Amish Guitar

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise to anyone who has been reading this blog that I prefer a more old fashioned approach to things. But I also like to use things that have a certain uniqueness. I wear bow ties (and tie them myself). I use fountain pens. I prefer making macaroni and cheese from scratch rather than from a box. I prefer a charcoal grill to gas and use lump charcoal instead of briquettes. I pop my corn on the stove in an antique popper rather than use the microwave. I like having a flat top haircut in the summer. Old fashioned yet still unique.

I've been wanting to purchase a new case for my Art & Lutherie guitar for some time now. It's not that the case I've been using is bad or wearing out. It's just not... right for me. Godin's Tric cases are pretty cool and I opted for the deluxe case with the covering. Lightweight and incredibly insulated against thermal changes, it is a decent enough case. But it's not traditional.

So, as I said, I've been wanting to replace the Tric case for Jane with a hard case. I looked around and, as you might imagine, all the cases seemed to look alike. Traditional but same. Nothing really struck my fancy.

I came across a site (I've long forgotten the URL) that told the story of how Leo Fender walked into a luggage maker's shop and asked them to create a case for the Telecaster. The luggage company did, and used tweed for the outside fabric. A classic look was born. So I poked around and sure enough, tweed guitar cases are not hard to come by but not too many people choose them. I was on the scent.

Jane's basic shape is based on classical guitar dimensions. So, finding a case for such an animal that was also available in tweed was a small challenge. She's a little deeper than most classical guitfiddles are, so many cases would not fit. I did happen across TKL's site and noticed that their classical case in their Prestige line came very close to Art & Lutherie's specifications for the model. A quick email to TKL garnered a response that the case would work and it was available in tweed.

So, to make a boring story short, Jane has a new home.

I know it's odd to be jazzed by something as mundane as a guitar case, but I just feel so much better for having it. Jane expresses who I am so well, both visually as well as audibly. It's nice to have her stored in something goes along with that feeling.

And if I needed any proof, when I pulled the case from the packaging my wife's one comment was: "That's definitely you."

I'm sitting in my cousin's den, stuffed to the gills with turkey and gravy and faux-tatoes. I've much to be thankful for. My health, my weight loss, my wife and kids and my extended family are at the top.

However, I was just served an unexpected compliment that I am also quite thankful for--especially given my recent musical angst.

About 10 minutes ago, my cousin's son (a moody 17 year old) walked up and asked, "Did you bring your guitar?"

No, said I. I didn't want to annoy anyone.

"But it was cool when you played at camp out," he said.

Are you funnin' with me? I asked.

"No! I liked it. Bring it to Christmas."

And then he sulked off.

And I'm walking on Cloud Nine.

*edited to correct spelling. Gravey?

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...

The library was closed today so that staff could have an in-service session. One of my colleagues brought a guitar as part of his presentation. I thought that was pretty cool. Until he played it. It sounded awful. I asked him why it sounded so tinny, when did he last change the strings?

OMG.

He's had this Epiphone for 4 years and has never changed the strings. In fact, he bought the guitar used so he has no idea how old they are.

Why change them when they stay in tune?, he asks.

Well, for one thing, they didn't stay in tune. Every chord was a banshee shriek of agony. Second, playing in tune isn't the only thing that makes a guitar sound good. You have to produce good tone--that pleasing guitar sound that one can recognize as a guitar. As in, what's that sound?--oh, it's a pleasing guitar. Your goal should not be: what's that sound?--oh a female yak in heat...whoops, not a yak, just a cheap bastard with a guitar.

People! If others are telling you that your guitar sounds like a rutting, cattle-like mammal, change your strings!

Sadly, he is not the person mentioned in Guitar Lesson #8.

Honestly, though his skill was good, I had to leave because it was just on that last nerve, ya know?

I've just returned from another weekend long campout/family reunion at my parent's farm This time around it was my father's side of the family. And, like last time, I took my guitar with me to noodle on. Now, dad's side is not anything like my mom's side. I love them dearly, but I never really feel like I fit in while growing up. It is a sports oriented family and I just didn't know how to relate to them. While they played sports, I read books and did my own thing. Now that I'm adult, it isn't so bad.

But vestiges remain.

I spent some time just noodling around, trying to find a chord progression that could be adapted for a song on my mind. I had several of my cousins and their offspring sit and listen or ask questions that were kind of cool. But I also had people shooting off their mouths "Don't you know how to play anything?" "That's not how that goes!" "Play Stairway!" I was just waiting for someone to shout "Freebird." I had one uncle walk up to me and say "I used to wish I could sing, but now I pray you don't." Nice. He's also the one who said "you ain't no Roy Clark, but you sure is as big as him." Nice again. At least that's what I think he said. He didn't have his teeth in at the time. I found it all quite frustrating.

In the end, however, I did my own thing, like I always do, and that's just fine. I was heartened when one of my cousin's children asked me to get my guitar out. She said "Why aren't you playing? I like to hear you play." Now that was nice

As hard as I find it to make music with my guitar... well not hard but it ain't easy... writing songs are even harder. I don't have a real knack for lyrics or for melody. Still, I enjoy what I do write and I've posted some lyrics on this blog. I find myself always writing in 4 line stanzas with an AA BB rhyming scheme. I just don't know how to break that barrier. Well, actually, I do, but it involves practicing my writing skills as much or more than my playing skills. I'll continue to write as I'm inspired and bore the masses of blog readers that descend on my pages each and every day. :)

There are occasions when I write something that strikes a fancy. Sometimes it takes 15 years to find out that I've done so. Alkelda the Gleeful has just posted something I wrote while in college. It's not a song by any means, but... well... you just have to go there and read it yourself. She tells the story much better than I do. While there, look around. Among the gems of poems and narratives and personal musings, you will find songs and entries on guitars.

