Hmmmm…what is everyone in the world going to want to know about my bizarre collection of guitars? Probably not much, but I love to babble, so here goes… the Karl Collection and all of the neato little facts behind it…

Electrics:
PBC GSX—I picked it up direct from PBC in the early nineties for a song. It was a prototype model, so it’s got its quirks. It’s got a flame maple topped mahogany body and two hand made Bill Lawrence pickups in it. The bridge is currently held in by a bunch of toothpicks and no one has ever been able to explain to me what the knob that doesn’t control the volume does. It ain’t a tone control. (Unsung Hero clean parts)

PBC GTE—This one was in the first PBC catalog. The serial # is 001. Maple body with a walnut top and a maple neck. The neck was CUSTOM CUT for me after I complained that it was too danged big. Now it’s THE THINNEST NECK I’ve ever seen. My favorite guitar tech, Dano, (www.danoshappyguitarrepair.com) set it up with some extra jumbo frets and it WAILS. It also weighs more than most Les Pauls. All the hardware is BRASS. There is a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge and a Bill Lawrence in the neck. (Timberline main riff and heavy rhythm parts)

’97 American Standard Fender Strat. Got it cheap. Love it. Added a chrome pickguard, locking tuners and black pickup covers. (Timberline clean parts)

’97 American Fender Strat Deluxe. Got it off Ebay. I was just looking for a second synth pickup, but I couldn’t pass it up. Ash body, maple neck. I ended up getting rid of the Lace Sensors and putting in a set of Fender’s Vintage Noiseless Pickups. I also added a Fishman Power Bridge. (Timberline solo) As an interesting side note (interesting to ME) the guitar was recently used by none other than Nick DiVirgilio during Spock’s Beard’s show at the Metuchen Forum Theater. Sweet.

’02 Fender Nashville Power Tele. The wife bought it for me when we started Silverthorne and it’s become one of my favorites. (yeah, I wish is wasn’t black, but oh well. White would have taken 6 months to get.) It’s also got a Fishman bridge and I put a Dimarzio Virtual 2 in the middle pickup position.

’98? Ibanez Jem. Love that “wet look” paint. I bought it from a guy I know when he needed money with the understanding that he could buy it back from me when he got it together. Haven’t seen him since. (Lifeboat solo)

’90 Fender/Heartfield Talon. The first of the great bargain guitars. I picked it up for around $80 in near mint condition from someone who just wanted it out of her basement. I added Sperzel tuners and a roller nut and a pair of Seymour Duncan “mysterybuckers.” I just love this guitar. (Loch Ness Monster first solo)

82? Sigma…I HAVE NO IDEA. Picked it up in a guitar shop in 1990. The story I got was that it is a prototype for a line of American made Martin Electrics that never went into production, but who knows? It’s all Mahogany with a set neck and the controls work just like a Les Paul except that the toggle switch is in THE perfect place for me. Right where I can reach it without moving my hand. (Unsung Hero melody parts and first lead.)

FrankenTele. This was the first “custom” guitar I made. It’s an old Charvel body. Matt Artinger of Artinger Guitars filled the cavity left by the stock Floyd Rose so I could put a knock-off strat bridge in it. Then I added a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, routed the middle position to sqeeze in a vintage Tele bridge pickup and squeezed (literally) a Bill Lawrence pickup into the neck position. The neck may be a Warmouth, but it has a bunch of dead spots and will probably be gone by the time you read this. It’s wired in a really cool way, too…the bridge and neck pickups are on the three way toggle and the volume control. The middle pickup goes to the on/off switch and straight to the output jack.

FrankenTele Pro. This was the SECOND custom guitar. It’s an ash Tele body from some crappy company in California, and the neck is an ancient Warmouth which was refinished poorly before I got it. A little sandpaper made it look nice and vintage. The pickups are Fender Texas Specials. Amazingly, this thing turned out to be one of the best Telecasters I’ve ever played. (Lifeboat rhythm parts)
85’ Fender Japanese Tele. A real oddball for a couple reasons. This one is actually my Wife’s guitar, which I bought for her. The first decent guitar I owned was the same year and model, but in way better shape. I sold it like an idiot. When I found another one I grabbed it, but thought that my wife needed it more than I did. (solo and spacey parts in Fairytales End

’82 Squier Strat. Made in Japan, these early Squiers were SMOKIN.’ I picked this one up for about $100 and added a set of Joe Barden Pickups and the metal pickguard. (most of the electric parts in Minstrel in the Gallery)

’83 Squier Jazz bass. Bought it from a friend for $100. He pretty much GAVE the thing away. Another M.I.J. Fender, but it plays and sounds as good as any Mexican Fender and many American ones I’ve played.

’71 Rickenbacker 4001. This is in pieces right now and doesn’t really belong to me. It’s sort of on permanent loan from my Uncle. There is a picture in my uncle’s possession of Jaco Pastorius playing THIS EXACT BASS standing in my uncle’s friend’s livingroom a few months before he died (Jaco, not my Uncle’s friend.)

Acoustics:
’92 Takamine NP25C. This is the only guitar I own that I know I will have when I die. You’d have to kill me to get it away from me. Cedar top, Rosewood back and sides and it’s a JUMBO. Sounds great, plays great…it is THE acoustic for me. It’s been refretted three times in just over 10 years. I finally retired it from active gig service a year or so ago and bought….

’02 Taylor 614CE. The best looking guitar on earth. It has a maple back and sides which for some reason fights feedback pretty effectively during live gigs. If you’ve ever played a Taylor, you know they are all amazing. If you haven’t, what the hell is wrong with you?
Ovation Shallow Back Celebrity. The people my wife work for bought it for her and she didn’t like it…Neither do I, but I happened to have a Gracie stand that it fit on, so I make Bill play it because it’s pink. It’s also a nice beater guitar. For the record, I hate Ovations. Some people love them and I’m happy for those people.

….and I’m sure there are more to come. I’m currently eyeing up another Tele, an Ibanez S-series and a Music Man John Petrucci. Now all I need is funds. I’m taking donations…