f a v o r i t e s

not very updated: march 2009

     Below are a few of my favorite guitar-specific links, loosely sorted by topic:

personal and brand-specific guitar pages
web resources | amp info | shops/etc.

I used to live in TN and currently reside near St. Louis, so many of the retail links are skewed accordingly. (No links to the big-box music stores; they don't need any ink from a schmoe like me.) If you'd like to swap links, feel free to e-mail me and I'll check it out the next chance I get. If I like your page, I'll add a link the next chance I get (but be warned -- this page has gone years between updates).

p e r s o n a l

• GGJaguar's Guitarium and Ampeteria - with pictures of old Fenders, G&Ls, Guilds, and others! Great site!
  
  
• Jim Shine's Guitar Info Page - with Fender parts info galore
  
  
• Mike Robinson's Even Better Than the REAL Thing! - "the Ultimate Reproduction Vintage Guitar Collection" (Mosrite/Fender/etc.); now part of myrareguitars.com
  
  

b r a n d - s p e c i f i c

• Musicmaster/Duo-Sonic Gallery - I put up this site of MM/DS info, pix, Fender-friendly links, Fender parts sources, and lots of mods info.
  
  
• The Fender Discussion Page
  
  
• Fender Links and Other Points of Interest (from fender.com)
  
  
• Guitars by Leo - for G & L guitars
  
  
• Mr. Maxima's The Fender Mustang Story is gone again; in the meantime, here's one of its last appearances c/o archive.org
  
  
• The Telecaster Discussion Page (Re-issue)
  
  
• The Stratocaster Appreciation Page
  
  
• The Jazzmaster and Jaguar Page
  
  
• Jag-Stang Owners Club
  
  
• The Electra MPC Page (new URL)
  
  
• Ibanez Vintage Page is gone again; in the meantime, here's one of its pre-ibanezvintage.com incarnations c/o archive.org

w e b    r e s o u r c e s

• Harmony Central - an outstanding cornucopia of gear news and user reviews galore
  
  
• PrePal (internet used musical instrument prices) - maybe not for vintage guitar prices, but a (dated) price index for effects pedals, etc.
  
  
• Andrew's Music World - lots of links here
  
  
• Web Guitar Resources (now part of Guitar Notes)
  
  
• OLGA - The On-Line Guitar Archive
  
  
• John Atchley's Guitar Shielding and Wiring Menu (now part of Guitarnuts.com)
  
  
• Guitar and bass volume/tone mods
  
  
• Guitar Re-Ranch - refinishing info and supplies
  
  
• Do It Yourself Construction Articles, from Shavano Music Online
  
  
• If you're interested in 12vrs, check out 12stringbass.com and 12string bass.net, each an independent site with loads of information on basses with 12 strings.
  
  
• Vintage Guitar Info - run by a private collector, this site is chock full of vintage guitar information, and is a treat to the eyes too
  
  
• Guitar Player Magazine
  
  
• Vintage Guitar Magazine
  
  
• Twentieth Century Guitar Magazine

a m p s / f x     i n f o

• Allen Amplification - custom and kit Fender-esque amps and parts
  
  
• Ampage
  
  
• Amptone.com - guitar amp tone and effects placement
  
  
• Analog Man - your premier source of modified effects pedals (if only BOSS, Ibanez, etc. still used high-quality parts in the first place); FAST, friendly service with no B.S.
  
  
• Avatar Speakers - quality speaker cabs priced for everyday folks (I've bought 2 cabs from Dave Avatar)
  
  
• BOSS Area - an unofficial page with everything you wanted to know about every BOSS stomp box ever made
  
  
• Duncan's Amp Pages - home of the Tube Data Sheet Locator
  
  
• The Fender Amp Field Guide - hosted by Ampwares.com
  
  
• Groove Tubes
  
  
• Marshall Arts - the website by and for users of Marshall amplifiers
  
  
• Mesa/Boogie "Mark" Series History - not updated in a while, but lots of info
  
  
• Mojo Musical Supply - amp and cab parts
  
  
• Pat's Tube and Recording Schematics
  
  
• Speaker Terminology, courtesy of WeberVST vintage-style speakers
  

s h o p s / e t c .

• Guitar Base
  
  
• GuitarAuction.com
  
  
• These days, eBay is one of the best places to search for parts and used gear.
  
