Do your guitars have stories? Let's hear them!

[R.B. Huckleberry]

I backed myself into a corner recently. I realized that I am in no position to finance another major gear purchase, like a guitar. Used to be, I could eBay a couple of instruments to scrape together the cash for that "next big thing".

But not anymore. The guitars I currently own are not only irreplacable as in: they don't make them anymore...they hold too much sentimental value. I don't know if I could part with any of thm at this point in time.

I have 6 electrics & 1 acoustic

Paul Reed Smith 25th Aniversary McCarty Standard
Reverend 10th Anniversary Jetstream HB
ESP/LTD EC-100QM
G&L ASAT Special
Fender American Series Telecaster
Martin D-15


...and my Hamer 25th Anniversary Edition. Good story to this guitar:

It begins in 1999. I bought a Peavey Wolfgang from the store this Hamer was hanging in. The Hamer, being a handmade Anniversary Edition (there's a production version called the Artist Mahogany nowadays. The wood on the Anniversary's top has more grain & flash; the pickups are different) was not an option for me. But I dug it. I moved to Florida that year. In my carry-on bag was an issue of Guitar Player magazine, with John Frusciante on the cover, and a review of that Hamer. When I got to Florida I bought a 2nd copy of that issue, planning to put the picture of that Hamer on my wall.
Florida didn't work out. I moved back to Massachusetts. Having not been able to "bond" with the Wolfgang (Van Halen worship doesn't mean you're a fit for his model of guitar), I sold it to pay bills. The Hamer hung in that store. I'd go play it every so often. One day (this is sick, I know), I went in and polished it. Someone would put it on layaway, then change their mind. I'd go in and play it some more.
Then, in 2004, the manager (who I've know since he was a clerk some 15 years ago) said "I'll make you an offer".
me: "I don't have a lot of cash"
mgr: " $850 (less than the 1999 price!)
me: "Um...what's your layaway policy (knowing it was ninety days, and I didn't have $300 extra a month)?
mgr: "Look, you've been eyeing it for years. You put down 10%, and come in every month or so and give me $20 or so...and you can have as long as it takes. I don't care if it takes you years to pay it off. You aren't gonna screw me over. I know this guitar means a lot to you."
me:

Five years!

Not just a model of guitar, but the exact guitar I had lusted after for five years. My wife smiled when it came home, and said "It's about time."

I checked e-bay for used 25ths the night I took it home. Starting bids were $1000, and as there were only 250 of them made...they're rare.
The non-Anniversary version was priced at $1799 new at the time. They don't even make them anymore.

What are your stories? Doesn't have to be about how you got them. It could be some memory or event that the guitar was involved in or reminds you of. Sure, they're just pieces of wood, but sometimes a good guitar has a little something extra to it...

 

[bigG]

Great idea for a thread, RB! And a great story! :AOK:

I have tons of stories from over the years. I'll start w this one, as I was just talking abt it yesterday w the guys at one of the local gear shops when I went to buy my new Fat Strat. Here goes:

The last time I gigged was from 1981 - 1983. A 3-piece acoustic band, two guitars and one electric bass. About a year and a half in, I thought I'd introduce some electric guitar into some of the songs we were doing (Gimme Three Steps - Skynyrd, Third Rate Romance - ? the band name escapes me, etc...).

I had purchased a Wurlitzer electric piano from a customer when I was working at his home as an electrician abt a year previous to that, in perfect condition (except for a barely noticeable buzz that drove me crazy and I could not get rid of) for $200! (I also play keys, and have an original Korg M1 synth that I bought barely used in the '80s for $250. All original furniture-grade wood, joystick pitch bender...last I heard some years ago it was worth abt $1,000. I still play it today, thru my Peavey Bandit 65 - which you're about to read about.)

I went to one of the larger music stores w that Wurlitzer in my work van, looking to trade it for a guit and amp to work into those songs that the 3-piece band was doing. The sales guy offered an even trade for a new Peavey Bandit 65 amp (they were all over the country music channel on TV at that time. Seemed like EVERY country act was using those Peaveys!) and a new guitar arrival. It had just come out - a Fender Bullet w hardshell case!

