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Now more than ever, we’re confronted with hard choices when it comes to evaluating and choosing the tools that define our sound as guitarists. Top artists can rely on their contacts in artist relations to keep them abreast of the latest innovations and cool tools, and now, you can too.

The companies found in our professional resource directory are many of the most innovative providers of premium products and services for guitarists in the world. We invite you to get to know them, and confidently rely on the members of our directory in your ongoing Quest for Tone. Without exception, you’ll find our directory members to be knowledgeable, helpful, and ready to discuss your needs, whether you’re considering a new amplifier or guitar, guitar effects, tubes, pickups, speakers, or restoration and repair services.

You’ll sound better and play better with expert advice and guidance available from our professional resource directory members, and you’ll also make some valuable new friends along the way. Enjoy...

Acme Guitar Works Acme Guitar Works offers a comprehensive selection of top-quality pickups and guitar electronic components. Their signature service is providing
complete pre-wired electronic assemblies, with or without pickups, that
allow you to easily upgrade the electronics in your guitars. Whatever your
skill level may be with regard to wiring and electronics, these turn-key
solutions offer a real benefit by allowing you to concentrate on the fun
part of your craft (playing your guitar!) rather than spending your day off
with a soldering iron in your hand.

Assemblies are available in a number of different configurations. Opt for
Fender parts - such as pickguards and control plates/knobs - or order your
assembly on a template and use your existing plastic.

Pickup options include Lollar, Fralin, Suhr, Van Zandt, Fender, and Duncan.

Assemblies for many guitars are available, including Strats, Teles, and Les
Pauls, along with Fender basses. If you don't see what you want on their
website then give them a call.

Acme also stocks a complete selection of top-quality wiring kits. These
kits include the finest components at reasonable prices, with no hype
involved. Just the good stuff, no fluff.

Acme Guitar Works
Bear, DE
www.acmeguitarworks.com
302-836-5301

Antique Electronic Supply is a mail order supplier of electronic components for guitar amplifiers, high-end audio, antique radios and amateur radios. AES carries a large supply of hard to find NOS vacuum tubes made by RCA, GE, Sylvania, Tung Sol, as well as current production vacuum tubes like JJ/Tesla, Svetlana and Valve Art. They even have REAL original 7591s in stock now! If you are looking for capacitors, AES is the right place! Their extensive capacitor inventory includes Sprague, Xicon, Auri, Hovland and Solen, just to name a few. AES also offers Hammond, One Electron and other transformers; Jensen and Celestion speakers; Switchcraft jacks and Carling switches; tolex, handles, grill cloth, reverb tanks, knobs, chemicals, books, schematics, test equipment and a whole lot more. AES has been in business for almost 20 years, and they have learned how to please their customers. Same day shipping on orders received by 2:00 p.m. Ask for their FREE 76-page catalog.

AES is also a distriubutor for Jensen. Musicians everywhere are thrilled to hear the unique sound of Jensen Vintage Series speakers again, and the Jensen re-issues of the famous Jensen designs of the 50’s and 60’s are built to the exact specifications of the originals to achieve the same authentic sound in guitar amplifiers today. Many current manufacturers are using them as well, such as Fender, Mesa Boogie, Victoria and many more. Jensen Vintage Speakers are available in both true ALNICO magnet models and ceramic magnet models. The classic Jensen ‘P’ Series, features highly efficient AlNiCo magnets and vintage style seamed cones, when applicable, resulting in the pure vintage tone loved by guitarists throughout the world. The Jensen ‘C’ Series provides additional tone choice and the advantages of lower cost ceramic magnets. Originally developed in the 1960’s to meet the demands of the emerging pop music industry, the ‘C’ Series has remained a classic ever since. CE Distribution is the exclusive US importer and distributes the Jensen speakers to distributors and dealers throughout the United States. Write to info@jensenvintage.com to find a distributor or dealer in your area, or contact CE Distribution.

Antique Electronic Supply, Tempe, AZ 480-820-5411 info@tubesandmore.com www.tubesandmore.com

A Brown Soun The all-new Hemp E Cones, Bass 10’s, and 10’s for guitar are here! In addition to A Brown’s original hemp cones, John Harrison has created a new “E” cone that is a bit brighter than the original hemp cone. Killer tone for Fender amps, or in combination with the original Hemp Tone Tubby speaker. The bass 10’s have received rave reviews from none other than Tommy Shannon, and the 10’s for guitar will knock you out in your Princeton, Vibrolux, or Super. A Brown Soun was founded in San Rafael, California in 1974 by John Harrison – a working musician who refused to settle for the few reconing choices that existed when he first needed speakers repaired in the Bay Area. Since then, John has been recognized by artists such as Carlos Santana, Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Van Halen, and many others as California’s top speaker reconer. In addition to its famed reconing services, A Brown Soun also custom builds speakers and cabinets for virtually every application. The renowned Tone Tubby speaker developed by A Brown Soun has received rave reviews from top professionals around the world. Brown’s recently released series of speakers for guitar and bass featuring hemp cones is setting a new benchmark for guitar and bass speaker performance, with dramatically improved clarity, note definition, frequency response, durability, and power handling. Whether you need new speakers, custom built cabinets, or vintage speakers rebuilt and sounding right, A Brown Soun is your professional resource. As the Tone Tubby logo says, “We’re committed to tone,” and that means yours.

A Brown Soun Inc. San Rafael,CA
www.abrownsoun.com 415-479-2124

Allparts Top players and guitar builders rely on Allparts for the right guitar and bass parts they need, in stock and ready to ship. Allparts offers a complete range of finished and unfinished guitar bodies in a variety of premium tone woods, including alder and swamp ash, with optional highly figured maple tops. Finishes include all of the most popular vintage colors, including see-through blonde. Premium necks are also available with maple, rosewood, and ebony fingerboards in a variety of neck shape profiles, with or without binding. Custom design your next guitar with Allparts, including tailpieces, tuning keys, bridges, nuts and saddles, pickups, pickguards (that really fit), knobs, hardware, and electronics for many popular models. Bass players and lefties can also find the parts they need at Allparts! You can also rely on Allparts for hard to find parts along with vacuum tubes and amplifier hardware.

AllParts, Houston, TX
713-466-6414 www.allparts.com

Analog Man (Mike Piera) is one of the premier guitar effects dealers and manufacturers serving professional players worldwide. Analog Man is unique, since it manufactures, modifies, buys, sells, and repairs vintage and new guitar effects. Specializing in vintage and high-end effects, you won't find cheap Taiwanese "happy meal" style, toy effects there. Analog Man is dedicated to helping you successfully pursue your quest for tone, and every customer is treated as a prospective friend. There are now Analog Friends all over the world with the common interest of vintage guitars and effects. Analog Man can meet all your effects needs, including: Buying and selling vintage, new, and custom built effects, and modifying pedals to sound and function better. A full repair service, including referrals to specialists. Creating the best new effects with vintage values, schematics, and original owner's manual copies. FREE help with effects problems by e-mail or in our Web Forum, plus professional consultation and technical services.
Analog Man specializes in pedal modifications for the Ibanez and Maxon Tube Screamers and several Boss pedals (SD-1, DS-1, BD-2, DD5, etc). They also modify Fuzzfaces to vintage germanium specs. Analog Man hand-built pedals include the Clone chorus, Comprossors, and Sun Face fuzz pedals. There are 3 versions of the Comprossors available, based on the Ross style and/or the Orange Squeezer style of compression.
Other hand-made pedals available from Analog Man include the FOXROX Captain Coconut and TZF flanger, Teese RMC wahs, Z Vex, Black Cat, Tubester, Ultravibe, Pedaltrain and George L cables. Mike maintains excellent relationships with these manufacturers to insure that quality and service standards are high. Please check the web site for more information, and e-mail if possible. If you must call, please mention ToneQuest and they'll make time to help you.
Analog Man, Bethel, CT
www.analogman.com 203-778-6658

Avatar Speakers was founded in 1991 by Dave Noss and is known for selling well-built,high value guitar and bass speaker cabs loaded with the best speakers in the world from Celestion and Eminence. We also offer the best prices on raw speakers from these fine companies.

