1. Solid-body electric: Late-80s model Ibanez RoadStar II Strat copy rigged for the Roland VG-88 Mk II emulator, which turns it into virtually any guitar connected to any amp and speakers through any effects. In the 20-plus years I have had this instrument I have tweaked it via careful adjustment and conservative mods into a pretty nice axe. I hardly ever hear its actual sound any more because I'm usually listening to the VG-88 instead. I'd like to upgrade to something with a 24-fret neck and a more accurate trem but somehow haven't gotten around to it.

2. Hollow-body electric: Early 60s Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman #55792 purchased at Gelb Music in California in 1975. It took me a while to realize that I liked it because it played like an acoustic, with a wide and nearly flat neck, so I could fingerpick just like on my acoustic. I didn't know you weren't supposed to play a hollow-body for high-volume lead work, so I did it anyway (I hadn't hear of The Nuge yet). I sold it for good reasons, but wish I still had it. I got a series of crappy Strats until I got the Ibanez above.

3. Acoustic: Alvarez-Yairi model 5060 dreadnought. It's a pretty good D-41 copy with the thinnest neck I've ever found on any six-string guitar, acoustic or electric. Sounds tremendous when strung up with medium phosphor-bronze. I bought it from Dean Markley himself in 1972 when he owned a small shop in Silicon Valley. He placed it my hands when I told him I was looking for the guitar I would play for the rest of my life. I have no intention of ever letting go of it.

R.

"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."