Originally Posted by: William MG

There has been so much talk on the right guitar I thought I would chime in about my old girl.

It's not an easy instrument to play, but she has been with me this far, and she will stay till the end. I don't play her much, but she is never far from me.

[p]Haha...that's definitive emotional attachment William. Envious in the most flattering sense, I only wish I could similarly indulge with relics retained from childhood/youth. My purchase of a Yamaha C40//02 not so long ago was partially inspired by nostalgia, along with a then and now comparitive playability and nylon Classical style investigative curiosity.

I learnt initially all those years ago on a then probable equivalent of Yamaha's C40/70/80 I'd bought at around the same age whilst still at high school courtesy of income from my casual night fill job. Relative to earnings, guitars were a lot dearer in those days. It was Made in Japan at that time, with all the Japanese penchant for attention to detail and striving for perfectionism in what they do.

In complete honesty, I can't recall its fate for certain as I had a lot going on in my life at the time I can last definitely recall seeing it. I'd moved out of home aged 20, and had been on the move relocating constantly in the interim as making it in an ultra competive and demanding aviation industry and services required in those days. I suspect it may have been 'trashed' along with everything else from my childhood left in the temporary 'safekeeping' of my childhood home by the jealous brother seeking to take vengeful advantage of circumstances offered by my resentful mother (I was the baby of four surviving brothers and last in the nest at the time I left) when she moved from the house into an apartment. I'll never truly understand that mentality any more than I am capable of it. Both are long gone now, and only pity for the inner torment which drove them to manifest itself in such actions remains. Nevertheless, I thought I had sold the Ibanez SG prior, but with no clear recall of that event try as I might, memory fails confirmation for absolute certain. I fear it may have met the same job lot selloff or dumping in clearout skip fate.

20:20 hindsight isn't nostalgia afflicted though.

Although it served me well enough to learn basic fingerstyle, fundamental chords and a few barre chords at the time so I could play simpler songs, I recall 'hating' that chunky, wide Classical neck, wide string spacing and ultra high action once I became aware of an alternative, and especially once I subsequently experienced the characteristics of my Ibanez SG. Apart from some simplistic Spanish flavoured fingerstyle and Am, G, F E chord runs down the neck or first form fingered, my objective and interest at the time I bought my initial guitar was to learn, and more folk rock orientated. America, Neil Young, Seals & Crofts, John Denver, Cat Stevens. So that nylon, bought on poor if well intentioned received advice, was the wrong choice of instrument and fit for me at a time when it was my initial and only guitar for about 15-18 months.

Love to still have it now as a memento though.

manX