Mike Starr’s 1992 Stephen McSwain Custom Guitar

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This hand carved guitar was owned and used by Mike Starr and was part of Mike’s personal collection. It was made by the famous luthier Stephen McSwain of McSwain Guitars.  www.mcswainguitars.com. Stephen sold this to Mike in November of 1992. Here’s a quote from Stephen:

“I believe this was one the first five guitars I had built.  Alice In Chains was touring clubs with Gruntruck and Screaming Trees. I was living in Charlotte, NC at the time and Dirt had just been released. The show at the 13-13 Club in Charlotte was sold out. I went by the club in the afternoon and met Mark Lanegan. He got me on the guest list. I ended up going into the show with Layne and watched Gruntruck and Screaming Trees with him.  After Alice played, I went to my car and got the unfinished guitar and took it on Alice’s bus. Mike bought it off me and Jerry wrote me a check to commission his guitar. It was such a momentous experience in my career!”

The guitar was originally sold to Mike with just the neck and body with no hardware or pickups. Mike’s friend Evan Sheeley later fitted it with all hardware, electronics, and pickups. A letter from Mike’s sister Melinda Starr is included and it comes with a hard case.