Your First Guitar?

[jvi]

mine was weightless and invisible and WOW  did I feel good in front of the mirror ....j

[PrairieSchooner]

I was the vocalist in a rock band; couldn't play a lick.   We broke up, and I owned the cheesy PA system.  Took it to the local music store to sell it; they offered me a hundred bucks and a used acoustic guitar.  I said "How much without the guitar?" and they said "A hundred bucks"  so I took it.  It turned out to be a Harmony Sovereign H1260 sold by Monkey Wards and branded Airline.  Wish I still had it! 

[E-minor7]

My beginning was a Finnish, , , , guitar. As a matter of fact a Landola Buffalo, which I dearly wanted and was lucky to get for Xmas at the age of 14. 

Compared to the Japanese nylon-string it replaced the new western simply blew my mind. The steel, the tuners, especially the pitch-black guard, , , and of course the sound. 

Remember playing Universal Soldier in the days up till New Years Eve and knowing this was it. The fatal point of untouchable no return reached, , , in sheer bliss. . 

 

 

Found and played a vintage one in a shop 6-7-8 years ago. Not a bad acoustic at all. 

Edited December 29, 2019 by E-minor7

[PrairieSchooner]

Very similar body shape to the  H`1260 referenced above. 

[EuroAussie]

A Washburn all laminate dreadngouth, with an action so high you coule park a 747 underneath it. Almost demotivated me from the acoustic guitar, until I played a Gibson J-200 for the first time and my desire was sparked again. Bought an EJ-200 and was off ... thats around 1992.

[E-minor7]

9 hours ago, EuroAussie said:

A Washburn all laminate dreadngouth, with an action so high you coule park a 747 underneath it. Almost demotivated me from the acoustic guitar, until I played a Gibson J-200 for the first time and my desire was sparked again. Bought an EJ-200 and was off ... thats around 1992.

Yeah, that's the test we all have to go through, isn't it.

Without knowing better we start up strugling with guitars of inhuman action and if the will is strong enough, we sooner or later run into a normal set-up.

That point is the relief - the gate of epiphany - which sends us further in renewed spirit.  Never looking back. . 

[bobouz]

In 1971 at the age of twenty, a friend showed me a few chords & a fingerpicking pattern.  Within days, I bought a new Yamaha FG-160.

[trailerman]

My first was a Silvertone acoustic from the Sears catalog.  It was so hard to play and not having anyone to teach me that I didn't play or learn for the next 40 years.  Thankfully a friend who was a professional musician talked me into trying again when I was 50.   Unfortunately he passed away shortly after getting me started and the internet provided guidance until I got grounded.  Now I wonder how things would be different if I had learned earlier.

[Varattitude]

Mine was a squier Strat for right handed, I’m lefty. I started playing as a right handed, but my teacher discovered I was left handed and asked me if I didn’t want to turn my guitar around. Since It was only my 3th class I didn’t mind. So I kinda learn guitar on the Hendrix style. I played that guitar my first year, then I found a Les Paul tribute 70 for a pretty sweet deal on lefty. Around 550 new on samash. I really love that guitar and is my main guitar since  then, I also own an Ibanez PS120, but it’s kind of a bittersweet taste. Now I’m on the wait for my first high end guitar, I ordered a T-style guitar from a reputable Luthier of my city, I am so exited.

[RBSinTo]

Mine was I believe a Kay that I bought from a friend for $12.00 when I was about 10 or 11 years old. Horrible action and impossible to play, so I quickly lost interest, and sold it very soon thereafter to a Country and Western record/music store (owned and run by an Englishman) for ......$12.00.

RBSinTo

 

 

 

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Electric - '78 or 9 Gibson "The Paul"

Acoustic - '80 or 1 Ovation. Don't know what model. This is the only non USA made guitar I've ever owned.

The electric was my very first though.

Edited May 23, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[Boyd]

LOL, did you notice that you already posted about your first guitar on page one of this thread? Don't feel bad, I started to do the same thing until I checked page one, since it seemed familiar. That's the problem with reviving these "zombie threads". 😉

[Sgt. Pepper]

31 minutes ago, Boyd said:

LOL, did you notice that you already posted about your first guitar on page one of this thread? Don't feel bad, I started to do the same thing until I checked page one, since it seemed familiar. That's the problem with reviving these "zombie threads". 😉

I didn't see it. I do now. I failed.

[Sgt. Pepper]

They are all zombie threads. 5 people today are gonna start threads on J-45's, garenteed.

[E-minor7]

I like and support zombie- , , , or reborn threads

[62burst]

26 minutes ago, E-minor7 said:

I like and support zombie- , , , or reborn threads

They can be a good thing, and sometimes not-so-good. The not-so-good: when it's a guitar technical issue, a helpful soul could spend a good bit of time carefully constructing a reply, only to find that the OP hasn't been around for years (OP here did/got what he had to, hasn't been around since). 

. . . and - maybe a tagged notification, a color, or a banner, could prevent time lost reading a page of posts on a years-old thread.

BUT: sometimes you notice something the second time around. For example, Emin7's Buffalo guitar- his first steel stringer. 'Just now noticed in the photo on pg 1; it had an ADJ bridge. Did it come with the ceramic saddle (heavily compensated on the G string, in the ex shown), or was he modding to Dono's Universal Soldier? 'Might explain a sympathetic ear towards the ceramic adj nowadays.

