Guitar in your posession the longest?

[pauln]

About 40 years.

[Bach5G]

I still have the Harmony Sovereign I got for my 11th birthday.

I’ll be 65 in May.

[Patlotch]

the longest guitar in my possession measures between 1 and 2 meters, I would have to check more precisely

[Zina]

Patlotch, a 6'6" guitar would make you look like a smurf with a Stromberg!

[oldane]

A 1961 ES175D which I bought in 1973, which means I have had it for 47 years. I don't play it much anymore as my tastes have moved away from its very slim (front to back) neck profile. By now, it could well use some loving care by a competent luthier (refret, new nut, better fit of bridge base etc.), but since I use it so little, I haven't had it done yet.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I do sort of own one which I have had even longer than the 175. In 1967, when I was a teenager, I bought a Höfner 456 for a very low sum from a bric-a-brac shop in Copenhagen. Back then it was considered a low end guitar and the price I payed reflected that. It was to replace it with something better I got the 175 six years later. Thinking back, it was actually a quite good guitar, but for me as a young person, the name Gibson on the headstock of its replacement was kind of a status symbol. Formally I still own the Höfner but it has been on loan to a friend and colleque uninterruptedly since 1979. He still has it in his house and plays it now and then - so that's where it stays.

[Patlotch]

Patlotch, a 6'6" guitar would make you look like a smurf with a Stromberg!

vous connaissez l'expression française « À celui qui aura la plus longue », je suppose

[sgosnell]

The one I've had the longest is a Gibson J45 that I bought with my first parachute pay in Columbus, GA in 1970. I seldom play it, but it has more sentimental value than it's worth in a sale, so I've kept it.

[Gitterbug]

My oldest is a cheap but good-sounding Spanish tourist guitar which my parents brought to me in 1963. After years of demise (a wasp's nest inside etc.) I fixed it in the 1980s, and it's now a wall decoration at our country home. Around 1966, our Swedish neighbor on the opposite side of the street contracted throat cancer and forced his 1940s Levin guitar lute upon me. Another wall decoration. Abstained from playing for almost 25 years, so the first and oldest present-era guitar is an Epi Emperor Regent from 1999. Will outlast me for sure.

[brad4d8]

My Guild F-212, got it new in August, 1965, Been with me ever since.


Second oldest, my Mark V classical, got new in '74 or so, here waiting for new strings.

[Gitfiddler]

The guitar I've owned the longest is the one my Dad bought for me when I was 13. It's an extraordinarily crappy, full hollowbody Harmony Stratotone that has been modified to the extreme, over the years. In the early 70's I had the original single DeArmond gold foil pickup removed and replaced with two brand new Gibson TTop humbuckers, dual Vol and Tone controls, Gibson ABR bridge (with wire) and the required Switchcraft three-way toggle switch. Back then it was the only way I could have afforded anything close to a real Les Paul. I gigged that p.o.s. for many years, somehow wringing decent tone out of it.

It's been retired for several decades now, but is set up for slide and sounds incredible for that task. It rests peacefully, closeted in its vintage rectangle-shaped Gibson hard case. I think these days, the case may be more valuable than that old guitar. The only reason I keep it around is because of its sentimental value.

[sgosnell]

Do not discount sentimental value. It may be more important than actual resale value, at least to some. I have a few guitars that have much more sentimental than monetary value, and that's why I keep them.

[deacon Mark]

A 1976 Gibson Les Paul I purchased new from Sam Ash in Huntington NY. I retired the guitar years ago due to excessive fret wear from spending years memorizing all Duane Allmans solos on the Fillmore East album. In the process - I also wore out the album. In the 70's you had to pick up the needle and keep placing it back on the vinyl. Today, with computer technology its much easier to learn this material.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

At least get the guitar refretted. A Les Paul is simple to refret generally.

[lawson-stone]

On the left is my Suzuki F100,which I have had for 50+ years! It was my first "flat top" and was my go to instrument in high school, during my coffee-house folk-singer years, and in college. In 1979 my new wife bestowed on me the Martin D28 you see on the right, which I've had for 42 years.

[grahambop]

By coincidence the guitar I’ve had longest is also a Suzuki, a ‘Three-S’ which my parents bought me in 1977. I don’t really play it that often, but when I want to play a bit of folk or acoustic blues it does perfectly well, so I’ll never get rid of it.

[lawson-stone]

That one is lovely! I can even see your label inside is exactly like mine. I am thinking about using mine to learn how to re-fret. It needs it, and I don't play it that often so if I mess up it won't be a total catastrophe. I think I paid US$89.95 for mine 'way back in about 1970.

[grahambop]

Yes, I think this model was meant to be a sort of Martin copy, it’s certainly well made and finished. The wood has aged to a nice deep colour over the years. It brings back memories of my school days, when me and a friend were getting into John Renbourn and Davey Graham and both got our first steel-string acoustics, so it has some sentimental value!

[lawson-stone]

Yes, I think this model was meant to be a sort of Martin copy, it’s certainly well made and finished. The wood has aged to a nice deep colour over the years. It brings back memories of my school days, when me and a friend were getting into John Renbourn and Davey Graham and both got our first steel-string acoustics, so it has some sentimental value!

I played a LOT of Crosby, Stills, and Nash on mine!

[denitronik]

In 1975 I bought a Gretsch Duo Jet (6128). According to the serial number it was built in 1957. I still have it today and it’s probably my favourite.

[JeffBlackwell]

I recently purchased a Swiss 2M without the battery case/amp. Trying to find out any information about the maker. Ideally find the wiring schematics - I know it is a very long shot.

Jeff

[213Cobra]

Guild D44M, bought new in 1974. -Phil

[LesB3]

Zombie thread... Love it!
Appropriately enough, here's a Frankenstein...

I'm a young'in by comparison, so mine's a '97... but still have it as I can't cast my first guitar into the wilderness.
Over the years, it has had quite a few additions made to it, most of which are individually more expensive than the guitar was itself ($129).


Replaced the stinky tuners with Grover open-backs, installed Seymour Duncan Phat-Cat and Psyclone pickups, Bigsby B5 + Gretsch space-control bridge, Fender Jazz bass knobs.

[alltunes]

1980/1981 Strat….weighs a ton…don’t play it much but too sentimental to sell

[spencer096]

my first year EJ strat i got signed by allan holdsworth when i was at north texas

[CliffR]

My 1986 Charvel Model 6 - first nice guitar I owned, bought with my first pay check and a credit card. I've brought it back into rotation and have been playing it non-stop for the last few months.

[gvurrdon]

This may not count, as I no longer have it, but the guitar I owned for the longest was a Gibson Flying V, from c. 1992 to 2023. This is what I used to use for playing rhythm guitar in a big band, as I could only afford one guitar at the time.
When I thought I'd have another go at some sort of adequacy at guitar playing I took this to a tech, who pointed out that there was a lot wrong with it. IIRC, a complete refret and neck reset were required, as well as a headstock crack needing repair.
Instead of having it repaired I sold it to a local chap who is very much into heavy rock and has the skills to restore it, and put the money towards a G&L ASAT. He did a good job of refinishing it and fixing all the problems.
Here are the before (left) and after (right) restoration images: