The first one? Couldn't say. But somewhere there in the mid 90s I came across a couple of guitars that made me realize that there was a whole another level beyond my Guilds that I had had for 15 or more years. Listening to many of the RMMGA regulars further sparked the thought. A visit to Seattle from Anchorage confirmed it. I settled on a 000-12 fret as something I wanted, which at the time was not widely made and certainly not available in Alaska. So on a trip to San Diego I carried away a Santa Cruz from Buffalo Brothers. I was as happy as a swine in poo.
But...
I met up with Wade Hampton Miller, who I vaguely knew in Anchorage, at a thing he was doing on buying guitars at the Anchorage Folk Festival so he could use the Santa Cruz as an example of a particular body style. While there, Wade gave me the chance to play his newly acquired McAlister Baritone. Whoa. To my dismay, there was another level beyond the Santa Cruz.
After ordering a McAlister, I settled in for a 3 year wait. Then I sold an old car that I had been trying to sell for a couple of years (To friends who wanted a beater for their soon to be 16 year old son, and thought that a heavy, underpowered tank fit the bill.) I now had some unexpected money to spend.
Following a somewhat drunken evening viewing the stock of several purveyors f fine internet guitar pornography, I came across a Froggy Bottom on the Buffalo Bros site with nearly the same specs as the Mac, except for being a 00-deep body. I had previously played Froggys at Seattle's Dusty Strings, and was duely impressed. Ah ha, thought I, an Interim Guitar while I wait for the Mac.
I still have the Interim Guitar. Still have the Mac too. Nothing that I had before them can run with them.
TW
Last edited by Mycroft; 09-01-2017 at 04:49 PM.
Reason: Appearently wrote this without enough coffee.
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