Like many, your first guitar isn’t necessarily anything special. I didn’t think that mine was, but 15 years later, here’s why mine is the most special in my collection.
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First Guitar Story
Not Technically My First Guitar
Okay, okay, you got me. The whole clickbait title analogy strikes again! The guitar that we’ll be looking at today wasn’t actually my first guitar, but my first electric guitar. Is that better?
On the 25th December, 2010, I was one of those lucky kids who got a new guitar for Christmas. Having had lessons and played on an acoustic guitar for the previous year, my parents had obviously decided that I was going to stick with this hobby. I’m glad I did!
At the time, did I know what brand it was? Probably not. Did I know what pickups it had? Not a chance. Did I love it? Absolutely. Allow me to indulge in some personal nostalgia as we look a little further into my first guitar.
2010 Squier Bullet Strat
What is it exactly? This is a 2010 Squier Bullet Stratocaster. The Bullet Strats were essentially Fender’s cheapest line of guitars. Arguably, sitting under the affinity name we know now. The Bullet name stood from the early 1980s, and was axed in 2023, preceded by the Sonic series.
Specs wise, this guitar has:
22 Frets
Slim C Profile Neck
42mm Nut
Alnico Single Coil Pickups
Modern Strat Wiring
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I would argue that from 2008-2012, the guitars that came out of the Cort Factory in China were absolutely spot on. Certainly of higher production quality than the equivalently priced examples today.
Learning To Play
I owe my honeymoon era of guitar playing to this guitar. What do I mean by that? From 2010 to 2014, I was at that age where I could absorb every riff and lick under the sun, and would practice from the moment that the sun rose until it set again. We’ve all been there.
Naturally, over the years, many other guitars have come and gone. Telecasters, a Gretsch, etc. However, this has always stuck around. From the factory, this was full Clapton spec. A black body with white knobs, pickup covers and scratch plate. For my 15-year-old self, this was a bit vanilla.
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Therefore, in 2017, I decided to do my first-ever guitar modifications. I replaced the pickguard with a chrome gold one, along with gold controls and a pickup selector. I don’t even like Spandau Ballet that much! Do I regret it? Perhaps, but they’ve now been on the guitar longer than anything else. Maybe it’s time for some gold hardware next?
On The Road
Whilst at high school, like many, I started a band with some friends. Again, there were other guitars on the scene, but I kept going back to the Strat for gigs.
First Guitar – On The Road · Source: George Loveridge
The versatility of the Strat has been praised by many for years. So, there’s no need to go into that again. However, for the covers/function band that I was in, this guitar could do everything I needed. Be that punk, funk, or flippin‘ awful contemporary chart hits, I could get some good tones out of it.
In terms of battle scars, I have been able to keep my first guitar trouble-free. I’ve been plagued with the classic Strat input jack woes, but otherwise it’s been faithfully reliable.
Gerry And The Pacemakers
Way before I really bonded with my first guitar, as I have now, my humble Bullet Strat was used by a three-time No.1 artist from the 1960s. By some complete accident, Gerry Marsden gigged with my guitar!
First Guitar – Gerry Marsden · Source: George Loveridge
The prominent and talented Merseybeat guitarist and singer, Gerry Marsden, sadly left us in 2021. However, I was fortunate enough to know him before then. Whilst sound checking for a local charity church fundraiser, (a typical save our roof campaign), it transpired that Gerry’s lovely Martin acoustic wasn’t coming through the PA system.
Jokingly, we offered Gerry’s tech my guitar to use, and somehow, it was suitable for the gig! Being a charity event, there is sadly no footage of this performance. However, from the image above, you can see Gerry with the guitar, me, and my younger brother.
He was also kind enough to sign the back plate, as well as this print of the photo. It reads:
To George, thanks for the box! Gerry
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Lots of us remember our first everything. Car, house, guitar, time… I love that I’ve held onto this lump of Chinese imitation American wood. Sure, it could really do with a new set of frets, and the pickups are quite hissy, but that doesn’t really matter.
Along with the celebrity provenance, years of playing and gigging experience, it’s an all time hero in my collection and it’s one that I’d keep over the rest.
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