Number 6 September 9, 2009

My first guitar was a $29 Japanese steel string Westbrook when I was 11. Virtually unplayable, but it did give me strong fingers and tough calluses. Then about a year later I got a nylon string for about $60 (I had a paper route by then) that was quite playable and pretty. A couple of years after that I got a student model Yairi for about $200, and I played that for years. After that I played Takamine nylon string guitars for about 30 years, until I started commissioning custom guitars. I went through 3 or 4 of the Takamines over the years. My first electric, when I was about 14, was a Fender Mustang. (Later to be made famous by Kurt Cobain). What I really wanted was a jazz guitar, and a couple of years later I got a Howard Roberts Epiphone. (Later to be made famous by Robbie Robertson. It actually was a better rock n’ roll guitar, but I met Howard Roberts once, and he was a very nice man). I think I traded in the Howard Roberts for cash and a Strat when I was 21 to go to London. In London I eventually got a 50 watt Marshall 2x12 combo, which I brought back to the States. In the late 70’s I had a blonde Gibson Super 400, with soundposts installed at the factory. It supposedly had belonged to Larry Coryell. I traded in the Super 4 for cash and a cheap Guild when I left NYC to go back to SF in 1980. Then a Les Paul (I forgot to mention the Rickenbacher 12 I had for a while in high school.) Then it was pretty much Les Pauls until the early 80’s, when I started using a midi-rigged Steinberger transtrem. A few years ago I got a Baker Robben Ford prototype, dubbed the RF. It’s Les Paul- like, with hollow chambers. A very beautiful instrument. I also have and Eric Clapton autograph Strat, and a Martin 00028EC. Clapton endorsed guitars are very well made.

Gregory James