Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Golden Age Guitar Player Magazine - February 2026


Geezer Butler is a Geezer. 
by Di Arrehea Pantz

Ever since he was a young boy, Michael Joseph Butler was called “Geezer”. This apparently was a 1960's Cockney expression equivalent to “hello mate”, or in the USA, “Dude”. 

Geezer Butler 1970's
Michael, uh Geezer was by all accounts a bright lad and did well in school, despite his family’s poverty. In 1963 he had seen The Beatles on the TV, and once waited outside a London television studio, where the group was filming, just to get a glimpse of the Boys. It was there that he met, and struck up a friendship with another Beatle fan named John Ozzy Osbourne. 

It would be another five years, but in 1967 the two would form a band called The Rare Breed. Butler chose to play rhythm guitar. Eventually they met Tommy Iommi, who joined the band, which by 1969 changed it's name to" Earth." 

Because there was a rival band with the same name, and Butler was a fan of old horror movies, the band’s name was changed to Black Sabbath. Iommi wanted to be the only guitarist in the group, so Geezer Butler, at 20 years of age, became the group’s bass guitarist. 

Through the group’s ups and down Geezer remained with Black Sabbath. Geezer Butler played in other band’s as well, including his own band “GZR”, and a group called Heaven and Hell.

Geezer Butler 2025
Quite notably, Geezer Butler was possibly the first bass player to use a Wah-Wah pedal. He also tuned his instrument down to C#-F#-B-E, which is , by all accounts, a very strange tuning. 

Having a career that has lasted nearly six decades, Geezer Butler has successfully bridged the “Duffer” years. And though he is not yet in his eighth decade, Geezer Butler has achieved the venerated title of "Geezer" that all old guys cherish. Congratulations!  

Angus Young is No Longer Young
by Jock McTassie

Angus Young was born in Australia in 1955. In the mid 1950’s his father relocated to Glasgow, Scotland. 

Angus Young
Angus, his mother, and six siblings resided there for seven years. But due to the harsh winters of 1962 and ’63 most of the family said the heck with this, and returned to Sydney Australia. 

Music was a big part of the Young family life with most of the family members playing a musical instrument. Angus Young took up the guitar at age six. He first learned chords on a banjo that he had strung with six strings. He was entirely self-taught. He had been enrolled at Ashfield Boys High School, but dropped out at age 15 to pursue work and earn a living.

Young's very first guitar was a cheap acoustic model purchased second-hand by his mother. After high school, Young bought his first Gibson SG second-hand in 1970 from a music shop just down the street from his home on a payment plan. He stated that “I got out and got a Gibson SG that I played until it got wood rot because so much sweat and water got into it. The whole neck was warped. I bought it second-hand; it was about 1967.”  After that he purchased a different Gibson SG.

Angus’ brothers, George and Malcolm eventually were founding members of the Easybeats, which had a hit record called Friday on My Mind. 

AC/DC
Then in 1973, at age 18, Angus and his brother Malcolm started the group, AC/DC. The group's name came from his sister Margaret who had seen “ac/dc” written on the back of her sewing machine. Margaret was also instrumental in the group by creating Angus' first stage clothing. Unfortunately, the outfits fell apart. 

So at the first concert Angus Young, who is a slight man, wore his Ashfield Boys High School uniform, complete with cap and short pants. This costume, the Gibson SG, and his unique version of Chuck Berry’s duckwalk have become his trademark through the history of AC/DC. 

The group’s original vocalist, Bon Scott, passed away at age 33 from alcohol poisoning. Malcolm Young, the band's rhythm guitarist, became ill in 2014 and passed away. 

Angus Young at 70

Currently, at age 70,  Angus is still the front man of the band, and continues performing. He can still  play those hot licks, and still struts his stuff. But in my opinion, it is sort of sad to see this little old, and nearly bald man, decked out in  schoolboy attire, dancing across the stage with those boney white legs.  Aye Angus , ye are no longer a wee laddie. 

Keef’s Arthritis Tips 

By Polly Esther Fabrique 

I first saw The Rolling Stones on the Ed Sullivan Show in October of 1964. I was smitten by the “guitar bug” earlier that year when the Beatle made their US debut on that show. 

