4″ (628mm) 22 frets, Zero Fret
Width at Nut: 1 11/16″
Pickups: Dual Humbuckers
Switching: 3-way Vintage Tone Control
Controls: 1 Volume, 2 Tone
Bridge: Tun-o-matic Roller Bridge, Bigsby B-50
Hardware: Grover Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings: 10-46
Case: extra
Unique Features: Tone Chambered Mahogany Body
Suggested Retail: $1099.00 US

More pictures:

Airline MAP in Sunburst Finish Shipping NOW from MyRareGuitars.com

Intruducing the Airline NEWPORT. It is Eastwood’s take on the rare National Newport Val-Pro 88 from the late 50’s and early 60’s. It features two NY Mini Humbuckers and a Piezo pickup in the bridge with a 5-way swtich. Tones of tonal variations! 

Buy Yours Here!

SPECIFICATIONS:

Body: Tone Chambered Mahogany
Neck: Maple, Bolt-on
Fingerboard: Maple, Sharks Tooth Fret Markers
Scale Length: 24 3/4″ Scale, Zero Fret
Width at Nut: 1 5/8″
Pickups: Dual NY Mini Humbuckers, Piezo Bridge
Switching: 5-way
Controls: 1 Volume, 1 Tone for each pickup, master volume
Bridge: Tun-o-matic
Hardware: Grover Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings: D’Addario #10
Case: INCLUDED
Unique Features: Rubber body binding, Piezo bridge pickup

More pictures:

Airline ’59 Newport features PIEZO Bridge Pickup from MyRareGuitars.com

Here are some additional photos, scroll down to the bottom for videos:

Here is Duke Robillard using his Twin Tone:

…and here is RJ Ronquillo taking his for a test drive.

Airline Twin Tone Honeyburst – Only 12 Made from MyRareGuitars.com

Each year we bring out a few limited edition color schemes for the Airline ’59 series. Here is the first for 2014! Gold Metal Flake, black neck and headstock, black body binding and all the ’59 trimings. Please take a close look at the photos down below to see closeups of the finish, it is killer!

This ’59 2P Limited Edition Model is only $999 including DLX Form-Fit Airline Tweed case (optional Bigsby B-50 add $139).

North American shipping $49, UK/Europe $149, Australia and Japan $189. $289 Elsewhere.

**SOLD OUT**

Specifications:

NEW Limited Edition Airline ’59 2P in Gold Metal Flake from MyRareGuitars.com

Warren Ellis Tenor – Metallic Margarita

SPECIFICATIONS:

Here are the photos:

What does it sound like?

Warren Ellis Tenor Custom Special Order – Now Shipping from MyRareGuitars.com

EASTWOOD Delta 6

SPECIFICATIONS:

Here are the photos:

Christmas Special: DELTA 6 in Seafoam Green, Mandola in Metallic Blue from MyRareGuitars.com

First come, first served. Order yours today!

Here is the back-story…

Since 1998 myrareguitars.com has been sharing its knowledge  and history of the bizarre guitars from the late 50’s and early 60’s. As we approach our 15th anniversary, we’ve been looking for something unique to mark the “brand” and create some historical goodies for all those passionate about weird guitars. We’ve decided to issue one or two new models each year – focusing on the real “fringe” bizarre – branded with the MyRareGuitars label. These oddball collectables will feature top quality, professional materials and construction, but will keep the prices at a fun and friendly level – a thank you to all who have supported us over the years. We especially look forward to your suggestions for future models! Our initial release – the Solo King.

MRG Solo King

Only $479. FREE Shipping North America ONLY.

Details & Specifications:

• Colours: Black
• Body: Basswood
• Neck: Bolt-on Maple
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, Dot markers
• Scale Length: 24 3/4″
• Width at Nut: 1 5/8″
• Pickups: Dual Mini Humbuckers
• Switching: 3-Way
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
• Bridge: Fixed Tun-O-Matic Bridge
• Hardware: Gotoh style Nickel/Chrome
• Strings: #9-#46
• Case: optional hardshell case $99 extra.

Additional photos:

OMG!! It’s Back!! MRG 1960 SOLO KING Replica from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline Tuxedo (pearloid)

These are normally a custom shop pre-order with 3-5 month lead time, but we have one in stock NOW. This is a spectacular guitar and quite a collectors item. Grab this one today and have it in your lap in 5 days, or order one later and wait a long time to get it.  $1,750 includes hardshell case.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Here are some more photos:

RARE Airline Tuxedo Pearloid Top and Head – One of only 3 made from MyRareGuitars.com

We just received 24 of these in stock, Warren Ellis 2P in Black, and we are offering then with either the Vintage Cream pickguard or the Tortoiseshell pickguard.  Only 24 so they won’t last long.

Only $579.

SOLD OUT

SPECIFICATIONS:

Body: Solid Alder
Neck: Maple, Bolt-on
Fingerboard: Maple, DotMarkers
Scale Length: 23″ Scale
Width at Nut: 1 5/16″
Pickups: NY Mini Humbucker bridge, Blade s/c neck
Switching: individual on/off pickup switches
Controls: 1 Volume, 1 Tone
Bridge: adjustable tele style
Hardware: Grover Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings: D’Addario .32, .22, .14, .10
Case: extra
Unique Features: Warren Ellis Signature Design

More pictures:

NEW Warren Ellis 2P Tenor – Black with Cream or TSPG from MyRareGuitars.com

STD model with Stop Tail only $779

DLX model with Bigsby only $899

(optional hardshell case $99. VAT extra for UK and EU).

SPECIFICATIONS:

Body: Tone Chambered Mahogany
Neck: Maple, Bolt-on
Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
Scale Length: 27″, 22 frets
Width at Nut: 1 11/16″
Pickups: Dual Humbuckers
Switching: 3-way Vintage Tone Control
Controls: 1 Volume, 2 Tone
Bridge: Tun-o-matic Roller Bridge, Bigsby B-50
Hardware: Grover Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings: 13-62
Case: extra
Unique Features: Tone Chambered Mahogany Body

More pictures:

Here are some photos of the STD Stop Tail model:

For comparison, here is the Baritone model next to the standard 24 3/4″ scale guitar. You can see the bridge is further back on the body and the overall neck length is longer, but the body size/shape is identical. The Baritone model is extremely well balanced and will add a new dimension to your playing, tuned B-B. Enjoy!

New Airline MAP Baritone – 27″ Scale – B to B Tuning from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

Feast your eyes on this new Limited Edition Airline Folkstar in Sky Blue. Available TODAY, only 12 in this production run, so don’t wait too long to pull the trigger.

only $749 (optional hardshell case $99. VAT extra for UK and EU).

Body: Tone Chambered Mahogany
Neck: Maple, Bolt-on
Fingerboard: Rosewood, Dot Markers Scale
Scale Length: 24 3/4″ (628mm) 20 frets
Width at Nut: 1 11/16″
Pickups: NY Mini Humbucker neck, Piezo bridge
Switching: none – Blend Potentiometer
Controls: 1 Volume, 1 Blend, 1 Tone
Bridge: Biscuit Bridge Single Cone
Hardware: Grover Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings: 12 – 54 Phosphor Bronze Resophonic Guitar
Case: extra
Unique Features: Rubber Body Binding, Pickup Blend
Suggested Retail: $949.00 US

More pictures:

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

Airline Folkstar Limited Edition Sky Blue

New Shipment of Airline Folkstar SKY BLUE – Now Shipping from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood has produced a limited edition color of their top selling Mandocaster, this one-time run of only 24 pieces in Metallic Indigo, shipping now. Order yours TODAY!

North America shipping $29. $129 Elsewhere.

Specifications:

• Colours: Metallic Indigo
• Body: Solid Alder
• Neck: Maple, Bolt-on
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
• Scale Length: 14″
• Width at Nut: 1 3/16″
• Pickups: Two Single Coil pickups
• Switching: 3-Way
• Controls: Volume, Tone
• Bridge: Fully adjustable Tele-Style bridge
• Hardware: Gotoh style Nickel/Chrome
• Strings: Both E- .010 / A- .014 / D- .024 / G- .034
• Case: extra – gigbag $30, hardshell case $90
• Unique Features: Limited Edition Metallic Blue – only 24 available

Watch this product demonstration by Wendel Ferguson:

Additional Pictures:

Limited Edition Metallic Indigo Mandocaster – only 24 Made from MyRareGuitars.com

Keith McFadden – Sidejack DLX and Bass VI

Walk off the Earth – Airline Bighorn

Walk off the Earth – Eastwood AEB Bass & Airline Bighorn

YouTube Your Eastwood (July 2013) from MyRareGuitars.com

Before we start, I’d like to mention one thing: The pickguard that is on the guitar now started out as a test mule. I was going to use it and the four switches to test out different wiring schemes, and then swap it back to the original, using one simple rotary switch in place of the original pickup selector switch. When it comes to changes, wiring & rewiring, it’s easier for me to work with 4 separate switches than one rotary.

Once I put the pickguard on the guitar however, I really liked it! In fact, I decided right then and there that it would become part of the guitars future. Yes, In the end I could have accomplish the same task using a single rotary switch or by adding a couple of Push/Pull pots, but I really like the look of the (4) switches, laid out in a slight pattern curve that flows with the lines of the body, and the existing curve of the tone controls. Yes, I actually did that on purpose… LOL!

Anyway – let’s get to it!

The pickup selection here is quite simple, if not common, but still offers a good deal of tone variations. All of the switches are DPDTCO – On-Off-On, mini switches with short throw handles to help avoid inadvertent operation during play.

Starting at the forward switch:

1) Neck Pickup, Forward Coil Tap, On/Off, In or Out of Phase.
2) Neck Pickup, Full Humbucker, On/Off, In or Out of Phase.
3) Bridge Pickup, Forward Coil Tap, On/Off, In or Out of Phase.
4) Bridge Pickup, Full Humbucker, On/Off, In or Out of Phase.

Coil Taps can be wired a couple of different ways of course. I personally prefer to separate them from the adjacent coil 100%, but in this case I chose to use traditional wiring methods.

Eastwood Guitar Custom Mods – Hummingbird

The additional tone circuit was an afterthought that came into play later during trials. It was one of those, “let’s try it and see what happens” moments. I was a little apprehensive at first because the pickups in use here are not true PAF’s. They are a bit of a blend that falls somewhere between a PAF and a Filtertron, so they have a bit of an edge on them already. I didn’t have a lot of confidence here, so for testing, I temporarily mounted the additional tone controller where the output jack was, and left the jack hanging out there in the breeze. This way if I didn’t like it, no harm-no foul, just put it back. My reservations concerning the additional tone circuit were soon laid to rest however. I found it to be a useful tool, so I relocated the input jack.

The new tone pot is an active, expander style unit, engaged or disengaged using a push/pull pot, that is only active when engaged. For the most part, it acts like the Bright Switch that you might find on certain amplifiers. It can also be used in reverse to darken the tone as well however. It comes in quite handy really.

To complete the look, I changed the knobs out to the old style Silver Top Bells as well.

