Before we go on a big gear-a-thon,I feel I should at least credit some of the people that have, indirectly, made me buy this stuff so I could use it to play music. I've been inspired by many guitarists, but the main things that they have in common is: They are all excellent rhythm players (!), they have an individual sound (finding my own voice is part of the big quest), and a lot of 'em are tele players (not sure what THAT means...). Guitarists that I admire, and who have inspired me in my never ending quest to become a better player in both a technical and spiritual sense: Amos Garrett, Cornell, Dupree, Ry Cooder, Larry Carlton, Hiram Bullock, Jimmy Ponder, Joe Pass, and many, many others. Scroll down for pics of all guitars!

Although I've been a staunch telecaster player for years, I have been gravitating towards hollowbodies and semi-hollows for that fat sound over the last 3-4 years or so. Currently I switch between a 2003 Gretsch Tennessee Rose ("People Get Ready"), a 1967 Guild Starfire IV, and a 1996 US made Epiphone Sheraton (listen to "Sheratone"). I also have a Korean Epihone Broadway (Listen to "Chitlins Con Carne" for a sample); a Koren Epihone Riviera; A Music Man Axis Super Sport in all rosewood (Check out "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"), and two teles (my '52 reissue with low output Van Zand pickups and a Parsons/White B-bender, and gold sparkle "jizzblaster" that I bought from Fat Dawg at Subway Guitars in Berkeley. Although I have never been a total strat fan I DO own a Godin Artisan ST, and to round it off I have a Gretsch Elliott easton Jet and a Burny Les Paul (which is chambered and light). Scroll down for pics....