Hi gang...

[Bucks Owin]

I'm called Dennis and I've hailed from all over the west, B.C. to Kalifornia.

I started messing around with an old beater of a Silvertone acoustic at the age of seven and when Mom saw that I was serious about learning to play it she helped me buy a used Danelectro for $45 in the early 60's. Dad owned a 2 pup Harmony "Rocket" that was mine to use too. Back then Chet Atkins was my hero and I used to string up with the heaviest Gretsch flat wounds I could find. Callouses? Oh yeah! lol

To my extreme embarassment, mom got me my first "gig" in grade 5 when I played "Wheels" at a school assembly. Talk about nervous! Soon after she had me on a local TV talent show where I appeared a half dozen times and attracted the interest of a guitar teacher who promised to teach me to learn to read music. However, he mostly just came over to the house to drink Dad's beer and jam in the frequent "hootenanys" we used to have. I still can't read very well but can stumble through slowly....

Took a few years "off" after that to play baseball and other "normal" kid activities but was into my first band (The Shocks! lol) when I was 12 or 13. We did some sock hops and discovered that girls kinda liked musicians it seemed. I was usually in some kind of band for the next 20+ yrs and lived the "highs" (!) and lows of that lifestyle. I found myself playing for the "partying" and not the music. Became an alcoholic drug abuser and quit my first wife and daughter after 13 yrs.....

Met my current wife in 1988 and decided to quit the "music biz" and get a REAL job. Learned to drive truck, bought a house, had two great kids and generally led a "normal" life. My wife managed bar in a veteran's club and our two incomes seemed like Easy Street for awhile. In 1998 she injured her back in a fall and became permanently disabled. In 2001, I suffered a back injury too with the same end result. We hit the slippery slope of overwhelming debt after that and lost the house last year.

These days I can't drive truck or lift more than 20 lbs. I can't sit, stand or lie down for longer than about an hour each. I have a lot of time on my hands and find myself "rediscovering" my guitars. I'm gung ho to play professionally again, this time drug and alcohol free. (For the past 6 years!) Music sounds sweeter than ever and the recent purchase of a Nashville Power Tele has me working out a couple hours a day once more, reclaiming a lot of my old licks and plenty of new ones. Musical life is good again!

Hope to make some new friends, learn some new stuff and swap some "war stories of the road" with you folks. Besides guitar, I play bass, 5 string banjo, mandolin and a little bit of pedal steel and fiddle......

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

FWIW,

Dennis

[warren0728]

welcome dennis....this is a great forum....i think you will like it here....

ww :

note: this welcome copyrighted 2008...no unauthorized use of this welcome will be tolerated

[oldguy]

Hi, Dennis! Glad you joined us here.

[sunvalleylaw]

Welcome Dennis! Glad to make your acquaintance and hear your story. I am a newb, having played only a year and several months, but really enjoy it. As I have started playing, I have learned about music heros that I never knew about growing up. Chet Atkins is one. What kind of music are you playing mostly now? Looking forward to hearing more from you.

[Bucks Owin]

Welcome Dennis! Glad to make your acquaintance and hear your story. I am a newb, having played only a year and several months, but really enjoy it. As I have started playing, I have learned about music heros that I never knew about growing up. Chet Atkins is one. What kind of music are you playing mostly now? Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Thanks pal....

Gee, I've admired a lot of different players and styles over the years. Besides Chet, I was really influenced by Don Rich and Buck Owens in my "formative" years. Towards the late 60's I was trying to play like Eric Clapton and he is still my "guitar hero" I suppose. But so are Duane Allman, Dickie Betts, BB King, SRV, Albert Lee, James Burton, Randy Bachman, Roy Buchanan, Bonnie Raitt......and another couple dozen! If I have to pigeonhole, I guess my niche is country rock/R&B but almost anything played well will catch my ear. It's easier to say what music I DON'T especially like.......(disco and rap)

Keep pickin'

Best,

Dennis

[Adrian30]

Welcome Dennis. Great to have you here.

[mrmudcat]

welcome fo-sho brother!

[Robert****]

Welcome Dennis! Thanks for the background story. Glad to hear you're doing well!!

[pes_laul]

welcome aboard dude. so other than your tele do you have any other guitars lying around

[Bucks Owin]

welcome aboard dude. so other than your tele do you have any other guitars lying around

Yeah a few. Squire Strat (daughter's) and Squire '51 (for slide only), '75 Jazz bass, Gibson 5 string banjo, "No name" mandolin, Morrison 3&3 10 string pedal steel, Sigma DM-19 acoustic guitar.......

I sold most of my gear when I got that "real" job....lol

Dennis

[ted s]

Welcome Dennis ! Nice to "meet you" as it were.
Happy to hear your optimism in spite of a couple hiccups.

[duhvoodooman***]

Welcome to TheFret, Dennis! Sorry to read about your & the wife's medical problems, but glad to read that you're still "pickin' & grinnin'". And congrats on that 6 yrs! :

P.S. I have a Nashville Tele, too, but not the "Power" version. Candy apple red with a white moto pickguard and a maple neck. Plays as purty as she looks!

[Algonquin]

Welcome to the Fret

[luvmyshiner]

Welcome aboard Dennis.

[Bucks Owin]

Thanks for the welcome and kind words gang....

Dennis

[ted s]

Hey DVM, the Power Nash's are now even with us Deluxes, quick, we gotta think of something...

[Bucks Owin]

Hey DVM, the Power Nash's are now even with us Deluxes, quick, we gotta think of something...

Why not just surrender and upgrade?!? heh heh :

Dennis

[Bucks Owin]

P.S. I have a Nashville Tele, too, but not the "Power" version. Candy apple red with a white moto pickguard and a maple neck. Plays as purty as she looks!

Hmmmmm.....Sounds purty!

Wanna swap necks? :

Dennis

[tot_Ou_tard]

Hey Bucks welcome!! We always like to hear real stories of life whether they are tough or sweet or both. It's great that you've found your way back to the guitar. You should dig us up some great Chet & Buck et al on youtube.