My first guitar was a Framus which my parents bought secondhand from someone local to us. The Framus Solo is not the actual model but it looked very similar. It was beautiful and my absolute pride and joy but it was a total b**ch to play as the action was very high and totally unsuitable for a child beginner. How I managed to hold even the most basic of chords with my skinny fingers I really don’t know. I didn’t have a case for it and I remember taking it on the bus to school wrapped inside a large polythene bag - I felt so proud (for some reason!)

Having worked some evenings after school at a local grocers, I eventually saved up enough money to buy my dream guitar - an Eko Ranger 6. I remember the action was nice and low (my prime consideration) but it lacked tone being mass-produced and built to withstand missile attacks.

My next guitar was my first proper lefty and was an Aria Pro II PW70 which I bought new in 1980 and I still own today.  See Neglected Guitars.

I’ve dabbled with other guitars along the way including a rather cheap and basic Washburn Raven electric. But, most notably, I once owned a left-handed Rickenbacker 4001 Fireglow Bass which was just gorgeous but I couldn’t really play the thing (there’s a surprise!) so I traded it in for an Aria Pro II FA70 f-hole full bodied jazz style guitar.

During May 2006 I sold the three guitars below via eBay UK.  Each was collected locally as I didn’t have a hard case to send them via courier.  Having got my new Taylor Nylon Series I felt it was time to thin the herd...so I could make way for a couple more of course.

Aria Pro II FA70

Eko Ranger 6

Tanglewood Bass
TAB2 CE STO

Yamaha Acoustic
APX-6LA

LaPatrie Nylon
Presentation

For all of about 3 days in 2008, I had a brief encounter with a Martin 000-28 from GuitarGuitar in Edinburgh.  I selected this particular Martin as it has a 1 11/16” neck and it’s short scale but alas it didn’t do it for me in the tone department so back it went.  Shame as it was a nice player.

Martin 000-28

Site last updated: 23 August 2010