Dream Big this Christmas: Finding Your Dream Guitar at Adirondack Guitar

If you’re like me, you have been hiding guitar related purchases from your spouse or partner for years. For instance, I always buy used amps so when my wife finally notices the appearance of an unfamiliar amp in the house -- “Hey, where did that Marshall thing come from?” -- I can say, “God, I’ve had that old thing since college, remember?” And if you think I always buy strat-style bodies because I love them, think again... All strat style bodies look enough alike that they can be easily confused with one another.

If you’re tired of always buying guitars that are basically indistinguishable from the last one or amps that look like they’ve been through college frat parties, your only option is to go for the Christmas guitar purchase. Thankfully, Christmas is the time of year when we get to just let loose and utter the unutterable desires we have for top flight Dream Guitars and gear. Have you always wanted theMusic Man guitar that John Petrucciplays? Or an awesome Fender Strat? How about a collectible limited edition guitar from a company likeD’Angelico orGuild, or aMartin DreadnoughtAcoustic?

If you have ever told your spouse or partner, “God I’d love to own a vintage Les Paul, or a Pre-CBS Strat, or a custom built Music Man, or a top of the line Martin,” and received only sullen silence, or worse, the ‘You already got too many Guitars...’ response, this article is for you.

 

What is a Dream Guitar?

What the non-musicians in our lives -- our spouses, family and friends -- fail to grasp about dream guitars is that they are not simply more expensive versions of something we already have. Many of the tonal, sonic, and musical constraints we feel as guitarists and bass players arise when we come up against the natural limitations that are built into our instruments. Dream Guitars represent the possibility of release from those constraints. Therefore, Dream Guitars represent the pure possibility of developing our tone and technique to new heights. What could you do if all limitations were taken away and you had the ideal guitar for the tone, technique and style that you have always wanted? That is why we love to dream big when it comes to our guitars.

 

Traveling to a Parallel Universe

Let’s pretend for a moment that we can have any guitar we want this Christmas. What guitar would that be?

For me that’s easy. Since playing the James Valentine Signature Music Man guitar in the ADK Guitar showroom, I’ve become obsessed. The satin finish on that roasted maple neck, so smooth and silky, and the gain on those pickups, so bright and responsive when pulled up in the coil tapping mode. Playing that thing is effortless, and it’s not a bad looking guitar either. Seriously, look:

Music Man Valentine Demo:

 

 

Buy this Guitar:

This is exactly what we mean when we say Dream Big this Christmas. The James Valentine Signature Music Man guitar is exactly what I imagine when all limits are removed and I hear and see myself playing with the tone and technique I’ve always dreamed about. At Adirondack Guitar we carry the full line of Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling products and can even order custom-built Music Man guitars (more on custom builds in a minute) for our customers with an estimated turn around time of 6 months to a year. We also carry the Ball Family Reserve line of handcrafted limited edition Ernie Ball Music Man guitars that are being released each month.  

The Ball Family Reserve release for December 2018 will be announced on or around the 15th and we will surely keep you posted when that beauty comes in!

Have Your Dream Guitar Built to Order

If money were no object and you could have any guitar that you wanted, then having a guitar custom built to your specifications would be ideal, right? Believe it or not, that is completely doable! ADK Guitar works with manufacturers like G&L, Ernie Ball Music Man and Spector to offer custom built righty and lefty guitars and basses.

Of course, no one expects you to be a guitar designer or to come up with a completely original build. Custom shops likeG&L and Ernie Ball Music Man allow you to work from existing models and swap out specific features until you come up with the ideal guitar for you. Always loved a Strat but wanted different pickups, bridge, headstock, fretboard, or struts? Custom ordering allows you to have the guitar you have always wanted built for you.

Custom ordering takes time, anywhere from 6 months to a year or more in some cases, so if you want to have a custom built guitar for Christmas, you will need to do some planning and get a hold of us. We’ll be happy to help you place your custom order and discuss all of the options that are available to you.

G&L at NAMM

G&L’s custom shop allows you to choose from a list of customizable G&L models and a long list of custom options, including your choice of over 25 types of Standard Finishes and over a dozen more Premier Finishes, body woods, neck and fingerboard materials, pickup options, bridge and pickguard options and many more. You can literally create the custom guitar you have always dreamed of playing and have the company Leo Fender founded build it for you!

Have Your Dream Bass Built by Spector

The Spector Euro Series continues the tradition of innovation and quality begun by Stuart Spector in his small custom workshop in Brooklyn, NY in 1976. Drawing on many years of legendary design, Spector’s Euro Series basses are individually handcrafted using only the finest source materials, including hand-selected tone woods from the United States and Europe.

Spector Custom Shop in Czech Republic

Spector Euro basses can be custom ordered with your choice of features including a choice of premium pickups from Bartolini & EMG, your choice of a USA figured maple or European poplar burl top, and a choice of almost a dozen custom finishes including Blue Flame, Solid White, Solid Black, Tobacco Sunburst and Quilted Cherry.

All Spector Euro Series custom builds are done in the Spector Custom Shop in the Czech Republic and can take anywhere from 10-14 months to complete. If you are looking for a Spector lefty or righty, 4 string or 5 string Euro Series Bass this Christmas, you may want to order fromour existing stock of righty and lefty models here.

