And Then...The first good electric came home...

This is my first Fender Telecaster Circa 1966 or 1967.

I still love how the early Fender guitars had what they eventually called the "Ashtray Cover"

that would be the silver part by my wrist that covers the Bridge where the strings connect through the body. Anyway I figure I was about 16 here. This was my room at my Mother's house.

I believe my friend Terri took the picture. I bought this and a few other Fender guitars from one of my local guitar shops. This one came from Lopez Music. Mr. Lopez friended me when I was a lot younger than 16. I would have to say I was about 10 when I met him. He had his little shop on the corner of 14th and E St. just next to the parking lot of the first McDonalds. We lived on 14th then.

Mr. Lopez was a wizard. He played many instruments and would show me his talents whenever I visited. He used to talk to me and that was really what I wanted at 10 was someone to talk to.

Lopez music I would find out later was owned by the king of the 1932 Worlds Fair in Seattle.

It was the reason they built the Space needle with the revolving restaurant at the top. So Mr. Lopez had a special place in musical history then. He was the orchestra leader of the worlds largest Marimba Orchestra at the time 132 Pieces and I remember he told me that. I was privy

to going back behind the counter to see the photo's he had framed on his office wall. You knew you had made it when Mr. Lopez let you into his office.

This particular guitar opened doors for me. I was considered I believe a better player or at least an established one by my piers. Just goes to show ya how a new car or super duper refrigerator can impress. But that guitar did lead me into Jeff Beck for starters and bands like Edgar Winters Band "Frankenstein" was a Hugh song for them. Me and that guitar learned quite a bit of new music and played in a few new bands. But I must say I was at that point in my life still considered an acoustic guitar player. Little did they know...And the beat went on...

Dodgers hat on the curtains... Kennedy Bust on my dresser and a Rams bobblehead too boot.

Happy Days

LB