Avatar recently introduced the new G2112H Premier cabs available in Red, Orange, Green, Brown, Black or Blonde tolex, loaded with your choice of speakers. Features include 13 ply baltic Birch cabs with superb dovetail corner joints and your choice of open, oval, or closed backs. Grill cloth colors include Wheat, Black, vintage Fender and Oxblood with white piping. We also offer a Premier Vintage cab modeled after the ‘60s Bluesbreaker. Avatar also markets their great sounding Hellatone line of 12" guitar speakers – aged Celestion G12H30’s and Vintage 30’s, both of which have received stellar reviews. Avatar Speakers, Dalton Gardens, ID, 208-762-5251, www.avatarspeakers.com

Jeff Bakos Amp Works Jeff Bakos Bakos is one of the top amplifier tech’s and independent recording engineers in the Southeast. To quote Jeff, “ I’ve seen just about everything there is in here except a Dumble.” Well, now he's seen that too as we recently completed our review of John Mayer's Dumble Overdrive Special in March 06.

Jeff has worked on thousands of new and vintage amps, he is an authorized warranty repair tech for Fender and Mesa Engineering, among others, and in addition to having restored and maintained practically every vintage amp ever made (except Dumble’s), Jeff has filled his Atlanta recording studio with a remarkable collection of vintage amplifiers, including tweed, brown, and blackface Fenders, Marshalls, Ampegs, and Hiwatts. If you want it done right the first time and sounding good, Jeff is your man in the Southeast.

Bakos Ampworks and Studio, Atlanta, GA 404-607-8426

Butler Custom Sound The Chicago Bluesbox by Butler Custom Sound is a series of amplifiers built with the blues player in mind, but is also compatible with virtually any style of music — from traditional to progressive blues rock. The Chicago Blues Box delivers clear, clean, harmonic complexity with headroom to spare, to thick, authentic, in-your-face crunch.

The flagship of the Chicago Blues Box series is the Roadhouse model, an all-tube, point-to-point, hand-wired, single-channel 50-watt tone machine hand-built in the USA right in Chicago. The straight-forward design makes this a favorite among players seeking authentic, full-sounding tone across the entire sound spectrum.

Over 60 hours of hand-built assembly goes into every Chicago Blues Box. Butler Custom Sound starts with a sheet of rubber impregnated fiber board, drills and tapes over 150 solder eyelets. The board is then assembled with electronic components and soldered from the bottom side for a reliable connection. The custom-wound, paper bobbin transformers, pots and switches are installed into the 16-gauge steel chassis which provides road-worthy strength. BCS then installs their proprietary Magic Wand ground bar system and the final wiring process begins. Before any tube is installed, each undergoes a stringent hand-selection process. The boards are vibration-tested for intermittent connections, lock-tight is applied to hardware, and wires are twisted and bundled.

Before any amp leaves the Butler Custom Sound factory, each undergoes 60 hours of sound and quality testing. “We're players, not only engineers and technicians, so part of our job is to plug in to each amp and test for output noise levels, vibration and most importantly, tone,” says BCS president, Dan Butler. The Chicago Blues Box has captured the elusive 3-dimensional, harmonic rich tone that is missing from so many of today's new amplifier designs. This amp is alive and ready to help inspire any player's art form.

Chicago Bluesbox, Butler Custom Sound
www.chicagobluesbox.com. 630-832-1983

Callaham Vintage Guitars and Amps Callaham Vintage Guitars & Amps Bill Callaham is a builder of exceptional electric guitars that exceed the original quality, tone, and beauty of the vintage models that inspire his work. “Better than vintage” is an apt description for the Callaham “S” and “T” model electric guitars that feature premium lightweight ash and alder bodies, custom hand-shaped rock maple necks, and cryogenically treated Lindy Fralin pickups specially wound to Callaham’s specifications for true vintage tone. Bill also offers cryogenically treated, pre-wired vintage pick guards for Strat style guitars, and his exclusive formula for cold-rolled steel alloy tremolo blocks continue to delight players around the world with improved resonance and sustain. Callaham vintage saddles also improve sustain while minimizing string fatigue and breaks. Additional Strat parts include stainless steel trem arms, string ferrules, bridge plates and mounting screws, and string retainers. Attention Tele Players! Callaham now offers a complete line of custom Tele parts. Please visit their web site for information on pre-wired control plates with premium pots, capacitors, and cloth-covered wire, specially wound and cryogenically treated Fralin vintage Tele pickups, compensated brass bridge saddles, bridge plates, knobs, jacks, tuners and string trees! The only thing better than Callaham parts is a Callaham guitar. We said that, and you can take it to the bank.
Callaham Guitars, Winchester, VA 540-678-4043 callaham@callahamguitars.com, www.callahamguitars.com

Check out the ALL NEW Carr Mini-Mercury! The Mini-Merc is an extremely versatile combo with all tube Reverb, 3 position Boost switch, Treble cut switch, and a built in attenuator yielding 8, 2, ½, or 1/10 watt output. 100% hand wired and every amp is rigorously tested before leaving our shop. The Mini-Mercury offers tones and big amp ‘feel’ ranging from lush 60s American reverb to modified ‘brown’ ‘70s British crunch at almost any volume. The cabinet measures a friendly 19.5” wide by 15” tall by 10” deep at the bottom sloping to 9” deep on the top. Our new Mini-Mercury has the same electronics as the standard 1-12” Mercury differing only in its smaller cabinet and its warm and smoky 10 inch Eminence "Lil Buddy" hemp cone speaker.

Plug into any Carr amp and you’ll immediately understand why we said in our first very first ToneQuest review, “Finally, somebody got it right.” Right, as in the perfect marriage of classic Fender balance, clarity, and head room, with innovative overdrive features that produce natural, sweet tube distortion, but never at the expense of the tone you’ve worked so hard to capture in your instruments. Lots of small–batch amp builders use premium components and labor–intensive, point–to–point construction, and Carr is no exception. The Solen filter caps used in Carr amps alone cost more than the sum of the parts in many boutique circuits!

Carr amps are professional tools and works of art that will inspire you for a lifetime. Check out the many stellar reviews and dealer locations for Carr amps at their web site, and contact the boys at Carr for more information about which Carr model is best for you.

Celestion Ltd. Nobody knows more than Celestion about guitar loudspeaker design and manufacture. Think of your all-time favourite guitar riffs and solos, chances are, they were played through Celestion guitar loudspeakers. For the last fifty years - since the birth of the Celestion Blue (the first ever purpose-built guitar loudspeaker) - our magical mix of metal paper and magnets has formed an essential part of the sound of guitar music. Some of the greatest speakers available today are part of the Celestion Classic Series. Over the years, we’ve applied our design expertise to build a range of speakers that will give you classic Celestion tone, no matter what style you play. The Alnico Series and the Heritage Series, both hand-built in Ipswich, England, are the result of meticulous attention to detail, created for those who are absolutely dedicated to the pursuit of true Vintage tone.For high-volume OEMs, Celestion Originals represent outstanding value for money. We have the specialist experience coupled with the most advanced, high-volume manufacturing techniques to deliver Celestion tone, quality and brand appeal at extremely competitive prices.

Celestion International Ltd www.celestion.com For OEM Enquiries, contact Andy Farrow at Celestion America, 732-683-2356. For retail and distribution enquiries, contact Group One Ltd 516-249-1399 www.g1limited.com

Dave's Guitar Shop Dave’s Guitar Shop offers Fender, Gibson, PRS, McInturff, National, Taylor, Gretsch, Guild, Rickenbacker, Martin, Santa Cruz, Lowden, and many other fine new and used instruments, plus new and used amplifiers such as Fender, Marshall, Line 6, Carr, Matchless, Victoria, Bad Cat, and Ampeg, hundreds of guitar effects, and aftermarket pickups from Joe Barden, Seymour Duncan, and more. Due to their inventory of over 1,000 guitars, amps, and accessories, Dave’s is an excellent resource for top of the line Custom Shop and Historic reissues, to intermediate new and used gear. Unlike some dealers’ out of date stock lists on the web and in print, Dave’s inventory is updated daily. The selection of new and used instruments is truly exceptional, and you can often select among several models of the same new guitars to find that special instrument that was meant for you. Dave’s staff is friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the instruments and gear that they sell, because they are players, too. Please check the web site for current inventory, and you are welcome to call for more information or an accurate, in-hand description.