Eastwood Guitar Custom Mods – Hummingbird

Eastwood Guitar Custom Mods – Hummingbird

Eastwood Guitar Custom Mods – Hummingbird

Eastwood Guitar Custom Mods – Hummingbird

Post written by: Mike Egan

Eastwood Custom Guitar Mods: The Hummingbird from MyRareGuitars.com

This new Airline model includes the deluxe Airline hardshell case made specifically for the H44 guitar – only 24 of this limited model was made in Metallic Margarita – grab a piece of Airline history before they are all gone.

Below are specifications and photos of the guitar. Each will include an Airline DLX hardshell case. 

This guitar is only only $649 including DLX Airline Tweed case.

FREE SHIPPING in North America!! ($99 shipping elsewhere)

Specifications:

New Limited Edition H44 DLX Metallic Margarita – only 24 made from MyRareGuitars.com

For years many of the naming and color schemes found in vintage guitars can also be found in the vintage automobile market. Last year while surfing the net for new color ideas, I stumbled upon a fantastic blog from Rickworks that features illustrations of the some of the finest classic cars ever to rule the road.

The Airline ’59 series has a unique rubber binding around the perimiter of each guitar, so this offers us the unique opportunity to have a two-tone color scheme on the front and back. We’ve decided to produce an exclusive limited edition series – only 24 of each model – that will be inspired from the Richworks blog. The second in the series is the “Airline Manhattan”. Here is a photo of the 1954 Kaiser Manhattan:

Below are some photos of the guitar. Each will include an Airline DLX hardshell case and a signed Certificate of Authenticity. We will release only one new “59 Two-Tone” model each year, so grab your collectable guitar now! The manhattan is only $999 including DLX Form-Fit Airline Tweed case (optional Bigsby B-50 add $139)

Pictures of the Airline Manhattan:

Take a look at the other car images in this fantastic blog from Rickworks and let me know which one you think we should do next!

New Limited Edition ’59 Airline Manhattan 2P LTD Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

only $999 (case included). $49 Shipping to North America, $149 to UK and Europe. $189 Australia, Japan, etc. $285 South America.

NEW Airline Jupiter PRO – Dallas Green Signature Model from MyRareGuitars.com

This design is based around the early 60’s Silvertone Jupiter H49 which was also available with the Airline brand. Here we have upgraded our existing Airline Jupiter to create the Jupiter PRO. We’ve added a unique blend control that lets the player dial in a wide variety of tones. We have also replaced the wooden bridge with a Tone Pros Tun-o-matic, upgraded the bolt-on neck with a set maple neck and upgraded the hardware to create a solid, tour worthy guitar for today’s modern player.

This model features dual Airline Argyle pickups, three way flipper switch, two volume, two tone controls and a unique “blend” control that pans between the two pickups when the flipper is in the center position. The blend control ranges from hi-tone bridge pickup to neck pickup with the tone rolled off. Very versatile! Black finish with gold metal flake. Also check out the Jupiter PRO – Dallas Green Signature Model.

All PRE-ORDERS will receive a Body Glove Hybrid gigbag (factory list price $199) at no extra cost.

only $879. $49 Shipping to North America, $149 to UK and Europe. $189 Australia, Japan, etc. $285 South America.

**SOLD OUT**

All PRE-ORDERS will receive a Body Glove Hybrid gigbag (factory list price $199) at no extra cost.

NEW Airline Jupiter PRO – Metallic Black Finish – June 2013 from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline Bobkat

Sidejack Bass VI and DLX

Airline Folkstar

Airline ’59 3P G.Love

Airline Jupiter

Eastwood Hi-Flyer Phase IV

Airline Espanada

Welcome Keith McFadden to the MRG Demo Team from MyRareGuitars.com

only $549 (case $99 extra). FREE Shipping to North America, UK and Europe.

SOLD OUT.

More pictures:

Limited Production Sunburst Sidejack Baritone DLX – only 14 Made from MyRareGuitars.com

Richard Hawley – Sidejack Baritone DLX

Crazy Aces – Sidejack BASS VI

Emma Lee – Airline 3P DLX

Lewin Barringer – Mandocaster

Lewin Barringer – Joey Leone Superfast

Marco Gervais and his dog – Eastwood Messenger

Githead – Colin Newman – Airline MAP

Frederic Voleon – Airline Folkstar

Jack Mazzenga – Eastwood Mandocaster

YouTube Your Eastwood (December 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

John Rauhouse – Neko Case – Classic 12 (photo by Bob Wittaker)

2) Richard Hawley – Sidejack BASS VI

Richard Hawley – Sidejack BASS VI

3) Jenn Grant – Airline Tuxedo Guitar

Jenn Grant – Airline Tuxedo Guitar

4) Fountains of Wayne – Chris Collingwood – Saturn ’63 Guitar

Fountains of Wayne – Chris Collingwood – Saturn ’63 Guitar

5) The Sharks – Alan Wilson – Sidejack Bass VI Guitar

The Sharks – Alan Wilson – Sidejack Bass VI Guitar

6) Ariel Rurin – Warren Ellis Tenor Guitar

Ariel Rurin – Warren Ellis Tenor Guitar

7) Salvador Dalai Llama Farm – Classic 4

Salvador Dalai Llama Farm – Classic 4

8) The Pungent Bros. – Eastwood VG6

The Pungent Bros. – Eastwood VG6

9) Black Marquee – Airline Tuxedo / Classic 4

Black Marquee – Airline Tuxedo / Classic 4

10) Diamond Rings – Airline MAP Guitar

Diamond Rings – Airline MAP Guitar

11) Sleepy Sun – Jack Allen – MAP Bass

Sleepy Sun – Jack Allen – MAP Bass

12) Sleepy Sun – Matt Holliman – Airline ’59 3P DLX Guitar

Sleepy Sun – Matt Holliman – Airline ’59 3P DLX Guitar

13) Fuzztones – Allen Devine – Airline Twin Tone Guitar

Fuzztones – Allen Devine – Airline Twin Tone Guitar

14) Surface of Atlantic – Marco Gervais – Nashville 12 / Mandocaster

Surface of Atlantic – Marco Gervais – Nashville 12 / Mandocaster

15) Dahlmanns – Stormbird Bass, Ichiban

Dahlmanns – Stormbird Bass, Ichiban

16) Dahlmanns – Andre Dahlmann – Stormbird

Dahlmanns – Andre Dahlmann – Stormbird

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (November 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

The Happy Guitarist

We ship a lot of guitars every month, all over the world. Rarely if ever do we get to meet our customers face to face, but fortunately, some take the time to write. It makes everyone’s day when those letters/emails come back to Eastwood HQ. Here are a few from the past couple of months.

Eastwood Sidejack Baritone Guitar (Black Finish, Left-Handed)

“My leftie baritone Eastwood arrived today! It is gorgeous and the sound right out of the case is astonishing. I’ve been dreaming about this for quite awhile and all my expectations and more were delivered! You deliver dreams. Thank you so much. Keep us lefties in mind. Rarely anyone does these days and your consideration deserves a secret handshake!” – James Spina

Eastwood Classic 12-String Guitar (Walnut Finish)

“LOVE this guitar! It’s an extremely versatile 12 string, ranging from a total acoustic sound to the 60’s Beatle/Byrds/Tom Petty sound. I use a Janglebox effects box with it and it chimes! Also, the action’s great on it. It’s easy to barre chords, and do fast runs that are more difficult with other 12 strings. This guitar makes me sound like a better player than I really am! I own a Danelectro 12 string, but the Classic 12 has a much fuller sound being it’s a hollow body. I’m very happy!” – William Evans

“Guitar looks beautiful and plays like a dream. Excellent craftsmanship and bang for the buck. A great instrument!” – Robert Porembski

Eastwood Stormbird Bass Guitar (Metallic Blue Finish)

“What a very impressive example of this old gibson bass guitar design. This is my first experience with eastwood guitar. I am very happy with this bass and I am looking forward to owning it for years to come. Thank You very much for creating this trully killer bass guitar.” – Jon David Lippens

Eastwood EEB-1 Bass Guitar (Black Finish)

“The bass is fantastic and belies it price, excellent setup really helped show the bass in it’s best light. I just wanted to tell you how pleased I am with the bass and the whole experience. Much of my purchasing is completed on line (I live out of town by a beach) and so it is always a little worrying spending money with people I don’t know, but you made it easy and have really delivered with your product and its price.” – Paul West

Airline ’59 Custom 3P Guitar (G Love Signature Model)

“Thanks for the speedy delivery of my new Airline ’59 custom 3p G Love Signature. Wow what a cool guitar! The neck is perfect, very well intonation and low action. Really easy to play.” – Martin Hammare (Sweden)

Airline Tuxedo Guitar (Black Finish)

“I know I sound like a broken record but just wanted to say Tuxedo is beautiful and kicks you know what sound wise. Just spent the afternoon going from sweet clean sounding country blues to chest thumping boogie on overdriven sound. Construction is flawless. I salute your quality control which is sadly lacking in some of the top US made guitars.” – Michael Cefola.

Eastwood Mandocaster (Sunburst Finish, Left-Handed)

“Just wanted to let you know that I received the Mandocaster just now and am having a hard time getting back to work.I don’t want to stop playing it. Whoever does the setup on these instruments deserves a raise.Very low action,no buzz,intonation is spot on.Very nice quality instrument. It was just what I was looking for and I love the case it came in.Thanks for helping out us leftys.I will spread the word.” – Chris Thomas

Eastwood Warren Ellis Signature Tenor Guitar (Vintage Cream Finish)

“Just received my new W.E. Tenor and am compelled to write.When I was a kid I wanted to play the tenor banjo, ya know, Eddy Peabody, Dixeyland and all that stuff so my mom got me a little wonder tenor banjo, lessons and the rest is unfortunate history until this week. When I got into my late teens and early 20s and playin with other guys, Oh how I wished I had asked to play the 6 string guitar. Now having 3 sons, 2 of which are musicians, there are many trips to the music store. Ah yes, literally hundreds of guitars hanging on the walls and nothing for me. NOTHING! Until now. This jewel from it’s wider neck to the length of the scale is the nearest thing to tenor guitar perfection that I have held in my 61 years. And yes, I chose the vintage cream. Just beautiful. Not even my Martin 018-Ts really play in tune all that well. It seemed like all the other electric tenor attempts were really converted 6 string formats. Guild, Gibson, Harmony, etc. Not anymore. You guys have nailed this and I love it. Not only is it beautiful, but it feels great, plays in tune and finally a real electric guitar for ME! Will definitely be sharing with my other Goofball tenor playing friends. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Sincerely,” – Stephen De

Airline ’59 Custom 3P Guitar (White Finish)

“I just unwrapped the ’59 Airline 3p last week. It’s like love with a new woman. I was knocked out by the comfort and playability. The design is not just radical. It’s real. In forty years I’ve never played an axe that has it all. Sound, versatility, smooth action, and best of all — It’s a total knockout! I have 5 guitars. No junk. I own a Guild Nightbird; a ’64 Telecaster; a Danelectro Baritone, and a classic Gibson Les Paul Double Cutaway. In the ’60’s I got a Gretsch Country Gentleman w/Bigsby. The Airline does everything I was doing by changing out gear onstage. The unlimited sound settings of separate tone/volume knobs for each of the three pickups makes the sonics unmatched. I thought the Vintage voice single coil pickups might be limiting, but they create a foundation of graphics that unwraps into a full array of effects. I’ve heard a nasty lipturned overdrive snarl, a smooth womanly warmth, and a fully honed razor edge knife cut lead. This guitar whips the air unleashing slashes of sound when needed, or fills the background completely by expansive rhythm tones. The Bigsby gives the freedom of surf sounds, or bluesy bends with a wrist flick. Maybe it exists, but in forty years of professional playing, I’ve never seen a more powerful, responsive, eye-grabbing instrument. I can’t thank you enough. This will be my last guitar.” – Greyson Dyne

Happy Customers Check in with Eastwood HQ from MyRareGuitars.com

Burger’s Guitars (St. Cloud, MN)

Anyhow, I sent him the Breadwinner and told him I wanted a totally mind blowing design and to keep these 3 things in mind:

• Lava lamps
• Acid trips
• Beatles psychedelic

BUT to maintain the Eastwood badges on the headstock. When he got my guitar he was blown away with the design and playability. He wants one! ;o) Hope he pulls the trigger. I have officially nicknamed it “Hurdy Gurdy”. (Donovan). Band I play with does 60s thru 90s and I am the 60s psychedelic guru of the unit.

