Wayne Reno

My old guitar is with me again. In 1966, I got my first steel-string guitar for $35 from the father of my 7th-grade friend, Doug, in Mountain View, California. I initially learned to play The Monkees, The Beatles, The Stones and lots of folk music on it. It was my main guitar for 31 years and I even took it to India in 1975. I finally wore it out and it had been been in my closet since 1997.

I got the bug to get it back in shape so I took it to Jeff Hostetter at Stringed Instrument Repair in New Freedom, PA. He reset the neck, fixed the bridge structure, put in a new saddle at the bridge and nut at the headstock, new frets, patched some small cracks, removed some unwanted lacquer on the body, new Waverly machine heads to make it easier to tune (of course I'll save the originals) and a Fishman Matrix Infinity active pickup system, which is out-of-sight inside the guitar. He did a brilliant job. I even bought a new case for it.

Playing it again is a real treat. It feels and sounds just magnificent. I'm really excited to have my old guitar back in working condition. If you want to hear it, stop by Franklin and Marshall College at the tent on Hartman Green on June 4, 2011 at noon.  My band is playing at lunch for reunion weekend and this is the only guitar I'll be playing that day.  The other instruments are bass, percussion and pedal steel.

By the way, it is a 1945 Martin O-18 model. I think I got my $35 worth out of it!