This is a Guild DV-52:
Doesn't look like anything spectacular, does it? Well, it is. You can see that I've already worn the finish down to bare wood in one spot next to the pickguard.
I bought this guitar approximately three years and two months ago. I remember it was October. I had always wanted to play a Guild because one of my favorite songwriters, Willy Braun (from the band Reckless Kelly) has one. The problem was, there were no Guild dealers in the area. My good friend JJ was going to school at UNL at the time. I was minding my own business, when out of the blue, JJ calls me and excitedly says "Worms! Dietze's has a Guild!" To which I replied "Holy shit! I'll be there in half an hour." (JJ calls me Worms because I'm from, well, you get the picture.)
I got to Dietze's about 15 minutes before they closed. I took the elevator to the third floor, found the guitar, sat down, and played a G chord.
And that was it.
I had Doug (the cool old guy at Dietze's. He was always super nice to us.) put it behind the counter so I could bring some stuff in on trade the next morning.I almost pissed it away that night. The responsible part of me said it was too much money. The other part of me said that it was not too much to ask for something that I would have for 50 years. Thank goodness for JJ. He talked me into going through with it.
Come to think of it, I owe JJ a lot of thanks. He introduced me to this guitar and Shay.
Went back the next morning and came home the proud owner of a Guild. I've never regretted it, and I've never thought about selling it. It's been through a lot of heartache and joy. It was there when one of my best friends died, when girls I thought I could love wanted nothing to do with me, and it was there when Shay and I began our lives together. I can't wait to strum it while I sing my kids to sleep (I hope that will work, anyway). I've written a few songs on it, butchered many more, and changed the strings and polished the fret board more times then I can count. I hope to one day pass it down to a child or grandchild.
Action photo!
That's JJ. He and I used to get together every week and visit every guitar shop in Lincoln. We played at the Gallery once in awhile. One evening we played guitar in a park across the street from his apartment and two little kids brought us pictures of us playing guitar. They said they liked our music. I still have that picture in my guitar case. JJ is my musical brother from another mother, as they say.
Who knew a piece of wood and six steel strings could mean so much to a man?
Isn't it crazy how the seemingly small decisions can have such a big impact on our lives?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you came across your dream guitar, and that you two have formed a beautiful friendship. And that you can use it alongside your other friendships.
Thanks for sharing!
I think you should write a memoir from the point of view of your guitar. Let it tell the story of you. Since it's seen so much of you. And will most likely continue to do so.
ReplyDelete