In the late 60's my dad played the Opry on a regular basis. My dad passed away in 2013. I have his 1967 Gibson Hummingbird. I rarely play it... it's a keepsake for me.
Wow, Tony. I've got a D-41 that was my dad's that he and I picked out together for him when I was about 13. He played that guitar another 20 years until a misfortunate decision to leave it in his car trunk during Florida summertime caused the neck block to cave in, causing all sorts of cracks and rosette collapse, and damage. My dad being mostly retired by then couldn't get it fixed so I told him to ship it out to me in CA and I'd have Alan Pearlman bring it back to life. If anyone could fix it, Alan could. I told him the repairs, whatever they cost, were on me. I wanted to make sure this guitar that meant a lot to us both wouldn't die. Once Alan had playing better than it had in years my dad told me that he wanted me to keep it because it clearly meant a lot to me and I would play it as much as it deserves. He was right! Cool that you've got a similar D-41. Shout out to guitar playing dads!!
I worked on tours as a Sound Engineer...(before all this madness). In 2008 an artist I was working with got a couple of guitars sent out from CFMartin for use on a couple of songs he wanted to perform, and for a couple of 'in store performances'. After choosing the one, he picked up a stunning D28 that I was dribbling all over and gave it to me. He gave me a hug and thanked me for the work I had done. I play it everyday...and I have said that I want to be buried with it. I really can't say who the artist was, but I can say that it was a moment of kindness and generosity that has stayed with me, we're still friends. It remains a symbol of friendship and and the brotherhood of being on the road.
I am a new TAC member in 2021 and every week come to appreciate Tony's approach to music and the Guitar even more. Our family has gone through a rough patch. We lost my Mother in Law in March of 2019 to a massive stroke, six weeks later we lost my Mom to a sudden heart attack, and after providing hospice care to my Dad for a month we said good by to him in May of 2020. My folks loved music and listening to me play even though I am an average self taught guitar player. I had never written a song until my Dad passed. I wrote one for him, then my Mom and Mother in Law, and so it went until in 9 months I had written over 35 songs. I was thinking about having a custom D-41 made with a few inlays in honor of these wonderful people. Something I could hold and play and think of them. Hearing Tony's story is just another sign that this is the right thing for me to do, and one day I will pass it on to my son and daughter. And so it goes
I've played an Ibanez ArtWood Acoustic Guitar as my first guitar now for 8 years. In August 2020 for my birthday my parents and I split the cost on a Martin D16e Rosewood Dreadnought. Between my Martin and my Ibanez I now have two guitars that I absolutely adore that I intend to keep for the rest of my life. I bought the Ibanez with my own monies 8 years ago and it is indeed a precious thing to me. Ive only had the Martin now for a little over 4 months but I couldnt love a guitar more, I think, than I do that Martin. Its beautiful, all wood, handmade in Nazereth Penn with all the Mojo that comes with that. It sounds amazing and the thing I love the most is that it deeply compels me to play more and more. It's like a Siren, it's calling me endlessly to be played and if I'm home, it's in my arms being played. From the moment I bought that Ibanez 8 years ago my eyes and ears were definitely drawn to the Martins but I just couldnt afford it then. It has been a goal of mine from the moment I first layed eyes on a Martin & Co. to own one of my own. And its been a dream come true since the moment I brought her home...
It is amazing how a shared song embeds in the soul, cementing a moment forever. You want to stay there, but you have go. But you never let go. The emotion comes back each time you play or hear the song.
Hello Tony, First let me congratulate you on your forthcoming child. You certainly seem to be a multifaceted person. It was nice of you to ask about our "special" guitars. One of mine was a 1940 Martin D18. I acquired it in a trade with an excellent guitar/mandolin builder several years ago. He needed my D21, so we traded. The D18 was in near perfect condition, but it had been properly refinished at some point. It sounded awesome and soon became my favorite player. I was playing with a bluegrass band at that time. One of the original members was Daniel Patton who later was part of Nashville great, Billy Walker's band. Danny was a dear friend, but sadly he died with Billy Walker in a van crash, coming home from a show on I65. I think Danny liked that guitar as much as I did. Eventually I sold the guitar to a collector, because I needed the money. This is why I'm not sure if becoming emotionally attached to things is a good idea. I miss the guitar. It's been replaced, but my friend won't be back. I wish I had given him that guitar.
My guitar journey started late in life. I retired from work at 62 and decided that guitar would be my pastime. I have played drums for almost 50 years and played with many excellent guitarist, but I never got bitten by the guitar bug. My Dad was a fine musician and had many guitars while I was growing up, but he passed when I was 27 years old. His one remaining guitar was a 70's Applause (made by Ovation). It was in the case for over 30 years when I took it out, had new strings put on and painfully started to learn how to play. My guitarsonal has grown to include a GS Mini and 2 Orangewoods, but that Applause has the biggest, deepest sound of them all. It reminds me of my father's voice. The other guitars may come and go, but that one will be in my possession until my son inherits it.
Congrats on the upcoming birth of your son. Your heart will impossibly expand Take it from a dad of 2. I am lucky enough to live 35 minutes from the Martin factory and museum. Worth a visit just for the perfume of the wood.
My Gurian JM (1975) ...Connects me to many people; I bought it in 1976. My then boyfriend (a well-known singer-songwriter, who has unfortunately passed) accompanied me. We drove from Philly to Boston visiting guitar shops, finally ending at Matt Umanov's in NYC. We played every guitar in the shop... We were about to leave when Matt said, wait, there is one in the back you might like. Magic!! A moment never to be forgotten. I still play the guitar, but do miss my dear friend, Richard, and a bit of him remains in every note I play. Congratulations on your forthcoming fatherhood!! Hopefully, he will be healthy, and on time to share my birthday ;)
My parents have always worked several jobs; houses, our church for the last 22 years, truck driving, and cooking at the church preschool…. My sister and I would never know the struggles they had until we were older. They bought me an HD-28 for Christmas one year. It’s not the fact that it’s an expensive guitar for a lot of people, or even an object. It’s my parents love and sacrifice that I see when I look at it, and think about when playing it. Now that I’m older and have a little girl and a baby boy on the way, I can truly appreciate the love behind this and everything else that came with it.
Hey Tony! Congrats on the upcoming addition to you and Whitneys' home. What a lucky kid! A house filled with love and music! I have two favorite guitars. I am a lefty. My first favorite guitar is a right handed Epiphone FT 145 (early 1970's) it's an exact copy of my first guitar. I tried to learn to play right handed. I just couldn't get the hang of it, so the guitar sat in the corner of my brother and I's bedroom for months. I don't know how it happened or why I decided to try again, but I picked the Epiphone up and tried to play it upside down. I discovered that I could actually play chords better left handed. Then I reversed the strings and began playing the chords properly, but using my right hand. My strumming was much better using my left hand as well! I was 15 years old at the time. I'm 65 now, and I still play every day. My second favorite guitar is a 2017 Martin D-41. Left handed of course. I had a 1976 Martin D-41 back in the early 1980's but it was right handed and I sold it. When I retired in 2017, I told my wife that I regretted selling my old D-41. She convinced me to get a new lefty D-41. I ordered one the next day. My guitarsenal is up to 9 guitars now. I am ordering a guitasenal t-shirt today and will be forwarding a photo soon. Enjoy your time at home with the family!
My girlfriend at the time knew how much I loved guitars and went to spend her entire tax return money on a Taylor 810e. We were both just young stupid broke early 20 somethin’s. At the time I only had cheaper models like a dean and a Taylor 110. She’s my wife now and we have three children, four guitars and a mandolin. Now my sons learning to play. I can’t think about that guitar and not see all my kids.
This one's easy for me - it's my great uncle Duffy's mid-50s Gibson L-50, which he gave to my father - his nephew - and which eventually got passed on to me...Over the years the guitar had fallen into severe disrepair, including somehow having all the finish stripped off it... My father passed away in 1997 and it was at his wake that one of my uncles convinced me to have the guitar restored - I will be eternally grateful to him for pushing me to do it...Not only did that guitar become my main instrument for playing and writing for the last 20 odd years, but it instantly and always connects me to my entire family and especially those that have long since passed on... I own some "nicer", more valuable guitars but if for some reason I was only able to own one I wouldn't have to think about it for even a split second...Despite the fact that it doesn't have one original part left on it and is not collectible in way shape or form, it'd be that old L-50, no contest... Thank you Tony for reminding me of just how deep a connection I have with that instrument..I'll be taking "Uncle Duffy" out of the case this afternoon, for sure!
