Your Favorite Guitar

Ted Smith · Posted 15 Dec 2010 12:15 pm

Of all the guitars you've played in your life - Do you remember a favorite?

I don't know about everyone else but I've always been a little obsessed with guitars - so badly I took a lot of ridicule from my friends in High School for having pictures of guitars in my wallet instead of girls.
I remember guitars far more than old girl friends. And two haunt me to this day. One was a Gibson 335 at Gruhns Guitar shop in Nashville - I played it for 6 hours...and tried to trade my car off to buy it ($6,000)in the early 80's. The other was a Dobro slotted head f-hole square neck that the new OMI managers let me hand pick out of dozens at the shop. It was the cheapest guitar and I could have picked their most expensive but that matte finish f-hole flat had it. I played it for years. Then had an older gal who had put a deposit down on a Hula model Melobro tell me she was going to loose the use of her hands to some disease in a year. I knew the Hula would take 3 or 4 months so I sent her that f-hole with the promise I could trade or buy it back - never saw it again.
I still wonder where those two guitars are today.

Is it just me or do any of you remember guitars?
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old Melobar guy

Steve Green · From: Gulfport, MS, USA

2000 Fender American Standard Stratocaster Hardtail.

Natural ash body, maple fingerboard. The first American-made guitar I ever owned. I loved the Hardtail, because if I broke a string, I didn't have to worry about the others going out of tune (unlike a fulcrum tremolo bridge). Bought it on Ebay for $595. Sold it when times got tight. Wish I still had it.

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Some songs I've written

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Wish I hadn't sold either of these 2 ..Gretsch Nashville I bought in Hawaii in 1973 and a Gretsch Super Axe new in early 80's I think !

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14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases.

Mark Lavelle · From: San Mateo, CA

I've still got my all-time favorite: a blonde '73 Tele that I bought from a band mate around 1979. It came with a Fender humbucker that I installed a few years later, and several years after that one of my brothers told me about a great deal on a used set of Barden p'ups, my personal Tele Grail. The neck, tuners & bridge all got replaced along the way, too, so now only the body & switchplate are original. But it's just the way I like it!

-- Mark
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http://www.harmonicappliances.com/

Ryan Barwin · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Wish I hadn't I let this one get away...'50s Gibson ES-150. Sounded great.

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www.pedalsteel.ca

Will Houston · From: Tempe, Az

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Bob Simons · From: Kansas City, Mo, USA

My Arthur Godfrey Ukele!!!!! (I'm now 64 years old...been playing "Your Cheatin' Heart" for a looooong time now!)

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Zumsteel U12 8-5, MSA M3 U12 9-7, MSA SS 10-string, 1930 National Resonophonic, Telonics Combo, Webb 614e, Fender Steel King, Mesa Boogie T-Verb.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I've had many guitars and steels in my life, but the thing I learned from parting with most of them is that I don't need a lot of guitars. The 2 that I have and play now are my favorite instruments I've ever owned: my Michael Dunn Rhythm Futur and my Clinesmith.

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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Hugh Crumley · From: North Carolina, USA

A few years ago, I bought a 1930 National style one tricone from another forum member (thanks, Ian!) That guitar (pictured below, on the left) is the best playing, sounding & looking guitar I've ever owned. Incredible mint-like condition and amazing tone. The other guitars (1931 style two & 1929 style three) belong to my good friend Dan Eason. Amazing enough, we live only about half a mile away from each other.

You can hear my style one being played on the second two songs listed here: http://skeedaddleband.com/?page_id=7

In addition to the National, I have another favorite-- a recent Chinese knock-off Macaferri copy with a D-hole. Its tone (*and volume*) compete with any other Gypsy jazz guitar I've played. You can get them for under $500 new; several friends went out and grabbed one after playing mine. You can see it below in the "full guitar herd" pic below, on the right:

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Hugh Crumley
http://www.enoislanders.com

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

On here, the thread should have been "your favorite non-pedal STEEL guitar".

I'm sure no one cares about my old flat top National etc........

Dave Thier · From: Fairhope, Alabama, USA

Lots of great guitar pictures! My favorite is also my most recent, a Beard Odyssey E. That's me holding it on the right.

