LR: Thursday, June 7

How ya'll doing. Hot where you are? Lawdy, I knew we were going to end up paying for that mild winter.

Things are definitely looking up for lunch today. I got me some sesame seed chicken salad and pasta salad to go with it. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

Lookig back at all that has changed for me over the decades one thing that really jumps to the front is how long I used to hang on to a guitar compared to more recent times. I played the same 1958 Tele and 1930s Gibson L-00 for decades. Yeah, a couple of instruments came and went but these two were my constant companions.

It was after I stopped gigging regularly and, in fact, stopped playing much at all for a few years, that things changed. But man, over the past decade it seemed my guitars were in constant rotation. Geez, just counting G&Ls alone I owned one Broadcaster, two 1986 ASATs, an Interceptor (first body style) and a Classic S (the only brand spanking new guitar I have ever bought).

So my first point of inquiry. What guitar have you owned the longest. What is it about that guitar that makes you just not want to let it go.

The one that has been with me the longest is an acoustic. A 1960 Gibson J-200. The reasons this one has outlasted others is not that hard to figure out. First, it flippin' sounds great. Thumping bass, saturated mids, crisp highs with a dry and woody crackling edge to it. Second, the just don't make 'em like this anymore. There is nothing that Gibson has offered since the Bozeman shop opened in the late 1980s that is made with the same top bracing system (a combination fo arched and scallop bracing with a second wide angle brace above the soundhole) or has features like tone bars hand shaped for each individual instrument.



I was also thinking about asking about the newest guitar you own. For me it is a 1972 Guild 12 string (yeah, back to the 12 stringers) which I picked up a few months back. But this leads me to my G&L question. In my opinion Guild and G&L have a lot in common. Both are newer companies (at least formed after I was born). Both also are known for building incredibly high quaility istruments (although there was some apprehension about the future of Guild when Fender took the company over, Guild freaks tell me that the guitars are excellent). Yet neither is ever going to end up in the number of hands you see Martins or Fenders in. As such both Guild and G&L guitars are incredibly undervalued on the used market which pretty much makes me a happy camper.

Just a thought that came to me.

Before I go I got to ask - any other lap steel players out there. I love the things. You can get sounds out of these little guitars that no other guitar can produce. Hmmm, a nice G&L double neck with some MFDs seems like something I could sink my teeth into. Then again, maybe G&L should just stick with what they do best. Anyway, here is mine - a 1950s Valco-made Oahu Tonemaster with the now legendary "strings through" pickup which is about the nastiest most in your face single coil ever slapped on a guitar.

i don't understand selling guitars. i sold a few long time ago because of dire financial need, but that is about it. once i buy a guitar it stays. i don't buy them unless they are good enough to keep.
i know a lot of people buy guitars unseen, i can't do that. so the guitar i have owned the longest is the first one i bought the 83 sq japanese squier strat. the second longest is my westone i bought in 89. i did give away my rg 550 ibanez i bought after that in 1990, tried everything, they just don't sound that good. i gave it to my stepson in 2004.

I have sold guitars in the past. The 67' fender mustang sounded like ply wood. No regrets selling that hunk of junk.
As long as they have purpose, I will keep. If you suck, you get fired.
My oldest guitar is the Peavy mystic 1986. Cool shape, better than the G&L pointy guitar. I can understand why guitars are not built like that anymore.

Love lap steel. Just not enough to own.

I've seen some professionally relic'd instruments that looked great. Nuthin' beats natural relic'ing, though. I luv it. Something wonderful seems to happen to the tone during that aging process, too. I A/B'd my 2 mojo'd SC-2s against my SC-2 Reissue. As great as the RI sounded, both older ones were better.


My oldest guitar is my 1975 Ovation, which was also the first NEW guitar I ever bought. I never play it anymore because I really don't care for it, but I have used it to play my kids & grandkids to sleep with - so it stays for sentimental reasons.


