Amish Guitar

I've mentioned Doug before. He's the friend who gave me a painfully honest apprasial of a song I wrote and he's the one that just a little hyper to have everyone use their pinky on the high E string when playing a G chord. Oh, and he gave Jane her first ding. Still, he is a great friend and I love him like a brother.

But now he's given me GAS. That's Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.

It happened suddenly and in a very public place.

We are both musicians in the church praise team. Yesterday, as we were getting our guitars off the stands to play, he whispers to me "Let's trade." And since I like doing silly things, we traded. My A&L Folk for his A&L Dreadnought.

Now, I've always eschewed dreds, complaining that the bassiness makes them sound muddy to my ear. I've always felt I prefer the caramel mid tones of my folk. Well, that might certainly have been true in the beginning of my stringed instrument journey. A heavy bass would have been distracting for me as I attempted to produced a balanced sound. Yesterday, however, I found I ADORED that bass--that I was looking forward to the chords that play all six strings or even better, the E chord with the open low E. It was delicious.

So, what am I to do? If I spend my "allowance" for a new guitar, I will risk the ire of Mrs. Amish. While I do have enough saved up, things are tight enough in other areas of the budget that to buy something so unnecessary would be, well, in the words of my youngest daughter, ungood.

I did, however, float an idea over to Doug. I know he has wanted to upgrade his guitar to a solid top. So, I suggested I buy his for about a hundred less than what he paid for it, and he can use that money for a newer, more exciting guitar with whitewalls and other bells and whistles.

He's considering it.

Stay tuned. The Amish Guitar may become a three guitar household after all...