Custom Painted Eastwood Breadwinner Guitar

Custom Painted Eastwood Breadwinner Guitar

Custom Painted Eastwood Breadwinner Guitar

Custom Painted Eastwood Breadwinner Guitar

Wanted to share it with you. I hope you don’t hate me for doing this, but I wanted to make it “mine”. Man .. does it turn heads and get the comments …. Naturally I tell them it’s an Eastwood first and foremost! Gotta love it!

Wow, now there are at least 3 decorated Eastwood Breadwinners guitars out there. Here are the other two courtesy of Bill Nelson:

Bill Nelson’s Custom Painted Eastwood Breadwinner Guitars

by Rich Bittner

Customer Customizes Eastwood Breadwinner! from MyRareGuitars.com

NIPPON MADONNA – Airline ’59 2P

Vince Lee – Airline Espanada

Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers – Henry Carvajel – Airline Espanada

Joe Brewer – Hi-Flyer Phase 4 DEMO

Mojo Radio – Classic 4 Bass

Bliks – Airline H44

Demi Barbito – Airline ’59 3P

Buzzcocks – Starway Limited Edition

Le Murd – Sidejack DLX

Jeff Senn – Sidejack DLX DEMO

YouTube Your Eastwood (September 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (White, Left-Handed)

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Check out this video demo:

More pics of the metallic blue ’59 Coronado:

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Airline ’59 Coronado Electric Guitar (Metallic Blue)

Airline ’59 Coronado Introduces Two New Models from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline Map Electric Guitar (Custom Color: Black)

Is there an Eastwood or Airline guitar you’ve always wanted but in a different color? Different hardware? Or perhaps a left-hand model of something that is only available in right-hand? Well now it may be possible to have whatever you want. Read on…

Earlier this year a customer came to us asking for a custom shop guitar. He wanted an Airline MAP guitar, but he wanted it with gold hardware, gold switchplate and gold pickguard. Our standard reply was, “Any time we introduce a new color/model, our factory has to make a minimum of 8 pcs, so if you want to buy 8 of them, we’ll do it”. Typically at this point the customer will say, “Oh, I guess that’s out of the question then”.

But this customer was different. He said, “I’m willing to pay a LOT more for this, so name your price and let’s get it done!”. That got me thinking. I liked his concept of the gold hardware MAP model and I thought it would appeal to some of our existing customers, but did not want to make 8 of them only to sell just one. So I went back to him and suggested the following arrangement:

1. Send us deposit of $3,000 to commit to the order, and within 3-6 months, the 8 custom guitars will be completed.
2. Once complete, we send him his one guitar.
3. Then we offer the next 7 guitars at $999 each (including hardshell case) to our customers via www.myrareguitars.com
4. Once we have sold 4 of them, we refund $2001 back to him, making his cost on the custom guitar of his design only $999.

He agreed, and here is the guitar (sorry, they SOLD OUT within the first week!!).

So if there is something you are looking for that we do not currently make, send me an email and we can talk about it: michael@myrareguitars.com

More pictures of the Airline Map in black:

Airline Map Electric Guitar (Custom Color: Black)

Airline Map Electric Guitar (Custom Color: Black)

Airline Map Electric Guitar (Custom Color: Black)

Airline Map Electric Guitar (Custom Color: Black)

Airline Map Electric Guitar (Custom Color: Black)

Airline Map Electric Guitar (Custom Color: Black)

Eastwood Special Order Guitars – Order Yours Today! from MyRareGuitars.com

Slow Static's Matt Plummer with his Eastwood Breadwinner Guitar at Dallas Cowboys Stadium

Michael,

I just wanted to email Eastwood and say that buying an Eastwood Breadwinner was the best decision I have ever made. I have muscular dystrophy and am unable to stand or walk. I use an electric wheelchair for mobility and have been playing guitar for 8 years. One year ago, give or take, I came across the Breadwinner and thought to myself that it would be a perfect guitar for me because of the body style. Having to sit down and play made most guitars uncomfortable for me. I had the toughest time finding something that had that perfect fit. When I finally gave in and bought the guitar my mind was blown at how easily I was able to play it while sitting.

It opened up so many new things for me musically and physically. I now play quite often in a band of my own, Slow Static. This guitar, its shape, and lightness made playing guitar easier for me which, in turn, allowed me to expand my own musical ability. I play a style instrumental, cinematic, ambient music with my band. We have had the opportunity to play with many national acts such as Jeff the Brotherhood, Touche’ Amore, and many others. Also, we had the opportunity to play a show at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium this past spring which was an amazing experience for me. So if it hadn’t happened already Eastwood officially had someone play one of their guitars in that huge stadium! Haha.

Slow Static's Matt Plummer with his Eastwood Breadwinner Guitar at Dallas Cowboys Stadium

I just wanted to let you know that this guitar has opened up so much for me personally. We are recording our first album and I’m excited for what the future holds. Rest assured that I will always be playing music on my breadwinner. I don’t think any other guitar would do. I’m definitely saving up for another Breadwinner in the near future! Thank you and to the rest of the company. It might sound a little cheesy but that guitar has officially changed my life.

Thanks!

Matt Plummer

The Ridiculously Comfortable Eastwood Breadwinner from MyRareGuitars.com

New 34" Scale Electric Bass Models from Eastwood Guitars & Airline Guitars

What is the downside to the short scale bass?

1. Shorter strings have less tension, and therefore the tone tends to sounds tubbier or even muddy, and with far less sustain. Not a bad thing for many 60’s style applications, but does not give you a huge, booming tone.
2. Longer scale basses have more overtones, clarity and punch.
3. 30-inch scale feels noticeably short or awkward to a P-bass player and may be tough to make the adjustment.

Although I still feel every bass players needs a short scale bass in their arsenal, I too feel that Eastwood should have more 34″ scale options for our customers. In fact, we have had many customers over the years asking us to reach out to the 34″ crowd. So that time has come and we are now introducing 3 new Bass models this summer:

• The Hurricane ($429)
• The Stormbird ($469)
• The 34″ Airline Map ($879)

Enjoy!

Order before June 30th and we will throw in a $99 hardshell case for FREE.

New Eastwood & Airline Electric Bass Models – Moving Upscale from MyRareGuitars.com

Sailor Jerry (January 14, 1911 - June 12, 1973)

The Guitar: Earlier this year Eastwood Guitars and Sailor Jerry teamed up to produce a Limited Edition tribute to the 1960’s Airline Tremolectric model. The guitar has been customized with Sailor Jerry’s iconic artwork both front and back. Also a cool anchor logo on the truss rod cover. A very limited run of these start shipping June 12th.

The Contest: On June 12, 2012, we’re raising a glass to Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins to commemorate his passing in 1973. This year, to honor his life and legacy, we will be giving away this Limited Edition Airline guitar valued at $1200 USD. Here is a link to the contest details, hurry because it ends in a few days! http://sailorjerry.com/Social/Sailor-Jerry-Day-Twitter-Rewteet-Contest/

Limited Edition Sailor Jerry Guitar from Airline Guitars (front)

Limited Edition Sailor Jerry Guitar from Airline Guitars (back)

Specifications:
Colors: Custom Artwork
Body: Tone Chambered Mahogany
Neck: Bound Maple, Bolt-on, Zero Fret
Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
Scale Length: 25 1/2″ (648mm)
Width at Nut: 1 11/16″
Pickups: Alnico Hot-10 Humbuckers
Switching: individual mini on/off switches
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Bridge: Tone Pros Roller, BIGSBY tremolo (optional)
Hardware: Grover Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings: D’Addario #10
Case: Deluxe AIRLINE Case INCLUDED
Unique Features: Sailor Jerry Logo front and back
Suggested Retail: $1499.00US

OUR PRICE: $1199 (free shipping until June 30th)

New Limited Edition Sailor Jerry Airline Guitar & Contest – Hurry, Ends June 11th! from MyRareGuitars.com

For years many of the naming and color schemes found in vintage guitars can also be found in the vintage automobile market. Last year while surfing the net for new color ideas, I stumbled upon a fantastic blog from Rickworks that features illustrations of the some of the finest classic cars ever to rule the road.

The Airline ’59 series has a unique rubber binding around the perimiter of each guitar, so this offers us the unique opportunity to have a two-tone color scheme on the front and back. We’ve decided to produce an exclusive  limited edition series – only 24 of each model – that will be inspired from the Richworks blog. The first in the series is the “Airline Catalina”. Here is a photo of the 1955 Pontiac 870 Catalina:

1955 Pontiac 870 Catalina Car

Below are some photos of the guitar. Each will include an Airline DLX hardshell case, vintage style Airline Leather Strap and a signed Certificate of Authenticity. We will release only one new “59 Two-Tone” model each year, so grab your collectable guitar now! The Catalina is only $1079 including DLX Form-Fit Airline Tweed case, vintage Airline Strap (optional Bigsby B-50 add $139)

Pictures of the Airline Catalina:

Limited Edition Airline Catalina Electric Guitar (Two Tone Yellow/Black)

Limited Edition Airline Catalina Electric Guitar (Two Tone Yellow/Black)

Limited Edition Airline Catalina Electric Guitar (Two Tone Yellow/Black)

Limited Edition Airline Catalina Electric Guitar (Two Tone Yellow/Black)

Limited Edition Airline Catalina Electric Guitar (Two Tone Yellow/Black)

Limited Edition Airline Catalina Electric Guitar (Two Tone Yellow/Black)

Limited Edition Airline Catalina Electric Guitar (Two Tone Yellow/Black)

Limited Edition Airline Catalina Electric Guitar (Two Tone Yellow/Black)

Take a look at the other car images in this fantastic blog from Rickworks and let me know which one you think we should do next!

