© 2005-2008 Paul Cooijmans
I have been playing guitar since early 1980. Here is a list of guitars and related equipment I have owned over time; A few items are for sale, and in case anyone is interested I mention the prices. Contact me if you are interested. My music can be found in this list of my compositions.
This was my first guitar, not counting a classical guitar I started on that was not my own. In (I think) 1982 I replaced the single-coil pickup in the bridge position by a DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker. The change in sound can be heard in the first (single-coil) and second (humbucker) Qatweazle recordings (these recordings are not publicly available at the moment, but can be found on a secret page for subscribers to GliaWebNews). I then played on a small 10 Watt solid state amplifier which was not mine. The original single-coil pickup was later reused in the neck position of my self-assembled stratocaster (discussed further on), where it remained until 2005, mounted on two lumps of clay.
Photos: [1981 (several)] [1981] [1983] [1983] [1983]
This was a guitar I had for a short while to experiment with electronics, string settings (action) and string gauges. I did not use it much to play on. It is mentioned in the Qatweazle song "All through the U.S.S.R.": "I sold my guitar to the local coal dealer; It was a Horrichel". I am not certain of the brand name, but it was something like that. The guitar had the name "Huib" on it.
This was a good and very beautiful guitar, the most beautiful I have ever seen I would say. If there is any of my old guitars I would want to have back it is this one. It can be heard in the Qatweazle rehearsal and concert recordings of 1984 for the OJA concert. I sold it to a student in Tilburg, Netherlands. Serial number: 1070078
Photos: [1984 (several)] [1984] [1985]
A semi-acoustic guitar, a bit smaller than a Gibson ES 335. It sounded well and can be heard in the Qatweazle studio recordings of 1984 and 1985. It had a peculiar nasal tone in the 7th to 10th fret range. Serial number: J830 198. In hindsight I say it sounded better than the Gibson ES 335 I owned after this one, and it was the best-sounding electric guitar I have owned.
Photos: [1984 (several)] [1984 (several)] [1985] [1985]
A good guitar with a very good neck to play on. The sound was more neutral and less nasal than that of the Ibanez Artist. I think it is used in my jazz recordings of 1987 and certainly in the recording of the Slow Bossa Nova for Flute, Electrical guitar and Piano of the early nineties (both not public recordings).
This model, with its big but shallow body and thick neck, is the most ergonomical of all guitar types I know. Provided you play it using a strap so that it hangs freely without resting on a leg (so standing is better than sitting). The right arm rests perfectly on it, allowing the right hand to play easily without contortion. Much better than with smaller models like Stratocaster and Les Paul.
The sound is a compromise between solid and hollow body. I don't like that anymore, I now prefer either completely solid or completely acoustic.
A black bass guitar of unknown brand, not bad. Not used much.
Photo: [1992]
I bought it in second-hand parts over several years. The neck is very good and from a Squier Stratocaster. The body is from an unknown brand starting with "f" (Fernandez perhaps). In the bridge position is a very good Seymour Duncan "SH-1 bridge The '59" humbucker which recaptures the sound of the Gibson PAF pickup. Screwed into the wood, the height can still be adjusted. In the neck position is the old single-coil pickup from the bridge position of the Suzuki Stratocaster. This is in fact the pickup that is heard on the first Qatweazle rehearsal recordings of 1982, but it sounds much better in the neck position of the self-built guitar. The remaining electronics were made by me and not very good. The bridge is also not very good. I fixated it so the vibrato bar cannot be used anymore. The guitar feels rather light (in weight). I am willing to sell it for € 100.
Note as of April 2006: I now removed the single-coil pickup, volume control and switches, and connected the Seymour Duncan pickup directly to the output jack. In November 2007 I moved the Seymour Duncan pickup to the neck position.
Photos: [1985] [1992] [1992] [2005]
A small IC-powered amplifier, not loud enough to be used in band rehearsals.
Photo: [1981]
A large tube amplifier similar to Fender Twin Reverb in power and sound. Originally a "combo", but separated into a head and cabinet with two Celestion 12 inch speakers. It can be heard in the Qatweazle rehearsal and studio recordings of 1984 and 1985, with the Westone and later Ibanez guitars. It sounded well but could not make an overdriven sound at low volume, so I sometimes used an Ibanez Super Tube pedal for that (bought in 1985, I don't have it anymore), or a simple self-built overdrive device in a wooden floor construction (€ 10).
Photos: [1983 (several)] [1984] [1984]
A small practice amplifier. It had an annoying background sound (kind of distortion) that could not be repaired.
Photo: [1984]
A 75 Watt solid state amplifier that sounded well. Used with the Ibanez and Gibson guitars. Used in the recording of the Slow Bossa Nova.
Photo: [1993]
About 15 cm high, probably around 3 Watt. On batteries or adapter, 9 Volt. I would sell it for € 6.
Photo: [2005]
A solid state amplifier for acoustic instruments (two channels), 35 Watt. It sounds well but there is a problem with the power switch; when being turned off, a loud click sounds in the speakers. I would sell it for € 150 (original price: about € 540). I play entirely acoustic nowadays.
Photo: [2005]
A kind of digital virtual amplifier/effects box. So you still need a power amplifier or PA system behind it. It has 32 digitally modelled amplifier sounds of famous amplifiers and speaker cabinets, and a number of effects. You can also connect it to a computer sound card. I would sell it for € 90.
Photo: [2005]
A bad guitar.
I had this for a short while and did not use it much. It had been destroyed by hitting someone on the head with it, and repaired.
A light colour, not shining. Better than the Aria.
Photo: [1985]
I think it was built in the mid-1980s. It has a deep warm dry sound with pronounced bass. It can be heard in the recordings of my guitar compositions, which can be found on my list of compositions.
A good beginner's guitar which I bought as a second classical guitar. Light wood (Fichte).
Photo: [2005]
A steel-string acoustic guitar with about the body shape of a classical guitar, and a neck almost as wide as that of a classical guitar. I use it to play the music I used to play on my classical guitar; It has a clearer and more transparent sound, and longer "sustain". Serial nr. 0017. It was built between 1999 and 2005 [Lion Guitars]. This is now my main guitar.
Since the late 1980s I have been using Jim Dunlop Jazz I picks, regularly polished with P1200 water proof sandpaper. These give a pure tone, so much ground tone and little overtones. But recently I have switched to playing with fingers even on steel strings. I have about 20 picks left, half of which are actually Jim Dunlop Jazz III (unused), one is Jim Dunlop Jazz II, two are Jim Dunlop Jazz I, and the rest are various rock picks. You can buy them for € 4.
For the electric guitars I have since the late 1980s used flatwound strings starting with a first string of .011 or .012, sometimes .013, inch. Main advantage of flatwound strings to me is that they don't make tiny scratches on the polished pick, which would result in a lower quality tone on the top two strings and require re-polishing often. But in the future I intend to try different strings, perhaps western strings.
I have a Boss Equalizer GE7 (7 bands) pedal for guitar. Rarely used. I would sell it for € 10. In the past I have also owned a Coron Octaver, Coron distortion pedal and MXR Phase 90.
Photo: [2005]
I tried it on the Rodriguez guitar but was disappointed about the result. I would sell it for € 10.
Photo: [2005]
I used this for one of my guitar compositions, "For who loves truth, the garrote called life is daily tightened a turn", op. 39 (recording available on my page with compositions).
Photo: [2005]
