Just a quick note to say I haven't disappeared, I'm just swamped at the moment. Besides the day job, I have five websites I am working on for my own business, and unfortunately I haven't had much time for many updates. I'll try to resume normal transmitions as soon as possible.

I meant to post this on Friday but I have been so very busy. Jimi Hendrix's guitar that he set alight at Astoria in Finsbury Park, north London, in March 1967 recently went under the hammer. The lucky winner was guitar collector Daniel Boucher (not pictured with the guitar, that's the original owner). It went for a cool US$495,000.

I've got to say, for a guitar that has been on fire, it seems to be in fairly good condition. I would have expected the pickups and pick guard to be in worse shape than they are.

The new owner had the following to say:

“I thought I’d have to pay a little bit more for it, actually. I am going to play it, I hope some of it rubs off on me.”

Cool, what ever you saved on the "cheap" price you got, you can give it to me. Obviously you won't miss it.

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I didn't get a chance to post this the other day, but you knew there was no way I would miss this. Yet another Limited Edition Goldtop on it's way, this time featuring my main man Slash. Maybe I should name this site SlashToyBox... ooh that sounds wrong.

Anyway, here is the lowdown:

Two models, Gibson and Epiphone.

Epiphone:

• mahogany body (with maple top) and neck
• Slash neck profile
• rosewood fingerboard
• 22 frets, 24.75″ scale length
• Tune-o-matic bridge
• LockTone stopbar tailpiece
• 2 Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro-II humbucker pickups
• 3-way pickup switch
• 2 volume and 2 tone controls

Gibson:

• Slash neck profile
• skull and crossbones and top hat logo with his signature headstock
• Plek system setup
• Custom Slash Electronics
• rosewood fingerboard
• 22 frets, 24.75″ scale length
• Tune-o-matic bridge
• LockTone stopbar tailpiece
• 2 Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro-II humbucker pickups
• 3-way pickup switch
• 2 volume and 2 tone controls

The Gibson is limited to 1000 guitars, and the Epiphone is not as limited at 2000.

If you go to the Epiphone website there is a contest where you can win the guitar, a hat, and a special certificate. Needless to say I have already entered.
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I remember the day I got her. I has already realised that my BC Rich Warlock was the biggest waste of money I had ever spent. So I walked guitar case in hand to Muso's Corner looking for a trade in. I lost half my money on that guitar but it was worth it.

There she was, hanging from the shelf. Amazing figure, beautiful sunburst finish. Well within my price range. I piked her up. The neck didn't really feel like a standard Les Paul type neck. More like an SG. Thinner, more svelte. I plugged her into the stores Marshall (and I thought I'd never own a Marshall, but I do now) and fell in love with her voice. That day I walked out the happiest kid on the planet.

I've now owned that guitar for 16 years. She is Sunny - my Epiphone Les Paul Std.

Sure, she's "only" an Epiphone, but that guitar has been through hell and back with me. Even with all my flirtations with other guitars, PRS, Fenders, and even a Epiphone Goth LP with the hottest pickups I have ever heard in a "budget" guitar, she is the guitar I keep coming back to.

Is it because she is the best guitar I own? No, that would be the PRS SE. Is it because she is in the best condition? Definitely not. It's her voice. This guitar is just one of those freak things that sounds better thanthe sum of it's parts. A friend of mine recently bought two other Epiphones - an Ace Frehley and some other generic model with a beautiful wine red finish. The Ace Frehley felt the most like sunny, but sounded too hot. The other was too dark, too woollen. Sunny is just one of these rare one off's that I was lucky enough to obtain.

I'm sure several people reading this site have more than one guitar. I know I do. But do you have a favourite? Do you have a "go to" guitar that you just can't do without? And if so, what is it? Why?