New Limited Edition ’59 Airline Catalina 2P LTD Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

Herculion – That Mercy – Airline MAP

Richard Hawley – Down in the Woods – Sidejack Baritone

Snarky Puppy – Minjor – Sidejack Baritone

Pink Floyd – Outside The Wall – G.E. Smith on Eastwood Mandocaster

Lucy Peach – Hanging on the Telephone – Warren Ellis Tenor

VINILOVERSUS – Yunque – Airline MAP DLX

Missile – Pray For Me – Airline MAP Bass

Eastwood P-90 Demo by anotherheadlessdemo

Eastwood Mandocaster Demo by Jack Mazzenga

Joe Price – Airline MAP

The Dahlmanns- Bright City Lights – Eastwood Breadwinner

YouTube Your Eastwood (June 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

The NEW 34″ scale Airline Map Bass in Seafoam Green!

For a few years now customers have been asking us for a “Bass Players” version of the popular Airline MAP Bass. Well, that day has come. We only have 12 of these new models in stock, so if you are ready to rumble, hit the BUY NOW button right away as they are shipping now and won’t last long. Special Price only $879

SPECIFICATIONS
Body: Tone Chambered Mahogany
Neck: Bound Maple, Bolt-on
Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
Scale Length: 34″
Width at Nut: 1 5/8″
Pickups: Two Alnico Hot-10 Humbuckers
Switching: 3-Way
Controls: 2 Volume, 1 Tone
Bridge: Tune-o-matic bridge, trapeze tail
Hardware: Grover Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings: D’Addario #45-#100
Case: extra
Unique Features: NATIONAL Style Striped Pickguard
Suggested Retail: $1099.00 US

I’m not sure who this fella is, but he has some nice things to say about Eastwood and Airline models:

Stephan Wickham: Eastwood Guitars basses and guitars are real sleepers for most people. It will surprise many that they have large acceptance with musicians in alternative genres such as West  Coast Punk, grunge and modern alternative rock. Eastwoods are popular with some top players like John Fogerty, Mick Karn and groups like Foo Fighters.  People expect the build quality of original Danelectro (e.g. particleboard  bodies) and Valco / National guitars / basses and are surprised to see Eastwood Guitar reproductions that there are improvements, such as the body tonewood. While the Airline MAP bass carries Airline name it is actually based on Valco 1962 Val-Pro 85 bass. It produces a killer low rider tone and works best with a medium-to- fast player. In addition to punk, grunge it fits well with 60s rock, Grateful-Dead tone, reggae, modern country & blues. The body is chambered mahogany, rather than acrylic resin / fibreglass of original Val-Pro 85. I would swap out the bridge, nut and knobs to better quality components and it would be good to go. For people that don’t like the Sea-Foam Green, it also is available in White or Black. In Black it comes with black & white pick guard with white binding on body, which gives it a bit of art-deco Duesenberg design flavour. The addition of a 34″ scale to the Eastwood Airline MAP bass product line offers an excellent tone alternative to original 30″ short-scale model and more familiar length for most bassists.

More Pictures of the new 34-inch scale Airline Map Bass:

The NEW 34″ scale Airline Map Bass in Seafoam Green!

The NEW 34″ scale Airline Map Bass in Seafoam Green!

The NEW 34″ scale Airline Map Bass in Seafoam Green!

Airline Introduces New 34″ Scale MAP Bass from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood Sidejack Bass VI Guitar (Vintage Cream)

All orders in the month of August will receive a free Green Room gigbag (value $29).

Three things make the Bass VI better than anything else on the market,

1. The tremolo makes for a much more versatile instrument
2. The P-90 pickups allow for a much brighter tone, most competitors use humbuckers and have a muddy tone
3. The price. This is a solid gig-worthy workhorse of an instrument at an unbeatable price.

Here are a couple of demos showing the versatility of the Bass VI:

New Sidejack Bass VI from Eastwood Guitars! from MyRareGuitars.com

Sami Yaffa with the Eastwood Classic 4 Bass Guitar

2. Rev Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Airline MAP

Rev Peyton (Big Damn Band) with the Airline Map Guitar

3. The Trouble with Monkeys – Michael Molenda – Airline ’59 Coronado

That’s right folks, when Editor in Cheif of Guitar Player Magazine decides to review a guitar, he really DOES take it for a test drive!

4. Beyond Veronica – Nessie Doss – Classic 4 Bass

Nessie Doss (Beyond Veronica) with the Eastwood Classic 4 Bass

5. Dennys Iuras – Brazil – Eastwood Mandocaster

Dennys Iuras (Brazil) with the Eastwood Mandocaster

6. Adrian Quesada of Grupo Fantasma – Airline MAP

Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma) with the Airline Map Electric Guitar

7. Kepi Ghoulie / Dog Party – Airline 2P and Eastwood Rocket Bass

8. Devin Hoff – Sidejack BASS VI

Devin Hoff with the Eastwood Sidejack Bass VI Guitar

9. Tippi – Eastwood Stormbird

10. Jimmy Vivino – Conan Show – Airline Tuxedo

Jimmy Vivino (Basic Cable Band on Conan O'Brien's show) with the Airline Tuxedo Guitar

11. Silver Seas – Lex Price – Airline MAP Bass

Lex Price (Silver Seas) with the Airline Map Bass Guitar

12. Rob McNelley – Airline H44 STD

Rob McNelley with the Airline H44 STD Electric Guitar

13. Miles Holmwood – Stereos – Airline 2P

Miles Holmwood (Stereos) with the Airline 2P Electric Guitar

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (April 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Wooden Shjips – Live on KEXP – Airline 3P DLX

R.E.M. – Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter – Sidejack DLX

Eastwood Classic 12 Demo – Brian Tarquin

Trolley – I Woke Up – Sidejack DLX

DUM DUM GIRLS – Hold your hand – Airline 3P DLX

Paul Kelly – If I Could Start the Day Again – Airline Tuxedo

Jack the Radio – Carolina Mud – Airline 3P DLX

Far-Out Fangtooth – Patience – Airline 3P DLX

SHA’S FECKEL – MASSIVE BEREAVEMENT – Airline on-deck

Beyond Veronica – The Rivers Edge – Classic 4 Bass

YouTube Your Eastwood (May 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

I started with an old Electromuse (it looked like a boat paddle), and then had to figure out what to do with it, and so I commenced the seemingly endless quest for the right tuning, picks, bar, and tone. Now, this was before we all had the Interwebs at our fingertips (back when I’d visit the library once a week to review the three emails I’d acquired since last login), so how-to videos via youtube simply were not an option. I was left to my own devices.

Electromuse Lap Steel Guitar Pickup

I plunked away on my steel, but I was missing something. My sound was thin, and noisy, and out of tune…nothing like what I was hearing in my head. I chipped away at it without much luck, until I met Spider Webb Welten.

Willbern “Spider Webb” Welten owned a music store in Sparta, IL (also noteworthy as the film-shooting locale for some scenes from the original movie version of In The Heat Of The Night). Welton’s was a small, quirky store that shared its quarters with a wig shop/hair salon run by his wife, and it featured a few glass counters, about twelve guitars wrapped in plastic (for that cozy, backwoods, Invasion of the Body Snatchers ambiance), and some miscellaneous cases which, I would soon find out, housed lap steels and pedal steels.

Upon my first visit I took in the air, tainted with the chemical aroma of hair product, as a skinny, elderly man came out from the back and asked how he could help me. As soon as I told him I was looking for a set of steel strings, the old man perked up. ” C6TH, E9TH or both?” he inquired, and I could already tell I was in way over my head. “Uh…it’s for a lap steel?” The old man frowned and corrected me, “it’s not a ‘lap steel,’ it’s a straight steel, son” and he walked behind the counter and pulled out a pack of 6-string “straight steel” strings. Then he took out a card and scratched down A/C#/E/A/C#/E, with the words ” Top A Tuning ” underneath. As I paid for my strings, I asked if he had any other tips. In the course of the next hour, Webb pulled out three lap steels (straight steels), three pedal steels, an assortment of finger picks, and a magazine that had his picture on the cover. I realized that this was the guy, and I had happened to find him in middle-of-nowhere-southern-Illinois by complete chance.

Following are some of the tips that I learned from Spider Webb that day. These small nuggets of information that the steel guru shared have been invaluable, and I hope they will also help you on your journey to steel enlightenmen:

• Get some heavier strings. Most steels come with fairly light strings, but thin strings equal thin tone, and this is especially true for the lap steel (which is the name I still call it by…sorry Webb). I typically use a custom gauge that consists of .056-.016, and I feel they produce a nice, fat tone, whether played clean or overdriven.
• Use two metal finger picks and a plastic thumb pick. This is the key to speed and articulation, and will help you cut through a band better than simply using your fingers. I prefer a medium Pro-Pic that is heavy enough that I can barely bend it, and a heavy, large National thumb pick. I often use a lighter, blue Herco pick, which I also use for the banjo and the pedal steel, because I’m too lazy to carry multiple thumb picks with me, but the heavy Nationals give me a much fuller tone. Fingers without picks can give you a really great tone as well, so you may experiment both ways.
• Keep your fingers on the strings behind the bar. This was a huge eye-opener for me, as it allowed me to get a truly defined tone without any noise. It also helps to keep the bar straight and accurate for better intonation.
• Play on the line. This takes a little time to get used to, but you always want to keep your bar directly over the fret marker. Playing in the space will cause you to be flat.
• It’s not fine china, so don’t be afraid to use some pressure and push down on the strings with the bar. You will get a much better tone this way.
• Use a volume pedal. Starting with the pedal about 20-30% engaged will give you plenty of room to add sustain to notes when needed.
• Use vibrato the way a singer would. Play the note clear and solid, and then add a slow vibrato by rolling and moving the bar back and forth. This is one of the more difficult techniques to learn, and it takes some time to accomplish.

Here are a couple of videos of me playing the Airline Lap Steel Guitar, available from www.eastwoodguitars.com for only $349:

1) Hawaiian Tone

2) Kick Butt Blues Tone:

I’ve owned two of Eastwood’s Airline lap steels, and I believe they are the best steel on the market for the money. The Airline has plenty of string height at the nut, and a bit wider string spacing than other steels in the same price range. The body has plenty of mass and weight, giving the steel a great tone, both clean and driven. Add a bit of delay and fuzz for an over the top tone, or try some modulation effects or a POG for a cool organ effect.

