The 80's - what was your guitar life ''Pre-PRS'' and why did you change

Boy this thread is moving all over the place.

I started on my mom's 58 Martin 0-15. Still have it.

I've never seen a House of the Rising Sun, or a space alien, but my mom used to play the accordion.

I've never been able to like a Tele. I have tried more than once. Just not for me. I guess I've never had to win a bar fight.
 
Did someone say Ukuleles? :)

I recommend going to Hawaii first to get in the proper latitude :D


I went to Hawaii in ‘97, and caught the Maui Slack Key Guitar Festival that year.

Really put the hook in me for slack key guitar.

I loaded up on Dancing Cat CD’s and tried to recreate the feeling once I got home.

Didn’t work, even driving my car by the ocean here listening to the slack key greats. Something about the cadence of that palm tree sway and beach break in Hawaii that is IN the music. We don’t have that laid back vibe here. The wind is different, and the pace of life. Doesn’t transfer some how. Still great music, but can’t recreate the vibe here on the mainland.
 
I went to Hawaii in ‘97, and caught the Maui Slack Key Guitar Festival that year.

Really put the hook in me for slack key guitar.

I loaded up on Dancing Cat CD’s and tried to recreate the feeling once I got home.

Didn’t work, even driving my car by the ocean here listening to the slack key greats. Something about the cadence of that palm tree sway and beach break in Hawaii that is IN the music. We don’t have that laid back vibe here. The wind is different, and the pace of life. Doesn’t transfer some how. Still great music, but can’t recreate the vibe here on the mainland.
I’m a John Keawe fan, see him play every time I’m on the Big Island. When I have to fly for work, I put on his playlist and I tend to be more relaxed and in a better mood!

Nothing works while I’m driving, too busy riding the brake in traffic - grr....
 
The land of no left turns qualifies as alien.

Alien technology might be a good thing, then. The idea of the “Michigan left” is to avoid being T-boned at intersections, and reduce accidents, and it works. However, there are still plenty of left turns on older roads. These days, we’re also seeing more traffic circles.

Michigan actually pioneered certain aspects of road design; for example, the first paved streets in the US were in Detroit, at a time when Indiana folks hadn’t yet found out there was such a thing as bathtubs or indoor plumbing. ;)
 
...The idea of the “Michigan left” is to avoid being T-boned at intersections...
Where’s the fun in that??!!

Indiana folks hadn’t yet found out there was such a thing as bathtubs or indoor plumbing. ;)
Some people call that “quaint”. Besides, who doesn’t like making yellow snow? And plus, “throne posting” is only enjoyable when it’s warm...and it is very warm.
 
I played most F – types. Played an Ibanez, had a few; an RT, Like an RG crossed with a Strat. Played telecasters too, still a telecaster guy through and through if I had to pick one guitar.

Tried a few Gibsons, had a LP Standard from around 2000, it was my first one. Was very heavy, unbalanced, would NOT stay in tune, felt uncomfortable, awkward, bulky, sounded dark. I sold it.

I then had a 59 reissue flying V that was sweet, but was more of a stage piece.

I used a HSS Strat and a Tele as a session player, and borrowed a Yamaha SG for more of THAT sound.

I was in Oslo doing a studio session, I asked the engineer about the loan of a humbucker guitar, he had a McCarty, black, no birds, really plain and worn.

Used it all day, it felt light, balanced, felt great on the strap, nice neck, brighter sounding than a Gibson (coming from Fender that was great) and stayed in tune really, really well.

That was me sold. Just solved all of the things I had issue with in other mahogany guitars.

I still like Telecasters, Strats, etc. I just found that I'd take a PRS over a Gibson if that's anything.
 
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Little bit younger...my real 'guitar' playing begain around 1990 or so. Peavey falcon...moved on to gibsons and fenders through most of the mid 90's and then got really into hamer.
Couldn't play the necks anymore after carpel tunnel issues..hamer radius is SOO flat. Found PRS and went through a shedload of them.
Still have my first and favorite.
 
Little bit younger...my real 'guitar' playing begain around 1990 or so. Peavey falcon...moved on to gibsons and fenders through most of the mid 90's and then got really into hamer.
Couldn't play the necks anymore after carpel tunnel issues..hamer radius is SOO flat. Found PRS and went through a shedload of them.
Still have my first and favorite.

Funny about your experience with Hamer. Same problem I ended up having with them. LOVED the tone, but my hands would cramp something fierce while playing them.
 
Funny about your experience with Hamer. Same problem I ended up having with them. LOVED the tone, but my hands would cramp something fierce while playing them.

Really loved them, had a bunch, but that 14" radius. Damn that hurts me.
PRS Regular (Whatever they call it now) is perfect.
 
