Your first guitar from a "big" brand.

[RacerX]

1st Gibby: "The Paul" model - great tone, it was just too heavy. I have no idea where I got it, who I sold it to, or $.

[Bengal65]

My first guitar was a Stella Harmony in 1965. The neck warped, so the strings were a 1/4" off the fretboard. Then, with much pestering my Dad bought me a Gretsch Rally in 1967. It's not exactly what I had in mind, but it was much better. I loved the metallic copper back and bamboo top - Not!


Then, upon graduation of high school in '74, I bought me a new Les Paul Custom Tobacco burst with money I had saved.

[CharvelRocker]

My first big brand guitar was my Charvel CX391, and it's still my favorite.

[NextInLine]

My Jackson Dr-X!

My first electric and my second guitar after my Prudencio Jaez classical

[nsubulysses]

My first guitar was one my parents bought me for my 13th birthday. They got it in the paper for $150. It is a 1989 Fender Strat made in Japan. Red body with a maple board. Still have it, but it's hard to think that was more than 10 years ago.

[SpudBoy]

My first was a Univox.

Does anyone remember being young?

[Alvin_Wilson]

Red Charvel Model 2 in 1987.

[DonP]

My first was an Aria RS Classic in pearl white with gold hardware, along with a Gorilla TC35 "Tube Crunch" . Some might not consider an Aria a "big" brand guitar, but I find there necks to be awesome, and still have a pair.

The only problem with the guitar is I wanted heavy metal distortion and didn't know single coils wound to less than 6K (it was a jazz guitar) don't cut it. The original neck is long gone in favor of an unpainted one, bolted up to a body now sporting a single hum, Kahler Killer trem, and Lynch tiger stripe paint job.

It is still one of my favorite guitars, and with the Screamin Demon, I get a great, thick, raw tone. On trick I did was to sink the neck pocket, routing it deeper, and giving it an angle. More wood contact between the neck and body = better tone IMO.

The Gorilla TC35? Guts ripped out, and replaced with a 3watt Marshall 2203 circuit I created. Also sounds awesome fully cranked up.

[GTarman68]

Black Model 3A, My Fav for years...

[straycat]

1965 Gibson Trini Lopez model 335 in cherry split block inlays on an ebony board.Bought it in 1970 for $200.00 sold it in 86 for $700.00.With my luck it probably had real PAFs.Neck was going south on it anyway.

[abitfunky]

Mine first "big" brand was a Desert Sun Yellow Ibanez Jem 777. Loved it so much that I became paranoid about it's condition and had to get rid of it because I would freak out if anyone even looked at it wrong. Besides, it really didn't fit looks wise with the scene we were playing in at the time (Seattle... early 90's... you know the rest). Contrary to popular belief, grunge bands could be very judgemental.

[Seventh Avenged]

after a really piece of junk Yamaha RG 420-D6, my mom got me a killer killer Fender Mexi Strat, that was black with orange transparent flames on it, with a matching headstock, the summer before my junior year of high school.

I remember being inspired by Lynch hardcore during that era, and loved playing Lynch-era Wicked Sensation-styled stuff on it...and modding it with different pick-ups and different pickguards during high school.

this thread inspiring me to get it back from relatives out in VA. i need that thing back.

[nsubulysses]

Mine first "big" brand was a Desert Sun Yellow Ibanez Jem 777. Loved it so much that I became paranoid about it's condition and had to get rid of it because I would freak out if anyone even looked at it wrong. Besides, it really didn't fit looks wise with the scene we were playing in at the time (Seattle... early 90's... you know the rest). Contrary to popular belief, grunge bands could be very judgemental.

This is an awesome post

[drockilles]

First guitar was a Squier Strat. Then played my buddy's LP studio, and realized I need a guitar with humbuckers, but a more comfortable shape. Saved 6 months of Stop & Shop wages to get my Dinky Reverse Professional used (think it's a DR5, one of these with the reverse sharkies http://audiozone.dk/CatalogScans/Jack1994-95/pages/Jack1994-95Page11.htm Have played, but haven't bought a brand other than Jackson since.
EDIT: Link isn't working, I'm probably just too drunk to figure out why.

[slash-ed]

Jackson KE-3 in EDS. Still my favourite and main player after all these years, no Gibson, PRS, Ibanez, Dean or anything has been able to displace it.