A Squier? Me?

Someone just reminded me via e-mail that in a previous post I would disclose how I ended up with a Fender Squire after owning Stratocasters and Les Pauls.

It is kind of a long story but I'll try to boil it down. First off let me say that I just turned 51 years old and I have been playing guitar since I was 15. This Silvertone (amp in case) was the first guitar I ever owned. By the time I was 17 I could play the entire Santana Abraxas album verbatim. Ever listen to Alice Cooper's "Killer" album? I could also that entire album note-for-note by the time I was 16 or 17. These are only a couple that I remember, but suffice it to say I've been involved with guitars for most of my life (I even have them tattooed on my body). My first serious guitar was a '73 Strat with a maple neck.

About the only kind of band that I haven't played in would be a jazz group. I've pretty much played everything else; country, disco, top 40, all genres of rock almost, funk, etc.

I quit playing in groups when it got to be a job. What turned me off to bands completely was when I got on the hotel/lounge circuit. After doing this for a number of years, playing Top 40 guitar became a job . . . a job that I didn't like so much any more. So after all that, I sold everything. I sold my guitars, amps and all the other miscellaneous equipment that I owned. I was sick of bands, and I was sick of playing guitar.

I didn't even own a guitar for several years. Back in 1999, or so, I felt the urge to play returning. I didn't go out and buy a guitar immediately and I wasn't even sure if I wanted to get back into it. Finally in 2ooo, I went shopping around for a lower end guitar. I didn't want to spend a fortune because I wasn't sure I would keep playing.

So off I went to Mars Music in Tampa. I originally settled on a Washburn Billy T, which seemed to be a nice playing cheap guitar. I played this one for about a month until one of the pickups died. When I took it back, they didn't have a replacement available so the store manager offered to trade me the Stagemaster instead straight across, which was a significantly more expensive guitar. I tried it out and have been playing it every since.

If I ever decide to go out and buy an expensive guitar, I can tell you right now that it will most definitely be an original Les Paul Gold Top. I used to have a '69.

Right now I am playing through a Fender Frontman amp (25 watts, older model) and the only other guitar I have is a Fernandes Nomad Deluxe, which is a great travel guitar. It has a built in amp, speaker and effect package that will make a gazillion sounds. I also have a Korg AX1000G ToneWorks.

There you have it.

Crispy