A friend sent me this picture of his Vox semi-acoustic bass guitar.

Does anyone out there know anything about these lesser-known Vox instruments?

Apparently the guitar is labelled as being "Made in Japan". Does anyone have any idea of when this might have been made?

However, it's a real beauty, isn't it?

Update: It does look a little like the Vox Cougar bass with several differences: the pickups are not the same, the tailpiece is comletely different, the Cougar on the Vox website has a scratchplate (sure, this could have been lost), the headstock is a different shape, and the VOX logo isn't quite the same.

Happy Birthday to one of the UK's finest songwriters, formerly of Squeeze, Mr Glenn Tilbrook, who is 46 years old today.

Cheap Guitars Are Fun - I was pleased to find this site, as it's the work of an old friend of mine who I had lost touch with. Some nice piccies and stories surrounding this guitar collection including Futurama, Hagstrom and Egmond guitars amongst others.

Jeff Beck’s guitar still sings  Daily Trojan, student newspaper of the University of Southern California

...and today's guitarist birthday is...

Shania Twain, who is 38 today!

Wait a minute... she's not really known as a guitarist, is she? Come to think of it, does she actually play the guitar?

Oh well, in that case, today's Birthday wishes must instead go to THIS WEBSITE which is one year old today! (See the very first day's postings here).

I originally started this site as a weblog so as to keep track of interesting guitar links that I found. I didn't know really how often I would be able to update it or how much material I would be able to find for inclusion in it, but I'm happy to say that it'g grown into something approaching really quite good (in my estimation).

I do wish I'd get more feedback from people though. It seems a shame that most people only find their way here through a search on Google. I have considered letting other people sign up and write for this weblog... if anyone is interested, please drop me a line!

754 guitars rock into the record book with 'Louie Louie'  The Seattle Times

...and whilst we're still on the subject of Micro-Frets guitars, here's a photo of Wreckless Eric (a.k.a. Eric Goulden) which I took last week on the occasion of the launch of his autobiography at The 100 Club, Oxford Street, London on 21 August 2003. And, yes, that battered green guitar is a Micro-Frets.

I would highly recommend Eric Goulden's "A Dysfunctional Success - The Wreckless Eric Manual", which is available for a mere £10 from www.theturkeyzone.co.uk

Photos of Micro-Frets guitars courtesy of www.fetishguitars.com.

Speaking of Micro-Frets guitars: Micro-Frets Guitar Secrets Revealed!

Hendrix, Allman top Rolling Stone guitar list
Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman lead the list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time in the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Hendrix, who invariably tops such polls, received a glowing tribute from Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who wrote that he "made the electric guitar beautiful." Allman was hailed by the magazine for transforming "the poetry of jamming" with the Allman Brothers Band, the Atlanta rock group he founded with younger brother Gregg in 1969. B.B. King, who turns 78 next month, came in at No. 3. Clapton landed at No. 4, followed by Delta bluesman Robert Johnson. Rounding out the top 10 were Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ry Cooder, Jimmy Page and Keith Richards. (Reuters)

Presenting the Earvana compensated nut.

(Wasn't that the same idea behind the nut on the now legendary Micro-Frets guitars?)

Q: What is the connection between Gene Simmons of Kiss and Elvis Costello?

A: They both have birthdays today. Elvis Costello is 49 and Gene Simmons is 54.

Searchers bassist dies
Tony Jackson, bass player for the 1960s "Merseybeat" band The Searchers, has died. He was 63. Full story...

Someone found this site on Google using this search: help strings on fender stratocaster too close to neck.

Get yourself a bunch of allen keys and raise the string height on the saddles at the bridge, using one of the smallest allen keys to adjust the height on the 2 little grub screws on each saddle that you want to raise. That ought to do the trick. If, however, the action if too low on the neck nearer to the nut, you may need to raise the nut or else replace it for another with shallower string slots.

If anyone else has any queries like this you can always email me, rather than doing a hit or miss search on Google. If I don't know the answer I might know someone (or a website) that does,

Cambridge Guitar Orchestra and Havant Area Guitar Orchestra - very interesting - guitar orchestras here in the UK.

Niibori Guitar World - all you ever wanted to know about the japanese guitar orchestra!

Santana guitar under hammer to help Iraqis, Palestinians Gulf News

Here's an intriguing and innovative design that enables a small bodied acoustic to sound louder, and also gives stereophonc acoustic sound(!): FUNNELbody guitars and basses.

Also, check out their double-sided guitars.

And today's birthday boy is John Deacon of Queen, 52 years old today!

Guitarist birthdays I missed earlier this month include: David Evans a.k.a. The Edge of U2 who turned 42 on the 8th, David Crosby who was 62 on the 14th, and at the end of last month I also missed out one of my fave ever guitarists, Daniel Ash (Love and Rockets, Bauhaus, etc) who was 46 on the 31st July.

"Show us your Strat", say Fender.

I'd show them mine, but I sold it last year, and somehow I don't think the "Strats" I've bolted together from spare parts qualify.

Keith Richards Caption Contest

I'm off on my holidays for the first two weeks of August and so won't be able to update this website until my return. In the meanwhile, here's a picture of Keef for your viewing pleasure. Please leave suggested captions in the COMMENTS beneath this post.