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December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | In the mid 60's a classical (nylon string) Seville my parents bought me with S&H Greenstamps. I still have it. |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 327
Location: Houston, TX | Good topic. Haven't thought about this in a long time.
First was a Hohner acoustic in 1985, traded it in in 1990 for an Ovation Celebrity.
1993 - Viper, first electric, pawn shop
1995 - '66 Gibson es125 my brother-in-law gave me
1998 - Aria Cardinal CS350, pawn shop
2000 - Ultra GS (3 pu) in an Austin pawn shop
2001 - Ovation Elite A/E, new
2002 - Epi Les Paul Std Plus, new
2002 - UKII, ebay
2002 - Preacher w/ Viper pu's
2003 - Westone Futura, ebay
2004 - Line 6 Variax, new
How many lines would it take Miles or BruDev to do this - 200? |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I had to SUFFER (yes, sarcasm) in my youth with a '59 Fender strat that was dad's high school graduation present. It was just collecting dust in a closet. Damn thing still plays itself (probably why I'm still so ignorant on guitar). Of course, to a dumbass 4th grader who's inspired by Ace Frehely (yeah, I know!), anything but a Les Paul sucked.
In '84 I sold my mongoose BMX bike (was driving by then, didn't ride anymore) to buy a kramer focus...complete with banana headstock and Floyd Rose. Had to do that whole 80's big hair metal thing (still didn't know any better!-but to this day the embarrassing pictures are worth a good laugh).
-Johnny |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Mine was a no name Sears or Montgomery Ward 3/4 size F hole, sunburst guitar. Cheap little thing. I still have it. I was about 10 years old and my uncle gave it to me. 20 years later he gave me the family Martin 0018. Patience is good.
Whenever I talk about the F hole, my wife tells me I can't use language like that in the house.
By the way, Temp tells me I should learn to play slide and the F hole would be perfect. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | 1975 -- Takamine F-400S 12 string bought from a music store near San Diego State. Had to sell it about 1993 (it was either that or the Ovation). Somedays I still think it was a mistake.
First electric I actually owned was a black USA Strat bought around 1982 ... still have it. |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 146
Location: Germantown, MD | In '64, Sears sold a very strange Silvertone solid body with a built-in amp and speaker. It took a lot of abuse as I suspect most first guitars do. It gave up its place to a G_____n Melody Maker 2-pickup about a year or two later. Many miles later, I decided I wanted to play acoustic (to my parents' delight) and got a Yamaha FG-130, which my younger son now has. And a few years after that, I got Blizzard, my older Ovation. She's a Legend, which she damn well should be after my five-month-pregnant wife and I walked two miles to a music store after a blizzard to get a good Washington's Birthday price on her. And a couple of years ago, Summer, my C0057 followed me home, and my wife said I could keep her.
Now if we ever really want to get a serious nostalgia trip going, somebody will ask about bands we've been in or styles we've gone through.
Peace,
John |
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Joined:
June 2003
Posts: 1792
Location: Rego Park, NY, | My first guitar was given to me by my cousin in 1969. It was a classical guitar. I took lessons with this for about a year and stopped :( .Even though I stopped taking lesson I alwayed had that guitar around. One day I leaned that guitar against my desk and left the room. Upon returning to the room I forgot that it was there and tripped over it. I broke the neck :eek: .I was about 15 when this happened and could not afford another guitar. So I did something that most luthiers may or may not like. I removed the strings to release the tension and then used DUCO cement to fix it. I put a 30 pound weight from my dumbells on top in order to apply pressure while drying. I guess in this case I was the other dumbell :( .
My mother bought me my first new guitar from Sam Goody's in 1977 when they still sold instruments. I was made by a company called LORI. As you can tell I did not know a quality guitar from a POS.
