Back in '79...

[stax]

So, here's my '78 and my '79. Back then I was learning how to play guitar and trying to get up the courage to bomb Hill Street on Signal Hill! Growing up in Southern California in the 70's rocked!

When/what was your childhood all about?

 

[Harlequin tusk]

Lol...back in 1979 I was a junior in an all boys Catholic High School here on Long Island. Was a good time period for me, 70's music was fun and the Metal or "Heavy Metal" was starting to hit around here. There were LOTS of clubs on Long Island to go too. Van Halen was big and Disco was dying, Disco was big around here (20-30 miles outta NYC) for some time. It was kinda strange, the clubs all had identity crisis', should they be Disco or Punk or Heavy Metal? In the end the Punks and Rockers won out. Clubs would be Punk for 2 nights and Rockers for the next few. The eighties were fun for me, PLENTY of bands and places to go see them at.

Ny was a cool place to be back then...CBGB's in the city, L'Amours in Queens ( borough of NYC) The scene was alive back then!

Now there is NO scene around here, just pay to play bands...........

 

[stax]

Lol...back in 1979 I was a junior in an all boys Catholic High School here on Long Island. Was a good time period for me, 70's music was fun and the Metal or "Heavy Metal" was starting to hit around here. There were LOTS of clubs on Long Island to go too. Van Halen was big and Disco was dying, Disco was big around here (20-30 miles outta NYC) for some time. It was kinda strange, the clubs all had identity crisis', should they be Disco or Punk or Heavy Metal? In the end the Punks and Rockers won out. Clubs would be Punk for 2 nights and Rockers for the next few. The eighties were fun for me, PLENTY of bands and places to go see them at.

Ny was a cool place to be back then...CBGB's in the city, L'Amours in Queens ( borough of NYC) The scene was alive back then!

Now there is NO scene around here, just pay to play bands...........

Oh yeah, 79 led into the awesome 80's. The early eighties in LA and the OC had great clubs, great bands and great music. The 80's were some of the greatest memories of my life and certainly the worst memories of my life. But in 79 I was still an innocent pup with my whole life ahead of me.

 

[stax]

I'd kill someone's dog for that guitar! Looks in nice condition too judging from the usability point of view

She's certainly in better shape than me!

 

[Far Rider]

I was born in the mid 50's but since you mention 1979, that was the year I got my first Strat. Black as night with the large headstock. I loved that guitar so much.

 

[Harlequin tusk]

Oh yeah, 79 led into the awesome 80's. The early eighties in LA and the OC had great clubs, great bands and great music. The 80's were some of the greatest memories of my life and certainly the worst memories of my life. But in 79 I was still an innocent pup with my whole life ahead of me.

"But in 79 I was still an innocent pup with my whole life ahead of me."




Me too, I was 17 and that's the best part! Right as the scene started to break from that disco crap something was in the air, guys my age were DYING for something to change! Metal and the early eighties hit and we were all swept up in it! Soooo many guys were playing guitar and so many bands to see! Punk and Metal! It was a fun time, gas and hot rods were cheap, ticket prices were reasonable ($25) and the clubs were packed all the time!

Seems so long ago....... Oh Well

Anyone else remember that time, 79-81 when it all changed so fast??

 

[X2203xman]

79',someone played Rush Hemispheres in my old Datsun,and I was possessed forever.

 

[managainstcatfish]

I was 6, so who f-in knows. I remember 5, but not 6. Weird. I got turned onto 'Moving Pictures', 'Eliminator', & 'Purple Rain' at 10, & shit pretty much started right there. That would've been about 83. As far as location, I moved all the time. Military dad, parents divorced when I was 5. North Florida, Southern Alabama, Tulsa Oklahoma & a bit of time around Fort Benning Georgia. Moved to Cali. at 17. That's a bad-ass old deck, by the way.

 

[DirtySteve]

I was 11 years old in '79 and already hatin' life. I didn't start playing for 3 more years on acoustic even though it was around '79 when I started asking for a guitar. I didn't get a "playable" until I was 15 and earned my own money to buy it. I still hold a grudge...

