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Recent content by Aloha_Ark

  1. Aloha_Ark

    Purple Haze - 1965 Fender Stratocaster at Norman's Rare Guitars

    I located two youtube videos where future (Alien) surfers can tell us which of the two, Mark Agnesi and Michael Lemmo, is the better guitarist. Both sound pretty good to my ears. A question for the jazz enthusiasts in the crowd: what's the name of the ballad they're playing?
  2. Aloha_Ark

    What guitar do I have here?

    Remove the dogear cover from the pickup, and see the metal plate has the right shade, and the masking tape has aged to a mellow color. Without a serial number, resale price will take a big hit. The cap looks like a real bumblebee, but if it is a modern reproduction, it will have a value that...
  3. Aloha_Ark

    R.I.P. Robbie Robertson

    The late 60's were a tumultuous time. Music from Big Pink got me through those years. RIP, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, and the other fine musicians (excepting Hudson) who have passed away. Nothing in life is a given. Any day now, we all get released into another realm.
  4. Aloha_Ark

    The Clapton Strat is the most versatile "stock" guitar available. Fight me!

    I have one of the early ones, circa 1990's, and never dug the active electronics. It sat in a closet for many years, and the alkaline battery corroded the connector. This is why I'd rather get an Eric Johnson signature strat, not that I could play either guitar like the original artist. Also, at...
  5. Aloha_Ark

    Audio Samples of Bursts

    Here's a 1960 Burst with a somewhat confusing history. I do not have the S/N and am not sure of its relationship to the 1959 Sunny burst that Slash purchased recently. Sunny is discussed in another thread.
  6. Aloha_Ark

    Fender's new American Vintage II '61 Stratocaster - anyone played one?

    I've heard good press about them. The older AVRI sounded MEH to me, forcing me to go further up the food chain (CS and MB). I think the '61 Pure Vintage pickups on the AVR2 are in the same league (or higher) as the '59-'62 Fender pickups I have on a mod shop Strat. Reviews are mixed about QC...
  7. Aloha_Ark

    Audio Samples of Bursts

    Aside from the many song samples of Bursts created by famous artists like Clapton, Page, Peter Green, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa and others, can we compile another list of examples? Chris Buck states that he has auditioned 15 Bursts so far. Here are 0 308 and 0 1602. The seller (ATM) says on...
  8. Aloha_Ark

    Purple Haze - 1965 Fender Stratocaster at Norman's Rare Guitars

    For those who remember Agnesi, he seems to be doing fine. He gets to interview important musicians, and even store owners. Norman may be the dealer to the stars, but I bought many guitars, drums and keyboards from Sam Ash. SA sold me my first signature Joe Satriani and Kirk Hammett guitars...
  9. Aloha_Ark

    TV Financial Talking Heads: Consistently Wrong!

    "There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?" -- quote from The Graduate Here's my advice for the day. Lithium is the future. Quantumscape bounced 18% today. This company has always had negative earnings. Most financial advisors tried to short it. Invest...
  10. Aloha_Ark

    Carol Kaye: Complete Audio of Our 1983 "Guitar Player" Magazine Interview

    Guitar Player was and is a fine magazine. I still have boxes and boxes of old magazines, much to my wife's dismay. I can't throw out old issues of GP, Total Guitar, or any magazines about musical instruments, recording or sound reproduction gear. Is this one trait of guitar collectors? Are we...
  11. Aloha_Ark

    Purple Haze - 1965 Fender Stratocaster at Norman's Rare Guitars

    Lemmo was demoing a pristine 1966 Fender Stratocaster the other day. Was Norm joking about the potential for a ding on the guitar, caused by Lemmo? These west coast guys trade double edged jokes among themselves. I never heard Norm say that to Agnesi. After losing Mark, I doubt that Norm would...
  12. Aloha_Ark

    Purple Haze - 1965 Fender Stratocaster at Norman's Rare Guitars

    I concluded a deal with Gary's Guitars, one of the elite group of dealers who sponsor LPF. It was a lot easier than contacting Norm's minions, and finding out who had the power to negotiate. For those who have bought from Norm, does he give people like Lemmo the power to set up a deal over the...
  13. Aloha_Ark

    Doug and Pat are Back

    Still crazy after all these years, or so they would have you believe. Pat volunteers his lovely Burst for fans to see (again). With a Back to the Future time machine, I would have spent my first paycheck to buy a Burst in the 1970's. And every other paycheck, till the bank account went red.
  14. Aloha_Ark

    2023 Summer Philly Guitar Show (Photos)

    To all the attendees, thanks for keeping the faith.
  15. Aloha_Ark

    1958 Gibson Les Paul "Sunburst"

    The yellow receipt says it was purchased in 1962 from Master Music Co. It seems to have been done on an installment plan. The original owner, Charley, was a man after my heart.
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