The '80s
1983 Ovation Country Artist
This nylon string, guitar had a neck slightly narrower than standard for a classical guitar. The neck attached at the 14th fret as opposed to the 12th as is the practice with most classical instruments. I was going through a period of interest in classical playing but wanted greater flexibility. I never was comfortable with the bowl shaped “Lyracord” body. It tended to slip off of my lap when I was playing it while sitting down. In the end, I realized that I wasn’t quite ready for a guitar made of advanced composites. I truly don’t remember disposing of this instrument but I can’t find it so I must have. It was a competent instrument but I never engendered passion on my part.
1985 Takamine C132S
The only guitar I have ever paid list price for. A little history is needed at this point. I had taught guitar for a store that was primarily interested in band instruments. The owner and I just didn’t see eye-to-eye about much of anything. Years later I stopped in for a visit and picked up a classical guitar hanging on the wall and immediately fell in love with it. It was the best playing, best sounding classical I had ever laid hands on. Besides that it was very pretty with nice wood. I had to have it. He was asking list price and wouldn’t budge. He was an old-school dealer and was not going to do it my way. I wanted the guitar and paid his price. A year later, when I had been sufficiently humiliated he got around to telling me that there was about $150 in neck work and setup that he had invested.
I recently sold this instrument to buy other equipment. Recent acquisitions had outmoded the old ‘Tak’ but I loved it to the end. No regrets. We had eighteen great years together and parted friends.
1986 Ibanez JP 90
This little archtop was an authorized copy of Joe Pass’s D’Aquisto. I had met Joe seven years earlier when he did a clinic and played a concert in Minneapolis. I had learned that he owned two D’Aquistos, one with a solid top and the other a sturdy pressed top instrument for the rigors of touring. With this knowledge I felt very good about the pressed top Ibanez. About the time I was making my decision who should give a concert in Denver but Joe Pass himself. I went backstage afterwards and begged a test play on his J.P. 90. I liked it and soon after I bought a used J.P. 90 from LaVonne’s music now located in Savage, Minn. When it came I took to it immediately. It sounded great and looked like a D’Aquisto, one of my dream guitars.
In 1987 I was forced to sell the J.P. 90. I needed the money and my Takamine classical was adequate for my needs. Thus started the drought. From the late '80s into the early '90s music did not play a big part in my life. From 1987 until 1992 I all but quit playing, something I regret to this day.
