Guitar pick story # 113: Gifting

[whvick]

In the last 48 hours I have talked with two patients who were unexpectedly gifted nice guitars.
The first was given a Martin D-28 by a friend who just decided one day that he should have it. Although he had admired and even offered to buy it a couple of times, he never expected such a gift.
The other said a friend inherited a guitar and really did not play, so he gave it to him. I asked what it was, expecting to hear Martin or Gibson, because I could tell it was a nice one from the way the patient broached the story. He said it was a Gallagher, and thinking I may not have heard of them, he added “ you know, the brand Doc Watson played !”
I assure him I had heard of them and was definitely impressed.
This got me thinking about gifting guitars. Over the years I have bought and given guitars to my kids and grandkids. In most cases these we’re less than $200. And I have passed on inexpensive guitars I acquired to friends and surrogate grandchildren. And no, I am not wonderfully generous, they were not expensive guitars, and some broken junkers that I repaired enough to play.
In the last 12 months I have passed down a descent Martin and Taylor to two of my sons. They asked, and I did need to thin the herd preparing to downsize.
But greedy me, every time I hear a story about how someone is given a nice guitar, or someone tells me about uncle Bert’s good guitar just sitting in a closet, it is all I can do to keep from offering to give it a good home. But etiquette keeps my mouth shut.
So how about it guys? Any good stories about how you were given the family heirloom? Or how you got that unexpected gift?
I look forward to some good stories from you.
Thanks
whvick

[Bob Womack]

Whose guitar is it?

Back when he was a teen, my oldest son started getting into guitar. He was really enthusiastic about electric guitar so I decided to buy him one. Being tall, he fell in love with the way a Gibson Explorer looked in the hands of Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd. That fall, Epiphone came out with a nice looking Korina Explorer so I asked a local dealer what kind of deal they could give my family on one. They offered a discount if I bought both the Explorer and an Epi Flying V. I had a few pesos set aside in my guitar fund so, in order to save the family money, I bought the Flying V to get the discount. We gave the Explorer to my son that Christmas and he was delighted. I used the Flying V as my bottleneck slide instrument and it did well at gigs.

A few years later it was Christmastime and the family was a little short of cash. Right about at that time my son let it slip that he had always loved my Flying V more than his Explorer. I offered to sell it to him and he accepted. Everyone was happy - he had the V, I had cash for Christmas.

The next year as Christmas loomed and he wanted to propose to his lovely girlfriend, but he was a little short of geld for the engagement ring. He asked if I would be willing to buy back the V to get him some extra cash. I was glad to buy it back and the engagement proceeded marvelously.

A few years later my son and I were jamming at my place. When we finished and were putting the guitars away he mentioned to my wife and myself that he still loved that Flying V and wished he hadn't sold it back to me. My wife said, "I'm sure dad would love you to have it. Its yours." My teeth just about fell out of my mouth because I, too, had a soft spot for the guitar, but I let it go and my son has love it ever since. In fact, he brought it over and we installed a pair of classic Seymour Duncan pickups in it and now it sounds really, really great.

Bob

[whvick]

Great story Bob..
These stories of father to son are stories only a Dad could understand.
And like you ,my gift was influenced by my wife, but I would have caved anyway. Ain’t it great to be a dad!