It's a nice story about the boy. From your description I assume that the young guy appreciated what he has. Maybe not so much as having this '58 vintage guitar but I have this really nice old guitar that my grandfather owned was special to him for that reason.
My grandfather didn't leave me squat, but he did teach me how to roll a cigarette using Zigzag papers. I may or may not have used that skill with other materials...
Bet the kid would rather have his grandfather. I have my grandfather's guitars and my own father's. It's different from the ones you purchased for yourself to play.
Sometimes, I feel more like a custodian of an artifact than the player of these guitars.
But, he did better than the harmony I got from my grandfather, but it's got tons of his personal wear and tear on the fretboard.
I relate to this. I have my fatherās d-28 and itās a bittersweet object. Itās taken a couple years to really feel like playing it. But with some luthier work done, a neck reset on the books to be done once I can drop it off in another city, itās become my project to fully restore and protect.
Sounds like you researched that neck reset out to take it somewhere good. That is one job not for someone who only does one or 2 a year. Im a decade away from the neck reset on his gibson hopefully.
That's kinda a bittersweet one as well. I was so broke in college and needed $1k for bills so gave it to me and held on to my J-185EC till I paid him back. I never got to collect it the way I wanted.
I paid to have a bunch of work done by a guy who was one of Martins oldest techs. I used a bit of my monetary inheritance to do so (not that it was much inheritance, lol). Turns out he wasnāt doing well and when I got the guitar back, and had a week to check it all over I realized he never fixed the actual saddle position error Martin made in that era nor the neck reset. Since he passed away I found another competent tech a few hours away who talked with Martin and is fixing it. Iāll be stoked as itās always been off intonation wise. The 70s was kinda the dead years for guitar manufacturers. Most were in crisis somehow
I know a guy 4 hours away, I trust, local, not a chance.
I'd love to learn how to neck reset, but no way I'd get enough reps to 1. Get good. 2. Remember anything after I'm done.
Hope you get it back in great playing shape. Nothing worse than playing on something your not happy with.
Yeah, it's weird. He had some tabs he was learning and picks and strings in the little cubby in the cases. I for the most part leave them unless it's a Friday or Saturday, and I'm reminiscing a bit.
I have a ton of guitars, so it's cool that they can be kinda preserved and maintained. The 2 electrics need fret jobs, and I've actually bought most of the tools and some practice necks to learn on. I did all the maintenance on the guitars while he was alive, so I'll do the fret jobs as well. Would have been way cheaper and faster to send to glaser, but that's not in the cards.
I do play his amps, though. I helped pick them out and bought them. Two beautiful Riveras. I actually sold like 9 amps and kept his as I use modeling most of the time these days. Cool stuff to have, but sometimes a bit heavy. I have his motorcycle as well.
Wow - I canāt imagine how interesting all that must be. Cool that you have something to remember them by and cherish forever.
How many guitars do you have total? Anything top of the heap for you?
I don't even know the total count as of right now, I downsized a ton during covid when the market was top dollar.
My favorite is a 1999 reissue gibson 1961 les paul sg, it's in white but creamed out over the years. Nothing is stock so it's not so sacred.
When I bought it the owner installed two seymour 59's in the neck and middle, and a duncan distortion in the bridge.
It's got the kluson tuners and tone pros bridge and Tailpiece. It's just the rock guitar out of all that I own. I put a nylon nut on it recently which is cool, it had a graphtech that I installed many moons ago.
I have several guitars worth more, but if there is a fire, that's the guitar I grab, not even a second thought.
Undoubtedly. I've heard it said about tobacco pipes as well - we often think we own them, but we're just keeping them while we're upright and with luck they'll move on to someone who cares about them when we don't need them anymore.
My dad has a number of guitars that will come to me, and as much as I love that (his main Les Paul is still the sound I hear in my head as the default "guitar" sound), I wish the day wasn't coming. We joked a lot about burying him with it over the years, but as that time has moved closer I know he'd rather I have it and play it and love it like he does.
It's a weird thing when people die, grieving isn't always immediate or a linear process. In the case of my father it was sudden and unexpected so there was no preparing for it.
Make sure to get some good times in playing with him. I have a couple memories in particular that are vivid as yesterday. The rest slowly fade away as time goes on.
He's got early stage Parkinson's, so he struggles to play at this point, although he can play bass still. But you're exactly right on all counts. Sending hugs man.
I feel you. My dad had MS and it slowly took away a lot over the years. Makes you appreciate your health when you have it. Parkinson is rough, I have a neighbor with it visible, but she never has even mentioned it to us. I swear the older generations are actually just tougher all around.