Dave’s Guitar Shop, LaCrosse, WI 608-785-7704
www.davesguitar.com

Doug's Tubes Doug Preston founded Doug's Tubes in 2002. It became an evolution originating from his passion for music, guitars, and tone. We are now serving thousands of satisfied guitar players and audiophiles internationally. It has been my intention from the beginning to seek out the most reliable and great sounding current production tubes, and to help influence manufacturers into reproducing many NOS tubes to keep our vintage amps going, such as the JJ 7591. We offer the most common choice NOS, currently manufactured, and hand selected used tubes at a fair price. If you need help in selecting tubes for your particular application, call Doug at Doug's Tubes, your one stop tube shop. Making music sound better, one amp at a time.

Since 2001, Eastwood has been creating some of the most exciting Electric Guitars the world has ever seen. Our RADICAL VINTAGE REMAKE series feature a variety of models based on popular sixties designs - from the classic Mosrites to our top-selling AIRLINE - they capture the excitement and style of the originals. Each year the prices of the originals skyrocket - getting harder to find and harder to play! Eastwood's focus is to make top quality replicas - that cost less and play better - so the average musician can experience the excitement of playing one of these beautiful vintage guitars as their every day player.

TONE & STYLE - All Eastwood Guitars are fitted with high-quality modern components that offer an optimal playing experience that far exceeds their 1960's original counterparts. It is hard to find a guitar these days that oozes more vintage style than an Eastwood! All Eastwood Guitars are setup professionally before shipping to our customers.

VALUE - All Eastwood Models are subjected to extensive research and development to continually raise the level of performance. At the same time, we are very careful to maintain an affordability level that our customers expect. These elements combine to deliver peak performance and higher quality than the originals at a much lower price.

SERVICE - A product is only as good as the people who stand behind it. Eastwood Guitars service is second to none in the industry because we simply treat customers the same way we would expect to be treated. All guitars come with a 3 Year limited Warranty. Guitars purchased directly from us receive a no-questions-asked return policy. Or, if you are located near an Eastwood Dealer, you can buy from them at the same direct price we offer online.

THE FUTURE - We continue to bring new models to the Eastwood line-up. Our goal is to introduce 3-5 new models each year, available in a wide variety of colors and of course, including left-hand versions. Please feel free to email us directly if you have some suggestions for models that we should consider developing in the future!

Eastwood Guitars – Toronto, Canada 416-294-6165
www.eastwoodguitars.com

Eminence “If you’ve listened to live music, you’ve almost certainly listened to Eminence.” Eminence has been building speakers to custom specifications for nearly every major manufacturer of guitar amplifier and sound reinforcement products since 1967. Their new Legend Series of guitar speakers captures the essence of the vintage American and British speaker designs that are held in such high regard today by so many discerning players. The Legend Series includes classic British and American designs for 6," 8," 10," 12" and 15" speakers utilizing ceramic and AlNiCo magnets, British or American cones, and Kapton polyamide voice coils for superior heat dissipation and durability. Best of all, because Eminence has been successfully competing for years with other speaker manufacturers as an OEM supplier, the Legend Series speakers are priced far below those of many other popular manufacturers of “reissue” and custom speakers. The Eminence Legend Series delivers all of the tone and durability you need, at a lower price, with no compromises in quality. To locate genuine Eminence dealers in your area, please visit their web site or call Eminence Speakers

Eminence Speaker LLC, Eminence, KY, 502-845-5622 www.eminence.com Contact: Chris Rose

Evidence Audio was founded in 1997 by Tony Farinella to supply the MI and Studio community with performance-based cables at reasonable prices. The most well-known cable is the Lyric HG (High Gain) guitar cable. Readers of Guitar Player Magazine voted the Lyric HG as “Best Accessory of 2004” supporting the opinion drawn by editors of magazines from around the world.

In simple terms, cables from Evidence Audio are built different; as a result, they sound different. The Lyric HG features two solid core high grade IGL copper conductors and a braided shield that is grounded at the amp end only. This is the correct way to “drain” spurious noise. By using solid core conductors strand interference is eliminated as well. Designed to be neutral and honest, the cables don’t actually “improve” your tone, they simply replace a cable in your signal path which was likely destroying it. What you hear is a tighter more muscular bottom end, a clearer more complex mid-range and a sweeter more detailed high end. Dynamics and harmonics are improved and sustain is no longer masked. Overall the guitar becomes more three-dimensional sounding, cuts through clearer and at the same time takes up less space in the mix.

The Siren Speaker Cable and The Source AC Power Cable compliment the Lyric HG. They offer a solution to distortions cause by cables in other areas of the signal path and power supply. The effects of the speaker and power cable are consistent with that of the Lyric HG: you hear the guitar and amplifier, not the cables.

While not inexpensive, cables from Evidence Audio are still one of the most cost effective ways of improving your tone. It’s like changing pickups or a bridge – a small detail with big results. Please visit the Evidence Audio website to locate a dealer near you and demand a demo!

Audionova Inc., http://www.audionova.ca/
514-631-5787 ext. 22

Fargen Amplification was founded by Benjamin Fargen in 1997 to accommodate the needs of working guitarists that want pure vintage hand crafted tube tone, quality, modern features, reliability and value. Fargen Amplification started out from day one building custom one of a kind amps that filled a void in the market for those looking for a “tone match”…some of those early one-of-a-kind amps have become staples in the Fargen Amplification product line such as the “Blackbird” and “Bordeaux” amplifiers. We still offer full custom “one of a kind” builds from our Fargen Custom Shop.

“Rather than just building nice vintage clones...I set out to improve upon what I thought were the best tube amp designs ever built and then put a signature spin on them. The signature elements that have been added were drawn from years of gigging around town with my own vintage gear as well as vintage tube amp service work. I kept notes on all the mods, tweaks, adjustments and repairs that I made over the years while also noting the comments and overall wants of working guitarists. Because I also consider myself a “working guitarist” I find it very easy to relate to people on a “player to player” level rather than just a “technician to player” level. This goes a long way in getting people the tone they want and are looking for”

Check out our full hand wired tube amp product line at www.fargenamps.com and find the tube amp sound you have been looking for!

Fishman Transducers For nearly 25 years, Fishman has empowered acoustic players of all styles with extraordinary amplification solutions. Fishman’s diverse products share the common commitment of making acoustic musicians heard while faithfully maintaining their own natural tone, for the best possible sound.

The Fishman product line began with the BP-100™ acoustic bass pickup, originally developed to meet founder and president Larry Fishman’s own jazz performance needs. This first Fishman product’s track record of quality engineering, reliability, functional simplicity and--most importantly--the natural tone it enables, firmly established the Fishman reputation of excellence that consumers have come to expect from the Fishman brand.

Since then, Fishman has continued to solidify its leadership position in the acoustic amplification market with ever-expanding pickup and accessories offerings. For acoustic guitar, Fishman offers the flagship Acoustic Matrix™ Series active pickup system, the Rare Earth™ Series active magnetic soundhole pickups, and the Neo-D™ magnetic soundhole pickup, as well as passive undersaddle, classical, archtop, and resophonic guitar pickups. Fishman pickups are also available for banjo, mandolin, and harp/piano. Fishman violin-family products include violin, viola, and cello pickups, as well as the acoustic bass pickup. In addition, the last two years have seen the release of the Concertmaster™ amplification system for violin, and the Full Circle™ upright bass pickup, two elegant and cutting-edge string amplification solutions .

Fishman also provides an extensive line of complimentary electronics: portable, battery-operated preamps; jack-style preamps and onboard preamps with a wide variety of features to suit different musical needs. In addition, Fishman’s acclaimed Acoustic Blender™ technology works seamlessly with Fishman pickups, for ultimate tonal control.

This year, Fishman has written a whole new chapter in its success with the celebrated releases of the award-winning Aura™ Acoustic Imaging Blender and the Loudbox™ Acoustic Instrument Amplifier. These powerful, category-defining new products continue to blaze the Fishman trail of acoustic amplification innovation, leadership, and commitment to the acoustic musician. For more information, please visit www.fishman.com.

GHS – The String Specialists Who plays GHS strings? Artists as diverse as Eric Johnson, Martin Barre, Charlie Sexton, Will Ray, Warren Haynes, Tom Morello, Ritchie Sambora, Steve Howe, Brent Mason, Junior Brown, Zakk Wylde, Tommy Castro, Rene' Martinez and TQR advisory board member and AC30/Telecaster stud Mr. James Pennebaker, to name just a few!