Own a Piece of Guitar History: Vintage Guitars and Modern Classics

For many of us the Dream Guitar we want this Christmas is a vintage guitar, one that you probably associate with an influential guitarist or band, or a legendary guitar maker like Leo Fender or Les Paul. The general rules for vintage guitars are that they are going to be used or at least previously owned, they might have some minor blemishes or flaws (that actually add to the character of the instrument), and they are rare or hard to find. This means that their availability is subject to change, making it really important that you get in touch with us about any vintage or classic instrument you are interested in right away. A perfect example is this, the holy grail of Les Pauls:

Vintage 1952 Gibson USA made Les Paul Goldtop.

The Gibson Les Paul is one of the most widely played and most sought after guitars in the world today. From the early 1950‘s, until 1958, all Les Pauls had this amazing gold finish, which is why all Les Pauls from that era are called Goldtops. These guitars are prized by collectors not only as great sounding guitars, but also as pieces of music history.

Gibson Les Paul Demo:

The classic single cutaway body is Mahogany with a Maple top, and features a Mahogany neck with Rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlays and two single-coil P90 pickups. Classic Les Pauls are loved and collected by guitarists like Jimmy Page, Slash, Neil Young and Alex Lifeson.

Visit our website to learn more about thisamazing Goldtop:

 

Yeah, But I want a Dream Guitar I Can Play

Guitars like Gibson Goldtops are pieces of music history, but they are more suited to collectors than to players. But if you want a dream guitar that you will play for hours and hours, you need to find more recently-designed modern classics, built with advanced ergonomics and incredible features that make them sought after for their tone and playability. A perfect example of this is the:

Hamer 1993 USA GATS-SO Studio Double Cutaway Electric Guitar

This gorgeous flamed maple cherry burst Hamer double cutaway features an arch-top body with a Wilkinson fixed bridge and two Seymour Duncan humbucker pickups. The body is contoured for comfort, allowing you easy access to all 22 of its frets. The rosewood fretboard with pearl dot inlays is incredibly playable and offers amazing sustain. Check out this beauty on our website.

Hamer Archtop Demo

Boutique Guitars: Collectible Guitars You Will Never Put Down

Boutique guitars are hand made guitars by master luthiers whose attention to detail and hand-craftsmanship put them in a category of their own. At ADK Guitars we sell many boutique models and are proud to be the official left-handed dealer for Teye Guitars (read more about themhere:) who make many of the most innovative boutique guitars on the market today.

Many people put boutique guitars into the same category as collectible guitars, believing that they are like pieces of art that should be displayed on the wall, but not necessarily played. Teye Guitars, however, were designed and built with incredible, paradigm-shifting electronics that solve all of the problems that have been plaguing guitars for decades. Owning a Teye is like owning several guitars in one! Check out our selection ofTeye guitars here:  

Teye Coyote Demo:

Another master luthier who creates gorgeous hand crafted instruments that we work with here at ADK Guitar is Joe Naylor atReverend Guitars. Naylor’s background in industrial design, and his years of experience working as a vintage guitar repairman and luthier gave him all of the tools necessary to design and build guitars that push the boundaries of form and function, tone and playability. A great example of that is another Dream Guitar for many of us here at the shop,

 

The Reverend Air Sonic W

Reverend Air Sonic W at NAMM 2018  

With the Air Sonic W Semi Hollow Body, Reverend founder Joe Naylor sought to realize a personal dream: to combine the sustain and attack of a solid body, with the big tone of a hollow body. With radically thinner wings, thru-body-f-holes allowing the body to resonate, and a thick center ridge delivering solid sustain, the Air Sonic W is the realization of Naylor’s sonic dreams!

The roasted maple neck is heat treated to over 300° F in a process that is designed to remove moisture, sugars and impurities from the wood. The result is an exceptional maple neck that is more stable and lighter, with a rich, vintage caramel color. The hardware and electronics feature Railhammer Humcutters that capture the clarity and dynamics of a P90 without the hum. The revolutionary pickup design from Reverend founder Joe Naylor features rails under the wound strings, and poles under the plain strings, delivering tight lows and fat highs with exceptional clarity and punch.

Buy theAir Sonic Here

Dream Big This Christmas

Think these beautiful dream guitars, and hundreds more, are unattainable this Christmas? Actually, they aren’t! You won’t need to do anything drastic, like sell a kidney, to afford your personal Dream Guitar. At ADK Guitar we offer easy financing and taketrade-ins and buy used guitars, making even the most expensive dream guitars attainable this holiday season. Even if you aren’t local, you can contact us through our websitewww.adkguitar.com  or call us at tel: 1-518-746-9500 to discuss the availability and pricing of the dream guitars you’ve just read about or get more details on special orders and custom builds. If you are local and would like to visit, you can drop in any time during our normal business hours, 10-5 M-F, and 10-3 Sa (closed Sunday).

Plan a Trip to ADK Guitar

If you have been visiting our website for years but have never had the chance to make it to our shop and would like to plan a trip to our family run shop in Hudson Falls, NY, give us a call or contact us on our website to let us know you’re coming. We can have whatever instruments or amplifiers that you are interested in checking out ready to go when you arrive. We’d love to meet you!