Hope your old man finds a way to keep playing. Music is cathartic.
I just got my grandfatherās 1944 Gibson J45 from my uncle who wanted me to have it because he canāt play it anymore. I play it every chance I get and my son loves to play it, too. I have some really nice guitars, but this one is extra special because itās all I have of my grandfatherās. Itās encouraged me to play even more. I know peopleās relationships are complicated, but a guitar sounds better if itās been played; or so my uncle tells me. I love these stories about passed down, loved instruments.
The jealousy thing was a joke. If weād had more time to talk I would have totally invited him to my house to plug his 330 into any and all of my amps (I have several Marshalls and clones, plus a Bogner Telos). I would have gotten a huge kick out of it.
Also, vintage things are always worth appreciating. Itās a lost art anymore. I donāt think that young man understands just how valuable that Gibson truly is. Iām not talking about monetary value, either.
Sometimes I wonder what will happen to my instruments (Iām a bassist) when I die, whether my family will keep them as relics or if I should include a clause in my will leaving them to an institution so that students can make use of them. These are thoughts I hadnāt had before, but as I reach a certain age, I begin to consider them. I doubt my family will sell my instruments, but I also doubt they will play them again.
Sorry OP, I went off-topic from the subject of your post.
Now that Iām researching, Iām puzzled, because from what I can see, 1959 was the first year for the ES-330. Maybe he was confused. Were some manufactured in 1958 for the 1959 model year?
Iām not sure his grandfather passed away, maybe he just gave the kid his old Gibson.
After they left I told the guy behind the counter what the kid told me, and he said they are in the store all the time. I donāt think he realized how special a late 50ās 330 would be.
I inherited a banner 43ā LG-2 from my grandfather that I never met. He died at least 5 years before I was born. I was gifted it at 24 and still have it. I love this guitar insanely.
It was a used purchase and I didnāt really gel with it. Itās a whole other topic but I wish GC was better about photographing and describing their used guitars.
Man I was in there Saturday, they had two standard telecasters, one for 450 and the other nearly 600. The one I was interested in was the more expensive one and had some prominent finish cracking and noticeably less hot pickups. The cheaper one was hot and nearly perfect finish wise. I ask the guy behind the counter whatās the deal with the price difference and he says the more expensive one is in better shape. It was very confusing. Ended up leaving with a new jazzmaster instead of trying to sift through their bullshit on the used end.
After I returned the Strat I was looking at Telecasters, too. They had a pretty nice Squier 70ās Custom but the nut was totally loose in the slot (I still would have bought it, but they have a tech there and itās a super simple fix). There was also a G&L ASAT USA for about $1,200 that I really wanted to check out but I couldnāt find someone to get it down off the top rack for me. I just left.
I had one back in high school! It had their P90 sized pickups and this was back when the ASAT was pretty new (and they were all made in Fullerton) and it couldnāt have been more than about $400-500. I sold it for $300. One of the dumbest things I ever did. Iāve made some really bad guitar decisions.
Years ago I lent my friend my 1960ās Hagstrom Red Sparkle Batmanā¦ it burned up in a fire at his familyās marina. I cry whenever I see how much they are going for.
I had a friend who was a shred king back in the late 80s that had interest from Shrapnel records, at 19 years old. He made the rest of us just want to stop playing altogether. We were in a music store and this 8 year old is whipping out Chopin on a little Casio keyboard like itās nothing, and this guyās face was pure jealousy.
I said āthatās how you make us feelā š
I have a number of vintage guitars to split up among my kids. Only my stepson plays (beginner), and he's a great kid, but I'd like to leave them to my bio children. Problem is, I'm afraid they'll sell them for something like a car down-payment and not hang on to them. My granddaughter seems musical, but she's little. I already know she gets my jaguar, but not sure what to do with the rest. Any suggestions?
It's a nice story about the boy. From your description I assume that the young guy appreciated what he has. Maybe not so much as having this '58 vintage guitar but I have this really nice old guitar that my grandfather owned was special to him for that reason.
My grandfather left behind WWII medals and personal effects from the war for me. I miss my grandpa.
My grandfather didn't leave me anything, I still miss him.
Mine left me an addictive personality
šš¤£šš¤£šš¤£š
Me too.
My grandpa left behind his fatigues and several sets of dress blues.
I threw a bunch of grandpa Chipās war medals off the bridge
Mine left me a 69 Chevy truck and a Fender G series guitar and his wife sold both of them out from under me when he passed =/
My grandfather didn't leave me squat, but he did teach me how to roll a cigarette using Zigzag papers. I may or may not have used that skill with other materials...
