Guitars In My Life

Pretty sure I was about seven years old when a ukulele made it into my hands. Thank you Miss Dest, my teacher at Primary School, who helped me make this move. But unlike  first love, I cannot recall many details of this instrument. I can only vaguely recall the basic chords that opened the door to singing along.

At Primary School we did a lot of singing along, basic bonding I am sure. But whether it was the new music coming along from The Beatles, The Animals, The Who, The Kinks, The Troggs and so on, or whether it was that for a growing giant, the ukulele looked more like an undersized mullet in the fat fingered hands of a fishmonger, a guitar was soon being strummed in my bedroom.

You would think I could recall greater detail of the momentous occasion of a first guitar but I confess to remembering little. I could make it up , build a story of devastation and despair and then moving into the light but then again...and I know it would have been a monumental moment , but like most things in life, moments mean little, destinations mean little, it is journeys that count, that formulate and moderate and build. Needless to say it opened a door to comraderie, performance, learning, endless practice and palpable positive dreams. Dreams not of greatness but of mastering a song so as to draw the breath from a listener. I am still chasing that moment.

The first formal guitar lessons I had were in Glen Innes late in the afternoon in a room above a row of dingy shops with a dozen or so other would be's . Mind you, we were just interested in playing the guitar so off we went.

The best thing about the teacher was his guitar. To a wide eyed boy it really was impressive and I  loved it's look and sound. No longer in fashion it had a glitter paint job and a tremelo bar, another item rarely seen on modern guitars.

Glitter paint job. The teachers guitar was red and looked mightily impressive.

We had a semi formal pattern of learning. The teacher would pick out the melody on his guitar, he would strum to the song and generally the class would split into two groups...the pickers and the strummers.

The first song we ever did was to my recollection anyway, "Hang down your head Tom Dooley". This is a refreshing little old classic with the lyrics including " o boy you're going to die." Far from being traumatised we thought little of it and it soon had us mastering the chords of G, G7 and C. And so it went with other songs and a songbook and lessons to take home.

Over time we learnt basic music, understanding basic tab which is what we used to pick out a tune whilst the other half of the class strummed along in accompaniment. Cacophony at its best but we were learning, collectively and it was easier to hide than in a one on one. Our repertoire of songs and chords  increased and we had a good experience. It was not really fun but we were learning and our learning was instantly usable in playing songs at home and singing along. And I found one mate in particular to play the guitar with.

In my bedroom, probably 13 years old or so with my Suzuki 700. This was a wide fretboard classical guitar with nylon strings. I always used Black Diamond brand as the strings were black.

I was around 8 years old when I got a ukulele so probably 10 years old when I got my first guitar. We presented concerts at primary school regularly from 10 till 12 years old, prior to the upheaval of secondary school. My friend Paul was the usual accomplice in crime but occasionally Gene played too. If not picking out the tune and strumming along we sang too. I can't say what these concerts did to the other kids in the class and maybe we acted like developing rock stars...I doubt it but we did get a lecture from the headmaster one day about not giving up our day jobs. Ha ha, in an industry that was formative at best, to put the kibosh on a few friends having fun was quire unnecessary. Ah the austerity of the sixties. No wonder the revolution was coming. 

At some stage too my parents felt the need to direct things and suddenly I was at a formal classical guitar class. Now, learning music was serious and doing everything correctly removed totally any sense of fun and belonging. How to suck the air out of something. I lasted only a few lessons and returned to the fun of picking up songs from the radio and playing them. 

I made a music stand. This is probably around the 15 years old mark as we were not allowed long hair at school but one tried to push the limits as much as one could.

I had asked for an electric guitar for Christmas and lo and behold a Yamaha semi electric guitar was presented. I took it and my other guitar away on holiday. This photo is at Tokerau Beach in Doubtless Bay Northland. Probably 15 or 16 judging by the hair and the beginnings of the counter culture involvement. I had made the cut off denim shirt and had scrubbed the dye from my jeans to age them. I might even be wearing some love beads a girlfriend had made me. 

Also at Tokerau Beach, my trusty Suzuki 700. A lovely tone and great sound.  A great value guitar.

My Suzuki 700 covered many miles. It was on my back all of the way many times into Muirs Cottage in the Waitakere ranges, Pararaha Valley. The bus from Auckland would drop us at either Huia or at the top of the turn off to Karakare. There was then the walk down to the beach, along the beach, across the cliffs and a long tramp in. From Huia it was all bush walk in the darkened forest of the night. I never damaged that beauty even though others might fall and slip on the muddy tracks.

