first axe, bass, or drumset

Killjingle · Post by **Killjingle** » Monday Sep 27, 2004

What was your first instrument? Do u still own it? I made a poor decision as an expectant father that was 17 years old, and sold my first axe. It was a Gibson Invader, a Les Paul styled guitar, that although may not be very desirable to many of you, it was my one true friend since the day I learned to play. I actually started out on a Harmony Acoustic, but I consider the Invader to be the instrument that made me want to play. About 6 yrs ago I started playing the bass because of the lack of quality bassists that were available at the time, but to this day the 6 string remains my passion.

redawg · Post by **redawg** » Monday Sep 27, 2004

A Muppet Show drum set, when I was 4 or 5 years old. It had a really cool picture of Animal on the front bass drum head.

Punkinhead · Post by **Punkinhead** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

My first axe was a Lotus acoustic that my dad bought for $100 when I was 12....I still have it today, it's beat but, still somewhat playable.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

A Conn trumpet when I was 5. Sold it at 14.

My 1st guitar was a K-mart special Teisco and a 10W Checkmate Amp, cca. 1970. Of course I don't have it.

My 1st really nice guitar was a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop with soapbars at 17. I bought it really cheap and ended up trading it for a Stratocaster. Doh!

MOONDOGGY · Post by **MOONDOGGY** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

The first bass that I layed my fingers on was a Squier P-bass, but since I had fat stubby fingers, it didn't last too long. About a month after I got the Squier, I found a 32" scale Kramer Duke. I kick myself constantly for selling it. It was a headless bass with an aluminum neck and a Dimarzio humbucker in transparent red. Man that thing was awsome.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

A Stella Harmony 1/2 size acoustic with action about 1/2" at the 12th fret, and a stove bolt in the heel to keep the neck on. My dad bought it at a yard sale for $1.00, and made me pay him back. I do still have it, although I "refinished" it back in high school vo-tech shop, so it's not "cherry."--->JMS

Matt_22 · Post by **Matt_22** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

The first rig I ever owned was a epiphone gibson strat copy and I used a crate 15 watt amp. That held me over for about a year then I had to upgrade. But i still have the guitar and I would like to get rid of it. I would be happy to give it away.....maybe

byndrsn · Post by **byndrsn** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

My first "electric" (I had several acoustics before it) was a "Sears special" that I still have and like to play now and again. It is a bit beat up after about 25 years, and it is heavy as hell, but it has a really good sound when it is working properly.

byndrsn · Post by **byndrsn** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

redawg wrote: A Muppet Show drum set, when I was 4 or 5 years old. It had a really cool picture of Animal on the front bass drum head.

Cool, our drummer still has a picture of Animal on the front of his bass drum. Check it out:

http://www.byndreason.com/band5.htm

ToonaRockGuy · Post by **ToonaRockGuy** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

redawg wrote: A Muppet Show drum set, when I was 4 or 5 years old. It had a really cool picture of Animal on the front bass drum head.

Red, I had that same drumset!!! I beat the heck out of it for 2 years and pretty much reduced it to kindling. When I was 6, my pop got me a Sears 4-piece drumkit that I used until I was 10, then I started saving my money, and by age 13, with a money-match from my dad, got a Tama Superstar 6-piece in fire-engine red. That was my first "real" kit.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

It was a Fender Musicmaster bass. The thing's older than me. I can't get any sound of it now, though.

It wouldn't be worth much anymore; it's been refinished multiple times, and even has a horseshoe and ashtray mounted on it. (Hey, it was the 70's, chrome on your bass was the shiznitz. Can I say shiznitz on Rockpage? Now that's old sKool.)

My first guitar was this Harmony Strat knock-off. It's a nice instrument for a cheaper guitar.

DMFJ03 · Post by **DMFJ03** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

Hell, I don't even remember the name of my first bass guitar. I know that it was black, cheap, and bought from Music Mart here in Ebensburg. That lasted me about...oh, a year before it broke was then I defaced it trying to make it look cool - then I junked - then I gave it away to a kid in highschool who resanded all of my artistic add ons, put new guts in it, and it sounded great. Man, I still wish I had that guitar.

GoneForever · Post by **GoneForever** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

Squier P

HurricaneBob · Post by **HurricaneBob** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

Well, i didnt start playing till i was 18, so with my graduation money i bought an old drumset form a guy i knew. 4 piece slingerland champagne sparkle with old A zildians. If i only knew what i had at the time. I ended up spraying them black and selling them, they ended up in Danny Morts garage at some point.

Why i outta kick my own ass........

grimmbass · Post by **grimmbass** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

My first bass was (and is...still have it) a Gibson Empiphone Power Bass....Mom surprised me on Christmas 1987. It is white and still has a "Def Leppard and the Women of Doom" sticker. It is my most treasured possession and the best gift (other than life) my Mom ever gave me... I am thankful that she started me off on a very playable instrument which has ultimately lead me to my life's obsession!

rickw · Post by **rickw** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

First guitar was a cherry (or a weird shade of red) sunburst from Stella circa 1965 or so (it's at my folks' home). And, yep, songsmith I needed hammers for fingers to deal with the action!! First electric was a Sekova that is also from the 60's and Jules has laid his touch on it and made it again playable!

