In 1962, as a 13 year old boy growing up in California,
I saved my money (earned on a paper route delivering L.A. Herald Examiners)
to buy my first guitar: a Sears Silvertone “Folk Guitar”.

According to the Sears website, Silvertones were popular with young musicians
because of their solid construction and inexpensive pricing.
The Sears Silvertone guitar really made its mark in music history
as the unofficial "first guitar" of guitar's icons.
Chet Atkins, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix,
among many others, played their first chords on a Sears Silvertone.

Just a couple of years later, Surf music hit California
and all guitar players had to go electric.
Again I saved my money (this time bagging groceries just for tips)
and bought a Fender Jaguar.
“The Fender Jaguar guitar was introduced in 1962.
The Jaguar was originally marketed and seen as a surf guitar,
along with its sister guitar, the Fender Jazzmaster
both of which became popular among surf rock groups
in the early to mid 1960s.”- Wikipedia

I played many gigs with our group called “The Talismen”.
I played that guitar until I joined the Army in 1967.
There have been a few guitars since then but you always remember your first.

Nowadays, I have this guitar: A rosewood Washburn D-11.
I haven’t played professionally since 1967
but get a glass of wine in me and I’m liable to break into
“The House of the Rising Sun”.