Before J/C - What Did You USED to Play?

[wilkinsi]

1. squire strat (red plus white pickguard - yeuch!)
2. hohner strat (don't know model - had steinberger trem, jackson style h/s, diagonal/slanted fretboard, HSS setuo)
3. marathon bass - green burst, gold hardware, ebony board, lightning inlays, jackson style h/s. biggest mistake was losing that for a ...
4. p.o.s platinum bc rich warlock bass.
5. platinum bcr ironbird bass
6. hybrid ironbird bass (nj neck w/ rev h/s), korean body).
7. 2001 platinum ironbird (rev h/s)
8. 2002 nj ironbird
9. 2002 nj beast
10. 2004 nj ironbird (the shitloader version)
- then i went thru 4 jacksons and now own just one.
i've rarely owned more than 1 guitar at 1 time, and usually trade a previous 1 for the next. a lot of money wasted (they depreciate like cars)

[jacksonaxes]

Harmony Rocket in 73, wish I still had it.

[texasfury]

.

[El_Kabong]

I've had over 60 differet guitars. My firs 'guitar' was a broom with a sash from a robe for a strap.

[Newc]

First guitar: Air Guitar

First "real" guitar: Montaya Tobacco Sunburst Les Paul copy bought from my best friend when I was 16. His Dad bought it for him as his first guitar, and when his Dad passed away last year I sent him the guitar.

First "real AND good" guitar: Salmon Pink Kramer Focus1000. Traded to above-mentioned best friend (at HIS insistence) for a Heritage Cherry '76 Gibson SG STandard AND a Kramer Striker 300 with an original non-fine-tuning Floyd Rose, and some ghey EVH-ish paintjob (factory job - white pearl base with green and black stripes OVER the clear, and neon orange stripes on the otherwise-natural headstock, again, over the clear. Wish I still had the bridge pickup from it That thing got the VH1 tone in everything I put it in, inlcuding the aforementioned LP copy.)

Sold the Kramer for $120, then went crazy in a Pawn Shop and traded the SG even-up for a no-name Strat copy in a very pretty Silverburst. 'Tard.

Then I got an Aria Pro II XR Jackson Dinky/Strat knockoff. Had a funky Floyd on it that could load the strings from below like a Strat, or through the posts out the back of the trem. I strung it 3 different ways - 2 from the bottom, 2 from the rear, and 2 from the tuners to the saddles

I put the neck from the Silver Strat on the Aria body, then Newcensteined the v-trem onto it, put a Duncan Hot Stack in the bridge, then sold it when I moved to TN.

Traded a pair of 1950's Acoustic Research speakers (worht about $800 at the time, which I didn't know) to a local guitar shop for a red Vantage FV575 Flying V. Played good, but the speakers were better
That's the same V I started to paint last year with the Ebay Krylon book

Then I got a Gretsch Dorado acoustic from a local pawn shop for $60. Horrible action, fretting is a nightmare, even the Major chords, but it totally kills for slide. Loud as Godzilla, and holds an alternate tuning like nobody's business.

Then I got "it" - the guitar that would eventually lead me to being a Jackson Junkie: a Laser Blue Ibanez EX350. 24 frets, sharktooth inlays, head and neck binding, H-S-H, Lo-Trs double-locking trem, Wizard II neck. Needed minor fretwork (sharp ends) but as long as I didn't slide up or down while gripping the neck too tightly it was ok.
I bought it brand new for $424.

I had that guitar for 5 years, and wrote one of my best solos ever on it, and dozens of songs with my first band.

I also bought my Les Paul Standard during that time.

The band came and went for a couple of years, and when we reformed the last time the old trusty Ibenhad wouldn't hold tune. The trem was finally worn down.
So I went back to the store I bought it from - still an Authorized Ibanez Dealer - and ordered a new trem.

I called every week for 3 months to see if it came in.