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

I don't think my first guitar had a name , I think it just said made in china, I traded a pellet gun for it.
My first decent guitar was an Ibanez Destroyer ( like a Gibson Explorer ) It was an awesome guitar but I got rid of it when I got outta the Heavier Music ( around the time I cut my hair too ). It was a little cumberson too with the big ole wing on the back.

Possessed · Post by **Possessed** » Wednesday Sep 29, 2004

My first guitar was a no-name guitar from the Sears wishbook. I got it for $99.95. It wasn't bad. The shape was similar to the BC Rich that Chuck Schuldner from death used but not exact. It had gold hardware and a very cool red to black sunburst paintjob. Two humbuckers and a cheap trem system. I really wish I still had it. I could have made some mods and it would have ended up a cool guitar. I am still curious as to how it would have sounded through a good amp. It came with a little cheap no-name amp that had no distortion or anything. I was 15 when I got rid of it to get a brand new Kramer Striker 200. I got rid of that a couple months later to get the grey and black Ibanez that I used while I was in Gehenna and I still own that one today. It is in good shape just needs rewired and some new frets. I will never part with that guitar it has been my best friend for years. My first lead was played on it. My first recording. First band. First show. First everything else. It still sounds great.

Victor Synn · Post by **Victor Synn** » Wednesday Sep 29, 2004

First instrument I ever owned was a Harmony Junior Acoustic my late grandfather gave me for Christmas back in '83. I played it on a rare occasion and it is in excellent shape. It still has the original factory strings after 21 years. It's currently in my closet collecting dust. My first electric instrument was a '96 BC Rich Platinum Series Warlock. I saw it on display at the Music Emporium in Altoona and bought it on a whim. Little did I know that it would be harder to sell than it was to buy. No one would touch it because the trem system on it was garbage. It was sharp looking, though and started my love affair with BC Rich guitars.

Mackovyak · Post by **Mackovyak** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

1st Bass was a Harmony P-Bass knockoff, Candy-Apple Red. My parents said if I bought it myself (my summer as an 11 year old grass cutter) that they'd buy the amp. A Peavey Minx 85. Eventually I sanded down the body and my brother and his classmates did some funky artwork on it while he was at PSU. I popped and puttied the frets, and played it for a long time as a backup. It's a wall hanger now.

Justin

Post by **Ron** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

A monkey-ward $99 Christmas morning special, bolt on neck and a cherry sunburst plywood body. I remember when I opened it up, one of my relatives exclaimed "what a beautiful piece of furniture".

daveb · Post by **daveb** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

I guess my first guitar was a plastic acoustic that I had when I was 3 or 4. I wrote my first song on that guitar "Backhoe" (my dad had a construction company)
When I was 12 I got a Sears special. You got a guitar and an amp for $100.00. It was a natural finish SG looking affiar with a butter knife style whammy. I wish I still had it. It was not a bad guitar really. I burned it al a Hendrix when I bought what I thought was going to be my guitar for life. An Aria LP shaped axe that the House of Music in Clarion charged me about 3 times what they should have. Live and learn. I have had many other axes that were really cool. Here is a list of the ones that I can remember after the Aria. Not that you asked, but here goes:
Alvarez - Acoustic*
Washburn - Falcon 6, Just like the guy from Nazareth played!!!
Aria - Strat Copy very cool guitar
Fender - Stratocaster, very heavy, unstrat like tone. I put a Floyd Rose on it
Kramer - Stryker single pick up first ones made. nice axe
Kramer - Stryker, just like the other one, great pick ups in those early ones
Ovation - electric/ acoustic, did not like this one
BC Rich - Mockingbird, very cool mahogany finish, great mid range punch
Dean - Baby Z, curly maple top, all the fixin's
Gibson Les Paul - 69 gold top, only guitar I regret getting rid of
Ibanez - Sabre 540, tone master, maybe should have kept this one too
Ibanez - RG 550, rock machine
Fernandez - Great strat copy*
Fernandez - Great Tele copy, currently owned by ex#2
Gibson - Les Paul 71 gold top, punchy tone. Stayed in tune for weeks
Gibson - Les Paul Classic 03*
Ibanez - EDA 900 Bass*
That's not so bad, now. 17 guitars and only 3 wives. And they say I have issues with commitment.

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

daveb wrote:That's not so bad, now. 17 guitars and only 3 wives. And they say I have issues with commitment.

Now thats a musician !!!

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Saturday Oct 02, 2004

My first guitar was a Fender Squier Bullet and I hated the damn thing. I sold it shortly after I found my first love......my B.C. Rich Warlock. I'm not one to get rid of equipment very easily, so I have the majority of everything I've ever bought. B.C. Rich's are by far my fav electrics and Larrivee is my choice for acoustics.

jreider · Post by **jreider** » Saturday Oct 02, 2004

my first guitar ever was a no name acoustic, I gave it a shot, but lost interest due to wanting an electric. I think I was 13 when I got a Hondo Strat copy. My brother has the guitar now, it's a monster that weighs about 50 pounds and sounds like crap. I haven't heard it or played it for years, but I worked the hell out of it. It was yellow with a tortoise shell looking pickguard. I painted the pickguard black as I wanted to mimc Jake E. Lee something awful.