I, of course, jumped at the deal! I had never heard of the Fender Bullet, but I played it, loved it and thought it a nice guitar for what I needed. Has a Strat body w a Tele headstock, arctic white alder body, maple neck and fretboard, hardtail bridge, three standard Fender single-coils, Fender hardshell case, and Made in the USA! (Says Made in the USA on the headstock and also has "Fender - USA" indented in the front of the hardshell case.)

Well, I got that guitar and the Peavey amp for $200 (what I paid for the Wurlitzer) in an even swap in 1983! Turns out Fender only made the USA Bullets for one year, and were the precursor to the Squire line.

The 3-piece band broke up abt 6 months later, and I've still have the guitar and case (barely used, in mint condition!) and the amp, which still looks and works and sounds like new. Great little amp, even by today's standards!

I also have all the original paperwork and receipt, and a number of different guage D'Addario strings (XL Lights, 9s - 42s) and picks and hang-tags and a Hohner harmonica, all from that day's purchase in 1983.

I just recently had it restrung and polished it up, and it's still good as new and I LOVE it! Turns out it's become a collectable! From what I understand, and can find info abt, it's worth abt $500 - $600 in mint condition, and no doubt will increase as time passes. Who knew!? I had NO idea when I bought it, and just kept it all these years 'cause I really like it. I finally did something right as far as holding on to a guitar or amp that's gonna be worth something! (I'm hoping the same is true for my Korean-made Fender Special Edition Lite Ash Strat w stock Seymour Duncan Alnico 2's! They stopped making them abt a year ago, and you can no longer buy them, unless you happen upon an unsold one somewhere.)

Now, if I'd only held on to my Ric bass from 1967 (now worth $50K - $70K!). It was either custom or special ordered, I don't remember. Exact copy of the bass McCartney is holding in the gatefold LP cover of the Magical Mystery Tour LP: natural finish w "piano-key" black and white binding. And my Gibson ES-335! But that's another story...and my two Vox Super Beatles! ....and....and...

That's it for now. Thanks for reading. Hi! Nice to see ya! How's the wife n kids!? Happy motoring!

 

[Tig]

Cool thread.
I've embarrassed every musical instrument I've ever owned, so they could tell some funny stories if they weren't so scared of me. unch:

Back in '82 or '83, I bought a used 12-string Takamine for my 1st guitar when I was going to school in Tulsa. I loved those beautiful 12-string acoustic tones! My high school girlfriend taught me a few acoustic versions of some Pink Floyd songs, which was about all I could manage at first. I also bought a cheap LP copy, but traded it for a skateboard and a helmet.

Well, after a few years, I got away from guitars and focused just on keyboards, and the Takamine sat in the case, sleeping. 12 years after I bought it, my brother in law wanted to play guitar. I was kind (foolish?), and gave it to him after converting it to a 6-string to make it easier to play. I found out 6 months later that he pawned it for dope. Crap! Why didn't I keep it?

I found it at a pawn shop with 6 strings, just like I left it. It cost me $450, which was twice as much as the first time I bought it, but it was back home again. The wife and I divorced and I never saw her brother since, but yep, the guitar lived on... until the fire. I had it stored at my Dad's condo, which burned about 75% of the contents when a neighbor's grandson was playing with a lighter in a closet.

Now, every time I see a 12-string Takamine, I feel the urge, even though the money isn't there for what they cost these days. Maybe I'll write a song about her!

