Your first guitar from a "big" brand.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:39 pm

Elys, you were nuts, should have kept the 59 and begged, borrowed or stole for the 4001. A good late 50's P bass is one of the best sounding basses ever made.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:37 pm

My first good guitar was my first guitar, which is my 1989 Rickenbacker 230 that I've refinished in Blue Boy. I know some of you want to see pics and you can see partials in the pickup section, but I'm waiting to post full pics until its done. I'm having a major problem with the neck pickup.

My first good bass was my first bass, which was a 1973 4001, but I've since sold it as it needed lots of work. I'll get another some day.

gray · Post by **gray** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 5:11 am

My first "good" bass was my Fender MIM Jazz in Midnight Wine. Decent bass, and very pretty, but I traded it in on the ol' 4003 JG.

sharkboy · Post by **sharkboy** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 5:31 am

My first electric was an SD Curlee and I still love it, but it is really about 6,000 pounds too heavy for stage use.

I had a number of forgettable (even expensive) Kramer (I still have and like my Sustainer), Ibanez and Yamaha guitars and basses, but I spent their entire lives with me swapping pickups and doing everything I could to get better sounds out of them. I blew a lot of money trading them in.

Around '90 I bought my first Taylor acoustic and my first Rickenbacker (red/black 360/12.)

I owned a '66 Epiphone Riviera for a while. Very nice. I've always wondered why I sold it, but now with my Ricks, I suppose It wouldn't get much playing time, anyway.

I've been around musicians for my adult life, so I always had access to Fenders and Gibsons. I bought a few MIJ Fenders and enjoyed them, but I never liked them as much as my 370/6.

lionheart · Post by **lionheart** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:19 pm

My first major bass was a Midnight Blue 4003 (1983, I think). After that, I got a Fender Precision, then a Fender Jazz Bass Special - I'm not sure if anyone here remembers the Jazz Bass Specials, but I remember it was a sort of Wine color metallic with a black headstock. I really loved that bass. I sold all 3 of those basses because I was young, starving and somewhat stupid.

Since then, I have a black 4003, and 360 6 string Blue Boy. I also have a Squier strat copy with an abysmal tremelo and ****** attitude, and a Brian May guitar in a Honey Sunburst that I haven't put down since I bought it a month ago. I have a Korg M3 to round out arrangements and my trusty Macintosh with Garage Band and Logic Express to pull it all together.

I like to think that I've gotten wiser with age......

qwezirider · Post by **qwezirider** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:12 pm

My first bass was (still is) a Gibson Ripper. First Fender is a Heartfield 5 string. First Ric was an '86 4003. Many in between, including a lovely (not) hot pink Kramer.

kenposurf · Post by **kenposurf** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:24 pm

Hey Bruce...I played a Ripper for several years..great bass!

jimk · Post by **jimk** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:37 pm

Does a 1969 Yamaha FG series 12 string acoustic guitar count? I worked a summer helping clear brush, fencing a pasture, and putting up hay to buy that guitar. Took it to college with me, played part of my senior recital with it. In the fall of '75 I traded it in for a Stuart Mossman Tennessee Flattop, which got ripped off a couple years later. I took the insurance money and found another Mossman Tennessee Flattop, which I still have and is my main ax. It is, according to the serial number thirty-one years old, and aging nicely.

I also acquired from my brother our grandfather's 1930something Dobro roundneck that I use on occasion for bottle neck playing.

Am awaiting my fireglo 360 12 string, which will be my first electric.

JimK

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:44 pm

I had a Fender J bass special for a short time, was a nice bass but mine was very noisy with the J pickup on. I used it with the P pickup only and it sounded good. Those Japanese Fenders were pretty good, not as good as the American ones though.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:07 pm

Gotta love those Mossman guitars. I prefer them to Martin......

jps · Post by **jps** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:13 pm

I prefer most other quality acoustics to Martin, JMHO.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:25 pm

Well, i'd be saying the same thing if I had a Rick acoustic too!

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:26 pm

I'm not much of a player, but I know what feels good in the hand. I prefer my Yamaha to most Martin's I've played, including my Dad's old 28.

kenposurf · Post by **kenposurf** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:37 pm

they really vary...I had a Martin D-28 LSH (large sound hole) that had the tone of old wood....I'd rather have one of Paul W's Ricks!

jimk · Post by **jimk** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 6:21 pm

Charly said

Gotta love those Mossman guitars. I prefer them to Martin......

Especially the ones built after the factory fire in '75 or '76 and before the company was sold to C. G. Conn. Mine was built just then. Yeah, it's a keeper.

The company was sold, and relocated to Texas. And last I heard, are still making guitars. I haven't seen or played any of the Texas made models.

Speaking of Yamaha guitars: I wonder if they've improved over the last 38 or 9 years. I remember that 12 string of mine had a neck like a baseball bat. It sounded great, but boy, what a chunk of wood! There were a lot of 'em around back in the day. They were pretty inexpensive, too.

JimK