Finally I gave up. If Ibanez didn't think enough of a paying customer to ship the bridge out, screw 'em. I traded it straight-up to another local shop for a used KE-3 on a Saturday, and the very next Monday dude from the other shop says my trem came in. I told him it was too late, and Ibanez could kiss my hairy....

He seemed a bit miffed that I was not going to pay the $250 for the trem, but without the guitar to put it on, it was of no use to me.

At this time, Ebay was just a baby, and there was no motherlode of guitar parts on it, and none of the catalogs I was getting had Ibenhad trems in them, so $250 was the price.

That Kelly stomped. I think it came with 11's on it, maybe 10's (I was using 9's for years already). It sustained for days, and it was a bolt-on.

Ever since then, I've been a Jackson devotee, and I live under a self-imposed Ibenhad embargo. Yes they make guitars that look good, sound good, and play great. The guy that owns the shop I bought mine from has a beautiful Zebrawood USA Custom, but I was screwed. A paying customer was basically told to kiss off. Had I been Steve Vai they would have overnighted the trem with 3 techs and a Swedish porn star to give me head while the techs installed the trem, but a man with cash in hand is not even worthy of a 2 week shipping time, much less 2 months?

Sorry, but I am worth more than that, and no company is that "holy", not even Jackson.

So here I am, swimming in Jacksons - one total Custom Shop sitting beside me, and waiting on the first-ever (known) bolt-on 7-string Warrior to be finished, and plotting the designs of a few others for next year.
Jackson gets my money, until they screw me, then they end up on "the list" and I go with someone else.

If I did buy another Ibenrippedoff, used would be it, and it'd hafta be something I could flip for a major profit to buy another Jackson (i.e. Yard Sale BFP JEM Time Capsule for $20, which is the most I'd pay for any Ibendyouover now).

I wouldn't buy another brand new Ibanez if my life depended on it, and if anyone I meet ever mentions they were thinking of buying an Ibanez I push them to get a Jackson instead.

Ibanez can come to my house with 3 techs, a Swedish porn star, and Mr Head-Of-Ibenhad himself and they can all blow me, I still won't have an Ibanez. They can go bankrupt for all I care and everyone commit ritual suicide, I won't shed one tear.

[levantin]

Nothing - J/C player since I started in 1994!

[hamerguy]

My first was a nice Fender Lead II in cherry sunburst that I bought new in 1983. But after some time I wanted a guitar with finetuning trem. In 1986, I wanted a guitar with a Floyd Rose trem, and since Charvel used Kahler trems which I didn't like, I bought a Kramer Focus 3000. In 1989, I got a Hamer Steve Stevens, then in 1991 I bought another Hamer, a Chaparral w/Sustainiac, in 1993 i bought a guitar that came close to the guitar I always dreamed of, A Fender US Strat with gold hardware. In '96 I bought another Hamer Steve Stevens. In 2000, I joined 2 bands to play bass full time (I still played guitar for myself though), in '02 I bought a Hamer Californian Elite, a Hamer Firebird and a Charvel 750XL. Another Hamer Chap and 2 Fender US Strats followed, I don't really need any more guitars though I must admit I like the new Charvel stuff since Fender bought the J/C line (I have always been a big Fender fan), maybe one US San Dimas HSS with Floyd... ah, I still am mainly a bass player.

[gemini8026]

Newc, if I ever win the lottery, my first plan is to fulfill your Ibanez dreams. Satch, Vai, Gilbert all flying and personally delivering a new custom shop Ibanez to your door, then the president kneeling and accepting a slap to the face, while the KORN guys sing "rain drops keep falling on my head" as you piss on Andy Timmons.

[Seventh Avenged]

hahahahaha.

^- funny stuff!

[QuantumRider]

My first electric was a Fernandes Explorer copy that I bought in 1986.
I bought a Gibson Marauder at a garage sale for $70 in 1987.

A couple of years later, I ended up trading the Fernandes in for a 1988 Jackson Dinky at Sam Ash.