I have a 1966 EKO Ranchero 12 string that won my wife over in 1982. Still have that guitar, it still plays tuned to standard. Also got a 1976 Guild D50 used, in 1984. Found out later after a luthier had fixed a cracked top that it had been through a flood, although the case (ruined really bad) had taken the brunt of the moisture. I still plays well, had the action lowered a couple of years ago due to my RA. Still play this guitar a lot. Got a new and better case after the first luthiers work was finished. These guitars have become a family heirloom. Still married to the same woman also. She loves to hear me play. these guitars.
The guitar that I connect with is my 1971 Yamaki. Nothing super fancy but it gave me back someone I lost a long time ago...me. I started playing as a kid. I played for 19 years (mostly bass because there were a million guitarists around) until I lost the tips of my middle and ring finger on my left hand. I tried unsuccessfully for about a year to transition to playing left handed and eventually just gave up playing guitar and focused on singing. Fast forward 20 years, divorced and really not digging life in general I picked up my Yamaki and was immediately inspired.
My grandmother died when I was 21 in 1973 and she left me $600. I only knew a couple of chords at the time but with that money I purchased a new Martin D35. I barely knew her as my folks left New York for Texas soon after I was born, and I only saw her a few times. I still have that guitar, and it is the ONE consistent thing that has been with me through this whole journey we call life....it's funny, a gift from someone I barely knew has brought me so much joy & companionship....thanks, Grandma...
I started playing guitar when I was 17 (I'm now 62) after my father told me that either I got rid of the drums or move out (I had nowhere else to go at the time). I borrowed a really cheap guitar from a friend and learned on that. When I went away to college the next year, I had to return the guitar. A dear friend gave me another guitar to take to college with me. I could never have afforded to buy one on my own at that point in my life. I played that guitar for the next 6 years until it literally fell apart. I finally bought my first decent instrument in 1982. But I'll never forget the gift of that guitar that took me all the way through my college years, including lots of jam sessions and playing on street corners for beer money. I'm still close and in touch with the friend who gave me that instrument even thought we are half a continent apart. Every time I play, I think of her.
Congratulations Tony on the son on the way! I have 4 acoustics: a 2012 Martin Custom Shop D-21, a 2019 Martin D-18MD, a 2014 Taylor 856, and a 2017 Taylor 814ce (and a custom built 2018 Ratliff Mandolin).....more to come in the future I’m sure😊. All my guitars are special to me for this reason: When I was 15 (1983) I got my first guitar for Christmas due to the heavy influence of my older cousin Gene who could play pretty much anything on guitar. He helped get me started on guitar and taught me how to play. In 2001, at the age of 36 he passed with Liver Cancer. I miss him tremendously. There’s not ever a time that I don’t pick up one of my guitars and play that I don’t think of him. I’m a lefty, but I sure would like to be able to play his guitar, which was an inexpensive Yamaha, but man could he make it sing. Congratulations again!
Hey Tony, thanks for this episode and best wishes for your new son, Emerson. Since you asked for special guitar stories, here is mine: My special guitar is a 1974 handmade Laskin. It reminds me of the wonderful crowd at Fiddler's Green Folk Club in Toronto, including the performers who came to be known as the Friends of Fiddler's Green, and the amazing Grit Laskin himself, who I'm proud to call my friend. Those of us who were regulars at Fiddler's listened to Grit's amazing live performances and followed his progress as a luthier from when he apprenticed to Jean Larrivée Sr. and then branched out on his own. Grit started making his amazing instruments in his parents' basement and subsequently opened his first shop in late 1973. By early spring 1974 I had saved up enough and went there to order my instrument. It was amazing to hear him explain the different woods and other options and a few weeks later it came home with me. I like to think I had a little bit to do with his artistic inlay work; I was looking for butterflies instead of just dots on the fretboard and he came up with a beautiful custom design in abalone. It must have got him thinking, because when I came back to pick up the guitar, he showed me all the amazing materials he was exploring and the ideas he had for the inlay art that is now his signature. If I may be permitted a second memory, my son came into my life eight years later. He has developed into a remarkable singer and musician, and was recognized even at 7 years of age, when his teacher arranged for him to sing a solo at an assembly of the entire school. He sang Puff the Magic Dragon (which was still a PP&M hit at the time) to the accompaniment of his old Dad, playing, of course, the Laskin guitar. It was a special moment for us and created a bond that stands to this day.
When my father in law passed, we found a Gibson hg-00 in his attic. My wife never knew he had it. It was a gift to him from his uncle Al for his 12th birthday. It has his initials on the head stock. I was going to sell it but something told me not to. I had it converted and it is awesome. I own three guitars but this one speaks to me whenever I pick it up. I wish I knew he had it, I would have loved to hear him play it.
Great episode, Tony. The story about your D-41 was wonderful. Thank you for sharing that. The story of my first guitar revolves around my uncle who's from Montreal. My uncle was a musician who worked around the Montreal and Ottawa areas pretty much his whole life. For me, while growing up, every Christmas involved him and my cousin driving from Montreal to visit my family in Toronto - always arriving just in time for Christmas dinner no matter the weather. After dinner, he would get out his acoustic guitar (a 1981 Sigma-Martin DM-18) and the whole family would sing carols around the table. Even from a very young age I was fascinated by his playing and his guitar. One year, while at the same table, he taught me a C chord and gifted me that guitar. I've never put it down ever since. It may not be a fancy boutique instrument, but it remains my most-played guitar and central to my guitar journey. It means even more to me now as we unfortunately lost my uncle earlier this year due to the pandemic. I believe music allows us to live on and I cherish every note. All the best, Tony. I'm looking forward to seeing your baby boy join your family and begin his journey. Congratulations to you and Whitney!
My very first guitar - a Lyle Classical guitar - is one I have a real connetion with. I sold it to a friend when I picked up a Flaminco guitar in Madrid. The was stolen about a year later and I used the insurance money to buy my first Martin - a D18. I now have 2 Martins and a Composite Acoustics Legacy, but that Lyle was and is part of my very soul. I have every intention of traveling from here in Oregon to Maine to buy that guitar back. I think I paid %29 for it in 1869 - worth every penny.
Tony, That is a beautiful Martin, in looks and especially in tone! I appreciate the personal story about getting it from your Dad. I'm glad he is still with you. My Dad was never musical, but he loved music and encouraged me to play and sing. I still have the old, cheap guitar he bought for me. It isn't worth anything money wise, but it was a gift from him and I know he could not afford much. I will keep it forever. I lost my Dad the day I turned 30. I am 54 now, and I miss him very much. Never forget to tell your folks that you love them. I love the Martin D-41's. It's a model I never thought I could afford, but I intend to get one someday. I have a Martin D-28, another guitar that I always wanted but thought I might not ever afford as well. I am fortunate to have it. It is just about perfect in tone, playability and craftsmanship and I do love it. No buyers remorse whatsoever. Thank you for sharing your D-41, and the song with us. You play very well and you have a good voice as well. I have learned much from on Acoustic Tuesdays, and I look forward to each episode. I guess I am a guitar geek as well. I have one of your Guitarsenal t-shirts, and it has people asking me where I got it. It is very cool. Congrats on your new baby boy! My wife and I wish you, your wife, and your son all the best! I look forward to your return, but do take the time to be with your family. There is nothing more precious. Jim
Wow Papa! Congratulations. Great job on that song. You put your heart in it. Happy fathering my friend. It's great joy. Wish we could jam some day, but we always head up to the family homestead in the Yaak; way up in the NW MT corner. A far bit from ya. Take care. Oh yes...and my dad passed away three years ago and left me his '74 D-28. He was 83 and it was in pretty worn shape. I sent it to my friend and Martin guru Bryan Kimsey. He spent a few months getting it all back together, moving the bridge for intonation, regretting etc. etc. It sounds and plays great. Now an heirloom.
Thanks for your wonderful, heartfelt rendition of Oh My Sweet Carolina. Happy for your special family moments, your special guitar, and VERY happy your folks are okay.
Hey Tony! Another killer episode. My special guitar is a 2014 Martin OM28. This guitar was a gift from my grandparents, they always supported my passion for music. Both of them sadly passed away in April days apart from one another after a long and hard battle with cancer. I don't think I will ever be able to play it and not think of them, or the joy on their faces when they would hear me play it. It will be with me for the rest of my life and I hope to one day pass it down to my kids/grandkids.
First of all: congrats Tony!! Also: thank you for educating me on acoustic guitars over the past years. Your insights and honest demos have lead to more than one purchase. But the thing that really hit me in this particular post is the idea of "what that guitar means to you". That story of you and your parents in hospital really resonates with me. Thank you for refreshing my memory. There's one guitar in my guitarsenal that needs to be played ASAP :-)
Thank you so much for sharing your story Tony . I'm sitting here in tears.....I lost my father and mother just a couple of months ago. I have many guitars and although I love them all, there is no real connection to them. I have ordered a Gibson Hummingbird and I have done that as a tribute to my father. I'm so excited about its delivery and I know for sure that I will feel a real connection to him every time I pick it up. I will eventually hand this down to my son when I cant play it any more.... thanks again. This was indeed a very special episode.