GHS has been manufacturing guitar strings since 1964, and whatever your musical tastes, GHS has the right string for you. You’re invited to try a set of GHS classic Boomers, brilliant Nickel Rockers, Burnished Nickel strings for a warm, vintage tone, Compound Nickel strings for electric archtops, and the recently introduced Infinity Bronze coated acoustic strings for extended tone and brilliance. All GHS strings are available in a wide range of gauges to appeal to every player. Refer to the GHS "Brightness Bar" found on select packages of strings and at our web site. It's your guide to determining which strings will produce the specific range of tone you're seeking.

Please check out the all new GHS web site at www.ghsstrings.com for expert information about GHS strings, including technical documentation on the entire GHS line of strings for fretted instruments, tech tips, string tension calculations, the "Brightness Bar," and a comprehensive list of the top artists who play GHS strings. All GHS strings are manufactured to continually exceed your expectations.

Over the years, Gibson has received countless requests from players needing work on their guitars, mandolins, etc. These players all say the same thing: “I don't trust anyone but Gibson to work on my instrument!” Until recently, these folks had to rely on whoever was available in their local area and hope they had the skills and experience to do the required work.

All that has changed now. Gibson has opened the doors of its in-house repair facility and is accepting stringed instruments of all types and all brands for repair or restoration. Offering a state of the art, temperature and humidity controlled environment, as well as a full staff of highly skilled and experienced luthiers, Gibson is fully equipped to perform any and all operations required in all phases of repair and restoration.

Among the services offered are:
Pro Set Up – Acoustic or Electric
Fretwork – Fret Dress to Plane & Refret
Custom Wiring/Pickup Installation
Structural Repairs – Body Cracks, Bracing, Broken Headstocks
Neck Resets
Custom Paint/Finish Repair/Relics
Total Restorations
So whether it’s an acoustic or electric guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukulele or oud, if it has strings and it needs attention, we can help. It doesn’t even have to be a Gibson – we’re an equal opportunity Repair Shop! Call, write or email. We’ll guide you through the process and we’ll help with shipping and insurance information so your instrument gets here and back quickly and safely. We’ll tell you upfront what your costs will be and no work is begun before what is to be done has been explained and approved by you.

Since 1999 Guitar Adoptions has provided musicians with an unmatched selection of premium electric and acoustic guitars, amplifiers and accessories online, combined with exceptional customer service personally provided by the company’s founder, Dave Schmidt. The Guitar Adoptions online concept is simple: Select instruments that offer the best proven performance and value available today, present them online with superior photographic detail and sound clips, and directly consult with customers to assist them in making the right choice the first time.

Guitar Adoptions maintains an extensive inventory of acoustic and electric guitars that includes G&L, Giffin, Gretsch and Original Senn electrics, Guild, Morgan and Northwood acoustics, K&K Sound, Schertler and L.R. Baggs acoustic pickups, and Guitar Adoptions is the largest Larrivee and G&L dealer in the US. We also maintain an extensive inventory of guitars for lefties!

Our extensive selection of custom amplifiers includes Fargen, Louis Electric, Gretsch, Victoria, Clark, Sewell, Ultrasound, Schertler and L.R. Baggs. We also carry a wide selection of excellent stompboxes, including: Ellis Acoustic, MI Audio, MXR, Retro-Sonic Custom Effects, Seymour Duncan, Sweet Sound Electronics, Dunlop and T-Rex Engineering.

Guitar Adoptions also maintains an outstanding selection of pre-owned instruments by G&L, Gibson, Fender, Larrivee, Heritage and more, always described in detail and available for in-hand descriptions. Check our web site often for new arrivals! Whether you are an experienced pro, collector, a weekend warrior, or beginner who wants quality, we are dedicated to helping guitarists find the instrument of their dreams with hands-on, personal service and product knowledge that big online sites simply cannot offer, and always at competitive prices.

To view our inventory, please visit www.guitaradoptions.com and rest assured that all e-mail and phone inquiries will be promptly answered by Guitar Adoptions founder, Dave Schmidt.

In 1973 Jol Dantzig kick started what we know today as the boutique
guitar industry by crafting a custom guitar for himself - then for a
host of famous and influential players from Aerosmith to ZZ Top.
Thirty-five years later, Dantzig and his crew of ten craftsmen
continue the Hamer tradition of building modern guitars with a
vintage soul. Over the years, Dantzig and Hamer have quietly brought
innovative features, thoughtful solutions and impeccable quality to
guitarists. Not only an inspiration for countless small builders who
sprung up in their shadow, Hamer has also been a weathervane for the
big manufacturers who are looking for marketing cues and trends.

Today, not content to be a "job-shop" Hamer is positioned as a
"designer" brand with Jol Dantzig at the creative helm. It's a small
outfit with the big-time chops that can help you envision a dream
guitar and then execute it with authority.

Despite the boutique label, Hamer guitars remains dedicated to
beauty, functionality and purpose whether they're building an ornate
showpiece or a low-down tone machine. If you value substance over
hype, Hamer can deliver the goods.
www.hamerguitars.com/

Mike Kropotkin’s KCA NOS Tubes offers a wide selection of hard-to-find and rare new old stock (NOS) American and European tubes for guitar amplifiers and tube hi-fi, including American 6L6 and 6V6, 12AX7, 12AT7 tubes, tube rectifiers, European 6V6, EL84 and EL34 power tubes, and other hard-to-find NOS tubes for guitar amplifiers and audio equipment. KCA has expanded it’s offerings to new production tubes including SED (Svetlana), Electro Harmonix and Sovtek tubes. Due to the growing demand for NOS tubes, KCA’s stock is constantly changing, and inventory is regularly updated on the web, or you may call for more information. Ordering is simple through a secure online shopping cart . If you’re not sure which tubes will sound best in your equipment, contact Mike for unbiased advice via e-mail. KCA’s web site also provides reliable information on tube substitutions and general advice on tube selection, and Mike services and restores new and vintage point-to-point amplifiers.

KCA NOS Tubes, Sterling, VA 703-430-3645
www.kcanostubes.co

K&M Analog Designs, LLC, was formed in northern California in1998 by Bill Krinard and Joe Mloganoski. The company brings a combined 70 + years of experience in tube amplification and guitar tone to the boutique amp market. As talented designer/engineer and seasoned guitarist (respectively), Bill and Joe have developed a uniquely toneful, dynamic and affordable line of hand built vacuum tube amplifiers that are instruments designed to completely complement your individual playing style. Each amp is equipped with proprietary custom transformers and coupling caps, the best available new and NOS tubes, and each model has unique build architecture and layout not found in other modern hand built designs. Early K&M customers such as Carlos Santana helped launch the company to the forefront in its earliest days. Current K&M and Two–Rock devotees include John Mayer, Steve Kimock, Mitch Stein, Barney Doyle, Mark Karan, Michael Kang, and Volker Strifler, among others. The company launched its line of Two–Rock amps in the summer of 1999. Current models include the Custom Reverb Signature, Overdrive Signature, and the affordable and portable Jet and Jet Signature head and combos. Recently Two–Rock introduced their Classic series of amplifiers, by far the most popular of any Two–Rock series to date. The line features single channel clean amps with reverb, and several dual channel platforms with different lead voicings, tube or solid state rectifiers, and other tone tailoring options. Power levels of 20 to 150 watts are available. A number of extension cabinets equipped with special design speakers by Eminence are available, as well as an all-tube buffered effects interface(mono or stereo). A number of customized versions of the aforementioned have also been built for players seeking the ultimate personalized tone machine.

Since its inception in 1994, Klon has been a one-product company, and given the overwhelming success of that product, the Centaur Professional Overdrive, it’s not hard to see why. Designer Bill Finnegan, assisted by two circuit-design specialists, set out in 1990 to create an interactive and ultra-transparent overdrive, one that doesn’t put its own stamp on your sound, but rather brings out in a very organic way more of what your rig was already giving you. Bill’s premise was that there were many players who, like himself, had great guitars and amps, and who, as he likes to put it, “were not looking to reinvent the wheel,” and the fact that he has sold some four thousand Centaur units (as of November 2002) attests to his intuition, as well as to the perfectionism that led him to spend over four years developing a single product. That perfectionism, of course, is also evident in the production unit: Bill builds every Centaur himself, by hand, using only the finest components and assembling them with meticulous care. Each unit undergoes a series of rigorous tests before shipment, and each is backed by a comprehensive ten-year warranty. Given the ongoing demand for the Centaur and Bill’s disinclination to let anyone but himself build them, expect a wait of several months for delivery, but also expect your Centaur, when you receive it, to manifest a sonic superiority, a construction quality, a physical beauty, and a conceptual rightness beyond your expectations.

