Youngstown, Ohio Business Journal visits Rosewood

  From the Youngstown Business Journal: Mike Moliterno's "Off The Beaten Path" segment on Rosewood Vintage Guitars is now on YouTube!  Check out the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL-boSg5rSY

WYTV's "Greta On The Go" visits Rosewood

Check out the following video links to reporter Greta Mittereder from WYTV's "Greta On The Go" in Youngstown, Ohio when she visits Rosewood.

Part 1: http://www.wytv.com/content/features/daybreak/gretaonthego/story/Greta-On-The-Go-at-Rosewood-Vintage-Guitars/Z-XiTLI2pkS3mv52H8Slfg.cspx

Part 2: http://www.wytv.com/content/features/daybreak/gretaonthego/story/Greta-On-The-Go-at-Rosewood-Vintage-Guitars-pt2/XEeaf-9vD0eVq_jFu5-o8A.cspx

First Act, Paul Westerberg PW580 and VW GarageMaster: "Cheap Chic"

For anybody who reads my blog from time to time you may be thinking this guy's finally gone off the deep end reviewing a couple of First Act guitars and calling them collectible.  First Act for years has done a great job creating affordable, playable, entry level guitars that have started many a guitar player on their way to developing the passion we all have for the instrument.  But First Act collectibles?  I submit for review the Paul Westerberg PW580 and VW GarageMaster special additions.  Both were created for a short time in 2006 and have recently built up somewhat of a cult status among collectors as well as players.  

Paul Westerberg PW580

Paul Westerberg was the legendary lead singer, chief songwriter, and mostly rhythm guitar player for the groundbreaking group The Replacements throughout the 80's and early 90's. Often called the greatest unknown band in rock and roll at the time,  the "Mats" were never quite given their just dos. After their breakup, Westerberg went on to perform as a solo act and apparently was on tour in America when he stopped into a retailer to buy supplies and found a crimson ME501 First Act guitar.  He bought it on the spot, played it onstage that night, and continued to use it for the rest of the tour.  First Act upon hearing this, invited Westerberg in collaboration to design a signature Paul Westerberg model. The black bodied PW580  featured a single "vintage voiced" Alnico pick-up, a volume and tone control, and an oh-so-appropriate punk style red plaid pick guard.  This is quite simply a bare bones, garage-rock guitar and even if you don't play it, it is extremely cool looking and getting hard to find these days,

VW GarageMaster

In the fall of 2006, Volkswagen of America had the brilliant idea of teaming up with First Act to design a guitar that would play through the audio system of select VW models. As a result, during the fourth quarter of that year,  each new Jetta, Rabbit, and  Beetle was shipped with what was to be know as the GarageMaster guitar.  The key to the guitar's unique design was a special built-in pre-amp that allowed the guitar to plug directly into the VeeDub's auxiliary jack. The preamp is activated by one of three small switches that are located by each of the knobs (volume, tone, preamp boost). If you activate the preamp, a blue LED will light up. If you flip the selector switch for the volume knob, you will overdrive the pickup. If you flip the tone switch, it will boost the tone signal and give the guitar a punchier sound. The control knobs, truss rod cover, and neck plate all have VW logos.  An engraved plate on the back of the headstock featured the same Vehicle Identification Number as the newly purchased car.  A good friend of mine who performs regularly, recently purchased a GM and likes it so much he now uses it as part of his arsenal on stage.

Volkswagen's supporting ad campaign included TV spots featuring John Mayer, Slash of Guns N' Roses, and Christopher Guest (as Nigel Tufnell of Spinal Tap).

Check out this promo clip of Slash playing the GarageMaster and using VW's as Marshall style stacks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCQHgETt1dw&feature=related

In the First Act tradition, both of these guitars were inexpensive  to purchase when new.  In fact the GarageMaster was a giveaway if you purchased a VW.  They can still be bought relatively cheap and are just a blast to play.  Hey..... it could be time to join the cult! 

Harmony Rocket: Retro-Rockets Rule!

Introduced in 1959, the Harmony Rocket has to be a contender for one of the best named guitars in history. With the space race in full swing at the time and even American cars looking like space ships, who wouldn't want a guitar named "Rocket"?  The fact that they were very affordable as well as playable made them even more appealing.

What has become more enduring than the name however is the guitar itself.  Though old Rockets are still plentiful and were reissued several years ago, the original design seems to be the most popular and collectible. These first models were a single cutaway equipped with DeArmond Indox Golden Tone pickups through 1965.  In 1966 the pickups changed to a bezel design with individual adjustable pole pieces.  These "mustache" pickups as they came to be know because their grill-work resembled a mustache, continued to be used into the double cutaway design change in 1968 and up until the Rocket's demise in 1972.  It has become great debate among Rocket aficionados as to which pickups have that legendary "Rocket Twang".  I think it's best to leave it up to the individual to decide.

Below are the model numbers and configurations of the original single cutaway Rockets:
H53 - 1 pickup, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years: 1959-1967
H54 - 2 pickups, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years : 1959-1967
H56 - 2 pickups with vibrato, Red, Production years: 1965-1967
H59 - 3 pickups, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years: 1960-1967

Please note that there are many variations of the above models as Harmony brand  labeled the Rocket for many companies such as Sears\Silvertone, Airline, and Heath Kit, which was actually an "assemble your own Rocket kit". 
For a great reference, check out this link to the "Harmony Database"
http://harmony.demont.net/model.php?id=150 

It has a wealth of info on the Rocket as well as many other Harmony models and their affiliated brands.

In the end, the Harmony Rocket is a legendary and just "super-cool" guitar.  It's also one you can add to your collection without breaking the bank.