The deFner Supremacy

This is my ‘go to’ guitar and most likely to be the one I would grab from a burning building. It started life as a Squier Strat but one of the early 1980’s Japanese ones, now known as a ‘Japanese Vintage.’ Actually my first proper guitar from when I was a kid.

It’s had a new neck fitted (I still have the original) with a flatter radius and bigger frets than the original and awesome Bare Knuckles Pick Ups fitted – Trilogy in the Neck and Middle and Sinner in the Bridge. Its also got some way cool custom wiring which gives me a whole variety of different sounds – too complicated to explain here but if I ever meet you I’ll tell you all about it. The bridge is also an upgrade to a Wilkinson floating bridge so I can still do some whammy stuff if it takes my fancy. All put together by Brian Hayward of Hayward Guitars who helped me with all the customising decisions. The only original part now is the body, which I have alluded to in the headstock logo. Great guitar for live and recording.

The Lewis ’62 Strat

Fell in love with this guitar as soon as I saw it and even more so when I played it. Made by Gary Lewis of Lewis Custom Guitars. He actually made it for himself as an exact copy of a 1962 Strat with a couple subtle differences which freakishly would have been exactly what I would asked for if he had made it for me – the switch is five way as opposed to the three way fitted in the original ’62 Strats and the fretboard has a flatter radius which is more what I’m used to.

Otherwise, its a standard set up strat that sounds every bit as good as a real ’62 Strat – and I know because I played a real one back to back with this one and, if anything, this one probably sounds better. Use this one loads both for recording and live. It just sounds amazing.

The ‘Shovel’

Started off life as a standard Charvel Model 1 with one Jackson pick up at the bridge and a standard fulcrum trem. Now has two Paul Reed Smith pick ups with some custom wiring courtesy of Brynsley Schwartz. Pick ups are Vintage Bass at the neck and HFS II in the bridge with one volume pot and a ‘sweet switch’ as a tone control which I use mostly in the less treble position – I’ve never been sure whether this switch is supposed to boost the treble or the mid range so don’t whether its ‘on’ or ‘off.’

The wiring gives me the humbucker sounds for some fat rock and a couple of really cool single coil sounds which I love, all through the five way selector switch – nice and simple. Great for rock and serious shredding if the mood takes you.

The Vintage V6 JMH

My ‘Hendrix’ strat courtesy of the good people at Vintage. I used to officially endorse this guitar but still give it a play every now and then. Plays lovely and sounds great for a budget guitar.

It’s a right handed guitar but with left handed features – check out that reverse head stock. Also the pick ups come fitted the wrong way round i.e. as if you were playing a left handed guitar upside down – play close attention to that bridge pick up. The overall effect is that classic retro sixties guitar hero sound.

Oh, and by the way, you may have noticed I also use a Victory Sheriff 22 amp. Two channels – one with more of  vintage bluesy sound the other with a brilliant classic rock sound. Awesome sounding  amp that gives me everything I need live.

Yamaha FG140

I’m not a huge acoustic guitar player but its always good to have one in your guitar arsenal and this is mine. Made in 1973, I believe, and it’s a real classic. Not that easy to play to be honest but what a great sound. Lovely big warm tone that really produces some volume. It’s completely stock except I have had a transducer pick up fitted under the bridge (which doesn’t sound that great to be honest so I use removable pick up instead) and the fret inlays have been customised slightly by the previous owner. I’ve had it since about 1988.