that's cool. I've been playing around with guitars for almost 20 yrs. My first guitar is a mid 80s Fender Japan reissue of a 62 Jazzmaster. I still have it and it's my favorite electric. Picked it up in excellent condition with a hardshell case for $250 in 91 or 92. Shortly after that I found an early 70s Princeton Reverb amp which I still use. I found a Univox Moserite copy in a pawnshop in Montgomery, AL for $75 which I eventually traded on a '66 Fender Mustang. The Mustang was sweet, but after several years it needed fret work really bad and I didn't trust anyone with the work so I sold it (plus, I needed the money to keep the lights on). Wish I could've kept it, but I was able to get good money for it before the economy tanked. My wife got me a Danelectro reissue when they first came out. I was able to add a Jaguar HH some time later and then finally an Epiphone copy of a J-45 Gibson acoustic. I've got my eyes on a couple of Gretsch hollow-bodies and a Telecaster these days.

The days of finding vintage gems at good prices in pawnshops and music stores are long over. A friend of mine used to own a vintage guitar shop. I've held some great vintage axes in my hands which I wish I could've bought at the time.