I recently added a second guitar to my arsenal, a black Epiphone Dot. Unlike my primary instrument, the Dot is a hollow-body guitar that produces a rich warm sound similar to a Gibson 335--a nice complement to the twangy treble my Fender provides. While I almost always opt for trebly sounds, I want to incorporate more tonal qualities into the songs I am recording for the new album, and this guitar fits the bill.

This guitar has undergone several modifications since I bought it new. First, I had the truss rod and the intonation adjusted, as shipping without a case seemed to have mucked things up a bit. I removed the pickguard next (the guitar looks way cooler without it), after which I tackled the problem of ugly orange control knobs with a can of glossy black spray paint. End result? A great new second guitar for The Jerrys. Listen for it on the new album, coming in 2011.