[catdaddy]

My 1969 Gibson Hummingbird was a HS graduation gift from my parents. My father worked for the company that supplied lacquer for Gibson and was able to get a great deal on the guitar at the factory.

Later in 1969 I left for college with the Hummingbird in tow. Met my future wife there and she fell in love with me in no small part (she says) because of that guitar.

In 1972 the top of the guitar was accidentally crushed in an airline luggage compartment and extensive repairs were required. Cosmetically the guitar was damaged but much to my surprise and to the credit of the luthier who did the repairs it still played and sounded great.

It was my only acoustic for the next 20 years. After that, the guitar was the one I continued to write with but I used others for gigging. About 10 years ago some of the bracing started to crack and the neck required a reset. I had a luthier do the repairs but as he explained to me, the original damage from years ago made it almost impossible to restore a good neck angle.

Since then the old Hummingbird has been hanging on the wall next to the fireplace. My wife told me she'd leave me if I ever consider getting rid of it. So for the sake of my 39 year marriage and half a lifetime of great memories that is the one guitar I own that won't ever belong to anyone else.