My first exposure to Ovation was in my sophomore year in college. A friend had one. I don't know
which model it was. But I was hooked (not realy a good term to be used by a Pharmacist).I was determined to own one. Years go by I got married to Pearl and had no Guitar. In 1994 we went to SamAsh and I bought a Yamaha CG110A for about $185.00. At this point my playing level didn't justify buying an Ovation.
Fast forward to July 2003. I was still determined to own an Ovation. I was looking on e-bay and found a store that had an Adamas 1597 SVT at a buy it now price. I couldn't resist. I went home and got my money together from my Camera fund. That was the money I earn from photographing weddings(My third job :p ). Instead of buying new equipment or film I used that money to buy the Adamas and have never looked back.
Phil |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 20
Location: Florida | First was a beat-up purple Teisco electric with shot frets, noisy switches, 1 out of 3 pickups still worked, and it was GREAT! Somebody in college dorm was throwing it away, I rescued it from trash room, strung it up, and started learning chords.
Later came a 1971 Epiphone 12 that I still have, and a couple of electrics.
Now looking for just the right Ovation 12, have admired them for years. |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 10
Location: Napa Valley | Memphis Les Paul Black Beauty copy - Jr year in high school - 40 bucks - learned all my power chords on it (Thanks, Sammy Hagar!!!)
It even had binding and block inlays.
Sold it for a home stereo that didn't work.
What a moron!!!! |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 38
Location: Tucson, Arizona | First was a "Harmony" (I think). Steel string acoustic. Played that for a year or two while I learned.
About two years in my parents allowed me to trade it and my baritone horn (I'd given up marching and symphonic band at that point) for my Ovation Balladeer.
(And so the illness began... :D )
Paul V. |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Al I had the very same experience! Cheap POS I found at a garage sale If I remember right it had a POS bridge on it like a violin with a chrome string holder that went arond the bottom end and a real nice warped neck. I think it was a Kay? actually wasted a good set of strings on it (mediums) but I did learn on it and with that bad action and those strings my fingers got strong fast! My Dad felt sorry enough for me, even though to him all I was learning was "That Hippy Shit", that he bought me a nice blond wood guild! Sure wish I kept the Guild it would have a lot of sentimental meaning for me now? I burned the Kay! Randy My first Ovation was a classical Not sure what model but it had that nice deep bowl and a real, real nice sound! |
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Joined:
February 2003
Posts: 398
Location: Gig Harbor, Washington | My first love, er, ah I mean guitar was a 1973 OVATION Acoustic/Electric Artist #1621, which I still have, still play, and is being greatly enjoyed by the next generation (my 15 year old son!).
My second guitar was an OVATION Preacher that I bought in about '75 - and sold in about '85...
Third was a Gretsch Country Gentleman...
I think I'm about on my 25th Ovation +/- and I'm still goin' strong! |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | Proof positive I grew up in the late 60's early 70's : I don't remember!!!
What little I do remember is that is was some cheap import guitar. I also remember putting a decal of an eagle on the top. That's it! I can't even remember what I did with it.
2nd guitar, a cheap imported classical. Had that one for years. Bridge finally pulled off. Wasn't worth fixing.
3rd guitar - cheap import 12 string (a pattern is forming). Only kept it a little while, donated it to my church.
4th guitar - finally cooking. A Gibson J-50 in 1972. No, I still don't remember but I have pictures of me and my guitar in New Mexico in 1972. I traded it for...
5th guitar - Gibson Custom Dove. Owned this guitar 1 day. Took it home, turned it over to polish it (say those 2 words over and over again quickly .. polish it polish it polish it) to find a slit big enough to insert an index card where the two halves are joined. Traded to the same dealer for ...
6th guitar - Gibson J-200 in 1973. Kept this guitar until last year. Even tone, but not the deep monsterous bass I always heard about. Very narrow neck.
7th guitar - Ovation Glen Campbell 12-string - 1974. I still have this one. What a great sounding guitar. I might have to part with it soon. Put it on ebay last year, but no bidders.
8th guitar - Ovation Balladeer. Another winner, but finances forced me to sell it to a friend.
