The drums where always my first instrument of choice but just not practical in a house.   I picked up a guitar, to really learn to play, for the first time around November 2002.  I remember it was an old $35 acoustic with nasty steel strings.  Being 33 at the time, I didn't know if it was even possible to learn this type of instrument, but I set my mind to it.  It took forever to get the calluses built up on my fingers to even start on a book. I plugged away for a couple of months, learning the simple notes and them classic starter songs (ala, Ode to Joy!).  Then Larry brought this $260 Ibanez Acoustic over and this was like night and day! By the end of the week I was at the pawn shop and upgraded to a Fender Squire Strat for $135 and an amp. Since then, I haven't been able to stop playing. I make it a point to pick the think up every day, even if it's for ten minutes.

After a year or so, we decided to start dwelling into the mechanics of what makes a good guitar. We took 'em apart, put 'em back together, and before long, we had 'em sounding better and better. We built several just for fun, trying to make them something the be proud of. 

I still have the old Fender, but it sits in it's case most of the time.  My son, Beau, has now started strumming it...who knows, maybe he's the next Eddie Van Halen. 

ESP M-100FM - The low end Kirk Hammett model (as if you couldn't guess).  Plays very nice, and the most comfortable guitar I own.  This one is the most played.

2004 BC Rich Virgo - This one is a looker.  A mid level BC Rich produced in 2004.  It's unique shape and all around evil look, I just had to have it.  I leave it tuned down a step for Slayer and the like.

Black BC Rich Warlock Maiden Project - My first true project guitar.  Built from a fairly new Warlock body and the neck from a Kerry King. The graphic was difficult to choose, but, looking for a fairly simple one to layout, I chose the Eddie Terminator full body graphic to cover only the corner. BUT, after enlarging it several times, I decided to cover as much of the body as I could. I also wanted something on the back, and the album cover from Piece of Mind has always been one of my favorites. [start to finish project pics]

Click here for BC Rich Warlock "Pickle" project for my daughter