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  #46  
Old 06-05-2020, 08:07 AM
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Mr. Jelly Mr. Jelly is offline
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I've told this before on AGF. It's really a story about the unforeseen influence of music.

There used to be a computer company here by the name of Gateway computers. They were kind of a big deal and they were the local boys become successful type of thing. The owner put on a Christmas party for everyone that worked for him. Food, drinks the whole nine yards. People came from all his plants and offices across the country. Everything paid for. For entertainment he hired the Allman Brothers. It turns out the Allman Brothers were a little confused by this because they were to expensive to play parties. They hadn't played a party in many years at this point. A friend of mine was doing the video for the concert and that's how I found my way in. So before the concert started all the people were mulling around in the auditorium with their free drinks etc. Now you have to understand that this crowd didn't know that much about the Allman Brothers. They didn't buy tickets and were a random sampling of the general public that happened to work for the computer company. I noticed Dicky Betts walking around in the crowd. I mean like there he was right there and no one knows who he is. I love their music and guitar playing but I'm not an autograph guy. I wanted to show my respect. So I put my hand out and thanked him for his music etc. While I'm shaking his hand I hear a girl saying "there's that guitar player". Totally assuming she was talking about Dicky I glance over his shoulder to see her pointing at me. I didn't know what to do. It totally took me out of the moment. I just smiled and nodded while shaking Dicky's hand. I'm sure Dicky thought she talking about him. I thought she might of recognized me from the band I was in but that wasn't the case. I used to play guitar in my second story bed room that was almost all windows. It looked out over my back yard. I'd have the windows open when the weather was nice as it was an enjoyable place to play. Her and her husband rented a house across the alley from me and would sit on their deck and listen. The attention and influence that occurs by playing guitar has always amazed me.
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  #47  
Old 06-05-2020, 08:28 AM
three4rd three4rd is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
Your workmanship is astounding! Thanks for sharing!
Sorry I quoted the wrong poster.

Really interesting guitar! Amazing work. I meant to ask what is the significance of what is in the sound hole?
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  #48  
Old 06-05-2020, 08:44 AM
Silurian Silurian is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
I was passing by a pawn shop, in the older part of town
Something caught my eye, and I stopped and turned around
I stepped inside and there I spied, in the middle of it all
a beat up old guitar, hanging on the wall

"What do you want for that piece of junk?" I asked the old man
He just smiled and took it down, and put it in my hand
He said "you tell me what it's worth - seems you're the one who wants it"
"Tune it up, play a song - let's just see what haunts it

So I hit a couple of chords - in my old country way of strumming
... my fingers turned to lightning, Man.. I never heard it coming
It was like I always knew it, just don't know where I learned it
It wasn't nothin' but the truth, so I just reared back and burned it

Well I lost all track of time - there was nothing I couldn't pick
Up and down the neck, man I never missed a lick
The guitar almost played itself - there was nothing I could do
but it was getting hard to figure out just who was playing who

When I finally put it down - I could not catch my breath
My hands were shaking - and I was scared to death
The old man finally got up and said "where the Hell you been?"
"I've been waiting all these years - for you to stumble in!"

Then he took down an old dusty case - said "go on and pack it up"
"You don't owe me nothing" and then he said ..... "good luck!"
There was something spooky in his voice, something strange in his face
and when he shut the lid - I saw my name was on the case

=========================

Ok, that didn't quite happen to me -although it got close with a '28 Nick Lucas.

Here's how it should sound :

and here's my humble version :
You beat me to it Silly. I was scrolling through the thread to see if anybody had posted this.
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  #49  
Old 06-05-2020, 08:48 AM
Photojeep Photojeep is offline
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This isn't a story about an astounding guitar find or anything like it but it's one I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Last summer, my wife and I traveled to Kentucky to visit my daughter and her family. One day while watching my Grandson Sam, he and I went in my bedroom (their guest room) just to find something to do and he noticed my daughter's guitar in the corner. He pointed at it and smiled. Not wanting to waste the opportunity to play, I pulled it out and played a song for him.