[CAMELEYE]

After working a a wholesale meat market the entire Summer between 10th and 11th grade I'd saved up enough and went

downtown to our biggest music store and bought a Martin 0-16NY, paying list at that time. Who knew any better back in '61?

That model had just been released by Martin along with the 00-21NY.  I was in tone heaven.

To this day I still have one of those, just not my original one.

[E-minor7]

1 hour ago, 62burst said:

They can be a good thing, and sometimes not-so-good. The not-so-good: when it's a guitar technical issue, a helpful soul could spend a good bit of time carefully constructing a reply, only to find that the OP hasn't been around for years (OP here did/got what he had to, hasn't been around since). 

. . . and - maybe a tagged notification, a color, or a banner, could prevent time lost reading a page of posts on a years-old thread.

BUT: sometimes you notice something the second time around. For example, Emin7's Buffalo guitar- his first steel stringer. 'Just now noticed in the photo on pg 1; it had an ADJ bridge. Did it come with the ceramic saddle (heavily compensated on the G string, in the ex shown), or was he modding to Dono's Universal Soldier? 'Might explain a sympathetic ear towards the ceramic adj nowadays.

 

Just remember a good answer serves and entertain an entire audience - not just the original poster.

My dear ol' Landola Buffalo had the metal insert with a plastic-nylon saddle, , , if I'm not too far off. Turned the screws a bit - not much. Too young.   

[tpbiii]

My first guitar was a "shop worn" new LG-1 I bought in the fall of 1962.  Before that I had played borrowed guitars.  That guitar was stolen in the mid 70s.

my late wife's guitar was probably a Kay -- bought from the MWard catalog c. 1961.  An odd animal with a huge neck that "could be strung with nylon or steel"  -- think folk revival.

It fell into disrepair, but a friend brought it back to light.  She use to brag that it was better than the Gibson.

 

 

http://vintageacousticinsruments.blogspot.com/
http://www.vimeo.com/tpbiii

 

Best,

-Tom

[chasAK]

Mine was a Kay electric with an amp built into the case.

[AzariahJames]

I bought a blue Peavey entry level electric and amp, broke my hand soon after and eventually I think I traded it toward an ovation ultra.

[MissouriPicker]

My first guitar was a Sears Silvertone electric.  My first really nice guitar was a Gibson nylon-string folk guitar.  Can’t recall the model.  early sixties.  I played lots of PP&M songs on our high school steps with that guitar and learned that “ladies like guitar pickers.”

Edited May 25, 2020 by MissouriPicker

[j45nick]

22 minutes ago, MissouriPicker said:

My first guitar was a Sears Silvertone electric.  My first really nice guitar was a Gibson nylon-string folk guitar.  Can’t recall the model.  early sixties.  I played lots of PP&M songs on our high school steps with that guitar and learned that “ladies like guitar pickers.”

Yep. I started out just as a singer in a PPM-style folk trio in high school, but quickly discovered it was the guitar player who got the girls. (Lightbulb goes on)

[bugsy]

My first guitar is yamaha cs-40. 
It was a gift from my cousins. The sound is not great, the looks is just pretty basic classical guitar, many scratch and dents here n there, but hey! Thats the one that started it all

and yes i love every inch of it .

[Larsongs]

On December 27, 2019 at 11:24 AM, Twang Gang said:

Mine was a Roy Rodgers model from the Sears Catalogue (probably) that I got for Xmas about 1957 or so like this one:

No one in my family knew anything about playing or tuning a guitar, but we did have a piano.  There were instructions with the guitar showing that you tuned the low E to the piano, and then went up to the fifth fret and tuned the A, fifth fret tune the D, fifth fret tune the G, fifth fret tune the B and fifth fret tune the high E.  An error in the tuning instructions so the b and e were always out of tune.  Tried for a long time to figure it out, but it always sounded bad.  Six month later a friend of my Moms visited from Texas and she knew how to tune a guitar so we finally got on the right track.  

It was made from some sort of fiber-board for the body with a plastic fingerboard, but it did play.  I kept it for about 4 or 5 years gradually learning  little by little, but never got any lessons.  Eventually I bought a steel string parlor size guitar made from wood, but the Roy Rodgers was the only guitar anyone ever bought and gave to me.  First decent guitar was a Gibson 125 (see avatar) that I bought used about 1965 with a small Ampeg combo amp.  Don't really miss the 125, but wouldn't mind still having that amp.

Mine was similar but. Hopalong Cassidy! No Piano.. Too young to read & no Piano any way. I pretended to play & had a good time with it..

My first real Guitar was one I bought in a Pawn Shop because I didn't have enough $$$ to buy a new one.. After looking at severa Pawn Shops in D.C. & almost giving up I spotted a. Beat up thing back in a Corner... The guy said, "You don't want that old beat up thing". I messed around with it & asked how much? He said how much you got? I said $76.00. He said, "What a coincidence! That's exactly how much it is.." I was pretty shrewed! LOL!

Turned put to be a '50's Gibson Les Paul Jr. It was beat up but it was a dream to play!