Favorite Things: Cody Hobbins and his Fender Stratocaster

Cody Hobbins, who owns a window-washing company, is a prodigal guitarist. Though he used to prefer pointy metal guitars fit for bands like Pantera and Ratt, he now prefers vintage-style Fender guitars.  

Before I joined my current band, I had always played Deans and Jacksons, maybe a Telecaster here or there, but it was always metal guitars — pointy things. I cut my teeth on Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Megadeth. I was a metalhead. I didn’t play punk music, I played metal. 

I started buying up Squiers, I bought a Jazzmaster and two different Squier Jaguars. I returned both Jaguars because they were total garbage. Horribly built, just not good. I went into Guitar Center and was looking at the wall thinking, “I just need anything. I need something sweet.” There it was, the guitar I wanted — the exact Stratocaster I was looking at on the Internet before going into Guitar Center and telling myself, “Damn, it would be cool to have that guitar.”

I said, “All right, stop everything. Return this piece of crap and give me the guitar the top of the shelf that’s the one I want.” The sparkly mint green and the off-white pickguard and accessories — that was it, I was sold. 

Funnily enough, I took the guitar home and thought, “What a hunk of crap.” It was in horrible shape; the neck was all warped. It needed a little bit of work before it would be up to snuff. I started getting into my tools and looking stuff up online. I had to shim the neck a little bit and loosen a few bolts. I screwed with the action. I had to figure this guitar out all on my own. I took it to a professional and they didn’t get it where I wanted, I had to do it all myself. 

I am bonded and endeared to this guitar because I had to my own work and so much of my time into it. On top of that, I have a custom Seymour Duncan JB Jr. pickup in it. I went through two of those. The first one broke midway through recording my band’s album, which was the worst possible timing. My good friend replaced it with a brand-new one. 

Every piece of that guitar is se up for me and nobody else. I don’t have it set up as to where anybody else would like it, but it’s been so good to me. I had to that all myself, so I am really bonded to the thing. There will always be a place in my heart for the big wild Dean or a pointy Jackson, but by and large I’ve moved onto Stratocasters and Super Stratocasters. I can’t go back. 

Interview edited and condensed by Skyler Ashley. If you have a suggestion for Favorite Things, please email Skyler@Lansingcitypulse.com.

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