1960 STILES Soldibody Excellent, GigBag, $959.00

Any of you experts on esoteric American solidbody guitars out there heard of this guy? I’m willing to bet you have, and I’m willing to bet that you haven’t seen one come on the market in a good long while. For those who are still in the dark: Lee Stiles, originaly from West Virginia later relocated to Miami, was a pioneer in the field of guitar design and guitar making. His instruments were based on a combination of tradition and true innovation, sort of Les Paul meets Gibson scroll mandolin, and more. There were no mail-order guitar parts houses in those days; Stiles made all the components himself. Pickups that SCREAM, tailpieces bridges and saddles, mahogany necks that are straight as an arrow and rock solid, you name it, and it’s all top-notch. Has a special 20” scale, a la those fab Rickenbacker John Lennon models, for the fastest playing you ever did see. I don’t need to sing this Stiles’ praises; he’s well known enough to have rated a large article on himself and the approximately 1000 guitars he is said to have made in an earlier issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine. For those already in the know, here it is, just emerging from the depths of someone’s collection for you and you only. $959 w/bag