Newest guitar? Back in January I got this Cp Thornton Legend Special. I've played & owned many guitars in the last 45 years, some that cost twice as much as this Legend Special. But I will say without any hesitation that it is the finest, most toneful, best balanced, best neck, most versatile, most comfortable guitar ever!! If it ever came down to owning only one, this would be it. Mahogany body & neck with minibuckers & Rosewood board. I could not possibly love a guitar more. So much, in fact, that I ordered another one with P90s & a natural quilted mahogany top. It is in process & due to be completed in August. These will be passed on in my will. GbL'ers Griff, Boogie Phil, & Ches all own one, too. I think their sentiments will be similar to mine.


Jay

A late drop-in from me... First guitar, my own*: Hondo Fame



Newest: Anderson HollowT






I've messed with it a bit so far and like the 12-14 conical radius, 1 11/16 in. nut & even taper oversized .050 in. neck shape too. It'll be nice to do a side-by-side w/ a 2012 Ed Classic S...

I dig that lap steel & amp. My only experience was with old cigar box harps/guitars....like 30 years ago.


Cheers,

Will

* Before this, I had to borrow & flip my brother's guitar...

Last edited by willross on Fri Jun 08, 2012 11:29 am, edited 2 times in total.

That is a fun question. The guitar I have had the longest is a 1964 Gibson Sg jr. I don't play it now and I don't know why. It is dead mint with the original case. I actually have it in a nice case now because the old one's for the jr's were pretty much paper.
A couple of years ago I found some old tapes of me playing and it took me a few minutes to identify the guitar. It was the Sg and I was real happy with that tone. A very inspiring tone as my friends would say.
I had it set up about ten years ago and have really never played it. I guess I don't want to hurt it.
I saw this guitar at a local ma & Pa store around 1985 or so with a price tag of $300.00. With a $10 dollar deposit I paid it off over the next couple of months. Those were good days.

Between that guitar and my most recent buy, I have been through more of my share of guitars. The most recent is a Heritage H-127. This is an odd ball Heritage and I have 2 of about 10 made. These are really cool guitars in my demented opinion. These are basically your two humbucker, set neck, Gibson type guitar. Kind of a deformed les paul. The most recent has a solid flame maple body and a mahogany neck. This is not a flamed top or cap but solid flamed maple. The other has a mahogany body and neck. Both have rosewood boards and are a joy to play. I have had all sorts of set neck guitars and for me Heritage really delivers.

None of those guitars get as much attention as the two G&L's I play. I have a SC-3 and a SC-1that don't get put away. These guitars both have saddle lock bridges and just smoke. I just had the SC-3 set up by our local guru and it has never played nicer. We have great guitar techs in Chicago.

So good week so far and stay out of trouble,

y2kc

Thats gorgeous Jay Simple, yet so incredibly elegant and well designed. That slightly different Les Paul shape is the only one I've seen that is better than the original. I love the way the white outline on the headstock and the white tuning buttons tie in with the rest of the guitar. Even that white strat-style switch tip looks in place. In all honesty, it has to be one of the nicest looking guitars I've ever seen.

The guitar I've owned longest is the oldest, a 1968 Baldwin Vibraslim. I've had it about 12 years now. It doesn't get a lot of play as it feels a little fragile, or at least compared to my ASATs.

I own a lap steel, but never play it for long enough at a time to progress past the most basic level. Once I get a bit more time I'll give it a better go. I'd love to play Hawaiian style a'la Jerry Byrd when I go grey and wear slippers everywhere.

Hot where you are?

It's hot & dry here in northwest Missouri. The yard is turning brown and I haven't had to mow it for nearly two weeks.

So my first point of inquiry. What guitar have you owned the longest. What is it about that guitar that makes you just not want to let it go.

I've owned my '78 Les Paul Deluxe for about 12 years. It was one of the first guitars I bought when I got back into playing. It's not really a favorite, but for some reason I can't sell it.

I was also thinking about asking about the newest guitar you own.

My newest guitar is an '08 Collings 001mhsb. I like small bodied acoustics with mahogany back, sides & tops.

Before I go I got to ask - any other lap steel players out there.

I had one for a few months but I didn't put much effort into learning to play it. I've been thinking about trying one again.



Sprinter 92

The weather's not bad in the DC area, not that I ever get out to enjoy it.

