When did Elvis get his first guitar?

Elvis Presley received his first guitar as a birthday present in 1946, when he was just 11 years old. He had asked his mother for a rifle, but she instead purchased him the acoustic guitar from Tupelo Hardware Store. Elvis taught himself to play the instrument, and it inspired him to pursue a career in music. By 1955 he had recorded his first hit single “That’s All Right”, launching him into fame and success.

Elvis Presley’s Early Life and Musical Interest

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th 1935, Elvis Presley had music in his blood from a young age. His parents were both devout members of the Church of Christ and would often take their son to gospel concerts, which inspired him to sing in church choirs. During his teenage years he developed an interest in blues and country music, listening to singers such as Roy Acuff and Hank Snow.

At the age of eleven, Elvis’ mother bought him his first guitar for $12 – a tiny acoustic model that he cherished all throughout his early life. He also began to teach himself how to play by learning from instructional books or watching local musicians perform live. As Elvis grew older, he was influenced further by artists like Carl Perkins and Bill Monroe and eventually created his own hybrid sound that blended together different genres like rockabilly, blues and R&B.

In 1954 at just 19 years old, Elvis walked into Sun Studio with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black for what would become one of the most iconic recordings ever made: That’s All Right Mama. It marked the beginning of an illustrious career that spanned multiple musical styles across more than two decades before his untimely passing in 1977.

The Significance of the Guitar in Elvis’ Music

Elvis Presley’s iconic musical style was inseparable from his electric guitar. The instrument quickly became a vital part of the King’s sound and allowed him to create his signature blend of rockabilly, blues and country that shook up the music industry. But when did Elvis get his first guitar?

The answer is at the tender age of 11 years old in 1945, Elvis received his first guitar as a gift from his mother Gladys Presley – an acoustic model given to him on his birthday. It was with this humble present that the young man embarked on a journey to become one of the most influential musicians of all time. Although he started off learning basic chords and hymns, it wasn’t until 1951 that Elvis joined a band called ‘The Songfellows’ where he truly began to develop as an artist. Through regular rehearsals with members Scotty Moore and Bill Black, he discovered how to play by ear and use double-stops and other techniques like vibrato which would go on to make him stand out among his peers.

Throughout his career, Elvis never forgot about the significance of having been gifted a guitar at such an early age. He remained loyal to the brand Gibson throughout much of its recordings which included hits like “Hound Dog”, “Love me Tender”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, and many more timeless classics beloved around the world today. Even after death in 1977, people are still rediscovering how versatile this instrument could be when wielded by someone special like The King himself.

Discovering Elvis’ First Guitar: A Historical Account

Elvis Presley is considered the King of Rock and Roll. But what kind of guitar did he begin with? From whence came his first instrument, and how long did he play it for? Despite the passage of time, historians have been able to piece together a solid account of Elvis’ first guitar.

The story begins in 1946 when Gladys Presley purchased her son his very first musical instrument: a battery-powered acoustic guitar that cost a total of $12.95 from Tupelo Hardware Company. It was an inexpensive model, but it enabled him to explore the sonic possibilities available to him as a budding musician. After months of playing in private, young Elvis took his talents public at an amateur contest held in October 1945 at Mississippi–Alabama Dairy Show at age 10. Though he didn’t place first or second (or even third), this marked the official beginning of his career on stage.

Though no pictures exist to document it, we can be certain that this was indeed Elvis’ very first guitar due to multiple sources that corroborate its presence around this era. One source cited by Pete Parker – Elvis’ manager during this time – records mention “a cheap guitar” being present in an interview with Mama Presley in 1954; additionally there are reports that surviving family members still own pieces of that same early acoustic model today.

How Elvis Learned to Play His First Guitar

As a young boy, Elvis Presley was determined to learn how to play guitar. He soon found his calling in the music of the local African-American blues singers, who he would often visit at the infamous Beale Street nightclubs. Here, he absorbed their unique playing styles and distinctive vocal techniques. During this period, he was also taught basic chords and licks from other family members including his uncle Vester Presley and cousin Junior Smith.

However, it wasn’t until Elvis’s mother Gladys bought him his first guitar when he was just 11 years old that he truly began honing his craft. The purchase came as an unexpected gift after Gladys had spotted the instrument hanging in a store window on her way home from work one day.

With this newfound inspiration and new set of strings at hand, Elvis practiced tirelessly for hours every single day – learning popular songs off the radio by ear or through transcription books that featured chord diagrams alongside written instructions on how to play them. These methods helped further develop his skills as a multi-instrumentalist as well as strengthen his knowledge of different genres such as country & western and rhythm & blues. By mastering these various styles of music together with inventive improvisation techniques based upon traditional forms – such as using alternate picking patterns instead of strumming – Elvis became the iconic musician we know today.

The Legacy of Elvis’ First Guitar for Rock & Roll History

When it comes to discussing the history of rock & roll, Elvis Presley’s first guitar holds an iconic status. In 1953, when he was 18-years-old, Presley received a $12.95 Martin acoustic guitar as a Christmas present from his mother and it marked the start of his journey in music. Little did they know that this gift would lead to him becoming one of the most influential figures in all of music and would launch him into superstardom.

Elvis’ first guitar has been preserved over time and still remains a crucial part of musical history today. It is currently on display at Graceland, the former home of Presley, which now serves as a museum dedicated to preserving his legacy for future generations to come. There have been replicas created based on its design for fans who want their own version that looks just like the original instrument.

The sound produced by this six-string guitar helped define a new era of popular music that changed how people saw rock & roll throughout America and around the world. While we can never truly appreciate what it felt like being inside Sun Studios with Elvis back in 1954 or 1955 playing his beloved first guitar while recording those early songs, we can still be thankful for how far its influence spread during that time period and beyond.