Choosing Your Weapon: A Guide to Our Collection
You’ve just scrolled past a murderer’s row of legendary guitars. From the workshops of Kalamazoo and Corona to the benches of boutique builders, each instrument in our collection has a story and a distinct voice. Finding the right one is about matching that voice to the sound in your head. Let’s talk about what makes these guitars tick.
The Shape of Rock: Body Styles We Stand Behind
Solid-Body: The Engine Room of Tone
This is the heartland. A solid plank of wood that sustains for days and serves as the foundation for the most iconic sounds ever recorded. It’s the unmistakable single-cutaway authority of a Gibson Les Paul, the horned rebellion of an SG, and the contoured comfort of a Fender Stratocaster. It’s the elegant, violin-carved top of a Paul Reed Smith and the blue-collar brilliance of a Telecaster. If you need a guitar that is focused, punchy, and built to be played loud, you’re in the right place.
Semi-Hollow: The Sweet Spot of Air and Authority
Want the woody, three-dimensional character of a hollow body without the wild feedback? This is your answer. By adding a solid center block, icons like the Gibson ES-335 and versatile PRS Hollowbody models deliver a tone that breathes. It’s the perfect blend of acoustic resonance and solid-body punch, making it a master of blues, rock, jazz, and beyond. It’s a sophisticated sound that can still get nasty when you push it.
Hollow-Body: The Original Vibe Machine
Pure vintage soul. A fully hollow instrument like the Epiphone Casino has a character all its own. It’s the sound of The Beatles, the birth of rock and roll, and a tone that is warm, open, and incredibly responsive to your touch. They have a dynamic range that feels alive, but be prepared to dance with the feedback when you crank up the gain—that’s all part of the thrill.
The Heart of the Matter: A Pickup Primer
Single-Coils: The Sound of Clarity and Cut
If you’ve heard a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster, you know the magic of single-coil pickups. It’s the glassy “quack,” the bell-like chime, and the percussive spank that can cut through any mix. We obsess over great single-coils, from the vintage-voiced sets in our Fenders to the boutique, hand-wound pickups in our Whitfill guitars. It’s a pure, dynamic tone that responds to every nuance of your playing.
Humbuckers: The Voice of Power and Warmth
Need to push your amp into glorious overdrive? You need a humbucker. It’s the thick, powerful, and iconic roar of a Gibson Les Paul driving a Marshall stack. It’s the articulate, perfectly balanced voice of a Paul Reed Smith. Designed to “buck the hum,” these pickups are fatter, quieter, and warmer than single-coils, providing the sustain and muscle that defined classic rock, metal, and blues.
P-90s: The Glorious, Gritty Middle Ground
The P-90 is the beautiful, raw-powered middle child of the pickup world. Found in classics like the Les Paul Special, this oversized single-coil has more grit and midrange bark than a Tele pickup and more top-end bite and clarity than a humbucker. It’s the unapologetic sound of pure rock and roll.
We’re Not a Warehouse. We’re a Guitar Shop.
Every guitar on this page was chosen by us because it inspired us. We believe the right instrument can pull new music out of you. If you’re trying to decide between the chime of a Strat or the roar of a Les Paul, give us a call. We’ve plugged them in, we know their secrets, and we’re here to help you find the one you won’t be able to put down.