New guitar, new inspiration

I've been playing on my green guitar, my Paul Reed Smith for the last 6 years.  Recently, I purchased a 2004 Gibson Les Paul.  I have been so impressed with the feel and sound that it's literally sent me into a practice frenzy.

When I initially took on the guitar as a young man, I was inspired by Frank Marino and Mahogony Rush.  I'll never forget the first time I heard him playing Johnny B  Good.  I went to my room and began to do my best at copying what I was hearing.  At the time, I was in the Marine Corps and was playing a horn professionally for the Drum & Bugle Corp at Camp Pendelton.  Because of my classically trained background, I was able to understand things and viola, a guitar enthusiast was born.  I practiced .. without exaggeration, 8 hours a day.  I couldn't get enough of it. 

After I got out, I stayed in California and formed a band named, Truxx.  We played throughout Southern California and some really large venues.  Got signed and picked up by an agent, and then the walls came crumbling down.  Bands and musicians can be difficult and a kind of personal crisis left me to quit at the ripe old age of 27. 

About 6 years ago, Rick Stevens hooks me up with this audition and joined forces with Sabrina to produce a Lewis and Martin connection.  We still haven't decided who's Lewis and who's Martin.  I've learned a few things in these last 6 years.  And, to be honest, it has been challenging at times as well as fulfilling and exciting.  You don't last doing this for that amount of time without having some things learned and applied.

Now, to the point...  Recently, as I mentioned earlier, I purchased a Les Paul.  WOW.  I feel like my muscle memory for my original 69 Gibson SG is in my hands.  I'm so truly inspired that I love practicing like I'm a kid again.  The difference now is all the tools available for learning are amazing.  There's YouTube and dozens of guitar instruction sites.  I won't bore you with the theory and harmony things that I've learned, but, I just had to write a quick little post to say, I'm so excited to be playing at a new level and am striving to be more than I've been.  I don't know how far I can go with getting better, but, I have been and hope to continue so. 

I could only hope that you that read this could know the joy of ... whatever, a hobby, a passion, a venture.  Recently, I was speaking to a friend who told me about his passion for Geocache.  I'd never even heard of it, but, to watch his eyes and body language as he explained it was amazing.  I see people on Facebook posting food shots, baby pictures, animal pictures, and so on.  I'm just so thankful.  Even though this is the great recession we're presently living, I never dreamed as a child that I would have this level of contentment in life.