I'll play. Don't know that I've got enough pretty pictures, though...
Early this year a friend of mine (and trey I'll bet you'll know the picture I'm talking about) posted a picture of the "bastard child of Norma Jean" strat leaned up against his combo-fied Bassman head. Something in me snapped - I realized it was time for me to own another Fender, after not owning a Fender for over 10 years. After discussions, false-starts, and a few bit nails, I found this:
It's a Custom Shop "Custom Esquire", one of 100 made in 1992. And it fits me perfectly. Best Telecaster I've ever owned.
Also in that picture is an amplifier that came right after the Esquire and totally set me on fire. It's a 1998 Bassman RI that I got cheaper than I had right to from a local harp player and have been digging ever since. There are thems that rag on the RI amps, but I can't imagine it getting much better than this.
Later on in the year I found my first "real" strat since I sold my old MIJ one back in 1992. This one is a mongrel CS guitar with an early non-Relic-ed Relic body and a later Cray neck. It's been routed neck and bridge for humbuckers, but it sounds absolutely huge.
Leaving the stable this year were my old Hamer bolt-ons, a T-51 and a Daytona. Great guitars, but they were no longer *my* great guitars if that makes any sense.
And trey, for what it's worth, I'm still glad you're here.
Abe