Allyson brings glitter and glam back to rock music one guitar strum at a time and shows the world that men aren't the only ones shredding those babies.  Check out her salacious site, Bring Back Glam. 

It's just about my one year anniversary of "playing" the bass. I use the quote marks because my playing ability is definitely questionable. When I started my lessons, I figured that in a year's time I'd be as good as any old player willing to brave a crowd of people in a bar.
 
Boy, was I wrong.
 
I started my bass experience like most of you: a cheap learner's rig with bass, amp and bag -- all for "one low price." I lived with this crappy setup for about six months, just to ensure the lessons would stick. Then I moved up to a professional bass and amp - and I must admit, the sound is still as luscious today as it was the first time I plucked a string in the guitar shop.
 
Now, buying a good rig doesn't equal great playing, but it does help in other ways. I had a little more self-confidence in those first lessons after I had my glorious new bass and this has helped over the long term. The issue now - as it is for everyone - is practice.

I love guitars. I love the creation of music. I love to entertain. I love the arts. I love being a musician…

When I was in high school, and all my friends took wood shop, metal shop, or auto shop, I was in chorus, art classes, drama class, and took honors poetry classes. Everything I studied or attempted to become was all leading me down one path…The one of a musician/artist. That’s all I ever wanted to be from about 12 years old on. I never got into fixing things with my hands, or repairing automobiles. I always got more girls with music than with the knowledge of how pistons worked.

My little brother has always dreamed of an electric guitar. Somehow though, my parents always made an excuse as to why they wouldn’t buy him one.  It was too noisy, it was too expensive, you’ll never play it, why is it even necessary, they said. Just some of the things I heard. 

Less likely to be said by the everyday parent...”You could kill someone with that thing!” (Yes, my parents fed him that line.) Has anyone ever heard of someone getting killed by a guitar blow to the head? I guess, I shouldn’t talk, Slash from Guns N’ Roses used to scare the living daylights out of me—all that course wild hair, the way he blew the fuse off his guitar.  Sometimes I’d be afraid he’d come for me in the middle of the night, course black hair and big top hat shielding his features so we wouldn’t know what he REALLY looked like. (On a side note: What does Slash really look like cause I haven’t gone online and seen the pictures. He’s probably perfectly normal, but something about all that energy infused into his guitar and thick mane makes him seem so wild.

Back to the guitar.  So I’ve decided to do it. I’ve decided to buy my brother an electric guitar for his birthday.  Consider me the best sister in the entire world.  My brother will be singing my praises for the rest of his life.  My parents, however, will freak out.  I’m prepared for this and I am going to talk to them about it before I buy, but I would like to present it to him as his gift, regardless of what they say.  (Perhaps I can gently coax them into helping me pay for it.  One can only DREAM.)

So here comes the fun part.  Researching guitars and finally coming up with the best one.  I don’t know anything about guitars so maybe you all out there can help me out here.  I  can afford something pricier (none of them are going to be cheap) but not over the top. 

So here we go!