9th guitar - Gretch Country Gentleman - ~1980. Kenosha music store was going out of buisiness. I just went in to pick up some picks & string cheap. They had this guitar on the wall they were letting go for $300. What I fantastic guitar. An injury left me without a means of support for 6 months, had to let it go. Of all the guitars I've ever owned and lost, I regret losing this one the most.
Ok fast forward 20+ years. I stopped playing guitar, when to school and earned math degree, 4 kids and 2 wifes later....
Decided to get back into guitars for mental health reasons. I finally got sick of that skinny Gibson neck. Found ebay, caught GAS...
Ovation Custom Legend - great guitar, but harsh Chicago winter + my stupidity caused top to crack.
Ovaton 1537 Elite - greif over above guitar caused me to buy this one on the rebound. Great guitar, high quality. You would think after buying these 2 guitars, GAS would be cured, but...
Guild Mark IV. I missed my old classical. Heard these were good guitar. Picked it up off of ebay. Nice sounding guitar, more later.
Adamas II - I really wasn't looking, but was contacted by someone who saw me bid on another one (ok, so I was looking). Got it for $750. Fantastic sounding guitar.
Ovation Elite 12-string - fixer upper guitar. I gave it to a repair person last year and I haven't heard from him since. I keep forgetting to call him. Bummer.
Ovation 1613 classical. Picked this one up cheap off of ebay. Needed to sell off something. A recording of this guitar and the Guild Mark IV decided it for me, I kept the Ovation. Playing live, the Guild was a bit better, but for recording the Ovation won hands down.
Haida Gwaii #35 Parlour guitar. Somehow I came across an ebay ad for a Haida Gwaii guitar. It just looked stunning, but I didn't bid. A while later I finally decided that I had put up with that narrow necked Gibson long enough. It was time to find a guitar that fit my playing style. I remembered that Haida Gwaii and did an ebay search that turned up a parlour guitar. I won it for $995, the only bidder. I fell in love with this guitar, I have never heard such sustain from a guitar before.
UK-II - Had an itch to try electric guitar. Picked this one up for under $200. TONEMASTER!!! I don't have to say another word. Nor do I EVER have to look for another electric guitar.
Breedlove MJ/E 12 string. I was suppose to go to the Phillippines with my family, but it was deemed to dangerous at the time. Wife felt sorry for me and since we had $1800 left over in the budget, I bought this guitar. Great looking and playing guitar, the ONLY reason I'm willing to part with my GC 12-string
Paragon MJ Maple - From the same luthiers who built my Haida Gwaii parlour. What can I say, top notch guitar building.
Haida Gwaii #34 - Big brother to my Haida Gwaii #35 parlour. I wasn't looking for another guitar, but the luthier contacted me saying that he found the original distributor had this left. Bought it on the spot. I still need to sell of some guitar to pay for it.
Well, that's the story. I left out guitars I bought for thw wife and kids and a few guitars I forgot to talk about. But it was fun thinking about the guitars in my life. Great topic.
Bradley |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1
Location: Mesa, Az | My first guitar was an 82 balladeer 1111. For almost 22 years it has been my main and only guitar. Although about a year ago I did rescued a 75 Tama (Jacaranda) from a thrift store, and have since picked up a couple of various travel guitars, the balladeer still gets played the most.
My first electric is going to be an early 70's Tornado, I pick it up tomorrow...Thank you Glenn! :)
Jim |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | My first guitar was a Sears Silvertone solid body Strat knock-off, one of the ones made by DanElectro. Black with a very coarse sparkle in it, big white pickguard, single bridge "lipstick" pickup, round volume and tone knobs. It was the amp-in-case type, with big round holes in the amp casing over the amp TUBES. My mom bought it for me for $100 when I was in high school in 1970.
Amp couldn't have been over 5 amps. I wanted feedback out of that beast so badly and the only way I could get it was to turn it all the way up, hit a note and hold the pickup up to the speaker and wait several seconds for it to build.
