This instrument has a story.
I have one of these..yes this model. Right now it's in the care of my grandson whose fingers are nimble, unlike mine.
I have one of these..yes this model. Right now it's in the care of my grandson whose fingers are nimble, unlike mine.
In about 1952 I took my miserly collection of cash ($40) to South Philly and visited pawn shops. I don't know how many guitars I tried, and tried again. I don't remember how many pawn shops I visited, and revisited. But in one of them I found my wooden friend. I bought it with my $40 because I loved how it felt, and how it sounded. It has a deep box that picks up the lower registers beautifully, and the neck was just right for my hands. It was a little "used" -looking, but I liked its colors and shape.
This friend went with me EVERYWHERE, being my meditative companion and my joy. I taught myself chords beginning with Burl Ives' Folksong book, and as I progressed to high school and college I found others who shared their music and techniques with me. We sang along in The Gilded Cage, in Philadelphia, among other things.
That guitar went to the swimming meets, to the seashore, to boarding school, and just everywhere I went! I finally got it a case!!
Some twenty years ago I noticed that the ivory pegs were disintegrating. A local guitar restorer took a look at it, and gave me a quote. I paid to have it restored (not refinished, however) to good mechanical order, at least four times what I had bought it for. The restorer said my guitar was worth more than $4000.00 ! It's a treasure!
Sadly, my fingers are 75 years old and not good at tripping over the strings any more. I do plunk around on it at family events now and then, playing songs for my 5 and 7 year old youngest grandkids. Their parents sing along with gusto, having been brought up in the company of this old friend.
May my guitar live long long long! It has the most wonderful karma, if you use that word. I just think it's my most loyal buddy, and the songs..the songs!
This friend went with me EVERYWHERE, being my meditative companion and my joy. I taught myself chords beginning with Burl Ives' Folksong book, and as I progressed to high school and college I found others who shared their music and techniques with me. We sang along in The Gilded Cage, in Philadelphia, among other things.
That guitar went to the swimming meets, to the seashore, to boarding school, and just everywhere I went! I finally got it a case!!
Some twenty years ago I noticed that the ivory pegs were disintegrating. A local guitar restorer took a look at it, and gave me a quote. I paid to have it restored (not refinished, however) to good mechanical order, at least four times what I had bought it for. The restorer said my guitar was worth more than $4000.00 ! It's a treasure!
Sadly, my fingers are 75 years old and not good at tripping over the strings any more. I do plunk around on it at family events now and then, playing songs for my 5 and 7 year old youngest grandkids. Their parents sing along with gusto, having been brought up in the company of this old friend.
May my guitar live long long long! It has the most wonderful karma, if you use that word. I just think it's my most loyal buddy, and the songs..the songs!
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