I was only 13 at the time but convinced my folks to purchase a Silvertone guitar and amplifier. Although I was a girl, and I wanted so badly to be in a rock band. 

The Rolling Stones 10/26/1964
At the time The Rolling Stones had two guitar players. One was Brian Jones, and the other was Keith Richards. Keith didn't look to be much older than me. He seemed to be more into playing guitar than the moody Jones. 

Though The Stones had recorded a few albums, the band’s first big hit was I Can’t Get No Satisfaction (because of the double negative, does that mean they can get satisfaction?) That song had such an awesome guitar riff,” Duh-duh - duh duh duh - duh duh duh”, you know the one. 

Keith was the guy that played it on his guitar. At the time I was puzzled how he achieved that incredible sound. I later learned he was using a Maestro Fuzztone. I bought one in the late 1960's for my Silvertone Twin Twelve amp. I never quite got that sound, but it was very close.

After Brian Jones left The Rolling Stones their songs got edgier and I really liked that. 

Keith's Hands
Now at age 82, Keith Richards is still playing guitar, but he has terrible arthritis and swollen joints in his fingers. Richards says that the pain is minimal, and the arthritis is benign, but mercy, his hands look really terrible. 

Through the years, Keith says he has modified his guitar playing to accommodate this disease. He has done so by playing songs using “open chords”, using lighter gauge strings, and modifying his guitars to use only five strings. 

The Boss on His Role As A Preacher
By Al O'Vera

I first heard of Bruce Springsteen around 1974 when I heard his album, “The Wild, The Innocent, and the E-Street Shuffle.” There were some pretty good songs on that album. 

The following year he gave us the iconic “Born to Run” album. His songs were about fears of growing old, and rebellious youth and they reflected the times we were living in back then. 

Bruce Springsteen
By 1982 Springsteen and the E-Street Band recorded “Born In The USA”. This was a great song about a disillusioned Vietnam veteran, the struggles that working class Americans experience, and putting the blame on the politicians in power for the country’s problems. This was Springsteen’s first dip into politics and the beginning of expressing his political point of view through music.  I can certainly relate to the struggles our nation experienced during and following the Vietnam War.

In the late 1980’s Bruce dissolved the E-Street Band. He then became involved with worldwide political causes. Springsteen went on to do perform many acoustic concerts around this same time, in which he sang songs, and spoke of issues he felt were important. However sometimes the crowd was just there to hear Springsteen’s music. I recall a 1981 concert in my fair city where he was criticized for promoting and charging patrons for a concert, but then spending most of the concert pontificating.   

By 2016 Bruce had become totally immersed in preaching to audiences, tossing in a little music. 

Streets of Philadelphia

Back in 1994 Bruce wrote a song called Streets of Philadelphia which depicted the plight of AIDS. 

Now in 2026 “The Boss” recorded "Streets of Minneapolis" which was his protest of the Immigration, and Customs Enforcement arm of the federal government. Bruce wrote the song on Saturday, Jan 24; recorded it on Monday, Jan 26; released Tuesday, Jan 27, 2026. It was a rush job, and it certainly sounded like it.

Bruce Springsteen has a right to air his views. The Vietnam War was terrible. I felt it was run by the Defense Industry. However what is going on in Minnesota is much different. Protesting is one thing. Openly attacking law enforcement...Nah. There has to be a better way. 

Streets of Minneapolis
As for my opinion of Bruce's new song. well I gave it a listen. I really tried to like it. The man is entitled to his opinion.  However old Bruce's voice sounds like a poor imitation of Bob Dylan with a very bad head cold, attempting to unsuccessfully navigate to hit the proper musical notes. Musical notes that it seems he could not find with a flashlight and a search warrant.

Bruce, you and I are no longer young guys. Be happy you achieved a lot of influence, fame and wealth.  But at 76 maybe it is time to retire and let the young guys have their turn. Just sayin'.

One Pill Makes You Larger, And One Pill Makes You Small

By Willie Maekit

Although I never got in to popping pills, when I was 18 I had a bunch of friends that seemed to thrive on taking sopers, yellow jackets, black bettys, and poppers. At the time I didn't quite understand the purpose of those pills. I doubt if my young chemically enhanced friends did either.




