Welcome to the very end of December 2019 one and all. Due to the time of year, there is a short break in the ‘Story of Modern Music…’. After 9 straight months of factoid overload, I have taken the executive decision to take a rest and reflect on the here and now. There are other advantages of a temporary hiatus in that this article is MUCH shorter than the recent monthly detailed dissection of music history. Abnormal service will be resumed as soon as impossible.
So, that was 2019, the year that was. Not only do we end the year with this article, we also see the culmination of the ‘teenies’. Before anyone corrects me, yes, I know that technically the decades don’t change here but pretty much everyone accepts it that way, so just for once – shock, horror – I’m going with the flow. I don’t know about you but the last decade, and indeed the last 12 months, seems to have passed in a blur.
I am sure you’re fed up with the traditional lazy television programming that seems to dwell on retrospectives and lists as is usual for this time of year. You may be displeased that I’m about to do the same, although I doubt that this tangential view of existence will ever get broadcast nationally.
Personally, it’s been a really, really bad year again, with far too much pain, misery and torment, and little sign of light at the end of a (collapsed and blocked) tunnel. I genuinely cannot remember what joy or pleasure feels like. For self‑preservation, I must look to the future with some hope and positivity for a bit of much‑needed karma, justice, salvation and redemption. There, I’ve got it off my chest and I won’t bang on about it again (or maybe just a little!).
Departures in 2019
As ever, we have to say au revoir to some great guitarists who have climbed aboard that spiritual transit van to the infinite jam session with the angels (and possibly the occasional demon). In contrast to recent years, this year’s list is thankfully short, although I expect those who are on it would prefer not to be. They and their music will be missed…
- Dick Dale, 16 March, aged 81
- Bernie Tormé (Gillan, Ozzy Osbourne), 17 March, aged 66
- Boon Gould (Level 42), 30 April, aged 64
- Leon Redbone, 30 May, aged 69
- Roky Erickson (13th Floor Elevators), 31 May, aged 71
Non-guitarist departures included:
- Ross Lowell (the inventor of gaffer tape), 10 January, aged 92
- Jim Dunlop Sr. (Dunlop Manufacturing), 6 February, aged 82
- Keith Flint (The Prodigy), 4 March, aged 49
- Scott Walker (The Walker Brothers), 22 March, aged 76
- Dr John, 6 June, aged 77 (NB. he did play guitar regularly)
- Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith, Baker Gurvitz Army), 6 October, aged 80
Old in at CRAVE Guitars – vintage gear acquisitions in 2019
It seems to have been a better year for guitar‑related accumulation than I’d anticipated a mere 12 months ago. This is partly because of delayed house works (ggrrr!).
The trend of the last couple of years seems to be continuing, with a greater focus on the 1970s and 1980s. This is predominantly because 1960s artefacts are rapidly becoming well beyond my modest price range. Rather than pay nonsensical ‘silly money’ for older guitars just because they are old and expensive, I’m looking at what is currently a bit more reasonably priced from later decades, while also being selective about notable and interesting instruments. As you might expect, the purchases had to fit the CRAVE Guitars’ criteria (cool, rare, American, vintage electric) – the only exceptions being effect pedals from Japan and Europe. At least for the time being, some of this year’s purchases are just about ‘affordable’, while others were almost regrettably extravagantly decadent given my borderline financial disposition. Anyhoo, without further ado, time for some introductions…
CRAVE Guitars (9)
Before listing new ‘old’ arrivals, let’s just backtrack for a moment…
Example #1 – In 2016, I looked ahead and mentioned a couple of guitars on the ‘most wanted’ list. One was a 1970s Fender Starcaster and the other was a 1950s Gibson ES‑150. Perhaps not surprisingly, I failed dismally in 2017… and again in 2018.
Example #2 – In 2017 and again in 2018, I speculated about the possibility of getting a 1965 Gibson Melody Maker and… yup, failed again.
Example #3 – In 2018, I thought about finding a 1970s Fender Stratocaster and… guess what? Fail.
Remarkably, that has now changed and I managed to lay my grubby mitts on all four of the above during the last 12 months. I also went overboard just a little bit with some other spontaneous impulse buys.
