Guitars You Own, or Have Owned

Discussion in 'Quackenbush's' started by VYFan, May 27, 2013.

  1. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    I recently bought an unbelievable handmade acoustic guitar built by a luthier named John Allison. For geeks: 14 fret; 1 11/16 inch ; German spruce/Honduran mahogany (all solid); forward shifted scalloped X bracing; herringbone; ebony. Dreadnought, basically a Collings-style D-18 replica.

    Then I have a Martin D1-R, which is a solid spruce top, laminated rosewood sides dred from about 1995. Also 1 11/16, Martin's "A" bracing; rosewood fingerboard.

    On loan out to someone I have a Simon & Patrick dred, with a solid spruce top, circa about 1997--It was my wife's and now I can't even remember some of the details....

    I had a blond maple Fender cutaway acoustic/electric from about 1993 with a violin-style six-on-a-side headstock. Very pretty guitar, but not super sounding. Gave it to my son.

    My first guitar was an Aria from about 1980, which was a Japanese made dreadnought with a solid top that was actually a very nice guitar. It was spruce/mahogany (lam); it came to an untimely end when an angry person smashed it onto a tile floor....

    I had a Fender telecaster called HMT that was a double humbucker sunburst very cool Japanese electric, again with the violin headstock, and also some "f" holes in the body like a violin, giving it a little acoustic sound. Very cool guitar, but gave to son.

    What are your guitars?
     
  2. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Excellent thread! Please post some photos of your guitars if you can. Sounds like you have some extra fine toys to strum.

    This is what sits in the corner of my home office now.

    - Fender USB Strat (play through iOS device or amp)
    - Fender F-65 acoustic
    - Epiphone Les Paul

    [​IMG]

    My first guitar was a Silvertone hollow body that I bought at a pawn shop when I was 15. It was a total piece of **** but I didn't know it because I had nothing to compare it to — it was so hard to play, the action was terrible and the bridge moved around. It had a Bigsby tremolo which is kind of cool. I still have it.

    Then I got a maple American Strat when I was 18 and playing in a band. Someone broke into my apartment one night while I was at my gf's house and they took exactly one item, the Strat. That broke my heart, it was such a beautiful guitar: chrome hardware, chrome pickguard and a DiMarzio humbucker at the bridge.

    Also had a 12-string Fender acoustic that I pawned while at UT and never went back to get it. I would love to still have it but hopefully somebody else has enjoyed it like I think I would have.

    (That USB strat is just a cheap $200 model that my wife gave me for Christmas, but it plays surprisingly well. I really like it a lot. It is currently tuned to D-A-D-G-A-D because I have been playing Led Zeppelin's Kashmir which sounds so farking good, I just love turning that thing up and banging those nasty chords out.)
     
  3. NEWDOC2002

    NEWDOC2002 1,000+ Posts


     
  4. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Yeah, we need to see that thing or I'm gonna say VYFan is making it up! [​IMG]
     
  5. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Beautiful!
     
  6. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    [​IMG]

    Here's the Martin.

    It feels like that dog that was once the star of the family until the baby was born, but now just has to watch all the fun from the sidelines.
     
  7. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Quality gear. A really nice guitar is so much fun to play.
     
  8. l00p

    l00p 10,000+ Posts

    your couch pillows are not in order. Move the light brown to the middle and the dark one on the edge like the other one. It's driving me nuts, thanks. And provide photo.
     
  9. biganakhanhda

    biganakhanhda 500+ Posts


     
  10. l00p

    l00p 10,000+ Posts

    With Hoisin and Sriracha? I hate you.
     
  11. hooklahoma

    hooklahoma 1,000+ Posts

    Much anticipation for this thread. I dont play, have never played, but there is nothing more beautiful than a well made guitar. Dont give a **** about humbucking this and hand wound that... Just love the craftsmanship of the piece. I went on a trip with my uncle this year and just stared at and held his martin acoustic the whole time. (dont know the specifics if the piece) Never strummed a note.

    Than being said I do own a 72 fender thinline tele that I played in a punk band in high school. And no, that is in no way inconsistent with me having said i dont play. If you would have heard the band you would know why.
     
  12. Dogbert

    Dogbert 500+ Posts

    Sadly, some of my best guitars are ones I let get away from me when I was in my early 20s. First guitar was a Stella acoustic that bought in 5th grade. Hard to play and with tight strings it was tough on my fingers. Then I bought a Japanese made electric in high school that also had incredibly tight strings -- not a fun guitar to play either. Then for high school graduation my parents bought me a used Gibson ES330 converted to two humbucking pickups. This may have been my best guitar ever, but, like an idiot, I sold it to a friend because I wanted a Strat. Then sold the Strat a couple of years later for an old Epiphone electric that sort of sucked.

    I don't play much these days, but have two good guitars that are not spectacular, but work well. One is an old Ovation steel string acoustic that has an excellent neck and sounds great. The other is a Gibson Les Paul The Paul, which is the cheap version, but it plays well.

    I wish I had the ES330 back. It was a fantastic guitar, but I thought it wasn't cool for hard rock. Very foolish to let that one get away.
     
  13. Bayerithe

    Bayerithe 1,000+ Posts

    First guitar was a cheapo Squire strat (who doesn't have a terrible first guitar?)