Klon, Boston, MA 617 666-1551
www.klon-siberia.com info@klon-siberia.com

Koch Guitar Amplification was founded in 1988 by Dolf Koch in the Netherlands and are known worldwide as a manufacturer if high end boutique guitar amplifiers. They have many models for all styles of music from the new 20W Class “A” Studiotone combo to the 120W Powertone II head.

All amps are channel switching with two or three extremely versatile channels. They are recognized for having both sparkling clean channels and wide ranging drive/gain channels. They were the first to utilize trim pots on their heavy duty circuit boards enabling anyone to adjust bias with only a screwdriver and voltmeter. Speaker damping switches which when toggled from high to low alter the tone to a more scooped sound. Rhythm volume switch on the footswitch (included) which when engaged drops the level to a pre-determined “Rhythm” level. It’s the opposite of a boost and does not alter the lead tone as a result. It so useful guitar players tell us that they’re surprised that no has done this before. All amps have Accutronics reverbs and Koch designed speakers that have a sweeter more extended high end. These speakers also handle more power and have a better bass response than almost any guitar speakers available. They are an integral component to the KOCH sound.

Other products include the Loadbox which attenuates a tube amplifiers output without destroying its tone, i.e. no huge loss of high frequencies. The Pedaltone is a semi-four channel, foot operated preamp which has four 12AX7 preamps tubes. One of these tubes acts as a .5W power tube! It has many patch points and output options for almost any application.

Some famous people that use Koch are: Paul Reed Smith, Al Di Meola, Randy Bachman, Buzz Feiten, and Jimmy Bruno to name a few. KOCH also manufacturers the 300W EDEN VT300 all bass head and the 200W Sadowsky SA200 bass head on an OEM basis.
Audionova Inc. www.audionova.ca/
514-631-5787 ext. 22

Jason Lollar Custom Guitars & Pickups Jason Lollar learned his guitar-making craft at Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, Arizona. Since 1975 he’s been designing and building solid-body electric, archtop and acoustic guitars. In addition to his talents as a luthier, Jason also rewinds and repairs old pickups, and he winds over 25 different replacement pickups, including P90’s, Fender-type single coils, bass pickups, steel guitar pickups, and his stunning Imperial Humbucking PAF pickups. Lollar pickups represent the culmination of Jason’s life long research into the true character and construction of classic vintage pickups, and the same skill and attention to detail is devoted to pickup repairs and rewinds. The ToneQuest Report is proud to recommend Lollar pickups in your quest for inspiring guitar tone.
Jason also builds a limited number of handcrafted solid body, archtop, and acoustic guitars using maple, honduran mahogany, cherry, and alder. Models include the Standard – an Alder solid body, traditional bolt-on design, the Tonemaster — an alder off-set waist, contoured, string-through solidbody guitar with a Lollar Stringmaster style steel guitar pickup in the bridge and a Lollar Chicago Steel pickup in the neck position. Other models include a solidbody ‘V’ style guitar from Honduran Mahogany with a Koa top. Jason’s ‘SG’ style guitar utilizes a super light alder body with a mahogany neck and P90 pickups. The 16” Concert and Performer archtop models feature P90’s, rosewood or ebony fingerboards, dot or gold MOP inlay, Grover keys, single-ply or aged binding, and a standard tobacco burst nitro finish. Jason is currently building archtops with Sitka spruce tops, mahogany necks, and Western maple back and sides. For more information on all Lollar custom pickup designs, repair services, and custom guitars, call Jason or visit the web site.
Jason Lollar
www.lollarguitars.com
206-463-9838

Just Strings.com Now more than ever, guitarists are reaping the benefits of technical innovations in string making that have led to the widest selection of guitar strings ever available. JustStrings.com is dedicated to providing guitarists with the largest selection of acoustic, roundwound and flatwound strings, complimented by exceptional personalized service and outstanding value. Trying different types of strings often results in amazing new discoveries that not only improve the sound of your instrument, but dramatically enhance your playing enjoyment. From traditional hand-crafted strings to high-tech exotics, JustStrings.com exists to help you get the most out of your instrument. Try a new set today, or order your favorite acoustic or electric sets and SAVE! Juststrungs.com offers the best prices on all of the major and specialty brands, promptly delivered to your door. Shop online at JustStrings.com, or place your order by fax at 603-889-7026, or telephone at 603-889-2664.

JustStrings.com, Nashua, NH e-mail info@juststrings.com, www.juststrings.com

Keeley Electronics - Robert Keeley’s Time Machine Boost, Keeley Compressor, and his custom, state-of-the-art modifications for vintage pedals continue to receive rave reviews from guitarists around the world. Keeley pedals are used by Aerosmith, Abbey Road Studios, Steve Vai, legendary producer Bob Rock, George Lynch, Peter Frampton, James Burton, and many, many more guitarists and music pros around the world. The Time Machine Boost is a supremely versatile 2 channel, 3 mode pre-amplifier designed to drive your amplifiers into overdrive or saturation, as seen on the cover of the March issue of VG. The two channels are labeled “Vintage,” and “Modern,” with the “Vintage” side inspired by rare germanium boosts like the Dallas Rangemaster. The “Modern” channel is a new +23dB gain, dual JFET transparent signal amplifier. The Keeley Compressor is a superb audiophile and studio grade compressor with true bypass switching and premium metal film resistors and capacitors for the cleanest Ross clone compressor ever available. Available with a standard Ibanez/Boss style adapter jack and/or battery power, you can say goodbye to that old red Dyna Comp!
Robert Keeley pedal mods include 2 versions for TS9’s - the TS808 mod, and the “Baked TS9” for searing hot Tube Screamer tone. Keeley uses the original TI RC4558P chip that appeared in the early TS808’s, while increasing the bass response and overdrive range. The result is a perfectly voiced 808 that’s cleaner when turned down and produces twice the drive/gain when turned up, with all of the stock 808 character in the middle. The Keeley modded BD-2 is not a fuzz pedal but has the best characteristics of a fuzz pedal, and it’s much smoother and more realistic sounding. This is the pedal if you’re looking for the cranked Fender Super amplifier sound. It has tremendous volume output, and it can be used as a clean boost, driving your amp into natural sounding overdrive. Other exclusive Keeley modifications include the Boss Blues Driver BD-2 Tube Mod, the PHAT Switch BD-2 Mod, Rat Mods, Boss DS-1 Seeing Eye Mod, Boss SD-1, and Boss Chorus CE-2. For detailed specs, user comments, dealer information, sound clips, and ordering information, please visit the Keeley Electronics website.

Klon Since its inception in 1994, Klon has been a one-product company, and given the overwhelming success of that product, the Centaur Professional Overdrive, it's not hard to see why. Designer Bill Finnegan, assisted by two circuit-design specialists, set out in 1990 to create an interactive and ultra-transparent overdrive, one that doesn't put its own stamp on your sound, but rather brings out in a very organic way more of what your rig was already giving you. Bill's premise was that there were many players who, like himself, had great guitars and amps, and who, as he likes to put it, “were not looking to reinvent the wheel,” and the fact that he has sold some four thousand Centaur units (as of November 2002) attests to his intuition, as well as to the perfectionism that led him to spend over four years developing a single product. That perfectionism, of course, is also evident in the production unit: Bill builds every Centaur himself, by hand, using only the finest components and assembling them with meticulous care. Each unit undergoes a series of rigorous tests before shipment, and each is backed by a comprehensive ten-year warranty. Given the ongoing demand for the Centaur and Bill's disinclination to let anyone but himself build them, expect a wait of several months for delivery, but also expect your Centaur, when you receive it, to manifest a sonic superiority, a construction quality, a physical beauty, and a conceptual rightness beyond your expectations.

The basis of every tube amp’s characteristic sound is the unique design of its transformers. Mercury transformers are legendary for their stunning tonal superiority, build quality, consistency, and reliability. We believe in old-world customer service and single-minded focus. Transformers are our only business, allowing us to concentrate on providing you with the best-sounding guitar amplifier trannies in the world.If your amp is suffering from bland and unexciting tone, then it’s time for a transformer upgrade or repair. Here are your options:ToneClone™ Best-of-Breed Series Transformers: Behind every great-sounding vintage guitar amp is a piece of transformer history.