So, 2019 actually saw 9 vintage guitars, covering 42 years from the 1940s to the 1980s, with at least one from each decade joining the CRAVE Guitars family. Herewith, the profligate plethora of pulchritude (apologies for the pompous alliteration)…
- 1982 Fender Bullet H2
- 1976 Fender Starcaster
- 1979 Fender Stratocaster Anniversary
- 1983 Fender Stratocaster Elite
- 1983 Fender Telecaster Elite
- 1947 Gibson ES-150
- 1965 Gibson Melody Maker
- 1989 PRS Classic Electric
- 1959 Silvertone 1304
CRAVE Amps (0)
Despite intensive but unsuccessful searches, there were no amplifiers that joined the family during 2019. Like with guitars, in both 2017 and 2018, I set out to find a 1970s ‘silverface’ Fender Princeton. To‑date, that lustful ambition remains unrequited… for now, the search goes on.
CRAVE Effects (5)
As it turned out, 2019 was a funny year for effect purchases. It was a case of quality over quantity and I did manage to lay my hands on two highly sought after iconic (and therefore exorbitantly expensive) pedals. These weren’t just gap‑filling, they have been on the ‘to do’ list for some time but considered them to be way out of my price range. Consequently, fewer budget purchases made them just about possible. They were…
- 1987 BOSS RV-2 Digital Reverb
- 1969 Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
- 1982 Ibanez PT9 Phaser
- 1981 Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro
- 1980 MXR Micro Amp
Once the full ‘Story of Modern Music…’ has been published, I may well return to 2019’s purchases and explain the rationale behind what is a relatively diverse range of acquisitions.
Repatriation update
In addition to the newcomers, it was way back in January 2019 that I was pleased to welcome home 42 guitars, 40 of them vintage, from an extended period of enforced storage (long story!). I set out on an ambitious mission to re‑home them with respect and to lavish upon them some much‑needed overdue TLC. The aim is that they can once again be used for their intended purpose, which is to be played regularly. I wasn’t going to rush the exercise, so it has been a bit of a long haul. I wanted to ensure that each one was given the sensitive treatment it deserved. For some, it was just a clean‑up and a tweak here and there to set them up before they were re‑strung – job done. For others, some more intensive care was necessary and I have worked on them as far as I can take them, due to my lack of ability in the practical side of things. There are a few, however, that need more expert skills than I have to sort them out properly. Thankfully, I know my limits and don’t pretend to be a proficient technician.
So far, 32 of the 42 returnees have been tended to, which means that there are still 10 repatriated guitars still to work on. Six of these are vintage guitars and are next on the to‑do list. Another two are vintage bass guitars which I suspect both need some neck work, so they will be near the back of the queue. The privilege (?) of going last will go to the only two non‑vintage guitars which I own. In theory, being the newest, they won’t need as much remedial work done on them. Fortunately, none so far have been ruined. Some have degraded a bit more than I would have liked but there is nothing serious to be concerned about. Phew!
Once the ‘conservation’ work has been completed and they are once again in good playing condition, they have been/will be photographed and documented. Feature articles have also been drafted on each one. The intention is to update the web site to exhibit them at their best. Then, it will be just a case of playing and enjoying them.
Building works
I cannot let the dastardly year dissolve into history without making a comment about the long overdue building works to convert the house’s dark, dank cellar into a safe, secure accommodation for the guitar members of the family. Due to egregious actions of spiteful and vindictive neighbours, it had to be deferred yet again. Basically, this means that no progress whatsoever was made during 2019.
Music albums released in 2019 (40-ish)
Surprisingly, after a (very) slow start it actually seems to have been a pretty good year for new music. I was quite sceptical up to about two thirds of the way through the year, despairing that the musical landscape was becoming ever more moribund. Then, out of nowhere, there seemed to be a veritable flood of interesting music to close the year out. I bought a shed load of old and new music in 2019 and the following are the diverse highlights of this year’s releases for me. One can hope that there may be some future ‘classics’ among them.