2026 Drugs
Jump forward 65 years, and now myself, my friends, and relatives rely more on drugs than we ever did back in the days when we were young. But now they have names like Metoprolol, Atorvastatin, Cardura, Torosemide, Eliquis, and Losartin. As Doctor Seuss once said, "Getting old is not for sissies." 

My fellow old druggies, keep poppin' to survive!

Can You Afford A New Fender American Made Instrument?
by Pollo Cacciatore

Fender American Instruments
The short answer is no. The longer answer is, if you have $2500 to blow on a new instrument it better be a write off for your business. There are certainly wiser options. 

You can purchase a similar new instrument at a much lower price. Hey, I know you want to "buy American", support your country, I dig it. 

Fender Fullerton Factory
If you look back to the 1950's all of those Fender guitars and basses that are now vintage were made by Hispanic men and women in Fullerton, California that worked at the Fullerton factory. Perhaps that is one reason that Fender Musical Instrument Corporation built a plant in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.  

FMIC also has plants in Japan, and Indonesia, and of course Corona, California. Lately tariffs are hurting the company. Last May, Moody's downgraded the company's loan. Though Fender wanted to go public back in 2012, they withdrew their IPO and are still a privately held company. 

$2500 is a lot of money for a luxury purchase, plus the amplifier you use will effect the sound. My advice is, try before you buy. Don't waste your money.

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The Reverend Springsteen doing some preaching,
Tickets to the event - $200 each! No thank you.



Friday, February 6, 2026

Kustom Amplifier - Bud Ross - Complete History

 

Late 1960's Kustom Amps
There are some men that just seem to be born to become entrepreneurs. I don’t know how they obtained their skills and knowledge, but they put it to use and succeed. 

Leo Fender learned how to repair and build radios.  

He later built musical instrument amplifiers, and then electric guitars and created not one, but two successful businesses. 

Charles Bud Ross
Another man, Charles “Bud” Ross built amplifiers and public address systems and created an iconic guitar amplifier company that he eventually gambled away. He then went on to create a satellite manufacturing business, another amplifier company, and guitar pedals, handheld radar units used by police departments, and corner rounding equipment used by print companies. In his spare time, he built boats.
 
Bud Ross was a man, born in West Virginia as the son of a coal miner, that never graduated from high school, who went on to run several million dollar companies. He taught himself and applied his knowledge to the businesses that he created.

I am going to concentrate on the unique amplifiers that became so popular in the 1960’s. Many of these amplifiers were so well constructed that they are still functioning today. 

Bud Ross' music career began at age 18, after meeting Hal Nichols in the Soda Shop in Overland Park, Kansas. Nichols had a four-piece band and Ross became the band's manager. Ross landed the Hal Nichols Band a regular Friday and Saturday night gig at a club called Berry's Barn. It was one of the Kansas City area's earliest rock 'n' roll venues. The club paid the band $50. $10 for each band member and $10 for Ross. 

Since this seemed to be a steady gig for the Nichol’s band, they decided to get rid of Ross. Bud Ross wasn’t having this and he convinced the owner of Berry's Barn to hire a new band. This band was called "The Rebel Rousers," and Ross was the lead singer. 




Ross later joined a band called "The Sliders" and taught himself to play bass. To save money he built his own amp. This was in 1959 and the first one he ever made. in 1959. In 1960, 


Ross then opened The Promenade Ballroom in Kansas City with John "The Barber" Roeder. By then Ross had formed a new band that he called "The Bygones" that played throughout the area, including at The Promenade Ballroom, The Coke Bar in Grandview, Berry's Barn and The Soc Hop in Overland Park. 

Tuck and Roll Upholstery
At The Soc Hop one night, Ross met Dave Gates, who had experience doing custom auto upholstery work. Gates asked if he could "tuck and roll" Ross' homemade amplifier. This was an upholstering technique using Naugahyde that was popular for hot rod seats at the time. The eye-catching look soon became Ross' unofficial trademark. 

