A good friend of ours, Keith send us some pictures of this guitar and asked if we wanted to buy it. I looked at them and for some reason, was drawn to the guitar, so the deal was made and after only a couple of days, this Stagemaster landed safely here at the 'Elkcave (thanks, Keith- you're a Pro). I opened the case and a smile crept across my face because it was exactly what I had hoped it would be: a warrior from an era gone by. This guitar is us and by that, I mean it represents what we were in the 80's. Man, I can't say it enough; Those were the best times ever to be in a rock band. We would play on the weekends in local bars here in Atlanta and it was always a party but in a different setting. The bands would do shots onstage and you could get a "chugging" contest started in the blink of an eye (I should know- my old singer Robbie was notorious for doing that on many occasions). It was just fun- we never minded loading full PA systems back into my van at 2:00 in the morning because we knew that after we were finished, we would be off to some girl's apartment to do what guys in bands did. Use your imagination... The thing that strikes me about this Stagemaster is the tarnished gold hardware. It represents exactly who I am today. I'm 25 years older that I was in those glory days, but that spirit still burns bright, much to my wife's chagrin (ala' the "You'll never grow up" quips I get from time to time). This guitar, like me comes from a time when things were still good in Rock and Roll. It was the last days when you could smoke in a bar or sneak out to the parking lot with someone you had just met a few hours (and drinks) earlier. The music was loud as hell, the beer was cheap and the girls loved Rock music- man, I can't say I have one single regret about those days and in case I forgot to mention it, there were some danged fine musicians that were playing on these local stages during this period. Now, they're just like me: the hair's thinner and shorter, we're all married with kids and have mortgages but if you ask each and every one of them and if they're honest, they'll tell you the same thing: Those mighty 80's were some smokin' times and I don't think any of us who were there would trade them for anything. I know I wouldn't so if you ask me why an '87 Flip Flop pink Kramer brings a smile to my face, well, I just told you why...