  
• If you're looking for a new piece of gear among the big-box internet music stores, GearBlasters.com (a free audio equipment search engine) can help you find the lowest price
  
  
• Ed Roman's WORLD CLASS Guitars (Las Vegas, NV) - There's a lot of no-BS info to be found here, although I'm not thrilled with the abundance of women-as-backdrop-for-guitars in the photos on this site. (Even if you don't consider that stuff in poor taste, why would anyone surf online guitar shops for T&A, anyway?) That said, you gotta appreciate Ed's sheer chutzpah.
  
  
• Music Go Round is an excellent national chain of used gear stores, with some new gear
  
  
• Daddy's Junky Music is an excellent New England-based chain of used gear stores, with some new gear
  
  
• Elderly Instruments (in MI) - (usually) great mail-order service; just be sure to call before ordering any vintage/used/"shopworn" item listed online, to make sure it's still there
  
  
• The New York String Service brings us both RetroFret.com and Musurgia.com (fine, rare & peculiar musical instruments)
  
  
• Guitar Stop deserves a mention because they are thus far the only place I've been able to mail-order Fender "no load" tone pots
  
  
• st louis craigslist - musical instruments
  
  
• St. Louis Music Classifieds
  
  
• Overview of St. Louis-area Records/Books/Music Equipment Stores/Repair Shops - just one section of Kopper's essential The Lowlife Guide to St. Louis
  
  
• J. Gravity Strings (downtown St. L) - new/used gear and repairs. If you bring an amp to them for repair, I hope your experience is better than mine was. The first (and last) time I tried JGS's amp repair service (ca. 2002-03), I brought in a used amp for inspection and to replace a pot. After just 2 weeks (which was the original estimated "completed-by" date), they finally got around to ordering the pot, later charging almost 6 times actual cost for it. With only minor additional work done, it was out of the shop in about 3 1/2 weeks (which was nice, considering their claim checks said "not responsible for items left over 30 days"). Finally, be sure to get all estimates/hourly charges for repairs in writing BEFOREHAND.
  ADDENDUM March 2009 -- Dave Smith, the manager of J. Gravity Strings, e-mailed me after a customer mentioned this "critique". Among other topics, Mr. Smith stated:

  "We have never sold an amp that was left for over 30 days after completion of repair. Your inference that we would is unfair and not true. We have sold a few repaired amps after the cutomer's phone number is no longer in service and they have been left here for over a year."

  I am glad to know this now, and have stricken any such inference above. However, 6+ years ago the timing of the repair's completion and the language of the claim check (understandably) did not inspire confidence. I should also state that I have no experience with their guitar repair shop (and have modified my "critique" accordingly), and that their current amp tech might not even be the same guy who repaired my amp in 2002-03. But all caveats aside, I stand behind the facts of my "critique". Shortly after my transaction with JGS amp repair, I ordered some additional parts directly from the amp's manufacturer (where I learned the actual cost of said pot) and was very impressed by the amp manufacturer's fast and friendly service, despite the fact that I was just some random schmoe instead of a professional amp repair tech. Your mileage may vary.
  
  
• Killer Vintage (St. L) - exactly what you'd expect from their name; also carry new gear (Ampeg, etc.)
  
  
• Eddie's Guitars (St. L county) - mostly new gear (Fender, G&L, Hamer, Martin, PRS, Tom Anderson, Grosh, Heritage, Ampeg, Bogner, Boss, David Eden, Marshall, Seymour Duncan, etc.), plus lessons.
  
  
• Acme Guitars (St. L county) - smaller selection of used gear, but some (most?) vintage
  
  
• Ron Busch Guitar Studios (St. L county) - the largest selection of used stuff I've seen around here
  
  
• David's Guitar Loft (St. L county) - mostly new stuff (ESP, Hamer, Ibanez, Randall, etc.) and lessons
  
  
• music folk (St. L county) - the best selection of acoustic stringed instruments I've ever seen, plus lessons
  
  
• Midwest Guitar (St. L county) - repairs and luthier school (do they still exist???)
  
  
• Fazio's Frets and Friends (west St. L county) - mostly new stuff and lessons; if you're looking for parts, they have the best selection of Allparts items I've seen around here, plus plenty of Fender and some Peavey parts
  
  
• Rik's Music (Knoxville, TN) - their motto was "we won't rub cheese on your neck" -- dunno what that means either, but I like it!
  
  
• Gruhn's Vintage Guitars (Nashville, TN)
  
  
• Player Guitars (Jackson, TN)
  
  
• CNN's "fringe" feature on Consignment Music (Memphis, TN) and their iguana (now sadly deceased)