It Takes A Teenage Riot To Get Me Out Of Bed

First the Joe Strummer Tele, now this.

Sonic Youth's deal from the beginning was to use lots of different weird tunings. This required lots of different instruments, and in the 80s, everyone wanted pointy superstrats. This meant that they could get things like Jaguars, Jazzmasters and the like for cheap.

I knew about Sonic Youth well before I heard them, seeing them in the SST catalog that came with the Program: Annihilator sampler. I saw them mentioned in magazines, too. The Ciccone Youth Whitey Album was the first I bought. Eventually I got a dubbed copy of Daydream Nation , which contains among other things the song "Teenage Riot".



Now they have Signature Models .

I've been trying to discern what I think is most interesting about this. Partially, it's the continuing revival of the Jazzmaster as a body shape. J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr and Elvis Costello both have signature Jazzmasters. I forsee a Nels Cline model coming eventually. Partially, it's the increasing association or acceptance of Fender as punk guitars. There's also the whole Signature Model thing contrasting with the anti-commercial indie stance. But really, the one thing that really interests me is that instruments that were chosen because they were cheap and unwanted are now being sold in special signed and pricy editions.

I can guarantee I won't own one. Not because I don't want one, but because I wouldn't be able to swing one. But I do think it's kinda cool.