He was 2 years old at the time with no hearing disability at all but his baby sitter had taught him how to sign several words in ASL.

When I finished the song he signed "more." I was very happy he liked it so I played and sang another.

"More"

So I sang another.

"More"

And another.

"More"

This went on for quite a long time, so long that I started repeating songs. Sam didn't seem to mind at all. He kept smiling and signing.

"More"

Finally my wife and daughter came home from their shopping excursion and Sam bolted out of the room to be with his Mommy.

The moment was over but I'll never forget the most satisfying guitar session of my 50 years of playing.

Best,
PJ
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  #50  
Old 06-05-2020, 08:49 AM
wisedennis wisedennis is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whvick View Post
LOL
An old eye doctor, who plays finger style guitar, and can’t get the hang of a thumb pick, decides to print up some promotional guitar picks. He forgets about them and one day finds them in a desk drawer.
So instead of a promotional devise, he uses them as a conversation starter when asking patients about their visual tasks and hobbies and such.
“So what keeps you busy? Sports, fishing, knitting, reading, guitar playing?.” People are always glad to tell about their hobbies, but the guitar guys love to tell about THEIR guitar.
So he starts giving a pick to the guitar guys and saying, “Here is a pick, and in return you have to tell me a story about you and your guitar.”
that was a year ago, and since then he has had to reorder picks twice!
Thus the birth of the guitar pick stories and this is the start of the Pick- guitar stories.
Message me for that shipping address![emoji847]
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  #51  
Old 06-05-2020, 08:54 AM
Sax Player Guy Sax Player Guy is offline
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This is definitely not a happy guitar story, but it's a true story and part of my family lore concerning my grandparents on my father's side.

Back in the 1930s during the worst of the Depression my grandparents and their four children were, like most everyone in those days, quite poor. They had emigrated from Iceland in the mid-'20s in search of a better life, but then the Depression hit. They managed to make things work, though, by raising much of their food, and my grandfather was a skilled commercial fisherman.

I have only good memories of my grandmother but, from some of the stories about her, it is apparent that she had some issues. From old photographs it's apparent that she was quite beautiful, and my grandfather was crazy about her.

Music was always a big part of my Dad's side of the family, with much singing. I have great memories of the whole extended family singing at get togethers for hours on end. Anyway, back in the '30s my grandmother got it into her head that she really wanted a guitar. Although it was the height of the Depression, my grandfather managed to find a job digging ditches for ten cents per linear foot (I don't know how deep, but I imagine a few feet). He took this on in addition to everything else he was doing to feed his family, because he wanted to order a guitar for his wife.

After much blood, sweat and toil he eventually earned enough money to order her a guitar from a catalog. I can just imagine how happy he must have been when it finally arrived.

Unfortunately for all concerned, when he happily presented his wife with the hard-won instrument, she was not at all pleased. It was not the model she had in mind. To properly express her dissatisfaction, she took the guitar and smashed it to pieces.

Amazingly, they remained married up until they passed away in the early '70s. As I said, my grandfather was crazy about her.
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  #52  
Old 06-05-2020, 09:02 AM
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Once I was reading a popular Internet forum where a man
offered to mail picks to people who sent in interesting guitar
stories. He ended up having to stay awake 24 hours a day
for two weeks and spent $1,000 on postage stamps and
envelopes before he ran slap out of picks ...

-Mike
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  #53  
Old 06-05-2020, 09:25 AM
WordMan WordMan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Photojeep View Post
This isn't a story about an astounding guitar find or anything like it but it's one I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Last summer, my wife and I traveled to Kentucky to visit my daughter and her family. One day while watching my Grandson Sam, he and I went in my bedroom (their guest room) just to find something to do and he noticed my daughter's guitar in the corner. He pointed at it and smiled. Not wanting to waste the opportunity to play, I pulled it out and played a song for him.

