This article series is about the tools of popular guitarists. What are their favorite guitars and how is it related to them? This time with Jacob Deraps.
1989 Fender HM Strat
I started playing guitar when I was 12 years old, on this 1989 Bluestone Fender HM Strat, which my dad bought brand new in 1989. My dad used this guitar with his full stack Marshall JCM800, when he was playing in clubs, in the 90’s. For many years, it was my main guitar. I learned everything on it, wrote most of the songs on our upcoming album with it and it’s still one of my favorite guitar today. It’s a great quality instrument and a cool piece of the 80’s. Me and my parents were on the lookout for those when I was a teenager, we now have 5 of them.
Ernie Ball Music Man Axis
In 2015, I got my first guitar endorsement with Ernie Ball Music Man and they sent me this beautiful Axis model, which was originally an Eddie Van Halen signature guitar. Being a huge Van Halen fan and having played with my dad’s Peavey Wolfgang many times before, it was natural for me to go with this model. Ever since 2015, it’s been my main guitar. This guitar went through everything, I practiced countless hours on it, did tons of bar and festival shows with it, there’s been sweat, blood, pouring rain on it, I carried it everywhere and used it to record every song on our upcoming album. It has lots of scars and history and that’s what makes it so unique and cool.
1973 Ibanez Custom Agent
Over the years, I’ve acquired lots of cool guitars, including this vintage Ibanez Custom Agent from 1973, which my mom bought for a ridiculously low price. This is a very rare pre-lawsuit era Gibson Les Paul copy that sounds and plays as good as the real thing. An amazing guitar and a great piece of history and collection.
Various Signature Models
I also have a bunch of signature models of guitarists that I love, an Yngwie Malmsteen signature Fender Stratocaster, a pink Ibanez Jem Jr. and an EVH Striped Series Circles, which is a replica of the guitar found in the Van Halen live music video for Unchained. I find it great that we can access guitars with the real specs and looks that our guitar heroes play with, it’s a lot of fun to play with and to collect.
Germino Lead 55 Amplifier
Then finally, here is my amp, a Germino Lead 55 head and 4×12 cabinet with Celestion greenbacks. A point to point hand wired 50 watt 1968 Marshall Plexi replica, made by master builder Greg Germino. This was my absolute dream amp, it’s the amp that you hear on all those classic records, Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen, etc… It’s truly the greatest amp ever made, nothing sounds as organic as a Plexi, it makes the guitar come alive.
https://www.youtube.com/c/JacobDeraps/videos
