I haven't really played in quite some time, but I used to pay my mortgage with "band money" when I lived in San Diego. These are a few of the guitars in the stable:
1. "Excalibur" - My 1990 Strat. Named for the fact that getting this guitar was more difficult than pulling a sword from a stone. It used to belong to Eric Johnson, with whom I've become good friends over the years:
2. My 1960 Strat (in time capsule condition!) - George Gruhn said this was the finest example of a 1960 Stratocaster that he's ever seen. He made me an offer, but I jusy couldn't part with it. I changed the white pickguard for the tortoise shell (but the screw holes match up!) and changed the tuners (again, matching screw holes!) because the low E and A strings wouldn't stay in tune. I have all the original parts:
3. My MIJ Pink Paisley Telecaster - I don't have this one anymore. I probably wold've kept it if I could've also gotten the paisley Strat, but it just wasn't meant to be. I got this in a sales promotion from Fender when I worked in guitar retail. I sold it for $2K. Not a bad profit:
4. This is my 1998 Martin D-40. This was an absolute lap cannon. Unfortunately I had to let it go when things got a little lean. They're not super easy to find, but they're out there, and I will, someday, get another. The photo of me with the Martin was taken back in 1999:
5. 2007 Taylor Doyle Dykes Signature Model Prototype - Taylor Guitars, just outside San Diego in El Cajon, used to hold a "Friends & Family Sale" every year about a month before Christmas. I'd go every year (I lived on three miles away from the Taylor factory), although I wouldn't always buy. This DDSM Proto was actually a 200 Series with some spec changes. The cool thing about it is that it was made in El Cajon, whereas the regular 200 Series are made in Tecate, Mexico. Only four of the prototypes were made, and this is believed to be the last surviving example. The guitar didn't sell well and it was dropped from the line. It was a fine guitar, but compared to the $5,000 production DDSM, this was viewed by the public as a cheap wanna-be. I've been friends with Doyle for 20 years so, when I heard he him say he wish he'd have gotten a hold of one of these (he was unaware I had one), I drove up to his Mom's in Jacksonville (Doyle's hometown) while he was visiting and gave it to him:
6. 1986 Alvarez-Yairi DY-66 - My daughter refers to this as "The Coffin Guitar", as she's vowed that it will be buried with me when I die. I traded a '74 Gibson Blueridge for this in 1987. When I got it, it was in pristine, factory-perfect condition. I'm responsible for every nick, scrape, scratch, dent and crack. This guitar has been on fire, it's been in a flood, it's fallen out of the back of a van and it's been hit by a car. I can't kill it.
It won't let me:
7. 2003 Taylor 314 - I normally don't buy guitars with pickups in them , as I prefer to choose the system I personally prefer. So, I opted away from the "CE" version of the 314 and installed a Schertler Bluestick in this. The tone is incredible. There was nothing real special about it. I was able to purchase it direct from the factory, as I worked at a Taylor dealer only seven miles away. I've since sold it to a friend who lives in Houston:
Finally, here's a shot of me playing the '60 in front of about 15,000 people at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego prior to a San Diego State football game. My ex-wife set fire to that hat...