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About this blog…

THE illustrated story of my love affair with all things guitar…though it has to be pointed out, I don’t currently own anything like 43 guitars! This blog was initially inspired by my pal Ron Sayer’s excellent “42 Guitars” video blog (apparently, he still has all of his and has been playing a different one of them online every day during the lockdown!).
I knew my lifetime tally would beat that – hence the title – my current estimate is that this series will top 50 guitars – electrics, acoustics, resonators, cheap guitars, expensive guitars, classic guitars and the odd weird and wonderful guitar thrown in for good measure.
But first, a bit of background…
My rock’n’roll career, such as it has been, started, not as a singer, or a harmonica or guitar player, but as a bass player.
I was just 19. I’d started my first proper job and had a modest disposable income, which meant at long last, I could contemplate posing in front of the mirror with something other than a tennis racquet… My dreadfully Hyacyth Bucket-esque mum had refused point-blank to let me have a guitar while I lived at home. I probably could’ve had a violin, (no thanks mum!), but not a guitar.
It was 1977. Punk Rock was going strong, but slowly morphing into something called New Wave (which, basically meant you could use synthesisers as well as Woolworths guitars and you no longer had to wear safety pins, or trousers with straps binding the knees together, much to the relief of all concerned.)
The New Musical Express was trying to ferment new talent, offering free ads for budding musos looking for bands. It was one such ad that I, as a wannabe singer, answered – only to find the other guys also wanted to be singers. So one of us agreed to learn the guitar, while muggins decided to play bass.

Now read on… feel free to dip in and out, though if you want to read it in chronological order, you’ll have to start at the bottom and work your way up.
I hope you enjoy the ride!