How old were you when you starting playing guitar?

[Trucks]

You could tell who the guitar players were in the audience. They were the ones who were leaning forward to see what Martin was doing. Also, the guitarists were also the ones admiring Martin's Sobell custom made guitar when it was lying open in its' case.

 

Maybe I am weird, but I have never really done that.. I mean.. I notice what they are playing, what type of guitar it is etc.. But I wont just stare at their fingers the whole time.. I mean.. jeez.. I wanna hear some music.. Y'know?! :-)

 

Also, I am selling off most of my guitars, I am finding it a very easy thing to do.. they are just guitars.. Bits of wood that do what I want them to do... I am starting to really not get the whole gear obsession thing.. Even after being obsessed for a while with it myself.. Just get a guitar and play it, and if people dig what you play then hey... that is cool! :-)

[Warthog]

22...

[Guitarzannie]

You could tell who the guitar players were in the audience. They were the ones who were leaning forward to see what Martin was doing. Also, the guitarists were also the ones admiring Martin's Sobell custom made guitar when it was lying open in its' case.

 

Maybe I am weird, but I have never really done that.. I mean.. I notice what they are playing, what type of guitar it is etc.. But I wont just stare at their fingers the whole time.. I mean.. jeez.. I wanna hear some music.. Y'know?! :-)

 

Also, I am selling off most of my guitars, I am finding it a very easy thing to do.. they are just guitars.. Bits of wood that do what I want them to do... I am starting to really not get the whole gear obsession thing.. Even after being obsessed for a while with it myself.. Just get a guitar and play it, and if people dig what you play then hey... that is cool! :-)

 

Well, Trucks, if you stared at his fingers all night that would be weird . I get what you're saying, though.

 

I guess that maybe since Martin doesn't come to this side of the pond very often (especially to a tiny town in NY) that people were taking a good look at what he was doing. Belive me, they were enjoying what he was playing. He got a standing ovation.

 

As far as letting go of gear goes, I can see where it would be liberating. I don't want to ever get to a point to where things start getting to "own" me.

 

Michelle

 

 

[desertbluesman]

How old were you when you starting playing guitar

 

I was 24 years old. I am now 66 and still pickin a little here and there.

[Chad Thorne]

I was 14 or so. The summer after 10th grade I worked at a swimming pool all summer and earned enough to buy a used Strat for $250... sort of gives you all a clue that this was a few years back, right?...

Pffft! Young'un. I started playing at age 13 on an acoustic guitar I bought from a department store with money I earned from my summer job of picking blueberries. It cost $13.00, and I saved all summer for it.

 

(The above is absolutely true.)

[miroslav]

I was 14 or so. The summer after 10th grade I worked at a swimming pool all summer and earned enough to buy a used Strat for $250... sort of gives you all a clue that this was a few years back, right?...

Pffft! Young'un. I started playing at age 13 on an acoustic guitar I bought from a department store with money I earned from my summer job of picking blueberries. It cost $13.00, and I saved all summer for it.

 

(The above is absolutely true.)

 

You made $13 picking berries all summer...?!?!

[Gabriel E.]

My parents bought me a new Harmony Stella acoustic when I was 6 or 7. I had no interest.

 

Forced to take Violin lessons when I was 9. Hated it and quit after a year (my dad was relieved when I did).

 

Played percussion in school band when I was 10 or 11. Hated it and quit.

 

Took Piano lessons for 3 or 4 years after that. Hated it - the teachers wouldn't let me learn any music I liked. Quit.

 

Borrowed my step-brother's ElDegas Ric bass copy and took bass lessons. Loved it and played for 3 or so years. I eventually bought a Hofner 500/1 violin bass that was awesome.

 

Realized I didn't have the demeanor to play bass and saved up from my summer job bussing tables at a pancake house and bought an old Telecaster when I was 16 for $350. Lost interest in the bass.

 

I still have the Harmony and the Telecaster (which is still my favorite guitar). I'm 37 now.

[Chad Thorne]

You made $13 picking berries all summer...?!?!

Well, no. I earned 10 cents a quart, but wasn't the fastest blueberry picker. I also ate quite a few. My mother made me pay my tithe in to church, and I spent some otherwise (including on my first record, a 45 rpm recording of "Ballad of the Green Berets," by Ssgt. Barry Sadler). It took me all (or most) of the summer to put together enough of what was left over to buy a guitar.

[Scott Fraser]

My parents bought me a new Harmony Stella acoustic when I was 6 or 7.

 

My brother had a Harmony Stella & that's what I picked up & got interested enough on to buy my first electric. It was a terrible guitar but it will always have a hallowed spot in my memory as the guitar that got me started.

 

Scott Fraser

[Gabriel E.]

Yeah. It had varnish ON THE FRETS. I have it set up for slide - it's ok. The top must be 1/4 inch thick.

[miroslav]

(including on my first record, a 45 rpm recording of "Ballad of the Green Berets," by Ssgt. Barry Sadler).

 

 

I remember that record very well...may even have the original 45 somehwhere in my pile of 45s from the 60s/70s

 

[GovernorSilver]

20 or 21. Don't remember exactly. I quit playing guitar for other instruments shortly after, and returned to it two years ago when our band at the time convinced me to switch from bass to 2nd guitar.