John V from Raleigh. My guitar connection is with my 1979 Fender Lead II. I got it during the fall of my high school sophomore year. It is my first real guitar. Weighs a ton but is a rock and roll machine! And I still have it. It’s the guitar I really cut my rock and roll teeth on. I don’t play it much but when I do it brings back so many great memories.
Great Performance Tony!....Another great Acoustic Tuesday show as well! Congratulations on the new addition to your family (Emerson, a great name choice).....off topic but BTW ....remember Emerson Lake and Palmer. Really enjoyed them back in the 70's. Your Dad would know who they are. So I don't have a great guitar story but I have a number of questions for you......hope you reprise the "Ask Tony" as part of future episodes. Take care and hope everything goes well for you and Witney!
Mine is a 000-18GE with the vintage Sunburst. I have a real bond with the instrument because it was the first Martin I bought new, wanting to support the company I love. But more than that, I bought it with funds from my Dad’s life insurance policy. While he wasn’t a guitar player, he played console organ and inspired my love affair with music. Since I wasn’t a console organ guy, I knew I wanted to use some of that money to honor his memory with a brand new Martin 000-18GE, my dream guitar. Since they didn’t make it anymore, I got it through My Favorite Guitars as a custom order. This guitar is perfect. Nothing else to say. Thanks for the topic, and fatherhood is the best!
I have a 1974 Martin D-18 that has been with me for around 18 years now. I am on vacation this week in Gatlinburg and stumbled on a D-41. I played that beautiful guitar for awhile today and The only way I can afford it is by selling my 18 but I can’t seem to part with it. It’s been with me through the loss of my Dad, loss of my brother birth of my marriage and two children. My little ones watch me play it through many ups and downs and I am completely torn. the D-41 plays so nice needless to say and I would love to have it. Love the video and thank you for the thoughts on my decision making. I have a feeling the d41 will end up in other hands. On the other hand letting go is moving on but moving on is letting go
I have an uncle living in Brussels who has a Jumbo Guild acoustic guitar which he loves to play and has had it for a good 10 years and had another Guild beforehand which he unfortunately lost as it was stolen and luckily I have my uncle to thank for inspiring me to pick up the guitar! I also have a personal connection with my Taylor Academy 12 which I’ve had for a good couple of years! It’s always been comfortable to play and a guitar which I’ve always enjoyed doing fingerpicking on! Also the academy series guitars have such a nice simple look which really makes those guitars stand out 🙂👍
Hi Tony. Just like to wish you and Whitney all the best for the arrival of your baby. As for my must keep acoustic guitar , it is a Washburn DW10. Not a top end guitar but it sounds great and I got it from a friend years ago. I still remember him each time I grab it out to play. This guitar will be handed down through the family.
Congratulations on the coming birth. My special guitar is an Australian Made Maton S70. My wife and Mother brought it for my 50th birthday. I’m an Australian, and I love that my guitar is made of Australian grown & Australian Native tone woods. My S70 is a Dreadnaught, but it is beautifully responsive. It responds beautifully & dynamically to he lightest fingerpicking touch, as well as being clear & loud if driven hard with a pick. It has a powerful bass, balanced mids, & crystal clear, tinkling highs. I’m very much about getting the best bang for buck,, in pretty much all I do & all I own. In this regard, the S70 is perfect for me. It it a professional level “working” guitar, it is beautiful to play, sound amazing, but lacks pretty much all ornamentation. It was gifted to me after about 3 years of playing, and I’ve had it for three years now. I play it everyday, with out fail. It inspires me to experiment. I think of those I love every time I play. Love you work man.
Hey Tone, great episode, and I really loved your performance of Sweet Carolina. The meaning of this song to you really came through. I inherited an old guitar when I was 10, and I recall my guitar teacher telling me to have my parents drive me halfway across the bridge over the East River so I could chuck it over the side. Looking back, it probably just needed some TLC. Eventually, I got a Kay from a music school I was going to, but no great love. When I graduated college, I got enough money to make my own decision, and spent $150 on a Guild D-35. ('73) This guitar has been at parties, on stage, at jams, in church, and even a wedding. It began to get harder to play, and luthier told me it needed a neck reset, which is major surgery . I brought it to a specialist, who told me that the guitar had less than 10 years of useful life in it's condition, and asked me do you really want to spend over 2k to fully restore it when it's worth only 1k. I thought long and hard, played a lot of other guitars, and decided my Guild was too much a part of my musical journey to part with it. A Martin D-18 I encountered came darned close tone and playing-wise, but no deep relationship. So, in a few weeks, my Guild will come back from the guitar hospital, and we'll make lots more music together, probably online now though... Lou NYC
Mine is my Ko'olau ukulele. It's a one-of-a-kind instrument. We got to meet the builder and tour his shop. My wife and I found it on our 10th anniversary trip to Hawaii. It's an amazing instrument. Playing it takes me back to the lanai looking over the Pacific Ocean.
I bought my older brother a black Epiphone Les Paul for his 40th birthday. Unfortunately he passed at age 66 but his daughter gave me the black guitar to keep as a rememberence of him.
Congratulations Tony! Fantastic story about your dad’s guitar! Thanks for sharing that. Also thanks for the song! This was the first time that I’ve ever heard you sing and play guitar and I loved it. I will have to learn that song.
Congratulations Tony! My wife bought me a Takamine (“Lawsuit Martin”) in 1974 from my uncle who was the President of Coast Wholesale Music in San Francisco. I believe Coast was the largest musical instrument wholesaler west of the Mississippi. The Takamine is a D-18 copy but has an adjustable bridge
I wanted to say also that the Takamine got me started playing and I still have it, along with a few real Martins, including a J41Special. I believe only about 170 J41Specials were made and it is a fantastic guitar. I purchased the Martins from Dave Clapton at Nicholson Music in Folsom Ca. David is a cousin of Erik Clapton. Dave now lives in Nashville I believe. Recently, I got the bug to get a Gibson and I found a 2016 J45 Custom on Reverb and I love it.
I believe that every guitar has a story and that is at least half of that guitar's existence. The guitar is personal hands are laid upon it and music that comes from is a shared interpersonal experience. Music has been around for longer than the written word and traditionally has been used for healing, bring together community, communicating events and the feelings associated with it. If I buy a used guitar I try to get its story. When I sell my guitars I give my story of that guitar to go with it. Guitars speak and we listen. As a therapist I have used music and given guitars to my patients for their recovery or emotional and cognitive development. Congratulations on the coming new family addition, maybe a tradition of writing a unique song for each one that can be played on their birthdays or such. Thanks for your story.
I have a Taylor Jumbo Custom AA grade all Koa 12-string with an LR Baggs Anthem PU. The Koa is absolutely stunning and literally glows. The mellow Koa off-sets Taylor's "Brightness" and the LR Baggs was an upgrade over the Fishman ES1 PU, so I could never part with it. It reminds me of a Kenny Loggins guitar which sparked my son and I playing after seeing him in concert and meeting him backstage. I bought my first acoustic guitars for my son and I shortly after.
Great story..... congrats on the upcoming bambino. 👍🏼. My “sentimental guitar” is actually a 1926 Gibson Model A mandolin. When my family arrived from Italy, my Great Uncle Domenico purchased the mandolin. The instrument was played by him til his passing in the early 80’s. The instrument was held by his son for years but he was not a player. One day my cousin heard me playing traditional Italian songs and the next thing I know he blessed me with his father’s mandolin... plays and sound great 👍🏼
This is, by far, the best thing you have done. Thank you for sharing your life and your music. You sound great! You are just getting better and better. Congrats on everything and I appreciate the humanity you bring. So proud to be a fan! I don’t really have a guitar story other than the one we all have. I’ve always felt a bit alien around others but the guitar seemed to mitigate that always and gave me a way to show my heart to people. I love playing and singing.
I have a Gibson acoustic songwriter deluxe and the reason why I love it to death is because it has pearl in the inlays and my mother passed away in 2015 her name is Pearl so when I look at it it reminds me of my mother almost every time like every time I look at it shout out to you I’m becoming a A dad Again I have seven children so I know how it feels and trust me it’s great
Great show from home Tony! I have two favorite guitars and have to list both. My 1976 Mossman i received as a gift from family. A Tenn. Flat Top, mahogany back & sides spruce top. A very mellow friend ive had since 1978. And my 2007-8 Taylor GS Series curly maple back & sides sitka soruce top. A Dear Friend and musician/artist passed from cancer 6-8 years back @85 years old. We played music together. His daughter and her husband gifted me his Taylor guitar and i was floored and highly honored. Both these guitars are Loved Gems! I must say I loved your song Tony! I pictured your Mom and Dad listening, singing along as their son and daughter in law visited. This is a golden wealthy moment and Kind Thanks for sharing this great story, your sons room and your guitar den! Love Light Peace and Guitar Geeks Unite! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania
Tony, you have an amazing voice and you did amazing on that song. I I have been playing for two years now and I hope one day I can play and sing half as well as you and make people feel the way you made me feel when you sang that song. Very powerful Tony. Did I hear you say you recorded a CD? Where can I get a copy?