Must be at uni now and still the 700 is my friend. Things were starting to move however. I bought a Sigma steel stringed guitar, one of the cheaper series from the  Martin range of  guitars I think and was never really happy with it. A bit tinny but it at least got me onto the steel strings and a thinner more normal  fretboard. I have some recordings from that time.
 and it sounds okay.

Ha ha, now we are getting serious.I had flicked the Yamaha semi acoustic guitar as to be honest, it was shit. I had found an old Jansen electric guitar, a New Zealand brand that tried to produce good instruments and amplifiers at a reasonable price  compared to the Fenders and Gibsons that dominated the guitar music scene. It was a very good guitar that made me realise how sometimes an instrument can be your worst enemey. A guitar that feels right in your hands makes you play right...pure and simple.  Not sure what became of it but I then moved on to an Ibanez Les Paul copy. Wow, what a step up this was. The photo, the only one from that time has me behind a dickwad whose name I will not add to print and Ted. At this stage the band we were playing in had three guitars, a drummer, a conga player, bass and at one time soon a flautist. We had a practice room in a building opposite the Dingwall building in lower  Queen St, Auckland near Shortland Street. I think we had two hours  and then had to move out for  the then Suburban Reptiles to take over the space. Ha, we were doing covers of Grand Funk Railroad, Van Morrison, The Doors and some original stuff and punk was in its infancy. We mainly played at our flat often until the early hours of the morning. How our neighbours coped I have no idea as the local dairy owner said he could hear us and he was at least 200 metres away.

Kelburn Wellington. For some reason I had this cheap shitty guitar but at least I had one. I had fallen on hard times a little but hey...

In my 30's and a Suzuki 700 falls into my hands. 

Travelled a fair bit with work. Being away can be tedious as your loved ones and loved things are not to hand. Started taking a guitar away with me. This is Fender Strastocaster. I have owned I think three strats and whilst they have a nice action, the overall feeling and sound of the guitar never met my expectations.  If you watch Hendrix play the strat it gives you high hopes. I discovered too that many of the so called guitar legends had their guitars tweaked by the manufacturers for them to get the very best sound from the guitar. 

Lugging a full sized guitar around in addition to other luggage became a pain. I bought a Martin travelling guitar which features a full sized fret board but a small bodied guitar. It sounded okay...just..but the lack of body made it feel too artificial and so really did not replicate the feeling of guitar playing.

Another delving into the world of the Fender guitar. Way back in the day a friend played a Fender Telecaster. The guitar is set up differently to the Stratocaster and the sound is heavier, deeper and more suited to the blues that the rock orientated Strat.. The fret board felt great but this was a cheaper version that the original USA made one I had played in my youth and again never quite lived up to expectations. Quite heavy which I liked it just never had the tone.

When my first marriage  ended, I decided after a time to get myself a "good" guitar. I went to the Lewis Eady showroom in Newmarket and had them set me up in their little  demonstration room, with a number of guitars. Now that was an eye opener.Here I was playing with some of the best guitars available to us normal people! A Martin, a Fender and many others were displayed and played. Wow, I suppose like women, all looked great but all quite different. I t was a Maton CW, a large bodied dreadnought style that just stood out. I was in love! I payed around $2500 for the guitar and hard case and have never regretted a cent.

An expensive guitar like the Maton becomes a minor hinderance in that you get a bit picky as to who else might play it or where you might play it. To have a guitar that I did nbot minbd anyine else playing and one that could be taken places without worrying about it being scuffed a little, I bought a Cort cutaway acoustic. A great little guitar which I enjoy playing both acoustic and as an electric as it also has a built in pickup.

My enjoyment of guitars has even been recognised and eulogised in cake.

Also eulogised in paint, a gift from my daughter.

The current line up is shown below. The Cort at the front, followed by an Ibanez acoustic bass, the MAton CW is in the hard case. Behind that is my Ibanez electric SA series guitar, behind that a very beaten up Suzuki 700 nylon stringed acoustic and behind that again, A Maton ukulele.

Playing the guitar has brought me much joy. It has also taught me great humility because you watch others play and know how difficult it is to do what they are doing and how crap you are.!!! Life is not about comparisons, it is about the journey and enjoying the moment. I enjoy what I do and play there is just never enough time. And so for now the journey continues.