He was 2 years old at the time with no hearing disability at all but his baby sitter had taught him how to sign several words in ASL.

When I finished the song he signed "more." I was very happy he liked it so I played and sang another.

"More"

So I sang another.

"More"

And another.

"More"

This went on for quite a long time, so long that I started repeating songs. Sam didn't seem to mind at all. He kept smiling and signing.

"More"

Finally my wife and daughter came home from their shopping excursion and Sam bolted out of the room to be with his Mommy.

The moment was over but I'll never forget the most satisfying guitar session of my 50 years of playing.

Best,
PJ
Aw, man, there ya go. Good on ya. Sam has music!
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  #54  
Old 06-05-2020, 11:18 AM
three4rd three4rd is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzy the dog View Post
I've featured this one on AGF before too.........

In December 2016 I was imagining how the sides of an acoustic guitar might look if they were made of a series of small individual planks to resemble a ship’s decking. As I looked into suitable wood sources, I came across some remnants of teak that had been salvaged from a WWI merchant ship, the SS Pegu. The Pegu was sunk by German U boat, U57, on 8th July 1917 whilst carrying Burmese Teak from Rangoon to Liverpool to be used for the fortification of heavy gun emplacements in France and Belgium. What made this timber more interesting was that it had reportedly been salvaged to refurbish the Cutty Sark following the devastating fire in 2007.

Although Teak is not ideal for a guitar I couldn’t resist and acquired a few lengths of the Teak. I spent 2017 building the guitar and the last piece was finished and all assembled on 8th July 2017 – 100 years to the day of the sinking.

As the back is Honduras Mahogany and the Teak was only used for the sides it doesn't adversely affect the sound generated by the Cedar front.

The guitar now rests on its’ stand in the kitchen and is played every day.



Edit - forgot to mention I don't use picks.
Do you have any clips or videos? Would love to hear how this instrument sounds....
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  #55  
Old 06-05-2020, 12:17 PM
whvick whvick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Photojeep View Post
This isn't a story about an astounding guitar find or anything like it but it's one I will treasure for the rest of my life.



Last summer, my wife and I traveled to Kentucky to visit my daughter and her family. One day while watching my Grandson Sam, he and I went in my bedroom (their guest room) just to find something to do and he noticed my daughter's guitar in the corner. He pointed at it and smiled. Not wanting to waste the opportunity to play, I pulled it out and played a song for him.



He was 2 years old at the time with no hearing disability at all but his baby sitter had taught him how to sign several words in ASL.



When I finished the song he signed "more." I was very happy he liked it so I played and sang another.



"More"



So I sang another.



"More"



And another.



"More"



This went on for quite a long time, so long that I started repeating songs. Sam didn't seem to mind at all. He kept smiling and signing.



"More"



Finally my wife and daughter came home from their shopping excursion and Sam bolted out of the room to be with his Mommy.



The moment was over but I'll never forget the most satisfying guitar session of my 50 years of playing.



Best,

PJ


It is great fun. My GKs like to make up verses for ole McDonald and Mr Johnson’s cat.
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  #56  
Old 06-05-2020, 12:30 PM
whvick whvick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hubcapsc View Post
Once I was reading a popular Internet forum where a man

offered to mail picks to people who sent in interesting guitar

stories. He ended up having to stay awake 24 hours a day

for two weeks and spent $1,000 on postage stamps and

envelopes before he ran slap out of picks ...



-Mike


LOL
Message me those address.
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  #57  
Old 06-05-2020, 01:05 PM
Ozzy the dog Ozzy the dog is offline
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Assuming both quotes below refer to my earlier post.

Quote:
Originally Posted by three4rd View Post
Sorry I quoted the wrong poster.

Really interesting guitar! Amazing work. I meant to ask what is the significance of what is in the sound hole?
I use my initials (F,O) as a logo which the sound hole reflects. Also around the outside is the name of the ship and the date 8-7-17 representing 8th July 1917 (sinking) and 8th July 2017 (guitar completion)

Quote:
Originally Posted by three4rd View Post
Do you have any clips or videos? Would love to hear how this instrument sounds....
I don't have any videos or recordings of this guitar yet but may do in near future. I am in desperate need of some decent recording equipment.