Written by: Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson

Lap Steel Guitar – You Need One! from MyRareGuitars.com

We have a new shipment of RS-II guitars coming in 2 weeks –> Order before April 30th for FREE Shipping!
(North America only)

Airline RS-II Electric Guitar (Natural Flamed Maple Finish)

Airline RS-II Specifications:

• Airline RS-II Demo – Mason Stoops – Eastwood Guitars.
• Body: Maple top, back and sides.
• Neck: Set, bound one-piece, straight-grained Canadian maple
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
• Scale Length: 26″ with 12″ radius
• Width at Nut: 1 11/16″
• Pickups: Two AIRLINE Vintage Argyle Diamonds
• Switching: 3-Way, Chicken Head Knob
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
• Bridge: Tune-O-Matic, Trapeze Tail
• Hardware: Vintage Kluson Style Nickel/Chrome
• Strings: D’Addario #10
• Case: Extra
• Unique Features: Roy Smeck Pickguard

BUY NOW: $749.00 US

New Airline RS-II Guitar Demo Video by Mason Stoops from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood Classic 12 Guitar in White Finish with Gold Hardware (12-String Guitar)

BUY NOW before April 15th, $499:

The Classic 12 is also available in Walnut and Fireburst. Our good friend Wendell Ferguson takes the the Classic 12 for a test drive, take a look at this video:

Eastwood Classic 12 Guitar Now Available in White Finish With Gold Hardware from MyRareGuitars.com

The Mastersons Perform at John Varvatos Thursday Nite Live – Airline Coronado, Warren Ellis Tenor, Airline MAP Bass

The Black Lips – Cole’s Invincible Airline Twin Tone

The Black Marquee (LA) – Brokedown Casanova – 2012 – Classic 4 Bass / Airline Tuxedo

‘Only When It Rains’ and ‘Heartache’ by The Hedrons – Eastwood P-90

Eastwood Airline Big Horn – di Simone Gianlorenzi

Bill Nelson – two short clips – Airline Town & Country / Airline MAP

Dum Dum Girls – “Bedroom Eyes” – Airline ’59 Custom

Golden Bloom – “Rhyme The Reason” – Airline RS-II

DOG DAY – “Happiness” – Airline Bass

The Fearless Vampire Killers – For You & Me – Classic 4 Bass

YouTube Your Eastwood (April 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Mike Falzone – Coldplay cover Paradise – Airline MAP

White Mystery – Classic 6

RJ Ronquillo with his Airline ’59 1P

From Argentina: MUNDO ROCK – Franko with his Classic 4

Two videos from 15-year-old Solomon Hicks with his Eastwood Doral

Duke Robillard and his Airline Twin Tone

From Germany: VAN WOLFEN and his Airline Town & Country

Locksley – Airline MAP Bass

Cursed Arrows – Sidejack Baritone

Steve Wheeler (with Robin Guthrie) using his EEB-1

YouTube Your Eastwood (March 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood Classic 6 LTD Electric Guitar (Greenburst)

This model features a set maple neck with a flamed maple top, finished in a stunning Greenburst color and gold hardware. All DLX models come with the Bigsby B-70 tremolo. Each of the first 20 guitars in this limited edition run will include the deluxe 5-latch archtop hardshell Eastwood logo case.

Our Price: $799. FREE Shipping in North America. $129 Elsewhere.

More pictures of the Eastwood Classic 6 LTD in Greenburst finish:

Eastwood Classic 6 LTD Electric Guitar (Greenburst)

Eastwood Classic 6 LTD Electric Guitar (Greenburst)

Eastwood Classic 6 LTD Electric Guitar (Greenburst)

Eastwood Classic 6 LTD Electric Guitar (Greenburst)

Eastwood Classic 6 LTD Electric Guitar (Greenburst)

Eastwood Classic 6 LTD Electric Guitar (Greenburst)

Eastwood Classic 6 LTD Electric Guitar (Greenburst)

Pre-Order your Eastwood Limited Edition Classic 6 DLX from MyRareGuitars.com

2) G. Love and Special Sauce – Custom Airline 3P ’59

G Love - Custom Airline 3P '59 Guitar

3) Miss Alex White – White Mystery Band – Classic 6

Miss Alex White (White Mystery Band) - Eastwood Classic 6 Guitar

4) Jay Codina – Blue Tattoo – Classic 6 Lefty

Jay Codina (Blue Tattoo) - Eastwood Classic 6 Lefty Guitar

5) Casey Crescenzo – The Dear Hunter – Coronado ’59 Custom

Casey Crescenzo (The Dear Hunter) - Coronado '59 Custom Guitar

6) Bill Nelson – Airline MAP

Bill Nelson with his Airline Map Guitar

7) Ripley Johnson – The Wooden Shjips – Airline 3P DLX

Ripley Johnson (The Wooden Shjips) - Airline 3P DLX Guitar

8) Tara Elliott and the Red Velvets – Airline 2P

Tara Elliot (The Red Velvets) - Airline 2P Guitar

9) Simonne Jones – Airline ’59 1P

Simonne Jones - Airline '59 1P Guitar

10) Milos Angelov – Matthew Good – Classic 4 Bass

Milos Angelov (Matthew Good) - Eastwood Classic 4 Bass

11) Abraham Millett – Third Eye Blind – Classic 4 Bass

Abraham Millett (Third Eye Blind) - Eastwood Classic 4 Bass

12) Creepoid – Classic 6

Creepoid - Eastwood Classic 6 Guitar

13) Rico – FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS – Airline Town & Country

Rico (Forever The Sickest Kids) - Airline Town & Country Guitar

In Studio with Obie O’Brien – Classic 4 Bass

Obie O'Brien in studio with his Eastwood Classic 4 Bass

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (January 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline '59 2P Electric Guitar (LEFT-HAND) from Eastwood Guitars

The ’59 2P upgrades include: dual VVSC pickups, striped pickgaurd, chrome tone switchplate, rubber body binding and includes the DLX Airline hardshell case. Retail price $1299.

Our Price: $999.00 US

_________________________________________________________________________

The Airline Folkstar is a tone cahmbered mahogany body with a resonator cone adn piezo pickup. It also has a mini humbucker on the neck poistion and a blend knob to blend between the two pickups.

Airline Folkstar Resophonic Guitar (Red, Left-Handed)

Airline Folkstar Resophonic Guitar (Black, Left-Handed)

Shipping is $49 North America, $149 to Europe.

Two New Left-Hand Models: Folkstar and ’59 2P (February 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

King Salami & The Cumberland 3 using Classic 6

The Black Lips – Airline Twin Tone

The Incarus Line – Lefty Magnum Bass

SNARKY PUPPY – Sidejack Baritone

LOCUS IN LOVE – Saturn ’63

AIR CASTLES – Airline Bighorn

Leone & Redington – Superfast and Mandocaster

Transmissor – Delta 6 & Classic 6

Demi Barbito – Airline MAP

RJ Ronquillo – Airline Tuxedo

YouTube Your Eastwood (February 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar from Eastwood Guitars (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar from Eastwood Guitars (Red)

Order before the NAMM show (Jan 18th) and get a FREE Custom Hardshell Case.

BUY NOW: $799

Colours: Blue, Red
Body: Full Hollowbody, Maple Top, Back, Sides
Neck: Bound Maple, Set
Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
Scale Length: 24 3/4″ (628mm)
Width at Nut: 1 5/8″
Pickups: New York MINI Humbucker
Switching: none
Controls: Master Volume
Bridge: Floating Tune-O-Matic, Custom Chrome Tail
Hardware: Grover Style Nickel/Chrome
Strings: D’Addario #10
Case: Extra
Unique Features: Custom Chrome tailpiece, grilled F-holes
Suggested Retail: $1029.00US

* North America shipping $49. Outside north America $149.

More Pictures of the Wandre Tri-Lam:

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar from Eastwood Guitars (Blue)

Wandre Tri-Lam Electric Guitar from Eastwood Guitars (Red)

New Wandre Tri-Lam from Eastwood Guitars from MyRareGuitars.com

Roscoe Does BECK – Eastwood Ichiban

Jeffrey Beauchamp Art Show Promo – Airline Tuxedo

Floating Action – Eastwood Classic 12

Missle – Airline 2P and MAP Bass

Gearwire.com – Airline Mandola

THE BLACK LIPS using an AIRLINE TWIN TONE

The Surf Aces with AIRLINE MAP Guitar and BASS. WOW!

..and the Joey Leone Signature goes south with a great Chilean band, called “Voodoo Zombie”

Dutch band DEE STAAT featuring EASTWOOD Delta 6

Dirty Pavor – Knobs & Switches

Unfortunate Science – featuring Eastwood WANDRE DLX

Hospital Beds – featuring AIRLINE MAP

YouTube Your Eastwood (January 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Check out this new demo from our friend Mason Stoops. Mason does some great research and shares some interesting historical info about the origins of the Coronado model. Great job!

The Airline ’59 Coronado is our tribute to the Supro Coronado model used by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The originals were made of Res-O-Glas, but we have upgraded the design to tone-chambered mahogany bodies. Upgrades to the standard Coronnado model on this ’59 include rubber body binding, zero fret, Tone Pros bridge and Deluxe Airline hardshell case.

The ’59 Coronado include the DLX Airline hardshell case. Only $1079.

SPECIAL OFFER: We will also include a white Airline leather strap ($45) and a white Airline Curly Cord ($39) and FREE SHIPPING for all orders until Dec 15 ONLY. ($99 shipping outside North America)

New Airline Coronado ’59 Demo by Mason Stoops from MyRareGuitars.com

Each order includes your choice of a FREE Valco effects pedal ($69+ Value)

Eastwood Classic 6 Guitar

Only $479

FREE SHIPPING, FREE VALCO EFFECTS PEDAL

(VAT and shipping extra outside North America)

FREE Pedal Options:

Under Pressure – Compressor

Vaughnabe – Vintage Overdrive

The Stooge – Classic Super Fuzz

Come Again? – Delay

Black Hole – Vintage Phase

Good Vibrations – Classic Tremolo

Eastwood Classic 6 BUNDLE – FREE Valco Pedal – FREE Shipping from MyRareGuitars.com

Only $699. Order before October 31 and get a FREE hardshell case!

Airline Folkstar Resonator Guitar

Mason Stoops Demos The Airline Folkstar Resonator Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

Solomon Hicks

2) Dallon Weekes (Panic at the Disco) – Classic 4 Bass

Dallon Weekes (Panic at the Disco)

3) Dum Dum Girls

Dum Dum Girls

4) Will Kimbrough – Emmy Lou Harris – Mandocaster

Will Kimbrough (Guitarist for Emmy Lou Harris)

5) John Varvatos Bowery Store (NYC)

John Varvatos Window Display (on Bowery in NYC)

6) Irina Yalkowsky – Guitarist for Nicole Atkins – Airline Town & Country

Irina Yalkowsky (Guitarist for Nicole Atkins)

7) Tiny Al – Eels – Ailrine Bass

Tiny Al (EELS)

8) Calexico Art Exhibit – Tucson, AZ – Airline 3P DLX

Calexico Art Exhibit (Tucson, AZ)

9) Zoe (Mexico) – Sergio Acosta with Airline MAP

Sergio Acosta (Zoe)

10) Jody Porter – Fountains of Wayne – Airline ’59 Coronado DLX

Jody Porter (Fountains of Wayne)

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (September 2011) from MyRareGuitars.com

FREE SHIPPING until October 31.

Eastwood Airline 1P DLX Electric Guitar

Airline 1P DLX – $549 – Features tone-chambered mahogany body, bolt-on maple neck. Single Alnico HOT-10 Humbucker (case extra).

Or upgrade to the new Airline ’59 Custom 1P…

Eastwood Airline '59 Custom 1P Electric Guitar

Airline ’59 Custom 1P – $899 – Adds the Airline Vintage Voiced Single Coil pickup, striped pickguard, rubber body binding, Tone Pro’s Bridge, Wilkinson tuners, and the Airline DLX hardshell case.

