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Hey there, everyone!
I hope you had a very jolly holiday, and you're ready for the new year. I am home from the surgery and in rest-recovery mode. I was able to come home before Christmas - they released me last Friday, so that was nice. Not doing much of anything just yet, but at least I'm home. You just can't get any rest in a hospital. LOL!

I just wanted to check in with ya and say Hey. Hopefully, I'll be able to put a show together soon. I've had mega computra issues lately that forced me to do a complete reformat and rebuild on the laptop. That sucks. I lost some data, too...lots of recent emails as well as my address book (so if you emailed me lately and didn't hear back, please try again!!).

Well, take care of yourselves, and have a Happy New Year! I'll be talking to you real soon.
Cheers!

Howdy, folks! Ready for The Fender Bullet, part 2? I know I am!

This episode is dedicated to the second version of Fender's original Bullet line from 1983. These guitars and basses were produced in the U.S. for really just 1983 into 1984 before the model was sent across the Pacific and began to be made in Japan and sold under the name, Squier Bullet (stay tuned for VGC 18, where we will pick up on them there...).

There were 5 different guitars and 2 (or 3) basses available. The guitars were offered with both single coil or humbuckers and basses as either long or short scale. Fender also offered a couple more standard color options from Version 1, adding sunburst and a walnut stain (aka: "root beer brown").

These are great little guitars that have definitely seen active movement in value over the past few years. Going Up as they say! Might want to grab one now and hang on to it a while, especially if you're outside the U.S.!

Today's sources are The Blue Book of Electric Guitars, 5th Edition and 9th Edition as well as the original owner's manuals for these instruments (pictured above).

Music on today's show includes "Black Friday" by Music for Viola, "Christmas Here on Mars" by Bubble, "Christmas in Pizzaville" by Escape Goats, "American Holiday Song" by BELT, "Christmas Wish" by Gidgets Ga Ga, "One Christmas" by Al Stravinsky, and "I Drank Too Much at the Office Christmas Party" by The Alice Project. Links and information can be found at The Opinionated Ramblings Podsafe Shuffle site (see episode 49) and the Podsafe Music Network.

Please let me know if you have any difficulty with the downloads, and feel free to contact me via email at vintageguitarcast@gmail.com. Take care, and I'll catch you next time!

Well, once again it seems GoDaddy dropped the ball...
The original posting of VGC 16, the Fender Bullet, doesn't seem to be recognized by iTunes (or anything else, for that matter), so I am reposting it .

My apoligies if you happened to get it twice.

Please check the original post below for details and links.

Thanks and Cheers!

I've been holding on to this one for a special occasion, and I think it's time. Today, I want to talk about the Fender Bullet. Just the first series, though. We'll do the second series next time.

The Fender Bullet first arrived on the scene in 1982, presumably to fill the void left by the removal of the Mustang and Musicmaster models. Aimed at the introductory market, these guitars were definitely of a quality high enough for players beyond that stage.
Although the first versions had limited options, with only 2 basic models (the standard Bullet and the Bullet Deluxe with separate bridge) and 2 color choices (red and ivory), they are extremely easy to play, comfortable, and tonally diverse.

Produced really only about 2 years, they can be harder to find than the second series, but still show up with regularity on eBay, pawn shops, and stores that still have a decent trade-in section. Better scoop one up now though...prices have been rising lately. Expect to pay between $200 and $400 on average in the U.S. More overseas.

Today's sources included The Blue Book of Electric Guitars, 9th Edition and the original 1982 Fender Catalog (where that groovy picture came from!). If you'd like more info on the Bullet, check out the Fender Bullet Appreciation Page. Today's backing music featured: "Monsters" by Matchbook Romance, "Monster" by Meg & Dia, "Monsters" by Common Ground, and "Monster" by The Muggs, all of which can be found on the Halloween Episode of Opinionated Ramblings and at the Podsafe Music Network.

Next time, we'll look at the Bullet second series, which offers several models, more colors, and even a Bullet Bass. Until then, take care and keep jamming!