The build starts here if you're interested https://overendsite.wordpress.com/20...-guitar-build/
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  #58  
Old 06-05-2020, 01:45 PM
MikeInBethesda MikeInBethesda is offline
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I have to ask: have you ever seen the movie Magnolia?

Quote:
Originally Posted by RP View Post
Don't know if you like legal twists and turns, but here goes....

On March 23, 1994, a medical examiner viewed the body of Ronald Opus and concluded that he died from a gunshot wound of the head caused by a shotgun. Investigation to that point had revealed that the decedent had jumped from the top of a ten-story building with the intent to commit suicide. (He left a note indicating his despondency because of his failed musical career.)

As he passed the 9th floor on the way down, his life was interrupted by a shotgun blast through a window, killing him instantly. Neither the shooter nor the decedent was aware that a safety net had been erected at the 8th floor level to protect some window washers, and that the decedent would most likely not have been able to complete his intent to commit suicide because of this.

Ordinarily, a person who sets out to commit suicide and ultimately succeeds, even if the mechanism might not be what they intended, is defined as having committed suicide. That he was shot on the way to certain death nine stories below probably would not change his mode of death from suicide to homicide, but the fact that his suicide intent would not have been achieved under any circumstance caused the medical examiner to feel that he had homicide on his hands.

Further investigation led to the discovery that the room on the 9th floor whence the shotgun blast emanated was occupied by an elderly man and his wife. He was threatening her with the shotgun because of an interspousal spat regarding the new Somogyi guitar he'd just purchased and became so upset that he could not hold the shotgun straight. Therefore, when he pulled the trigger, he completely missed his wife, and the pellets went through the window, striking the decedent.

When one intends to kill subject A but kills subject B in the attempt, one is guilty of the murder of subject B. The old man was confronted with this conclusion, but both he and his wife were adamant in stating that neither knew that the shotgun was loaded. It was the longtime habit of the old man to threaten his wife with an unloaded shotgun. He had no intent to murder her; therefore, the killing of the decedent appeared then to be accident.

That is, the gun had been accidentally loaded.

But further investigation turned up a witness that their son was seen loading the shotgun approximately six weeks prior to the fatal accident. That investigation showed that the mother (the old lady) had cut off her son's financial support [and he was unable to buy a new guitar and go to Nashville to launch his musical career], and her son, knowing the propensity of his father to use the shotgun threateningly, loaded the gun with the expectation that the father would shoot his mother. The case now becomes one of murder on the part of the son for the death of Ronald Opus.

Now comes the exquisite twist. Further investigation revealed that the son, Ronald Opus himself, had become increasingly despondent over the failure of his attempt to get his mother murdered. This led him to jump off the ten-story building on March 23, only to be killed by a shotgun blast through a 9th story window.

The medical examiner closed the case as a suicide, and it was indeed, Roland's Last Opus...
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  #59  
Old 06-05-2020, 01:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeInBethesda View Post
I have to ask: have you ever seen the movie Magnolia?
No, but it looks interesting. I'll put it on the list for this weekend...
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  #60  
Old 06-05-2020, 02:17 PM
John Bartus John Bartus is offline
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I was hosting this acoustic jam session several years back, and this unknown young hippie comes in and wants to play a song. He didn't have his axe, so I let him play my brand new top-of-the-line Takamine I had just bought. He declined a pick, and started strumming with his fingers. Hard.

After the song, I took the guitar back and noticed all the blood splatters on the beautiful cedar top where he had shredded his fingers as he bled for his art.



I immediately (and very carefully) wiped the guitar down, and was never more thankful and aware of just how wonderful and useful those soundhole Feedback Busters can be. And I always brought in a beater guitar for the axeless jammers after that.
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