What were your first guitars?

[The Shark]

1977 - Epiphone Caballero

1978 - Aria Pro II Les Paul copy

1978 - Gibson Les Paul Custom (wine red second)

Things get cloudy after that.  

[The Shark]

2 hours ago, The Shark said:

1977 - Epiphone Caballero

1978 - Aria Pro II Les Paul copy

1978 - Gibson Les Paul Custom (wine red second)

Things get cloudy after that.  

First amp was a Woodson 100Wt 2x12 combo.  Hideous...

[Jakeboy]

Christmas 1978 was a cheap one pickup POS electric in sunburst from the JC Penney catalog…it came with a POS solid state amp. Man, was I happy. AN ELECTRIC GUITAR!!

First thing I tried to play the moment Impicked it up was the Ted Nugent solo on Wang Dang Sweet Poontang. 
 

Within 2 years I had upgraded to a used 1976 Gibson Explorer after seeing the shark on the cover of Women and Children First.

[mrjamiam]

Looks like I followed the wide, well-paved road.  First up an NMI acoustic (dreadnought?), that's Nashville Musical Instruments, with the highest action in three counties, gifted to me by mom and dad.  Thanks again!  And lessons - guitar teacher wanted to teach me Eagles songs.

Of course that wasn't what I really wanted, and a while later I was allowed to spend my own lawn mowing money (and assisted on the classified ads meet-up in my pre-driver's license chrysalis stage by mom and dad) on a stage-used by I-know-not-who wine red Gibson Les Paul Deluxe because I had to have a Les Paul, that's what Ace played.  And it was a package deal with a 100w solid state Risson combo amp, endorsed by Joe Walsh.

[Biz Prof]

7 hours ago, Stike said:

I bought one of those at a pawn shop in the mid 90s, refinished it though. Still have it even though I could never get it set up worth a shit.

Pics?

[topekatj]

On 9/9/2024 at 5:05 PM, svl said:

Side note- just looked up my first "pro" (to me) purchase, a Maestro Phaser. Think I paid $40, just saw 'em on Reverb for almost $800. DOH!

I dunno, $800- seems fair for an old gizmo that dispenses speedballs 

[topekatj]

1973 Univox LP Custom copy like this one.  IiRC it sold for $225 new. It was the Univox or a new Fender Mustang (for the same money), but the ‘73 Mustang featured a racing stripe, which put me off. Plus, a silver face Fender Champ @ $75-.
What I find interesting is that you can get a much better guitar for $225- of “2024” money, but you sure can’t touch an equivalent amp for $75- in 2024 money.

 

Edited September 17, 2024 by topekatj