"Why I Love My Acoustic Guitar"!

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I was recently asked to contribute a few words to a Musician's Friend blog post entitled "Why I Love My Acoustic Guitar". I mentioned my Hurricane BF-402 and self-customised Kent 8-string both of which I have written about here before.

Isn't it typical that both these guitars are now out of action? The Kent needs a bit more setting up as the action (no doubt increased by the additional tension) is making it a chore to play but also there's a fault in the wiring of the Hofner pickup I added. It shouldn't be too much of a job to sort out but it's not a guitar I play very much and so it's a job that's been consigned to the backburner.

Of more concern is my hitherto trusty Hurricane which has seen me well through many guitar club meetings, practice sessions, the odd open mic night and occasional performances. Not only has the bridge started lifting but it has developed an annoying buzz on the low E string. A closer inspection shows the neck is starting to do an impression of a banana. These are things that can be fixed, but I figured, this guitar cost me £20 (plus £10 shipping) a couple of years ago and I've had loads of playing time out of it; it's time to retire it and take the plunge and get a new guitar.

After a lot of research - because I am on a limited budget - I have now ordered a new acoustic guitar which I have high hopes for and should be receiving some time next week. I'll post about it again once I've had the chance to have a play and make some kind of evaluation.

G L Wilson

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Hurricane Model BF-402

guitarz.blogspot.com:

These photos illustrate quite nicely the evil presented by stickers and why they should never be allowed to sully a guitar's appearance. This guitar had its stickers removed after many years and whilst the uncovered finish of the guitar's top had changed to a more golden colour with age, the area beneath the stickers has remained the original colour.

Actually, this is my guitar. I bought it in this condition last week, and despite the above little rant I really am not bothered by its appearance. In a way, it adds character, but more to the point I really don't care because I got an absolute bargain here. It only cost me £20 (OK, call it £30 with post and packing). I don't think anyone else was bidding because of the appearance of the guitar. But, it's a really nice player (much better than my Ovation "thing" with the horrible action and which set me back between £300-£400 a few years back). I can't tell you how pleased I am with this guitar.

But... Has anyone heard of Hurricane guitars? The name sounds familiar, but I can't find out anything much about them. Apparently they made a few of the usual Fender and Gibson solidbody knock-offs. This acoustic was made in Japan - the seller reckoned 1970s but I tend to think 1980s is more likely - and the label inside the soundhole tells us that it's the Model BF-402. It's quite obviously a Martin copy, but its not a top of the range guitar. Witness the simple black binding on the body and total lack of neck binding. The tuners are also of the open-back type, although they function perfectly competently. The Hurricane logo is a quite a simple affair, if you could even call it a logo. It's just the name set in a particular font, and with the individual characters at different heights it looks as if it was designed using LetraSet letters (who remembers LetraSet? They were sheets of transfers that you had to apply to a surface by rubbing and peeling away the backing sheet).

So, anyway, the lesson is keep checking those auctions, and try to see beyond initial appearances.

G L Wilson

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