1952 Gibson ES-125

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I bought this one in 1977 out of guilt. My dad had an ES-125 that had a really sweet tone. He picked it up in a pawn shop in Kansas City, MO. One day I was practicing on it and left it leaning against a doorway at the top of the stairs. When I closed the door at the bottom of the stairs, the guitar came crashing down and ended up in a million pieces. To add to my guilt, Dad didn't buy another guitar for about eight years.

I got her at a music store in Springfield, MO for $300. This was an entry level guitar model introduced in 1946 for $125. Of course the $125 bought you a kit including the cord and an amplifier. See what this would be in today's prices.

All the parts are original and still work. It's not the easiest jazzbox to play. The action is a little high and the neck is fatter than most modern jazz guitars, but it's still a pleasure and it has a really mellow tone.

I use nickel flat-wounds on this one to get that old jazz sound. I have a set of Medium Light Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swings that I want to try on it.

1965 Epiphone Olympic Double

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A great low-action guitar with great sentimental value. This is a donation from my cousin Duard Jay and it was his Dad's guitar, Durward Jay. My uncle and my dad would frequently get together and play while us kids made nuisances of ourselves. Great memories and thanks cousin. I will cherish it always.

Got a case, cleaning it up and putting on a set of Ernie Ball Slinky strings. Love the batwing headstock.

196? Ventura V16 12-String

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This was the guitar my dad bought after his son-induced, guitar drought. He got it at Massey Music in Joplin, MO circa 1967-1969. He got a few years of enjoyment out of this guitar before he died in 1972. I keep it as a memento, but it isn't built to handle the tension of twelve strings. The bridge kept pulling up even though it was tuned to D. I sent it back to Ventura twice. They fixed it each time, but they did not add the needed bracing. Pity, it had a nice sound.

1977 Alvarez Yairi DY68 Rambling Dreadnought

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This was a Christmas gift from my wife in 1987. I used to go by Loring's Guitar Center in Richmond, VA and pull this one down every time I went in. Of course I would go home and whine about how we couldn't afford it. She took me by to see about it and they said that it was sold. I just figured it was never meant to be and went on. Lo and behold, SHE had bought it.

1990 Ibanez GB12 (No. 035)

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Here's another gift from my wife. This was for our anniversary in 1990. Bet you guys wish you had married her, huh? This guitar was something I used to drool over in catalogs. Damned if she didn't go out and get a new one for me. She got it at I.R.C. Music Store in Indianapolis, IN.

You just dream up something to play and this baby will play it for you. Although I use it mainly for jazz and blues, the three-way switch allows you to use it for rock too. When I put it through my Marshall Valvestate 80V, I just drift away.

I was using the flat wounds that came with it, but I recently switched to using Medium Light Thomastik-Infeld Jazz BeBops. These things ring like a piano. I love 'em!

2000 Taylor XXV-DR (#443/500)

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A literal dream come true. This was a gift to myself for being ... whatever. I got this in May 2000 at Melhart Music in McAllen, TX. They offered it for at least $200 less than music stores in Austin. Since they only made 500 of these, I consider it an investment as well as a joy to play.

This baby rings out! I love the sound this guitar projects. It came with Elixir strings and I don't think I'll ever put any thing else on it. They sound great and last about three times as long as other acoustic strings.

The case is something you would like to be buried in. This is the tightest fit on a case I have ever seen. You literally have to position the guitar parallel with the case to put it in.

2005 Delta D42/SB

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The newest travel guitar. A gift from my best friend. The case cost almost as much as the guitar.

Amazing sound for an inexpensive guitar. Bright, lots of volume and sustain.

2012 Peavey Millennium AC BXP

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My side project. I traded the Epiphone SG Junior in for this so I can record some bass lines. Revolve Guitars gave me a good deal. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm having a lot of fun doing it.

2015 G&L ASAT Z3

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I fell in love with the ASAT Z3 when I tried one at Guitar Center. I saw this one on Reverb and had to have it. Leo and George knew what they were doing when they designed this pickup. No noise. What a versatile guitar with 7 combinations for pickup settings with coil tapping. If you haven't tried D'Addario NYXL strings, do it.

2017 PRS S2 Custom 22

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Found this on Reverb and, again, had to have it. This is the easiest guitar to play that I own -- very responsive with a wide range of sounds. It will work well with Ernie Ball Slinky or D'Addario NYXL.

2013 G&L Fallout

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Another Reverb find. A P90, a Seymour Duncan humbucker, tone, volume and a 3-way switch. What more do you need? Put on some D'Addario EXL 110 10/46.

2016 Gibson Les Paul Studio T

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Reverb, where else? Neck: 490R, bridge: 498T humbuckers. I'm using D'Addario EXL 125 09-46.

2012 Martin 000-15 SM

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Got this one from rEvolve Guitars in Bartlett, TN. Drop by and say hi to Geoff. The tone of this "hog" is unique and the sustain is very nice. I'm using D'Addario EJ26 11-52 Custom Lights on this one.

2017 G&L S-500

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Gotta quit looking at Reverb. Love the quiet pickups on this. Expanded selector toggle gives you 7 pickup combinations. Playing D'Addario EXL 110 10/46 which is what G&L puts on. Recently put on NYXL's. Wow!

