I'm just curious to see how many TSD members have or play (or both!) a guitar. No matter whether you're an electric shredder or an acoustic strum & sing player, tell us how you became interested in the instrument, how long you've been playing, the style of music you prefer to play, and most importantly, WHAT type of guitar(s) do you own? What's you favorite & why? Pics of you or just your guitars are a nice addition! I started playing when I was a freshman in college, although I noodled for years on my baby bro's guitar at home for years before leaving for the coed dorms. One guy in the college dorms had an acoustic guitar and he'd sit and play. Soon he'd be surrounded by coeds. That was reason enough to compel a bunch of us other guys to pick up a guitar & learn. Hey, it worked. I met my wife four months later in the dorms while playing my lefty guitar. My first acoustic guitar: a left-handed 1978 Takamine 12-string dreadnought. I must have been crazy to learn to play on a 12-string. Twice the trouble in both playing and tuning. I pity my roommates who had to endure my learning on this beast. Over the years I've collected mainly acoustics and a few electrics. All acoustics now, as I've whittled the herd down to about seven. My favorite guitar of the litter is still a 12-string guitar (just like my first guitar!), a custom lefty I had built several years ago by a luthier in Massachusetts.
Own three, can't play a single one. I had grand plans to take lessons and learn but it just never played out right (see what I did there??). I'm always so envious when I see someone playing an acoustic and have dreams of one day playing like James Taylor.
I play a bit and have actually this past few months started getting back in to it because of guitar smith. I have an acoustic and an electric will add pics in the evening. Most of my family playes and when I was growing up I gave it a try but the whole teacher student thing never worked well for me, also tried a buch of other instruments. Well say rocksmith and mentioned in passing to my family it sounded interesting and the next day they came by with a new guitar all giddy.... Well anyways got a week in to it and my basement flooded so I am just now picking it up. Have to say though thjs style of learning works better for me than the lessons/teacher gig.
I have a few.. Started playing a few years ago when I was given an opportunity to take lessons from a student of Van Morrison, opener of Aerosmith, and production consultant to Jon Anderson and Terry Lawless (both whom would randomly show up at the studio and we'd get to jam with). Nice lefty. I've got a few different acoustics and electrics but my favorite is my Breedlove Dreadnought. Don't have pics handy but the sound is what counts right?
I have a Seagull S-6 and have been banging away on it for about 10 years. Primarily bluegrass rhythm with a little pickin thrown in. I also play the mandolin a bit. Banjo, not so much anymore.
The hardest part is taking that first step. The second hardest is sticking with it through the sore fingers and awkward fretting. My youngest son is a talented player who got his start with Guitarsmith and other web-related videos. My youngest brother Keith, who has been playing guitar since he got a guitar for his 8th birthday, plays professionally. He's taken some lessons over the years, but much he learned on his own with his natural God-given ability. I've enjoyed the Breedloves I've had the chance to actually play—which is rare finding a lefty model. One of the best-sounding 12-strings I've every played was a custom Breedlove 12-string I cam across at a Christian Guitar conference. Great depth of sound and loved that neck.
Been playing bass since I was 17, I'm now 62, and you know what, I'm still learning, my tutor has an MBA in music so although I know quite a bit, this young pup is still better than me. Played on stage for, oh! 12-15 years, I'm a left hander so it always costs more to buy a new one, the last one was bought for me by my wife and grown up kids for my 60th. Used to play Fender jazz in pearl white through a Marshall 18" double session stack. But now it's a little more modest. I'll see if I can upload the latest one but don't hold your breath. My claim to fame! As a bike rider as is Mark Knophler I once played "sultans of swing " with the great man.
"And Eric Green doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene. He's got a day time job. He's doin' alright."
Tooled around with a bass guitar in my teens and twenties, primarily a mahogany Guild 301 that was a poorer-shape version of: I strung it primarily with GHS Medium-Gauge Precision Flatwounds, in an effort to produce the warmest sound I could from the instrument, taking my tonal cues from Duck Dunn and Alan Spenner - without their talent, needless to say. Eventually, real life forced me to part ways with the bass.
I dare not call myself a guitar player, but I will say that I've picked it up several times in my life (on my 4th go 'round now, I think) and learn a little each time. I started as a kid, found it too hard (bad teacher). Picked it up again in college and got my own Ovation CC68 which I wish I still had. Got into it again later in life twice and now own a Epiphone Accu. DR100 (I think) and a Squire Affinity Strat. I'm currently on an "off"cycle due to time constraints, but want to get practicing again. Although, unlike Kevin, I play guitar the RIGHT way.
