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Silverbursted

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He wouldn't have had the first idea how to hold it' date=' let along play it...but he'd love it.[/quote']

don matter if he never knew how to play yonder guitar...... even my sister appreciates beauty in a guiitar and even moreso in the sound. (I'd take an amazing sounding hideous guitar over a normal one any day)

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My Dad passed away on Memorial Day' date=' 25 May, 1998. He was, in my eyes then and now, the finest man I'd ever known. I wanted something to memorialize him, to pass down in the family, hopefully from one generation to the next. In spite of Dad's careers after his 36 years in the Army, he was always "The Colonel" in my thoughts and memories, thus the eagle inlay on the board. I worked closely with the builder on this and felt like I got exactly what I wanted.

 

[/quote']

 

The guitar is a beauty.. The sentiment is even better..

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My Dad passed away on Memorial Day' date=' 25 May, 1998. He was, in my eyes then and now, the finest man I'd ever known. I wanted something to memorialize him, to pass down in the family, hopefully from one generation to the next. In spite of Dad's careers after his 36 years in the Army, he was always "The Colonel" in my thoughts and memories, thus the eagle inlay on the board. I worked closely with the builder on this and felt like I got exactly what I wanted.

 

The Eagle (builder: Chris Benavente)

 

Eagle01.jpg

Thats a great story and an even better tribute. I'm sure your kids will treasure it as well.

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Thats a great story and an even better tribute. I'm sure your kids will treasure it as well.

 

Thanks, Silver, I'm hoping that's what happens. My younger Son's 2 boys already know how special that one is out of all Grampa's guitars so it appears to have taken on a life of its own.

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When I was a freshman in high school (15) I stepped off the school bus to find that my house had burnt down. Although the fire had only burned the top level of my house, it had begun with a fish tank that was in my room. So, my light blue mexican fender stratocaster had suffered 4th degree burns and had perished from them, as did my small fender amplifier (I have a great pic but it was taken before things were all digital). Since I was still enrolled in guitar lessons, my dad contacted our insurance and told them that we needed to buy a new guitar ASAP (those of us with GAS know about this need). So our insurance agreed and I was off to my local guitar store to pick out my new axe. I knew I wanted a Les Paul simply because I was under the impression that they were the best guitars out there. I saw a black Gibson Les Paul studio hanging on the wall and after playing it with a little gain I was blown away by its sustain. That was the moment that I fell in love with Les Pauls. I also bought a Fender stage 112, which I still have, and a bunch of other crap that I didn't need but insurance paid so what the hell? I am now 26 and that guitar and amp are still making noise and impressing me as much as they did when I was an amateur guitarist punk learning Stone Temple Pilots songs. All the other stories are great, by the way, and it never ceases to amaze me how amazing guitars really are.

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I think my most memorable occurred after a very long hiatus from guitar playing.

The backstory: When I was in HS, I farted around with playing guitar, but nothing serious, I had more fun as a roadie for some good friends band. Anyway, after graduating and trying to figure out what I was going to do when I grew up (still working on that), I joined the Army. So I put all of my personal stuff in the garage of my then girlfriend (later to become Mrs. Silverbursted), and off I go to basic training. At the completion of my training, I went home and got married and arranged to have my personal stuff shipped to me. So a few weeks pass, and I report to my first duty station at Ft. Bragg, NC and my stuff arrives. Those of you who have been in the military understand that the shipment of household goods are done by the lowest bidder. And they did not disappoint; my stereo was missing along with an entire box of albums, and my guitar (an el cheapo Fender Squire copy, if you can imagine that) had the neck broken off at the 15th fret. I vowed then and there, that as long as I was in the military, I would not buy anything that would upset me (or the Mrs.) if it came up damaged or missing during shippment.