[S. Yeti Bigfoot, Esq.]

Hi Ya'll!

 

I was about 12 or 13...my neighbor was a classical guitar player, his wife was a cellist for the symphony orchestra in the city we were living near at the time.

 

He gave me an old student classical guitar and then gave me lessons for a while....until he was arrested for driving around the city naked and then was linked to some really serious and depraved crimes in the Chicago area or somewhere around there and was sent away to prison.

 

That was the early '60s....his wife STILL plays cello for the same symphony orchestra.

[skipclone 1]

About 15 I think, I had gotten fed up with trying to get my grandma to tune her old piano. I had started taking lessons and couldn`t figure out why the teacher`s piano sounded so weird.

Then the family moved, from living a couple of small suburbs over from a guy named Prince to the big city-met some friends there who had among other things, a Sears Silvertone electric sitting around their house, started playing it, couldn`t stop and the rest, as they say, is history-same as most of my income.

[super combinator]

Wow, I can see most of you were much smarter than me in picking up yr first axe when you were young, I started almost 2yrs ago at young age of 44 so my progress isnt as fast as wud have been as a teenager but I am still having a blast & wud recommend anyone interested to give it a shot at any age!

 

grant

[Mike Gug]

Got my first real 6-string. Oh yeah, at the 5 and dime. Played it til my fingers bled. That was the summer of '79.

 

Me and some guys from school, had a band and we tried real hard. Kyle died and Sean moved to NY City and started a band called Mercury Rev, I shoulda known we'd never get far.

 

Oh when I look back now, that always seemed to last forever. And if I had the choice, yeah I'd wanna be there... only sometimes. Those were the best days of my life until now.

[doc taz]

Oh, I was about twelve-ish.

 

Started out on a Philippine-made classical guitar, which my dad finally disposed of about a couple of years ago. I can't believe that thing lasted so long (about 30 years), considering that he never had a humidifier for it. The climate change from there to the U.S. might've warped the top.

 

Later that year, I got a Grade A, piece-o'-sh**e applause Strat copy. Best firewood, multi-ply skateboard plank ever made, boys and girls! Had a locking nut that was behind the regular nut, 2 single coils, bridge humbucker, A trem that kind of looked like a Kahler (not really) and a coil tap switch for the hb. Bloody thing could've sliced off the high frequencies of my hearing if I wasn't careful with it.

 

Not much later, I also got a Fender Deluxe 85 ss amp. (Before that I was playing the guitar with a Peavey Microbass amp. I also got a Yamaha BB300 bass with it. Both came from gramps.)

 

At least the guitar became my inspiration for scoring the Ibanez RG 560 about five years later, in 1992.

[Guitarzannie]

Hi Ya'll!

 

I was about 12 or 13...my neighbor was a classical guitar player, his wife was a cellist for the symphony orchestra in the city we were living near at the time.

 

He gave me an old student classical guitar and then gave me lessons for a while....until he was arrested for driving around the city naked and then was linked to some really serious and depraved crimes in the Chicago area or somewhere around there and was sent away to prison.

 

That was the early '60s....his wife STILL plays cello for the same symphony orchestra.

 

 

 

Sasquatch! How have you been? Long time, no see!

 

Michelle

[Guitarzannie]

Wow, I can see most of you were much smarter than me in picking up yr first axe when you were young, I started almost 2yrs ago at young age of 44 so my progress isnt as fast as wud have been as a teenager but I am still having a blast & wud recommend anyone interested to give it a shot at any age!

 

grant

 

That is the key -- take up the guitar at any age. Having a great time isn't just limited to the twenty year olds.

 

I do wish, however, that I didn't stop taking the lessons. I could have been playing in a band by now if I didn't stop taking them.

 

Michelle

[Eric Iverson]

Yes, I regret not sticking with the flute when I was dabbling as a kid at 18; but I enjoying playing it now. Guitar will always be first love of course!

 

Still, taking up on instrument later allows you to draw on your years of experience - I don't have to learn to read music or count time, or what notes are in an E major scale - just the flute fingerings! The hard part is the blowing anyway.... the fingerings are MUCH simpler than on a guitar!

 

I also take a couple of piano lessons at that age and wish I'd stuck with it. Even if you're not a serious piano player, it doesn't hurt to have some knowledge of it. After all, people don't write symphonies on TRUMPETS!

[S. Yeti Bigfoot, Esq.]

Hi Ya'll!

 

I was about 12 or 13...my neighbor was a classical guitar player, his wife was a cellist for the symphony orchestra in the city we were living near at the time.

 

He gave me an old student classical guitar and then gave me lessons for a while....until he was arrested for driving around the city naked and then was linked to some really serious and depraved crimes in the Chicago area or somewhere around there and was sent away to prison.

 

That was the early '60s....his wife STILL plays cello for the same symphony orchestra.

 

 

 

Sasquatch! How have you been? Long time, no see!

 

Michelle

 

Hey there Michelle! I'm good! How have you been?

[Guitarzannie]

Hi Ya'll!

