His first real guitar was a 1967 or 1968 – red two single coil Gibson Melody Maker, scared to death, I could barely even play it, let alone know how to work on it. I traded it for a 1969 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.

My first real experience of breaking the magic guitar stigma came in 1983 or there abouts, when I was given an Epiphone Les Paul Kit. It was an ash body with a set mahogany neck. It was a Gibson Les Paul Body, sold as an Epiphone. I added Schaller Tuners, DiMarzio Dual Sound Pickups, finishing the body and neck in a natural finish, with Spar Varnish.

I mounted all the hardware, and was not pleased with the sound, at the heck now.

I bought books, one of my friends, Jack Lukas – Eleven Eleven is his new band, took me to a real guitar repair man. Mark from MDS in Chicago, Mark and I talked a lot about wiring options and shielding all of which I knew nothing about. Finally with Mark’s talent and my ideas, my epi-kit was born.

Having more balls than brains and a lot of luck, he helped many friends with their guitar problems, even those guitars that had strange sounds that no one but the owner.  It’s a scavenger hunt sometimes.

Input jacks, guitar pickups, re-stringing guitars, setting intonation, guitar neck adjustments, amp repair is something that I am becoming a bit better at, it’s all in the research!