Within any amp line there are usually a large number of transformer variations, inconsistencies and just plain ol’ building errors that affect their sound (good or bad). At Mercury, we seek out, study, blueprint and replicate only the best-of-breed transformer designs (including their all-important anomalies) and add these discoveries to our catalog. And we make these incredible tonal selections available to you through our ToneClone™ line. Axiom® Series Next-Gen Transformers: Next-generation guitar amplifier transformers. The Axiom series are in a class by themselves. We’ve taken our advanced knowledge of modern transformer design and mated it with historically best-sounding designs of the past. Axiom trannys are hybrids that take vintage tone to the next level! More bloom, more overtone color, and awesome tonal depth. If you ever needed convincing as to how outstanding transformers affect your sound, Axiom trannys will astonish you.

Mercury Vintage™ Transformer Service: Most vintage transformers have already outlived or are nearing the end of their life expectancies. That’s the bad news – now for the good... Mercury will restore, rebuild or rewind your valuable original transformers. Or, we can clone your originals so that you can continue to play your old amp without fear of further “wear and tear.

”FREE TRANSFORMER TESTING AND EVALUATION SERVICE: Do you think there might be something wrong with your transformer? Send it to us. We’ll test it in our lab and report back to you. Our evaluation procedures are thorough, complete and reliable, and always free. The only transformers that come with a 10-year Manufacturer’s Warrantee and a Money-Back Tonal Guarantee. Made entirely in the U.S.A.

was formed in northern California in 1998 by Bill Krinard and Joe Mloganoski. The company brings a combined 60 + years of experience in tube amplification and guitar tone to the boutique amp market. As talented designer/engineer and seasoned guitarists (respectively), Bill and Joe have developed a uniquely toneful, dynamic, and affordable line of hand built vacuum tube amplifiers that are instruments designed to completely complement your individual playing style. Each amp is equipped with the finest currently available preamp and power tubes(including NOS on some models), and all are personally tweaked by both Joe and Bill throughout the build process. Early K&M customers such as Carlos Santana helped launch the company to the forefront, and current Two Rock devotees include John Mayer, Steve Kimock, Volker Strifler, Mark Karan, Mark Dzuiba, and Bob Stirner, among others. Past and current models include the Amethyst Special, Emerald 50 and Emerald Pro, Sapphire 100, Topaz and Opal. The Custom and Custom Reverb have become the benchmark tone machines, especially the Signature Series (limited availability). Each model is destined to become a classic, as the company produces fewer than 300 units per year. K&M also builds custom, made-to-order amps with a variety of output stage options, preamps, an effects loop, and reverb. The Two-Rock Crystal-Clear instrument and speaker cables debuted in 2003, and this year the company added the Two-Rock 12-65 guitar speakers to the line.

Midtown Music — Midtown Music is one of our very favorite sources for guitars, amplifiers, effects, and accessories. Midtown opened in 1988 as a small vintage instrument store, and they now offer a lot of new items in addition to high end used gear. They have a large selection of new custom shop instruments by Gibson and Fender, and they also stock other fine instruments by Martin, Guild, PRS, Larrivee, and Gretsch.

The back room is lined with hand wired tube amplifiers by Carr, 65, Dr. Z, Victoria, Fender, Savage, Two Rock, and HiWatt. The staff is experienced and helpful, and they’re all players, too! Midtown Music is highly recommended and definitely ToneQuest approved! View a sample of their inventory online or call the store for prices and availability. NOS, Closet Classic, and Relic instruments... Master Built special order instruments... Hand-wired Custom Series and Vintage Series tube amps.

Mojo Musical Supply is the all-inclusive amplifier parts supply house. Mojo specializes in pre-1980 amplifier parts, including a wide range of custom and vintage reproduction cabinets, a line of exact reproduction transformers, and hard-to-find electrical components. They continue to supply a full range of speakers for the guitar market, including Jensen, Celestion, and of course, our own custom Mojotone speakers. The in-house cabinet shop at Mojo specializes in making authentic Fender and Marshall reproduction amplifier cabinets, custom cabinets from your own design, as well as cabinet repair and re-covering. Mojo stocks over fifty different amp coverings and grill cloths to insure that vintage enthusiasts and custom amp creators have a large palette to choose from. Within the last two years, Mojo has become one of the largest vacuum tube importers in the world, stocking over 20,000 tubes. Because they buy tubes in large volumes, prices remain very competitive. For completed electronics, Mojo is the east coast distributor for Belov amplification and also the home of Mojotone Custom electronics. Mojo manufactures and markets the Tone Machine amplifier, a powerful and eclectic tube guitar combo. They also offer turnkey and partial component electronics and cabinets for OEM’s and builders of all sizes.
The future of Mojo lies in their ability to work directly with manufacturers or bring the manufacturing in house. Plans for the coming months and years are focused on making quality vintage parts available at even better prices, while assuring that all Mojo products are of the highest quality.
Mojo Musical Supply
Winston-Salem, NC
1-800-927-MOJO, www.mojotone.com

Have you ever thought, “If they would just make a Tele with….” , “I love my Strat but it just doesn’t….” “Why don’t they make a Jaguar that could….”? Well, you’ve come to the right place. From exotic woods, custom paint, unlimited neck types, custom designed logos, pickup selections, Timewarp aging, or any other feature imaginable – Esquires with hidden neck pickups, Strats with interchangeable pickup assemblies, Custom Shapes — whatever… If you can dream it, we can build it.

Each guitar is a unique work of art, handcrafted by me. The use of 100% nitrocellulose lacquer, high quality vintage hardware, superior woods and a wide variety of pickups and options produce magical instruments that have thus far not been available “off the rack”. The level of aging on our Timewarp guitars can be adjusted from “played it once a month at church” to “used to break open a window during a fire in a Louisiana roadhouse.”

Bill Nash is an Olympia, WA based builder of aged vintage guitars inspired by Leo Fender. Available through Nash Guitar dealers in the US and overseas. Please see NashGuitars.com for information and a dealer near you.

The brand name PLEK stands for a technology which allows the best fret dress and setup work, based on a computer controlled scan.

The Plek is a computerized tool that scans an instrument strung to pitch, generating graphic views of the fret plane, fret heights, fret shape and placement, fingerboard relief radius, humps and bumps — basically everything that luthiers and repair pros have wanted to see well but couldn’t, until now. Besides having measurement and dressing capabilities many times more accurate than the human eye allows, the PLEK has two particularly great advantages over manual fretwork.

First, it scans and dresses a guitar while it is tuned to pitch. This is a major breakthrough, since necks are subjected to approximately 100 pounds of string tension. This string tension invariably affects the shape of the fret plane, creating curves and humps that change when the strings are removed for a fret dress. The PLEK identifies precisely what needs to be done for perfect results when the instrument is re-strung, whereas even the most skilled luthier or repair professional must guess about how to compensate for the effect of string tension when dressing the neck with the tension released.

Secondly, the PLEK applies very sophisticated formulas for optimum neck curve or relief, adjusting the calculations for the actual string height and individual string gauge from the treble side of the fingerboard to the bass. Achieving these same results by hand would be lucky and extremely rare at best!

The Plek is now in use by some of the top repair and restoration experts worldwide. We invite you to contact the Plek repair shop nearest you, or learn more about Plek technology at www.plek.com

Plek, Berlin/Germany
+49 30 5369–6339, custom@plek.com

Joe Glaser, Nashville/TN
+1 (615) 298–1139, glaserjoetoo@aol.com

Gary Brawer, San Francisco/CA
+1 (415) 621–3904, gary@brawer.com
FretTek, Los Angeles/CA
+1 (310) 474–2238, plek@frettek.com

Peekamoose, Paul Schwartz and Hawley Waldman
(212) 869 2396
New York, NY
e-mail: info@peekamoose.com

Philtone, Baltimore/MD
+1 (410) 783–0260, philtone@erols.com

Suhr Guitars, Lake Elsinore/CA
+1 (951) 471–2334, johnsuhr@suhrguitars.com

Charlie Chandler’s Guitar Experience, London, UK
+44 20 8973–1441, sales@guitarexperience.co.uk

GuitarLabs Scandinavia, Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 644–9480, info@guitarlabs.se

RS Guitarworks is the your one-stop source for expert finishing, refinishing and aging, complete guitar assembly and repair, custom electronic upgrade kits, pickups, hard-to-find hardware, and more!

