When I was 8 years old I was watching a Fiesta de La Luna parade in Chula Vista, CA.A float came by with a Mariachi band on it and I fell in love with the sound of that violin.My parents bought me one which I still have.Took lessons for many years, but when I was 15 decided I wanted to play guitar.
I lived in London at the time and went to a guitar shop there and bought an archtop acoustic for $25 (less than 10 pounds at the time).I saw an ad in the paper for guitar lessons for 10 schillings per half hour at an address just down the street from where we lived.When I went for my first lesson I was told that my guitar was totally unacceptable as the teacher taught classical guitar and I would have to buy another guitar. Well, I wanted to learn rock and roll, so I got some chord books and started listening to records and trying to play along.
Now 40 years later that is still how I learn new songs,although I've always wondered where I would have gone with my music if I had taken those classical lessons.
That old archtop is still hanging on my wall and does get played occaisionally when I'm looking for that particular sound it has.
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