Dave Lazar's Guitars

Thanks to my Mom and Dad, I was exposed to music at an early age. Mom played a little piano and suggested that I take some piano lessons. I took lessons for a few years and endured recitals and those stupid exercise books. In elementary school I also took violin lessons, sax lessons, and bass lessons. I got a bass guitar and a little Univox amp, and my gear quest began. I just couldn't get a grip on playing the bass with my thumb, and still I play bass with a pick. I wanted to learn how to play guitar, and got a steel string 3/4 size cheapo acoustic to learn on. Well those strings must have been .015s and my fingers just couldn't handle the pain. I went to the local music store and tried a Yamaha classical guitar. Well, those nylon strings were like butter, and it was easy to grip chords even though the neck was like 4 inches wide. I played along with the radio, and was getting a little better when I got a chance to play an electric guitar. It was a Univox Les Paul copy, (now known a a Lawsuit Guitar) ,and played through an amp, it was an amazing sound, and it wa so easy to finger and fret. I eventually I bought that guitar and a Univox Strat copy, but only had my old bass amp to play through. It sounded like shit. It was time to go on a quest for tone!

While fooling around with some old radio amplifiers and tape recorders, I came across an amazing tone. Plugging my guitar into an old Wollensack reel to reel tape deck produced a rich distorted sound that would sing on and on, all at a very low volume. AHA! Now playing along with the radio was awesome and I can't tell you how many hours I spent overdriving that little tape deck. I guess, since then I've always known when a certain piece of equipment had that AHA factor. I've been playing guitar on and off since the age of 13, and get huge amounts of joy from making music and entertaining.

I love the equipment that I use today and would recommend any of the stuff I regularly play. My Paul Reed Smith guitars are my main instruments and I think they can cover all bases of music. I have many Strat style guitars, and I have an awesome LesPaul. but the PRS can sound dark or light, heavy or clean, and everything in between. I adore my hollow Tom Anderson, but couldn't get along without my Paul Reed Smith Custom 24. I was very happy with my PRS plugged into my little Mesa Boogie, but wanted something a little bit louder. I found a Rivera 100 watter that sounded similar but would peel the paint off the walls at any volume above 3. But now, I think I've found the holy grail of tone.

Plugging the old PRS into my Bogner Shiva Combo is like heaven. God, that amp can't make a bad sound! The clean channel is chimey and loud. The distortion channel is so versatile, it can go from a mild growl to balls out grind. The reverb is amazing, and add to that the boost switch, and now I leave my effects unit home! For the last few years I've relied on My DigiTech processors (GNX2 and RP2000) for guitar effects, and they are much better than the six foot long pedal board I had in the 80's. I plugged it straight into the front end of the Jazz Chorus or the Boogie, and used it for Delay, Phaser, Flanger, Wah, etc. I still use the effects when I play with a band.

A few years ago, while playing at an open mic, I realized that I hadn't had an acoustic guitar that didn't hurt my fingers or stay in tune ever! I played a friend's Ovation and thought it was great. I bought a 1988 Ovation Collectors Edition, and even though it was awkward to play, it sounded great plugged in. In 2003, I got a 2001 Taylor 710CE and at home I'm never more than 10 feet from this wonderful machine. It begs me to play it, and it's tone is simply to die for. I can't imagine being happier with any acoustic instrument. I use DR strings on my acoustics, and Ernie Ball on my electrics. My Latest Guitar is my Taylor T5. I love it!