Located in Winchester, Kentucky, RS Guitarworks began as a small repair and refinishing shop in 1994. As the word spread among guitarists, our business rapidly grew and today we receive expensive guitars from around the world for aging and refinishing. We offer many hard-to-find vintage replica parts and other specialty items related to vintage Fender and Gibson guitars, and we also custom build complete guitars, including our “Old Friend” Series, “Step-Side” and “Artist Replica” models.

RS Guitarworks Premium Wiring Kits offer a dramatic and immediate improvement over the factory electronics found in even the most expensive guitars. During a year of research and development we tested over 20 different tone capacitors and nearly every type of potentiometer made before developing our upgrade kits, which feature measured CTS pots within 10% of their specified value, and RS Guitarcaps in .022uf and .047uf values made expressly for us by Hovland. Our customers tell us that our wiring upgrade kits impart a fuller, clearer tone than standard factory components, with a smoother, more even and responsive taper from each pot. Additionally, each potentiometer is tested on a digital meter, checked for the proper sweep pattern and sorted and labeled as a neck/volume, neck/tone, bridge/volume or bridge/tone control.

Wiring Upgrade Kits are available in 5 different styles for various Les Paul type guitars, as well as Telecaster, Stratocaster, and PRS guitars, and Explorer and Flying V types. Nearly any other configuration can also be built with a call to our shop. RS Guitarworks is also an authorized Fender, Jackson, Charvel, Guild and Gretsch Service Center.

Please call or visit our web site for complete information on finishing, refinishing and aging of new and used guitars, custom wiring kits, vintage repro parts and repairs.

Located in Hyvinkaa, Finland, Juha Ruokangas is a custom designer and builder of unique, handmade electric guitars. Many companies today use the terms “handmade” and “custom-built” to describe expensive guitars that are built in large numbers in a factory – Ruokangas’ vision has always been to design and build instruments completely by hand in a low-production environment using the finest materials available in the world, and uncompromising craftsmanship.

Ruokangas guitars are available with a variety of unique custom options, including four standard neck profiles, three fret sizes and a wide range of finishes, binding, genuine pearl inlay and hardware combinations. All instruments are built using Thermo-Treated wood to impart a vintage look and sound even when new, and specific models feature genuine Arctic Birch figured tops combined with Spanish cedar – an exceptional wood with properties similar to Honduran mahogany. Models include:

The Mojo
Inspired by many requests received by our customers, the Mojo delivers all the twang you will ever need! Standard features include an Alder body, Rock Maple neck, Thermo-treated wood, high gloss finished body, satin finished neck, 25.5" scale length and 12" fretboard radius. The latest additions to the series - Grande and Supreme - have proven to be the most popular models with the unique semi-hollow Spanish Cedar body and Arctic Birch top.

The V.S.O.P.
All of us at Ruokangas are big fans of vintage guitars, and the V.S.O.P. offers fans of vintage Strats a bolt-on instrument that plays, feels and sounds like a classic. The V.S.O.P. can be designed with traditional single coils, humbuckers, or both utilizing spilt coils, and all models feature a Wilkinson tremolo tailpiece. The VSOP Supreme takes the Strat concept to the extreme with the Spanish Cedar body and Arctic Birch top, fretboard and pickguard.

The Duke

The Duke Series covers all the bases – from the stripped-down solidbody Sonic, to the original carved top design that started the Duke Series as the Standard, the striking appearance of the Deluxe with highly figured maple or Artic Birch top, to the vibrant, woody, semi-acoustic style of the semi-acoustic Artisan.

The best way to experience and appreciate the entire range of Ruokangas models and options is to visit our web site and take the tour! You can custom design any guitar we build online with all available options, and of course, we will be happy to answer your questions and offer our advice via e-mail.

Ruokangas Handmade Guitars
www.ruokangas.com
US contact: Eero Kilpi, New York, 1-914-316-2414

Stephens Design Pickups by Dave Stephens

I've been crafting pickups for six years and and got my start under Jason Lollar's guidance. Now building pickups full time after working for decades as a jewelry artist and career advertising creative director/illustrator, I have been involved in the music industry doing award winning design work for EMG Pickups and a ton of album packages for Shrapnel Label Group, including artists such as Leslie West. I've been exposed to the world's best guitar players for most of my adult life and have played the guitar since I was 16. Our pickups have been featured and reviewed in Vintage Guitar Magazine, several web magazines, and many of the top blues players in Portland, Oregon are playing our pickups, as well as recording artists in many countries.

What sets our work apart is my passion for research. You can be assured that if I build a reissue or a modern version of a vintage pickup, I have done the research to reproduce its characteristics as accurately as possible with modern materials. I also have developed many of my own proprietary pickup designs.

My main interest in research involves new designs that are my own creation, and particularly, vintage Gibson PAFs. I have studied every aspect of vintage PAFs in detail, and to me they are the benchmark when it comes to humbucking pickups. All of our humbucking pickups have been developed as part of my ongoing research – an evolutionary process that has slowly revealed many of their secrets. My own designs are endless explorations of what is possible in coil and magnet technology at its simplest levels, and my heroes in the field include people like Harry DeArmond, who's pickup designs are timeless and wondrously inventive.

I offer a lifetime guarantee on my products, a free exchange or rewind if they don't meet your expectations, and helpful e-mail consultations. Please visit our web site for more detailed information, or contact me personally by e-mail to place your order.

Stewart-MacDonald offers a complete line of hard-to-find tools, parts, accessories, instructional videos and books for building, repairing, setting up, and optimizing the playability and tone of stringed instruments. Whether you are just getting started or you're a seasoned luthier, you'll find everything you need in the Stew-Mac catalog, including: fret wire, finishing supplies, glues and adhesives, wood, bodies, necks, binding, tuners, nuts and saddles, inlay, bridges, tailpieces, electronics, pickups, and free information sheets and professional advice! Their friendly customer service and technical support staff are trained to help you make the best product choices, and they also offer an Unconditional Return Guarantee. If you're not satisfied with an item for any reason, simply return it.

Stew-Mac is the leading supplier of innovative products for guitarists and repair pros, and every thing they make is guaranteed to work well, because every product is tested by the professional luthiers at Stewart MacDonald first! The master builders and repairmen on staff include Dan Erlewine - well-known author of guitar repair books and magazine articles, member of the ToneQuest Report advisory board, and a regular contributor to TQR. Dan and all of the experienced luthiers at Stew-Mac personally develop and test every product the company offers, and they are also dedicated to education. The Stewart MacDonald catalog is packed with helpful tips, and the company produces an extensive series of training videos at their facility in Athens, Ohio.

For more information on the entire range of products available, please visit the Stewart MacDonald web site. In addition to their free online help service, your telephone call is also always welcome.

Stewart MacDonald
www.stewart-mcdonald.com 1-800-848-2273

All TQR subscribers will receive an exclusive 10% discount when ordering TonePros components — just mention the “TQGPD” discount code when ordering by phone or online.

TonePros Sound Labs Since our first published review article, The ToneQuest Report has enthusiastically recommended the patented TonePros system of guitar components. TonePros tailpieces feature a patented locking design. For years, guitars with stop tailpieces and wrap-around bridges have been cursed by “lean” or tilt on their stud mounts. Since string tension was all that held tailpieces on, the only contact area was just a bit of the edge of the bottom flange, just a bit of the lip of the stud top, and often just as little contact with the intonation screws. TonePros® Locking Studs provide 100% of the contact area of the bottom flange, 100% of the contact area of the stud top, no lean, and dramatically improved sustain, resonance and tone.TonePros bridge and saddle components feature the “patented pinch” - the lateral pressure that is applied from the strategically placed “tone screws” that greatly reduce the play or wiggle of the bridge posts in their inserts. The posts are frozen in place, resulting in a solid connection between the strings, bridge, and guitar top, transferring more string vibration and resonance to the guitar body, resulting in an audibly stronger, sweeter, woodier type of resonance and sustain. And once your guitar is set up, it’s locked. Bridge height and intonation settings remain intact and exact, even after re-stringing. TonePros® System II Components are found on the worlds best guitars, played by the world’s best artists.