 

[helliott]

Here's mine.
Back in the analog days, as in 35 years ago, I was a fairly unsuccessful teenage player and decided some more education was required. Had no money, so joined up with a band in the college town and, along with delivering pizza, that was the way journalism education was funded.
The college years rig was a LP Recording Artist with a Marshall half stack. One night after a gig, I went partying with a group that included a very pretty girl. (Got nowhere, by the way.)
Our drummer asked to borrow my car, a 66 Plymouth Valiant. Next day, he tracks me down, and informs me he and his girl got hot and heavy, forgot to lock the car. Guitar and amp stolen. I had a rare red vision moment, and when it cleared I had him pinned against the wall, arm cocked. Fortunately, I didn't hurt him. (Much later found out he probably sold the stuff, but that's another story.)
Anyway, no axe, no amp, gigs to play and bills to pay. Checked out classified ads, and followed one. Went to the guy's place, and he was a fairly drug-addled road player out of money and luck. He wanted $350 for a beat up black Strat. I told him I had $300, which I didn't, and managed to get the thing. While I played it that day, him staring into the ceiling, I could tell right away it was special. He didn't know what he had. I was desperate.
Turned out that axe was a '67 stock Strat with heavy miles on it. Eventually checked its pedigree and confirmed its lineage, but in the meantime played its *** off for about 20 years. Played at an outdoor festival with a well-known folk player, who said after he'd played the Strat: "I don't need you for nothing. This baby plays herself."
Fast forward many years, and that black strat was the centrepiece of a pretty good collection, mid-70-LP, pretty good Tele and a few others.
Then we had a breakin, and it all disappeared. Pretty heartbroken. But those guitars, especially the black Strat, resulted in a very handsome insurance settlement.
Took that cheque to the local music dealer, and told a guitar guy I knew the story. He actually teared up, and set me up with a guitar he said I'd love. Well, starting off, it's tangerine. Said I, umm, no black or sunburst? Said he, siddown and play.
I did , and that fatstrat grabbed me right away and is my #1. The settlement also snared PRS and Epi Sheraton, as pictured.
That road weary 67 led me through many projects, and eventually even its loss brought a pretty great payoff. I love my current #1. Every once in a long while I pick it up and think about what brought it to me, and say a little prayer hoping that old '67 found a good home and someone to love it.
End of story.

 

[Katastrophe]

All of mine have a new, and similar chapter added to them.

They all recently survived a minor fire.

 

[just strum]

They all recently survived a minor fire.

Yikes!!!

I've been down the fire route (pre-guitars), but I know that it is scary. I hope everything is alright.

 

[Katastrophe]

Yikes!!!

I've been down the fire route (pre-guitars), but I know that it is scary. I hope everything is alright.

I'll start another thread on it. That was one heck of a week.

 

[bigG]

Sorry to hear abt the fires, but good to know all ended well!

Just a few days ago I paid my renter's insurance for another year! Although I might not be able to replace some stuff as it's no longer available, you must have homeowners/renters insurance!

I've known ppl who had no renter's insurance, and lost thousands of dollars worth of stuff that they could never afford to replace!

Check your policy and make sure your guits and amps are covered. Some policies require a rider or "schedule" for more than 2 guitars and 1 amp (figuring that's what the "average" guy would own!). Don't wait and find out the hard way!

G

 

[Tig]

Just a few days ago I paid my renter's insurance for another year! Although I might not be able to replace some stuff as it's no longer available, you must have homeowners/renters insurance!

I've known ppl who had no renter's insurance, and lost thousands of dollars worth of stuff that they could never afford to replace!

Check your policy and make sure your guits and amps are covered. Some policies require a rider or "schedule" for more than 2 guitars and 1 amp (figuring that's what the "average" guy would own!). Don't wait and find out the hard way!
G

Excellent advice! We all hate paying insurance, but you're screwed without it. Renter's insurance is fairly cheap.

In my firefighting days, I'd see maybe one out of 6 or 8 people in an apartment fire would have insurance. The others lost everything except what they walked out with and had to start over from scratch. Always sad.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

My guitars have lots of stories.

My Tex-Mex Telecaster Special, for example. Long model name, basically an MIM Fat Tele with coil-splittable neckbucker and 5-way switching. Nice guitars, the MSRP was $650, iirc the solid colors were streeting for around 4 bills, the sunburst (which required an ash veneer to the poplar body) an additional $50.

A local classifed ad in the newspaper advertised a Fender Telecaster with humbucker for $275. The ad didn't say what model it was, just Fender. When I got there, there were only 5 strings on it. Grrr. Plus, the country of origin decal on the back of the headstock was conveniently sanded off, although the "MN" serial number (Mexico Nineties) was still there.

