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View Full Version : Finally getting my Baby back........


King Cobra
12-07-2006, 11:08 PM
Heres an interesting story I thought I'd share with ya all.

Recently I got to thinking about my holy grail guitar that I let go a few years back. The guitar was actually built by Rick Hatfield - out of Tom Anderson (pre-TAG) parts. Rick, Tom and Benny Rodriguez were supossedly all friends back in LA around the time Tom left Schecter and before he started TAG.(Tom maybe you can fill in any blanks?) Rick Hatfield is an AMAZING builder. I got this guitar off Ebay of all places. I didn't know what I had at first. Suposedly Benny did the frets. You gotta play this guitar to believe it. I emailed Rik about the guitar and he remembered it fondly by the Steve Morse signature on the headstock.

We had had 2 Hurricanes roll through here in a 2 week span back in 2004 and I really needed money to make some insurance deductables to make home repairs. I sold it in a fit of desperation. I knew I made a mistake right after I mailed it out.........to Canada. friends and family helped me out as well as The Goverment and Home repairs were much less then originally expected.My insurance company tried hitting me for 2 deductables but Jeb Bush said No way Hose.
I started calling and emailing this guy and every few months to get her back but he saw right away what a special instrument this guitar was and said sorry but he was in love as well.

Since all the hub bub about TA lately I decided to check in with him again and finally.........unbelievably I am finally going to get that guitar back. I can't explain my excitment. I set it free and its coming back and I will NEVER EVER let it go again.

This will be a good New Year............

Pics soon to follow. Lots of incredible builders out there today. But seriously I don't think anyone makes a better neck then Tom. :)
AndyK
12-08-2006, 09:51 AM
Hope it's as good as you remember! :)
Benny
12-13-2006, 03:30 AM
In the early days when we just built parts Rick was a steady buyer. I likely fretted that neck - as I did hundreds of others - but Rick would have done all the finish work and assembly. I met Tom at the very beginning of TAGW as his first official employee. Roy and Kurt were making pickups before I was part of things there, but I was the first woodchuck. Nice to hear you got your guitar back.
irish blues
12-13-2006, 10:29 AM
Great news about obtaining a lost treasure. Mine was a 83 Custom Shop ES335 obtained second hand - still had the plastic on the pickguard. Regrettably, the Big D forced a sale. Still searching.
King Cobra
11-20-2012, 05:22 AM
Well.....I'm updating this thread because Ultimately I sold this guitar a few yrs back and have since bought Two TAG Classics That I just love. I recently got the oppourtunity to Buy it back again and looks like this will be the third time I own this guitar and i won't be selling it again. Lots of time to reflect lately , the economy and some personal issues have changed me. As i look back this is the one guitar that stands out as the one that got away........twice. Not again. Current owner called me out of the blue .
He's giving me a little time to get the money together, its holiday season and I'm a little short.

but I won't be letting this one go ever again!!! :o :cool:
King Cobra
11-20-2012, 05:24 AM
In the early days when we just built parts Rick was a steady buyer. I likely fretted that neck - as I did hundreds of others - but Rick would have done all the finish work and assembly. I met Tom at the very beginning of TAGW as his first official employee. Roy and Kurt were making pickups before I was part of things there, but I was the first woodchuck. Nice to hear you got your guitar back.


That Guitar had the best fret work Ever . hands down the most playable guitar I ever set my hands on.
Pietro
11-20-2012, 07:18 AM
All that and no pics?
King Cobra
11-20-2012, 01:24 PM
All that and no pics?

LOL. Its on the way. I came here remembering this thread hoping I had posted some. I promise some. Its an early 90's model right before TAG was formed. Its Purple with Black Hardware and a killer Birdsye neck.
tom
11-20-2012, 02:38 PM
tag was formed in '85, first logo'd guitar was '86. we stopped selling bodies and necks in 1990.
King Cobra
11-20-2012, 03:03 PM
tag was formed in '85, first logo'd guitar was '86. we stopped selling bodies and necks in 1990.

My Bad. I'm sure not going to argue with you. Thanks for giving me the right Info for when I start gushing after I get her back! It has a bit of an 80's vibe so it makes sense.

God that is a great neck !