My first guitar was a used acoustic that my parents bought for my birthday in 1967. I don't remember the make, however, I have kept one of my earliest guitars, a German-made Framus with serial number 007026 (see picture). This guitar is still playable and has a deep rich sound. I played guitar through my high school years (1969-73) at beach parties, school shows, and in a teenage band of friends. Our band even got paid $25 to play at a birthday party - since the group had four members, that was $6.25 each!
My current guitar is a Taylor Custom 414ce made in California. The shape of the neck and easy action make this an ideal match for my hands which have developed osteoarthritis in the joints since 2006. This guitar has seen lots of work over the years from Freeman's Little New York in Lower Sackville to the Hants County Exhibition in Windsor. The strings I use are Elixir Lights 12-53 for a great sound and long life. Most of my songs are performed with large, flexible triangle flat pics but I use finger style for a few songs. This year I bought a capo for the first time since the late 60s. Playing without a capo for over 55 years allowed me to develop strong fingers for barre chords, and the ability to play songs in any key. My playing style includes a lot of damping with both hands, and using pick rotation for staccato with the pick's points and legato with the edges. To facilitate rotation and to prevent dropping my pick, I make a hole in the centre of the pick with a one-hole punch. It is rare that I drop a pick while playing.
