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First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 6:09 pm
by rkk2786
What was your very first guitar? My first was a nylon Yamaha, it was way bigger than me and my hands were two small to play it, I grew into it though and played it at school and on the school bus going and coming, I still have it.

Micah

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 6:37 pm
by Richard Hudson
Mine was a solid body Rex. It looked like it was cut out of a 2X12 with a baseball bat for a neck.

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 6:55 pm
by BillB
My first guitar was a hand-me-down Harmony Monterrey from my older brother. I messed around with it a little while in my teens, but never seriously tried to learn how to play until I was in my early 20s. That guitar was in pretty bad shape with a couple of cracks in the top and very, very high string action down the neck. I was 22 and getting back into trying to get a college degree at Texas A&M at Kingsville (formerly Tex. A&I) near Corpus Christi. A hurricane came through, and when the power went out, I was listening to the reports on a battery powered radio. In between, they were playing the Willie Nelson and Ray Price San Antonio Rose album (new at the time). That old Harmony was sitting there with a string missing, and I started trying to play along single notes with the songs on the radio. By the time that hurricane had blown through, I had decided to finally learn how to play guitar. Shortly afterwards, I replaced it with a Cort brand copy of a Gibson J200 that I found for $100 in a pawn shop. It was not great, but quite a bit better than the old beater Harmony. My first good guitar was an Ovation nylon string.

Bill B.

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:21 pm
by Ted Carroll
My first guitar was a Kalamazoo the back was held on with carpet tacks I was around 11 or 12 I have a picture with me playing it I'm going to be 69 in January that's been awhile but fond memories.

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:34 pm
by billmoit
My first guitar was a new Kay with a single pickup, floratine cut away and F holes. 79.95 in 1961. I was 15. After a year I still could not make a 6 string bar chord. Dad took me to Arthur's music store in Indianapolis and I picked up a 1961 Gibson Melody Maker and bingo I could do the bar chords. Dad asked me if I wanted it and said no. I wanted 2 pickups. They had a 1961 Gibson SG special for 225 so we went home to get my old one to trade in. Dad said if they would give us 25 he would buy it and I would have to pay him back. They gave us a free chipboard case and 60 for the old guitar.

I started working at the A & P store at 16 and worked there all through college. I started as a bag boy and had the keys to the store when I graduated college as 3rd man in charge. Mom asked what I was going to do with my first tax return. Been a long time since I got one of them. She said I should take my 58 and get a good case for my SG. I did. When I ordered a Gibson CG in 1998 I sold that guitar for 3000. Thanks for the case idea Mom.

I waited 10 months for the Gibson CG after ordering it. When it came in the finish was cracking and they had to get it refinished under warranty. The next guitar was the Nashville Classic and I have been using Gretsch ever since.

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:57 pm
by Tom Workman
I inherited my first guitar from my maternal grandpap when he passed on in 1964. It is a 1912 W.G. Stahl and I still have it although it's in pretty bad shape and in need of a major restoration. Anyway, it's what I took beginner lessons on and it got me on my way. My mother, who is 84, remembers grandpap playing it for her when she was a little girl. He played many a square dance with it as well. Goodness, if that old guitar could talk. - Tom W.

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 9:19 pm
by DagerRande
My first guitar was a Kay guitar as a gift from my grandmother. The action was terrible but I've appreciated
every one since!

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:01 pm
by Tompicks
An Epiphone that was made of a wood called "Nato". The neck was thin which helped my small hands but generally it was not good. It had a bolted on neck.

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:28 pm
by Roger Pratt
My first guitar was a well travelled Stella steel string acoustic. Purty fair guitar for a boy that only knew 3 chords. I know upwards of 5 now.

Re: First Guitar

PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 1:58 am
by Harold Payne
Great stories guys. When I was in the AF in the early fifties, the PX sold Harmony Guitars for $19.00. I would buy one and when reassigned to another base, give it away and buy a new one at the next base. As I recall, they were fairly decent guitars. I never kept one long enough to change strings and didn't know how to set it up. Best wishes to all chetboarders. Harold Payne UGP (Uncertified Guitar Player)