Sunday, November 09, 2008

First Guitar

I've written in the past about my first guitar. I got it back in 1962. It is a Teisco Del Ray that my mom bought at Sears. I wish it had some kind of playing meter on it that could document how many hours I played it.
As the years wore on, the knobs wore out, the pickup went south, and it would not stay in tune.
When I started to work, I bought better, more expensive guitars to play, so I stuck the old Teisco in the back of my closet where it has lived ever since we moved here twenty four years ago. I had considered tossing the guitar a time or two, but I could never bring myself to letting it go.
We met a guy through Steve (the third Overall), who builds Cigar Box guitars and banjos. I asked him if he would have a look at the old Teisco to see if it could be revived. He promised he'd try. He has spent months looking for old parts and this weekend, I picked it up.
I almost wept when I saw it. Aside from the scratches and the fretboard worn slick from use, it looks like it did when I first got it. This morning, I plugged it in to my Trace Elliott amp and that old $25 guitar has a sound that it unique and beautiful.
Tonight as I sit here strumming, I am a happy man.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:38 AM

    please post a picture of the guitar i think a lot us would like to see it. i would anyway. i love all of your stories!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey thanks for the suggestion. I added the photo. I love that old guitar.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:42 AM

    beautiful !!

    ReplyDelete

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