Your first guitar: What was it and do you still have it?

[not darth]

Two first's. 
First one I played was my parent's Harmony acoustic archtop with f-holes, probably made in the mid-sixties.  They still have it.
Action is fairly high, and I remember as a little kid that the strings hurt my soft little fingers.
Recently I restrung it (probably first new strings in 25 years) with light d'Addario PB's, and it actually sounds pretty nice.

First guitar I bought was a Peavey T15, not sure but probably made in the '80's.  Was a 3/4 size (I think), had a blackish (maybe a hint of super dark green?) and a whitish pickguard, reminiscent of a Tele.  Got it for about $100, sold it a few years later when my interests wandered.  Don't really miss it, although now I regret not keeping up with guitar back then. 

When I 'restarted' I began messing around with a Strat, then became more of an acoustic guy and have been playing my brother's awful Norma dreadnought.  Warped neck, action super high, thin tone.  But, it got me motivated to seek out a better guitar and become a better player. 

I graduated to Taylor's only a few months ago, had a GC5 for a bit, but was unsatisfied with the bottom end and now have the GSLJ (~610).

So, that's my guitar journey thus far.
Of course, now I'm already flirting with another Taylor.  The GSLJ will stay, it may just gain a roommate.
 
-K

[John429]

My first guitar was a well used (and loved) six string Harmony! In the mid-60's, it was given to my older sister from my cousin Clare in Ohio during a family visit. After being the first in my family to learn to play guitar with it, my sister eventually passed it on to my older brother, who also learned to play on it in the early 70's. It finally found it's way to me in 1974, when I was 14. Then I too learned to play on it. Because of this thread, I decided to go down to the basement and take the Harmony out of storage and take a photo to post. As you can see, it has a lot of miles on it, but it is part of many fond childhood memories of songs around a night time campfire and entertainment by my older brother and sister during family dinner parties, and of a time of childhood, and growing up. I also saw the crack in the soundboard and remembered that it happened one mid-summer night when the wind from an unexpected thunderstorm blew in through my sister's bedroom window and knocked the guitar over. I even remember my sister singing me to sleep with it when I was little - Gordon Lightfoot's "The Ponyman" I think was one of the songs she sang me. While I had my old guitar out, I played it a little bit. Isn't it amazing how songs, or in this case, the distinctive sound of a beloved old guitar can bring back memories? For just a flash of a moment, the sound returned me to my childhood of the wonderful days when Mom and Dad were still alive and I was little brother Johnny and I could hear the whistle of trains coming in my window at night and the sound of rain running into the rain barrel outside my window when it rained and how life was simple back then and I seemingly had no worries in the world. But then the flood of memories was over as fast as they came and reality quickly came back to me. It's about forty years later and I am the "Dad" now. And my very own daughter learned to play on this very same guitar. I carefully placed the special old guitar back into it's old, worn case, where it will quietly wait for another to someday introduce to the wonderful world of music. It was good to see you and remember you again, old friend.
http://429mustangcougarinfo.50megs.com/Harmony1.jpg

[Justiceandmercy]

my first guitar was a squier sa-100 my parents got me for christmas a few years back... it's gone now and i'm not missing it at all thanks to Bob Taylor

[Bill R]

My first guitar was a "cheapie" my sister gave me when I was 15.  The strings had to be a good 1/4 inch off the fret board.  I suffered on that for a year or so and then got my first good guitar, a Gibson mahogany model, don't remember the model number.  I have no idea what happened to that first guitar.  No doubt it's been recycled into something more useful (it really wasn't much of a guitar) by now

Bill

[TaylorGirl]

My first was a Harmony Stella with a sunburst top, purchased for me by my parents in 1973.  I sure wish I still had that guitar, but at time my parents bought me my second guitar, an Ibanez, they sold it.  There was no need to keep it around, and I probably would have gotten rid of it too.  But, with hindsight, it would have been cool to have today.  I give that guitar alot of credit......it's what got me going playing the guitar and loving stringed instruments.  Thanks Stella!  The Ibanez was the second and last guitar my parents bought for me.  I was on my own to purchase guitars after that.  I still remember my first guitar teacher, Mir. Richard Haddad (Lansing, MI) and still have my first book that I started learning with.  I started guitar lessons on September 11th (1973)......who would have known how significant that date would become for all of us.

[DennisG]

My first guitar was a $22 nylon-string Silvertone my mom bought for me at Sears.

[Terry]

I think it is interesting, perhaps significant, that a good deal of us started out with what we today would call hard to play and inexpensive instruments, but the seed was planted with that first instrument and now guitars and music have been a part of our life for quite some time now. Great stories. Thanks for sharing.
Terry

[cjd-player]

I think it is interesting, perhaps significant, that a good deal of us started out with what we today would call hard to play and inexpensive instruments, but the seed was planted with that first instrument and now guitars and music have been a part of our life for quite some time now. Great stories. Thanks for sharing.
Terry

We are certainly living in a good time for guitar.   Today you can buy an inexpensive guitar that has very good  playability right out of the box.