    Bought an Ovation acoustic. Liked it at the time because it was an acoustic whose neck felt like an electric. the neck felt good in the hands, but eventually, the sound was just way too hollow

    College roommate gave me his old Daion acoustic guitar when he couldn't fix the top string. kept popping out on him. old Japanese acoustic, probably from the 70's. sounded great after i just fixed the pin and put some fresh strings on it. the bridge split open across those pins but i just had it fixed by a local luthier

    My main guitar these days is a Larrivee D-03E acoustic. Sounds even better after i had a set up done by the same luthier. he also changed out the saddle for a Micarta saddle. the original saddle created a really bright sound through the pickups. The Micarta saddle gave me a warmer, truer acoustic sound when plugged in. I'm much happier with it now. I was close to trading it in for a Taylor.
     
  14. Gasman

    Gasman 25+ Posts

    My son (age 9) started guitar last year. He had so much fun "teaching" me guitar that I ended up starting to take lessons last month. Currently learning on a Seagull S6. Already eyeballing the electrics whenever we pop over to Guitar Center!
     
  15. zinger

    zinger 250+ Posts

    Airline owned one for about 15 years. didn't learn a thing

    Fender Mustang learned mostly Beatles songs. no complaints.

    Fender Telecaster bought in 1966 fantastic instrument. still have it.

    Fender Jazz Bass bought when i decided i wasn't Eric Clapton and wanted to make some money. My hands were too small for the fretting.

    Hofner Bass owned for about 2 years. Lots of feedback, and not as easy to play as McCartney made it it look.

    Fender Fretless Precision saw Chicago and mistakenly thought i could play it. Wrong.

    Gibson Les Paul Recorder bass. Played it professionally for 7 years. Perfect fit. Very precise action. A little heavy but so much fun to play. Still have it.
     
  16. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



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    So, my son came over and I made him bring me over the Fender, to take a picture.
     
  17. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts


     
  18. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts


     
  19. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Gasman, zinger...same goes....
     
  20. Gasman

    Gasman 25+ Posts

    Let me work on that tonight. I also just picked up a PRS Stripped SC58 over the weekend. I will be the first to admit that I am totally not worthy to own it, but I got a screaming deal on it. Pics later.
     
  21. Gasman

    Gasman 25+ Posts

    OK, my photo sharing account is totally fubar.

    Here is a link to my PRS.The Link
    FWIW, I paid way less than the price listed.
     
  22. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Well, Gasman, I'll throw up a couple of pics of that guitar off the internet if you want. Looks beautiful!

    Well, that didn't work for me, either. As for being worthy of the guitar, I know how you feel, but it seems like those whose lives allow them to play guitar all the time can't afford the expensive guitars they would sound so good with, and those who have careers that put them in the position to buy such nice guitars don't have the time to become outstanding guitar players.

    Sort of the Gift of the Magi dilemma!

    What has happened to me a few times is when I had a guitar that I thought was limited in quality in some way, and I would be lusting for some nicer guitar that I was sure would sound better, and then someone who was really good would play my guitar and I would quickly see how much more was in there than I was getting out of it.

    I do love my guitar now, though, because even just playing an open string sounds good, so I can do that.
     
  23. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    That PRS is gorgeous. Wow.
     
  24. Gasman

    Gasman 25+ Posts

    Thanks. I agree it is a gorgeous guitar and it sounds incredible. Ironically, for a PRS it is rather bland. No insane flame maple top or dramatic quilting. Because of that it was ignored by the PRS fans and fell to me for a song. I won't complain.
     
  25. Bayerithe

    Bayerithe 1,000+ Posts

    VY ... yes, Mahogany back and sides, spruce top. Got it just before they changed the D03 series to the Sitka spruce tops. Yes, the E has the onboard pickups/equalizer, mine using the LR Baggs one.

    I'll work on getting some pics
     
  26. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Gasman:
    I hate to say, I wasn't really familiar with the PRS guitars when you posted yours. So happens, I played a PRS acoustic at Guitar Resurrection yesterday. That had to be one of the most beautiful things I've ever put in my hands, both visually and musically. Wow.

    I don't really know the electric guitar game, but I hope your electric gives you the feeling that acoustic had.
     
  27. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Added to the collection yesterday. Found a nice used Yamaha FG 420-12 on Craigslist, in excellent shape. Cleaned it up and restrung it, turned out really nice.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  28. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Excellent. Have you played a 12-string before? I never have. I imagine its mostly for strumming technique, or can you do picking and fingerstyle with it too?

    I was just goofing around yesterday, and I had a thumbpick on and a pick in my hand, too, and was strumming, so that you could actually tell that it was double-strummed, and I was thinking that it was a poor man's 12 string. (!)

    Anyway, congrats on your guitar acquisition.
     
  29. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    VYFan,

    I had a Fender 12-string that my brother-in-law gave me when I was at UT, but I pawned it for some cash and never went back for it, which I regretted.

    I don’t do much finger picking, mostly just strumming and chords, playing a few tunes that sound good with the 12-string tone. Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is one that sounds really nice on it. You can also do some nice things with a capo and higher open chords. It’s just a beautiful sound.
     
  30. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    I know tuning can be harder on a 12-string, and especially if you are capo-ing up all 12 strings they might not all behave. In case you don't already know, there are some great cheap tuners that come in iphone apps. Mine was $.99 called Tune-up by planet waves. Tunes any note by various displays, so you can easily check the tuning after putting on a capo. When your tuner is your iphone, you never have to go looking for it.
     

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