Some Tools of The Trade

My primary instrument is guitar.  I became obsessed with a guitar when I was about 5 years old.  I guess I have Lawrence Welk to thank for it.  My parents watched The Lawrence Welk Show every Saturday evening and I especially enjoyed when a guitar number was being performed.  I remember thinking as a young child - I'm going to play guitar one day. There was never any question in my young mind about that.  I remember begging my Dad to buy me a guitar when I was 7 years old.  He promised that he would if I took 2 years of piano lessons.  So I did.  Not much choice if I was going to get that guitar.  I wasn't too fond of piano lessons but 2 years later my Dad was true to his word and I got my first "real" guitar at age 9 from my Uncle's Western Auto store in Swansboro, NC.  I was beyond ecstatic.  Within a couple of years I was writing my first songs.  Today, I have quite a nice collection of guitars.  The photo to the left shows a few of the main guitars I use to record with.

​Though it's small, the photo on the lamp table is of me with a toy el cheapo guitar I got for Christmas 1965.  There's a big smile on my face!  I was a happy little boy.

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