Full Circle

I was going to write up a post about this, but after I wrote the following email to my father I realized it would do just fine.

***

Debated just calling you, but since I wanted to include an image anyway, email seemed like a good choice.

Bear with me.

I wanted a good acoustic guitar for years. The Ovation I used to have was okay, not bad, not great. I always thought that if I ever had a financial windfall I'd get a good one.

Turns out I had a financial windfall recently.

I hit one guitar shop on Sunday, seeking a Taylor or maybe a Martin. Those are great, heirloom-quality instruments. Still, I shop with my ears before my eyes, and none of the ones in my range had that shimmering tone I'm seeking. I know it's out there.

But there's a Taylor dealer near my house, so I decided to stop by on the way home yesterday. I got myself excited, was about convinced that this was Fate, that they'd have MY guitar in there, the one with the great resonance and tone.

I went in and the shop was almost empty. The clerk told me they're closing down the retail side, and will henceforth be just a repairs/lessons business.

CRAP.

Dad, remember back in '83 or so when we took a vacation to central Texas somewhere? I'm thinking we went to Austin and San Marcos with Charlene and her kids. And there in San Marcos we saw a beautiful Gibson Les Paul in a store window. Wasn't it a burgundy color? I think they wanted less than $600 for it, an amazing deal even then. I wanted it, and you wanted me to have it. I could see the wheels turning in your head. Thing is, neither of us happened to have an extra $600 at that moment, and we had to go home without it. I was sad but I understood.

So there I was in the guitar shop last night, and the only acoustics they had left were junk. Hanging on the opposite wall, though, were threee Epiphone Les Pauls. Epiphone is Gibson's affordable line of instruments. These ELPs have a great repuatation, and you can see them onstage in clubs all the time. If you go to a user review website like Harmony Central, you'll see that they regularly get great marks.

I suddenly realized that, though I was saddened to see my local guitar shop going belly-up, there were clearance signs all around me.

The burgundy Les Paul was half-off.

Using the last cord in the shop and a funky amp, I noodled for a few minutes. The action (string height) is low (which is a good thing), and the fretwork is really nice. This is a very comfortable instrument to play, really fast (even for me), and it doesn't fret out or buzz no matter where I bend.

So I bought it. Attached is a photo.



It's funny how things work out, how nearly 25 years later I've got that guitar from the store window--or damn close to it--and you bought it for me after all. Perhaps it was Fate after all.

The kicker is that it was so cheap I can still afford to get an acoustic as well. I'm still shopping!

Thank you again.