Found one just like it in the used section of a guitar shop in Ann Arbor, MI a couple of weeks ago and I got all sentimental....then I saw the $500 price tag!!!! :eek:
Roger |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 1900
| 1st, a 'gene autrey' silvertone...
2nd, a 'kay' acoustic...
3rd, a 'yamaha' semi-hollow body electric...
4th, A USA Ovation Balladeer!....Peace, at last..
steve |
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Joined:
June 2003
Posts: 16
Location: Long Island, NY | My first was a Tempo ( made in Japan) acoustic in 1961. I bought with my own money ($32.00)which is probably why I haven't put a guitar down since.
It was also my son's first guitar I gave to him when he was 3 and he knew 10 or so chords by the time he was 4.. Unfortunately the exwife had the guitar crushed so it won't be going to his son someday .
First electric was a red Harmony Rocket 2.. still see them on ebay.
Dave |
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Joined:
June 2003
Posts: 1792
Location: Rego Park, NY, | rx7dr,
Prescription 7 drams? Are you a Pharmacist too?. I graduated from SJU in 1983 and my licence plate is RX PHILD :D |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Or a Mazda Rx-7 driver. |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 171
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma | The guitar I learned on was an old borrowed Gibson acoustic with a tobacco burst top and a semi rounded back on it... I just recently learned that the guitar had been with my now ex-brother inlaw in Vietnam... It had the finish blistered on the back of it from being tossed down while a mortar attack took place and set some stuff on fire next to it... I gave the guitar back to him and my dad bought me a "Conqueror" guitar acoustic for $100 from The Golden Pawn here in Tulsa... It looks like a Martin D-28 and still sounds great with super action!.. I just restrung it on Friday night and spent about 4 hours playing it and remembering.... That guitar went thru grade school, high school and college with me... It must have been the beer that was poured in it at college that enhanced it's great tone!.. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | My first guitar in 1965 was a Kay electric, from the Speigel Catalog. It sounded like crap and the strings were about an inch from the neck. When other kids had a Fender, I was not proud of this guitar, but I did play in a band with it and my Ampeg Gemini I amp. Moved on to Fender Jaquar, 68, first acoustic Guild D-45 1969. Gibson SG 1969 (made a lot of bucks gigging with it, and still have it). Once I bought my first Ovation Custom Legend 1981, I learned to appreciate quality in a guitar. I love my 177LX I bought in Feb. It is a true sounding and playing beauty, better than my Taylor 514CE. I just bought a used Hamer Special. Great guitar.
I guess I'm just a guitar playing fool.
Tommy |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 3
Location: Ragley, Louisiana | My first guitar was a Silvertone with abouta 1/2" high action but it got me started and in 1970 I got a Yamaha Red Lable FG150 which I played until I got my 1972 Balladeer in 1999.
Love Life Bowhunt and Play a Ovation Guitar
DJ |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | My first guitar was a Hofner classical. Parents bought it for me so I could go take guitar lessons - must've been 1971 or 1972 or so.
I took lessons from a guy in our neighborhood who played all Ovation guitars, I always looked up to him and loved his guitars.
Sold it to my cousin after not talking lessons for a few years.
Dad bought me some Fender rip off (can't even remember the brand or what happened to it) that was my first electric.
Bought myself a Hamer Graphic in 1982 and still have it to this day..... |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 1614
Location: Converse, Texas | OK... I found some pictures on a Harmony Guitar website. My first guitar was this Harmony H-950 deep redburst, similar to this one. 
I got it in the mid-sixties.
I graduated to this Harmony Rebel in the late 60s.
I wish I'd kept them both. So aLeX, if you ever come across them, let me know!
By the way, they both SUCKED! |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | I see the archtops all the time. Most of them need neck resets and are horrible believe it or not the rebel is moderately collectible |
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what was your first guitar.
