I feel this is going to be an excellent diversion!
Along a time line:
first guitar was a white acoustic bought for me when I was 9. Never expected it, and had no interest or awareness of guitars then.
Tried to tune it, top E snapped and the guitar went under the bed, never to be played again.
Second guitar arrived when I was 16 and had started Tech college, submerged in Led Zep, Santana, Beatles were for my 6 years older sister! (and incessant Motown). Cost £5, a weeks wages for me then (apprentice).
Here it is, a Dallas Tuxedo 3. Solid guitar, heavy and all that 50's chrome. Bolt-on neck that moves but quite rare, I have the sale brochure for it too. Plays well now the intonation is right.
'Played' this Tuxedo in a barn with a few others, we were all crap but full of enthusiasm and it all petered out slowly after we lot touch with each other, and for me, cars took over and drag racing.
Moving forward to 1975/6 and I bought this fab ECO from a mate across the street. He sold it to me to buy a new fangled Ovation, the one with the plastic/composite rear bowl. Big with a lot of volume and superb build and detail. Now suffering a bit, but plays well. Pick-up added a few years ago, does little for it.
Actually played rhythm guitar in a local Brummy folk group with a girl I fancied who looked like Marian Faithful and sure could sing. She eventually married a best friend! Did not like playing in front of a (small) audience. Guitar interest/playing stopped dead as total immersion in cars followed with hot rods and more.
Married in '78 and had a few more guitars.
Bought this acoustic from the back of a junk shop closing down in the dark side of Wolverhampton. This is another rarity, a Hermsdorf Lux jazzer from the mid 50's. Solid wood, double carved top in the Rickenbacker way, solid neck, no truss rod so BIG in the hand and very hard to play. Lots of volume but not nice tone. Lovely looking thing IMHO and I love it. Came with a Hofner floating pickup, the cable araldited to the body...
2 notable guitars came and went, wish I had kept them of course. First was a Hofner Verithin in cherry red. A real Gibson 335 take off, played well and sold it to a man who played in a gospel church band. My first sale on ebay. Actually made money on it. Second was a Gibson ES125 C a student guitar with Florentine cut away. Short scale neck and played well if a little 'dead' using light flat wound strings and through a Laney valve amp. Case was original and had a vibrant orange interior. Sold to a Scotsman who loved it. It was a perfect example too.
I had a £1000 pocket money from the wife and it was either a LSD for the 911 or the Gibson at the time. Bob Watson thought I made a good choice, he played drums at one time.
I then had the hots for a Taylor. I had almost the first Taylor Big Baby travel guitar in the country, no pick guard which dates it so.
Flyweight instrument, delicate, good sound but not geometrically good. The high E string can come off the fret board! It spends all of it's time in the case with a bowed neck...
A long time ago we went to the Guitar Show at the NEC, maybe 20 years back now and bought an Epiphone Les Paul. What a guitar. it is simply fabulous, huge weight, flamed top and never goes out of tune. My wife thinks it is the best guitar I have. Immaculate and perfect, sits in the lounge.
A visit to Birmingham's Guitar Guitar shop and I bought an Ibanez electro acoustic with Olive wood veneer and a few glitzy details along with a solid state amp with a few effects on it to entertain myself. This is my favorite guitar to 'play'. Fabulous sound in any mode, looks nice and is very well balanced to hold. Beautiful slender neck much like the Epiphone LP. Never goes out of tune. The amp is really nice too, small and just right for all the guitars.
A brief ownership followed with a used perfect condition Squire Telecaster with Bare Knuckle pickups. Lad I bought it from was buying a real Gibson LP and was desperate. Never got on with it. The neck seemed too narrow, the string too close. I sold it last year to a DDK'r!
Finally, I fancied building a guitar. Wanting a Gibson 335 type design, bout a kit from the far far east which was a challenge. I don't 'do' woodwork, so thought the challenge would do me good.
Got there in the end, but not worth is as the final result is questionable due to the pick-ups I think.