My deepest connection is a Sagadia Jumbo, Model 770. My wife to be bought it for me in 1974 for £35 and it has a stunning sound to it which has been described accurately as ‘vibe-y’. It’s Japanese, rings beautifully I think due to its very thin ply soundboard. I’ve played it to death ever since and the frets are deeply worn in which only makes it even more playable. They go for barely £60 second hand. If you see one BUY IT!!!! It isn’t quite as good as a D41 or J41 but it definitely washes its face in comparison. It is a copy of a D18 with its famous fault of having the bridge placed 3mm nearer the neck than it should be, but there’s a work around which I figured out which I can tell you about if you want.
I have only two guitars at the moment. They are both super important to me. The first is super cheap Mark II M2G-30SB. I found it for $5 at a thrift store with the neck being held on by the hardwood fretboard. It was a really terrible instrument. However, at the time I was hoping to be a violin maker, and guitar repair seemed like good practice. I got a new fingerboard made from Indian rosewood, grafted on a new tie block for the strings, put good tuning machines on it, and made a bone nut and saddle for it. I have a ton of memories from fixing it. It was the instrument that made me decide to start building guitars instead of violins. It is what made me start to learn to play. My niece loves it to death. I’m building her a better one next year. The other is a Lucero LC100 classical. I made a bone nut and a black horn saddle for it, and I’ve upgraded the tuning machines on it. I bought it with my younger brother. It was the first time that he showed any interest in instrumental music. Of my five siblings, he was the only one who didn’t play any instruments. It reminds me of him every time I play it. It is the instrument that I am learning on, and I love it. He plays on it too. Our schedules alternate in such a way that I barely get to see him, but I appreciate knowing that he found music on an instrument that we both enjoy. It may be a student instrument, but we are both students of the guitar. I’m building him a new one in the next year or so as well.
How cool congratulations! September babies are the best lol The guitar that I'm pretty attached to is a 1979 Fannin D-57. I bought it from original owner that bought it in 1980. And it's the one I actually started to learn guitar with. Sounds absolutely amazing!
The guitar that I still own, that means a lot to me because it connects me with my youth and my wife is a Guild F 212 -12 string. It’s all original except for a neck reset last year at LAY’s Guitar. I purchased it from Akron Music Center, Akron Ohio in 1971. It actually is a Guild F-212 XL model, spruce and mahogany.
Congrats Man ! Mine is an old Washburn from 1987 it was my first guitar and has been with me for a lot of years and has been in the hands of my best friends over the years . Some of them are gone now but when I pick up my old $180 Washburn they are with me somehow! That said I had a d41s in my hands a few years ago. It was in horrible condition but was still hands down the best sounding guitar I’ve ever had the chance to play . I wish I at least had made an offer on it but hey at least I know how great they really are!!
My D18 Authentic 1937, I purchased in perfect condition 2 years ago. Since 1980 I have always tried to find a guitar that sounded like Norman Blake's Whiskey Before Breakfast album. Tall order right? However I'm a heavy handed guitar player and low volume offerings just don't cut it. Why doesn't Martin make a D18 version of the HD28 that I purchased in 1980? Well finally this one does it. 2 years of playing and my D18 A 1937 is sounding just wonderful, it's really been played now and that resonance is coming on and on. You could expect that from anything but a "forward-shifted" mahogany guitar. Oh wait a minute, I just purchased a D28 A 1937! This thing is sensational, never heard that from a Indian Rosewood guitar. Aaarrgh!
Great show (a little too short), hope all is well. I didn’t get a chance to ask you this prior to your third anniversary episode, I (and probably a few others) might like to hear and see a little about the Metal portion of your guitar life. I also enjoy Metal and other types of guitar music and would like to know more about the relationship between the genres. Best
My Bruce Clark drednought my wife bought me when we got engaged. Flamed Maple back and sides with an addy top. Bruce is more known for his mandolins but my guitar is super rad.
I just gave my stepson my Ibanez 950 which I bought new in 1976. I changed the saddle and nut to bone recently. I played it during the 70s as a one man band. Bass drum on one foot, tambourine tied to the other foot, harmonica on a rack and the Ibanez on my lap. I'll never forget those days and I hope he makes some memories with it he can share someday. Thanks for all the shows and cheers! Oh, did you get the Death Grip Moustache Wax I sent?
Martin D35 is my most special guitar. It's my only acoustic amongst an electric focused collection but it's the guitar I'd save from a fire! Despite probably being one of the cheapest I own
My favorite guitar is my Martin gpca4 k because my stupid step son kicked my Martin dcx1e into ablivion when it was on my guitar Stand back in 2011 ! So I bought a 2014 Martin grand performing artist series 4 with the cutaway n the koa h.p.l. It literally is the same guitar I love it!
As kids, my brother and I desperately wanted to play guitar, but my dad was totally against it. In my mind, he thought we would become punk rock rebel assholes. It was an ongoing battle, but one day for reasons still unknown, we were at our local music store (world of music in cupertino california) when my mom decided to buy my older brother a guitar. It was a Yamaha FG-300A. I think this thing is full laminate. But this cheapo guitar opened the floodgates, and started both my brother and I on our (on again/off again) guitar journeys. Today we both still play guitar (acoustic and electric) and both have our personal little guitarsenals, including that original early '90s Yamaha FG that has now been to hell and back.
First started watching your channel I had one guitar....fast forward...intense subliminal programing from "The Tone" ...5 guitars later 4 amplifiers and a bunch of other "$tuff"....so "gear" withdrawal syndrome is ok as long as the leg irons & duck tape holds.
Well Tony you just cost me 4K 😳 I ordered one of the Furch Deluxe DG SR it sounded so beautiful and the looks 😍 I’m soon to retire and hopefully live long enough to learn how to truly play , I will get your coarse when I actually have time to use it .
Boy o boy Tony, you really need to put the voice down on some album tracks. You did a great job. #GibsonJ35 #MartinHD28fromakit #SeagullS6Plustobaccoburst
A guitar poor teen, I found a 1953 telecaster on the bargin table at a used musical instrument store and paid maybe $100 for it, but I swapped the original neck pickup for a humbucker. Within a year, it took me to a rockstar mansion my mom bought with my money in the Mill Valley hills below the ridge overlooking Muir Woods. But I traded the tele and my '69 Fender Princeton plus $125 for a vintage Gibson L7 with a DeArmond monkey-on-a-stick floating pickup. I didnt find happiness there in the hills living amongst the rockstars, but on my transcendental journey back down jogging on the Dipsea trail to town and reality, I called upon the name of Jesus who found me and changed everything in my life. Do the same while you still have breath and a voice to glorify God with.
Another awesome show. Taping from home is really cool as that's where you should be during this time. I wish a heartfelt congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your son. Great choice on names. Always remember to be there. They grow up once and it doesn't come back. If you miss it it's gone forever. Also loved the story of the Martin.
In the late 60's my dad played the Opry on a regular basis. My dad passed away in 2013. I have his 1967 Gibson Hummingbird. I rarely play it... it's a keepsake for me.
Wow, Tony. I've got a D-41 that was my dad's that he and I picked out together for him when I was about 13. He played that guitar another 20 years until a misfortunate decision to leave it in his car trunk during Florida summertime caused the neck block to cave in, causing all sorts of cracks and rosette collapse, and damage. My dad being mostly retired by then couldn't get it fixed so I told him to ship it out to me in CA and I'd have Alan Pearlman bring it back to life. If anyone could fix it, Alan could. I told him the repairs, whatever they cost, were on me. I wanted to make sure this guitar that meant a lot to us both wouldn't die. Once Alan had playing better than it had in years my dad told me that he wanted me to keep it because it clearly meant a lot to me and I would play it as much as it deserves. He was right! Cool that you've got a similar D-41. Shout out to guitar playing dads!!
