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Hello to everyone, I joined the Target Program back in May and I love this site and all it has to offer.

As for me,I started my journey with the guitar back in 1965 at the age of 15. I took lessons for six months but then just started picking up songs by ear. As my guitar playing friends and I would get together to jam our playing slowly progressed all through high school. I grew up loving Peter, Paul and Mary, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Gordon Lightfoot, the Moody Blues and many others. I love finger picking and good harmonies.

In 1978 I started my career as a Jr. high school science teacher and I am still going strong and loving it. I think the kids help keep me young and my wife will tell that emotionally, I am not much older than the kids anyway. I admit that's probably true.

My first guitar was a Harmony nylon string that went with me into the Navy and on to the Submarine I was stationed on in the early 70's. As soon as I got home and could earn the money I bought a Martin 00018 concert guitar. I still have and love that guitar. I also have a Takamine 12 string, a K.Hirade Classical, and my newest love is my Taylor Guitar. It's only a 110 model but man does that guitar have a sweet sound. I found it at a music store in Ashland Oregon called Cripple Creek Music ( I highly recommend you visit that store if you are ever in Ashland). I must have played it in the store, jamming with a friend and the sales guy, for close to two hours. My friend kind of felt guilty that he showed me the store and I walked out with a $600 guitar. But, I have thank him every day since.

My other interest include being an avid nature photographer and amateur astronomer. I love to play sports. I have played slow-pitch softball with the same group of guys, more or less, since the early 80's. My wife is a teacher as well and our daughter is the CFO of a public television station at the tender age of 28. I am quite proud or her as you can imagine. Pets include a Jack Russell Terrier named Bandit and I have 8 tarantulas, all house broken of course. (Just kidding) They never leave their cages. Well, that's about it. If I can find the time I will try to interact more with the great folks I am finding here. Otherwise I will just continue to pickup new tips and songs as I build bigger callouses on my fingers.

Cheers to everyone and keep on pickin'
Steve

You've been here a lot longer than me, so this isn't so much a 'welcome to the site', more of a 'good to hear from you'.

Great introduction and I look forward to hearing more from you in the future.

r

Steve, welcome although it sounds like you have been tuned into TG for a few months already. I also was playing the guitar with friends when I was 16, in our garage band, actually it was a room above our garage that my sister stayed in. She is 6 yrs older and got married when I was 12 so we just left our instruments there and of course practiced there until my early 20's. That was in San Diego where I was born and stayed until age 25. I currently live in Grass Valley CA, so if you are north of Sac. we must live relatively close. Welcome to our Forums and hope to hear more from you as questions, ideas, suggestions etc. come up. Gary

Hi Steve, Great intro, like the 'handle' mcfingers, i'm sure there is a story behind that. I forget where but there is a thread about nicknames. I hope you can find the time to interact more as I guess you have a lot to add having played for the length of time you mention. You will fit in real well here, Bigbear is the Taylor man and whilst my weapon of choice is a Cole Clark I also have a 1995 FP400S Tak 12 string great sounding guitar.

Steve- awesome introduction! Thank you! Don't tell Chas how much you love your Taylor he'll accuse me of a conspiracy!! LOL! I have two of them and they are really beautiful instruments. Way better than I am playing them!

My wife's best friend lives in Folsom so we get down there occasionally. Still pretty open down there.

I had to laugh, my first guitar was a Harmony steel string. The strings were about an inch above the fretboard so it was a real joy to learn on!

You probably already have noticed that there are lots of engineers on this site. I'm a civil thanks to good science teachers when I was a kid. We need more good math and science teachers but I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir with that thought!

Anyway, great to have you and please keep posting to the forum!

Cheers!! :cheer:

Hey, thanks for the warm welcome.

Gary, I am only about an hour and fifteen from Grass Valley in Chico. I love the Sierra foothills. The Empire mine is a favorite stop not to mention the World Music Festival. My wife and I regularly volunteer at the Strawberry Music Festival near Yosimte. I think this is our tenth year going. For anyone interested in great live music, friendly folks and fantastic Jam sessions all night long after the stage closes I can't recommend it enough.

Thanks Chas, the handle comes from a combination of my Scottish last name and the fact that I love to finger pick. Mc + fingers... Ta dah! My Tak is an EF-385 that is about 15 years older than yours but, absolutely, a great sounding guitar.

I look forward to our future collaborations.

Cheers, Steve

Hey McFingers:

Thanks for introducing yourself. I grew up in Modesto and spent many many days up in the Sierras growing up. I still make two or three trips a year up there to backpack and camp. I have heard of the music festival you are talking about, but have never been able to make it. Sounds fun. Plus if you are an amateur astronomer, you can get some great views from up there after the festival.....

I have an 8" dob mounted newtonian reflector that O dabble with from time to time. Kind of hard to find good night skies down here in SoCal though....

I looks as though you have spent some quality time behind the guitar, and look forward to any of your posts.

Cheers!

MJ

Hey Steve from way down South. As Reiver said, you have been around longer than me as well (on the site at least and overall as well!) But nice to read your intro anyway. Man you can keep those subs all for yourself, I toured one once and my mates and I all looked at each other and said "thanks but no thanks". I do admire submariners though. Hope to hear more from you on the site as well.

Cheers,

Tony

Hey MJ, Very cool, I have an 8" Newtonian myself that I need to take out more often.

tovo wrote:

Hey Steve from way down South. As Reiver said, you have been around longer than me as well (on the site at least and overall as well!) But nice to read your intro anyway. Man you can keep those subs all for yourself, I toured one once and my mates and I all looked at each other and said "thanks but no thanks". I do admire submariners though. Hope to hear more from you on the site as well.

Cheers,

Tony

Tony, Thanks for the welcome. Subs aren't that bad.... as long as you don't mind tiny cramped spaces filled with High explosives and radio active material. :laugh: They're a piece of cake.