Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Equipment File #1: Electra Phoenix guitar

Electra Phoenix electric guitar

Equipment File 01

The first guitar used at Metal XOR Studio was this Electra Phoenix electric guitar. It was early 1988, the end of Jason's junior year in high school, when he decided to try playing the guitar. His friend Mark was a very talented guitar player and had a small collection of guitars. So he loaned Jason this cheap model to see if he was interested in learning to play.

Jason first played it with the Two-Tones. He played it with incorrect tuning and did little more than power chords. Early Two-Tones recordings reveal the amateur playing.

Throughout the next year Jason also used it in the Christmas program in December of 1988 and for the Traveling Deengelburys show in March of 1989.

Jason had borrowed the guitar for more than a year. So after graduation in May of 1989, Jason decided it was time to return the guitar. He went to Mark's house to drop off the guitar but no one was home, so Jason took it back home with him. And it is still with him to this day.

This has been the only electric guitar Jason has recorded with in his twenty years of playing guitar. He has used it with every project associated with the Studio, mostly notably Mune Mud, ORC, Isthmus, and many others.

Over the years it has had a few changes. The back of the guitar bears a Greenpeace '94 sticker whose origin is unknown. Also on the back are two clips and some velcro which once held a beltpack transmitter for playing the guitar wireless. But since most of Jason's guitar playing is in the Studio now there is little need for being wireless. In the early 90's the guitar had a "Doubletree" label across the front of it. That was Jason's Traveling Deenglebury name. But that label has long since been removed. And most recently the white/clear knobs replaced the original solid black knobs (of which one had always been missing).

So this guitar has played MANY songs and unless something drastic happens, it will play MANY more!!!

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