[Slewfoot2000]

Hi Gang! Got a little something new I figured I’d share since you all may get a kick out of it.

Last year I got in touch with Dan Erlewine as I noticed he had a Jerry inspired Numbers Strat for sale. As we got to talking, it turns out that he still had a few pieces of wood left from the same Walnut used on Jerry’s and Albert King’s guitars.

I decided to commission one with a few changes. One being having the actual numbers more similar to regular Strat fretboard dots in size. And another being a 14” radius.

It arrived this week and is truly fantastic. It doesn’t necessarily sound like Jerry, but it does sound like an absolute killer classic Strat. And as we know, that’s certainly pretty close regardless!

To my ears, so many Strats have tuning and intonation issues. This one has none of that and plays incredibly clean. I guess that’s what happens when you get one of the world’s legendary luthiers to make a guitar!

Can’t wait to dive into it more!

[Searing75]

Awesome! Hard tail is the only way to go with a Strat IMHO.

[TI4-1009]

Wow! Very cool. Love Dan Erlewine. (prefer the Roman numerals though...).

[Jon S.]

I liked it immediately upon seeing it yesterday but upon further reflection today, I love it. You made excellent design and cosmetic choices for your Strat. Curious where you live - would love to hear it someday.

[Jon S.]

Wow! Very cool. Love Dan Erlewine. (prefer the Roman numerals though...).

About the quote in your sig line (which I liked enough for it to inspire me to look it up), here's what Quote Investigator says about it:

"Quote Investigator: The Roman educator Quintilian (Marcus Fabius Quintilianus) published a multi-volume work about rhetoric titled “Institutio Oratoria” (“Institutes of Oratory”) around the year 95 CE. Quintilian discussed strategies of persuasion. Here is a passage from book 8 chapter 2 translated into English by scholar Harold Edgeworth Butler. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1]

For we must never forget that the attention of the judge is not always so keen that he will dispel obscurities without assistance, and bring the light of his intelligence to bear on the dark places of our speech. On the contrary, he will have many other thoughts to distract him unless what we say is so clear that our words will thrust themselves into his mind even when he is not giving us his attention, just as the sunlight forces itself upon the eyes.

Therefore our aim must be not to put him in a position to understand our argument, but to force him to understand it. Consequently we shall frequently repeat anything which we think the judge has failed to take in as he should.

Below is the key phrase in its original Latin form:[2]

Quare non, ut intelligere possit, sed, ne omnino possit non intelligere, curandum.

QI believes that Quintilian’s statement was the seed which produced the efflorescence of sayings under examination. For example, in 1807 James Beattie who was a Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic at Marischal College in Scotland published “Elements of Moral Science”. Beattie cited Quintilian when he presented his own version of the saying:[3]

We should study, says Quintilian, not only to be understood in what we speak or write, but to make it impossible for the attentive to misunderstand us."

[Slewfoot2000]

I liked it immediately upon seeing it yesterday but upon further reflection today, I love it. You made excellent design and cosmetic choices for your Strat. Curious where you live - would love to hear it someday.

Thanks and glad you enjoy it! I’m just outside NYC. Feel free to reach out if you’re in the area sometime!

[franklins_timmy]

@Slewfoot2000 that is a great looking guitar! Really like the changes you made too. Do you know if he would be willing to do other custom builds & how to reach out to him? Would you mind sharing the cost?... understand if not. Thanks

[Slewfoot2000]

@Slewfoot2000 that is a great looking guitar! Really like the changes you made too. Do you know if he would be willing to do other custom builds & how to reach out to him? Would you mind sharing the cost?... understand if not. Thanks

Thanks! He may be willing to do other builds…he doesn’t have much of this original wood left, but he has made some from similar walnut for less.

I paid in the high teens and not sure what a build from other woods would be. Maybe low teens?

Yes, not cheap, but I justified it with the simple fact that there is literally no other way to get the same builder using wood from the same tree as one of Jerry’s guitars. Based on that logic, it was an easy decision. :^)

If you - or anyone - is serious about a build, happy to connect you with Dan. Just send me a PM if so.

[TI4-1009]

YIKES! High teens for a copy of a guitar that Jerry used for about ten minutes??? It's a nice guitar, but..... wow.

I'd find my clothes out on the front lawn

[Slewfoot2000]

^ Ha! I hear you…the market is what it is unfortunately…Dan has worked a long time to get where he is and I’m glad that all funds went directly to him and not a store or broker taking a significant cut.

Personally, I think the combination of a legendary luthier plus the OG wood was worth the stretch, but totally get it that some others may not. This was by no means an everyday purchase for me, but sometimes ya gotta try and make it work…for me, it makes more sense than current pricing for some of the Tiger / Wolf replicas that are going for $25K these days.

I view it as simply more of a truly fantastic guitar that has a connection to one of our favorite people…it’s a great guitar first and a Jerry inspired guitar second.