So fast forward 21 years: I am now retired from the Army, holding a great job, living in Scottsdale and come to realize that I am finally settled. So my son and I are goofing around one day and he mentions that he needs to go by Guitar Center. So while waiting for him, I spy a Les Paul hanging on the wall that was just screaming to be picked up, so I obliged. Well an hour later, my son asks why I stopped playing so many years before. After telling him what I said in the backstory part, he looks at me and takes the guitar from my hands and walks to the sales guy and says "we'll take this one". I'm blown away, my kid just bought me a guitar!!! And not some el cheapo Squire copy, a real guitar a Les Paul Standard Limited Edition Silverburst (yep, thats how I got my name). And it's been insanity ever since, and I owe it all to the crappy movers the Army chooses to use.

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AArrrr...

 

My story is about the '79 "The SG"

 

I traded my way into a 'used '72 Les Paul Recording in Tempe Az., around 1980. I gigged that guitar from the East Valley, into Lake Charles, La., in the early eighties, through the early '90's into Southern Illinois when I'd just wore it out.

 

But at one time, in the mid eighties, I needed a new TOM and found an old man in Lake Charles that had been a Gibson dealer, and he had parts. He also had a BRAND NEW NOS Recording Les Paul in "the back"... He showed it to me around 1984/85. Zypiens Music. I couldn't afford it at the time, and went on raising kids, ect., pretty much forgot about it.

 

Years later (around 1993) I read in the paper he died. Me and my 2nd wife were just dating at the time, and my Lester was about wore out, so we rode over on my motorcycle, winter, leather, ect., and his feeble little wife was afraid of me wanting to see what she had "in the back room", even though I explained that I knew her husband had a Vintage Gibson back there, and I was interested in it. My future bride finally convinced her that "Motorcycle Mullet Man" wasn't gonna rape her and steal the guitar, and she went into the back and carried out this NOS Gibson case.

 

I was sweatin' bullets (expecting the Recording) when I opened the case and saw this '79 SG. It was tagged $799.99 and she wouldn't budge.

I'd never seen one (a solid Walnut SG) , there was barely an internet back then, and it had plastic on the pickguard, and was hotter than a pistol (pickup wise).

 

I never found out where the "Recording" ended up, but Mr. Zypien can rest assured this old SG has been loved and used.

 

 

100_0387.jpg

 

AARRRRRRR...

 

Murph.

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As Gibson lovers' date=' we all know that separating a couple g's for a guitar is a big deal. So please share your favorite story of your buying experience when you purchased your guitar. Doesn't have to be recent, a gibson, or even one you still own. Personally, I have found my favorite guitars to have great stories associated with them.[/quote']

Well, my Strat's pick ups were shot, so I wanted a Guitar to play while I learned how to replace Pick Ups. Figuring I'd like a Guitar to Compliment my Strat, I figured I'd get an Epi Les Paul, like an Ultra, or an Elitist. While Pricing these fine Korean made instruments, I happened across a Gibson Nighthawk on Ebay. After a little research, I decided "This discontinued model is a Sleeper. I'm getting one." I watched several auctions for about two weeks, zeroed in on the market price and waited for a good deal.

 

Then it came. there was my Heritage Cherry Studio Nighthawk closing an hour before a Standard Model with Flame Top and a Standard Burst Model with a Floyd Rose. Assuming that all Gibby shoppers interested in these Hawks would be vying for the Standard and Custom models, I sat ready with $500 to put down on it at the last minute (yes, I sniped it). I hit the Bid button at the 30 second mark and won this beauty for $460.

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Now it's my Front line Axe. The tone is Mighty!!!! And it looks really *****en. I still use a Strat for my other Bookend, but the Hawk gets most of the duty.

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Not long after seeing Guns and Roses at the Celebrity Theater in Anaheim, CA, it was right after Appetite for Destruction was released and they were the hottest thing on God's green earth as far as radio play was concerned, I walked into the Guitar Center in Santa Ana to pick up some bass cabinets for my Alembic Spoiler bass. Well there hanging on the wall was this beautiful, black and gold ES-175. Izzy played a white one the night I saw GNR and I was pretty much digging that big ol' hollow body. I messed around with a couple bass amps and some cabinets but all the while kept looking at that beautiful guitar hanging on the wall. After about 45 minutes in the store I told the sales guy to get it down, I wanted to play it.