You’re a good son
My uncle gave me a Washburn d12 once right before he passed away from cancer . It's all laminated but the value to me is priceless
I worked on tours as a Sound Engineer...(before all this madness). In 2008 an artist I was working with got a couple of guitars sent out from CFMartin for use on a couple of songs he wanted to perform, and for a couple of 'in store performances'. After choosing the one, he picked up a stunning D28 that I was dribbling all over and gave it to me. He gave me a hug and thanked me for the work I had done. I play it everyday...and I have said that I want to be buried with it. I really can't say who the artist was, but I can say that it was a moment of kindness and generosity that has stayed with me, we're still friends. It remains a symbol of friendship and and the brotherhood of being on the road.
I am a new TAC member in 2021 and every week come to appreciate Tony's approach to music and the Guitar even more. Our family has gone through a rough patch. We lost my Mother in Law in March of 2019 to a massive stroke, six weeks later we lost my Mom to a sudden heart attack, and after providing hospice care to my Dad for a month we said good by to him in May of 2020. My folks loved music and listening to me play even though I am an average self taught guitar player. I had never written a song until my Dad passed. I wrote one for him, then my Mom and Mother in Law, and so it went until in 9 months I had written over 35 songs. I was thinking about having a custom D-41 made with a few inlays in honor of these wonderful people. Something I could hold and play and think of them. Hearing Tony's story is just another sign that this is the right thing for me to do, and one day I will pass it on to my son and daughter. And so it goes
I've played an Ibanez ArtWood Acoustic Guitar as my first guitar now for 8 years. In August 2020 for my birthday my parents and I split the cost on a Martin D16e Rosewood Dreadnought. Between my Martin and my Ibanez I now have two guitars that I absolutely adore that I intend to keep for the rest of my life. I bought the Ibanez with my own monies 8 years ago and it is indeed a precious thing to me. Ive only had the Martin now for a little over 4 months but I couldnt love a guitar more, I think, than I do that Martin. Its beautiful, all wood, handmade in Nazereth Penn with all the Mojo that comes with that. It sounds amazing and the thing I love the most is that it deeply compels me to play more and more. It's like a Siren, it's calling me endlessly to be played and if I'm home, it's in my arms being played.
From the moment I bought that Ibanez 8 years ago my eyes and ears were definitely drawn to the Martins but I just couldnt afford it then. It has been a goal of mine from the moment I first layed eyes on a Martin & Co. to own one of my own. And its been a dream come true since the moment I brought her home...
It is amazing how a shared song embeds in the soul, cementing a moment forever. You want to stay there, but you have go. But you never let go. The emotion comes back each time you play or hear the song.
Hello Tony, First let me congratulate you on your forthcoming child. You certainly seem to be a multifaceted person. It was nice of you to ask about our "special" guitars. One of mine was a 1940 Martin D18. I acquired it in a trade with an excellent guitar/mandolin builder several years ago. He needed my D21, so we traded. The D18 was in near perfect condition, but it had been properly refinished at some point. It sounded awesome and soon became my favorite player. I was playing with a bluegrass band at that time. One of the original members was Daniel Patton who later was part of Nashville great, Billy Walker's band. Danny was a dear friend, but sadly he died with Billy Walker in a van crash, coming home from a show on I65. I think Danny liked that guitar as much as I did. Eventually I sold the guitar to a collector, because I needed the money. This is why I'm not sure if becoming emotionally attached to things is a good idea. I miss the guitar. It's been replaced, but my friend won't be back. I wish I had given him that guitar.
My guitar journey started late in life. I retired from work at 62 and decided that guitar would be my pastime. I have played drums for almost 50 years and played with many excellent guitarist, but I never got bitten by the guitar bug. My Dad was a fine musician and had many guitars while I was growing up, but he passed when I was 27 years old. His one remaining guitar was a 70's Applause (made by Ovation). It was in the case for over 30 years when I took it out, had new strings put on and painfully started to learn how to play. My guitarsonal has grown to include a GS Mini and 2 Orangewoods, but that Applause has the biggest, deepest sound of them all. It reminds me of my father's voice. The other guitars may come and go, but that one will be in my possession until my son inherits it.
Best of everything to you, and Whitney, and a warm welcome to Emerson Townes, when he arrives.
Congrats on the upcoming birth of your son. Your heart will impossibly expand Take it from a dad of 2. I am lucky enough to live 35 minutes from the Martin factory and museum. Worth a visit just for the perfume of the wood.
My Gurian JM (1975) ...Connects me to many people; I bought it in 1976. My then boyfriend (a well-known singer-songwriter, who has unfortunately passed) accompanied me. We drove from Philly to Boston visiting guitar shops, finally ending at Matt Umanov's in NYC. We played every guitar in the shop... We were about to leave when Matt said, wait, there is one in the back you might like. Magic!! A moment never to be forgotten. I still play the guitar, but do miss my dear friend, Richard, and a bit of him remains in every note I play.
Congratulations on your forthcoming fatherhood!! Hopefully, he will be healthy, and on time to share my birthday ;)
My parents have always worked several jobs; houses, our church for the last 22 years, truck driving, and cooking at the church preschool…. My sister and I would never know the struggles they had until we were older. They bought me an HD-28 for Christmas one year. It’s not the fact that it’s an expensive guitar for a lot of people, or even an object. It’s my parents love and sacrifice that I see when I look at it, and think about when playing it. Now that I’m older and have a little girl and a baby boy on the way, I can truly appreciate the love behind this and everything else that came with it.
Cleaning houses and our church*
Hey Tony! Congrats on the upcoming addition to you and Whitneys' home. What a lucky kid! A house filled with love and music! I have two favorite guitars. I am a lefty. My first favorite guitar is a right handed Epiphone FT 145 (early 1970's) it's an exact copy of my first guitar. I tried to learn to play right handed. I just couldn't get the hang of it, so the guitar sat in the corner of my brother and I's bedroom for months. I don't know how it happened or why I decided to try again, but I picked the Epiphone up and tried to play it upside down. I discovered that I could actually play chords better left handed. Then I reversed the strings and began playing the chords properly, but using my right hand. My strumming was much better using my left hand as well! I was 15 years old at the time. I'm 65 now, and I still play every day. My second favorite guitar is a 2017 Martin D-41. Left handed of course. I had a 1976 Martin D-41 back in the early 1980's but it was right handed and I sold it. When I retired in 2017, I told my wife that I regretted selling my old D-41. She convinced me to get a new lefty D-41. I ordered one the next day. My guitarsenal is up to 9 guitars now. I am ordering a guitasenal t-shirt today and will be forwarding a photo soon. Enjoy your time at home with the family!
My girlfriend at the time knew how much I loved guitars and went to spend her entire tax return money on a Taylor 810e. We were both just young stupid broke early 20 somethin’s. At the time I only had cheaper models like a dean and a Taylor 110. She’s my wife now and we have three children, four guitars and a mandolin. Now my sons learning to play. I can’t think about that guitar and not see all my kids.
Beautiful story, buddy!
This one's easy for me - it's my great uncle Duffy's mid-50s Gibson L-50, which he gave to my father - his nephew - and which eventually got passed on to me...Over the years the guitar had fallen into severe disrepair, including somehow having all the finish stripped off it...
My father passed away in 1997 and it was at his wake that one of my uncles convinced me to have the guitar restored - I will be eternally grateful to him for pushing me to do it...Not only did that guitar become my main instrument for playing and writing for the last 20 odd years, but it instantly and always connects me to my entire family and especially those that have long since passed on...
I own some "nicer", more valuable guitars but if for some reason I was only able to own one I wouldn't have to think about it for even a split second...Despite the fact that it doesn't have one original part left on it and is not collectible in way shape or form, it'd be that old L-50, no contest...
Thank you Tony for reminding me of just how deep a connection I have with that instrument..I'll be taking "Uncle Duffy" out of the case this afternoon, for sure!
Started learning guitar one year and half ago (42years old ) . Because fell in love with the Martin 00028EC ! My guitar forever !
Congratulations. Love this episode
I have a 1966 EKO Ranchero 12 string that won my wife over in 1982. Still have that guitar, it still plays tuned to standard. Also got a 1976 Guild D50 used, in 1984. Found out later after a luthier had fixed a cracked top that it had been through a flood, although the case (ruined really bad) had taken the brunt of the moisture. I still plays well, had the action lowered a couple of years ago due to my RA. Still play this guitar a lot. Got a new and better case after the first luthiers work was finished. These guitars have become a family heirloom. Still married to the same woman also. She loves to hear me play. these guitars.
That eko jimmy page played one, excellent.
The guitar that I connect with is my 1971 Yamaki. Nothing super fancy but it gave me back someone I lost a long time ago...me. I started playing as a kid. I played for 19 years (mostly bass because there were a million guitarists around) until I lost the tips of my middle and ring finger on my left hand. I tried unsuccessfully for about a year to transition to playing left handed and eventually just gave up playing guitar and focused on singing. Fast forward 20 years, divorced and really not digging life in general I picked up my Yamaki and was immediately inspired.