So, I ask the seller where it was made. He says USA, that it's a California Series Fat Tele. I wasn't super "up" on guitars at the time, but I smelled a rat, gave him a disgusted look, and walked.

I kept the phone number though.

Called him a couple weeks later and he still had it. Not only did he still have it, but he was dumb enough to tell me he was in financial straits. I told him I would come look at it if he promised to have all 6 strings on it and something to play it through. Went back and stuck it to him.

Tex-Mex Tele, w/non-Fender gigbag, $125.

 

[marnold]

None of my guitars have interesting stories like this. The closest I can come (which isn't very close) is my DK2M. A fellow pastor and I were in Appleton for a one-day conference. At lunch we grabbed something to eat and decided to pop in at the local Guitar Center. They had this DK2M in red. I had always lusted (in a non-covetous way, of course) after them with the maple fretboard and black sharkies. This one was $299, brand new, and only that cheap because it was the end of the model year and the red color was being discontinued. A trade in or two later, and it's mine. Not bad for a guitar that had been selling for $700. The best part is that it had absolutely none of the typical over-fondling damage that GC guitars tend to have.

Let me just add my +1 to having insurance. Renter's insurance is cheap. Replacing all your stuff with no cash is not. My big issue was not with guitars but my library. Theological books are not available at your average public library, so I've got a pretty extensive professional library. I talked with State Farm about it since I have my car insurance with them. The person I talked to had the gall to say, "Well, do you read them all the time?" They just couldn't get the concept that a pastor (or a lawyer or anybody else) would have a library like that. They wanted to add a rider that would have basically tripled the premium. So, I went with a company that specializes in clergy/church insurance. They understood and were cheaper, probably in no small part due to the fact that the rate of insurance fraud amongst clergy would be relatively low.

 

[deeaa]

-snip-
Now, every time I see a 12-string Takamine, I feel the urge, even though the money isn't there for what they cost these days. Maybe I'll write a song about her!

I had an early 80's 12-string Takamine too. Real nice.

Anyway...my guitars don't have any real stories...but real cool to read other's stories

Well when I bought an '92 Les Paul...I was working as a guitar salesperson at the time, and they had a big bunch of LP's there. Even at early 90's deepest recession prices, that guitar was way outta my price range...I was living with my fiancée, both students, she full-time and I half-time, and working to cover the living costs. We had this 1-room tiny apartment, and were struggling to scrape together enough money for food and such, you know, living on macaroni and trying desperately to save money to buy a used bicycle so we didn't have to walk the few miles to the university etc...

Anyway luck would have it that I suddenly got a hair over 5000 (marks) as inheritance from some relative...and I went to the store and told my boss to hand me the LP. It cost 5500mk with all the employee discounts and then some, but when I dipped in my lunch money for the next month and whatever I had stashed, I just managed the 5500. (it was roughly equivalent to 900 bucks BTW). Funny what a huge amount of money it was back then for me. But it was like almost four months gross income then for me.

So I take the guitar home and don't mention nuthin' to the missus...it took almost two weeks for her to inquire about the guitar. She thought I had loaned it from someone. You shoulda seen her face when she learned how much it had cost...man, didn't speak to me for a week

Ah. It was a great guitar...

 

[Mymindsok]

My EJ Strat Story

Theee years ago, two of my close family members died and I inherited a Yamaha acoustic and an Epiphone copy Strat guitar, along with a small Fender amp a Pignose and a few other things. Despite how the instruments came to me, my GF was happy because she'd been begging me to get back into playing. She knew that I had owned several Martin's and a 31 Nickle Plated National in the past and was a not-too-bad picker.

One evening a few weeks later, I was going out to buy strings. Donna wanted to go with me, so we drove out to the local pro-music store. While I was picking out strings, Donna wandered through a couple of the other instrument rooms and by the time she caught up with me again, I was checking out the Fender display which included several different MIM's and some American made Strats, including a Blond EJ. I was playing something, when Donna said: Wow! Look at that white one. It's beautifull! why don't you try that one?".

