I found again my Taylor friends! I have been learning the guitar for the past year. I'm now 65 and my journey started with a "guitar in a box" given to me by my wife on my 64th birthday. My wife thought I might like taking up the guitar! The next day I went to our local music store to sign up for a months worth of weekly lessons included in my gift. I quickly gravitated to better guitars. The store owner allowed me to trade-up from the $100 classical through a series of classicals and steel strings to my first keeper, 6 weeks later a Yamaha LL16. My guitar teacher Doug subtly planted the seed that there was a whole world of fine guitars out there for me to discover while at the same time assuring me that my LL16 was all I would need If I chose to stay with one instrument. The AGF quickly exposed me to guitar heaven! I then went to various guitar stores, The Fret House, Mc Cabes and GC etc., and found the Taylors and Martins that i love. Then then I found Ted at L.A. Guitars last March and bought my Taylor 2010 814 CE fall ltd. short scale! Then as my son-in-laws birthday approached I called Ted in April and we discussed options and I bought one of his custom Martin OM 15's. I liked it so much that I then bought one for myself 2 weeks later. My lessons have continued through the months and in August through the great Martin California rep, Joe Mac, whom I emailed following a Martin Clinic in July that I was going to NYC in August to visit my daughter and son-in-law and could he arrange for me to tour the Martin Custom Shop when I visit Nazareth in mid-August? Within 30 minutes of my sending the email to Joe Mac, at 6:30 AM I received a call from Scott at Martin inviting me to take a personal guided tour! I have to say that my experience that day was wonderful. Scot took me on a 2 1/2 tour and also bought me lunch across the street. During lunch I asked him why he did such a wonderful thing for me as I am a "nobody" in the music world? His response was "because you asked". That was one of the great days of my life! My skill is steadily improving and as soon as I have mastered the basic scales and some music theory I will then purchase my "dream guitar". Probably either a Martin OM 28 Marquis or Santa Cruz OM, now that R Taylor is no more. BTW, How I got the name Solosdad, Is a result of my dog named Solo. He is a 12 year old Weimaraner, an AKC champion and was a litter of one! Hence giving him the name Solo!
Bob Millner
Yamaha LL16
2010 Taylor 814ce Fall Ltd., short scale
Martin OM 15 Custom
