Lee’s Gear

What can I tell you…
I love guitars!

The only guitar I have from back in the day is my Gibson J 50 acoustic. I never put it down during my twenties and wrote more than 100 songs on it. I bought it brand new in the early seventies. I eventually turned to electric, mostly Fenders and Gibsons and worked with my own band and as a sideman in Vancouver, Halifax and finally Toronto.

I stepped away from music for a long time and when I got back to it in 2010, I strapped on my telecaster, picked up a blues junior and off I went. Over these past few years I have put together a collection of acoustic, semi-acoustic and solid body electric guitars. I also have accumulated some interesting amps and peddles. The Fender Telecaster is still my favourite electric guitar. I like the simplicity and tone and I’m most comfortable with it on stage. I equally enjoy playing my acoustic again and hope to perform more acoustically in the near future.

I hope to put a gallery here in the near future as I’m proud of my babies but here is a bit of a list:

Acoustic

  • 1972 Gibson J50
  • Taylor mahogany 320
  • Recording King Parlour
  • Godin A6 Acousticaster

Gibson Electric

  • 1953 Gibson ES 125
  • 1959 Gibson ES 125
  • 1961 Gibson ES 125T
  • Late model ES 339, ES 137, ES 335 and Les Paul Junior

Fender Electric

  • 1964 telecaster
  • 1968 telecaster Thinline
  • 1973 telecaster
  • 1978 Telecaster
  • Late model: 52 reissue Telecaster, La Cabronita, Old Pine, Modern Thinline and ½ dozen more
  • 1974 Stratocaster

Pedals, pedals and more pedals

I take a non-traditional approach when it comes to pedals. I currently use either three or four, or none at all, to colour my sound. When I use them, they are on all the time and I rarely vary them. A TC Electronics delay, Xotic EP Booster, Xotic Compressor and a Riot overdrive.

I like going for one sound; the only variance is the pickup selection and the attack of my playing. Maybe one day I will master them more so but for now straight in and use the natural overdrive of the amp is fine with me.

I have a few go to amps

  • 1962 Fender Brown Face Deluxe—I picked it up a couple of years ago. It’s pretty much original other than a Celestian Greenback 12-inch Speaker.
  • A 1964 and 1968 Fender Super Reverb, both cut down to 2-10 combos (I know, I know)
  • A 1965 Ampeg Reverb Rocket
  • Reissue Fender amps including a 1957 Deluxe and 1965 Blonde Deluxe Reverb
  • A fender Special Edition Blues Junior in Emerald green with Bill M mods
  • A Traynor anniversary limited edition YB1