TonePros Sound Labs International
www.tonepros.com/

www.guitarpartsdepot.com/

818-735-7944

Marquis Distribution At Marquis Distribution, we offer the highest quality guitar parts to fit your needs. We specialize in guitar replacement parts, and hard to find, vintage-inspired and vintage replica parts, including aged TonePros and TonePros Kluson parts, emphasizing your desire to achieve a vintage look and tone at an exceptionally high level of performance. Whether you need to replace one part on your guitar or outfit many guitars with whole new setups, our focus remains on the individual customer and your unique needs. www.marquisdistribution.com, 209-845-9579ll

ToneMan Veteran working guitarist Don Butler is an experienced tech who specializes in servicing and restoring JMI-era Vox tube/valve amps as well as many other vintage British amps including Marshall, Selmer, Hiwatt, Sound City and Orange amps. Don also services and restores vintage tweed, blonde, brown and blackface era Fender amplifiers. Don’s modifications and upgrades to vintage reissue Vox, Marshall, and Fender amps have earned him a solid reputation among players throughout the country for achieving dramatically improved, authentic vintage tone from reissue amplifiers. Don uses hand-made Mercury Magnetics Axiom Tone Clone transformers, along with the correct, premium signal path components to bring reissues to vintage specs. He also modifies reissue Vox wahs to vintage specs, and he offers upgrades to Vox Valve Tone pedals and reissue Ibanez TS9’s. For the past 5 years, Don has been building the famous Rangemaster Treble Booster, which is an exact replica of the original Dallas Rangemaster unit from the early 60’s. In addition to the original treble model, Don builds a full range model and a switchable model combining the features of both Rangemaster units. Don was also the very first dealer for Pyramid strings, and you can count on him to maintain a full inventory of Pyramids at all times. Don Butler, Newhall, CA, 661-259-4544
de1b@earthlink.net, www.tone-man.com

Check out the all new Regal! From our first Victoria to the one we build for you, every Victoria amplifier is meticulously crafted for real musicians and built to be played for a lifetime. We utilize components and manufacturing techniques that are chosen for their proven ability to meet both the sonic and real world gigging demands that musicians depend on. From the real Allen Bradley resistors (new manufacture, not surplus) to the finger jointed pine cabinets, every aspect of a Victoria Amplifier is designed to provide years and years of faithful service and superior tone. With the addition of our new Victorilux and Sovereign amplifiers, Victoria now offers amplifiers with features like reverb, tremolo and high gain circuits that will surpass anything currently available and define the word “ tone” for years to come. But manufacturing new amplifiers is not all we offer! Our restoration and repair department is equipped to turn the most heinous, hacked up old amp into an inspiring gem. Our obsession with period correct components and our real world expertise are your assurance that an investment piece or an old road hawg will leave the shop with all of its tonal potential maximized. The job gets done right at Victoria Amplifier. You can be sure that we at Victoria Amplifier Co. will continue to provide the finest guitar amplifiers available anywhere, at any price. New from Victoria — the Victorilux and Victoriette — the ultimate club amps, plus, the Sovereign — our answer for players seeking true vintage British tone with master volume and reverb at a stage–friendly 35 watts!

Victoria Amplifier, Naperville, IL
www.victoriaamp.com 630–820–6400

As a special offer WD® Music Products, Inc. is offering a 10% off coupon to ToneQuest readers... Visit us at www.wdmusic.com and enter coupon code TQWD at checkout. (Please note: Coupon good for wdmusic.com web orders only, offer not valid on wdbiz.com orders).

For the past thirty years WD® Music Products has been providing quality service and parts to satisfied working musicians, discriminating builders and OEMs. WD® pioneered the field of aftermarket pickguards and continues to lead the way in the niche we created in 1978. We have manufactured thousands of pickguards and if you need a replacement or something you envision yourself we can make it happen. For many years WD® Music has also carried a full line of replacement parts for just about any stringed instrument.

WD® Music is proud to continue the legacy of Kluson® tuning machines, one of the most respected OEM and replacement tuners for decades. Replace or restore your vintage instrument with genuine Kluson® tuning machines from WD® Music. We stock Kent Armstrong® pickups, L.R. Baggs® acoustic gear, Q-Parts® custom knobs and accessories, Bigsby® tailpieces, Graph Tech® products, Wilkinson® bridges, Grover® tuners and accessories, Big Bends® maintenance supplies, Guitar Facelifts, effects and much more.

History is repeating itself with genuine Kluson® tuners, continuing with WD®’s customer service, and...Stromberg® Jazz Guitars. No one can attempt or claim to reproduce the prestige of the original archtop Stromberg® guitars. But with history in mind WD® is also proud to distribute Stromberg® Jazz Guitars. With six models to satisfy everyone from the serious working jazz musician to the rockabilly king Stromberg® offers an affordable, quality instrument for almost any taste or style. Stromberg® jazz Guitars is a small, limited production archtop guitar company whose main goals are quality, playability and affordability. Play one and see.

WD® Music Products. Thirty years of knowledge, service, quality parts and accessories waiting to serve you. Everything from pickguards, tuning machines, pickups, electronics, necks, bodies, bridges, prewired assemblies and hard to find hardware—if your guitar or bass needs it, chances are WD® Music has it. Old fashioned customer service, genuine Kluson® tuners, classic Stromberg® Jazz Guitars, and so much more. Call 877-WDMUSIC or visit:
www.WDmusic.com, www.kluson.com, www.Strombergguitars.com, www.pickguards.com,
www.kentarmstrong.com

Willcutt's staff of veteran, working guitarists has the hands-on product knowledge necessary to assist players at every level in finding just the right guitar or amp the first time. The store's website features high quality digital photos of nearly every item in stock, and 99% of all high end instruments are kept in their cases – not on display – insuring that every instrument remains in the best possible condition prior to sale. Pictures and detailed, in-hand descriptions are always available on request.

Visual Sound Founded in 1995 by guitarist Bob Weil, Visual Sound is excited to announce that it has expanded its ‘stable’ of products with the Workhorse amplifiers: the 60W 212 Stallion and the 30W 112 Pony.

Both models have revolutionary easy user-biasing, as well as 100% clean tube amplification, Celestion speakers, hand-wired controls and jacks, carbon comp resistors (where they count), a tordial power transformer, a 9VDC output and cable for powering the free Jekyll & Hyde pedal which comes with every amp, and a padded amp cover with pockets on the sides. Protection circuitry throughout each amp prevents failure of all critical components. Housed in an all-wood cabinet, each amp features a Hubcap sound dispersion speaker grill (patent pending), making it sound great from anywhere on stage.

In addition to the Workhorse amps – and back by popular demand - Visual Sound has re-introduced the flagship Visual Volume pedal. This 10th Anniversary edition features a new design, with die-cast aluminum housing, blue and red LED’s, two inputs and outputs for mono or stereo use, a Tuner Out jack for silent tuning, as well as both active and passive modes with a pre-amp available for clean boost in active mode.

Visual Sound will be exhibiting again at Summer NAMM 2007 in Austin, TX from July 27-29 at Booth #1338 in the Austin Convention Center. They will be previewing an all-new line of single effect and dual effect pedals, dubbed the V2 Series. These pedals are due to come out later this summer and already were wowing visitors to their booth at the Winter NAMM in Anaheim in January and the Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany in March.

For more information about Visual Sound, mp3 downloads and product information, please visit the Visual Sound web site, or contact Bob Weil personally.

The Warther Carving Museum of Sugarcreek, Ohio is a unique art exhibit located in Ohio's Amish community. David Warther II, a fifth generation carver of Swiss heritage is continuing his family’s carving legacy in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country. Carving can be traced in the Warther family to David’s Great-Great-Grandfather, who was an accomplished wood carver and cabinetmaker in Switzerland in the early 1800’s. David’s grandfather, Ernest “Mooney” Warther, was known for his wood and ivory carvings of “The History of Steam Engines.” As a fifth generation artist, David Warhter is actively carving his own niche in the family tradition. David also makes hand-crafted bridge saddle blanks, nut blanks, bridge pins and strap buttons from bone, pre-historic fossilized Wooly Mammoth ivory, and legal, pre-ban elephant ivory. For details on ordering, please visit the Warther Carving Museum website or call to place your order.