Observations from an old guy

[Coldnose]

I got my first guitar in 1964 or so. I have owned many guitars over the years and enjoyed all of them. None of them have been what one would consider "great" guitars but they have all been good or at least adequate. A couple of days ago my wife bought me a Gibson J-45 for my 70th birthday. My observation is don't wait till you are 70 to get a great guitar. Go for it NOW you will not be sorry. All of my current guitars are nice but none of them inspire me to play more than this one. Having what I consider a pro quality instrument is not only inspiring but one of the best ways to realize your potential.

[Treky]

This is good advice! But bad for my credit card!

[woodshop]

Congrats and enjoy! I'll catch you later this year, but my wife doesn't know guitars like yours!

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Coldnose

I got my first guitar in 1964 or so. I have owned many guitars over the years and enjoyed all of them. None of them have been what one would consider "great" guitars but they have all been good or at least adequate. A couple of days ago my wife bought me a Gibson J-45 for my 70th birthday. My observation is don't wait till you are 70 to get a great guitar. Go for it NOW you will not be sorry. All of my current guitars are nice but none of them inspire me to play more than this one. Having what I consider a pro quality instrument is not only inspiring but one of the best ways to realize your potential.

You're not too far ahead of me - first guitar in 1969. I've been lucky to own some great instruments over the years, but at some point I went "all in" and prioritized getting a few special instruments as opposed to a collection of "good". My main bass guitar was crazy expensive (and my wife encouraged me to get it - she's a keeper) but it inspires me to go places I wouldn't normally tread and after 10 years I still find it sublime. Coming back to guitar after a long layoff, that mindset is carrying over, though I find I'm having to figure out what setup is going to be the best fit given the realities of age/wear/tear (on me, not the guitar). So some experiments have to take place before going into the deep end.

As long as the bills are paid, I gladly prioritize funds to getting something I really want as opposed to good enough. Buy once, cry once.

[PTony]

Agreed! But we could also add..better late then never! Happy for you, sir. Congratulations! Your wife has great taste in guitars btw.

[srick]

I couldn’t agree more. I commissioned a Fairbanks Custom J35 and its completion coincided with my retirement year (age 68). This guitar is helping my ability grow in so many ways; it wants to be played. My hope and dream is that we will be together playing music for a very long time to come. There’s a very special story about how this guitar came to be and the spirit that drove its creation.
The story is here

To anyone waffling about getting spending thousands on a guitar, remember: you’ll be dead a long time. I can’t say enough about how engrossing the custom process is and how rewarding to know that you not only receive a unique instrument, but you helped support a luthier and his\her craft.

There are many lesser known luthiers that are still selling instruments for under $3000 - don’t write them off!

Congratulations on your J45! I hope that you both play together for many years to come!

[Bob from Brooklyn]

You got a lot of years left! Enjoy it!!

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Coldnose

I got my first guitar in 1964 or so. I have owned many guitars over the years and enjoyed all of them. None of them have been what one would consider "great" guitars but they have all been good or at least adequate. A couple of days ago my wife bought me a Gibson J-45 for my 70th birthday. My observation is don't wait till you are 70 to get a great guitar. Go for it NOW you will not be sorry. All of my current guitars are nice but none of them inspire me to play more than this one. Having what I consider a pro quality instrument is not only inspiring but one of the best ways to realize your potential.

I agree! I'm glad you got a nice guitar; and how nice of your wife to buy this for you!

- Glenn

[Stevien]

And to go a step further, yes you do have a good guitar, but I get the feeling you have a GREAT wife!
Steve

[gmel555]

Good advice from the voice of experience. Welcome to the forum and enjoy that nice, new Gibson!

[McCawber]

Got my first guitar in 1960 - a decent Harmony Sovereign. At least I thought so until I joined a group in college with a guy who had a D-18. I bought a Martin small body a few years later and finally upgraded to new D-28 in 1967. I didn't play well enough to own that kind of guitar but it sure kept my interest in playing. I still own it. Life is short - find the best instrument you can.

My wife wouldn't be able to pick out a great J-45 or Martin, but that guitar helped me find her.

[Mandobart]

Good advice! I've played a lot of stringed instruments over the past 48 years, many guitars over the past 45.

I got my first really good guitar when I bought my Martin HD-28 just a little under 2 years ago. Within the first few hours of putting a new set of strings on I thought "I should have done this many years ago."

[Ed66]

Originally Posted by Stevien

And to go a step further, yes you do have a good guitar, but I get the feeling you have a GREAT wife!
Steve

I'll second this; sounds like she's a keeper

[Sage Runner]

From another old guy. Congrats on that J-45. May you enjoy countless hours making that Gibson sing. Every man needs a wife that gives birthday presents like that 👍

[Jim Owen]

Happy 70th. And that’s good advice for the youngsters. As long as the bills are paid, buy a good guitar.

And a good J 45 is worth waiting for.