Video Review:

TWO New AIRLINE Single Pickup Models – $549 DLX and $899 ’59 Custom from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline '59 Custom Coronado Electric Guitar (White) from Eastwood Guitars

Eastwood Guitars has some new Airline models out this month, notably the ’59 Custom Coronado – a tribute to the old Supro used by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The originals were made of Res-O-Glas and had a floating bridge. Eastwood has upgraded the design to a tone-chambered mahogany body and an adjustable roller bridge. Other upgrades to the standard Coronado model on this ’59 include rubber body binding, a zero fret for super fast low action, a Tone Pros bridge and Deluxe Airline hardshell case.

Pricing and Availability:
’59 Custom Coronado: $1079.00 US

Airline '59 Custom Coronado Electric Guitar (White) from Eastwood Guitars

New Model: Airline ’59 Custom Coronado Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood Mandocaster Electric Mandolin (Antique Sunburst)

BACKGROUND:
Traditionally, the mandolin is described as a short-neck lute with eight strings, named after the Italian ‘mandolina.’ It has the same fretboard and tuning as a violin, and originated in its current form around the 16th Century and likely developed to fill out the scale of the lute family. The instrument became popular in North America into the 18th Century and particularly in parlors where simple instruments were used to entertain. Into the 19th Century mandolin ensembles toured the Vaudeville circuit and the mini-lute soon captivated the average person as a viable instrument of choice to play at home and with friends (its small size was great for travel); this occurred well before the popularity of the steel-stringed guitar as thousands of mandolins were sold through Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs.

Lyon & Healy were one of the larger mandolin manufacturers in the early stages, but Gibson soon took up the challenge to become the primary manufacturer. And it was in 1905 that the Gibson A-4 was developed, breaking all mandolin traditions as the design moved from the typical bowl-back shape to mimicking violin construction with a carved top and back. This helped to set the stage for a preferred mandolin shape in American folk and popular music. Today the mandolin may be best accepted or connected to folk and country bluegrass music, but it also has been used in rock music of various genres, including works of Led Zeppelin, Tea Party, Alan Parson Project, The Byrds, Hall and Oats, REM, Jethro Tull, Yes, and many others.

The flat-back style of mandolin took a unique turn in 1956 when Fender developed a 4-string electric version, with a body shaped similar to a Stratocaster – and its name to become the Mandocaster. Highly collectable, mostly because of its unique shape, the Mandocaster was limited in usability due to the four strings and a less robust sound of typical mandolins. Nonetheless, it did find an audience due to its appearance and electric capabilities before being discontinued in 1976.

As with other rare and vintage instruments, Eastwood Guitars swooped into production to create its own unique version of the Mandocaster, which construction and appearance rivals the old Fender issues. Available in a high-quality finish of antique sunburst or black (I ordered an antique sunburst model since it so reminded me of a vintage instrument), the Eastwood Mandocaster boasts a solid alder body with a maple bolt-on neck and rosewood fingerboard. In fact, when describing this instrument it can be described accurately as a solid-body guitar, as though a James Bond villain miniaturized a Telecaster and gave it 8-strings. Surprisingly heavy in feel, you can tell you have something in your hands that will last for years without breakage or environmental damage. It is built to stand up to regular use.

Eastwood Mandocaster Electric Mandolin (Black)

HARDWARE:
The bridge is a fully adjustable Tele-Style bride, which means a fully intonatable saddle just like its big brother. The bridge plate is cast and plated, and each set of strings has its own saddle with height adjustment screws. When first received, my Mandocaster had some buzzing on the third string, but with the included hex key (Allen wrench) included, it took seconds to fine-tune. The machine head hardware is quality Gotoh nickel and chrome, and the keys feel exceptionally smooth and solid in use.

NECK:
The maple neck with truss rod is very solid and bolts onto the body with four contact points. The neck is more of a U shape rather than a C shape, which may be a concern for a full-sized guitar, but I did not find it cumbersome or ‘thick’ in the least. Rather, having a rounder or chunkier neck for its size is a requirement since the neck of a mandolin is so narrow and small to begin with and you need enough bulk to make it strong and lasting. As well, with a solid-body Tele there certainly needs to be some harmony in the design and I could not imagine a thinner neck; even a person with small hands should not be hindered by the neck’s shape and I put myself in that category.

The frets are smooth on all edges and they may seem rather small if you’re use to today’s jumbo fret electric guitars. But I do not think one would want them any larger – the fret spacings are small, as they are with any mandolin, and a chief complaint of people with large fingers is the difficulty playing a mandolin effectively. Larger frets would reduce fret space and make the task of playing more challenging and particularly in the upper register. Moreover, the action is low and playing is smooth, and so the neck and fret size certainly do work together.

ELECTRONICS:
The vintage Fender Mandocasters were limited by a single pickup, whereas the Eastwood model has two single-coil pickups, together with a 3-way switch and a tone control (the switch and tone pots are smooth, solid and have little play), thus offering far more possibilities in the eventual sound. The pickups do not offer a lot of output, but they are super quiet even when you turn your amp up to high levels. And if desired, because they are standard-sized pickups, you can replace them with a different type. Nonetheless, the tone of a mandolin seems to cut through just about any mix and having extremely loud/sensitive pickup capability is not as much an issue as some would think. After all, it is unlikely a mandolin will be paired up with Death Metal music, and just about any other genre that incorporates a mandolin tends to be more subdued, even within certain rock genres. Consequently, I see these pickups as being sufficient for the job. As well, with such passive pickups, the true tone of this instrument shines through, whereas going a different route (with something more ‘active’) may reduce the mandolin sound one is trying to achieve.

TONE:
I own a quality pumpkin-back mandolin, and what can be said about these acoustic counterparts is that there is a certain resonating and vibrating quality that cannot be achieved with a solid body electric. Well, certainly, and that should be obvious, as obvious as being able to achieve sounds with a solid-body electric that cannot be achieved with an acoustic model (with or without a pickup). These are different animals and one would not compare an electric solid-body violin with a regular violin either.

Having said that, the Mandocaster has a definite mandolin tone which a person may or may not like, depending how much of a die-hard ‘acoustic’ mandolin player you may be. I’m a guitarist and like using a mandolin the odd time for enjoyment purposes or to include a mandolin within my compositions, but I’m certainly not a mandolin connoisseur. Yet I would state that the Mandocaster is the genuine article and produces its own array of unique tones that are unmistakably ‘mandolin.’ And those unique tones are the result of the body construction and the pickups.

The neck pickup is my favourite and has the most organic timbre the two. The bridge pickup offers a thinner sound, as is the case with any electric guitar, but it does cut through the mix better. Thus, for more robust music accompaniment, the bridge may be best, whereas the neck selection would be superior for unaccompanied or less voluminous music. And then you have the middle selector position, which has a slightly out of phase characteristic that definitely offers a mix of both worlds. A piezo pickup may be an interesting modification and this may result in even a better or authentic ‘acoustic’ sound, but the neck position does provide a full-bodied richness that has me returning to it repeatedly.

DIVERSIBILITY:
As important as the qualities of each pickup and the sounds that you can achieve, the Eastwood Mandocaster reacts like a regular guitar, in that it has good response with effects pedals. High levels of drive and distortion may not be apropos, but certainly a little edge/distortion with flange, tremolo, chorus or other ingredients bring out unique colors that makes people think twice about the mandolin and how well it can fit into modern music. And although too much drive or distortion may make the tone a bit abrasive, easing off on the volume knob cleans things up nicely.

Finally, I encourage readers to check out a video demonstrating the Eastwood Mandocaster, featuring Wendell Ferguson, an award-winning Canadian guitarist on YouTube:

PLUSES:
With two pickups, a three-way switch and a tone knob, there are many sound possibilities, besides any effect (tremolo, chorus, flange, etc.) you care to throw at it in order to produce your own unique mando tone. The weight and quality of construction is very good and you feel like you’re playing an electric guitar. Since the Mandocaster has standard sized pickups, you can replace them with any other single-coil model if desired. And… it comes in a lefty version.

MINUSES:
The Mandocaster may not sound as organic as a typical acoustic mandolin, but then again – this was not meant to replicate an acoustic model – it is what it is. The three-way switch may get in the way of some larger hands and particularly players with long and aggressive picking/strumming strokes.

Review by Brian D. Johnston

Eastwood Mandocaster Review from MyRareGuitars.com

“I’ve been playing the 3 humbucker Leone Limited Edition live continuosly and man, what a guitar! If you remember, I bought two of the humbucker model and one P-90 model. My favourite is the humbucker model and it has turned out to be an exceptional axe. Everywhere I play musicians freak out with the looks, the feel (this neck is beautiful!) and the sound of this guitar. This Eastwood with a Fender amp is an unbeatable combination. Thanks, Mike! I hope Eastwood’s star continues to rise, for it deserves it. Keep up the excellent work! Saludos from the Caribbean,” — Rafi Alvarez

“Just wanted you to know that I got the electric tenor! WOW!!!! What a fine instrument!!!! Exceeds my expectations!!!!!! Great sound and great finish!!! thank you!!!” — Geoff

“I just received my Cherry Warren Ellis Tenor. Thanks so much. It is awesome!” — Jack Reilly

“Love it Love it Love it! Thanks so much for this Airline Map Bass. It is exactly as I imagined. I’m going to put some flats on it and settle in with it for a couple of weeks before I do a review.” — Paul Reich

“Just a note of appreciation to say my green Sidejack landed safe and 6 days ahead of schedule..plays, sounds and looks FANTASTIC, what VALUE!…couldn’t be happier with this instrument and Eastwood’s (and yourself) service and followup…sounds punk as (in the best possible way!)through my Fender twin Reverb 185…Happy Daze!! …thanks again mate.” — Paul Hine

“Just received the mandola. it was WELL WORTH the wait. From the age of 11 I have played the viola, and I’ve been waiting 25 yrs for an electric mandola to hit the market. Many thanks!!! I’ll be sure to post on mando-cafe and others as I give it a workout at gigs/etc. Have a great day!” — Patrick Daly

“I received the mandola yesterday with the case and delay pedal. Thank you so much! I am truly happy with the instrument. It sounds great, and the pedal is perfect. I will certainly spread the word about the your service as well as the quality of product. I will be returning soon, I think to get the tenor guitar instead of the mandocaster. Again, thank you kindly, it will receive lots of use, love, and exposure.” — Drew Hays

“Got the instrument today. Wow. It’s everything i hoped it would be! Nice action, very playable, less finger pileup than a mandolin and sounds utterly sweet through an amp. Thanks to you and your company for making it.” — Simon

“It’s John Crown here … I just wanted to write to say how much I enjoy the Eastwood Classic 6 I bought from you a year and a half ago. I’m currently working on a TV project that requires vintage Liverpool type sounds from the 60’s and this guitar is the perfect fit. The mini humbuckers are so clear and detailed and balanced with just the right amount of compression. The guitar plays as easily as when I first got it, nice low action without buzzing. Anyway, that’s all … it’s just a great great guitar” — John in Peterborough.

