Gutbucket all the way!!!

Well, those of you that have known me for a while, know I have guitar aqcuisition syndrome. I said yesterday I wanted some sort of a Chicago Blues machine, maybe a Kay. Well, I got one today, but not a Kay. I did check out a Kay built Truetone, but I got this instead, for a lot less money.



It's a 1965 (judging by the date codes on the pots) Harmony Stratotone Mars. More specifically, a Harmony made for Alden department stores, 9908 Tuxedo, which is essentially a H45 Stratotone Mars, except for cosmetics. Amazing tone thru my Traynor amp with gain set high. Killer blues machine in Open G, played with a slide.

The store I got it from (my LEAST favorite vintage guitar store in St. Louis, which I won't name) sucks. I said I'd be in today to check it out and asked if it was all good. They said it was. It wasn't. Tons of noise in the knobs and the tone bypass switch, the bridge was in the wrong place and way too low and the output jack and knobs were loose. Fortunately, I know how to deal with these things. I talked them down a good bit, after all, how could they have a guitar set up this poorly on their sales floor? When I got home, I cleaned the electronics, set her up and plugged it in. Nice blues machine!!! I can't wait until I get really good on slide again!!! Not that I'm bad now, but the tone of this and the ease at which it plays will have me into the Stratosphere soon!!! Maybe it's time to get together with Ralph again and jam some gutbucket Chicago Blues.