My first Electric Guitar

GreatGretsch · November 15th, 2008, 11:24 AM

Awesome.
Do you still have the guitar?

Jukebox · November 15th, 2008, 11:51 AM

I wish I had the plaid jacket!

dafreeze · November 15th, 2008, 02:13 PM

Isn't that a coincidence? The first electric guitar I ever bought myself was a Les Paul as well! Heritage Standard 80 Elite. June of '81 with part of my Navy re-enlistment bonus, the same day I re up'd and got the check. Imagine that. (First I ever owned was a single pickup Strat Cloned Epiphone my Pop got me when I was 12).

And like GG asked, I'm waiting to hear that answer as well.

Was it 3 years later when you got your first Gretsch?

dan duffy · November 15th, 2008, 05:40 PM

I made a big mistake when I changed to my Country club. I gave my Les Paul to a friend who tried to redesign the body and that was the end of it. A truly bad mistake that I can never get over. To this day i dont know what I was thinking. Dan

dafreeze · November 15th, 2008, 05:43 PM

Oh noooooo!

And Juke, I can't seem to picture you in anything BUT a plaid jacket.

Pappy · November 15th, 2008, 09:01 PM

My first real guitar was a Les Paul too. I still have it and plan on doing a refurbish job on it (and some slight mods like a pickup swap and brass nut) and keep it around forever. Something to pass down to future guitar players.

dan duffy · November 16th, 2008, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappy

My first real guitar was a Les Paul too. I still have it and plan on doing a refurbish job on it (and some slight mods like a pickup swap and brass nut) and keep it around forever. Something to pass down to future guitar players.

If it plays good I would leave it alone. All the dents,nicks and BEER stains give it character. Dan

Pappy · November 16th, 2008, 10:26 AM

That's the problem. The previous owner(s) left it on a stand that was not nice to the lacquer finish and it was eaten through. My guess is they moved it to a different stand that was still made out of the same matrial because now there are two speed bumps in the back of the neck. That and it is deperate need of a refret. But nothing too radical will be done besides MAYBE replacing the nut with a brass one. I hear it really makes stuido models come alive.

Jukebox · November 16th, 2008, 04:59 PM

Dan, did Gretsch make any '60 6118's with blond finishes? you know special orders or anything?

dan duffy · November 17th, 2008, 07:12 AM

We made some Black - Red - I don't recall any natural - Dan

Pappy · November 17th, 2008, 08:08 AM

I was able to play a red one and man, that red was amazing looking. Incredibly bold!

S. Rock · June 14th, 2009, 10:19 AM

hi Dan,
if I haven't said it before, let me say it now. It's nice to have you here at gretsch-talk. we've corresponded before when I used to frequent gretschpages. over there, I go by bwallace1. anyway, ---

my first guitar/first electric guitar was a 1959 6124 Anniversary Model, which I still have. I had never heard of Gretsch guitars. this was in 1966. the only thing that I knew was I had a guitar to learn to play on. and then I played my cousin's Gold Top Les Paul. I was then on a quest for a Les Paul. I finally got one in 1985. so, my second electric guitar was a 1973 Les Paul Deluxe.
Dan, are you still actively playing your guitars ? thanks, Dan, for being around. brent

dafreeze · June 15th, 2009, 04:41 AM

Good Morning Mr. Duffy. Don't get to hear much from you. Hope all is well.

Crooner · June 15th, 2009, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jukebox

I wish I had the plaid jacket!

Juke, you beat me to it!

Count me in as another who's first "real" guitar that I bought myself was a Les Paul. I was 15 and that started the incurable GAS that still plagues me to this day. Always regretted selling that one - though I'm sure it contributed to what would later turn into a bad back.

Great to have you here, Dan!

fjr_wertheimber · June 18th, 2009, 01:35 AM

LMAO My first guitar was a Les Paul, too! I guess we all have to start somewhere before we realize that Gretsch is the place to be...

Bear · June 30th, 2009, 04:58 PM

This is me at age 14 in 1961 at my 8th grade talent show with my first electric guitar that I had gotten a couple of years prior to that picture being taken. Obviously it is a Danelectro double cutaway. However, please notice the small, single cut style pickguard that predated the much larger "seal" shape as found on '59 and later DCs. Thus this had to be one of the earliest DCs dating from presumably late 1957/58.

bobkat · June 30th, 2009, 05:32 PM

This here was my first electric geetar!

bobkat · June 30th, 2009, 05:46 PM

This here was my second, Mom and Dad got it for me. I couldn't keep the darn thing in tune. It had a vibrato and really cheap tuners. I traded it a year later for a Gibson S-1, another junker!

bobkat · June 30th, 2009, 05:49 PM

This was one of the worst sounding guitars I ever owned!

workknot · June 30th, 2009, 06:00 PM

My first guitar was a Silvertone with 3 pickups, 3 toggles, 3 tone controls, 3 volume controls. It was around 1960 puchased new from Sears with a Silvertone tube amp. Great guitar but had feedback issues in some locations.
My exwife had a 1957 Les Paul gold top. After we parted ways, she hocked it for about 2K. My boys were beside themselves when learning the value. There was a gambling and drinking problem she needed to support. Sad sad sad. Enough of that now.
Pop's

araT · June 30th, 2009, 09:20 PM

My first guitar ever: A "Casino" Strat copy & amp combo starters pack.. Xmas '97.
(after I had gotten a few more I went all out & customised this guitar with stickers & dice knobs and anything I could to make it not so 'strat'y.. I think I ended up leaving at my drummers house in one of the H/S bands years later..

My second guitar: Ibanez SA160 (still got this one - the only Ibanez parts left are wood)

My third guitar (and first real guitar - I'll never sell this one) - a '93 Gibson SG Std.

workknot · June 30th, 2009, 09:26 PM

Tara; I had an SG quite like yours, it had the vibrato on it and was about a 1976 year. Gave it to one of my boys a long time ago when I had given up playing for a few years. It was a great guitar.
Pop's

Synchro · June 30th, 2009, 10:51 PM

My first was a red Harmony rocket with 2 pickups. Not a great sounding axe by any means but I was able to learn a thing or two while I owned it.

ishtar · June 30th, 2009, 11:05 PM

First electric was a Jay Turser JT-134LH. Got it in an auction when I bid for and won a black Turser 335 clone. When the guitar arrived, it was red, and I have a couple of friends with red ES-335s and thought I'd get ridiculed with my fake one. Called the seller and the best he could do in a lefty was the JT-134, and actually, I really miss that guitar. I think I miss every guitar I have sold.

Scott · June 30th, 2009, 11:19 PM

I have a pic of my first electric around here somewhere...God knows how long it would take to dig it up.
In the meantime here's my very first guitar...paid ten bucks for it at a yard sale in July 1978. I still have it today, but it's no longer very playable.

Don't know how old it is...it says "Conqueror" on the headstock...

Learned quite a few chords, and actually wrote my first song, on this guitar. I keep it obviously for sentimental reasons.

coolbus18 · July 1st, 2009, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jukebox

I wish I had the plaid jacket!

I wish I had the hair!

gigatron · July 1st, 2009, 01:41 AM

My first electric guitar was a toy guitar called a Zen-on. I think it cost $29 Canadian back in about 1965.

My second was a Harmony archtop with a floating pickup. It was an improvement on the Zen-on in that it was actually playable, but it had a big, fat neck, high action, and was very stiff to play:

My third was a 1962 Gretsch Corvette, and it was a revelation. It was actually easy to play.