A Growing Family

I recently headed off to Guitar Center with a gift card burning a hole in my wallet, as mentioned in the previous edition of this blog.

I had been alone behind the closed glass door in the acoustic room for over an hour, fondling every visible budget-priced solid top.  The Fender CD140S (which I eventually bought) was the front-runner so while I re-tried others I parked the Fender on the counter instead of letting it scamper back into the herd.

A 40-something staffer came in, probably to quietly assess my sincerity and decide whether I was loitering.  I’d seen him there often but had never chatted with him.  Leaving the lower bout of the guitar on the counter he tilted it up into playing position and tried a few brief fingerstyle passages.  Apparently he’d heard me messing with the old elevator mainstay “GIrl From Ipanema” earlier, because without a word he started comping the prog.  I noodled on that just long enough to make it clear that I recognize the situation but I suck at improv, then I stopped playing and made eye contact.  The conversation went something like this:

“I thought that was pretty articulate for a $200 guitar.”

“Yes, it is.  These are new here, I hadn’t played one. The best $200 acoustic we have used to be one of the Yamahas, but I think this one is better.”

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna take that one home.”

Then the magic started.

He picked up the intro to “Dance With Me” by Orleans.  I expected him to play a couple of bars then stop, but he did not. I felt a sorta psychic “green light” signal-vibe.

Vocals in 3, 2, 1, ... I was there!  

“Dance with me, I want to be your partner ...... “

I hit it.  So did he.  

Dead-on harmony, precisely pitched, perfectly leveled just slightly below my voice, and expertly soft on the edges. Clear assertive vowels and gently ambiguous consonants with an unobtrusive vocal timbre marked not just an accomplished vocalist, but an adept vocal support player.

The climax of the tune approached, where the melody rises on the lyric “I can take you where you want to go...”.  Between lines I quickly muttered “I can’t hit this!” as the looming note rapidly bore down on me. When we got there I chickened out and knocked the peak off the melody, finding a lower chord tone to replace the one unreachable note.  He moved with me.  Magic?  Expertise. Expertise that creates magic.

We ran the entire tune - it isn't very long.  He extended his hand across the counter with a big smile, and we shook hands as friends.

These two minutes were gut-deep profound.  It was beautiful, it was exhilarating.  This is it, guys.   This is why I do music.

Truly I do not play just to make noise - not even noise that I like.  It isn't about me making music for me.  Many claim this motive, and I wish them well.  For me every moment playing at home is a rehearsal,  It is all about performing.  But being the introspective geek, I can’t stop the self-exam at “it is about performing”.  That’s not the bottom of it yet.

The playing is about performing.  

 

The performing is about communicating - about touching people, about connecting with people.  

 

One way or another, bone deep, for me music has always been for the purpose of connecting with people.  

At first it was about earning approval from my Father.

Later in life it was about earning approval from my schoolmates. I couldn’t be the football star, but if I sat in the stone foyer and played guitar soon a cluster of my contemporaries would gather - many of them with girlish figures.  

It has been about the joy between team-mates when the band NAILS a cookin’ tune.

Sometimes it is about affirmation from a nameless audience.  It may be applause or other emotional reactions.  It may be inquiries about my gear or the riffs I played. Over the years of course there has been the attention from women.  Yeah that is a thrill, but when some pimpleface with his jaw open says “Dude! Can you show me that thing you did?”- that may be equally as profound on a different plane.

Through my life guitar has been about connecting with people in all of those ways, but on this day in Guitar Center it was about discovering a brother in 120 seconds.  A brother who grew up in an entirely different time & place with a different color skin. There are many ways in which we have not, and perhaps never would, connect.  Wondrously, though, when music blossoms hearts and minds connect regardless of other factors. 

So that is what this installment’s title means - my family grew when I discovered another brother.  Because of music, I have many.

Thank you, Reginald.  I’ll see you again.  Do you know “Black Water”?

Where there was smoke there is timber.

