gush
Where is that speedo pic
My dad had a stella acoustic when I was in Jr high. I started teaching myself guitar on that.What was it like back in the day?
Yes, by far it was much simpler but it was life as we knew it and you dealt with what was available at the time. With anything. And in looking back you know what? It was pretty darned good. Perfect, no but again it was what we knew.
I didn't start playing until 1969 (bass) but I got bit by the music bug back when I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. I wasn't the only one who got bit either. You could walk down any street where we lived and you'd always hear the sound of a band coming from a basement or a garage. It was truly a magical time and an awakening for all of us youngsters. I remember riding my bike to the local music store just to look at the guitars and amps. For a young boy who wanted to learn how to play it was quite a thrill to see the guitars and amps in front of you that your favorite bands were using.
In our eyes the choice of gear wasn't limited. We actually thought there was a good selection available. It was just a matter of a young kid being able to afford "that" guitar or"that" amp. Even though there were some effects pedals back then it was pretty much guitar, cord and amp for the longest time. Once I started playing and was decent enough to jam with friends I really can't recall seeing anyone using an effects pedal. I could be wrong but in looking back it seemed that because of the lack of distractions (pedals, social media, cable TV) people just got down to business that much more with trying to improve on their instruments. It was pretty much "hey, you got a guitar, a cord and an amp so get your fingers moving!" It's like with no special effects you HAD to make it sound good. Now that I think about it, seems that most of the amps that the guitar players I knew back then didn't have reverb! (I seem to remember a lot of Fender Bandmaster amps being used).
I'm now 70 and these old memories of mine are now going on 55 years old. Can't believe how fast it all goes by. Even though I welcome some of the new things with open arms (love my Pod Go!), I find myself missing those simpler times more and more.
Sorry if I rambled. Been very nostalgic lately.
Then a couple years later I found an electric guitar in the closet. It actually belonged to my uncle but it was disassembled.
It was a fender duo sonic with a super short scale. I put it together and played the crap out of it.
I would sneak the Kustom bass amp home from school over the weekends and play through it.
I eventually bought a fender combo that had been turned into a head and a music man 4x12. I was in heaven!
But then.............I saw my first Carvin catalog and whoa...........if I just had that 300 watt stack I'd have it made!!!!!!!!
Lol
By 1983 I had purchased my first legit guitar. A G&L nighthawk which I still have today.