- !!! – Wallop
- Amon Amarth – Beserker
- Beck – Hyperspace
- Jade Bird – Jade Bird
- The Black Keys – ‘Let’s Rock’
- Blood Red Shoes – Get Tragic
- Cage The Elephant – Social Cues
- J.J. Cale – Stay Around
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
- The Chemical Brothers – No Geography
- The Comet Is Coming – Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery
- Cigarettes After Sex – Cry
- The Cinematic Orchestra – To Believe
- Crumb – Jinx
- The Cure – CURÆTION-25: From There To Here | From Here To There / Anniversary: 1978-2018 Live in Hyde Park
- Dream Theater – Distance Over Time
- Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1
- Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2
- Rory Gallagher – Blues
- Hawkwind – All Aboard The Skylark/Acoustic Daze
- Hot Chip – A Bath Full Of Ecstasy
- Khruangbin – Hasta El Cielo
- Trini Lopez – The Very Best Of Trini Lopez (compilation)
- Membranes – What Nature Gives… Nature Takes Away
- The Murder Capital – When I Have Fears
- New Model Army – From Here
- Rammstein – Rammstein
- Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
- Joanne Shaw Taylor – Reckless Heart
- Sleaford Mods – Eton Alive
- Sleater‑Kinney – The Center Won’t Hold
- Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind
- Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars
- Toro y Moi – Outer Peace
- Robin Trower – Coming Closer To The Day
- The Twilight Sad – It Won/t Be Like This All The Time
- Underworld – Drift Series 1: Sampler Edition
- Thom Yorke – ANIMA
- Neil Young – Colorado
Plus (album-like) EP:
- Black Stone Cherry – Black To Blues 2
Major concerts in 2019 (1):
Due to personal circumstances, there was just one major live music event in 2019:
- Hyde Park – Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Laura Marling, Cat Power, Sam Fender
Unfortunately, even Cornwall’s local Looe Live music festival wasn’t attended, despite it being right on the doorstep.
Social Media Quotes from 2019:
Over the year, I’ve been posting thousands of snippets on Twitter and Facebook. The following are actual comments from some very nice people about CRAVE Guitars that came this way during 2019. I don’t usually get much in the way of acclaim, and neither do I seek external validation for what I do, so these kind words of feedback felt extra special to me. They are truly appreciated and, frankly, I am humbled and overwhelmed by them.
“I love the variety of artistry you tweet about. Keep it up!”
“Thanks for the history lessons every day from @CRAVE_Guitars”
“Hey you bring it every day, man! You’ve turned me on to things I’d likely not see otherwise! Keep on rocking it!”
“Great people, knowledge, posts and positive vibes to all! 5 star”
“Thank you for expanding my guitar horizons!”
“Once again, I have been enlightened by CRAVE Guitars. They don’t teach this history in college.”
“I finally went to your website and understand you so much better now… Nice collection!!! Very eclectic and impressive! Great website, Crave!”
“You post such cool guitars. Ones that I’ve never seen before. Some truly unique ones too. Keep up the great work friend, you run a great account”
“Thank you! Hats off to crave guitars!”
“Love your photos! Thank you so much!!”
“Thank you for all your fabulous postings”
“…like always Awesome posts and great follow ups I really appreciate it, Respectfully from the USA!!!”
“Crave Guitars is one classy company”
“Thx Crave this is most excellent.”
“… thank you for sharing the great guitars and posts of Rock N Roll truly enjoy checking out your page daily.”
“Love guitars. Love music. Love Crave. <3”
“… I have to give you a separate kudos for the photography. What a picture…”
“I really enjoy these trivia posts as much as the guitar pictures. Thank you”
“That’s wonderful and thank you. Awesome page”
“You should have “A Potted History of the Guitar” as a pinned tweet. I know that you’re modest, but that thing is epic.”
“You have a great Twitter page my friend and always something to learn about with your topics.”
“Congratulations with Continued Success Great Crave Guitars!!!”
“Great stuff on your Twitter page! Love it! Keep it coming!”
“Great Twitter page! Love it. Keep it up. Always great informative and interesting.”
“You have a great Twitter Page. Love it. Great stuff. Keep it up.”
“I really like your collection. it’s very impressive and interesting.
Have a great day, Crave.”
“I totally dig your archives guitars & their players! So great! 100% fan”
Also, during November 2019, Twitter followers exceeded 6,000 for the first time. A huge “thank you” is extended to everyone who has shown interest and support.
So… looking forward… here is what might be coming up in 2020:
There, that’s the obligatory retrospective done, so it is now time to look forward to the coming year and the start of a brand new decade.
