37 - Casey Shallcross

Sep 08, 2024

Casey is a 41 year old gear junkie, currently living in the Atlanta metro area. Originally from Coral Springs, FL, he traded the heat and hurricanes, for heat and traffic. At age 9, grunge was already having a massive impact on his preference of music, and inspired him to get into playing guitar.

After taking Spanish Classic training in south FL, he switched to a new instructor, and started leaning into heavier and heavier genres along the alt-rock highway. After years of training, Casey was more into playing shows around the south FL scene and working on his own ideas vs playing covers.

Over the years a career developed and playing with bands was less ideal, so he transitioned more into home writing and recording, along with gear hoarding. Over the years tons of items have come and gone, but gear times are good atm!

Casey’s guitars:

Fender American Special CME LE Sherwood Green
I had always loved green guitars, and Fender’s Sherwood was always one I wanted something in. I stumbled upon this limited run done for Chicago Music Exchange, and decided it was a keeper. I updated the pickups to Fender’s CuNiFe wide range hum buckers for a little extra oomph while keeping things quiet. The only other updates to this one are some locking tuners which I try to add to all of my guitars to help speed up string changes.
PRS SC250 in Blue Matteo with a nice burled maple cap
This one was horribly photographed by the shop selling it, so I was originally going to check it out thinking it was a blue plaintop. Once I saw it in proper lighting it definitely came to life. This thing won me over with how the #7 pickups instantly got along with all of my drive pedals. Built like a tank, and plays like a dream.
Bacchus SGC Custom MIJ Korina 1 0f 20
I can’t recall which pair of SD pickups were tossed in this one but it rips. Everything about it feels just right, and Bacchus really did a good job with these. It is one of the more recent additions to the collection. I had another cherry SG Standard for a time, but I’m a fan of the more eclectic finishes.
Fender American Pro II Stratocaster Mystic Surf Green
This Strat caught my eye on the wall at a local GC and when I hooked it up I was pleased to hear it had Fender Custom Shop Fat 60’s pickups in it. Those, paired with the unique switching on these Am Pros gave a ton of great Strat tones on hand. Not a bad sound to be found in that thing. Nothing else changed on this one outside of locking tuners.
Partscaster Tele in Tobacco burst
This is my most recent snag, from another builder online. It was built using a Warmoth carved top Tele semi-hollow body with a mahogany back, and flamed maple cap. The neck is a mildly road worn Allparts next, with a nice rosewood board, locking Planet Wave tuners, Finshman Fluency Classic hum buckers, and some Wilkinson saddles. The three voices in the Fishman are super useful and quiet.
Gibson Les Paul Classic Antique in Honey Burst
I’ve had other LP’s but this is and had been my #1 for some time. It is from the limited 2007 line of Classic Antiques, but not part of the GOTM program. It currently has Bare Knuckle Mules in it with 50’s wiring, and some of them good ole locking tuners ;)
PRS Standard 22 Satin
super simple, this one is just a very capable guitar that feels like a broken in baseball glove. I’ve always loved the PRS carve and have had several Core models over the years. All have been great, but there is something about this one being as simple as it gets, that just really works. This is a lovely single piece mahogany body which is super resonant. I currently run this one in drop C.
Gibson ES-335 Figured LE Turquoise
This is a limited run 335 that was done in a cool transparent turquoise. There were 250 of these made I believe for 2016, with only 83 being sold to the North American market. Saw it in the shop while I was out hunting for a 339, and I just couldn’t pass it up.
Hinnant Revival Buckeye Burl
this tele like object is a Hinnant Revival. Hinnant is a local custom builder in the Atlanta area, and for my birth a few years ago, I wanted something custom and with a nice connection to GA as I guess I was feeling sentimental about the years I’ve been living here. This one is a set neck with a Black Limba body, and Buckeye Burl cap. The neck is a nice 5A flame, with a slick Ebony board with minimal inlays. The pickups are McNelly Stagger Swaggers, with Ratio locking tuners and a Babicz trem bridge.
Blu
Blue is a Strat I built recently, comprised of a nitro Daphne Blue MJT ash body, Frail Unbuckers, a nice roasted flame maple neck w/rosewood board, and of course…some Fender locking tuners, It was quasi built to copy a Mario Martin Strat I was lusting for in a local shop that had sold. It is kinda hard consider CS pricing when building something this good can be done for 1/3 the price.
Fender 62 Thin Skin Jazzmaster AVRI in Sonic Blue
recently snagged this one from a buddy in town to help him fund a vintage LP purchase, plus who doesn’t love a thin skin JM? Right now the only update this one will be getting is some Black Mass JMXL pickups once they’re done making them for me. It’ll be a lil hotter n thicker in the end.
Gibson 93 SG Special Custom Shop Edition in Emerald green
pretty sure I heard this was done for a Japanese market but not 100% sure of that. It has Classic 57’s in it which I enjoy, and recently had a fresh fret level/crown. Locking tuners to keep me sane. Sometimes it sports a black bakelite pick guard when in alter ego mode.
Martin 000-15m
out of sight, the lone acoustic is the only one I need. Plays and fits the hand like a broken in glove (pretty much the acoustic cousin to my PRS Standard Satin.

Outside of guitars, I’m a pedal junkie so you can always find me messing with one of my few spaceships!

What was your first guitar and do you still have it?

My first real ish guitar was a Fender MIM Strat in LBP. Sadly I no longer have this one. My dad and I modded it back in the late 90’s with a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge.

What’s your favorite guitar right now and why?

That is impossible to answer…but the partscaster Tele is the newest so it is currently in the honeymoon phase. After that, the AVRI has been a really good time.