Norwegian Wood
I fell in love on Sunday. Well, not love, but a deep infatuation, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Dale’s ok with it, even encouraging me to pursue it. In fact, he was the reason we met.
We took a drive, to a small guitar shop in a nearby town. A largely unimpressive collection, until I looked a little deeper on the wall. Ooh, that’s a 12-string. Ooh, that’s a Yamaha 12-string, like the one played by my guitar god. I picked it up. It was a mess. The strings were really loose, and it needed to be cleaned. I sat down with it and began to try to tune it. Surprisingly, it had a lovely mellow sound, and it felt comfortable in my hands as I worked the strings. I always thought a 12-string would be beyond my capabilities (which are still very limited at this point), but this was easy to play.
The more I held on to this guitar, the more it became MY guitar. At least I think it is. As I started tuning, I thought about what it would be like to take it home, care for it, show it some love and affection? My gut tells me, knowing the community this shop is located in, that someone sold this instrument for drugs, after it had languished in the corner for too long. I also realized, mid-tuning, it was missing one of the B strings. I sadly put it back on the wall, but in doing that, I caught the price tag. Short money for a 12-string. I would need to re-string it. I kept going back and looking at it. Dale, in his usual style, kept trying to give me reasons why I should buy it. I, in my typical style, kept thinking of reasons not to buy it. I have a lot of social expenses in the next few weeks, and I need to get back into graduate school. So we left, not without noting the layaway plan listed by the register.But I keep thinking about this guitar.
Would I take this guitar home, work on it as it needed, then abandon it to sit next to its 6-stringed cousin currently in my living room? Or would this guitar be the instrument that would finally make me play more? I have always loved the sound of a 12-string, but newer ones I’ve found hard to fret. This one isn’t at all.
So, dear readers, what should I do?
posted by
HRH Courtney, Queen of Everything
@
7:00 AM
9 Comments:
Buy the guitar. You'll kick yourself forever if you don't.
I concur. Get the guitar if you can afford it. A happy 12-string is awesome. (My dad let me play his Custom Baladeer from Ovation once, and I'll never forget it.)
At the very least, it'll get you going on your finger-picking, because it's a lot more challenging than a 6-string in that area!
Waiting on the verdict from the desired advisor; she wrote me an email to tell me she'd "think about it for a few days." *sigh*
Oh, you *have* to get it.
What a cool experience, eh? As I read your description, I recognized many of the same experiences I have had purchasing my (too many) gtrs.
It is rare to play a new gtr and have it feel like it's yours. Sometimes obsession or infatuation gets in the way, but they are both different from that *feeling* you get when the guitar really fits you.
Good luck with your decision.
Buy it!
Get it. Don't think about it. I remember my first 12... an Ibanez... I left in my guitarist's basement when I was a kid and the humidity destroyed it. I recently bought a Danelectro electric 12 - It fully rules. Can't beat that sound. How else can you play Wish You Were Here? LOL
You don't choose the guitar, the guitar chooses you.
Why are you still sitting here? Get your ass out and BUY it!
Wow, you get alot of comment spam, bummer. And no, sorry, comment spammers, not interested in or clicking your links so please stop spamming blog comments with this stuff.
As for the guitar, go for it. If it ponged that strongly with you in the store then you will regret not getting it.
Instruments are investments, especially beautifully made instruments like this one. They are multi-taskers, instrument and artwork in one! There, is that enough justification?
it's just a guitar.. break ir heart!..
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