Ross became tired of tube amplifiers breaking down all the time and taught himself about electronics. He moved toward transistors and solid-state technology, and away from the temperamental tube technology in standard use at the time. 

The amp he built was incredibly sturdy, with a big, clean, loud sound. It quickly attracted attention from musicians of the era, and Ross started building amps out of his garage. 



By 1964, Ross had enough business to form Kustom Electronics in Chanute, Kansas and make amplifiers on a full-time basis. 






JW Jenkins' Sons Music
Jenkins Music was the big chain in the area, and they had about 15 stores, with maybe four or five in Kansas City, and locations in Topeka, Oklahoma City and Tulsa," "J.W. Jenkins was the president and they carried my amplifier. 

"He took most of the volume. He was very good to me. When an amp breaks down, they would call him and I’d go get it, then fix it up." 

The First Kustom Factory

In 1964, Kustom had built a reputation. Bud Ross acquired a facility that was formerly a supermarket in Chanute Kansas. He set up shop there and hired local people and taught them. Ross and his family lived in an apartment on the upper floor of the building.

New Kustom Factory

By 1966 the business had grown and surpassed expectations. Kustom moved to a new 54,000 square foot building. 




Second Kustom Factory

Within a year the business was doing so well that Bud opened a second manufacturing facility by purchasing a nearby building that once housed an automobile dealership.



This all occurred during an era when a more processed guitar sound was coming into fashion, with distortion and other effects, and Kustom amps were a perfect fit. Big amplifiers were in vogue.





Around this same time Fender attempted to create and sell solid-state amplifiers, which was a dismal failure for this major company. Standel Amplifiers tried the same and most of their solid-state amplifiers were returned due to mechanical problems. 


In 2026 there are many Kustom amplifiers built in the mid 1960’s that are still in working order with little or no maintenance. 

Vox Super Beatle

During the British Invasion the Vox company was very popular with all the British bands. But Vox could not keep up with the demand and became cash strapped. They signed an agreement with the Thomas Organ Company to build solid-state amplifiers, under the Vox brand, for distribution in the United States. Perhaps the US made Vox amps were the closest to Kustom at the time. 




Bud Ross eventually branched into making organs, drums, microphones, guitars and other items, but he got too thin and ended up going bankrupt. He was forced to sell Kustom in June 1972 to Baldwin Pianos. 


Unfortunately, Charles Bud Ross, the founder, was a passionate gambler and in 1973 lost the company in a poker game! The company was renamed Kustom Electronics, Inc., and continued to operate, although it went through many changes in ownership. 

Artists such as the CARPENTERS, JACKSON 5, LEON RUSSELL, CARL PERKINS, JOHNNY CASH, and others relied on them. The Creedence Clearwater Revival used the custom-made Kustom 400 PA System, which provided excellent sound for their concerts from 1969 to 1972 but was financially impractical to transport. 



Kasino Club 2-12
It was in 1972 Bud Ross launched a parallel amplifier company that he called Kasino. By doing this he could avoid dealer licensing conflicts, allowing another store in town to sell the same gear under a different name. 

Much like Kustom, these amplifiers are known for a warm, thick, solid-state sound, often considered great for clean tones. 

They featured conventional Tolex coverings rather than the flashy Kustom "Tuck-and-Roll" style. 

Kasino Amplifiers and sound equipment was made from 1972 to 1975. This bridged the sale of the company to Baldwin Pianos. The internal components of Kasino amplifiers are very similar to those of Kustom amplifiers. 

Kustom Guitars

During the time Bud Ross owned Kustom he produced a line of guitars from 1967¬ to 1969 designed by Doyle Reading, who also designed guitars for Wurlitzer. These were made by the Holman-Woodell Company of Neodesha, Kansas. 

After the sale of Kustom Electronics to the Baldwin Piano Company, Baldwin went on to build their own amplifiers using some of the technology from Kustom amps, but added a few touches inspired by their organs. 

Perhaps the most notable amplifier was the huge Baldwin E-1 Exterminator, which pumped 250 watts into two 8", two 12" and two 15" speakers. It weighed a ton!





Willie Nelson has used his Baldwin C1 amplifier for years. This was a 45 watt amp with twin twelve inch speakers and an interesting “Supersound” tone circuit controlled by the colorful push buttons on the right-hand side of the control panel. 