I took the EJ down and started playing it a little. At that point the shop owner came over and began telling me about the guitar, so I asked him to give it a whirl. Wow! Not only was the guitar a looker, but the tone was outstanding! Then I heard the price. $1300!!! Ouch!! But Donna replied, "Ken, you have the money and that guitar sounds so beautifull. Come on.... Buy it! You'll love it and whats $1300 anyway? (Last I heard, $1300.00 was one thousand, three hundred American dollars and thats without tax!!oke: ) Needless to say, I threw down the plastic and walked out with the guitar, with a big smile on my face.

Later on I noticed that, as frequently happens with impulse purchases, there were a couple of flaws in the guitar. Then neck pocket was loose and the high 'E' string was running off the board a bit on the same side, so I took my new guitar back to the shop and showed it to the owner, requesting that he swap if for a different EJ. Well, he wouldnt do that but it just happened that the local Fender Certified Service guy was in the shop doing some set ups, so we showed it to him. The Service guy looked over the guitar. Noting the flaws and the fact that it was a brand new guitar, he reccomended that I leave the guitar with him and that he'd return it with the pocket correctly shimmed and the string runout corrected, by the next week and at no cost to me. Then weeks went by.

One week... Two weeks... Three weeks... No guitar.

Finally I called the shop and they called the Fender tech, who said that he needed more time. Ok...

Four weeks... Five weeks....

So now I'm pissed, so I called the tech myself and hes telling me that he can't/won't fix my guitar unless Fender foots the bill because "he didnt screw it up" and Fender won't pay up! :crazyguy: Finally, I got ahold of the shop owner and he promised me that I could pick up my guitar that Saturday, so, few days later I dropped by the shop, bought a couple of guitar stands and some picks, picked up my guitar case and drove home.

When I opened the case and removed the guitar it was obvious that the neck pocket hadnt been shimmed but the strings were at least running correctly, so I got out my guitar polish, only to find that when I flipped the axe over something was amiss. "someone" had screwed the neck plate back on with so much force that the neck plate was bent at the corners, the body was damaged and the Nitro finish was cracked!!! Boy! Was I pissed!!!

I took the guitar back to the shop the same day and left it for the owner to look at when he came in on Monday. Guess what? By then, the tech was blaming me for screwing the plate in like that! How could things get any worse? :thwap:

When I spoke to the shop's owner again, he agreed that the guitar was fraaked and reccomended that we send it back to the tech again, for a repair and refinish. OTOH, I of course, wanted a new guitar but the shop guy asked me to wait and let him handle things, because, since the tech damaged it, that it was his problem to somehow correct his work. He also said that this would teach the guy a lesson and that if I was still unhappy after the guitar came back, he'd get a replacement and give me my choice of the two. A new one or the repaired item. At that point there was little I could do anyway, so I went along with his judgement, hoping for the best. (But you can imagine how I was feeling by then!)

Another couple of weeks went by before I got a call and this time the owner told me that the tech tried to repair the guitar but that the work was unacceptable. Therefore, he had contacted his Fender sales rep, who had agreed to look through the EJs as they came through the California warehouse and pick out a good one for me. That was welcome news indeed.

Three more weeks went by before I got a call to drop by and look at a guitar and guess what? This time he handed me the prettiest factory built Fender that I have ever seen. The finish was perfect, it resonated like an accoustic unplugged and had a neck to die for. I accepted it with real heartfelt thanks and I'll cherish this one from now on. My dealer, along with the Fender Sales Rep went that extra mile to find me a great guitar and keep me as a customer and thats not lost on me. No way.

Heres the quarter sawn neck with plenty of Bees Wing:

The headstock:

The whole shebang:

The lessons that I relearned from this experience are:

1) Inspect any guitar carefully and play it for a while before you buy it.

2) Once you find a keeper, either work on it yourself.

3) If you can't work on your instrument yourself, find someone you can trust to work on it for you and stick with them untill they understand what kind of setup you need.