Ha, Rich! What good is a 'guitar thread' with no eye-candy? Slope-shoulder dread; Brazilian rosewood with snakewood binding....
I don't play a guitar but I play an oud, which is a North African and Middle Eastern stringed musical instrument which is sort of similar. Here's what the music sounds like:
Been strummin' my ol' gitbox for about ten or more years. I call her Old Granny.. named after Granny Clampet lol...
I played so much in high school but since I've been in the army I don't have time, you know, taking care if soldiers and deployments and whatnot. I own a les paul, an Ibanez rg, and a custom guitar I made out to be just like an SG with a bigsby trem. I can send pics if you'd like to see the handy work if you'd like. Turns out I'm actually pretty good at making guitars and it's extremely enjoyable .
Yep. I've always thought it to be a warmer and deeper tone than a $2K Martin or Taylor for almost half the price. It was my birthday gift to myself a few years ago - so had to splurge. BTW: If you ever get down to the Pismo Beach area, you must make a stop 5 minutes away to Lightning Joe's in the Arroyo Grande Village (Elvis sits outside when the shop is open)- probably the best place in CA (possibly the US) to shop vintage guitars (mostly Gibson and Martin, but a lot of 1 of a kind too). Both a store and museum, always a fun place to kill some time - they will let you play pretty much anything in the store - even the $10k+ 50+ year old Gibson and Martins.
I started playing late in life(20), but I grew up around music and musicians. Particularly guitars. Both my Father and my older brothers were guitar players. So in my early years some of my best memories are them in the back room with my dad's old reel to reel he mailed back piece by piece from Vietnam(so the story goes)playing and singing country music. But by the time I reached 9 years old my oldest brother had married and moved away, and the other one basically left home when he was 16, and about that same time my parents divorced. When I was 12 or 13 my Mom, sister and I went to visit my middle brother in Florida, and he gave me an old beat up Kay that he played the living daylights out of. When we got back home(Georgia at the time) I somehow got the money to buy a book about playing guitar, but I tried for months and finally gave up. The book was confusing, but I realized later on that the action was nearly half an inch off of the frets at the 12th, which is why I could never get the chords to sound. How my brother played it I'll never know. Then, when I was around 19 or 20 I took vacation time from the Air Force and went to visit my dad and older brother, again in Florida. My brother was the rhythm guitar player and singer in the hottest band in the area at the time, and spending time with him made me realize how much I wanted to play guitar. He taught me G,C, and D. When I got back to the base after leave, I went straight to the BX and bought a Yamaha flat top, but still couldn't play it. The action on it was way high, which I still did not understand. Somehow or another around that time I got the idea that an electric would be easier to play, so I hit the pawn shops and ended up with a copy of a strat made by Lazer, and a small 15 watt amp. That was a revelation, and I am still playing today. I did the bar and club scene for over 20 years. Had a good run, played some great music and met some great friends. I left the bars and clubs behind for the classroom and the pulpit about 8 years ago. I play solely Gospel now, mostly in the church. I have also been playing piano for about 4 years, and am the piano player at church. I play bass poorly as well. During my time in the bars and clubs I had many instruments and no money, which lead to learning to work on them myself I did that for about 14 years on mine and others' instruments, when I realized I knew enough about electrics to build one if I had the parts. Built this from used parts about 9 years ago. Nothing special, but it plays well, which was encouraging. So I put together the best parts I could afford, and built this. One of THE BEST guitars I've ever laid my hands on. That guitar got me thinking that if I had the right tools, I could probably build 'em from raw lumber. And now I just can't stop. And here's a link to that album https://picasaweb.google.com/111963906624773911184 And what's in progress. Here's a link to my Youtube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/gitlvr There are plenty of examples of my playing there.
I've played since I was a kid. Was in a band called The Flying Luttenbachers in the 90s and was lucky enough to put out a couple albums with them and tour a little bit. Noisy stuff. I also play solo folky stuff on my acoustic. Have not had much time to play in recent years, though, especially since my daughter was born three years ago. I've got an Ibanez from the 70s, Les Paul style, that I've had for... almost 30 years, I guess? And my acoustic is a little Kalamazoo that dates back to the 1920s. Kalamazoo was Gibson's budget line. Recently had the Ibanez refurbished and that had me itching to play more. I'll try to get pictures up tomorrow...