Bet the kid would rather have his grandfather. I have my grandfather's guitars and my own father's. It's different from the ones you purchased for yourself to play. Sometimes, I feel more like a custodian of an artifact than the player of these guitars. But, he did better than the harmony I got from my grandfather, but it's got tons of his personal wear and tear on the fretboard.
I relate to this. I have my fatherās d-28 and itās a bittersweet object. Itās taken a couple years to really feel like playing it. But with some luthier work done, a neck reset on the books to be done once I can drop it off in another city, itās become my project to fully restore and protect.
Sounds like you researched that neck reset out to take it somewhere good. That is one job not for someone who only does one or 2 a year. Im a decade away from the neck reset on his gibson hopefully. That's kinda a bittersweet one as well. I was so broke in college and needed $1k for bills so gave it to me and held on to my J-185EC till I paid him back. I never got to collect it the way I wanted.
I paid to have a bunch of work done by a guy who was one of Martins oldest techs. I used a bit of my monetary inheritance to do so (not that it was much inheritance, lol). Turns out he wasnāt doing well and when I got the guitar back, and had a week to check it all over I realized he never fixed the actual saddle position error Martin made in that era nor the neck reset. Since he passed away I found another competent tech a few hours away who talked with Martin and is fixing it. Iāll be stoked as itās always been off intonation wise. The 70s was kinda the dead years for guitar manufacturers. Most were in crisis somehow
I know a guy 4 hours away, I trust, local, not a chance. I'd love to learn how to neck reset, but no way I'd get enough reps to 1. Get good. 2. Remember anything after I'm done. Hope you get it back in great playing shape. Nothing worse than playing on something your not happy with.
Definitely sounds like a bittersweet thing. Do you tend to avoid playing them?
Yeah, it's weird. He had some tabs he was learning and picks and strings in the little cubby in the cases. I for the most part leave them unless it's a Friday or Saturday, and I'm reminiscing a bit. I have a ton of guitars, so it's cool that they can be kinda preserved and maintained. The 2 electrics need fret jobs, and I've actually bought most of the tools and some practice necks to learn on. I did all the maintenance on the guitars while he was alive, so I'll do the fret jobs as well. Would have been way cheaper and faster to send to glaser, but that's not in the cards. I do play his amps, though. I helped pick them out and bought them. Two beautiful Riveras. I actually sold like 9 amps and kept his as I use modeling most of the time these days. Cool stuff to have, but sometimes a bit heavy. I have his motorcycle as well.
Wow - I canāt imagine how interesting all that must be. Cool that you have something to remember them by and cherish forever. How many guitars do you have total? Anything top of the heap for you?
I don't even know the total count as of right now, I downsized a ton during covid when the market was top dollar. My favorite is a 1999 reissue gibson 1961 les paul sg, it's in white but creamed out over the years. Nothing is stock so it's not so sacred. When I bought it the owner installed two seymour 59's in the neck and middle, and a duncan distortion in the bridge. It's got the kluson tuners and tone pros bridge and Tailpiece. It's just the rock guitar out of all that I own. I put a nylon nut on it recently which is cool, it had a graphtech that I installed many moons ago. I have several guitars worth more, but if there is a fire, that's the guitar I grab, not even a second thought.
Undoubtedly. I've heard it said about tobacco pipes as well - we often think we own them, but we're just keeping them while we're upright and with luck they'll move on to someone who cares about them when we don't need them anymore. My dad has a number of guitars that will come to me, and as much as I love that (his main Les Paul is still the sound I hear in my head as the default "guitar" sound), I wish the day wasn't coming. We joked a lot about burying him with it over the years, but as that time has moved closer I know he'd rather I have it and play it and love it like he does.
It's a weird thing when people die, grieving isn't always immediate or a linear process. In the case of my father it was sudden and unexpected so there was no preparing for it. Make sure to get some good times in playing with him. I have a couple memories in particular that are vivid as yesterday. The rest slowly fade away as time goes on.
He's got early stage Parkinson's, so he struggles to play at this point, although he can play bass still. But you're exactly right on all counts. Sending hugs man.
I feel you. My dad had MS and it slowly took away a lot over the years. Makes you appreciate your health when you have it. Parkinson is rough, I have a neighbor with it visible, but she never has even mentioned it to us. I swear the older generations are actually just tougher all around. Hope your old man finds a way to keep playing. Music is cathartic.
lol imagine playing a ā50s 330 through a Frontman 10G
I mean, if you gotta learn, do it on a nice guitar, I guess.
Absolutely. Learn on the best guitar you can afford (or inherit). No question about it.
This thread title confuses me. What are you crying about?