Per the OP we're supposed to start in the 80s. That means my story starts with me as a freshman in college, with one great guitar and one crappy amp. My high school graduation present from my parents was an Ibanez Artist. I had a solid state Custom amp that I'd had for a couple years, big 2x12 combo with white rolled and pleated shiny vinyl covering with metal flake in it, and one distortion pedal. During my freshman year, I traded the Custom for a silver face Twin Reverb. NOW, I was serious. :D That guitar and amp would be my only for 2 years. Then I sold the Twin because it was way too big to haul up to my friends 3rd floor apartment to jam. Bought a small Peavey 1x12 amp because it had "distortion!" (Smooth move, huh?).

Once I got out of college, the gear buying started. Within 2 years, I had bought a Les Paul Custom, a Kramer Baretta (had to have a Van Halen guitar, of course!), and American Standard Strat, an 84 Collectors Series Ovataion acoustic, a G&K 250 ML, and a few other pedals. This all lasted until late 87.

At the end of 1987 I got married. When my wife got pregnant, she had a terrible pregnancy. She had gained 20 lbs so far, and 5 months in went into premature labor and lost 28 lbs. She was down to 90lbs and 5 months pregnant! She had weekly doctor visits, multiple tests every time, was on complete bed rest. Said all that only to say this. By the time my daughter was born, I had sold all of my guitars except the untouchable one (Ibanez) to pay medical bills. I'll tell you how things were in the late 80s for Les Pauls... I had a mint Custom. Sounded fantastic, played great for an LP. Listed it on Craigs List for $450 and 4 months later finally took $400 for it. You couldn't get any money for an LP then. Total buyers market. Then Slash came along and the same guitar sold for $1200 5 years later. Anyway... I was down to one guitar and one amp.

In 1997 for our 10th Anniversary, my wife had saved for two years, and bought me the 97 Custom 22 (the natural flamed maple top one I've put up pics of before). The story is, she told me before the anniversary that she knew I had sold all my guitars because of her troubles during pregnancy, so she wanted to buy me a nice one. I showed her several $1000 or so Ibanez guitars at the store that I'd like to have. She said "is that the best guitar?" I said, "no, those are the best, but they're way too expensive." They have 5 Custom 22's on the wall, all different colors. She said "show me one" and at first I wouldn't even ask the guy to get them down because I knew they were retailing for around $3K. At her urging, I got one down and immediately was in love. She later said "I could tell as soon as you started playing it that you loved it." Needless to say, I expected the guitar case when I saw the present on my anniversary. But I was blown away when I opened the case and saw the PRS!

So, that post starts in the 80s and goes to my first PRS in 1997.
 
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Ha, I actually left out part the story. Some time in 88 or 89, I broke my left wrist playing basketball. I could not bend my wrist very far at all and after a few months of trying, I gave up playing guitar. It just hurt too much to try to bend my wrist to play. I had my guitar strap to where it was up very high, trying to keep my wrist straight as possible, but it still hurt. BAD! I quit. For almost 10 years.

The summer before our 10th anniversary in 1997, I told Amy that I couldn't stand not playing guitar and that I felt like part of my life was missing. I told her that I wanted to start playing again. That was what led up to her deciding to get me a guitar for the 10th Anniversary. When she went so overboard on the guitar she bought me, I was obligated to start playing again, pain or not!

When I first got that guitar, I could still hardly play. But, I started doing lots of stretching exercises for my wrist and hand and after about two years, got it loosened up to the point that I could play for a while without pain. Usually at first, I could play no more than 30 minutes or so before the pain set in. But I loved that guitar so much I'd play until my wrist was killing me before I'd stop. After 3-4 years, I could play for a least an hour before any pain started. For years now, as long as I keep it stretched out, the wrist doesn't bother me much.
 
My guitar life in the 80s included only one guitar...it was really special. It was completely see thru, weighed nothing and was super versitile...

Why I changed? I got sick of people looking at me funny and pointing. So I decided to put down my air guitar and buy a real one. The rest is history...I still have my air guitar but I don't pull it out that much anymore or at least not while anybody's watching. It's still my #1 though;)
 
Per the OP we're supposed to start in the 80s. That means my story starts with me as a freshman in college, with one great guitar and one crappy amp. My high school graduation present from my parents was an Ibanez Artist. I had a solid state Custom amp that I'd had for a couple years, big 2x12 combo with white rolled and pleated shiny vinyl covering with metal flake in it, and one distortion pedal. During my freshman year, I traded the Custom for a silver face Twin Reverb. NOW, I was serious. :D That guitar and amp would be my only for 2 years. Then I sold the Twin because it was way too big to haul up to my friends 3rd floor apartment to jam. Bought a small Peavey 1x12 amp because it had "distortion!" (Smooth move, huh?).

