Jayson’s Weblog

So, that might not seem like something to write about, but since I have not bought a guitar in something like 15 years, and due to the interesting circumstances in which I got it, I am writing about it, so there!

(BTW, click the images below for larger versions or here is the Flicker gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/19724636@N00/sets/72157601536873488/ )

So I recently finished school (BSCS degree, I have been trying to do forever) and decided playing guitar again was something I was going to do once I finished that. So I finished and head out to get one.

The process was this: first I consulted musicians I know and got recomendations on how to go about getting one and where. I needed this help as it has been a while and I was not so smart back when I was getting them, back in the day ( that is, when they were not given to me, which also happened [thank you Jay]). So based on this info, I first went to a large store to try many with the intention of getting the one I liked, at an online store like MusiciansFriend.com, etc. I won’t mention the name of the shop as not offend them accidentally, but I went to this shop on Van ness (***GUITAR CENTER***). Let me say this right off, as I had heard, this shop  totally sucked, but they had a lot of guitars and I could try a bunch in one sitting. Well, at this lame-o shop, that I am not naming, they have all these high school kids and some old ex am-pm graveyard shift chashiers all standing around to ask you “everything cooool maaaaan”. BUT, BUTT! all of the guitars on the floor are out of tune and adjusted so that every string buzzes in as many frets as possible. It is hard to make them buzz on that first row but I think with extra effort they can get it going. If they lowered them so that the strings touched the pickups, that might do it actually, but who am I, just an amature. So anyway, I played, or tried to play, a good mix of guitars. First, I played the Mexican Strats, Korean ones, and some of the expensiveish ($800 range) American ones. All buzzed the same, so hard to choose based on that. All were equally out of tune, so hard to choose based on that. So I gave up on Fender. Went to Gibson, and after tuning one of the low end ones (it is a double cutaway les paul, looks like an old melody maker), I was almost happy with one. Except it was $800 and I was not really thinking in that range at that point. I then decided to try something really expensive, as a musician I know recomemded I should, and grabbed this American Fender, Clapton special edition off the wall. It was great, I’ll take two of em, or heck one in each color. But wait, it is $1400. Ok, I will not get any guitars, that would be best I thought. So I left dissapointed.

So after that I kind of gave up. But later I was on ebay and clicking around and decided to look at what was out there just the same. I actually start watching some new Strats made in Japan (Since Japanese quality is really grate for any other thing) and a used one or two made here in the US. But I was not looking too seriously. Then I start to think, like bicycles, there must be these little makers around that make great things and here in the US and just they do not have a big name. So I start to search for that. And well nothing reasonable came up for local builders but this one thing in Berkeley sounded neat. So I gave that a shot.  This is what I got at this place (Subway guitars) (photos of it throughout this post).

Subway guitars, http://www.fatdawg.com/ is a guitar shop in Berkeley that has new and used Guitars, but it is a bit more too. This place, for like 30 years, buys overstock, maybe blems, and seconds from the big and little makers out there and builds their own guitars from these parts and sells them at amazing prices. These guitars are made from parts from all over, but they are built right here in the bay area. So kind of hand-made in the US, eah? I mean when you think of hand-made you might think of someone carving wood, etc. But I guess some of that is also that a machine or factory worker who could care less about the next item that came dowm the ramp for them to hit with a power screwdriver and pass on, does not always do as good of a job as a guitar fan, working with their hands to drive that screw. Well that is how Subways guitars are different.

The guy that runs Subway, Fat Dawg ( I never heard him refered to as anything other than this) is there and he gave me a little more info than is on the web site about the process. See, at Subway, this Fat Dawg (Mr. Fat Dawg?) has this shop and he has these kids that are into music, studying music, or maybe wanting to learn how to make Guitars, come out there and build these guitars for him. In return he teaches them (and I hear eats are free there too) and I assume he pays them a little something, or at least he should. Anyway, he told me that he gives them freedom too. They create Guitars from the stock of parts that they would want to play or have, for themselves and so the guitars come out pretty unique (at least from each other and from the standards you see from Fender for instance). They seem to concentrate in Fender style guitars and it may be that they have a lot of parts from Fender, but they do really different colors and combination. Also the parts mix is a bit different on each one and different from an actually Fender sometimes.

One HUGE difference you notice right away is that all of the guitars there, are set up properly, no buzzing or very little in the worst case. All of the ones I played were in tune and sounded great. Another thing is that this Mr. Dawg, has certain parts he likes and he sticks to these I guess, because the necks on all of these Fender like guitars were GREAT. It was really hard to choose one because they were all set up so well or had a nice fret job done, etc. I was there way too long trying them and could have taken one of three that I was narrowed down to at the end, and not cared which one. I think I finally chose one of the three because it had a Rosewood neck and I like those. But really those three played equally well.

Anyway, I bought one. A red Strat (Subway not Fender or not 100% Fender anyway), the one in these photos. It plays just like that $1400 Clapton thing I tried at that store I am not mentioning that could do with some management for their staff or maybe new staff. BUT, BUT ***BUT*** mine cost $275. Yep that is what he sells them for now (Website says $300). And you migh think, well 275, someting must be wrong with it, it will fall apart, not stay tuned, etc. But well, the policy there at Subway Guitars is that you take the guitar for a couple weeks, if you do not like something, he will change that, or you can take a different Guitar, or just get your cash back. He also will make you a totally custom guitar, but for a little more $$. But eiter way, you are not going to get stuck with something you are not happy with at Subway Guitars.

So mine is a Fender Strat kind of, that you can see in the photos. Click them to go to Flicker for full size versions to see the detail. It is red (Oh they also use some paints and finishes that are not toxic or less toxic than the ones the bg guys use) with this AWSOME retro glittery red pickguard. It has EMG pickups (see not cheaping out on the parts at all) and well I do not know what else it is made from. But it almost plays itself and the sound is AWSOME!!! I cannot believe I got it and for that price. Really it is very close to the feel of that $1400 Clapton special edition Amrican Fender I tried at the sucky guitar shop. Guitars in the price range of Subway’s, at the the big sucky shop had frets an inch high with razor sharp edges and played poorly. Mr. Dawg is doing something really special with his creations.

Oh, and that is not all. He has nice cases and other things there too, at blowout prices. I got a hard case for and a Gigbag for both for blow out prices. Also he throws in a cable and strap and told me to grab as many picks as I liked out of his pick drawer. Can you beat that? Also get this, on the ends of the cable he gives out are these quotes printed on the cable, a diferent one on each end. They are:

“IMPEACHMENT IS NOT ENOUGH”

and

“JAIL FOR LIFE FOR BUSH”

That is a free cable too, can you beat that? I don’t think so. Anyway, I urge anyone in the Bay area looking for a guitar, to check out Subway. At least if your just looking for something to play, not something as an investment. I think he has some old classics there, but I was there for the plain-wrap ones so did not get into that. But go check it out.

BTW, here are some other reviews of other Subway Guitars from “Harmony Central” (I may add a review there and a link there to this blog)

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Subway+Guitars

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