Just less than a year ago I bought a used Carvin amp from Guitar Center.  Despite bring highly allergic to all sorts of optional insurance, on a whim I spent the extra $20 for their 1yr used gear warranty.  In the end it was a good choice.

About 6 months passed and the amp had a failure. Having forgotten about the warranty, I shrugged my shoulders and stuffed it in the closet.  Some 3 months later I stumbled upon the warranty paperwork accidentally.
 

Following the instructions I went to warranty website and filled in all the requested information including a brief description of the problem.  Completing the forms took less than 5 minutes.  I had been told to expect to be directed to a local shop for repair, or possibly provided with a shipping label to send the amp to a more distant facility. The thought of shipping a 2X12 combo amp wasn’t appealing, even prepaid.  I clicked “Submit claim” and in seconds I was notified that my claim had been approved.  They would be meeting their warrany obligation by refunding my money in full with a GC gift card.  

I was very pleased with this disposition of the issue. Suddenly I had a couple hundred bucks and it could only be spent at Guitar Center! Woohoo!
 

I havent had a decent solid-top acoustic since my ancient Guild jumbo disintegrated.  My 37-year-old Epiphone is priceless - dripping with love and history but when it comes to tone or tuning stability ... not so much.  I thought perhaps if I found an solid-top acoustic that spoke to me for $300 or less, I'd give it a loving home. What I chose may surprise you.
 

I played plenty of uninspiring instruments.  No matter how much I hear about 00s, 000s and parlour guitars having a “balanced tone”, to me they all fall short.  Time after time I only get a thrill from the sound of a dreadnaught or jumbo.  My price constraints limited me to the scummy underside of the real-timber soundboard world and although I’m no elitist I stil had personal standards for sound and feel.
 

Squier really offers a lot of interesting and attrative electrics guitars at the $299 price point - it seems to be their sweet spot these days.  It wasn’t long ago that a Fender Standard series unit wasn’t as well made as these.  I was about ready to give up on the acoustics and go fondle some Squiers when I picked up the Fender CD140S.
 

This model has a solid mahogany top with glossy finish.  I’ve never cared for matte finishes, although I appreciate the fingerprint resistance.  I was glad to see the gloss on this one.
 

I suspect that the dark streaks are stain - they didnt need to bother on my account.
 

Blk/creme/blk/creme/black top binding and a thin but attractive faux abalone rosette are among the body appointments. A mahogany neck, board that appears to be rosewood, MOP dots, a contrasting darker glossy headstock facade and MOP logo round out what my wife thinks is a very attractive package, while I give it a visual rating of “OK-ish”.

The nut is cut well and allows for smooth tuning.  It and the compensated saddle appear to be made of one of the high-density composite super-plastics so widely available.
 

Any Fender acoustic I’ve tried in the past was tepid at best but to my surprise this guitar speaks with much of the articulation and dynamic range expected from a decent solid top.  Bass is robust but not overwhelming and treble isn’t lacking to my ears.  Overall the guitar sings with a broad-palette and a warm, round, pleasant voice.  I consider it a good buy for $199.
 

It has given me motivation to work on my vocal chops again.   

********

Other things gained on this trip: 1 side note, and one memorable story.
 

My vote for the coolest new $299 electric goes to the Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster.  I’m not sure why they call this “modified” because they faithfully reproduced the worst parts of this model, the parts I wanted most to modify on my Dad's 63 Jag - the floating bridge and those saddles with the narrow-notched barrels.  I don't see "modified" here, Squire seems to have copied the venerable J-mas warts and all. I wish they had gone with a string-through, TOM & stop tail or even Strat trem but despite this I was really diggin' this guitar. The one in CAR resonated noticeably better than the white or sunburst models also hangin' around. This photo doesn't do it justice.

I want it.  I shouldn’t want it. I want it.

Also on this visit, a great moment between 2 strangers.  I had an experience right there in GC that to me epitomizes one of the deep joys music can bring.
 

I’m just not gonna tell you now. *evil grin* You can read about it in the next installment of Mr. Weller & the Ballpark Franks.