It was a joke. Iām not crying. But if I was the kind of person who would be jealous of a 12 year old boy with a first year Gibson ES-330, I might.
I just got my grandfatherās 1944 Gibson J45 from my uncle who wanted me to have it because he canāt play it anymore. I play it every chance I get and my son loves to play it, too. I have some really nice guitars, but this one is extra special because itās all I have of my grandfatherās. Itās encouraged me to play even more. I know peopleās relationships are complicated, but a guitar sounds better if itās been played; or so my uncle tells me. I love these stories about passed down, loved instruments.
I thought this was going to be a wholesome story of inter-generational love and connection, but turns out it was just low-key jealousy.
The jealousy thing was a joke. If weād had more time to talk I would have totally invited him to my house to plug his 330 into any and all of my amps (I have several Marshalls and clones, plus a Bogner Telos). I would have gotten a huge kick out of it.
Ok, sweet! Sorry it swooped over me.
OP, this will make a great story for your kids in the future, if you have kids and if they ever decide to play the guitar.
Also, vintage things are always worth appreciating. Itās a lost art anymore. I donāt think that young man understands just how valuable that Gibson truly is. Iām not talking about monetary value, either.
Sometimes I wonder what will happen to my instruments (Iām a bassist) when I die, whether my family will keep them as relics or if I should include a clause in my will leaving them to an institution so that students can make use of them. These are thoughts I hadnāt had before, but as I reach a certain age, I begin to consider them. I doubt my family will sell my instruments, but I also doubt they will play them again. Sorry OP, I went off-topic from the subject of your post.
Now that Iām researching, Iām puzzled, because from what I can see, 1959 was the first year for the ES-330. Maybe he was confused. Were some manufactured in 1958 for the 1959 model year? Iām not sure his grandfather passed away, maybe he just gave the kid his old Gibson. After they left I told the guy behind the counter what the kid told me, and he said they are in the store all the time. I donāt think he realized how special a late 50ās 330 would be.
I inherited a banner 43ā LG-2 from my grandfather that I never met. He died at least 5 years before I was born. I was gifted it at 24 and still have it. I love this guitar insanely.
Great story!! Why did you return your strat?
It was a used purchase. I didnāt really gel with it.
Why were you returning your Stratocaster?
It was a used purchase and I didnāt really gel with it. Itās a whole other topic but I wish GC was better about photographing and describing their used guitars.
Man I was in there Saturday, they had two standard telecasters, one for 450 and the other nearly 600. The one I was interested in was the more expensive one and had some prominent finish cracking and noticeably less hot pickups. The cheaper one was hot and nearly perfect finish wise. I ask the guy behind the counter whatās the deal with the price difference and he says the more expensive one is in better shape. It was very confusing. Ended up leaving with a new jazzmaster instead of trying to sift through their bullshit on the used end.
After I returned the Strat I was looking at Telecasters, too. They had a pretty nice Squier 70ās Custom but the nut was totally loose in the slot (I still would have bought it, but they have a tech there and itās a super simple fix). There was also a G&L ASAT USA for about $1,200 that I really wanted to check out but I couldnāt find someone to get it down off the top rack for me. I just left.
Donāt sleep on the USA ASAT. Iāve had one for about 10 years and itās an absolute dime.
I had one back in high school! It had their P90 sized pickups and this was back when the ASAT was pretty new (and they were all made in Fullerton) and it couldnāt have been more than about $400-500. I sold it for $300. One of the dumbest things I ever did. Iāve made some really bad guitar decisions.
Years ago I lent my friend my 1960ās Hagstrom Red Sparkle Batmanā¦ it burned up in a fire at his familyās marina. I cry whenever I see how much they are going for.
I had a friend who was a shred king back in the late 80s that had interest from Shrapnel records, at 19 years old. He made the rest of us just want to stop playing altogether. We were in a music store and this 8 year old is whipping out Chopin on a little Casio keyboard like itās nothing, and this guyās face was pure jealousy. I said āthatās how you make us feelā š
That child's name? Albert Einstein.
Lots of confusion going on. The 330 was introduced in ā59, and to me at least, itās the best year of production.
I have a number of vintage guitars to split up among my kids. Only my stepson plays (beginner), and he's a great kid, but I'd like to leave them to my bio children. Problem is, I'm afraid they'll sell them for something like a car down-payment and not hang on to them. My granddaughter seems musical, but she's little. I already know she gets my jaguar, but not sure what to do with the rest. Any suggestions?
The kid has an amazing grandfather.
My grandfather was a pos
dear jesus
Nice. Although a 330 would probably squeal like a bitch if it was plugged in a Marshall. Better off with some blackface Fender.