My grandmother died when I was 21 in 1973 and she left me $600. I only knew a couple of chords at the time but with that money I purchased a new Martin D35. I barely knew her as my folks left New York for Texas soon after I was born, and I only saw her a few times. I still have that guitar, and it is the ONE consistent thing that has been with me through this whole journey we call life....it's funny, a gift from someone I barely knew has brought me so much joy & companionship....thanks, Grandma...
I started playing guitar when I was 17 (I'm now 62) after my father told me that either I got rid of the drums or move out (I had nowhere else to go at the time). I borrowed a really cheap guitar from a friend and learned on that. When I went away to college the next year, I had to return the guitar. A dear friend gave me another guitar to take to college with me. I could never have afforded to buy one on my own at that point in my life. I played that guitar for the next 6 years until it literally fell apart. I finally bought my first decent instrument in 1982. But I'll never forget the gift of that guitar that took me all the way through my college years, including lots of jam sessions and playing on street corners for beer money. I'm still close and in touch with the friend who gave me that instrument even thought we are half a continent apart. Every time I play, I think of her.
Congratulations Tony on the son on the way! I have 4 acoustics: a 2012 Martin Custom Shop D-21, a 2019 Martin D-18MD, a 2014 Taylor 856, and a 2017 Taylor 814ce (and a custom built 2018 Ratliff Mandolin).....more to come in the future I’m sure😊. All my guitars are special to me for this reason: When I was 15 (1983) I got my first guitar for Christmas due to the heavy influence of my older cousin Gene who could play pretty much anything on guitar. He helped get me started on guitar and taught me how to play. In 2001, at the age of 36 he passed with Liver Cancer. I miss him tremendously. There’s not ever a time that I don’t pick up one of my guitars and play that I don’t think of him. I’m a lefty, but I sure would like to be able to play his guitar, which was an inexpensive Yamaha, but man could he make it sing. Congratulations again!
Hey Tony, thanks for this episode and best wishes for your new son, Emerson. Since you asked for special guitar stories, here is mine:
My special guitar is a 1974 handmade Laskin. It reminds me of the wonderful crowd at Fiddler's Green Folk Club in Toronto, including the performers who came to be known as the Friends of Fiddler's Green, and the amazing Grit Laskin himself, who I'm proud to call my friend. Those of us who were regulars at Fiddler's listened to Grit's amazing live performances and followed his progress as a luthier from when he apprenticed to Jean Larrivée Sr. and then branched out on his own. Grit started making his amazing instruments in his parents' basement and subsequently opened his first shop in late 1973. By early spring 1974 I had saved up enough and went there to order my instrument. It was amazing to hear him explain the different woods and other options and a few weeks later it came home with me. I like to think I had a little bit to do with his artistic inlay work; I was looking for butterflies instead of just dots on the fretboard and he came up with a beautiful custom design in abalone. It must have got him thinking, because when I came back to pick up the guitar, he showed me all the amazing materials he was exploring and the ideas he had for the inlay art that is now his signature.
If I may be permitted a second memory, my son came into my life eight years later. He has developed into a remarkable singer and musician, and was recognized even at 7 years of age, when his teacher arranged for him to sing a solo at an assembly of the entire school. He sang Puff the Magic Dragon (which was still a PP&M hit at the time) to the accompaniment of his old Dad, playing, of course, the Laskin guitar. It was a special moment for us and created a bond that stands to this day.
When my father in law passed, we found a Gibson hg-00 in his attic. My wife never knew he had it. It was a gift to him from his uncle Al for his 12th birthday. It has his initials on the head stock. I was going to sell it but something told me not to. I had it converted and it is awesome. I own three guitars but this one speaks to me whenever I pick it up. I wish I knew he had it, I would have loved to hear him play it.
Great episode, Tony. The story about your D-41 was wonderful. Thank you for sharing that.
The story of my first guitar revolves around my uncle who's from Montreal. My uncle was a musician who worked around the Montreal and Ottawa areas pretty much his whole life. For me, while growing up, every Christmas involved him and my cousin driving from Montreal to visit my family in Toronto - always arriving just in time for Christmas dinner no matter the weather. After dinner, he would get out his acoustic guitar (a 1981 Sigma-Martin DM-18) and the whole family would sing carols around the table. Even from a very young age I was fascinated by his playing and his guitar. One year, while at the same table, he taught me a C chord and gifted me that guitar. I've never put it down ever since. It may not be a fancy boutique instrument, but it remains my most-played guitar and central to my guitar journey. It means even more to me now as we unfortunately lost my uncle earlier this year due to the pandemic. I believe music allows us to live on and I cherish every note.
All the best, Tony. I'm looking forward to seeing your baby boy join your family and begin his journey. Congratulations to you and Whitney!
My very first guitar - a Lyle Classical guitar - is one I have a real connetion with. I sold it to a friend when I picked up a Flaminco guitar in Madrid. The was stolen about a year later and I used the insurance money to buy my first Martin - a D18. I now have 2 Martins and a Composite Acoustics Legacy, but that Lyle was and is part of my very soul. I have every intention of traveling from here in Oregon to Maine to buy that guitar back. I think I paid %29 for it in 1869 - worth every penny.
Tony,
That is a beautiful Martin, in looks and especially in tone! I appreciate the personal story about getting it from your Dad. I'm glad he is still with you. My Dad was never musical, but he loved music and encouraged me to play and sing. I still have the old, cheap guitar he bought for me. It isn't worth anything money wise, but it was a gift from him and I know he could not afford much. I will keep it forever. I lost my Dad the day I turned 30. I am 54 now, and I miss him very much. Never forget to tell your folks that you love them.
I love the Martin D-41's. It's a model I never thought I could afford, but I intend to get one someday. I have a Martin D-28, another guitar that I always wanted but thought I might not ever afford as well. I am fortunate to have it. It is just about perfect in tone, playability and craftsmanship and I do love it. No buyers remorse whatsoever. Thank you for sharing your D-41, and the song with us. You play very well and you have a good voice as well.
I have learned much from on Acoustic Tuesdays, and I look forward to each episode. I guess I am a guitar geek as well. I have one of your Guitarsenal t-shirts, and it has people asking me where I got it. It is very cool.
Congrats on your new baby boy! My wife and I wish you, your wife, and your son all the best! I look forward to your return, but do take the time to be with your family. There is nothing more precious.
Jim
Wow Papa! Congratulations. Great job on that song. You put your heart in it. Happy fathering my friend. It's great joy. Wish we could jam some day, but we always head up to the family homestead in the Yaak; way up in the NW MT corner. A far bit from ya. Take care. Oh yes...and my dad passed away three years ago and left me his '74 D-28. He was 83 and it was in pretty worn shape. I sent it to my friend and Martin guru Bryan Kimsey. He spent a few months getting it all back together, moving the bridge for intonation, regretting etc. etc. It sounds and plays great. Now an heirloom.
Thank you Tony for playing for us! Loved to hear you play after so many weeks of hearing you lead us through our lessons.
Thanks for your wonderful, heartfelt rendition of Oh My Sweet Carolina. Happy for your special family moments, your special guitar, and VERY happy your folks are okay.
Hey Tony! Another killer episode.
My special guitar is a 2014 Martin OM28. This guitar was a gift from my grandparents, they always supported my passion for music. Both of them sadly passed away in April days apart from one another after a long and hard battle with cancer. I don't think I will ever be able to play it and not think of them, or the joy on their faces when they would hear me play it. It will be with me for the rest of my life and I hope to one day pass it down to my kids/grandkids.
First of all: congrats Tony!!
Also: thank you for educating me on acoustic guitars over the past years. Your insights and honest demos have lead to more than one purchase. But the thing that really hit me in this particular post is the idea of "what that guitar means to you". That story of you and your parents in hospital really resonates with me. Thank you for refreshing my memory. There's one guitar in my guitarsenal that needs to be played ASAP :-)
Congrats 🎉🎈🎊
Thank you so much for sharing your story Tony . I'm sitting here in tears.....I lost my father and mother just a couple of months ago. I have many guitars and although I love them all, there is no real connection to them. I have ordered a Gibson Hummingbird and I have done that as a tribute to my father. I'm so excited about its delivery and I know for sure that I will feel a real connection to him every time I pick it up. I will eventually hand this down to my son when I cant play it any more.... thanks again. This was indeed a very special episode.
New you had the touch didn’t know you had the wind. Good to hear your song and story.
John V from Raleigh. My guitar connection is with my 1979 Fender Lead II. I got it during the fall of my high school sophomore year. It is my first real guitar. Weighs a ton but is a rock and roll machine! And I still have it. It’s the guitar I really cut my rock and roll teeth on. I don’t play it much but when I do it brings back so many great memories.
