Treated myself this birthday to a new toy. I have played Strats all my life. I have always wanted something to break up my collection a little bit without being too radical. Two months ago I walked into my local music retailer and spotted this gem hanging on the wall. What drew me was the simplicity, no dumb graphics, just a clean look with some not so common features. It was built in-house.

It's the first prototype from Roberts Custom Shop and they called it 001.

Stats:-Mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard-Sperzel Locking Tuners-Wilkinson Bridge-Dimarzio Area 67 Neck-DiMarzio PAF Pro Bridge-1 Volume, no tone control-3 Way Switch-1 Coil Splitter-Jumbo frets-12" Radius board-Body and Neck cut from blanks, these are not built using WD, Stew Mac or Allparts. All hand built.

It's Strat-ish in looks only. The crazy thing about this guitar is that while it can wail when fully open it has quite a bit of twang to it. All switch positions are to die for if you are a rockabilly person like myself. It looks 80's metal but it twangs, I had to have it! I met with the builder, Rob, who went over the whole thing with me. I have been stopping in and trying it out for the last 2 months, today I pulled the trigger. Comes with a hardshell case and free adjustments for life. Rob also told me that he can make any changes I want to it including body and neck if need be. All American parts! It lacks the logo because only they didn't have it ready in time for my purchase, that doesn't bother me though, it's a prototype!

Anyway, here it is...Roberts 001.



The thing plays like a dream and is set up with 10-46, they play like 9-42 on this thing, I had to ask them to be mic'd so I knew what size to put on it. The only thing I can compare it to sound wise is the guitar sound on early Jesus Lizard albums. Hard and biting.

it looks way plain,but the color is awesome.

I want a semi hollow body guitar. I like my ES-125 but its still kinda big and its an es-125.

I just put my electric guitar back together. It looks hideous. plus way thinner than I like.

I 'll try to get a pic of my guitar. also Might be getting an electric bass for $20, that I have to fix.

Thanks, it is plain but then again I like understated looks when it comes to guitars. It's more about tone and playability than style. The color and neck are to die for, they did a great job.

Crap electric guitar put back together by me last month. Pick board covered in wood colored duct tape

I am actually trying to get away from Strats in their traditional form. I have been a Strat guy since I was 10, got my first when I was 14 (still have it). My collection in a nutshell: 2004 American Strat, 1990 Japan 68 Reissue Strat, 1986 Japan Squier Standard Strat. As I said I didn't want anything too radical but I did not want it to say Fender on the headstock.

I'm a drummer that wants to play bass. I am trying to get a cheap to free electric bass to start on. I need to build my drum set back up and start a band. I feel like making music.

Here's the collection minus the acoustic.



L to R:

2002 Highway One Strat with Vintage Noiseless, Locking Tuners, AV57RI bridge swap, Super Switch mod

1986 Japanese Squier Strat with Hot Noiseless, TBx Master Tone Pot

1989 Japanese 1968 Reissue with Dimarzio Class of '55 Pups, Tbx Master Tone Pot (My first Strat purchased brand new when I was 14)

Roberts Prototype 001- Stats listed above

2004 Fender Highway One Jazz Bass with Dimarzio DP123 Stacked Jazz pups.

Nice. I want a bass guitar. You good at slappin da bass?

I'm actually really bad at bass. I know the notes and can get around but I couldn't hold down a band groove as good as a real bass player. I dabble.

yeah I am trying to get one for next to free, but that kinda difficult, but I want to dabble.

I had an Ibanez GX190 Bass for a few years, it was the entry level starter pack, but It grew on me. It had a nice neck shape, slender and round at the top and flat and wide more up the neck. I had a moose-shinbone nut made for it (about $40), and it really helped the resonance of the instrument.

Rev, how are string bends with that tremolo bridge?