Still have your first guitar?

[FrankHudson]

The first guitar I owned: a very lowly nylon string labeled "Checkmate" that I bought at a J C Penny's store after Christmas in 1974. Learned to play on it. Brass frets, painted "fretboard" that is just a finish on the top of the neck's hardwood. It's a fairly large body for a nylon string guitar though. Huge neck too, which may be while I still like larger necks to this day.

My memory is that I paid $40 or so. I just looked at an inflation calculator and it says that 1974's $40 is nearly $500 today. Amazing isn't it, how much better constructed instrument that kind of money buys today!


Played it for a few years regularly and eventually got an all laminated wood 12-string (still have that too) and eventually a steel string flattop guitar. During its playing years it acquired a Texas Transducer stick-on pickup which I used to plug in through my pedal board and electric guitar amp. Nylon strings plus fuzz-tone, now that's a sonic mix you don't hear much today.

Yes, I still have it. I took it out of it's cardboard case last summer and recorded it for old times' sake. That recording, and a picture of it at this post on my blog:

On the Troop Ship to Gallipoli

I play with a flat pick now, while I was trying to finger pick when learning on it back in the day, so that brightens the attack on this. No, it's a proper electric guitar doing the fuzz tone at the end this time.

[PiousDevil]

Originally Posted by holly9000

Started with this circa 1973...she's a wallhanger now but I still have her

Interesting guitar, but do you wild each it?

[jojobean39]

No.

My first guitar was a crap no name acoustic from a pawn shop for $45 in 1991. It was unplayable really. My parents saw I was serious about learning and for Christmas that year they got me a Squier II Strat and an RMS amp. I was thrilled to no end. Lessons began immediately.

[Planemaker]

Yes still have it, still use it. Bought new in 79.

[jojobean39]

Originally Posted by Planemaker

Yes still have it, still use it. Bought new in 79.

That was your first guitar? Dang!

[Paraclete]

First guitar was a cheap crappy plywood classical with a baseball bat of a neck...a Franciscan, if I recall correctly. Good for learning the basics, intonation sucked above the 4th fret. I kept it for about 23 years before selling it at a garage sale many years ago. I wasn’t playing it, and it was a serviceable beginner guitar. Hard to be nostalgic about something that brings you no particular joy in playing, other than memories of being 13 years old.

[Birdbrain]

Originally Posted by markrj

1980/81 Ibanez. It has a violent history, and lots of sentimental value. It's at the shop right now, waiting in line for a restoration. I know the cost of restoration is way beyond the monetary value. I decided to do it anyway. I could buy a nice, used Larrivee 03 or 40 for what I am spending on repairs.

Your guitar had a violent history. Do you want to tell us more about that? Did it hurt somebody?

[Zandit75]

Still have it, 23yrs now! Other details are in my signature.

[pjroberts]

Yikes, old 50s or 60s Gibson, but had no idea what model at the time it disappeared (innocent 80s). It was a beat hand-me-down from my uncle. Left it in the car parked on a Ashby Ave in Berkeley next to People's Park during college. Poof! Somebody ripped the top, stole the guitar and the stereo. Massive hit for college student and put a long damper on guitar playing.

It made it pretty far though ... my uncle got it around 1960, gave it to me in about 77 and then Berkeley incident in about 89 ... just before the Loma Prieda earthquake.

[markrj]

Originally Posted by personatech

Well worth a restoration, considering its unique curb appeal!!

I agree!

So, about that "violent history"... No, the guitar didn't hurt anyone except for the fact that I felt like crap for weeks after the first incident. I was walking out of a "extended college party" with the guitar in hand. No case. I was very inebriated to say the least. I tripped over a large rock and fell into a pile of gravel. I did my best to save the guitar and suffered a very bad impact and abrasion on the back of my left hand. It looked like hamburger. The guitar did hit the ground causing a large spider crack in the finish starting at the base of the lower bout but seemed to only affect the finish. I had it checked out and no braces were loose etc. I continued to play it until I saw a 1988 Collector's Edition Ovation sitting in the window of the local music store. I traded it in.

My hand took a long time to heal completely.

My then fiancee, and now wife of 31 years, was not happy about that. She loved the Ibanez. It's the guitar I was playing when we met. Without my knowledge, she went to he local music shop and bought it back from them. She wrapped it up, and gave it to me as my wedding gift at our rehearsal dinner.

Fast forward 12 or so years and one day I was unloading the guitars after a jam session with some friends. I left the Ibanez, in its case, on the floor of the garage for just a minute while I carried other things into the house. My wife arrived and proceeded to pull the Mercedes M320 SUV into the garage. She never saw the guitar case. She ran over it causing it to launch across the garage, slamming into the concrete wall and then landing on the concrete garage floor. The case was mangled. The guitar survived mostly intact except now it had some broken braces inside.

It also needs a neck reset.

So that's the story of my Ibanez Ragtime Special. I look forward to the day when I can play it once again.

[Photojeep]

Sometime around 1969 I bought my first guitar, as I remember it, it was a small-ish steel string guitar and I thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever owned. For about a week. That’s when I saw “a real guitar” and realized mine didn’t look like every other guitar I saw. For the record, all these other guitars were dreadnaughts and mine was just smaller. No idea what brand or model, it was the only thing I could afford since my entire life savings was $14.

I played mine for years all while saving money to get a “real” guitar. I can’t be exactly sure but I think I traded in that first guitar towards a “real” one that I still have. That was around 1973ish. Finally I owned a guitar that looked like every one else’s guitar. It even cane with its own cardboard case!

She’s no longer playable so I bought her a nice wooden case where she is living out her retirement in peace, lifting bridge notwithstanding.

Best,
PJ

[JakeStone]

yep.. I still have my first acoustic guitar.
Late 80's Takamine F-340..
Bought it at Guitar Showcase San Jose CA
Had it about 30 years!

[Shades of Blue]

My first guitar was the Seagull S6+ in my signature. I have had it for 20 years. 10 years ago I would have told you it was the best sounding guitar on the planet. However, as I get more experience with nice acoustics, I realize that I think the guitar is great, but not my favorite tone by a long shot these days.

I played primarily electric guitar for 18 years. These last 2 years have been pretty much acoustic only and I'm learning so much about acoustic guitars and what I like. It's been fun and refreshing.

[mz-s]

Still have my Korean Applause by Ovation AE28. Not sure the year it was made, late 80's is my guess. If the neck weren't so thin I'd play it more. Fun guitar.

[Planemaker]

Originally Posted by jojobean39

That was your first guitar? Dang!

Yup, I had been borrowing my sister’s Fender F25 while learning with a friend who had a Gibson Country & Western. I loved the tone on that Gibby and landed my first good paying job and went guitar shopping. I always bought the best quality I could afford and when I strummed this Bird, I had to have it. $895. Canadian with case. Still have the receipts.