Gone But Not Forgotten

[OldCowboy]

Musing on the comings and goings of life just now, I got thinking about guitars that have passed through my hands over the years and wondering which of them I wish I still had. ALL of them is not a valid option. Surprisingly, it came down to only one - my first (though not the best) J-200. Then got wondering if anyone else is lonesome for a specific one that got away. Hence, this lovely post!

[jvi]

Im over 60 and had many guitars but the best sounding and playing was an early 90s advanced jumbo, even my wife misses that one,, foolishly sent it to gruhn on a trade for a custom shop champaign sparkle finsh strat - ouch

[bobouz]

A 1948 L-48.

 

My first Gibson.

[kidblast]

I usually hold on to them, probably why I have over 20.. but for this, it's a toss up.

 

my first "real" electric (a 69 or 70 Tele I bought new) when I was still in Jr High, (9th grade I guess it was)...

 

 

or,, my 1979 MC400 (Ibanez MIJ) simply for sentiments, It was my only electric for many years, played many hundreds of gigs with it, it was road scared like you read about when I was done with it. I got rid of it about 10 years ago, took me a while to regret it, but the regrets eventually were at my door.

[58 Relic]

When I was 50 I made a CD of my playing . The title " 50 Years 57 Guitars " the only ones I have now are listed in my aviator below . The one I miss ? My Rapier 33 made by Watkins this was my first real electric .

[MissouriPicker]

There are certain guitars I remember and I guess being human makes we wonder about where they are, how they're doing, any kids yet and all that stuff, but beyond that I don't worry about them or anything. I probably think more about the J150 I sold last year because I'm seriously considering another Gibson Super Jumbo in the not-to-distant future, providing it has a wider nut than the J150 had. I believe the guitars I currently have are pretty much the best guitars I've owned when it comes to playability and being glad I have them. Doesn't mean that one or more of them can't be sold, or that new ones can't be added to the family. Just means I'm real happy with them.

[fsharp]

I'm 62. I've owned in total 7 guitars - still have 3. I don't miss a single one that I ever got rid of. My only regret is that I didn't take very good care of an Aria 12 string I bought in 1970 that I still have. It caved a bit around the sound hole so I can't put anything but silk and steel strings on it and they kind of destroy its sound. It may be that nothing I could have done would have made any difference - I don't think it was really braced heavily enough for 12 strings. I don't miss the others 1 bit.

[Boyd]

The only one I really miss is a 1972 or maybe 1973 Telecaster thinline. I sold it and used the money to buy the 1974 J-50 that I still have, so it was for a good cause. But that telecaster would certainly be worth a lot more than the J-50 if I had kept it. Anyway, it's all good, I have a 2011 re-issue of the same guitar now. But I hardly ever play it, electric guitars don't interest much anymore. Here I am with it in 1974. :)

 

[Salfromchatham]

Boyd. Great picture. It reminds me of my childhood... same kind of furniture. Anyone remember plastic slip covers though?

[ksdaddy]

I am a sentimental, nostalgic, and completely irrational person that has a diminished grasp on reality as a result. Things from my past have an overwhelming effect on me; memories bring about a flood of emotions and often that flood is blown completely out of proportion.

 

Having said that, yes, tons of guitar ghosts come back to haunt me. I continually remind myself, "I got rid of it for a reason" but irrational nostalgia always seems to win.

 

It's almost never the positive attributes of any particular guitar that I miss, because if it was THAT great, I never would have parted with it.

[gearbasher]

Unfortunately, not a Gibson.

 

My 1980 Guild D55. Still the best sounding acoustic that I ever heard.

It was close to needing a re-fret so I traded it in towards a J45.

[blindboygrunt]

My first j45 I had to sell for rent money

 

Never again , as next month i still didn't have rent money and also had no j45

[rustystrings]

I could talk about the '50 J-45 that forever changed how I hear guitars - that one I gave to my brother; or the '61 ES-125T with the amazing tone that I traded for a '61 Jazzmaster; even the early '30s roundhole L4 archtop that came to me full of gaping holes from crudely-fitted electronics, a guitar that sounded particularly cool. But really, the ONE that I miss, the only one I really miss, was the beat '60 LG-2 I bought for $125 in early '86. I glued up the cracks and replaced the button-less Klusons with Grovers (it was 1986, you know?) and later had a Fishman thinline fitted to it. It was the greatest songwriting guitar EVER, I could play it sitting on a couch, it weighed nothing, it had punch and clarity and just enough note separation, and when you really leaned into it, it would just ROAR. It was capable of sweetness, but it could sound like tearing sheet steel when needed. An awesome guitar, and I pretty much gave it away to a former associate for reasons that make no sense to me now.

[Boyd]

Boyd. Great picture. It reminds me of my childhood... same kind of furniture. Anyone remember plastic slip covers though?

 

Thanks! My Dad took that picture while I was visiting in St. Louis. I think the furniture was actually very expensive, my Mother was into that kind of thing. I do remember those plastic slip covers, but nobody in my family ever used them. :)

[MissouriPicker]

I certainly remember the plastic slip covers. My parents had them on their furniture and for the first couple years my wife and I were married we had them on our chairs and sofas....then, one afternoon we both got pissed and removed all of the plastic and tossed it. On hot days it was uncomfortable as hell and would stick like glue to you.

[jedzep]

My first guitar, bought by my teacher, the great Buddy Merrill, who was in my father's little dance combo, was an unplayable Orpheum archtop with very high action. That was 1966. I was 14. Since then I think I've owned around 30 vintage (mostly) acoustics, Gibson, Goya/Levin, Guild and Martin, also a few electrics, feeling like I was trading up most times. I'd like to have three of them back. I stupidly sold an awesome '96 Martin 5-15 TERZ model. Small, easy handling but magical tone. Haven't been able to find one since. Damn! Next, a '61 Guild M20. Small mahog featherweight with same amazing tone, balance, playing comfort. Lastly, a '58 ES-125 T 3/4. So much fun to play. Oh yeah...I have regrets.

[Martin 1940D28]

My biggest regret is when I was big into Steel Guitar and Dobros, in the late '60s and early '70s. I'd taken in trade a 1951 Martin D 28, a 1930's National and Dobro round neck. With the Dobro and National came an early Gibson Hawaiian Jumbo with the round center hole along with the F holes on the outer perimeter. At the time, in my area, only Martin flattops were desired. I strung up the Gibson as a Spanish style without taking into consideration the height or style of the nut. It sounded ok, but. I sold the D28 to a couple of college folks from Boston for $400 that they were happy to get. The other spotted the Gibson and asked what I wanted for it. I sold it to him for $35. I do not know if'n it was a Mahogany or Rosewood model. This was about 1971. I'm sure these folks, should they be reading this forum, will remember this deal.

[QuestionMark]

I traded a 1966 Epiphone Century towards my 1972 Gibson SJ Deluxe. Was a good trade towards, but then twenty years later I was driven to buy a 1965 Gibson 125TC to replace the missed Century. Happy with the SJ and the 125, but wish I still had the Century. Someone once was willing to give me a metal Dobro from the 30s that I refused to take on principal that the person didn't understand its value.my wife many years later bought me a metal Dobro, so all is well that ends well on that one.