People have been asking me about my guitars and gear - by the way, that's the neck and headstock of my custom Maton Mastersound electric in the image above - so I've started adding some pictures and info below!
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Guitars
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MATON ECW 80 CUSTOM ACOUSTIC
This is where it all began for me...my first guitar was a Maton Acoustic Dreadnought, built in my home town of Melbourne, Aust. That wonderful old instrument is now retired from active service and I currently play this custom shop ECW80, with spruce face and Australian native timbers in the back and sides. |
MATON 'MASTERSOUND' CUSTOM ELECTRIC
Originally designed as a short-scale model, this custom-shop Mastersound was one of the first long-scale versions made. The luthiers at Maton also obligingly messed around with different components, including 'hotting up' the pick-ups and converting it from a 3 pot control configuration to my generally preferred 2 pot set-up. This is a wonderful, rude-sounding guitar with lots of bottom end and I played it a lot on the BMA nominated 'Lucky 13' album. Check out www.maton.com.au for more info on Maton guitars, including their innovative use of Australian native timbers as tone woods.
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THE 'BLUE EMPRESS' TELECASTER
This beautifully crafted and finished custom Tele was built for me by Steve White from Florida, USA.
A guy who is fanatical about detail (yes, the screw heads on the scratch plate ARE all in alignment) - he designs a one-off color for each of his instruments. The 'Blue Empress' also has an etched plate with my photo on it at the base of the neck, instead of a serial number! The blue sparkle finish photographs differently according to the light - beautiful... It is fitted with Broadcaster pick-ups from Chris Kinman, Australia, for vintage tone and no hum. www.kinman.com
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She's so darn pretty, I thought I'd give you another shot...
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BEETON RESONATOR
Featured on my acoustic 'Sweet Jelly Roll' album, this brass bodied instrument was built by Greg Beeton, Australia. It is a single-resonator model - and it really 'sings'. It was built for me (in top-secret) as a wedding present, thanks to my splendid husband Steve 'The Preacher' Clarke. Originally set-up to play finger-picking country blues and ragtime material, I've now also started using it for playing acoustic slide.
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THE OL' TELE
A wonderful, honest old plank of wood...this was my first electric guitar (I started out on borrowed instruments). A '68 Fender Telecaster that had been 'messed' with by the time I got it; it had an incongruous Gibson style tail peice and a crappy bridge & bridge pickup that didn't match. It was only really playable on the front pickup - but that always sounded great! The previous owner had at least removed the unsympathic '70's black metallic paint-job. I played it and played it until I wore off the fret board. In retirement until a recent re-build by Australian luthier Jim Dyson, it now boasts new frets, finger board and bridge set-up - and a fantastic hand wound back pickup designed and made by Jim to match the original funky vintage front pickup. Thanks, mate! www.jimdysonguitars.com.au
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MATON CUSTOM BB1200 HOLLOW BODY SEMI-ACOUSTIC
A beautiful hollow body electric that combines a great look with a classic tone. The Queensland Maple body, capped with Victorian Blackwood, and a Rock Maple neck gives me maximum sustain, a beautifully warm and rounded tone, and enough bite to give the guitar its own place in live situations. The high gloss finish is a Classic White with black bindings. The BB1200 is fitted with Tonepros nickel stop tailpiece and bridge set and Maton JHB & JHN pickups with Alnico 8 magnets, developed specifically for the BB.
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The lastest addition to my collection is this Gretsch 6120RHH Reverend Horton Heat Custom. I love the vintage maple lacquer finish, along with the 1955 Gretsch western block cactus, steerheads and fence pearl inlays on the ebony fret board. This guitar has a unique combination of 1958 TV Jones Classic pickups and control set-up, pinned rosewood Adjusto-matic bridge, 1956 B6C Bigsby tremolo, Sperzel locking tuners, and clear Pickguard. I'm really looking forward to getting to know the other 'Reverend' in my life!
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"My main instruments are the Maton ECW 80 acoustic and
the Maton Mastersound electric and they are definitely an asset to my style of blues playing."
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