This is my primary instument. Man I love this guitar. I bought it in 1999 during my Stevie Ray Vaughan/Brian Setzer phase. I saved up for months, working at Wawa to buy a different hollow body. I got all the way to Sam Ash King of Prussia, walked into the store and was completely disappointed by the one I had selected. I even played it for hours in the store, just to be sure. I was ready to leave when I saw this gleaming candy apple red semi-hollow body guitar on the wall, just shining, as if Justin had put it there just for me.

     I picked it up and played it and fell in love. The clean crisp hollow body sound just gave me goosebumps. I played a little ditty I wrote myself and it was like I had a vision. This was the guitar that this song was written for. I quest was long over. It wasn't the guitar I set out for, but it was the one I came for.

     It just sounds so beautiful. It does have some drawbacks, though. For one, on the factory model, the pick guard tends to vibrate when playing low notes. I did a little research and it seems to be a common occurence. Nothing a little wrenchwork can't fix.

     Mine is not quite as slick as the ones pictured here. Mine is minus the gold hardware, the Bigsby and the huge pearl inlays. I'll try and get some pictures of me playing it next time I'm out and about.

     Until I bought my hollow-body, this was my Go-To instrument. This was also the first guitar I bought with my own money. I remember saving my little earnings back when I was working at Strawbridge's in King of Prussia. I got up a couple hudred and rode the bus over to Sam Ash. I played around with other guitars, but I knew exactly the one I wanted. "Wrap it up & give it to me!" I was so happy.

     Of course, I had to get it home. Let me tell 'ya, Riding the sticky vinyl of SEPTA with a retail-packaged guitar entombed in cardboard is not exactly fun. I also remember having to save up to buy a case for it since it didn't come with one. Nerts.

     I unscrewed the Tremolo bar from the bridge for 2 reasons; One: I rarely, if ever use it, and Two: It never fits in a case without detuning the instrument when it's still attached. This is where I first learned about doing my own custom bridgework. A guy with a lot of free time and a Roadie Rench could do a lot of damage. :)

     This guitar was not a bad axe for a cheap little thing. It lasted me a long time. It was a good axe to have a kid buy and pound on. It had great action. I could shred (even though I can't shred all that well) very easily on it. Combine that with a decent multi-effects pedal, and I was my own band-in-a-box.

     Nowadays, the thing has so much battle damage, I rarely if ever pick it up anymore. I've dropped it so many times, the fretwire has permanent creases in it. The neck is warped from me playing with the truss rod. I can't tell you the number of times the nut has broken and I've super-glued it back together. I would even go so far as to play without an e-string because of it sometimes.