Back

	This is my number 1 guitar: 1991 PRS Custom 24. Royal blue flamed maple 10 top with birds and sweet switch. Pre-Factory guitar with small heel design, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. All original PRS humbucking pickups, tuners, and 5 way rotary switch. 1 piece Mil-Com tremolo. Amazing variety of tones. A joy to play, I can't ever see another guitar that could come close!
	This is my number 2 guitar: 1991 PRS Studio. Pearl White, 24 frets, S-S-H, Tremolo, Moons, 5-way switch. Pre-Factory guitar with small heel design, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. GK2-A Roland 13 pin pickup. Same neck as my number one without the beautiful top and birds.
	1999 Tom Anderson Hollow Drop Top. Red quilted maple top. Maple neck,White pearl pickguard, S-S-H Anderson pickups, Anderson Tremolo, Locking tuners, Buzz Feiten, Switcheroo system. Lightweight masterpiece. Sounds amazing even unplugged.
	Mid 90's Zion Radicaster. Built by Ken Hoover. Strat style body quilted maple teal green top, mahogany body, maple bolt on neck with rosewood fingerboard. White MOP pickguard with Joe Barden pickups. 2 single coils, 1 humbucker/single with pull switch on tone knob. Pickups make no noise, Period!
	1999 Melancon P-90 Pro Artist Telecaster. Made in Lousiana by Gerard Melancon. AAAAA quilted maple top, Gold Hardware. P-90s, Coil Tap, Locking tuners, Mahogany Neck. The build quality is second to none! The finish is amazing and the thing screams.
	1998 Parker Fly Deluxe. Light as a feather with 2 Humbuckers and a Piezo. Italian Plum finish, Stainless Steel Frets, Parker Tremolo, Sperzel Tuners.
	1983 Gibson LesPaul Custom. Black beauty with chrome hardware, ebony freeboard, jumbo frets, 2 DiMarzios, disconnected coil tap switch, Tuners have fold out cranks built in! Very heavy and built like a tank
	1990's Ibanez 540 Sabre USA. Blue metallic, lo pro edge tremolo, locking nut, 22mm maple neck with rosewood fretboard, shark fin fret markers, 5 way switch controls H-S-H USA pickups. Very light and plays fast. Trem is bulletproof.
	95 Fender USA Stratocaster. Black body, maple neck white MOP pickguard, Tremolo, H-S-H configuration with passive Carvin multi-pole in neck position, EMG S active single coil in the middle, and EMG 85 in bridge position. EMG 20db booster circuit with switch, coil tap for passive PU. Booster is like a lead switch.
	1989 Yamaha Image Custom Shop. Tobacco burst flamed maple top, Neck through mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, gold hardware, Yamaha tremolo. Yamaha H-H active/passive Yamaha pickups. Coil taps, Custom shop LED fretboard lights under low E string with switch. Beautifully finished and top notch fit and finish. Takes 2-9V batteries.
	1985 Fender Stratocaster. Charcoal Gray Japanese built. Black painted neck, Black headstock, Black hardware. Tremolo with locking nut, H-S-H configuration with Fender humbuckers bridge and neck, and Hot Rails stacked single in the middle. 5 way switch with coil tap for Hot Rails.
	1981 USA Fender Bullet. Ivory white with white metal pickguard and bolt on Maple neck. Telecaster style peg head, chrome hardware. Barrel type bridge, 2 single coils with 3 way switch. Lightweight small body.
	2005 Taylor T5 Electric/Acoustic Honeyburst Hollowbody, 5 way pickup selector. Body Sensor, Acoustic Humbucking Pickup, and Magnetic Humbucking Pickup. Very Light weight, Sounds Amazing.
	Acoustics
	2001 Taylor 710CE. Rosewood back and sides, Spruce top, Rosewood fingerboard, Fishman Blender pickup system. Abalone rosette, Old voicing. Fantastic acoustic tone only bettered when plugged in.
	1988 Ovation Collectors Edition. Shallow bowl Acoustic/Electric Gray Metallic top, Black neck and headstock, ebony fretboard, silver tuners, abalone inlays OP24 onboard electronics. Limited edition.
	Basses
	1980's Spector N2a Japanese Bass. Blue stain, neck through, Duncan Quarter Pounder P and J Pickups with selector switch. Black Hardware
	1990's Fender P-Lyte Bass. All wood 4 string Japanese Precision style bass with bolt-on neck and rosewood fretboard. Active pickups with low, mid, and treble boost/cuts. Gold hardware, through body or through bridge stringing options. Skinny neck, very lightweight and super easy to play!
	1980's Fender Jazz Bass USA with 1972 Telecaster maple neck. Custom gloss Black w/ multicolor metal flake finish. White pearl pickguard, Chrome Jazz Bass hardware. Stock Jazz pickups. Sparkles in the light.
	Amps
	Bogner Shiva. 1-12 combo, 60 watt 6L6 tube amp. 2 channels with reverb and boost. Black Tolex. Ultimate in rock tone. Fantastic clean channel, and smooth creamy distortion channel. separate reverb controls. built in effects loop.
	Rivera R-100 Duo Twelve combo. 100 watt EL-84 tube amp, 2 channel with boost and reverb. 2-12" speakers. Black Tolex. VERY LOUD! Clean channel (Fender) has miles of headroom, dirty channel (Marshall) screams. loads of control options.
	Mesa Boogie Studio Caliber 1-12 Combo. 22 watts EL 34 tube amp. 2 channel, 1-12" Black Shadow, reverb, DynaWatt, effects loop, Gray Tolex. This little amp can crush 50 watters! Awesome clean channel, Signature Boogie distortion.
	Roland Jazz Chorus JC 120 2-12 combo. Solid-state 120 Watt Stereo Chorus. Black tolex 2 channel with reverb. Nothing beats a JC-120 for loud clean tones.
	Fender G-DEC Great little 15 watt practice amp. 17 different amp types, 29 effects, 10 reverbs. Full Midi Synth, Drum Loops, Bass Lines. I keep it in the bedroom.
	Crate G 40C Practice Amp 2-8 combo. Solid State 40 watts. 2 channel with reverb and chorus. Lightweight little practice combo delivers a huge sound.
	Ampeg B2r Bass Amp Head. Solid State 350 Watt Bass Amp with Equalizer. I use this with either my 1-15" Peavey Cabinet, or my 2-15" Fender Cabinet.
	Gallien Kruger GK400RB Solid State 200 Watts at 8 ohms.I use this with either my 1-15" Peavey Cabinet, or my 2-15" Fender Cabinet. In a rack bag with a Samson Wireless.
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