Ransom Guitars Custom Strat

I had this Custom Strat style guitar built by Dan Ransom around 1995. I still play it all the time 11 years later and it is still one of the best I've owned. Its has a solid mahogany body, pained with a nice metallic blue. Ultra-sleek and thin maple neck, (some birdseye), wide fretboard with a striking Brazilian rosewood - Dan had the rosewood around and added it no charge. It has active EMG's - single-single-Humbucker congifuration. Black floating Floyd Rose trem. Non-locking Schallers, locking nut. Got it with a generic hard shell case. I got to tell him the exact shape of neck, placement of knobs and all. He did exactly as I asked.

My tastes have changed a bit recently where I've heard better sounding passivle pickups, but these EMG's sound good on this guitar. Since it is mahogany, this guitar sounds warmer than a Strat, and is incredible for a sweet neck pickup clean or blues sound, and absolutely ripping thru a Marshall with the humbucker. It's extremely versatile, which is why I used it for most gigs. Action is super low, and the EMG's are totally noise free.

Dan built this and I beleieve Gary Brawer at the same shop did the finish work and set up. Gary's a master (Joe Satriani's tech for several years I believe). I've brought it back to Gary for maintenance setup, fret job and always great.

This guitar already has survived numerous gigs and thousands hours of wanking. A true workhorse. The paint still shines up well, but I've gotten a few scrapes over the years. I'd not use it, or any Floyd Rose axe without a backup ata gig since of course breaking a string throws you WAY out of tune, and string changing is no quick task on a floating Floyd. But it otherwise will stay in tune for a whole set of sweaty jams.

Dan and Gary are the best. Fair prices, know their stuff and nice people. They are busy so don't expect a custom guitar built quickly.

I've been playing 15 years, owned 8 other guitars, some cheap some a few thousand $. I'd still consider this my best all around guitar ever. If lost or stolen I'd order another, but I doubt it would ever be exact, since this is an old friend now!

I believe this guitar was made by a Dan Ransom Custom Instruments - 415-864-3281 Real Guitars on Lafayette St., San Francisco. I have no idea when it was made. This is a 22 fret strat-style with volume, tone and a five-way. All the pickups (S/S/H) are passive seymour duncans and it s neatly shielded. Maple neck, very hard body. Transparent finish. Floyd rose. Locking nut.

I saw it in Black Market Music and it just stood out, gleaming in its cosmetic perfection. This puppy was obviously somebody's baby and now it's mine. It happened to be just what I was looking for feature-wise: bridge humbucker and floyd rose strat, and it was a very reasonable price.

However, this kind of set-up is pretty common, though what guitar isn't a cliche. I'll give it a 7 for the duncans and the nice neck.

It's got a lovely lilting, singing sound to it, and that fits music, which is what I play. Sometimes overdriven gain makes it sound a little sharp, but thats the way I am when I talk, so that's okay. I'm not perfect though, so I'll give it a 9 instead of a 10.

I use a Mesa V-Twin (the best stomp box) and whatever else is lying around, but I sometimes use a little fender champ or a Traynor Mk. 3 through all of which it sounds good. The buttery smoothness of the Mesa is really gratifying when combined with the piercing sing of this instrument.

It's nice and quiet (on some of the 5-way settings), and very noisy sometimes (or maybe thats just when it's way loud).

I've been able to get rockabilly/honkytonk, jerry g, santana, and if I could play fast enough VH...oh, whatever, it's a really nice strat, so it can do just about anything.

It tends to be a little on the bright side.

I like the versatility and sound of this guitar, but I kind of want some variety (i'm feeling whipped) and I should probably get something a little less valuable (probably cost $1200 new) that I can beat around the heads of the drunks. I want a cheapo hollow body.

Action is beautiful. Pickups good. Everything is gorgeous, except there is a little dent about the size of a pen-head ;) and the floyd is wearing off its black paint. Very well built gtr.

THis guitar has withstood a little bit of live playing, and handled it well. Flying bridges can be tough to restring, but if you carry a hex wrench on your strap it can be done faster than usual often.

The hard finish and hardware will last forever, and the worn pickup guard is replaceable, but I would want a backup if I could get one, just so I wouldn't have to restring in the middle of a set.

I don't know Mr. Ransom personally.

I've been playing since stairway at church camp when I was 12 around the time of Hungerstrike. If I was to lose this guitar I would be heartbroken, beacause everything about our relationship has been so perfect, except she has beeen a little high maintenance in the past. But when recording got hot and heavy last summer, she was always dpendable and sounding great.

I still want a hollowbody single cutaway (with 24 frets), but this baby will sing like a sword forever.