tm9-801.com

I've been using a $50 no name guitar for a while now and its a good guitar. I have no complaints... but its not a name brand and I think that I could do better if I have a 'real' (ok, a name brand) guitar.

So I got a MIM 05 Fender Stratocaster off ebay for the WHOPPINIG price of $161!!!! Its not perfect.. but minor cosmetic issues aside.. a Fender Strat for $160!!!

I could have cheaped out and went with a Squire.. but a decent Squire Strat would be the same more.

So yay me!

Scored a new amp too Peavey Vypyr VIP 2 40W with a 12 inch speaker



10% off and $20 trade in for my old Peavey Rage 128 meant out the door for $170. Got it at the Guitar Center in Scranton. They had a lot of Fender Mustang I/IIs and VOX's.. but I got the only Vypyr. Not sure if they don't have as many because they don't sell or the sell out quick.

I was going to keep my Rage and buy pedals... but after 3 pedals I would have been able to but this amp anyway.. and still be stuck with a 15W Rage.

Plus this amp emulates 36 OTHER amps, and is fully software programmable. JEEZUS!

The sales guy and I were talking about 'the old days'... frack.. I am old enough to remember 'the old days'.

Was looking at the Fender Mustang II and for the same money this amp has much more room to grow. I can't get into the 'tone' quality fight... but the Peavey sounds GREAT... volume above 4 is much to loud for the house. I kinda miss the old Rage 128.. kind of.

Oh yeah.. pro tip.. go online and find a site that shows you have to set up a guitar. my strings were like 1/4inch off the neck... no wonder it was so hard to make a good chord. Set them down to like 1/32nd and life is much easier and clearer.

Strat won't get here till Friday... it's KILLING ME!

Got 3 sets of 250L strings off Amazon for $9 delivered. Smoking deal.

Got them on the Strat and the P.O. must have has much thicker strings. The E and A strings were not even in the nut.. they sat on top of the nut groove.

So a new set of 250Ls are on it and the thing sounds GREAT.

New Vypyr is a MONSTER amp.. so many effects to play with.. AND LOUD!!!! Freaking A its loud.

Not a bad upgrade for my musical side for less than $500 total.

HOLY SHIT MEGA SCORE!!!!

So I'm looking at customizing my $160 Strat.. I take off the pick guard to see if I can go HSS and make a custom pick guard cover.

Since fender doesn't really label the pups they sell you have to figure it out... and the Internet says that the MIM standard electronics (ceremic pickups) were replaced with a Fender custom shop 'Texas Special' pickups, most likely off another guitar.

So I have about $200 in pickups on a $160 ebay guitar. hahahaha I bet the seller never even looked... could have gotten another $100 or so off the auction.

I really can't tell the difference between Fender 'sounds' (Evidently I was born a Gibson man). I have a $12 replacement loaded pick guard that I plan to print some custom graphics on.. it is only a $160 guitar. Maybe ebay the Texas Specials and maybe get another guitar hahahahaha

ebay FTW!!

Sold Stat on CL for $175 to a local guy. Initially listed on e-bay and the only bid was a guy with 1 win a year ago... and the bid was $125. Shipping was $25 so total would be $150. E-bay/paypal takes 20% ($25) so I would have netted $125.

CL got me $175 and other than $10 in gas $10 for dinner I netted $155

So yeah.. CL for the win!