4) Know your dealer, spend your money at his business and work with him if and when theres a problem. S**t happens and most dealers will want to keep you as a customer.

5) No matter how frustrated you get, stay calm and keep communicating. Most people really want to do a good job but actually getting the job done right is frequently a two way street.

These days I deal exclusively with the guys at Zone Music in Cotati, CA. They all came through for me when the chips were down, they give me great deals on instruments and gear, the service is outstanding and I'm treated like family.

 

[Rampant]

My Yamaha APX electro-acoustic is a beautiful guitar, to be sure. Although it's deep and glossy oriental red finish has definitely grown on me, it wasn't my first choice, so here's the story behind it...

I was looking at smaller bodied acoustics with half an eye on buying one as a travel guitar. After playing a few I'd decided that I liked the Yamaha APX, but which colour? I sure liked the glossy black, but that was a bit "samey" - my first (and only) guitar was also a glossy black Yamaha! So when I saw and played the old violin sunburst APX-500 I knew I'd found the one.

At £315 it wasn't exactly a budget model, and was more expensive than my electric. After a few minutes weighing up the idea, I decided to go for it anyway. The first thing I did when I got it home was take a couple of photos - and in isolation, away from all the other guitars that surround you when you're in a guitar store, I knew I'd chosen the right one. It was beautiful. It sounded beautiful and sweet as well. Then horror... After a couple of minutes strumming sweet sounds out of this guitar I noticed there was a crack in the binding on the neck. The crack started at the base of the neck where the fretboard ends at the soundhole and extended almost all the way up to the heel. There was no way I could tell whether it was just the binding that was cracked, or whether the neck was cracked under the fingerboard as well! So next day I took it back to the shop for their expert opinion and advice.

2 options were open - either I accepted the instument as it was - "it's probably just the binding" that's damaged - or leave them the instrument and they would send it back for a replacement/repair...

I chose to let them send it back. Weirdly, I felt kinda sad that I'd payed for a beautiful guitar and wasn't able to take it back home and play!

The very next morning I had a call from the shop. The Yamaha rep was right with them and was offering the APX-700 that was in store as a direct replacement. That was a great offer - the 700 was ticketed at £570. The downside was that the only 1 in the store was an oriental red sunburst. Now I've got a real dilemma and have to give an answer in the next 10 mins before the rep leaves the store. It was a tough decision. I knew what the right decision was. But would I be happy with the red??? The self-debate was intense! I called back. "I'll take the red one". "Can I come and get it now?"

It was the right choice. And like I said, the colour has really grown on me. So I needn't have agonised over the decision, I'm very happy with my beautiful shiny red instrument.

 

[marnold]

Mymindsok, (BTW, my mind would not have been after that ordeal)

That's quite the story! Good thing everything turned out well in the end. That story is basically why I've been teaching myself to work on guitars. The only things I haven't done are a full refinish and fret work. If nothing else, now I know the main trouble spots to look for when buying a guitar. Unfortunately, the only way to truly learn is to be burned a time or two. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to learn my lesson on cheap guitars, not on a $1,300 Strat.

Also, ask local guitarists before handing your axe over to a repairman. Just because someone thinks he is, doesn't mean that he is. I cannot fathom the level of stupidity it took to screw down the neck plate that hard.

 

[Mymindsok]

Marnold,

You are absolutely correct but if my dealer hadnt recommended the Tech (Who was right there working on a new guitar!) I never would have handed the instrument over. I later looked into the guys rep and hes pretty well known to do some amazingly good work and then turning around and screwing some simple job up. I was astounded when he lied about it though. There was no reason for that and lies arent excusable. What he dosnt know, is that its already cost him some jobs that I made sure didnt get refered to him but thats the way things work.

OTOH, just a couple of days ago, I did the setup on one of my Fender 51s all by myself, without screwing anything up. :bravo: Next, I'm going to try installing a new nut and a replacement bridge.

When I do the work myself, I can be sure that it's done right, while saving my money for the girls down at the...

Never mind....!