The Supersound was basically pre-set EQ settings for Treble, Mid 1, Mid 2, Bass, and a mix. A three-way toggle switch allowed the user to switch between normal operation, Supersound operation, and dual operation. 


Getting back to the original Kustom Tuck and Roll amplifiers, the first one offered from 1965 through 1967 was the K200. 






From 1967 to 1971 the K200A and the K200B (bass) and the K100 were offered.  I once owned a Kustom K100.





1971 Kustom Amps

From 1971 through 1974 the front panel was slightly slanted. These models included 150, 250, 300, 500, 600 which replaced the previous series. 4x12 and other speaker configurations became standard. 


The Naugahyde coverings included sparkle finishes, Cascade (teal), black, charcoal, red, blue, and silver. All Kustom amplifiers used high-quality speakers like CTS, Altec Lansing, or JBL. The amplifier chassis was made of steel. The speaker cabinets were made of wood. All were covered with a layer of foam padding that was topped with the tuck and roll Naugahyde covering.  The effects that were built into the amplifiers included tremolo, and a pan reverb.

Baldwin Guitars

By 1972 the profits for Kustom Electronics had dwindled to only $37,700. Feeling burnt out from multiple commercial failures, Bud sold Kustom Music to Baldwin Pianos the same year for $3 million. Baldwin had purchased the Burns Of UK guitar company and needed a companion amplifier. Baldwin's venture into the guitar industry was too little, too late, and short lived.  

By 1977, Bud launched yet another company: ROSS Musical Products. In doing so, he introduced the world to a new line of simple and exceptional-sounding guitar pedals. 

Current Ross Effects Pedals
Although a popular guitar pedal company, JHS, began selling Ross guitar effect pedals in 2023, they dropped the brand in 2024. Ross Audibles is now being run by Bud Ross' grandson, Cameron Ross. In my opinion the Ross Compressor pedal is by far the best. The circuitry of all five Ross guitar effect pedals are based on the Kustom amplifier designs.

Davitt and Hanser
In 1924 a musical instrument and supply manufacture known as Davitt and Hanser started up in the musical instrument business in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

They eventually moved to a warehouse in the Delhi Township, a suburb in the western section of Cincinnati. By the late 1980’s they had purchased the Kustom name and began importing solid state amplifiers for sale using the Kustom name. 


Though the amplifiers bore a logo-badge that said "Kustom", these amps looked nothing like the ones Bud Ross made. However here was some interest in their products. 






Kustom '72 Coupe
In 2005 Davitt and Hanser got serious about Kustom amps and started experimenting with different models. Davitt and Hanser also came out with a large model tuck and roll model tube amp and P.A System. The amplifier looked and sounded great, but were not successful, perhaps because these were manufactured in China at a time that Chinese products were deemed inferior. 

But within just a few years, most major musical instrument manufacturers began building Chinese manufactured products with their logo. 






In my opinion Kustom put this product out a few years too early. Hanser eventually offered a tube amplifier with a tuck and roll design on top that was a great amp. 




Current Kustom Amplifiers
Currently the company is known as The Hanser Music Group, and is still located in Cincinnati, Ohio. They still sell Kustom amplifiers, though they are quite different from the original designs. 

Their products have evolved over the years, but I can attest they are dependable. I purchased a Kustom Acoustic amplifier twenty years ago and it is still in great working order.

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Monday, February 2, 2026

The Takamine Guitar Story - One of Japan's Best Builders

 

1970 Martin 0-16NY
I mentioned in another article my love/hate relationship with a Martin 0-16NY guitar that I once owned. It was a beautiful instrument but must not have been set up properly at the factory. It would never play in tune. After returning it to the Nazareth factory twice with no results, I traded it. Ever since I have searched for something similar.


 


I eventually found a guitar that resembled it but played so much better. This was a Takamine guitar that had a small parlor style body, slightly wide fretboard, and a slotted head. Plus I didn't have to use silk and steel strings like I did on the Martin.  Unfortunately the seller was asking much more than I was willing to pay. 