“Just to let you know. I bought an Eastwood Hy Flyer bass guitar, and I LOVE IT. It is the best sounding bass I have ever played. I was playing Fender Mustang, Reissue, in 2000, I thought it couldn’t get any better. BUT, it did with the HY FLYER.. The only thing I did was put on a set of Fender nylon tape wound strings, which I do to all bass guitars I own. I have let other people play it and they fell in love to. It has an incredible bass sound. I play through a Gen Betz Shuttle amp. Did I say I love it. I DO.” — Walt

“Hey Mike thanks for the Classic 12 Fireburst guitar – I’m using in the book! It blows away a Rick! Great job!” — Brian Tarquin, BHP Music, Ltd. [http://bohemianproductions.net/]

Brian Tarquin (BHP Music) with his Eastwood Classic 12 Fireburst 12-string

From the Mailbag (August 2011) from MyRareGuitars.com

Mr. Uzaki Ryudo with his Airline 2P Guitar (Red)

2) Peter Silberman from The Antlers – Airline Town & Country Guitar

Peter Silberman from The Antlers with his Airline Town & Country Guitar

3) EELS – Sunburst Airline Bass

4) Voodoo Zombie’s Lu Cifer – Joey Leone Superfast (photo credit: Fotos: Ignacio Orrego G. – Fotorock):

Voodoo Zombie's Lu Cifer with his Joey Leone Superfast Guitar

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (August 2011) from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline Folkstar Resonator Guitar

Here are some video demos to get you in the mood:

Airline Folkstar Resonator is Back in Stock! from MyRareGuitars.com

Tim Sarter from California here. We spoke a couple of years ago. I used to have one of the two or three map basses Metropolitan made – long scale, weighing a million pounds, etc. Been wanting one of yours for years. Finally got one a couple of months ago. Writing to tell you how much I love it. Compared to my old Metro it is so comfy to play. I may have my tech do a custom wind on the pickups for me to get a little more clarity and bite out of them, but after completing a run of the stage play Always Patsy with it I may not need to.

Tim Sarter with his surf green Airline Map Bass

I have it strung with La Bella flats right now. On some of the tunes I used the bridge pickup with a pick to get an outrageously cool tic-tac Bass tone. Used both pickups fingerstyle for most of the show, but switched to the neck pickup for the segments of the play that were underscored. Beautiful.

Considering trying some Thomastik Jazz Rounds on it like I have on my old Guild M-85, but for now I could not be happier with what I’m hearing out of it. Also used it with a county/rock and roll band Sunday. It was loved by all who heard it there as well. For your viewing pleasure here’s a few shots from that gig.

Anyway, thank you for your efforts in producing this bass. I have a lot of different basses that I use regularly, and yours is going to be getting heavy rotation from now on.

Cheers,

Tim

From The Mailbag: Tim Sarter & His Airline Map Bass from MyRareGuitars.com

Album Cover: 'Kings and Queens' by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings – Kings and Queens

What do you get when you take one of best bands to ever come out of Canada and make a record with an all-star cast of singers? Perhaps the best album of the year, that’s what.

Kings & Queens pairs the band with some of their favorite female singers and friends – and some of the biggest names in roots, blues and jazz – Roseanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Pam Tillis, Serena Ryder, Lucinda Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Amy Helm, Janiva Magness, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Sam Phillips, Sara Watkins, Exene Cervenka, Patti Scialfa and Holly Cole. Grammy- and Juno-winning producer Colin Linden (Bruce Cockburn, Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing, Colin James) took the helm for the new album, and the new recordings have taken the Kings from Nashville to Toronto to New York City to New Orleans, Los Angeles, Woodstock and back again. As the band explains, “No destination is too far for love….”

“Three years in the making, it’s a varied, inspired, and often moving collection that’s never forced or predictable. Hopefully it will provide much deserved American exposure for this talented but thus far under-the-(US) radar male threesome. ****” – American Songwriter

“Kings and Queens is the type of album you can’t help but want to hear. The band decided to try to wrangle a list of female singers they would love to sing with, and hot damn, is that list fantastic.” – Hero Hill

Here are some of the promo photos for the album:

Tom Wilson, guitarist (photo by Brian O'Brien)

Colin Linden, guitarist (photo by Brian O'Brien)

Album Review: Blackie & the Rodeo Kings – Kings and Queens from MyRareGuitars.com

Includes AIRLINE Deluxe hardshell case. STD model $999, DLX BIGSBY model $1149. FREE SHIPPING THIS MONTH.

Airline '59 Town & Country DLX Guitar (Vintage Cream)

Airline ’59 Town & Country STD:

Airline ’59 Town & Country DLX:

Last month the new Blondie video “Mother” feature Chris Stein playing the same model, for those who missed it, here you go again:

AIRLINE ’59 Town & Country Guitar: Struttin’ About Town from MyRareGuitars.com

Last month I was alerted to someone shredding on an AIRLINE MAP Guitar. Although cool, it just seemed weird to me. Beautiful, but weird. After a few days I noticed I was putting my shoes on the wrong feet, driving on the wrong side of the road, and leaving the toilet seat up. Something was wrong. So I contacted Demi Barbito and asked him to clear my mind by shredding on one of the few models I felt shred-worthy in the Eastwood lineup – the Eastwood GP. He obliged, now all seems right again:

If you missed the first one on the AIRLINE MAP, here it is. But be warned, you’ll have to watch the Eastwood GP video again before operating heavy equipment:

Please drop a line to Demi and say hello, he is a pure talent, here is another example:

The Demi Show Shred Clip On An Eastwood GP Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood P-90 Special Guitar (TV Yellow)

Only $399. Order one this month, FREE SHIPPING to anywhere in North America, $75 to Europe.

New Video Demos From Texas from MyRareGuitars.com

John Varvatos Bloomingdales Window Display Features 100 Eastwood Guitars

As we speak, about 100 Eastwood guitars and Airline guitars are being installed in a window display in Bloomingdales on 3rd Ave, New York City for two weeks with John Varvatos. The display ends June 26th.

Send us a photo of you in front if this display, pointing at your favorite guitar!

John Varvatos Bloomingdales Window Display Features 100 Eastwood Guitars from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood Guitars and Joey Leone wanted to improve the already sucessful Joey Leone Model, they wanted it to be more responsive and resonant. We decided to think outside the (usual guitar) box and use Alder wood as the centerblock instead of rock maple. This lightened the guitar and made the resonance of the strings more consistant throughout the guitar. We also used a two piece pancake laminate process to make the alder centerblock as stable as maple but with half the weight. We even used paduka wood for the tailpiece insert to add a bit of weight (ballast) to the trapeze tailpiece. This combined with the already popular longer scale length (25 1/2″) adds a livelieness to the scale behind the bridge. All Leone models have the 2mm additional wideness of the neck which allows your fingers to stretch out a bit and not be cramped together, aiding in finger fatigue and ease of fretting. All you need to do is play this guitar acoustically to actually feel the difference. We made the SuperFast with two (coil tapped) pickups instead of three to also lighten the guitar and make the top more responsive. But the best part, in an effort to get this guitar in your hands faster, Eastwood has lowered the price on the Joey Leone SuperFast, because we believe that our customers will, see, hear, and feel the difference.

Eastwood Joey Leone Superfast Electric Guitar (Black)

“It’s super light, super responsive, super versatile, super affordable, and its SuperFast.”

Includes hardshell case.

Trapeze Tail
PAYPAL $999

BiGSBY Tail
PAYPAL $1249

Check out this jam with Joey featuring Rick Redington on a Mandocaster:

Joey Leone Superfast:

Eastwood Joey Leone Superfast Electric Guitar (Black)

Joey Leone Superfast Guitar from Eastwood Guitars from MyRareGuitars.com

BUY NOW only $499

Eastwood Classic 12 12-String Guitar (Walnut, Fireburst)

Colors

Walnut $499.00Fireburst $499.00

All orders this week will INCLUDE this VALCO Under Pressure Pedal ($69 value):

Valco Under Pressure Guitar Pedal

Deal: Eastwood Classic 12 Guitar & Valco Pedal from MyRareGuitars.com

John Fogerty gives away his AIRLINE Coronado to a fan in Buenos Aires

Hugo on Letterman – Airline TUXEDO

G.Love and Special Sauce – Airline ’59 3P

G Love (from G Love & Special Sauce) with his Airline '59 3P Guitar

Mike Robinson with Adrian Belew at NAMM

Mike Robinson & Adrian Belew at NAMM 2011

Steve Stevens in the studio with his Airline Coronado

Steve Stevens in the studio with his Airline Coronado

Panic at the Disco – Classic 4

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (June 2011) from MyRareGuitars.com

New from Eastwood Guitars: The Airline Bighorn Electric Guitar (Red, Sunburst & Green finishes)

We have a small pre-shipment of the new BIGHORN ready to ship today. Based on the original 1960’s AIRLINE Bighorn, it features an updated adjustable bridge and the popular Diamond Argyle single coil pickups. The first four orders for each color will receive a gigbag, tuner and strap so that your Bighorn will be ready to rock the day UPS delivers! Order yours today, only $469.

Airline Bighorn Guitar Specifications:

• Colors: Red, Sunburst, Green
• Body: One Piece Basswood
• Neck: Bolt-on Maple
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, Dot Markers
• Scale Length: 24 3/4″
• Width at Nut: 1 5/8″
• Pickups: AIRLINE Argyle Diamond Single Coil
• Switching: 3-way
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 tone
• Bridge: Hardtail Strat Style Adjustable
• Tuners: Chrome Vintage Kluson Style
• Retail Price: $579

BUY NOW ONLY $469

Video Review:

More Pics of the Airline Bighorn:

The Airline Bighorn Electric Guitar (Red)

The Airline Bighorn Electric Guitar (Sunburst)

The Airline Bighorn Electric Guitar (Green)

New from Eastwood Guitars: Airline Bighorn Electric Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

Music Video: 'Got to Lose' by Hollerado

Check out the new video from Hollerado produced by Greg Jardin. Amazingly it was done in one take, with one camera. Watch it a few times and you will get a sense of how difficult it is to pull this off. As an added bonus, the AIRLINE guitars and straps look awesome!

