Obscurity

Mr. Mark and Phil Kitze, Half Time Rec, Saint Paul, Minnesota

   I caught a performance of Mr. Mark (my guitar repair guru) playing in a blues/rock band last weekend. He plays bass, on upright or on a solid body electric. His bass guitar of choice is a Micro-Frets™ Signature, a very rare bird from the early 70's, probably no more than a couple hundred were made. Micro-Frets guitars had many advanced features which was probably the reason why the brand didn't survive—guitarists are a very conservative group when it comes to their instruments. There has been talk of resurrecting the company for years but with the industry in a downturn and with the world awash in cheap guitars made from standardized parts I see little chance of that happening.

   Mark loves his (he has two!) and wouldn't trade them for the world.