Good read and nice memories for you. Bought a guitar from Judge Bork's son!:)

Most intense biker scene I ever saw was at a club in Winston Salem, NC. Gregg and Dickey played there individually and together in the 1980's and Govt Mule played there 3 times in the 90's. But the heavy biker night was for David Allen Coe. Tried not to make eye contact with anyone and look cool. 

Not long afterwards several members of The Outlaws MC and some young women were shot and killed in an old house in Charlotte, NC that was used as a clubhouse about 3 in the morning. 

When the pictures of the victims were on the news I recognized two that were near me most of the night. 

Eventually the DEA, FBI, ATF and IRS hit all the Outlaw locations in the Carolinas and Florida and as far as I know they don't exist now. 

I got to know a couple of them a little and they seemed to be okay guys but I was never sure. 

@robertdee That's pretty intense.

I actually knew Charles Bork pretty well for a bit. We worked together briefly at a small newspaper in NYC. He was a designer and I was an editor. That publication went up in flames but it did start me on a road that led me to Guitar World. Charles had also lost his job there and had some guitar gear he wanted to cash in on. I bought a Strat, a Fender practice amp and some effects, including an original MXR, a vintage Dunlop wah and a few Boss pedals. I still have most of them.

I'm glad you still have most of the equipment. They represent a milestone and a beginning for you. 

If I could only afford one good electric guitar I would get a Strat with good pickups and 5 way switch because you can do more with it. But if I had the money for two good electric guitars I would absolutely get a good Les Paul which I would likely use the most. But the best Les Pauls are usually the old ones and man are they expensive these days. 

@robertdee you can get a decent Les Paul Studio for $700-800. Above that, you're paying for the finish.

@porkchopbob Thanks porkchopbob. I have a decent SG that has a good neck and two humbuckers and it is decent guitar and I have an old road worn 1962 Strat with double pickups in the bridge position but only a 3 way switch but you can get it to sit in between and have two pickups on.It has a good neck too and stays in tune. You can get a good blues tone on the Strat if you use the double pickup in the bridge position plus the middle and roll back the treble a bit. . But neither one sounds exactly like a good Les Paul which is my favorite tone. Listen to Dickey on One Way Out on Eat A Peach. That is my favorite tone. 

Here is one with double pickups in the bridge position and there is one at the big music store here in my town. I bought mine from a better player than me who needed $600.00 quickly and said it was like that when he got it. I assume they make some with double pickups. 

My SG is maroon and sounds kinda like this except I play a bit better than this guy:)

Here is Clapton with a good Les Paul. 

Posted by: @porkchopbob

@robertdee you can get a decent Les Paul Studio for $700-800. Above that, you're paying for the finish.

If you can get past the name on the headstock Epiphone Les Paul's are very well made guitars and great deals these days especially used.

@bill_graham You may be right. If Jack Pearson can play a $45 dollar Squire Strat I could play an Epiphone. The guy at the big music store where I live told me Gibson's Epiphone makes decent guitars. Better than Fender's Squire brand. Thanks.