Hollerado: ‘Got To Lose’ Music Video from MyRareGuitars.com

WIRE on Jimmy Fallon

Panic at the Disco on Conan

Steve Earl on Letterman (Eleanor Whitmore on Tenor)

Mike Robinson taping Guitar Pics for Treasure HDTV

Mike Robinson taping Guitar Pics for Treasure HDTV

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (May 2011) from MyRareGuitars.com

Custom Airline Vintage Guitar Straps (Leather)

Custom Airline Vintage Guitar Straps (Leather)

Custom Airline Vintage Guitar Straps (Leather)

New! Custom Vintage Airline Leather Guitar Straps from MyRareGuitars.com

Cole from the Black Lips with his Airline Town & Country guitar

Black Lips are out on tour this month (link to tour dates) and I hooked up with them yesterday in Toronto during their sound check. Cole is using an AIRLINE Twin Tone as well as a ’59 Town & Country. Go check them out in your city! If you’ve ever wondered what it is like up front during one of their shows, check out this clip from SXSW:

Black Lips Tour Dates 2011:

• 03-16-18 Austin, TX – SXSW
• 04-06 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
• 04-07 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
• 04-08 Washington, DC – Black Cat
• 04-09 Philadelphia, PA – The Trocadero
• 04-12 New York, NY – Webster Hall
• 04-13 Pawtucket, RI – The Met
• 04-14 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
• 04-15 Montreal, Quebec – Le National
• 04-16 Toronto, Ontario – Phoenix Concert Theater
• 04-17 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
• 04-19 Columbus, OH – Outland Live
• 04-20 Newport, KY – Southgate House
• 04-21 St. Louis, MO – The Firebird
• 04-22 Chicago, IL – Logan Square Auditorium
• 04-23 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
• 04-25 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
• 04-26 Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont Club
• 04-27 Dallas, TX – The Loft
• 04-28 Austin, TX – Emo’s
• 04-29 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
• 04-30 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
• 05-06 Barcelona, Spain – Bikini
• 05-07 Santiago de Compostela, Spain – Sala Capitol
• 05-08 Madrid, Spain – Sala Heineken
• 05-09 Montpelier, France – Rockstore
• 05-11 Strasbourg, France – La Laterie
• 05-12 Hamburg, Germany – Grunspan
• 05-13 Berlin, Germany – Festsaal Kreuzberg
• 05-14 Munich, Germany – Garage Fest
• 05-16 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Trouw Amsterdam
• 05-17 Paris, France – 104
• 05-18 Brussels, Belgium – Les Nuits Botanique
• 05-19 London, England – The Garage
• 05-20 Liverpool, England – Sound City Festival
• 05-21 Cheshire, England – Friends of Mine Festival
• 05-22 Leeds, England – Brudenell Social Club
• 05-24 Glasgow, Scotland – Stereo
• 05-25 Dublin, Ireland – The Button Factory
• 05-26 Cork, Ireland – Cypress Avenue
• 05-27 Galway, Ireland – Roisin Dubh
• 05-31 Zurich, Switzerland – Exil
• 06-01 Vevey, Switzerland – Rocking Chair
• 06-02 Vienna, Austria – Flex
• 06-09 San Diego, CA – The Casbah
• 06-10 Santa Barbara, CA – Velvet Jones
• 06-11-12 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
• 06-14 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
• 06-15 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore Ballroom
• 06-16 Seattle, WA – Neumos
• 06-17 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House
• 06-18 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
• 06-19 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
• 06-21 Tucson, AZ – Plush
• 06-22 Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
• 06-23 Costa Mesa, CA – The Detroit Bar
• 06-24 Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box
• 06-25 Pomona, CA – The Glass House

Black Lips Tour Dates 2011 & SXSW Mosh Pit from MyRareGuitars.com

First Look: Eastwood Warren Ellis Signature Tenor Guitar with Cherry Finish

First Look: Eastwood Warren Ellis Signature Tenor Guitar with Cherry Finish

Model	Buy Now!
Warren Ellis Signature Tenor Guitar (Cherry) It is only available in a limited run of 24 pieces this production, more coming in September. If you want one NOW order here only $499 (first come first served)

Notes:

1. If you want a hardshell case, send us an email after you complete your order and we can bill you for the case when we are ready to ship.
2. If you already have a Vintage Cream one on order and would like to switch to Cherry, email question@myrareguitars.com

Warren Ellis with his signature Eastwood Tenor Guitar (Cherry Finish)

Warren Ellis with his signature Eastwood Tenor Guitar (Cherry Finish)

Even Warren's Dad thinks it's cool!!!

Limited Edition Warren Ellis Signature Tenor – CHERRY from MyRareGuitars.com

Legendary Guitarist: Melvin Sparks

For more information about Melvin and his awesome guitar playing:

• Jambands.com – Melvin Sparks: 1946-2011
• JazzWax – [story]
• Jazz901 – [story]
• Melvin Sparks on Wikipedia
• Melvin Sparks on MySpace
• MelvinSparks.com

Melvin Sparks’ funeral (Janaza) service will be this Thursday, 10:00 am at Lee Woods Funeral Home 23E 2nd St Mt Vernon, NY (914) 699-1199 between 2nd and 3rd Avenues

RIP Melvin Sparks from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood Airline Tux Deluxe Electric Guitar (Natural Finish)

Eastwood Guitars and Randy Bachman have collaborated on the new Airline Tux Deluxe guitar. Bachman plays the Airline Tuxedo model, and recently pitched the idea for Airline Tux Deluxe, which captures a ’60s vibe with multi-ply binding, flamed maple top and back, and black sides. Technical changes include a Zero-Fret, upgraded tailpiece and custom coil-tapped pickups, giving the player a choice of 70% or 100% of the P-90 output levels.

Airline Tux Deluxe Electric Guitar

Features:

• Colors: Natural
• Body: Flamed Maple Top/Back, mahogany sides
• Neck: Set Maple, Zero Fret
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Scale Length: 25 1/2″
• Width at Nut: 1 11/16″
• Pickups: P-90 Tapped
• Switching: 3-Way
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Push/Pull Tone
• Bridge: Tun-o-matic
• Hardware: Vintage Style Open Back Tuners
• Strings: D’Addario #10
• Case: Deluxe AIRLINE hardshell INCLUDED
• Unique Features: Black Sides and Neck Back
• Suggested Retail: $1399.00 US
• Street Price: $1099

BUY NOW

Eastwood Airline Tux Deluxe Electric Guitar (Natural Finish)

Airline Tux Deluxe Electric Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

Sons of OTIS

If you purchased an EASTWOOD Guitar in the past two years, there is a good chance it was setup by Ryan Aubin. When Ryan is not acting as a guitar tech for EASTWOOD, he is teaching guitar at the local shop, PINECONE Music. But sometimes Ryan gets sick of looking at guitars, so he throws down his pic and picks up his sticks. As drummer for SONS OF OTIS, Ryan is off to Europe for one month to tour with his band. On behalf of everyone at EASTWOOD we wish him a safe and fun trip! If you get a chance, drop out to see their show, here is a link to the tour dates.

Sons of OTIS

2) Keri on the Ellen show

Mike Robinson with Keri (from the Ellen show)

For the past few years, every other month we have lunch at Alice Fazooli’s where our waitress Keri has a way to make every day seem a little brighter. As it is unlikely that any of you will ever get up here for lunch, it turns out Ellen found a way to make it seem like you were here. Watch this:

and here she is at the Grammy’s:

Happenings Around Eastwood HQ from MyRareGuitars.com

Airline Guitars: Winter NAMM Booth 2011

The Airline Guitars Booth at Winter NAMM 2011

Twin Peaks Moment

Guitar.com Interview

Strange Alien Visit

An Alien Stops by the Airline Guitars Booth at Winter NAMM 2011

Guitar Geek Festival on MSNBC

A Nice WANDRE Comes Home

Me & My Wandre Guitar!

Musicians Network Interview

Winter NAMM 2011 Recap from MyRareGuitars.com

Premier Guitar Reviews the Eastwood Warren Ellis Signature Tenor Guitar

Warren Ellis Signature Tenor Guitar Review from MyRareGuitars.com

AIRLINE MANDOLA LEFT-HAND

Our wildly popular MANDOLA is now available in left-hand, but this is a LIMITED QUANTITY of only 24 pieces. Act now! ONLY $579

Eastwood Airline Electric Mandola in Seafoam Green (Left-Handed)

Eastwood Airline Electric Mandola in Black (Left-Handed)

MAGNUM BASS 34″ SCALE LEFT-HAND

Yes, the all new MAGNUM BASS is available in left-hand, but this is a LIMITED QUANTITY of only 24 pieces are available. Act now! ONLY $579

Eastwood Magnum Electric Bass Guitar in Sunburst (Left-Handed)

Thanks for checking us out!

New Left-Handed Models: Mandola & Magnum Bass from MyRareGuitars.com

Eastwood Magnum Electric Bass Guitar (Sunburst)

New Eastwood Bass Model coming next month! Here is a sneak peak at the new Eastwood MAGNUM Bass, the first 34″ scale BASS from Eastwood in many years. A tribute to the 1970’s Ovation Magnum Bass which features:

• Model: Eastwood Magnum Bass Guitar
• Colors: Sunburst, Natural
• Body: Mahogany
• Neck: Bolt-on Maple
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, Dot Markers
• Scale Length: 34″
• Width at Nut: 1 1/2″
• Pickups: Neck Humbucker, bridge Single Coil
• Switching: 3-Way
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
• Bridge: Fender Style Adjustable, Rear String Mount
• Hardware: Gotoh Nickel/Chrome
• Strings: #45-#100
• Case: extra
• Unique Features: Wide Tonal Palette
• Suggested Retail: $759.00 US
• Availability: Early February 2011
• Street Price: $579

Eastwood Magnum Electric Bass Guitar (Sunburst)

Eastwood Magnum Bass Guitar Coming Soon! from MyRareGuitars.com

• ALEXISONFIRE / City & Colours’ Dallas Green with his AIRLINE 2P Sunburst
• Mexican Wrestling legend VAMPIRO with his Eastwood MACH TWO (formerly known as J.R. Elite)
• DEFTONES Chino Moreno with his Joey Leone Signature
• Randy Bachman with his AIRLINE TUXEDO.
• BLACK LIPS Cole Alexander with his AIRLINE Twin Tone
• MYSTERY WHITE BAND Alex White with her CLASSIC 6
• The LEGENDARY Melvin Sparks with his EASTWOOD Doral
• EPIC RUINS Sam Anderson with his white Eastwood Stormbird Guitar

And now for some pics:

1. ALEXISONFIRE / City & Colours’ Dallas Green with his Airline 2P Sunburst
   

   ALEXISONFIRE / City & Colours: Dallas Green with this Airline 2P Sunburst

2. Mexican Wrestling legend Vampiro with his Eastwood Mach Two (formerly known as J.R. Elite)
   

   Vampiro with his Eastwood Mach Two Guitar

3. Deftones Chino Moreno with his Joey Leone Signature
   

   Deftones: Chino Moreno with his Eastwood Joey Leone Signature Guitar

4. Randy Bachman with his Airline Tuxedo. Randy is working with Eastwood on developing a new Tuxedo model called the Tux Deluxe. Coming this Spring 2011.
   

   Randy Bachman with his Airline Tuxedo Guitar

5. Black Lips Cole Alexander with his Airline Twin Tone
   

   Black Lips: Cole Alexander with his Airline Twin Tone Guitar

6. Mystery White Band: Alex White with her Classic 6
   
   

   Mystery White Band: Alex White with her Eastwood Classic 6 Guitar

7. The LEGENDARY Melvin Sparks with his Eastwood Doral
   

   Legendary Guitarist: Melvin Sparks with his Eastwood Doral Guitar

8. EPIC RUINS Sam Anderson with his white Eastwood Stormbird
   

   EPIC RUINS Sam Anderson with his white Eastwood Stormbird Guitar

Eastwood & Airline Celebrity Sightings (December 2010) from MyRareGuitars.com

Macari's Music in London, England

Brighton, England

We continued on to Birmingham then Manchester, which led us back to Liverpool. The next day I flew to Germany to visit our distributor – iMUSIC NETWORKS in the beautiful city of WURZBURG. Then it was off to Spain for a 2 day visit with EDEN ROC our distributor for Spain, Italy and Portugal. The trip started in the wonderful city of BILBAO in the north where I was treated to some fabulous traditional Basque food and a tour of the city.

Wurzburg, Germany

Bilbao, Spain

The next day we drove to Madrid for the grand opening of the EASTWOOD Guitars Showroom, featuring a great night out with live bands and an interview with local TV station.