A few weeks ago I blogged about wanting a new beach guitar as my current 2nd guitar was so horrible. It had high action, hard to keep in tune, poor intonation down the neck and so on. Well, an honest look at the family finances made it pretty clear that a new guitar was out of the question. I did decide to have a local luthier give it a proper set up. Wow. I now have a guitar in my office instead of a guitar like thing. The luthier adjusted the truss rod to correct the neck relief, then sanded down the saddle to lower the action. The result is a guitar that plays easy, has very tolerable intonation (my ear can still hear slight problems) and very good tone. I am quite pleased. In fact, I'm pleased enough that the kids and I decided that this guitar deserves a name. Instead of having the OTHER guitar at work, I now have Patrick hanging on my wall.

I've been able to sit outside on the front porch and noodle away the evening. In fact, that sparked a little conflict with my oldest child. He is approaching his teen age years when everything his parents do is specifically designed to embarrass him. He was so afraid someone might hear me play that he threw a small tantrum. I just giggled at him when he glared through screen door. When I started singing along to my playing, he slammed the door. I am just twisted enough to have enjoyed his embarrassment.

Beyond that, I really don't have much more to write about. I'm still feeling quite comfortable where my skills are at this point. I've not played in church for the past few weeks as I've done other duties during the worship service. I am thinking of setting one of my favorite passages of scripture to song, Psalms 13. But, I'm gonna have to think about it for a long time.

PS. For those who might be interested, Patrick is an Oscar Schmidt OF2 Folk guitar.

I spent the weekend at mom and dad's farm where mom's extended family held their annual camp out. We've been doing this for nearly thirty years. We tried camping at a campground once, but somehow it moved to mom and dad's sizable yard. This year there were 47 relatives and 5 generations (if you count my late grandparents as the first, which we all do). Sadly, mom and dad are downsizing, selling the farm and moving on a smaller plot of land in their front meadow. So, this was the last reunion at my homestead.

This is also the first year I dared to bring my guitar. My mom's family is very musical. And can be very critical. It is a joy to sing with my family, but I also know what it is to sit through their criticism. It is a family I don't always feel like I fit in. But that would be a subject for another blog. I wasn't sure I wanted to take my guitar because I wasn't sure I wanted to put myself out there for judgement.

In the end, I decided to take along my guitar. If it wasn't well received, I would just play for myself and forget the rest of them. But, to my delight it was very welcome. I played quietly as everyone visited and conversed. Just noodled, or strumed a few simple songs. Afterwards several cousins came to tell me they appreciated my music as a kind of background to the relaxed evening.

Today, then, after the big family meal, we had a traditional hymn sing. My mother wanted the song "They will know we are christians." To my surprise everyone called me out to get my guitar. It is a song I do know how to play, and play well if I may say so. Unfortunately, I had decided to leave my instrument at home for the day (we live down the road and usually don't actually camp--give me a queen size bed any night). So I couldn't oblige. But it felt good to have my family, who I know to be musically discriminating, clamor for me to get out the guitar. It was another kind of affirmation--the best kind--the one you aren't looking for.

Fourteen years ago on this date, I wedded the love of my life. I could not ask for a more caring, patient or loving companion.

When I proposed in October, 1993, I wrote a song with the last verse as the proposal. I sang it a Capella as I (obviously) didn't play guitar then. I will be the first to admit that these aren't the strongest lyrics. Ok, they can be downright corny. But that hasn't kept this song from being special to the both of us. This is the first song I sang for my wife after purchasing my first guitar.



Untitled

There's a girl, who is so dear
And I want to have her always near
She's a friend, and so much more
There's no one in the world I more adore

Chorus:
But when she touches my hand, and holds me tight
I never know if its wrong or right
To feel the way I do right now
I want to tell her so but I don't know how

Her eyes, like the autumn night
Sparkle and glow, they shine so bright
And her laugh, like the spring time rain
It bubbles and flows, it fills me again

(Chorus)

When I'm with her, I cannot be afraid
Of what life has in store, or the troubles I've made
Me with her, and her with me
Together we can live so happily

(Chorus)

Come with me
And share my life
Together we can be as husband and wife
Take my hand
I'll stand by your side
If only you'd say you'd be my bride

Coda:
And when you touch my hand and hold me tight
I know now that it's only right
To feel the way, I do with you
Won't you say that you feel the same way too.

(c) K. Jay 1993

Schroeter, John, comp. Between the Strings: the Secret Lives of Guitars. Colorado Springs, CO: MelBay, 2004. 352.

Wow.

I just finished this book a few days ago. I had to give it a few days to decide what to write about. I'm still not sure.

Between the Strings is a collection of stories, anecdotes, ruminations, musings and tall tales revolving around guitars. It is what I try to write about here on Amish Guitar. Except, this book is compiled from writings by well known guitarists and luthiers. The insight these great players give is humbling as well as encouraging. How wonderful it is to read of these big names who also have self doubt; who are also frustrated by this box with strings!

I have to be honest and say that there were a large number of guitarist's names that I didn't recognize. That said, I also admit that I don't know the who's who of the guitar world. Nevertheless, these stories about what guitars have meant to these artists ring true right to my bones. It just makes me feel good to know that my own emotional responses to the guitar (never mind the music it makes) is not so different after all.

I wish I could find more books like this.

Get it. Better yet, borrow it from your local library. If the library doesn't have it, make them get it for you by Inter Library Loan.

I found this review that does the book much more justice than I can.