Guitars Homepage

My first guitar was a Metalic Purple Ibanez, with a Floyd Rose Tremolo, and a super Strar pickup configuration (Humberker, Single, Humbucker). The neck had been cracked (and repaired), where the locking pegs were just below the headstock. I guess it was something to learn on, but I re-cracked the next twice (the second time was because I did not glue it adequetly), and got frustrated with it. I finally sold it to a friend.

I then picked up a cream colored mexican Fender Strat. This was not the best guitar made, but it sure was an improvement. I kept that and learned to play a couple of songs, and slowely learned what a coupl of chords actually were, but mainly I had to stick with tableture, and I just could not play what I saw. I also bought a cheap Yamaha acoustic off ofone of my friends for $50.

I think it was the summer of '96 when I was living in the dorms, I became good friends with Chris Mick. Me and him new each other, but never really hung out before. He is just incredible one the guitar (He had a '70s Gibson SG, 100W Marshall Solidstate halfstack, and a '70s Fender Vibrolux, now he has my old Yamaha Acoustic, A weird Martin solid body electric guitar, and a Gibson Les Paul). A couple of my old friends had been good, but he could play just about anything that he heard. I could pop in a CD he had never heard before and he would re-tune his guitar and pickup the song before it was half way through. I mainly just watched. He had graduated with his BA in Mathmatics that summer, so after summer he left.

Sometime in early '97 I decided that I needed a new guitar (okay, okay I just wanted to buy something). I went to the local shop a decided on a new '96 U.S. Fender Lonestart Start. (Single/Single/Humbucker). This was a big jump from my mexican Start. The quality of everything was better. Also around this time I picked up a Fender 2x12 Ultimate Chorus Amp (Before I had either used a 1x8 Peavey Rage, or an old '70s Solid State 1x12 Kustom i picked up really cheap). I slowely started to learn about how things are put together. Learned about progressions, and chord theory. I still could not play very good, and if people asked if I played gutiar I would tell them I "Not really, but I am learning."

Chris came back to Cameron in the spring on '98 and I started to bug him a little more about playing guitars. That summer I decided I wanted an old Fender tube amp, and me and him hit the pawn shops (He worst then I am about buying new guitar stuff). We finnally found something. It was a '68 Fender Bassman Head, and it was in excelent condition. I think I paid about $150 for the head, and I tore apart my old 1x12 Kustom to use a speaker inclusure. I sold my Fender Ultimate Chorus to my brother. I did not have distortion, or reverb, or choros, but I loved it.

In the fall semester I inrolled in Guitar Class I, mainly for the excuse to buy an expensive acoustic guitar. The one I picked was a Martin 000ce(?). I then went to about half the class and then dropped it. I still learned a lot in that class including being able to read some sheet music, some scales, and about actually moving my fingers from fret to fret instead of using one finger from note to note. Now I am out of school and I do not get to practice very much, but I am no longer ashamed of how I play. I will always need improvement, but I finnally have a foundation to start on after only about 6 years.

Copywright 1999, by Brian Freund