My oldest is a Fender bass I cobbled together in my younger days. The body is from a late-70s Jazz. I bought the Jazz used (nearly destroyed is a more accurate description) in 1981, when I was in high school. The neck was borderline unplayable due to some terribly destructive mods by the previous owner. I swapped out the original pickups with a pair of used DiMarzios a couple of months later; a well-intentioned uncle accidentally set it on fire trying to help me install the pickups. The bass went through several different Krylon finishes, before I could afford a professional refinish job in 1986. The guy who refinished it happened to have a '69 Precision neck laying around, so that's the configuration it's been in for over 25 years. I would never change anything or willingly sell that bass, as my most enjoyable playing experiences involved that bass. Not to mention, it absolutely thunders.

My most recent acquisition was an '86 Interceptor Bass from JonC a couple of weeks ago. It is an amazing instrument all the way around.

My oldest guitar is my 1975 Ovation, which was also the first NEW guitar I ever bought. I never play it anymore because I really don't care for it, but I have used it to play my kids & grandkids to sleep with - so it stays for sentimental reasons.

My other "forever" guitar is an '86 Ovation, which is the only instrument I've ever bought new. It stays in the case for the most part, but its sentimental value to me is off the charts.

Ken

My newest guitar is an '08 Collings 001mhsb. I like small bodied acoustics with mahogany back, sides & tops.

OH, Mr. Sprinterman.......... what an awesome looking guitar. I also like small bodied acoustics - with mahogany OR rosewood back & sides. And I hear Collings acoustics are about as good as it gets. I won't sleep a freekin' wink tonite, now.

Please tell me it doesn't play as great as it looks.... please....

Jay

Thats gorgeous Jay Simple, yet so incredibly elegant and well designed. That slightly different Les Paul shape is the only one I've seen that is better than the original. I love the way the white outline on the headstock and the white tuning buttons tie in with the rest of the guitar. Even that white strat-style switch tip looks in place. In all honesty, it has to be one of the nicest looking guitars I've ever seen.

Thanks Mr. B - It is incredibly elegant & well designed. I ordered it after playing one. Had to wait 7 months to get it. Even though I had been impressed with it when ordering right there in the shop, I had no idea that it would turn out to be my lifetime favorite guitar in just a few weeks after getting it. That thing arrived in tune & felt as comfortable as an old glove or sweatshirt the moment I got a Moody strap on it & threw it across my shoulder. I spent more time with it during its first 4 months than I've ever spent with any guitar during its first year. It grew on me daily & still does. Hardest guitar to put down I've ever seen.

Love the Strat-like switch, the ergonomics, & sonic variety of those minibuckers. Best neck ever!! There are a lot of nice things going on in that mahogany grain pattern, but you gotta get close to see it. The color is essentially a burgandy burst - not an elegant color just by itself. But with the binding & accents from the rosewood patterns, controls, etc it turns into an elegant beauty. Ches described his best - kinda like that girl in school who didn't realize she was such a beauty, but every boy did. It is, in my mind, a work of art.

There's one already in Austrailia; so why not bring the second one there? LOL!! There are some great images of this model on http://www.cpthorntonguitars.com in the gallery. Thanks for your kind words.

And one day I'm gonna own a lap steel, too. Hey, I'll bring the Legend Special with me, come see you, & you can give me steel lessons!!!!!!!!!!!!

j

The guitar I've had the longest is my Don Grosh Retro Classic:


It is the best playing and sounding Strat-style guitar I've ever played.

My newest guitar is an acoustic, a Gibson LG1:


It is also the oldest one I've got.

RickT

There's one already in Austrailia; so why not bring the second one there? LOL!! There are some great images of this model on http://www.cpthorntonguitars.com in the gallery. Thanks for your kind words.

