Guitar Fight Club: Where Guitars Settle the Score

Howdy. Name’s Larry Preston – and if I sound like I just stepped out of a time machine from 1986, that’s about right.

From about 1978 to 1992, I was a six-string outlaw. Some years, I played over 310 shows a year, chasing that pure electric high that only comes when a band’s locked in, the crowd’s roaring, and the amps are about to melt down. The 1980s were neon, loud, and alive. I played it all: Clubs, roadhouses, festivals, anywhere that would let me and the band turn up. Guitars were my identity, my weapons, and my therapy.

Then one day, I set the guitar down. I didn’t quit; it just felt like the trail had led somewhere new.

The Internet Frontier

In the early 1990s, a new kind of Wild West started forming. Instead of dusty towns and saloons, it was email servers and HTML. The internet was wide open, dangerous, and dripping with opportunity. Most people didn’t know what to make of it, but to me, it looked exactly like a new frontier that needed a few outlaws to stake a claim.

I founded a company called Randomworx, where we started building interactive CD-ROMs back when that was still a big deal. Then came early web apps—before “apps” was even a word you could say in public without getting a blank stare. Over time, that evolved into Digital Opera, a digital agency of sorts, that runs on pure independence. No office space. No suits. No politics. Just results. One full-time employee and a small army of brilliant individuals who have their own companies and we share clients. These people are all U.S. based, love what they do and deliver like outlaws who never miss a shot.

That same DIY spirit – the same drive that made me want to write songs, play shows, and survive on nothing but passion became the backbone of my work in tech. Digital Opera became known for doing big work with a small footprint, generating massive results for clients without ever selling out.

The Hunt Resumes

Somewhere around 2002, that old itch came crawling back. The best guitar I ever owned (a 1986 Jackson Custom Shop) still felt like an extension of my arms. I’d played that thing to death, and I wanted another one just like it that wasn’t in such rough shape. Finding it turned into a mission.

Before I knew it, I was chasing down guitars like a bounty hunter: Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, Jacksons, and more. Each one had a personality. Each one started to develop its own story. And each one had to earn its place.

I found rare European models, boutique builds, and a few partscasters I assembled myself. Eventually, I realized I wasn’t just buying guitars anymore, I was curating a living, breathing museum of tone, craftsmanship, and attitude.

Today, that guitar collection has grown to around 100 instruments. Some are pure art—collector pieces that will never leave. Some are daily players. Some are investment pieces. And some are simply waiting for their turn to fight.

Welcome to Guitar Fight Club

That’s how GuitarFight.pro was born. It’s a simple idea: what if guitars could settle their differences like gunslingers at high noon? Two guitars enter. One guitar leaves. The winner stays in the collection. The loser rides off into the sunset—usually to a new home via my Reverb shop.

Each matchup is a guitar shootout, a head-to-head battle told through YouTube videos, blog posts, and plenty of behind-the-scenes stories. The fights are organized by genre and purpose: a Les Paul vs. a Les Paul for classic rock or blues; a Telecaster vs. a Telecaster for funk and clean-tone supremacy; super-strats for hard rock and heavy metal. Sometimes there’s crossover—because every now and then, a shred machine surprises you with killer funk chops.

Viewers can vote on who they think should win in the comments or on social media, but ultimately, I’m the judge. The sheriff. The final word. It’s my collection, my rules – and that’s what keeps it honest. Every fight is about tone, playability, feel, and the intangible magic that separates the good from the legendary. If a guitar loses – or just doesn’t have a purpose – it may show up for sale on the Reverb channel.

A Collection With a Pulse

Each guitar in the lineup has its own place and purpose. Some remind me of the road—the smoky bars, the blistered fingers, the feeling of being twenty and thinking music could save the world. Some are investments that tell the story of how builders evolved their craft. And some… well, some are just too cool to ever let go of! I like looking at them while sipping my morning coffee!

But every instrument here has to prove itself. That’s what Guitar Fight Club is really about: celebrating the art, the sound, and the stories that make guitars so endlessly fascinating. It’s part entertainment, part preservation, part therapy. It’s a reminder that music isn’t about perfection – it’s about passion. If you’re into vintage guitar battles or hunting down Jackson Custom Shop guitars, you’ll feel right at home.

Beyond the Guitars

This project is also fueling my next book, Guitars Between Sodom and Gomorrah (working title), a wild, almost slightly true account of life in the 1980s Midwest rock scene and how that spirit never really dies—it just changes shape. It follows my first book, Starfire Kids, a breakout bestseller with rave reviews—find it at StarfireKids.com.

If You’re a Guitar Lover…

If you love guitars—not just owning them, but understanding what makes them tick—then you’ve found the right saloon. You’ll find vintage battles, stories about tone chasing, and the occasional surprise sale when one of these beauties gets retired from the lineup. Pull up a chair, pour a drink, and stick around. It’s going to get loud.