I picked up the guitar for the first time at 16, back in the late 1990s. At that time, the Internet in India was just beginning to become accessible at home. While it offered plenty of resources for learning guitar, it lacked the structure and systematic approach you find in today’s courses. After three years of aimlessly practicing scales for hours without knowing what to do with them, I finally gave up.

Fast forward 18 years to the COVID-19 lockdown. Stuck at home and looking for a project to keep me occupied after work, I stumbled upon my old Ibanez, buried in the attic. It seemed like the perfect restoration project—an opportunity to apply some of my vintage pen restoration skills (more here) to something new. And so began my dive into the world of guitar restoration (more here).

Amazingly, the restoration process went exactly as planned—a rare occurrence for such an ambitious project. After three months of repairs, I was left with a guitar that looked so good, I couldn’t resist trying it out. To my surprise, playing guitar felt just like riding a bike—my fingers remembered how to move almost instantly. I was rusty, of course, but that moment reignited an old passion. This time, I started relearning the guitar with the help of well-structured online courses.

Over the years, my musical influences have shifted. Back when I started, I admired guitarists like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Slash, and other glam rock legends of the '80s. These days, I’m drawn to the sounds of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, and John Mayer. Noticing that many of my favorite guitarists played Stratocasters, I decided I needed one for myself. While researching vintage Strats, I discovered Tokais—and that’s when my collection began!

As for this website, it’s not meant to showcase my guitar skills or expertise in vintage guitars—I don’t claim to have much of either just yet. Instead, it’s a personal space to document my modest, slowly growing collection of vintage guitars. I originally created it as a private repository, but I decided to make it public on the off chance someone else might find the information useful. I hope you enjoy it!