And one day I'm gonna own a lap steel, too. Hey, I'll bring the Legend Special with me, come see you, & you can give me steel lessons!!!!!!!!!!!!

j

Man, I'd love to get one. Reckon I will one day. Had a look at the gallery



Good golly. Thats a great looking neck joint. So smooth that it looks like it's been sculpted from plasticine. Might have to get you to smuggle one in for me to get around the import taxes if you ever do visit

Newest guitar? Back in January I got this Cp Thornton Legend Special. I've played & owned many guitars in the last 45 years, some that cost twice as much as this Legend Special. But I will say without any hesitation that it is the finest, most toneful, best balanced, best neck, most versatile, most comfortable guitar ever!! If it ever came down to owning only one, this would be it. Mahogany body & neck with minibuckers & Rosewood board. I could not possibly love a guitar more. So much, in fact, that I ordered another one with P90s & a natural quilted mahogany top. It is in process & due to be completed in August. These will be passed on in my will. GbL'ers Griff, Boogie Phil, & Ches all own one, too. I think their sentiments will be similar to mine.


Jay

those thortons look really nice, but i have a few issues with them. the scale length is kinda short, only comes with the 3+3 headstock ( i really dislike that, i like the inline 6) and he cheaps out on some of the hardware, for the price he should offer the best. other than that i like a lot of his ideas.

sorry for the late addition or should that be late edition?
heres my oldest guitar and my most recent..
oldest is a Tanglewood acoustic, my wife, Jackie, decided one Christmas that it was high time that I learned to play an instrument considering all the time that I spent listening to music, so she bought me this most recent is the Tribute Classic

My newest guitar is an '08 Collings 001mhsb. I like small bodied acoustics with mahogany back, sides & tops.

Nice! I am also a nut for small body acoustics. Collings are about the best current production acoustics I have ever played. I think they only turn out about 1,000 guitars a year.

Last edited by zombywoof on Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

My newest guitar is an acoustic, a Gibson LG1:

I love old Gibsons. Not an LG-1 but I do own a 1946- 1947 (no FONs in these) LG-2.

I'm a day late!

My oldest guitar is my 63 Fender Concert, Indian Rosewood which is under going a resto. I do not have a photo. Here is my latest, a Ryan Gadow Custom with a matching Valve Train amp and reverb.




My other oldest are the Tanqueray Strats, both 1988 from a build of 100 and both in pristine condition. -- Darwin

those thortons look really nice, but i have a few issues with them. the scale length is kinda short, only comes with the 3+3 headstock ( i really dislike that, i like the inline 6) and he cheaps out on some of the hardware, for the price he should offer the best. other than that i like a lot of his ideas.

Well, the 3+3 headstock we're "stuck with:, but I must say I don't have a preference for 3-3 vs inline. I suppose 3-3 is his signature stuff. Scale lengths & hardware are, however, buyer's choice @ same price. So he does offer the best for the same price. I've never been charged any extra for requesting different scale lengths, hardware, fret sizes, radius sizes, etc. And thanks to price increases in the guitar market [CpT's included], this week I sold the first CpT I ever bought 5 years ago & made money on it. And that was AFTER the store owner's 20% commission for selling it on consignment for me. First guitar I've ever bought new then sold later as used & made money on it. What did I do with the money? Immediately sent it to Chuck to commission my 23d CpT. Good investment? You bet they are. I could flip a used guitar for a new one @ no cost every 5 years for the rest of my life.

those thortons look really nice, but i have a few issues with them. the scale length is kinda short, only comes with the 3+3 headstock ( i really dislike that, i like the inline 6) and he cheaps out on some of the hardware, for the price he should offer the best. other than that i like a lot of his ideas.

Well, the 3+3 headstock we're "stuck with:, but I must say I don't have a preference for 3-3 vs inline. I suppose 3-3 is his signature stuff. Scale lengths & hardware are, however, buyer's choice @ same price. So he does offer the best for the same price. I've never been charged any extra for requesting different scale lengths, hardware, fret sizes, radius sizes, etc. And thanks to price increases in the guitar market [CpT's included], this week I sold the first CpT I ever bought 5 years ago & made money on it. And that was AFTER the store owner's 20% commission for selling it on consignment for me. First guitar I've ever bought new then sold later as used & made money on it. What did I do with the money? Immediately sent it to Chuck to commission my 23d CpT. Good investment? You bet they are. I could flip a used guitar for a new one @ no cost every 5 years for the rest of my life.

i only saw 34 5/8" and 25" available for scale length. he will use the full callaham bridge instead of just the callaham saddles for the same price? or the callaham vibrato on the s style? that would be nice.