Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: blue on April 19, 2015, 05:01:20 PM

Title: Birthday Guitars
Post by: blue on April 19, 2015, 05:01:20 PM
Well, I recently had the dubious pleasure of turning 40.  As guitar players, we often mark significant birthdays with a special guitar, and that's just what I did :)   I just thought I'd show you the three guitars that have marked major birthdays for me:

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii166/blue1million/DSC03032_zpshujaredq.jpg) (http://s264.photobucket.com/user/blue1million/media/DSC03032_zpshujaredq.jpg.html)

At 17, I got my Summer job and saved up for this, my Gibson MIII, which was my 18th birthday present to myself. 

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii166/blue1million/DSC03034_zpstzvzhpaw.jpg) (http://s264.photobucket.com/user/blue1million/media/DSC03034_zpstzvzhpaw.jpg.html)

Then, for my 30th, my first Gibson Les Paul. 

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii166/blue1million/DSC03035_zpsgaweecan.jpg) (http://s264.photobucket.com/user/blue1million/media/DSC03035_zpsgaweecan.jpg.html)

And now, finally, for my 40th it's a Gretsch G6120.  It's an awesome guitar!  They all are actually, but this one seems just extra special :)

I know there have been other birthday guitars on here, any nice ones you want to share with us?
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: dave_mc on April 19, 2015, 05:22:08 PM
Sweet :D

I don't think I've got anything specifically for a birthday :laugh: I tend to buy if I come across a deal on something I want at a price I can't pass, so that rarely coincides with a birthday etc. :laugh:
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Kiichi on April 19, 2015, 09:45:25 PM
Those are lovely, especially the Gretsch and LP. Right up my alley.

I am bound to get some in the future, after the student life. So far my buys have not been date dependend.
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Telerocker on April 19, 2015, 10:40:46 PM
Lovely trio! I had a black MIII in the past.
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: gordiji on April 20, 2015, 09:14:13 PM
The style of guitar clearly correlates with your ageing trend !
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Kiichi on April 20, 2015, 10:10:59 PM
The style of guitar clearly correlates with your ageing trend !
By that logic I might be dead within the next 10 years or less. Took me less than 5 years to go from 7 string super-strat and Ibanez S series to an Epiphone Lucille and a Feline made Jazzguitar (second hand). I am doomed. xD

But letīs wait for the midlife crysis swirled paint, fanned fret 8 string. ;)
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: d1dsj on April 21, 2015, 08:22:34 PM
Great guitars whatever your age!

The style of guitar clearly correlates with your ageing trend !

40th birthday
(http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/d1dsj/photo413.jpg) (http://s165.photobucket.com/user/d1dsj/media/photo413.jpg.html)

Recent 50th
(http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/d1dsj/photo411.jpg) (http://s165.photobucket.com/user/d1dsj/media/photo411.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: blue on April 21, 2015, 09:38:27 PM
Is that a Modern Eagle?  Very nice :)

Telerocker, I hadn't played the MIII for a while, but now that it's out I'm widdling away on it.  It's completely different form the guitars I play these days, like the Gretsch, but I still love it!
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: _tom_ on April 21, 2015, 10:46:52 PM
Got my SG for my 21st, parents paid a good chunk towards it which was very nice! Love this guitar. It'll never replace a Les Paul but it has such a good raw aggressive sound to it. I keep meaning to take it to Feline to get an earvana nut and setup on it so I know it's playing and sounding as good as it possibly can, maybe I'll treat myself soon.

(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7809470146_4c1864564a_z.jpg)
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Brow on April 22, 2015, 05:37:42 PM
The only guitars I've ever bought specifically for a birthday was the JJ Guitars Jewel I bought myself for my 30th almost 2 years ago:

(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Browsif/Guitars/3575_zps8a62f805.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/Browsif/media/Guitars/3575_zps8a62f805.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Browsif/Guitars/3575b_zps9d834e88.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/Browsif/media/Guitars/3575b_zps9d834e88.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Browsif/Guitars/3575c_zpsea68eccf.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/Browsif/media/Guitars/3575c_zpsea68eccf.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Browsif/Guitars/3575a_zpsce6acc9f.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/Browsif/media/Guitars/3575a_zpsce6acc9f.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Browsif/Guitars/3575d_zps153fab68.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/Browsif/media/Guitars/3575d_zps153fab68.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Browsif/Guitars/3575e_zpsaf3b4f10.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/Browsif/media/Guitars/3575e_zpsaf3b4f10.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Browsif/Guitars/3575f_zps40970ecf.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/Browsif/media/Guitars/3575f_zps40970ecf.jpg.html)

It's pretty much a Les Paul Junior and just screams through my SLO when you give it a bit of welly  :grin: It's 1 of my main guitars for my Punk covers band.
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: blue on April 23, 2015, 11:56:21 AM
Nice guitar, Brow.  I've read about JJ's quite a few times in guitar magazines, but never actually seen one in the flesh.  Is the company still going?
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Brow on April 23, 2015, 05:32:11 PM
Nice guitar, Brow.  I've read about JJ's quite a few times in guitar magazines, but never actually seen one in the flesh.  Is the company still going?

Cheers!

Yeah they're still going  :smiley:
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: d1dsj on April 23, 2015, 06:42:41 PM
Is that a Modern Eagle?  Very nice

It is. To be honest whilst yes it's nice, because it's a satin finish its not as flash as most PRSi  :wink:
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Dave Sloven on April 24, 2015, 01:20:57 AM
Well, I recently had the dubious pleasure of turning 40.  As guitar players, we often mark significant birthdays with a special guitar, and that's just what I did :)   I just thought I'd show you the three guitars that have marked major birthdays for me:

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii166/blue1million/DSC03032_zpshujaredq.jpg) (http://s264.photobucket.com/user/blue1million/media/DSC03032_zpshujaredq.jpg.html)

At 17, I got my Summer job and saved up for this, my Gibson MIII, which was my 18th birthday present to myself. 