Once I got out of college, the gear buying started. Within 2 years, I had bought a Les Paul Custom, a Kramer Baretta (had to have a Van Halen guitar, of course!), and American Standard Strat, an 84 Collectors Series Ovataion acoustic, a G&K 250 ML, and a few other pedals. This all lasted until late 87.

At the end of 1987 I got married. When my wife got pregnant, she had a terrible pregnancy. She had gained 20 lbs so far, and 5 months in went into premature labor and lost 28 lbs. She was down to 90lbs and 5 months pregnant! She had weekly doctor visits, multiple tests every time, was on complete bed rest. Said all that only to say this. By the time my daughter was born, I had sold all of my guitars except the untouchable one (Ibanez) to pay medical bills. I'll tell you how things were in the late 80s for Les Pauls... I had a mint Custom. Sounded fantastic, played great for an LP. Listed it on Craigs List for $450 and 4 months later finally took $400 for it. You couldn't get any money for an LP then. Total buyers market. Then Slash came along and the same guitar sold for $1200 5 years later. Anyway... I was down to one guitar and one amp.

In 1997 for our 10th Anniversary, my wife had saved for two years, and bought me the 97 Custom 22 (the natural flamed maple top one I've put up pics of before). The story is, she told me before the anniversary that she knew I had sold all my guitars because of her troubles during pregnancy, so she wanted to buy me a nice one. I showed her several $1000 or so Ibanez guitars at the store that I'd like to have. She said "is that they best guitar?" I said, "no, those are the best, but they're way too expensive." They have 5 Custom 22's on the wall, all different colors. She said "show me one" and at first I wouldn't even ask the guy to get them down because I knew they were retailing for around $3K. At her urging, I got one down and immediately was in love. She later said "I could tell as soon as you started playing it that you loved it." Needless to say, I expected the guitar case when I saw the present on my anniversary. But I was blown away when I opened the case and saw the PRS!

So, that post starts in the 80s and goes to my first PRS in 1997.
This is pretty weird. Seriously! Let me elaborate...

  • While I started when I was 14, in the early 80s I went to college with a great guitar and a crappy amp...79 LP Deluxe and a Yamaha solid state thing...with one MXR Distortion + pedal.
  • When I graduated high school, my parents gave me a 71 ES-335 as a graduation gift.
  • My sophomore year, I attempted to build an Eddie guitar out of a cheap Strat and a Floyd copy.
  • Also in my sophomore year, I bought an 84 Fender Twin II head and built a cool 2x12 painted gloss fire engine red and black carpeting.
  • Built 2 FrankenStrats and coasted on that gear until 89.
  • In 1989, bought my Boogie MkIII and a pair of 2x12 cabs. The rig officially reached badass status.
  • Got married in 89, were pregnant in 90 with my first son. Mrs. B was preeclampsic with high blood pressure, was forced to quit job, confined to bed rest, and son was born in distress. Incurred stupid-big hospital bills. (Sound familiar yet?)
  • In 2001, Mrs. B decides to buy me a guitar for Christmas, but not any guitar, but the PRS I’d wanted. Enter, CU24.
Those arent identical occurrences, but they’re close enough to go, “whoa dude!”.
 
This is pretty weird. Seriously! Let me elaborate...

  • While I started when I was 14, in the early 80s I went to college with a great guitar and a crappy amp...79 LP Deluxe and a Yamaha solid state thing...with one MXR Distortion + pedal.
  • When I graduated high school, my parents gave me a 71 ES-335 as a graduation gift.
  • My sophomore year, I attempted to build an Eddie guitar out of a cheap Strat and a Floyd copy.
  • Also in my sophomore year, I bought an 84 Fender Twin II head and built a cool 2x12 painted gloss fire engine red and black carpeting.
  • Built 2 FrankenStrats and coasted on that gear until 89.
  • In 1989, bought my Boogie MkIII and a pair of 2x12 cabs. The rig officially reached badass status.
  • Got married in 89, were pregnant in 90 with my first son. Mrs. B was preeclampsic with high blood pressure, was forced to quit job, confined to bed rest, and son was born in distress. Incurred stupid-big hospital bills. (Sound familiar yet?)
  • In 2001, Mrs. B decides to buy me a guitar for Christmas, but not any guitar, but the PRS I’d wanted. Enter, CU24.
Those arent identical occurrences, but they’re close enough to go, “whoa dude!”.


even closer! My one distortion pedal I had with the Custom and then the Twin... MXR Distortion+
 
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