Robert Jette · From: Dallas, Tx.

My favorite 6 string was a mid-70's "The Paul" that I bought used in 1988. That thing played so smooth...until one night my strap-lock broke, the headstock hit the stage, and I was left with 6 strings connected to a useless piece of wood. Ugh..
My favorite non-pedal is my Deluxe 8. It's probably a late 70's model and I've only had it for about a month, but it's got such a wonderful feel.

Frank James Pracher · From: Michigan, USA

My favorite is my black Airline. (The one in my avatar) I know these are just student model lap steels but every time I pick it up to play I just forget about every thing else and just play. I recently rewound one of the bobbins in the pickup myself and I was worried that the "magic" would be gone. As soon as I plugged it in and hit a note I knew she was back. Very Happy

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"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one"

Laurence Pangaro · From: Brooklyn, NY

This is a "one that got away" story.

Back in high school, like all the rest of us, I spent a lot of time hanging out in the local guitar shops (anyone remember American Guitar Center in Silver Sping, MD?). There was a '62 Fender Jaguar. It had the most amazing custom color I've ever seen, something they were calling a marlin burst - sort of a pearly color that transitioned into a darker blue at the edges. It also had blue dot fret markers! The neck was perfectly worn so that you could feel the wood along the entire surface of its back. Lastly it was signed on the back by its original owner, one of The Ventures.

But alas it was $1400, a sum that at that point in my life might as well have been a million. I think they sold it at a reduced price when they closed up and moved. Sigh... I wonder where it is now.

LP

Rocky Hill · From: Prairie Village,Kansas, USA

The first guitar I got when I was 12 was a 1966 Fender Mustang, and the next year I got a 1965 Gibson ES330.

I still have both of those guitars today. I am still using the Gibson Scout amp and I play the Gibson every day.

Rocky

David Eastwood · From: Minnesota, USA

Here's mine - a 1963 Martin 0-16NY, which I've owned for 25+ years. There are a couple of others near and dear to my heart, but this would be the one I'd grab if I had to leave the house in a hurry...

Kay Das · From: Los Angeles CA

Bob Littleton's West Coast guitars are my favourite, I love the modern shape, the tone and sustain from the George L pick-ups and the easy feel, easy travel features of the design. My fav of them all will have to be custom (Steelocaster) Stratocaster/Lap Steel he built for me with its long neck, and range of tones from the five-way pick-up selector switch.

Pics in the "Colour My World" video posted elsewhere on the forum.

Merry Christmas to all steelers,

Kay

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

my fav. fretted guitar is my Collings D2H.
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Hugh: Is that a REAL Victrola in the background?

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

The one that's completely paid for !! Smile

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I've loved "Bigsby Palm Pedal" bender guitars since Al Bruno introduced the device to me in my old SoCal days. Back then I played a red Gibson Trini Lopez 335 style with the six in line headstock with a BPP. Unfortunately I sold it a few years ago to buy back my favorite P/W equipped Telecaster........

Here's my favorite guitars now, all four of 'em with Bigsby Palm Pedals. I especially like the one on the Epiphone Sheraton, it's the first one in a gold finish I've ever seen. All four of 'em are wired with just a master volume and tone control on top. The bottom two knobs are a phase swith and coil tap (except for the blond Casino). Here are some shots of the BPP herd......JH in Va.

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

The electric lap steel I wish I hadn't sold is the Remington S8. It was my favorite electric. My favorite acoustic is probably the 8 string weissenborne style guitar I haven't bought yet. But till then it's my Greg McKenna 8 string resonator. And I'm leaning more acoustic all the time. I think the McKenna and the Weissenborne are gonna be my two favorites.
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Amor vincit omnia

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Favorite 6-string-'57 Custom-color Strat. '61 pickguard

Favorite acoustic--'35 Dobro M-32

Favorite Lapsteel--Redneck Tele

Favorite Pedal Steel--'74 ShoBud 3&6

Hugh Crumley · From: North Carolina, USA

@Ray M.

Yes sir, that is a real victrola. It belongs to fellow steeler & neighbor Dan Eason.

Cheers!
Hugh

PS Dan: Thanks for cat sitting! We are back in NC.
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Hugh Crumley
http://www.enoislanders.com

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