I've had a number of guitars, electric and acoustic, just given to me, and given a few away myself.

[Buttcrust]

My 2 kids were in the Jr. and Sr. High School bands. They have kept in touch with many of their co-performers. Some have obtained guitars, but didn't continue to play (they were sax, clarinet and "horn" players.) Some just up and gave me their guitars. I have also given away a few to kids that said they "would practice" and "want to learn guitar too". Have you ever had a guitar given to you, or given one (or more) away ? I've also sold a few for much less than what (I believe) they are/were worth. You ?

[onelife]

Have you ever had a guitar given to you' date=' or given one (or more) away ?[/quote']

 

 

 

Yes, many, in both directions.

 

 

 

My "number one" is a Gibson Les Paul that was given to me by a friend. Guitars (and amplifiers) have knack for finding their way, via my studio, into the hands of those who need them.

 

 

[Buttcrust]

[papaschtroumpf]

Nope. Technically I "gave away" an acoustic to my brother in my early 20s, but really I moved out overseas and could only take my classical guitar with me.

 

I'd love to be given a guitar, should any of you feel so inclined

[Freeman Keller]

I have purchased a number of yard sale junkers for as little as I can get by with, fixed them up and given them to a local music program. It gives me a chance to hone my repair chops and some kid gets a playable guitar that he/she couldn't other wise afford. Over at the Acoustic side of the forum we did this as a group thing - someone would donate a guitar, someone else strings, a case, shipping costs. I'd do what I could to make it playable and a forumite would get the results. We called them "capers"

 

I've also built and given away several guitars to get more experience building. A couple I sold for the cost of materials, now I'm trying to at least cover my beer costs.

 

 

[Marko]

~~Only three instruments that I can remember...

 

When one of my nephews was young and saving up for an electric guitar, I gave him one of mine that was similar to what he was looking for.

 

Years later I find out that he was into acoustic and mentioned that he wanted an electric/acoustic, so I gave him my Alvarez RD20SC I had that was much nicer than what he was using.

 

My niece was doing some nice stuff on electric piano but it was a $200 pos, so I gave her a Casio I had… can’t remember the model, but it was a $600 keyboard with the $110 stand that I got all for $550, display unit at the local GC.

 

My neighbor/buddy came over to hang out one day and said his son was looking for advice on a cheap five-string bass, and I thought how I had a Squire Jazz V I’d give him, but then he said “but he doesn’t want a Fender-style bass”, so I thought “well, screw that kid”, haha.

[speakerjones]

My pop gave me his old 70's Epi acoustic which was my first guitar and later he bought me my first electric, a Kramer Striker. A few years ago he surprised me with yet another guitar for Christmas, a nice Epi LP Custom. My cousin gave me an Ibanez acoustic after deciding she wasn't going to learn how to play it. I've scored some other nice freebies. A good friend of mine left his Leslie cabinet with me when he moved out west. I scored some amazing vintage pedals as a Christmas bonus from an old boss.

 

 

 

I I haven't given away any guitars, though I've considered it, especially lately, as my collection needs some weeding out.

[Emory]

I've given lots of guitars away over the years, limit myself to 15 now: if I want a new one, give one away. I am too lazy to sell guitars, and besides they are sort of like my daughters.... (tho don't have any...). And lucky I don't need the money. Just want them to go to a good home. I had my fun with them (guitars... don't go there!).

[DeepEnd]

A couple of years ago, our other praise band guitarist needed a new guitar and I bought a lightly used Norman B20 with an L.R. Baggs M1 pickup installed and gave it to him. Cost me $300. A few years before that, when I was still maintaining the church web site, someone else decided I needed a decent computer and gave me a brand new HP and printer. I always figured when my turn came I ought to pay it forward. I routinely do free setups but that's the only guitar I've given away.

[badpenguin]

I've given away some of my lesser electrics to a couple of school district music programs. Same with a acoustic or two, to young people I had met, and who wanted them, but couldn't afford them.

I have been given a few, and after fixing them, gave them away to schools.

[wankdeplank]

No but a friend did give me a couple of pedals once when he left town. I had a Strat copy I gave to a musician friend that gambles too much and ends up hocking his stuff. I'm pretty sure that Strat is in some Pawn Shop by now..png.197c47f720636f02390cc2b0a33804da.png' alt='smiley-veryhappy'>

[KarlG]

I am blessed with more gear than I need. Last year I gave a pretty nice playing Squier Strat, and Bullet Reverb amp to a friend who had just gotten a divorce. He had played a little in the past and purchased RockBand and wanted to get back into it. I also gave him a Sansui integrated amp, and a couple Peavey PA speakers to connect to his computer.

 

Another time, maybe 10 years ago, I gave my friend's son an old 70's Global Hummingbird copy that I have gotten to play pretty well. He had an electric at the time so I don't think he played the Global much. He called me about a month ago and thanked me for that old guitar as he was getting back into playing again.

[Buttcrust]

​

[Bucksstudent]

I've given some away. I gave my Gretsch to my ex-girlfriend's father, and I also built him a Strat. I gave my Squier Jagstang to my neighbor because he wanted to learn how to play. I had a cool, cheap acoustic that I gave to a friend when she wanted to learn.

 

I have never had someone randomly give me a guitar or other piece of gear. I have an uncle who plays and owns some cool guitars, but he has kids who play. I've yet to find any guitars in my attic, but here's hoping.

[AJ6stringsting]

I've had guitar parts given to me pickups, necks and couple of bodies.

I gave a guitar away to an Armenian kid, who took lessons from me and who's parents were going thru financial hard times, it was a home assembled guitar, Squire neck with Mighty Mite Strat body. I taught him for free, just to keep him going and to keep his mind off his home financial situation.

 

[DeepEnd]

. . . I gave a guitar away to an Armenian kid, who took lessons from me and who's parents were going thru financial hard times, . . . I taught him for free, just to keep him going and to keep his mind off his home financial situation.

Good for you.

[AJ6stringsting]

They ended up moving to the San Fernando Valley, I still get e-mail from the kid and the Parents. He's turned into a pretty good guitarist , they're doing much better now , Financially

[AJ6stringsting]

Karma flows like a river .....

[Voltan]

Yeah, I've given a couple of classical guitars to a guy over in tally that teaches guitar to at risk youth...

[AJ6stringsting]

Yeah' date=' I've given a couple of classical guitars to a guy over in tally that teaches guitar to at risk youth... [/quote']

 

 

I'm thinking of doing the same thing in my neck of the woods. But it would be great to get others involved, bass players, drummers, vocalists and others, to keep kids out of trouble.

I've seen the power of music save lives ..... literally, my self included, I was a at risk youth back in the 1980's.

[Voltan]

one of my pets is an open mic at a little out of the way place that seems to attract the artist community... It's a mentor program as much as anything else and the negativity rampant elsewhere is amazingly rare... It's incredibly liberating helping others learn to fly...