My first two guitars were cheap folk guitars, which I used to learn my first songs. This was way back when I was in grade 4. Looking back, those were really crappy guitars, but I learned all the beatles songs through them. Then I bought an RJ strat electric guitar when I started playing with a band. It was cheap, but it sounded good, because my experienced cousin selected it for me. But I broke it because I tried to mess with it (replaced it with floyd rose, changed the pickguard, and electronics). I bought my next guitar in college. It was an ovation-shaped electro-acoustic guitar, branded Corina from RJ store. It has passive pickups, no pre-amp. I’ve used it in a lot of school activities and carolings.
Then when I joined the college orchestra, I convinced my parents to buy me an expensive guitar because I told them the conductor wouldn’t accept my current electric guitar (which of course was a lie). I was supposed to get a Fender american standard tele (which costed P24,000 way back in 1997). I have already decided, but when a new Fender Classic Floyd Rose strat (which costed P36,000) arrived in the store, I immediately changed my mind. This is “my precious” guitar which I think I could still sell for the same price or higher. It has maple neck, a stock DiMarzio pickup, and original tweed fender hard case. I was glad I bought this (although the american tele would have had similar value as well).
When I started working, I bought the acoustic guitar that I have been dreaming of since high school – a Yamaha APX series guitar. I bought it with my own money, which made me feel good. I’ve used it in a lot of corporate and outside gigs.
I just recently bought two new guitars, a Squire Standard Telecaster (to fulfill my desire for a tele) and an Ibanez AEL10 Acoustic guitar (to have a guitar with a fuller sound, an onboard tuner and XLR jacks). I modified my tele’s neck pickup with an original Fender Noiseless, and the bridge with a Tone Zone T humbucking pickup with a push/pull tone pot to split the coils. The sound is now almost as good as an original Fender tele. I’m just starting my relationship with these guitars and have used them in a few gigs.
If I were to buy another guitar, I will surely buy either an Ibanez RG or S guitar, and learn to shred more. After that, I would also try to get a good jazz guitar and learn to play jazz. My next acoustic guitar if I were to choose one would be an ovation graphite series.
I hope in the next 10 years, I’ll be able to get all three =)