2019 Alvarez ABT610EBK Baritone

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Heard a song with a baritone guitar and fell in love with the sound. Guitar Center put an Alvarez on sale and I bit. It came with D'Addario EXP Phosphor Bronze 17-60's which I keep at BEADF#B. Switched the neck strap button from the end cap to the treble side of the neck base where it's supposed to be (morons).

2019 Recording King RG-35-SN Lap Steel

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One of Guitar Center's daily deals. Dropped this one to about half price and it's at my house now. Using C6 tuning (CEGACE) and found some strings at CB Gitty. This is like starting all over again.

2020 G&L Tribute ASAT Bluesboy

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Open box special from Guitar Center. Neck humbucker and bridge single coil. Some people complain that the humbucker is too dark, but there are tone adjustment knobs on the amp and guitar to make it sound as you like it. Personally, I play the neck position a lot and love the mellower humbucker sound. I also love the metallic turquoise mist color. Reminds me of Dad's '66 Impala.

2020 G&L Tribute ASAT Classic Alnico

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Purchased at rEvolve. Sonic Blue. The pickups are not G&L MFD, but I was looking for something that sounded more like the Tele to complement the other ASAT's I have. The G&L Tribute line is made just as well as any Fender, maybe better in my opinion.

2020 Furch Yellow OM-CR

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Czech made and purchased at Blues City Music in Cordova, TN. Superb construction with western cedar on Indian rosewood. I don't see any American manufacturers touching this quality at this price. Perfect for fingerstyle and very comfortable to play. It came loaded with Elixir 12-53 Nanoweb, but I prefer D'Addario 11-52. Easier on my old fingers.

2019 Eastman E10-OM-TC

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Purchased at Martin Music in Memphis, TN. Excellent sound from Adirondack spruce on African mahogany. Beautiful wood. Rivals Martin OM models for far less money. Another perfect fingerstyle guitar. I put on Ernie Ball Earthwood 11-52 and it really rings out. Great sustain.

Update: Installed a K&K Pure Mini. Sounds great.

2020 Gretsch G2657T

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This was on sale at Guitar Center and shipped from Musician's Friend in Lenexa, KS. Laminated maple with Broad'tron BT-2S pickups and Bigsby B50 tremolo. Came with D'Addario 10-46 XL which I'll probably change to NYXL. Plays beautifully and was pretty well set up right out of the box.

2021 Gibson Songwriter Standard EC

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I played the Songwriter EC a few years back and fell in love. This was on sale at Guitar Center and need I say more? Rosewood back and sides with a Sitka Spruce top, Fishman Prefix-Plus T under saddle pickup. Came with Gibson PB 12-53's which I'll swap out with some other PB's. Love the action on this guitar. They did a great job on the setup and the sound is absolutely amazing -- crystal clear.

2021 Eastman E20SS

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Purchased from Righteous Guitars through Reverb after playing this model at a local shop and listening to several fingerstyle presentations on YouTube, most notably the rendition by Robinson Earle at SoundPure.com. Shipping from Righteous is outstanding. I ordered this late Friday afternoon. They did the setup, put new strings on and the guitar was brought to my door by FedEx the next morning. I'm going to play around with different strings to see what I like best. Adirondack spruce on Indian rosewood with the bassy slope shoulder frame.

2021 Eastman AC308CE-LTD-SB

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Another purchase from Righteous Guitars through Reverb going solely on presentations on YouTube. Again, shipping from Righteous is superb. Overnight delivery of a perfectly set up guitar with new strings on it. Sitka spruce on mahogany gives this smaller body guitar a distinctive sound. Fantastic for blues... hell for anything. Dig the slotted headstock and fortissimo inlays on frets 7 and 12. Came with an LR Baggs Element EAS-VTC under saddle pickup installed.

2021 Reverend Charger 290

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Reverb sells me again. This time going back to my roots at Ernie Williamson Music. The Joplin location is where my Dad would take me in the 60's to drool on guitars. This guitar came from the Ellisville, MO store. This growly yet mellow toned p90 beauty was on their used (mint) list. Korina body with roasted maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and a bass rolloff dial. P90's are Naylor 9A5 which can be dark or sparkly. Love the mulberry mist metallic color.

2020 Martin 000-18

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Great find on Reverb. Sitka/Mahogany with a K&K Pure Mini installed. Doesn't show up in this pic, but there are interesting bear claw striations in the spruce. I'm using D'Addario XTAPB1152 Custom Lights on this one. Very sweet sound and a religious experience.

2022 Larrivée SD-40R

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A visit to Martin Music in Memphis yielded this buy. About 10 minutes playing this very unique guitar sold me. Sitka Spruce/Indian Rosewood with matte finish all over. Very smooth. This is a 12-fret dreadnought, but more comfortable with a 15 inch lower bout. Fingerstyle or strumming with a pick, it responds in kind. It can be soft or a cannon, each with excellent string separation. Came with D'Addario PB 12-53 and they sound great. No reason to change.

2022 Larrivée OM-40R

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These Larrivée's do something to you. I liked the SD so much I decided to look for an OM-40R. Found a used one at Guitar Center - Crestwood - St. Louis which was about $1k less than a new one. Say no more, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Perfect recording fingerstyle guitar and sounds marvelous with Rotosound JK11 (11-52) strings.