VICTOR'S CURRENT FLEET OF GUITARS

 

I currently own five guitars. Why so many? They are each very different and used for different styles of music. But the reality is, playing guitar turns one into a guitar addict spending hours practicing and all available spare cashflow to purchase newer guitars. There's always a shinier, louder, cooler-looking guitar out there.

 

  
Casa Montalvo Fleta Model Negra
  
Taylor 714

Flamenco guitars are very similar to classical guitars in size and nylon strings, but have a thinner body for a sharper, more percussive sound, and very low string action. Spruce top, Cocobolo back and sides, ebony fretboard, mahogany neck, friction tuning pegs. This is an amazing flamenco guitar. I agonized over this model and the blanca (cypress back and sides) and settled on the negra. The blanca is now Jason McGuire's favorite performance guitar.

Made 2002, Imported by Berkeley Music Exchange

  

Off the shelf production steel string Taylor Grand Auditorium guitar. The body size is between a Dreadnought and a Grand Concert. Spruce top, rosewood back and sides, ebony fretboard, mahogany neck. This is a typical Taylor: very nice neck, excellent action, great sound, good balance for fingerpicking or strumming.

Made around 1996. Purchased from Great Salt Lake Guitar Co.
     
 
 
Fender Stratocaster
Classical guitar with cedar top, laminated rosewood back and sides, ebony fretboard, mahogany neck. This guitar was given to me by Matt Harding. When I started playing and was looking for my first good guitar, I found this one, but wanted a steel string. I showed it to Matt and he bought it. Years later, he gave it to me. What a nice guy. Oh, and the damage on the top? Um...accident by me trying to remove a temporary tap plate. It's a fantastic sounding guitar with a rich full sound.   Electric guitar, Japanese made model. Don't know what the body is made of, probably Alder. Maple neck, ebony fretboard. Bought it used from a guy needing to make rent. His loss.
     
 
Fat Dog Dobro - aka "The Hubcap"
  
Bottleneck Slide
I bought this cheap dobro from a local Berkeley shop on Cedar St. It's pretty nice and has good action and the classic raspy, jangly dobro sound. Fun for open-tuned slide blues.   Used along with the dobro for blues slide music. I wear it on my pinkie finger. Some wear it on their middle finger, but then they're weird.