Your favorite piece of gear and the story of how found it

[robbylane]

Most every musician has a favorite guitar, bass, drum kit, a singer's mic, a banjo etc. Tell us about YOUR "instrument" that is your go-to gear.
I have a lot of guitars, but my favorite axe was found hanging on a rack, looking like a junk pile.
This guitar was a Kramer Focus 1000 with a Floyd Rose trem and locking nutt. It had a "hockey stick" style of headstock. The headstock was completely snapped in hald between the D and G tuning keys, and only attached to (or hanging from) the guitar by way of the gutar strings. It had a large cardboard price sign on it that said $189 (crossed out), $129 (crossed out) and $99 (not crossed out). Being a fan of Eddie Van Halen, I had a love for Kramer guitars. The pawn store manager happened to be a super-cool lady who also professed to be a drummer. So I led her to this battered Kramer and basically said:

Me: This guitar had been here for a while, right?
Her: Yes.
Me: And you'd like to move this guitar, right?
Her: Yes.
Me: I am going to make you an offer on this guitar, buyt it need a LOT of work!
Her: Okayeee......
Me: $35
Her: Make it an even $40.
Me: Done deal!

So I pulled this miserable-looking Kramer from the rack. As I prepared to pay for it, she said "Wait a moment". She them went into a storage room and came back out with a hardshell Kramer case that was plush inside and stocked with accessories! SCORE!!!!!!
I took the guitar home and cleaned it up, glued the headstock back together and installed a fresh set of strings. During the next few months, the guitar happened to fall over a few times and the headstock broker off both time. On the 3rd glue job, it has since stayed on. Plus I now have a luthier who put in a new Seymour Duncan pickup and set it up real nice. My Kramer has since been "reborn". Whether it be live stage or studio, my $40 pawnshop Kramer is still my ipso defacto "gun of choice".

[mojobone]

My main axe is a pawn shop prize; found it in a joint I've haunted for years, so the manager knows me. (he's a great guitarist, been in lotsa local bands, too, over the years) The guy likes 'shredder' guitars, doesn't see much value in knockoffs of American designs, generally, so I was able to pick up my creamsicle early 80s Fernandes (MIJ) strat copy with a brazilian rosewood slab fingerboard, for $100. (it's the one in my avatar pic) It did need some new strings and the intonation was a little out. Since then, I've replaced the five-way switch. It's among the best strats, scratch that, best guitars I've ever played, and I've played some that, like Ern's fave, are worth a lotta cash these days. Current value of the Fernandes? North of $800.

[jazzstan]

'Twas the late 60's, and across the street from my mid-western high school was a funky little basement music shop. We'd hang out there at lunch and after school and check out the latest gear or the oddball used stuff that would float through. One day a old jazz guitar showed up, and after a month of wooing it, or maybe it was the other way around, I scraped together the money and brought it into my life. It was a 1950 Gibson ES175 (turns out that's first year they made them. It has a 4 digit serial number.) This is the guitar that I call "my wife" because I will never part with it. Yeah, she's old and weathered. The pearl inlay on the 3rd fret rattles because the rosewood is scalloped from wear. But she still responds to my touch, and OMG does she have a beautiful voice!

[t4mh]

'Twas the late 60's, and across the street from my mid-western high school was a funky little basement music shop. We'd hang out there at lunch and after school and check out the latest gear or the oddball used stuff that would float through. One day a old jazz guitar showed up, and after a month of wooing it, or maybe it was the other way around, I scraped together the money and brought it into my life. It was a 1950 Gibson ES175 (turns out that's first year they made them. It has a 4 digit serial number.) This is the guitar that I call "my wife" because I will never part with it. Yeah, she's old and weathered. The pearl inlay on the 3rd fret rattles because the rosewood is scalloped from wear. But she still responds to my touch, and OMG does she have a beautiful voice!

Man, I've been looking for 175 that I really like for a long time!

I have so many favorites, guitars, amps, keyboards, and they all have their own story. They're like my great friends! I don't think I could process of elimination down to only one... TAXI probably doesn't have enough server space for all the stories. Good thread!

Keith

[feaker66]

1963

I was playing a pinball machine at a local restaurant/teen place and a young lady came in for a soda.

She had an old Fender acoustic strapped on her back. She was hitch-hiking to Marquette Michigan and was out of money. Bought the guitar for twenty bucks and is sitting beside me as I type.

paul

[cardell]

1963

I was playing a pinball machine at a local restaurant/teen place and a young lady came in for a soda.

She had an old Fender acoustic strapped on her back. She was hitch-hiking to Marquette Michigan and was out of money. Bought the guitar for twenty bucks and is sitting beside me as I type.

paul

Awesome!!

This is the start of a country song lyric...for real. But, in the song the woman is hitch-hiking to Nashville: the guitar makes it (with you) but she doesn't...

Stuart

[jfraizer]

Great stories!! My Mom's brother bought a cheap Kay acoustic back in the 40s. I never had a chance to meet my Uncle because he died in the Korean War, but my mom gave me the guitar about 25 years ago and I still have it.

As far as my go to Axe, I must say it's my 08 Gibson LP Standard. I don't have a great story about it other than it's just my fav