I know it’s 7 years bad luck when you break a mirror. So, how much is it for breaking your father’s guitar?
I was noodling around with writing some tunes today, and I set the beat-up, old Guild that I inherited from my father on its guitar stand. As I walked away, I had one of those slow-motion moments where I thought, “That really isn’t very stable…”, and I turned just in time to see it fall flat face-down on the floor. The headstock split right down the middle, and half of it lay apart from the rest of the instrument–attached only by three strings.
It wasn’t a great guitar. It might have been in its day, but its day had long passed. My dad rescued it from a fire, and he tried to rebuild it. However, he was no expert at such matters. So, it was kind of a Frankenstein’s monster of a thing. A walking dead guitar. But it played alright.
Not long after he died, I took it from his place, and when I got it home, I sat and strummed it in the dark, crying as the ingrained smell of cigarettes and Old Spice hit me.
So, I’m now down one acoustic guitar and one heirloom (such as it was). I still might try to glue it together just as a memento, but it’s never going to play like this again, I fear: Eli the Barrow Boy.mp3
I understand how you feel. Whenever I use my late dad’s tools I feel like he’s there, telling me how to do something, as he did countless times when I was growing up.
You have my sympathy on the loss of your dad’s guitar.
Oh man! But as I once heard (okay, heard a million times..) “We have the technology. We can rebuild.”
If it was a Frankenstar to begin with – then go with it. Glue the mother back together and see what happens. Maybe she’ll still play sweet as ever. Won’t know if you don’t try!
Happy giving of thanks to you and yours, Solly. Hope you had a fine feast!
Wow, Les, I’m sorry about the guitar. It did sound pretty good.
BTW, I have surrendered any intentions on playing guitar. I just don’t have the time. You want a beat up classical accoustic with all the goodies I bought to go with it (except the tuner, I want that) come get it. What you do after that is up to you.
That sucks, man.
But like someone else said, don’t give up on it. Put it back together, as best possible. Cuz that’s what he woulda done, ya know… 🙂
Lots of duct tape. Use lots of duct tape. It’ll fix anything.
Here’s a list of luthiers in Florida. Probably not comprehensive, but it’s a start.
Painful story…
You’d be surprised at how much damage a GOOD guitar repair guy can fix. The key word being GOOD. you need recommendations…. don’t just take it anywhere.
The other thing is… you could just replace the whole neck. Drastic, but if it means making an heirloom playable… something to think about.