Early photo of Takamine Factory
I had heard about Takamine (tah-kah-mee-nee), but only knew they were a Japanese guitar manufacturer. Within a few years I saw that a lot of well-known guitar players that were using Takamine guitars instead of Martins. The brand became quite popular in the 1980's due to their unique acoustic pickup system.

Takamine started in 1959 as a small family-run instrument workshop with only five employees. It is located in the town of Sakashita, at the foot of Mount Takamine in central Japan. Hence the company name.

Takamine Guitars
By 1968 The company had grown to 60 employees and had become a leading Japanese builder of classical guitars and mandolins. 

Master luthier Mas Hirade joined Takamine and introduced many effective design and manufacturing improvements. 

To honor his work many of the company’s finest classical models add Hirade’s name. 

Mas Hirade - Company President
In 1970, Mr. Hirade became Takamine’s president. His vision was to expand the company’s audience to a wider international market. One of his first accomplishments was to have Takamine partner with American distributor KMCMusicorp. This was the company that founded and made Ovation Guitars, (Karman Music). 


In 1977, guitarist Glenn Frey of Eagles used an F-400S 12-string model to record the iconic intro to the song "Hotel California". This garnered some serious attention for the brand. 



Palathetic Pickup
Perhaps Takamine’s biggest improvement was the development of the under-saddle Palathetic™ pickup. This piezo based design produced a more natural acoustic sound than prior piezo guitar pickups. The proprietary under-saddle piece composed of six separate, fully shielded piezo transducers, one for each string.  The piezos are outfitted under the bridge plate and make contact with the saddle via metal cylinders. 

It is no small wonder that these instruments allowed the company to become an industry leader and the preferable artist instrument aiming to satisfy the need for musicians of the time by reliably amplifying their acoustic guitars at arena concerts that were constantly growing in size and loudness. 

Ry Cooder - Takamine 
Guitarist Ry Cooder was one of the first musicians to get a hold of the earliest prototypes of the product, which continued to be developed following Cooder's personal feedback. 

The first instrument officially offered to the public with the pickup was model PT-007S in 1979. 

AccuAcoustic Preamp

During the late 1980’s into the ‘90’s Takamine introduced the AccuAcoustic preamp with parametric equalization with digital signal processing. This system was designed by the Korg Company. 

Takamine also introduced a Limited-Edition series. This was a small production of meticulously crafted guitars built by the company’s most talented builders and aimed at the high-end guitar market.

Garth Brooks Signature
During the ‘90’s Takamine collaborated with well-known personalities to create guitars built to the artist’s specifications and needs. 

The Garth Brooks model first appeared in 1995, followed by The John Jorgenson model in 1999. 


In 1993 Takamine began using laser guided CNC machinery to produce more intricate inlay work on the high-end guitars. 



The G-Series models was introduced, aiming to offer more affordable instruments. 

These guitars were manufactured outside of Japan using cheaper labor. An offshoot of Takamine’s budget line are Jasmine Guitars, which are made to Takamine's specifications in Indo-Asian countries using lesser grade materials.




Since March 2015, Takamine's US-North American distribution has been handled by fellow Japanese guitar company ESP Guitars. This same company also became responsible for Takamine's distribution in Mexico starting October 2024. 

Sigma Guitars
As a follow up to my article about Levin/Goya, you may recall that in 1968 C.F. Martin acquired the Swedish guitar manufacturer Levin to set up a European distribution center. In doing this Martin established a less expensive line of guitars sold under their Sigma brand. Some sources site Takamine as a company beginning to  manufacture Sigma instruments. However Dick Boak of Martin Guitars states Sigma Guitars were exclusively manufactured by Tokai Gakki.  Competing company, Kaman Guitars (Ovation), became the exclusive United States distributor for Takamine. 

Apparently Takamine had produced some guitars that looked spot-on like a Martin guitar.  This practice was nothing new. Asian guitar builders considered these to be "tribute" instruments. A letter sent by CF Martin threatened the Japanese company, so Takamine changed their designs to avoid litigation. So there are "Martin-like" Takamine guitars that exist. This may account for the Takamine O-16NY style instrument that I mentioned at the beginning of this article.

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