That's an awesome Gibson, don't ever sell it!
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: 38thBeatle on April 25, 2015, 12:38:51 PM
Congrats on the guitar and the birthday.You have some time to think of what you'll get for your 50th. I missed a trick here , haven't ever bought a guitar for a special birthday ( and I've had more than a few).
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: gwEm on April 26, 2015, 12:27:29 PM
many nice guitars in this thread - but i would say that MIII is something pretty special.
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: marantz1300 on April 27, 2015, 12:48:06 PM
I got this MIJ 62RI from my wife for my 50th.
The switch,pots and scratchplate have been changed.
The pickups are Brown Sugars .
It's the only new guitar I've ever owned.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/marantz1300/fenders/7259e033-f8a7-4188-acfc-55b8f874f16d_zpslz31jw3s.jpg)
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: blue on April 29, 2015, 03:56:13 PM
Good to see the love for the MIII, a lot of people seem to really dislike them :( it's a great guitar, although it's sound isn't altogether where I'm at at the minute. I still love playing it though, and it's dramatically different in feel to the others
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Dave Sloven on April 30, 2015, 12:11:58 AM
I've always wanted a Gibson Victory, which was the predecessor to the MIII, but a MIII would do nicely thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV2kHp3y6Po
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: gwEm on April 30, 2015, 09:19:02 AM
I've always wanted a Gibson Victory, which was the predecessor to the MIII, but a MIII would do nicely thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV2kHp3y6Po

I must confess I'd only heard of the basses before. I like the body shape alot, I did some googling and found some came with a Firebird-ish headstock. Very cool.
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Archlute on May 04, 2015, 03:46:26 AM
Haha! The timing of this thread is awesome. My wife just let me do the same for my 40th. I kept the superstrat styling, but gave it a "mature" gun slinger flavor by moving up to a Suhr Modern from my Ibanez axes.

The year before, she let me pick up the MkV head as a "Christmas/anniversary/birthday/Father's Day" sort of deal, lol. She's a sweetheart (and had this keeper for 20yrs now).

(http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y475/Archlute75/Spring%202015/a0e11f27-738a-4464-ba21-fc3f680475d2_zpsrmdpymyw.jpg)

Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Dave Sloven on May 04, 2015, 05:39:19 AM
I've always wanted a Gibson Victory, which was the predecessor to the MIII, but a MIII would do nicely thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV2kHp3y6Po

I must confess I'd only heard of the basses before. I like the body shape alot, I did some googling and found some came with a Firebird-ish headstock. Very cool.

The only person I've ever seen play one is Danny Coralles from Autopsy, Abscess, etc. He has one that was obviously modded in the '80s with EMGs and a Floyd Rose.  Plays it on pretty much everything.  Never seen him with anything else.  Apparently they are very heavy.

(http://www.metal-archives.com/images/9/2/9/8/9298_artist.jpg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vz9tsmJ_K0
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Philly Q on May 07, 2015, 10:30:24 PM
Only just seen this thread.  Belated happy birthday blue, and that Gretsch gets a Wow!  :shocked: :smiley:

As I've said before, I've always had a sneaking admiration for those MIIIs.  So wrong but so right!

I haven't really bought myself birthday guitars in the past, but in the last few years I have sometimes used it as an excuse to buy something.... last year I turned 50 and got these.  Not planned at all, they just appeared at the right time and I thought what the hell!  :rolleyes:


(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/_57_zps7496d89d.jpg) (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/phillyq/media/_57_zps7496d89d.jpg.html)(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/_5719_zpsc5413adf.jpg) (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/phillyq/media/_5719_zpsc5413adf.jpg.html)

Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: 38thBeatle on May 13, 2015, 12:00:01 PM
The one on the right is making me go all weak at the knees Philly.
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: blue on May 13, 2015, 01:28:21 PM
those are rather fine, Philly.  Are they oldies or aged reissues?  If they are, they're pretty convincing!
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Philly Q on May 13, 2015, 02:01:59 PM
Thanks chaps!  They're both 2011 models, aged by a bloke called Chad Underwood.  :smiley:
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: PhilKing on May 14, 2015, 02:52:44 PM
They both look great - I'm a big Junior & Special fan.  Those really do look convincing for old guitars.  Does he just age them or will he refinish too?
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: Philly Q on May 14, 2015, 10:10:20 PM
They're just aged as far as I know, Phil.  I bought them both from Willcutt Guitars in the USA.

I first heard of Chad Underwood as a small-scale builder of relic Fender copies, very much like a US equivalent of Bravewood.  I started watching eBay for his guitars and just happened to see the Junior on my 50th birthday last year.  I couldn't resist!  Then a couple of weeks later they had the Special and I thought what the hell....

Willcutt still have Underwood-aged guitars in their eBay shop occasionally.  Nearly always Gibson Historics but I've also seem a couple of PRS models, there was an antique white DGT if I remember right.
Title: Re: Birthday Guitars
Post by: gwEm on May 15, 2015, 12:12:54 PM
They're just aged as far as I know, Phil.  I bought them both from Willcutt Guitars in the USA.

I first heard of Chad Underwood as a small-scale builder of relic Fender copies, very much like a US equivalent of Bravewood.  I started watching eBay for his guitars and just happened to see the Junior on my 50th birthday last year.  I couldn't resist!  Then a couple of weeks later they had the Special and I thought what the hell....

Willcutt still have Underwood-aged guitars in their eBay shop occasionally.  Nearly always Gibson Historics but I've also seem a couple of PRS models, there was an antique white DGT if I remember right.

The yellow special is *hot*