Larsongs Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 It came up on the Guitar Strap Thread… Here’s my story.. It was Christmas in the 50’s… I was very young & along with my younger brother watched every Cowboy Show there was.. Anyhow, waking up Christmas morning I was so excited! I went down & waited til Mom & Dad were up & we opened our Presents.. One of them was a Kids Hopalong Cassidy Cowboy Guitar. I was more of a Roy Rogers & Lone Ranger fan but so what! I got a cool Guitar! Got a story? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 I had a country guitar and it had to be the biggest POS my fingers and ears had to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Them old country guys and girls sure fancied up theirs guitars. I think it was an unwritten rule you had to have your name on the fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 6 minutes ago, gearbasher said: Love NRPS. Just got the Thanksgiving Day 1972 concert CD the other day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 15 hours ago, duane v said: I had a country guitar and it had to be the biggest POS my fingers and ears had to deal with. Use to string them with barbed wire. I see you took yours off !! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitefang Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 EMENEE put some out too.... And Roy did it up right. This one is made of wood! Whitefang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 I wasn’t aware there was a Ltd. Edition Martin D-45 Gene Autry Guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 Then there’s these.. Gene had a cool J200 too! FF to 1:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Here's a Regal Cowboy guitar I had 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 Check out Roy on his Gibson doing “Don’t Fence Me In”…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitefang Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Even "pretend" cowboys croon a nice cowboy tune. And check out Ricky's fancy designed instrument. (from RIO BRAVO..'59) Whitefang 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 Then there’s these.. Gene had a cool J200 too! FF to 1:22 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 A more modern day singing cowboy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 All serves to remind me of my deprived childhood. No guitar. Not even a cowboy outfit. No, I got a Indian Chief headdress with 'Chingachgook' on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Here was my Cowboy guitar - a Roy Rogers model. Got it for Xmas one year and it served me well considering my lack of skill, until about 7th grade when I had saved up enough to buy a real steel string guitar at the local store. The back/sides and top were some sort of pressed board, the fingerboard was plastic, the neck and headstock were the only wooden parts. It really didn't sound too bad for something that probably cost $10 out of the Sears catalogue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 22 hours ago, Larsongs said: I wasn’t aware there was a Ltd. Edition Martin D-45 Gene Autry Guitar? Yup. Had one of those some time ago. Almost doubled my money on it as well. It bought many vintage pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 Yeah. Those plastic frets didn't hold up too well. I think, after the 100th time I asked my mother to get the pick out of the sound hole. the guitar had an accident. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 3 hours ago, slimt said: Yup. Had one of those some time ago. Almost doubled my money on it as well. It bought many vintage pieces. Pretty sweeeet! I’ll bet you did make some money.. Good you got some nice vintage Gear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitefang Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 15 hours ago, fortyearspickn said: Yeah. Those plastic frets didn't hold up too well. I think, after the 100th time I asked my mother to get the pick out of the sound hole. the guitar had an accident. Yeah, that EMENEE I mentioned had plastic frets. And at the time I had NO idea how to tune it or how to hold ANY chords. So I tuned the strings to sound like a chord, not sure which one, maybe C, and I'd change chords by placing my index finger over all the strings and go up and down the neck of the guitar. Like, I later found out, how JONI MITCHELL did a lot. And too, Richie Havens. But back then I never saw anyone play that way. Ahead of my time? Naw. Just didn't know any better. Whitefang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 I had no idea how to tune or play my Hopalong guitar.. I just faked it! I’m pretty sure it was plastic as well. By no means a real Guitar but we all have our beginnings! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitefang Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 18 hours ago, Larsongs said: I had no idea how to tune or play my Hopalong guitar.. I just faked it! I’m pretty sure it was plastic as well. By no means a real Guitar but we all have our beginnings! Sure. I saw an interview with B.B. King where he claimed his first string "instrument" was a length of wire nailed to the post holding up the overhang on the small sharecropper shanty he grew up in and the porch. Whitefang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted December 23, 2022 Author Share Posted December 23, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Whitefang said: Sure. I saw an interview with B.B. King where he claimed his first string "instrument" was a length of wire nailed to the post holding up the overhang on the small sharecropper shanty he grew up in and the porch. Whitefang I watched a Movie or Documentary & if I’m not mistaken Muddy Waters told the same story… Edited December 23, 2022 by Larsongs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, Larsongs said: I watched a Movie or Documentary & if I’m not mistaken Muddy Waters told the same story… AKA the Diddley bow..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diddley_bow Edited December 23, 2022 by jdgm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 On 12/21/2022 at 9:49 AM, Whitefang said: Even "pretend" cowboys croon a nice cowboy tune. And check out Ricky's fancy designed instrument. (from RIO BRAVO..'59) Whitefang I loved that movie. I worked with a guy at Burlington Northern that reminded me of Walter Brennan. Talked, walked and acted just like him. My first guitar, my mother bought for me. The strings were so high up on the bridge that I couldn't even push them down. They were at least an half Inch high. Junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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