 

[stax]

I was 11 years old in '79 and already hatin' life. I didn't start playing for 3 more years on acoustic even though it was around '79 when I started asking for a guitar. I didn't get a "playable" until I was 15 and earned my own money to buy it. I still hold a grudge...

In 79 I still had my Hondo II Les Paul, but by 1981 I bought my first GIBSON Les Paul new and with my own money, just over $700. A ton of money for a kid back then.

Some a$$head jacked it, starting me on my downward spiral into self medicating and forcing me to buy the first guitar offered to me to replace my beloved LP. The guitar was a Floyd Rose equiped guitar, which led me to learn to play in this newer style (at the time), which led to several opportunities, etc., etc. The irony is that having my LP jacked changed my life in so many ways, I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I still had that LP.

As for the a$$head, I too still hold a grudge...

 

[Darth Federer]

Great picture Stax. Stacy Peralta was a legend and I also had a Powell Peralta board. I was also a bit of a skate punk starting around 6th grade in 1986. My brother had a partial sponsorship from Schmidt Sticks back in the day. We also used to skate with Mike McGill who's mother ran his skate shop down near my aunt's house in Florida. I still can't believe how far me and my friends used to ride on our skateboards. I had a couple buddies with monster half-pipes that we would ride everyday after school. I have great memories from those days and am still friends with most the guys I was hanging out with. It's nice to have lifelong friends. I can only imagine how cool southern Cali was during those heady days.

 

[Las Palmas Norte]

I was a working stiff by then and was shacked up with my first wife (to be). I was making $7.50 an hour and had way more disposable income than I do now. Gas was a dollar a gallon but here we'd switched to liter gas by then. (The Canadian gov't jammed the metric system down our throats.)
Had a Strat very similar to yours. Lighter blond color and white pick guard. I gave up smoking a year later at a buck a pack ... never went back to the demon weed. One of the smartest things I've done.

Cheers, Barrie.

 

[Söulcaster]

That PP board is kickass Stax...

Peace

 

[levon]

Wow, 1979. I was 24, living with a girl who was an alcoholic, had left my band and started to record solo stuff. I also started working with a guy who's a great songwriter and producer and still one of my two best friends today. Punk came up and made me puke, what crap. Thankfully that didn't last too long. But that time got me into the recording process and studio work and I loved it, still today. Wish I had all the technical possibilities I have now back then.

 

[slide222]

I had the exact type strat - exactly the same at , would you believe the same period 79 ish going into the 80's, wood and maple neck, and black plastic bits , it had flat pole pickups , and was my first fender

 

[CADILLAC]

I was 23 and single, just bought a brand new silver Trans-Am with the 403, original price $8,500. Put Hooker headers and a Holly highrise on it. Payments were $231.00 a month for 36 months. Had my own apt. in the Village area of Dallas (Parrrty), and was working at the Post Office making tons of cash. I worked 3:30 pm to 12:00 am weekends off. I would get off early to audition for bands in different clubs. Sometimes I wish I had stayed there I would be retired with a full pension by now but I hated that job. Where did I go wrong?..............

 

[poeman33]

I was 20 in 79. I was playing a LP. I didn't even own a Strat yet. I had so much left to learn

 

[ibmorjamn]

I was 19 , I had a custom Maple V with a tele neck , Dimarzio SD and a 50w Fender Bassman. It was awesome. dumbest thing selling that guitar.The club seen was legendary on the Sunset Strip. I remember my friend leading us on a car chase trying catch David Bowie's Limo. good times

 

[LPMarshall hack]

I was 6 and probably still wetting my bed. It would probably still be 2-3 more years until I got into rock n roll music. I remember the first guitar I ever wanted was Phil Colins ibanez destroyer. That was prob 83.

 

[tubes]

I was 21. Played an LP style Ibanez with De Armond pickups.

I didn't think much of the guitar because it was low-cost, just what I could afford. Now they are sold for more money - as old, interesting and good quality guitars.
I was a pretty good guitar.

British punk had a big influence here at that time.
Our covers set included Sex Pistols, but also Lou Reed, Iggy, Roxy Music.