electric guitars
CP Thornton
2006 and 2007 Jazz Elites. Modifications: inlay-free fingerboard, narrow-spaced nut on a wide fingerboard, Lindy Fralin P-92 pickups, five-position blade style pickup selector switch removed, three-position toggle switch installed, no bridge-pickup tone control, volume potentiometers increased to 1-meg, body cavity, including under pickups, coated with copper paint, Graph Tech string-saver saddles, Madagascar ebony tuner buttons, on the 2007 a Jason Lollar “Charlie Christian for Humbucking Route” pickup is installed in the neck position.
classical guitars
1999 Robert Ruck guitar, cedar top, Indian rosewood sides and back, cutaway, 1984 Robert Ruck, spruce top, Brazilian rosewood sides and back, 1967 Manuel Contreras spruce top, Brazilian rosewood sides and back, 1987 Manuel Contreras. cedar top, South American rosewood sides and back, cutaway, converted to fretless.
road cases
Karura Sentinel carbon-fiber cases for the Collings flattop and Ruck classical. Calton deluxe fiberglas case for the Thornton electrics.
amplifiers
Mesa-Boogie F-50 for local gigs and recordings. Mesa-Boogie Subway Rocket for local gigs where a little amp will do. For road gigs promoters receive a list of 75 amplifiers ranked in order of desirability. Usually they find something that is not on the list. For local acoustic gigs where no PA is available, I use a Fishman Performer Pro with a Shure SM81 microphone.
strings
D’Addario EJ21 (.012-.052) for the 2006 Thornton electric, D’Addario EJ22 (.013-.056) for the 2007 Thornton electric, D’Addario EJ17 (.013-.056) for steel-string flattop, D’Addario EJ45 (.028-.043) for Ruck classicals, D’Addario EJ46 (.0285-.044) for 1967 Contreras classical. D’Addario EJ44 (.029-.045) for 1987 Contreras classical fretless.