Vintage gear for 2020
I have been very cautious over the past few years about ‘most wanted’ gear, believing that circumstances would be very different. So, this year, I’m going to be a touch more ambitious in stating what I’m searching for in 2020, although I guarantee that not everything on the list will be procured. If the building works go ahead, the list will have to be shortened. It won’t be easy but I am back on the quest for some ‘forgotten’ models, which are more difficult to source, especially in good condition in the UK. However, apart from one wild expensive aspiration, the rest should (?!?!) be a bit more ‘affordable’ than some of this year’s purchases. I am not greedy and I don’t expect to achieve the full list, so it is purely indicative and should be considered more of a direction of travel.
Guitars
- 1960s Danelectro (no specific model)
- 1970s Fender Bass VI
- Any one (or more) of the ‘forgotten’ Gibsons from the 1970s or 1980s, e.g.:
- Gibson Challenger
- Gibson Firebrand
- Gibson Marauder
- Gibson S-1
- Gibson US-1
- Gibson Victory MVX
- Gibson Les Paul DC XPL 400
- 1970s Guild (S-100 and/or S-300)
- 1970s Peavey T-60
Amps
- 1970s ‘silverface’ Fender Princeton Reverb
- 1970s ‘silverface’ Fender Deluxe Reverb
Effects
- 1980s BOSS DD-2 Digital Delay
- 1970s Colorsound/Sola Sound Tonebender (fuzz)
- 1970s Electro‑Harmonix Bad Stone (phaser)
- 1970s Electro‑Harmonix Small Clone (chorus)
- 1970s MXR Micro Chorus
Help needed (x3)
I know my limitations on several fronts. It therefore makes sense to seek outside assistance with a number of up‑and‑coming key tasks. These are NOT New Year resolutions but they are effectively my self‑imposed targets for 2020. All three, however, rely on other people’s expertise.
Task #1 – I would dearly like to make progress with the long‑deferred cellar works. The first step is to understand what may be involved. If that looks promising, I may well finally proceed. I need someone who knows how to ‘tank’ a 90‑year old cellar effectively and to ensure it stays dry, warm and well‑ventilated enough for safe and secure guitar storage.
Task #2 – Routine completion of the repatriation programme should be reasonably straightforward and achievable. In terms of more involved remedial work on a number of instruments, I am looking for a competent luthier/guitar tech, experienced in working on vintage electric guitars, based local to me in south east Cornwall UK, and who would like to work with me on this extra degree of ‘restoration’.
Task #3 – In addition, I would really like to improve my guitar playing. I’m not starting from scratch but I have limited competence and confidence. I am sure I also have a number of bad habits. This means taking up guitar lessons on a one‑to‑one basis, principally for the interaction, as I’ve never got on well with self‑learning books or videos. I have never been formally trained and feel that I could do much better. I would benefit from an additional level of inspiration, technique and knowledge that a tutor could bring.
If there is anyone out there who could either help or knows someone who could help with one, two or all three of the above, please contact me. I shall report back on degree of achievement, if any, during and at the end of 2020.
Major gigs
There will be very few opportunities to see live music in 2020. However, one major concert has been lined up, which I’m really looking forward to:
- Rammstein (Cardiff in June 2020)
Hopefully, I might get to participate in the local Looe Live festival in September.
Web Site
Another thing that I really, really must get to grips with is a long overdue major overhaul of the CRAVE Guitars’ web site. The material is there, so it will be a case of expunging the procrastination and get on with it.
Proceed to check out
I really don’t think that there is much more that I can add at this juncture, so it is time to wrap things up for 2019 and the ‘teenies’. Roll on the New Year and hope that the (roaring or whimpering) twenties are an improvement on the last 2 challenging decades.
On a broader front, one has to remain optimistic that humankind will come to its senses and live in sustainable peace, equitable prosperity and cordial harmony. One can dream.
On a practical level, ceteris paribus, I will hopefully get back to the ‘Story of Modern Music…’ next month. In the meantime, it’s back to refurbishing and playing some vintage guitars. Result!
Happy New Year/Decade everyone. Until next time…
CRAVE Guitars ‘Quote of the Month’: “The idea of peace, love and music may not have the power to change the world in the way we might hope but just think about what the world would be like without it.”
© 2019 CRAVE Guitars – Love Vintage Guitars.