Although I've bought other guitars since then, (Fender strat, PRS CE, a bunch of other Charvel/Grover Jackson/Jackson Stars) I haven't found a guitar that plays better than my first Jackson to this day. I still own the neck from that guitar, and it's currently on its third body

[Dave L]

I´ve been a Jackson player since I was 16, so I didn´t really have another favorite brand prior to Jackson. I did however play a lipstick red Yamaha RGX120 between ages 13 and 16, which basically was as good a superstrat as I could afford back then. Then I bought a sweet pearl white Dinky Pro DX1, since sold, and from there things just started rolling.

[OnlineStageGear]

1. Sears Special 1984 - I know, but I was 14 and it was awesome
2. Did an even trade for a much better guitar but I forget the name. I have a pic somewhere that I can dig up.
3. Traded that +$$ at a music shop for a no-name LP copy that played great and was blue.
4. In 1988 my parents bought me an Olympic acoustic that I still have today.
5. Went all out and got me a brand spankin new RG500 in 1988 and traded in the LP Copy
6. Bought a LP Deluxe outsight and sold it in 2001 for exactly what I paid for it, $300 (Could easily get $1500 for it today)
6. Got a Washburn with real snakeskin overlay as a backup guitar as I was playing out a lot more.
7. My RG550 got ripped off from a gig so I took the plunge in 1994 and got a Brand New Dinky XL and I still have it.
9. Got rid of the Washburn ans tinkered with a couple LP Studios, but ended up selling them within a couple weeks.
10. Music store if full swing and the temptation to take inventory home was too great and ended up with a few BC Rich's which I put back into inventory and a Schecter Acoustic Elite which I still have.
11. Ended up getting in an SL2H that I just had to have and that has been my main Axe ever since.
12. Took home one of the Chlorine Sl2H Limited runs I did but seeing as how it was basicly the same as my other SL2H, I ended up selling it.
13. After sniping quite a few more LP Studio's off the bay, I found a white/cream one I had to have and that is my backup/droptune guitar.

[CharvelRocker]

A umm Squier strat. I thought it was good until I played a white Ibanez. Finally my search for a great Super Strat ended when I bought my CX391, which is pretty a pretty sweet guitar. (Yeah I'm new to guitars, and I'm just starting my collection :P). Technically before my strat I had a cheap, piece of junk, First Act acoustic that sounded like a box with strings.

[haggerjack]

I started out with a Mako bass and quickly realized bass wasn't for me. Then I bought a Lotus Strat copy (what a POS). The action on the lotus was high enough to slice home fries. About this time, I started taking lessons and my teacher was playing Charvels. He had a beautiful firecrackle (not sure of the model) and a white single P/U. I basically narrowed it down to Charvel because his guitars were so schweet.

I decided that I wanted a 24 fret short scale b/c I was having trouble bending at the 22 fret. So I bought a new Fusion Deluxe (my baby). I played the hell out of it. I bought a used charvel bass (stupidly sold it a couple of years later) Then in 96 bought another Fusion Deluxe at a pawnshop. Followed up by a Charvel acoustic and a Fender Stu Hamm bass (a gift fom my future wife).

Then in 99 both Charvie Electrics and my bass were stolen. The jackass that stole my shit took the stuff to pawn shops. I ended up getting back my bass and my baby but the other fusion is still missing. But, to fill in the gap, I have bought and sold at least several other fusions (two black and one flourescent orange). I have 3 Fusion Deluxes right now one of which I just picked up two days ago. The guy bought it in the 90s and hardly played it. I swear the frets loook like they have no wear whatsoever.

In addition to my axes the wife has a RR3. (that I'm not allowed to play)

All my axes are black and beautiful!!

Did I mention I love Fusion Deluxes!!

[VulfgangPfuck1]

I was huge into BC Rich before J/C

Mockingbirds were my axe of choice, but probably owned and played one of every production model they made.

I've also always remained totally loyal to Gibson ever since I started playing. Firebirds, Explorers, LP's and V's...Firebirds being the axe of choice there.