[TaylorGirl]

I think it is interesting, perhaps significant, that a good deal of us started out with what we today would call hard to play and inexpensive instruments, but the seed was planted with that first instrument and now guitars and music have been a part of our life for quite some time now. Great stories. Thanks for sharing.
Terry

I agree with you 100%.  From humble beginnings.....to Taylor!  We have so much to be thankful for, this holiday season.  I know I do!

[Scriptor]

Based upon the recordings on your website, Rick, I would say that you rose above that first guitar quite well. Wonderful stuff.

Thank you Schooner!

[Scriptor]

I think it is interesting, perhaps significant, that a good deal of us started out with what we today would call hard to play and inexpensive instruments, but the seed was planted with that first instrument and now guitars and music have been a part of our life for quite some time now. Great stories. Thanks for sharing.
Terry

+1 ... it might have been partly that it was the good seed that motivated us beyond the limitations and frustrations of those first gutiars ... those first guitars asked us the question, "How much do you want to play, REALLY?  What are you willing to put up with to get there?"

We are certainly living in a good time for guitar.   Today you can buy an inexpensive guitar that has very good  playability right out of the box.

True.  For the money, nowadays, you can get a much better built instrument than you could in my day.

[MAS]

My first guitar was a used Washburn WD46s. I had no idea what I was doing when I bought it, but I couldn't resist the glossy rosewood back/sides, abalone trim, and beautiful headstock. She was real pretty!

I played it (sort of) for about a month, when I realized something just wasn't right. I took it to a local shop for a professional setup, hoping to eliminate some of the strange things that were happening while playing the high strings especially when moving up the fretboard. Well, my heart nearly broke when the tech told me that the neck was twisted, the saddle was loose in the bridge, and there was nothing he could do to fix it. I thought I was stuck with a bum guitar, and I had no money to buy another at the time.

I called the shop I bought it from the next day, and they agreed to take it back. I bought my plain-jane (but beautiful none-the-less) Breedlove to replace it. Lesson learned about buying on looks alone.

Funny how things seem to work out for the better, even when at the time it can seem like a horrible situation.

[Iplay2]

My first guitar was a well used (and loved) six string Harmony! In the mid-60's, it was given to my older sister from my cousin Clare in Ohio during a family visit. After being the first in my family to learn to play guitar with it, my sister eventually passed it on to my older brother, who also learned to play on it in the early 70's. It finally found it's way to me in 1974, when I was 14. Then I too learned to play on it. Because of this thread, I decided to go down to the basement and take the Harmony out of storage and take a photo to post. As you can see, it has a lot of miles on it, but it is part of many fond childhood memories of songs around a night time campfire and entertainment by my older brother and sister during family dinner parties, and of a time of childhood, and growing up. I also saw the crack in the soundboard and remembered that it happened one mid-summer night when the wind from an unexpected thunderstorm blew in through my sister's bedroom window and knocked the guitar over. I even remember my sister singing me to sleep with it when I was little - Gordon Lightfoot's "The Ponyman" I think was one of the songs she sang me. While I had my old guitar out, I played it a little bit. Isn't it amazing how songs, or in this case, the distinctive sound of a beloved old guitar can bring back memories? For just a flash of a moment, the sound returned me to my childhood of the wonderful days when Mom and Dad were still alive and I was little brother Johnny and I could hear the whistle of trains coming in my window at night and the sound of rain running into the rain barrel outside my window when it rained and how life was simple back then and I seemingly had no worries in the world. But then the flood of memories was over as fast as they came and reality quickly came back to me. It's about forty years later and I am the "Dad" now. And my very own daughter learned to play on this very same guitar. I carefully placed the special old guitar back into it's old, worn case, where it will quietly wait for another to someday introduce to the wonderful world of music. It was good to see you and remember you again, old friend.

Wonderful story.  Thank you for sharing it with us.

I have my dad's old Ovation 12 string.  I take it out once and awhile, and it reminds me of the same things.  Even the smell is something I enjoy and remember.

[not darth]

My first guitar was a well used (and loved) six string Harmony!......

That's the same one my folks have, John, and the first guitar I ever touched!
Their sunburst isn't as dark, but other than that, identical.
Cool!

-K

[jjrpilot-admin]

My first guitar was a loaner from my folks...some cheap plywood classical guitar.  MY first guitar was a black acoustic "Johnson" guitar...cheaper than dirt.  The binding yellowed like non other, and it too was plywood.  I sold it.

My first upgrade was an Alvarez AD60CK...which I still have.  It sounds OK...nothing like my Taylor though.