Some of you may remember me writing a post about how I first discovered folk music and through it, Joan Baez. It was back in the mid sixties and, though it sounds a bit extreme, it changed my life. It wasn’t long before I decided to buy myself a cheap guitar and try my hand at playing. It was 1966 or 67 and my first guitar cost me £3 ($4.85).
I thought I was never going to be able to change chords and keep the rhythm flowing, but thankfully it just happened like magic one day. I placed a Joan Baez song on the record player (yes, we only had record players then) and played along with it until I was able to keep up with Joan. For some daft reason I chose a fast and complicated finger picking song. I have no idea why, but it certainly made slower songs easier for me to master. When I sourced this on YouTube and played it, memories of me sitting on my bed night after night practicing came flooding back to me.
Click here to view the embedded video.
It was the sixties, so I painted flowers all over my guitar. It was a cheap one, so it didn’t matter. I was soon to go to a very posh music shop in London’s West End and buy myself a really expensive and beautiful classical guitar. Now I was serious about playing.
I’ve had many guitars over the years, including a beautiful 12 string. I changed my playing style too, as I progressed. I still have three guitars – an electric acoustic, a solid electric and a Yamaha ‘Silent’ guitar which, as the name suggests, can be played through ear phones without annoying people around you. I haven’t played for some time now but, who knows? I may have a go again one day.
Imagine my surprise when I was told that my very first, 1960′s guitar was…..
HERE IN YORKSHIRE!
I had passed it on to my niece when she was just a child. I am amazed that she kept it and passed it on to her younger brother, who still has it. I expect his kids have all played around with it over the years too. He lives in Wales and brought it with him on a visit to his mum (my sister). He thought I might like to see it again.
MIGHT LIKE TO SEE IT?
I was over the moon! It’s a little battered about, but after almost fifty years, it’s hardly surprising. Here it is, in all it’s flower power splendour.
My 1960′s memorabilia – My little ‘Gospel Ship’ guitar
I wish it could transport me back in time. Back to the sixties.
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