Suzuki F200 1977. College grad gift from my parents. Still have it. Plays well. Beautiful.
Tony …. First of all, your version of Oh My Sweet Carolina was amazing! You need to do a tutorial of how you played that!
Great Performance Tony!....Another great Acoustic Tuesday show as well! Congratulations on the new addition to your family (Emerson, a great name choice).....off topic but BTW ....remember Emerson Lake and Palmer. Really enjoyed them back in the 70's. Your Dad would know who they are. So I don't have a great guitar story but I have a number of questions for you......hope you reprise the "Ask Tony" as part of future episodes. Take care and hope everything goes well for you and Witney!
Mine is a 000-18GE with the vintage Sunburst. I have a real bond with the instrument because it was the first Martin I bought new, wanting to support the company I love. But more than that, I bought it with funds from my Dad’s life insurance policy. While he wasn’t a guitar player, he played console organ and inspired my love affair with music. Since I wasn’t a console organ guy, I knew I wanted to use some of that money to honor his memory with a brand new Martin 000-18GE, my dream guitar. Since they didn’t make it anymore, I got it through My Favorite Guitars as a custom order. This guitar is perfect. Nothing else to say. Thanks for the topic, and fatherhood is the best!
I have a 1974 Martin D-18 that has been with me for around 18 years now. I am on vacation this week in Gatlinburg and stumbled on a D-41. I played that beautiful guitar for awhile today and The only way I can afford it is by selling my 18 but I can’t seem to part with it. It’s been with me through the loss of my Dad, loss of my brother birth of my marriage and two children. My little ones watch me play it through many ups and downs and I am completely torn. the D-41 plays so nice needless to say and I would love to have it.
Love the video and thank you for the thoughts on my decision making. I have a feeling the d41 will end up in other hands. On the other hand letting go is moving on but moving on is letting go
Tony that's a beautiful guitar !
I have an uncle living in Brussels who has a Jumbo Guild acoustic guitar which he loves to play and has had it for a good 10 years and had another Guild beforehand which he unfortunately lost as it was stolen and luckily I have my uncle to thank for inspiring me to pick up the guitar! I also have a personal connection with my Taylor Academy 12 which I’ve had for a good couple of years! It’s always been comfortable to play and a guitar which I’ve always enjoyed doing fingerpicking on! Also the academy series guitars have such a nice simple look which really makes those guitars stand out 🙂👍
Hi Tony. Just like to wish you and Whitney all the best for the arrival of your baby.
As for my must keep acoustic guitar , it is a Washburn DW10. Not a top end guitar but it sounds great and I got it from a friend years ago. I still remember him each time I grab it out to play. This guitar will be handed down through the family.
Music = Emotion 32:34 minutes, boiled down to a very profound statement.
Congratulations on the coming birth.
My special guitar is an Australian Made Maton S70. My wife and Mother brought it for my 50th birthday. I’m an Australian, and I love that my guitar is made of Australian grown & Australian Native tone woods.
My S70 is a Dreadnaught, but it is beautifully responsive. It responds beautifully & dynamically to he lightest fingerpicking touch, as well as being clear & loud if driven hard with a pick. It has a powerful bass, balanced mids, & crystal clear, tinkling highs.
I’m very much about getting the best bang for buck,, in pretty much all I do & all I own. In this regard, the S70 is perfect for me. It it a professional level “working” guitar, it is beautiful to play, sound amazing, but lacks pretty much all ornamentation.
It was gifted to me after about 3 years of playing, and I’ve had it for three years now.
I play it everyday, with out fail. It inspires me to experiment. I think of those I love every time I play.
Love you work man.
This is the best Acoustic Life show. Congratulations and best Wishes Polecastro Family
Hey Tone, great episode, and I really loved your performance of Sweet Carolina. The meaning of this song to you really came through. I inherited an old guitar when I was 10, and I recall my guitar teacher telling me to have my parents drive me halfway across the bridge over the East River so I could chuck it over the side. Looking back, it probably just needed some TLC. Eventually, I got a Kay from a music school I was going to, but no great love. When I graduated college, I got enough money to make my own decision, and spent $150 on a Guild D-35. ('73) This guitar has been at parties, on stage, at jams, in church, and even a wedding. It began to get harder to play, and luthier told me it needed a neck reset, which is major surgery . I brought it to a specialist, who told me that the guitar had less than 10 years of useful life in it's condition, and asked me do you really want to spend over 2k to fully restore it when it's worth only 1k. I thought long and hard, played a lot of other guitars, and decided my Guild was too much a part of my musical journey to part with it. A Martin D-18 I encountered came darned close tone and playing-wise, but no deep relationship. So, in a few weeks, my Guild will come back from the guitar hospital, and we'll make lots more music together, probably online now though... Lou NYC
Tony, I hope your folks are doing well and congratulations on being a new dad. Cheers.
Mine is my Ko'olau ukulele. It's a one-of-a-kind instrument. We got to meet the builder and tour his shop. My wife and I found it on our 10th anniversary trip to Hawaii. It's an amazing instrument. Playing it takes me back to the lanai looking over the Pacific Ocean.
Good to hear you play that song! All the best to your family!
I bought my older brother a black Epiphone Les Paul for his 40th birthday. Unfortunately he passed at age 66 but his daughter gave me the black guitar to keep as a rememberence of him.
Congratulations Tony! Fantastic story about your dad’s guitar! Thanks for sharing that. Also thanks for the song! This was the first time that I’ve ever heard you sing and play guitar and I loved it. I will have to learn that song.
Congratulations Tony! My wife bought me a Takamine (“Lawsuit Martin”) in 1974 from my uncle who was the President of Coast Wholesale Music in San Francisco. I believe Coast was the largest musical instrument wholesaler west of the Mississippi. The Takamine is a D-18 copy but has an adjustable bridge
I wanted to say also that the Takamine got me started playing and I still have it, along with a few real Martins, including a J41Special. I believe only about 170 J41Specials were made and it is a fantastic guitar. I purchased the Martins from Dave Clapton at Nicholson Music in Folsom Ca. David is a cousin of Erik Clapton. Dave now lives in Nashville I believe. Recently, I got the bug to get a Gibson and I found a 2016 J45 Custom on Reverb and I love it.
I believe that every guitar has a story and that is at least half of that guitar's existence. The guitar is personal hands are laid upon it and music that comes from is a shared interpersonal experience. Music has been around for longer than the written word and traditionally has been used for healing, bring together community, communicating events and the feelings associated with it. If I buy a used guitar I try to get its story. When I sell my guitars I give my story of that guitar to go with it. Guitars speak and we listen. As a therapist I have used music and given guitars to my patients for their recovery or emotional and cognitive development. Congratulations on the coming new family addition, maybe a tradition of writing a unique song for each one that can be played on their birthdays or such. Thanks for your story.
I have a Taylor Jumbo Custom AA grade all Koa 12-string with an LR Baggs Anthem PU. The Koa is absolutely stunning and literally glows. The mellow Koa off-sets Taylor's "Brightness" and the LR Baggs was an upgrade over the Fishman ES1 PU, so I could never part with it. It reminds me of a Kenny Loggins guitar which sparked my son and I playing after seeing him in concert and meeting him backstage. I bought my first acoustic guitars for my son and I shortly after.
Great story..... congrats on the upcoming bambino. 👍🏼. My “sentimental guitar” is actually a 1926 Gibson Model A mandolin. When my family arrived from Italy, my Great Uncle Domenico purchased the mandolin. The instrument was played by him til his passing in the early 80’s. The instrument was held by his son for years but he was not a player. One day my cousin heard me playing traditional Italian songs and the next thing I know he blessed me with his father’s mandolin... plays and sound great 👍🏼
Love the D-41
This is, by far, the best thing you have done. Thank you for sharing your life and your music. You sound great! You are just getting better and better. Congrats on everything and I appreciate the humanity you bring. So proud to be a fan! I don’t really have a guitar story other than the one we all have. I’ve always felt a bit alien around others but the guitar seemed to mitigate that always and gave me a way to show my heart to people. I love playing and singing.
I have a Gibson acoustic songwriter deluxe and the reason why I love it to death is because it has pearl in the inlays and my mother passed away in 2015 her name is Pearl so when I look at it it reminds me of my mother almost every time like every time I look at it shout out to you I’m becoming a A dad Again I have seven children so I know how it feels and trust me it’s great
Great show from home Tony! I have two favorite guitars and have to list both. My 1976 Mossman i received as a gift from family. A Tenn. Flat Top, mahogany back & sides spruce top. A very mellow friend ive had since 1978. And my 2007-8 Taylor GS Series curly maple back & sides sitka soruce top. A Dear Friend and musician/artist passed from cancer 6-8 years back @85 years old. We played music together. His daughter and her husband gifted me his Taylor guitar and i was floored and highly honored. Both these guitars are Loved Gems! I must say I loved your song Tony! I pictured your Mom and Dad listening, singing along as their son and daughter in law visited. This is a golden wealthy moment and Kind Thanks for sharing this great story, your sons room and your guitar den! Love Light Peace and Guitar Geeks Unite! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania
Great story👍🎸
Tony, you have an amazing voice and you did amazing on that song.
