Uncle Jon's Guitar

 This is the guitar that started it all for Your Humble Blogger - my Uncle Jon's 1962 Hermilio Salinas.  Read on and see a few pics!
















 I've written a good deal on this blog on music and instruments that influenced me as a fledgling player. Now I'm down to bedrock.
   The very first guitarist I ever heard live was my Uncle Jon, and I remember being wowed by the experience. I guess I'd heard plenty of pianos played, so those had little effect on me. But there was just something riviting about the guitar. Those were the days of the 60s folk movement, and I loved hearing Jon rip through versions of Sonny, Frankie and Johnie, or Stagger Lee. I knew then that I wanted to be a guitar player. I had to learn to do this! (Years later my first guitar was a hand-me-down folk guitar Jon had selected for my Dad to buy for my sister.)
   The guitar he was playing was pretty special. It was a hand made nylon stringed Mexican guitar that he'd bought from a physican who'd picked it up on vaction in Mexico City. Built by Herminio Salinas e Hijos of Mexico City in 1962 , it was always a huge treat for me to get to play after I began to build some chops.
   Well, he still has the guitar, and recently he did a little internet research and came up with a bit of information on the builder. Senor Salinas built guitars in Mexico City from 1900 until his death in 1968. His son Mario took up the profession upon his fathers death and continued in business until he died in 1996.

    I had the opportunity recently to visit Uncle Jon and take a few shots of the old guitar. It's quite the mello instrument after 48 yrs of aging. I'll be trying to research this maker and bring more information as I get it. In the meantime here are a few photos. If any reader should stumble upon this post with additional info, please feel free to email me or comment. Gracias! Adios, mis amigos!

(here are a couple of video embeds before the pics. First is Your Humble Blogger, the second is Jon himself.)