He brought her over to me and I hit an E chord. Wow! The resonance of the guitar just floored me. Then I plugged it in and started messing with some clean tones. She had a such a warm rich tone to her. I don't even remember how much they wanted for her but I told them I'll give them $1,500.00 for her. The guy came back, knowing I had bought my Alembic from them and said we had a deal. I walked out with a brand new Black and Gold 1988 Gibson ES-175. The back and sides are mahogany and the top maple laminate. I think you'll agree that she's real beauty too.

 

Snapshot2009-01-1508-39-38.jpg

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Great Story Californiaman. I bought my First Real Electric from the Santa Ana Guitar Center in 1989. A 1988 Olympic White American Standard Strat with a Kahler Spyder Trem, FSR for GC.

img]<a href=http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/40601/2886582630100337768S200x200Q85.jpg' alt='2886582630100337768S200x200Q85.jpg'>

 

Might have seen you there.

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My Gibson F-25 came to me in a very magical way. When I started playing in '62 my guitar was a Gibson classical. A few years later I started looking for a steel stringer but since I was used to my classical and a 12 string I had with a very wide neck, all the steel string Gibsons and Martins and Guilds, which were the steel strings of choice at the time, had necks too skinny for me to play. I wanted to find a steel stringer with a wide neck. I had for several years been checking out the local pawn shops only finding the "normal" skinny neck guitars. One day in '82 I found myself in the downtown area where the pawn shops are only a few days after my last visit. I normally would not have thought of checking them out because it had only been a few days since my last visit but something called me in. As I walked in I felt a presence calling to me from the back of the shop. The guitars were displayed on hangers just below the headstock, some on long hangers so they were in front and some on shorter hangers behind the nice ones in front. I saw a presence emanating from the most hidden of the spots in the back. I was drawn to it and when I saw it with its wide neck, mismatched strings and obvious amateurish refinish work, I said "Hello". It said back to me "I've been waiting for you". That was it. The price was $150, half of what "normal" Gibsons were selling for. I gave them a deposit, scrounged up the rest and it has been mine since. There is a magical connection between us. To this day, the hair on the back of my neck stands up whenever I pick it up.

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Sweet 175 Californiaman..I have always wanted a 175..........

In 1976 I was living in San Diego after years of playing drums I decided to take up guitar. I had a Martin 00-18, but my instructor was a old jazz player, every Wed. I went for my lesson and he would ***** out my Martin. One day he let me play his 1956 L-5 and I was sold, I had to get a Gibson archtop. Problem was I didn't have much money.

At that time there was a guitar shop on El Cajon Blvd.- Jims House of Guitar's, run by a one time picker and carpet layer, turned shop owner who had a taste for Jack Daniels and a habit of sipping when business was slow.

One Tuesday I stopped by to see what Jim had in the way of a Gibson archtop. It was obvious that Jim had been sipping for a while, so I rolled the dice, and said jokingly; "I have $200.00 and I want to buy a Gibson archtop" expecting to get nothing more then a laugh.

But when he replied that he had a L-4 he would sell me for $200.00 and would throw in a case for $25.00 more I about fell over.....I followed him like a puppy into the back room, opened the case he pointed to and found a 1947 L-4 with a few nicks and scrapes, looks like it was dragged thru a gutter, but in other wise it's a great player. Needless to say,

I took it home, and when I walked into the music studio for me lesson the following evening my guitar teacher didn't rag on my guitar. Having been a Gibson factory trained tech, trained in Kalamazoo, he checked it out and gave it his approval..

I still own that old Gibson and have had others since, a Howard Roberts, a ES 330, and others, but I just love that old L-4, I have had the frets dressed, and regularly change the strings. It is my favorite player, even though it wasn't a top of the line Gibson.

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