I I have been playing for two years now and I hope one day I can play and sing half as well as you and make people feel the way you made me feel when you sang that song. Very powerful Tony. Did I hear you say you recorded a CD? Where can I get a copy?
My deepest connection is a Sagadia Jumbo, Model 770. My wife to be bought it for me in 1974 for £35 and it has a stunning sound to it which has been described accurately as ‘vibe-y’. It’s Japanese, rings beautifully I think due to its very thin ply soundboard. I’ve played it to death ever since and the frets are deeply worn in which only makes it even more playable. They go for barely £60 second hand. If you see one BUY IT!!!! It isn’t quite as good as a D41 or J41 but it definitely washes its face in comparison. It is a copy of a D18 with its famous fault of having the bridge placed 3mm nearer the neck than it should be, but there’s a work around which I figured out which I can tell you about if you want.
I have only two guitars at the moment. They are both super important to me. The first is super cheap Mark II M2G-30SB. I found it for $5 at a thrift store with the neck being held on by the hardwood fretboard. It was a really terrible instrument. However, at the time I was hoping to be a violin maker, and guitar repair seemed like good practice. I got a new fingerboard made from Indian rosewood, grafted on a new tie block for the strings, put good tuning machines on it, and made a bone nut and saddle for it. I have a ton of memories from fixing it. It was the instrument that made me decide to start building guitars instead of violins. It is what made me start to learn to play. My niece loves it to death. I’m building her a better one next year.
The other is a Lucero LC100 classical. I made a bone nut and a black horn saddle for it, and I’ve upgraded the tuning machines on it. I bought it with my younger brother. It was the first time that he showed any interest in instrumental music. Of my five siblings, he was the only one who didn’t play any instruments. It reminds me of him every time I play it. It is the instrument that I am learning on, and I love it. He plays on it too. Our schedules alternate in such a way that I barely get to see him, but I appreciate knowing that he found music on an instrument that we both enjoy. It may be a student instrument, but we are both students of the guitar. I’m building him a new one in the next year or so as well.
REally enjoyed the from home Acoustic Tuesday show.
How cool congratulations! September babies are the best lol
The guitar that I'm pretty attached to is a 1979 Fannin D-57. I bought it from original owner that bought it in 1980. And it's the one I actually started to learn guitar with. Sounds absolutely amazing!
The guitar that I still own, that means a lot to me because it connects me with my youth and my wife is a Guild F 212 -12 string. It’s all original except for a neck reset last year at LAY’s Guitar. I purchased it from Akron Music Center, Akron Ohio in 1971. It actually is a Guild F-212 XL model, spruce and mahogany.
Great performance Tony and congratulations!
Congrats Man ! Mine is an old Washburn from 1987 it was my first guitar and has been with me for a lot of years and has been in the hands of my best friends over the years . Some of them are gone now but when I pick up my old $180 Washburn they are with me somehow! That said I had a d41s in my hands a few years ago. It was in horrible condition but was still hands down the best sounding guitar I’ve ever had the chance to play . I wish I at least had made an offer on it but hey at least I know how great they really are!!
Great show Tony thank you👍👍👍😎😎💣💣💥💥
My D18 Authentic 1937, I purchased in perfect condition 2 years ago. Since 1980 I have always tried to find a guitar that sounded like Norman Blake's Whiskey Before Breakfast album. Tall order right? However I'm a heavy handed guitar player and low volume offerings just don't cut it. Why doesn't Martin make a D18 version of the HD28 that I purchased in 1980? Well finally this one does it. 2 years of playing and my D18 A 1937 is sounding just wonderful, it's really been played now and that resonance is coming on and on. You could expect that from anything but a "forward-shifted" mahogany guitar. Oh wait a minute, I just purchased a D28 A 1937! This thing is sensational, never heard that from a Indian Rosewood guitar. Aaarrgh!
Great show (a little too short), hope all is well. I didn’t get a chance to ask you this prior to your third anniversary episode, I (and probably a few others) might like to hear and see a little about the Metal portion of your guitar life. I also enjoy Metal and other types of guitar music and would like to know more about the relationship between the genres. Best
My Bruce Clark drednought my wife bought me when we got engaged. Flamed Maple back and sides with an addy top. Bruce is more known for his mandolins but my guitar is super rad.
Bought my first martin, a d41 at a pawn shop for a steal
I just gave my stepson my Ibanez 950 which I bought new in 1976. I changed the saddle and nut to bone recently. I played it during the 70s as a one man band. Bass drum on one foot, tambourine tied to the other foot, harmonica on a rack and the Ibanez on my lap. I'll never forget those days and I hope he makes some memories with it he can share someday. Thanks for all the shows and cheers! Oh, did you get the Death Grip Moustache Wax I sent?
Martin D35 is my most special guitar. It's my only acoustic amongst an electric focused collection but it's the guitar I'd save from a fire! Despite probably being one of the cheapest I own
My deep personal connection guitar: Gibson J45
Congratulations to you and Whitney on your son Tony!!!
Perhaps the next Nathan McKinnon
Mine is my Takamine dreadnought based on a D18 I loved it and gave to my daughter
My favorite guitar is my Martin gpca4 k because my stupid step son kicked my Martin dcx1e into ablivion when it was on my guitar
Stand back in 2011 ! So I bought a 2014 Martin grand performing artist series 4 with the cutaway n the koa h.p.l. It literally is the same guitar I love it!
Very nicely done. Need to learn that one the way you play it
UNLEASH THE KRAKEN!!!!!!! You’re going down Polecastro. I’ll be there when the Kraken play the ‘Hawks.
As kids, my brother and I desperately wanted to play guitar, but my dad was totally against it. In my mind, he thought we would become punk rock rebel assholes. It was an ongoing battle, but one day for reasons still unknown, we were at our local music store (world of music in cupertino california) when my mom decided to buy my older brother a guitar. It was a Yamaha FG-300A. I think this thing is full laminate. But this cheapo guitar opened the floodgates, and started both my brother and I on our (on again/off again) guitar journeys. Today we both still play guitar (acoustic and electric) and both have our personal little guitarsenals, including that original early '90s Yamaha FG that has now been to hell and back.
First started watching your channel I had one guitar....fast forward...intense subliminal programing from "The Tone" ...5 guitars later 4 amplifiers and a bunch of other "$tuff"....so "gear" withdrawal syndrome is ok as long as the leg irons & duck tape holds.
Nice episode. Congrats in advance on the new Polecat.
Beautiful story Tony.
Well Tony you just cost me 4K 😳 I ordered one of the Furch Deluxe DG SR it sounded so beautiful and the looks 😍 I’m soon to retire and hopefully live long enough to learn how to truly play , I will get your coarse when I actually have time to use it .
Cool tune dude.
Thanks for sharing the story of this guitar Tony !
Boy o boy Tony, you really need to put the voice down on some album tracks. You did a great job.
#GibsonJ35 #MartinHD28fromakit
#SeagullS6Plustobaccoburst
A guitar poor teen, I found a 1953 telecaster on the bargin table at a used musical instrument store and paid maybe $100 for it, but I swapped the original neck pickup for a humbucker. Within a year, it took me to a rockstar mansion my mom bought with my money in the Mill Valley hills below the ridge overlooking Muir Woods. But I traded the tele and my '69 Fender Princeton plus $125 for a vintage Gibson L7 with a DeArmond monkey-on-a-stick floating pickup. I didnt find happiness there in the hills living amongst the rockstars, but on my transcendental journey back down jogging on the Dipsea trail to town and reality, I called upon the name of Jesus who found me and changed everything in my life. Do the same while you still have breath and a voice to glorify God with.
You sound great singing bro..nice story as well.
I have one and it sounds so good !!
Go Kings ..
Another awesome show. Taping from home is really cool as that's where you should be during this time. I wish a heartfelt congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your son. Great choice on names. Always remember to be there. They grow up once and it doesn't come back. If you miss it it's gone forever. Also loved the story of the Martin.
Dear Tony, what about a story of every individual guitar on that wall!?
Yes I have such a guitar & story & will share once I figure out doing videos & where to post them on TAC.
It’s so good to have a “special” one, thanks for sharing teacher, been learning a lot since I joined to the community
Whoops! My Granddaughter likes that PRS. Acoustic Challenge from home.