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What kind of 6 string can you really buy at the 5 and dime?

Posted on 2/28/18 at 11:37 am
Posted by Jim Rockford
Member since May 2011
98157 posts
Posted on 2/28/18 at 11:37 am
#summerof69
Posted by JumpingTheShark
America
Member since Nov 2012
22893 posts
Posted on 2/28/18 at 11:53 am to
An overrated, played out one.
Posted by wareaglepete
Lumon Industries
Member since Dec 2012
10942 posts
Posted on 2/28/18 at 1:10 pm to
The same kind you can get in a secondhand store.
Posted by TheFretShack
Member since Oct 2015
1238 posts
Posted on 2/28/18 at 1:28 pm to
Here's "close" ... vintage Silvertone H615. These were sold almost exclusively via the Sears catalog so likely in many brick and mortar stores.



This one was in a batch of cheap broken guitars I bought in a salvage lot. It was a mess, DOA, but I structurally restored it.





They were around $19.95 when they debuted in 1963 and peaked out at around $23.95 during their final year of production, 1967.

She's now part of my shop's permanent demo collection.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
89493 posts
Posted on 2/28/18 at 2:19 pm to
quote:

What kind of 6 string can you really buy at the 5 and dime?


In this case, the "Five and Dime" was likely harkening back to an earlier time, as he was referencing the:

quote:

summerof69


Because, really, Five and Dime as a concept was already antiquated/arcane by the time of the 1980s.

In particular, we get a clue because it was his first "real" 6-string at that. So, an even better question, "real" implies a name brand, Fender, Gibson, Gretch, were they being sold in "Five and Dime" stores in the late 1960s?

I can find no hard data on such sales, but in the era before massive shopping malls, or even strip malls in such proliferation as we've seen over the past 30 years, or even the ubiquity of the Wal-Mart chain, which did not really begin to expand in earnest until it's incorporation in 1969 and formal name change in 1970 - recall that it started life as "Walton's Five and Dime" - just to circle back - pretty much everything that wasn't "food" for sale had to be offered by either "Five and Dimes" or larger department stores, the latter of which didn't exist for large swaths of the country.

And, in reality, Bryan Adams didn't turn 10 years old until late in 1969 - insofar as the song was somewhat autobiographical, and a reference to the sexual position, moreso than a literal reference to the year, it's possible your entire point is entertaining, but moot.
This post was edited on 2/28/18 at 2:21 pm
Posted by OldTigahFot
Drinkin' with the rocket scientists
Member since Jan 2012
10500 posts
Posted on 2/28/18 at 4:20 pm to
I was the son of a store manager for T. G. & Y. I later went on to work for the company myself from 1967-1979. I do not remember selling anything like a "real 6-string" during that period. A few toy guitars but nothing that would qualify as a legit musical instrument.
Posted by Cdawg
TigerFred's Living Room
Member since Sep 2003
59448 posts
Posted on 3/1/18 at 9:47 am to
quote:

And, in reality, Bryan Adams didn't turn 10 years old until late in 1969 - insofar as the song was somewhat autobiographical, and a reference to the sexual position, moreso than a literal reference to the year,

Actually, the song was written by a guy who was 17 in 1969. Jim Vallance wrote a lot of Brayn Adams' songs. Straight from wiki, Vallance was born in Chilliwack, BC on May 31, 1952.[4] He grew up in Vanderhoof, BC, a small town 10 hours north of Vancouver. He moved to Terrace, B.C. where he collected fond memories that would show up in lyrics to some of his music like 'Summer of '69' in later years
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
89493 posts
Posted on 3/2/18 at 10:08 am to
quote:

Actually, the song was co-written by a guy who was 17 in 1969.


FTFY

From Vallance's perspective, it probably was, more or less a literal reference to the year. But, for example, they used Adams' friends/bandmates names, and so forth. '69 probably means all of it - the year (with all that entails, the Beatles were still together, Summer of Love/Woodstock, etc.), vehicles/guitars from that model year, sex, all of it. Songs are open to interpretation, anyway. In fact, I've seen stories that a young Bryan Adams and friends stole a 1969 model motorcycle in 1970 or 1971 - certainly could have been in his mind in writing the song and choosing that number.

This post was edited on 3/2/18 at 10:09 am
Posted by Jester
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2006
34268 posts
Posted on 3/2/18 at 10:16 am to
quote:

He moved to Terrace, B.C. where he collected fond memories that would show up in lyrics to some of his music like 'Summer of '69' in later years


I've actually been to Terrace. Got off the plane freezing my arse off in shorts and flip flops.
This post was edited on 3/2/18 at 10:16 am
Posted by TeeReg
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2017
50 posts
Posted on 3/2/18 at 10:24 am to
the kind that make your fingers bleed.
Posted by Cdawg
TigerFred's Living Room
Member since Sep 2003
59448 posts
Posted on 3/2/18 at 6:58 pm to
quote:

insofar as the song was somewhat, not really, autobiographical, and a reference to the sexual position, or year. IN literal reference it could be considered double entendre. It's possible your entire point is entertaining, but moot. or not moot at all.


FIFY
This post was edited on 3/2/18 at 6:59 pm
Posted by FearlessFreep
Baja Alabama
Member since Nov 2009
17282 posts
Posted on 3/3/18 at 10:05 pm to
quote:

The same kind you can get in a secondhand store
Chances are you'll go far, if you get in with the right kind of fellows.
Posted by EyeTwentyNole
Member since Mar 2015
4199 posts
Posted on 3/3/18 at 11:28 pm to
I got a $300 Epiphone. put an EMG 81 in the bridge and I can pretty much match any Metallica tone on a Digitech RP 500 with Audacity
Posted by Treacherous Cretin
Columbus, OH
Member since Jan 2016
1503 posts
Posted on 3/5/18 at 11:09 am to
A second hand guitar. It was a Stratocaster with a whammy bar.
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