The toggle switches you see on my white and green strats have a number of functions, and have changed functions over the years. Currently, the white strat has 5 mini toggle switches drilled - 1 is an OBEL bypass toggle, and two are coil splits for the middle and bridge pickups. I used to have the option to select between two different kinds of buffers, and I also used to have a 9V battery bypass, but those are no longer in the circuit. I believe there are only 4 switches on the green strat - 3 splits and 1 obel bypass toggle.

Depending on the video you saw - it could be any of the following:

• White or Green strat: my personal partscaster builds, modeled after Tiger & Rosebud wiring schematics

• White spaceship-looking/Travis Bean-appearing guitar: T577J made by Anthony Coscia (Coscia Guitars)

• Alligator - replica I built with the help of Tone Chaser Guitars - NOT a fender custom shop

• Wolf guitar (from ABBA video) - made by Bob Fishman (8West Guitars), was never mine, only passing through!

• Other guitars I play but never in videos: ES-335, PRS Studio, Telecaster, & Les Paul

For live shows, I usually use one of the following:

• a Waldotronics-spud modded 1971 Twin Reverb. I pulled two of the power tubes in the back and feed a single 8 ohm JBL E120

• an Amplified Nation 100w ODR, feeding a single 8 ohm JBL E120.

At home, you are usually listening to the sound of a spud-modded Sarno Music Solutions classic tube preamp (basically a twin reverb preamp), feeding into one side of a McIntosh 2200 power amplifier, feeding a single JBL K120.

Occasionally I use more speakers, as you’ll see in photos, but most every gig I play I’m more than happy with the sound and volume of 1 JBL.

OBEL, Onboard Effects Loop. See below for more details.

Onboard effects loop, called “OBEL,” can sound intimidating for those who aren’t familiar. But really, it’s simple! Traditionally, the guitar sends its signal through the pots, out to your pedalboard, and to the amplifier.

A guitar equipped with an OBEL routing system has a slightly different signal path. Rather than going out from the volume pot on the guitar, to the pedalboard, to the amp, the signal leaves the guitar BEFORE hitting the volume knob. It travels down the tip side of a TRS cable, before “breaking out” to your pedalboard. Then, the pedalboard returns the signal up the other side (TRS). The signal then passes through the guitar’s volume knob, turning it into a master volume control. The signal now passes from the volume control to the second jack on the guitar (the output jack). OBEL-equipped guitars typically include a bypass switch, so that the entire effects loop can be bypassed, and so the guitar can be used in normal (non-obel) scenarios.

This effect can be simulated by putting a volume pedal at the end of your pedalboard, but there are major benefits to having this control onboard your guitar, at the flick of your fingertips.

Now that you know what OBEL is, let’s talk about why. Dynamics is the short answer.

The longer answer is this: as musicians, we are human. We are not designed to play or listen to something at the same volume for hours. As guitarists, we often get criticized for being too loud, so our instinct is to turn down the amplifier. But by the second set, when the band is at its loudest moment, the guitar amp is too quiet. This is where the guitarist oftentimes goes to turn up the amplifier, but never turns it back down for the rest of the show, thus getting the reputation for being too loud…using OBEL can help correct this. I frequently get asked to turn UP at gigs now.

Additionally, some pedals, such as an envelope filter, work best when the guitar volume is at max. What about drive pedals, where sometimes they are set perfectly for one song, but the next song it’s way too loud for what’s called for?

By using a buffer and allowing you to get full tone at all positions of your volume knob, and using an OBEL system on your guitar, with a HubBub breakout box on your pedalboard to keep things simple, you can avoid all volume complaints at shows. This system allows you to turn your amp to as loud as you’ll need it, and use your guitar’s volume control to match your band’s energy levels. If the drummer gets loud on the last song of the night, you will have the headroom to keep up, but can attenuate your sound during the quiet moments without sacrificing tone.

You’ve maybe heard of buffers on a pedalboard, but what about all the signal loss that happens before your guitar signal even reaches the floor? By mounting a buffer onboard your guitar, you lower the impedance of the signal at the source. This, in turn, reduces antennae-like properties of your guitar cable, and preserves high-end frequencies at all positions of the guitar’s volume pot. Turn your amplifier up and your guitar volume down - unlock the full potential of the electric guitar. Additionally, the buffer protects the signal for the entirety of the cable run, however long it may be, so there are many benefits to using one.

