This guitar was purchased for me by my Mom when I was 16. Before that I was using an odd, weird gibson SG with one pick up. I used to go to Mathew Music at Rosevelt Field and drool over their guitars. I always wanted a strat because it had a whammy bar. I remember seeing Ritchie Blackmore playing a natural wood Strat and I completely fell in love with it. I wanted one more than anything. One day I went into my bedroom and there, interwoven between the strings of my acoustic contesa guitar, was the money for me to go out and buy this guitar. I almost died. I think the guitar coast around $175 but I’m not sure. I ran to Mathews Music and purchased this strat. It was a dream come true. I started using it when I was in Rayge (One of my first high school bands) and I remember rehearsing in Dave Giacones’ basement with it. I took this guitar to Berklee and put serious milage on it. I used it extensively through the Frank days. Frank was doing major elcetronic renovations on his guitars so with Midget Sloatman I would hang out at the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen and in the work bench room we did a lot of modifications to this guitar. Adding an Alembic pre-amp and changing pick ups, etc. Finally when I joined Alcatrazz this guitar was just too bright sounding for that band so that’s when I switched to the Charvel Green Meenie. This Strat is effectionally known as “The Sticker Strat” because I festooned it with all sorts of silly stickers. It holds a deep place in me.