 

I was about 12 or 13...my neighbor was a classical guitar player, his wife was a cellist for the symphony orchestra in the city we were living near at the time.

 

He gave me an old student classical guitar and then gave me lessons for a while....until he was arrested for driving around the city naked and then was linked to some really serious and depraved crimes in the Chicago area or somewhere around there and was sent away to prison.

 

That was the early '60s....his wife STILL plays cello for the same symphony orchestra.

 

 

 

Sasquatch! How have you been? Long time, no see!

 

Michelle

 

Hey there Michelle! I'm good! How have you been?

 

I'm doing great! Since you were last here, I did an open mike night a few weeks ago. I haven't done one since, because I didn't have any new material. I could only do one song at the time. I'm currently working on "Rhymes and Reasons" by John Denver for my next attempt at the open mike night.

 

Michelle

[S. Yeti Bigfoot, Esq.]

I'm doing great! Since you were last here, I did an open mike night a few weeks ago. I haven't done one since, because I didn't have any new material. I could only do one song at the time. I'm currently working on "Rhymes and Reasons" by John Denver for my next attempt at the open mike night.

 

Michelle

 

Very cool! Keep it up. That solo performance experience is invaluable. It's a WHOLE lot easier to get up on stage with a band than it is to get up there by yourself.

[Guitarzan]

Hi Ya'll!

 

I was about 12 or 13...my neighbor was a classical guitar player, his wife was a cellist for the symphony orchestra in the city we were living near at the time.

 

He gave me an old student classical guitar and then gave me lessons for a while....until he was arrested for driving around the city naked and then was linked to some really serious and depraved crimes in the Chicago area or somewhere around there and was sent away to prison.

 

That was the early '60s....his wife STILL plays cello for the same symphony orchestra.

 

OMG a sasquatch siting! how have you been?

[miroslav]

 

Also, I am selling off most of my guitars, I am finding it a very easy thing to do.. they are just guitars.. Bits of wood that do what I want them to do... I am starting to really not get the whole gear obsession thing.. Even after being obsessed for a while with it myself.. Just get a guitar and play it, and if people dig what you play then hey... that is cool! :-)

 

Yeah...I'm of the same frame of mind. These are basically just tools...it's the music that is priceless.

Sure...I have a couple of pieces that hold some nostalgic value, but there isn't really anything I couldn't do without as long as it could be replaced with someting else.

Like if I was to lose everyting (rather not, knock on wood )...I would take the insurance $$$ and just rebuild with new gear.

 

I know some people get a bit obssessed over some of their gear...like only XYZ guitar could ever work for them or whatnot...

....eh...to each his own.

[S. Yeti Bigfoot, Esq.]

I'm good, 'Zan! How the heck are you?

[skipclone 1]

Oh, I was about twelve-ish.

 

Started out on a Philippine-made classical guitar, which my dad finally disposed of about a couple of years ago. I can't believe that thing lasted so long (about 30 years), considering that he never had a humidifier for it. The climate change from there to the U.S. might've warped the top.

 

Philippine-made classical-something like this maybe?

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a236/skipclone1/0013fy.jpg

 

 

I think they are a steal personally-in fact I like them so much I`m going back there for another one next month. But the climate change issue is critical, I timed the purchase of this one so the weather between Cebu, Tokyo and New York was as similar as possible. The first one I got turned into a pretzel with strings. Next month will also be more chancy, hope it works out.

 

 

 

 

[fantasticsound]

I took piano lessons at age 6 or 7 but wouldn't practice. I didn't want to play the songs my teacher gave me and she finally told my parents she wouldn't teach me (or my older brother) anymore.

 

The next year my brother was taking guitar lessons as was my mom. I begged to learn the guitar and age 8 she let me take a few of her lessons on her jumbo classical. 8 year old vs. 2 inch-wide-at-the-nut acoustic.... How I survived I have no idea but I was a quick study on chords. We began working on fingerpicking and I've never stopped.

 

My brother's birthday present was a Peavey T-60 and Pacer amp. I still own both although the Pacer is not in working order. I didn't play electric guitar much until I was 16 or 17 and bought the guitar and amp from my bro senior year of highschool.

 

[Eric Iverson]

I love stories like this!

 

Since music, after all, is about communicating to people, so if I get to know people a little better, it's part of the equation, isn't it??

[doc taz]

Oh, I was about twelve-ish.

 

Started out on a Philippine-made classical guitar, which my dad finally disposed of about a couple of years ago. I can't believe that thing lasted so long (about 30 years), considering that he never had a humidifier for it. The climate change from there to the U.S. might've warped the top.

 

Philippine-made classical-something like this maybe?

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a236/skipclone1/0013fy.jpg

 

 

I think they are a steal personally-in fact I like them so much I`m going back there for another one next month. But the climate change issue is critical, I timed the purchase of this one so the weather between Cebu, Tokyo and New York was as similar as possible. The first one I got turned into a pretzel with strings. Next month will also be more chancy, hope it works out.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, something like that. It was nice, but I don't recall my dad ever stringing them up with any string set higher than low tension. At least he can use heavier strings with his newer Ibanez classical AE. He uses medium tension Savarez strings these days.