Happy 4th of July and 250th Anniversary!

As a veteran I have strong thoughts on what a patriot is and isn't. My take on it is a bit unique, as I don't believe ones politics should define their patriotism. Having said that, I should point out that as a business, we follow the two big "no's" of engagement. No politics and no religion. That way theres no misunderstandings. Believe what you want, as long as it doesn't hurt anybody. Why all this patriotism talk? The semiquincentennial of course!

I was around during the Bicentennial in 1976. I was seven years old and it was a wonderful celebration. Seemed like everyone was in the spirit of celebrating the 200th years of our county's independence.  In school we made tri-fold hats, created flag drawings and discussed the reason the men of Boston felt the need to dump all that tea into the harbor. Everyone that decorated their bikes in red, white and blue were allowed to ride in the big parade. It was an exciting time for a creative kid like me. 



Cut to the end of May 2026. The Boss (my wife) and I walk into James Tyler Guitars for another shift. (Besides owning Sonic Pickups, I supervise all the pickups for James Tyler Guitars. The Boss works with me there.)

One of my favorite things is to see what the paint department has come up with. Tyler has a crackin' good paint team! I love to see the new stuff as we enter. 

On this particular evening, we saw a test paint job for a limited edition Studio Elite model with a stars and stripes theme, only done in the signature "shmear" style. We were both impressed. The Boss turned to me and said, "You know, it would be cool to make a custom switch tip for these guitars." I agreed and within a few minutes we had a design. 
It ended up being a bit stressful but ultimately turned out nice. Especially considering how fast we turned it around. 



I hope you like it and Happy 4th of July! Stay safe out there. Please take a look at the video @jamestylerguitars showing off the limited series guitars.