YES! You don’t have to install OBEL to put a buffer on your guitar! You can insert a buffer right after your volume knob and right before your guitar’s output jack, and not worry about having an onboard effect loop setup.

It will still result in a sparkling high-end being retained that you never knew existed - hi-fi and pristine!

This is what I warn against - only if you are a tinkerer and want to experiment, it can be worth trying once just to understand how the signal flows, but a high-impedance (unprotected) signal will make squeals at higher gains. A buffer is not technically required for OBEL, but it is recommended, and “practically required” is probably a safe way to put it. The impedance of your guitar signal needs to be low to avoid cross-talk between the leads in a TRS cable.

Waldo has a great explanation for the signal flow of OBEL/buffers, if you like to look at diagrams, and if you want a video, you can find the one I made on this topic here.

from my current experience:

Spud JFET - grit, looser feel

Spud I - very clean, middle ground buffer sound, tighter than JFET, but "spongy"

Tiger Buffer - warm, yet sharp. Again, tight feel. My fav currently

Spud II - similar to Spud I in feel, but with more high end to my ears

Spud G-1 - ultimate "tight" guitar feel. Very hi-fi, crystal clear notes. Humbuckers have no mud, and cut right through, whereas on my guitar equipped with the Tiger buffer, I tend to favor using split coils most of the time.

Currently, if you can get in the queue, it is about $800-900 to do a full re-wire from the ground up. I am slower with my queue than I’d like to be, but I like to give each person’s guitar the attention it deserves.

Feel free to send me an email to discuss queue availability.

No, I’ve been waiting for somebody to ask me, though! While I don’t work with wood beyond basic routing, I’d love to put together a full strat-style jerrycaster for someone, like the ones I use. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, shoot me a message! It would likely be in the $2500-$3000 range after parts and labor, but we can spec it out how you’d like.

I am based in the New England area, and mostly play within Massachusetts, with a few different bands!

My main original band is called Blue Light Bandits. We play shows primarily in the New England region. A few members of that group get together for a more casual project called Mechanical Rat, where we do musical gymnastics together in the bar scene. Check out my bandmate Dan’s schedule for those dates! If you live in Boston, occasionally you can catch Blue Light Bandits playing our favorite cover songs under the moniker “Cold Wayne.”

For dead bands, I mostly do sit-ins, but have performed a good amount with a group called Black Sweatpants, playing all JGB tunes, as well as occasional basement jams with Owsley’s Owls.

I also jam with my Berklee buddies, Cahaba Roots, from time to time! We have some videos together on my youtube channel.

Lastly, I book my own shows typically during the summer, at various breweries and bars in the MA area. Keep up with the instagram stories for those show dates. Would love to see you there - it means the world when somebody comes out to a show!

Both? I like both. I use both. I think I prefer Es, but only because I like using higher-powered amplifiers, and I don’t feel as though I’m stressing the Es in a way that could be the end of their life cycle - Ks I’ve pushed to points where I literally thought they would break. If you play lower wattage stuff you would likely enjoy the sound of a K120 more.

in regards to Eastwood/Phred/Silver Sky “dead spec” etc…

short answer: no! But if it makes you happy, then yes! If I am making a recommendation for something, it is because I have played it personally and found it is made with longevity in mind, or at least attention to detail was paid throughout the entirety of the build process, and this is simply not possible with assembly line guitars.

There is nothing wrong with playing/buying/loving one, but usually the electronics in these cavities have an expiration date of sorts. In regards to the new silver sky, it’s replicating a feature that Alligator didn’t actually have for more than a month of Jerry tests on stage, so with things like that, I tend to preach “DO IT YOURSELF.”

Buy a cheap strat, learn how to solder, and put some work in, and you will get a phenomenal product even if it takes you a while. The reward of that longer, more patient route is much more fulfilling than buying anything that marketers are perpetuating myths about…my two cents!

Yes! You can find more long-form stuff on my Youtube channel - you can also tune into my podcast, Jerry Tone Chats (Apple & Spotify), where I discuss musical concepts at length and sometimes have guests on to nerd out with me.