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wasn't the line: don't touch it - don't even LOOKat it!!! ?
tilmann
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Richards" <paulrichard10@adelphia.net>
To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Cc: "Richard Sales" <richard@glasswing.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 6:03 PM
Subject: Re: Vintage Gear, E-bait etc
> (Many musicians of India.......... won't let anybody TOUCH THEIR
INSTRUMENT. --
>
> Kind of like Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap. ("Don't touch it. Don't touch
it." to Rob Reiner)
>
> Paul
>
> ---- Richard Sales <richard@glasswing.com> wrote:
> > Vintage instruments?
> >
> > It IS something you have to experience to know. Most guitars are made
> > of wood. Wood ages. And wood that's had sound put through them for
> > ten or more years sounds DIFFERENT than wood that's new. Simple
> > physics. The more sound put through and the older, the better they can
> > sound. In the old days we used to put our guitars, especially
> > acoustics, in front of our stereo speakers and crank it and leave them
> > to cook for as long as we could stand it. We might have been crazy,
> > but the theory is sound I think.
> >
> > I know - I've played a lot of nice guitars. My new Collings acoustic,
> > actually 12 years old, sounds wonderful. I have a Santa Cruz here
> > (Bill Bloomer's) that's about the same age that sounds incredible. But
> > my grandfather's Maurer, made around 1924 by the Larson Brothers,
> > sounds so good it just howls and humiliates my other guitars. And it
> > is loaded with personality... or, what's called in Sanskrit, 'bhava'.
> > Now you might think this is strange, but I don't play it all that much
> > because it spoils me... and because I can't take it on the road.
> >
> > Now, many musicians of India, who I think have had an awful lot of time
> > to think about their instruments and who practice probably more than
> > anyone on earth, quite often won't let anyone else even TOUCH THEIR
> > INSTRUMENT. I've wondered why this is and have concluded that guitars
> > - wooden instruments especially - become charged with the spirit of the
> > player. I know this may sound a little fern bar and double latte to
> > some, but I know it for a fact, or have experienced this with my
> > guitars and playing the guitars of others. It's almost like you can
> > download a bit of the players energy when you play their guitars. Or
> > when they play your guitars they get charged. John Fahey played my
> > guitars frequently and vice versa. Danny Gatton played my guitars etc.
> > David Sylvian played my guitars and vice versa.. and many others.
> > This is all very subtle stuff but very tangible if you pay real close
> > attention. And, because I am mainly a tone junky more than a
> > technician. it makes all the difference to me.
> >
> > Wait! Save your typing fingertips! Yes I AM crazy! Don't waste your
> > time belaboring the obvious. The catch is, I haven't met a soul yet
> > who isn't. 58 years and counting.
> >
> > Now all of this doesn't mean you can't go into a store and buy a new
> > Tele that doesn't sound magnificent. And it doesn't mean you HAVE to
> > have an old guitar to make great music, or become famous, or to write
> > that song or do that solo that will change the world for the better...
> > or be a worthy human. There's a different kind of aging that does
> > that. But there will always be incredible players who use dog guitars
> > and make magical music. One of the best guitarists I've ever worked
> > closely with (Kenny Davis - The Platters, The Flamingos) had about five
> > brand new Japanese strats that he torqued and tortured and squeezed
> > devils and angels out of. So...????
> >
> > Who cares? I care because, FOR ME, I love it and am spoiled by very
> > fine instruments. Does this make me a better player? Hard to say. I
> > personally think so because I think tone is everything. I've always
> > thought one really well played howling note could out perform a
> > blizzard of thirty second notes. It's all about soul. And if you've
> > got soul, you can make it happen with a two string ektar. I've seen it
> > happen. I perform with a guy who does just that (Bhagavan Das). If you
> > don't have soul, you couldn't do it with a Stradivarius.
> >
> > There's nothing wrong with that! The world needs good accountants and
> > business people. And I don't say that sarcastically. All people have
> > soul - just some have it for music, some for numbers, some for zeros
> > and ones, some for scalpels and bone saws, some for literature,
> > storytelling etc. And they all deserve equal respect.
> >
> > Therefore, I think it's most important to focus on our own hearts and
> > minds and wood shedding and conquering our own demons & shadows (and
> > technologies) and training our own angels to come when we whistle. It's
> > FAR more important than vintage or not vintage. I just like to make my
> > angels job easier by having a nice axe to land on.
> >
> > And, Luca, thanks for the kind words. I'm always so reluctant to
>write.
> >
> > I bow to all of you and your ever expanding talent, intelligence and
> > value.
> >
> > richard sales
> > glassWing farm and studio
> > vancouver island, b.c.
> > 800.545.6846
> > 250.752.4816
> > www.glassWing.com
> > www.richardsales.com
> > www.hayleysales.com
> > www.blueberryfieldsfarm.com
> > On 19-Dec-06, at 6:55 AM, Goddard, Duncan wrote:
> >
> > >>> I'm sorry, this is the largest pile of arse I have ever heard.<<
> > >
> > > it's quite obvious to me from damian's measured response that he's
> > > never had the good fortune to encounter an "inanimate" object
> > > possessed of the spirit either of it's makers or it's previous
>owners.
> > > this leads me to wonder if NZ is a desert when it comes to elderly
> > > fenders & the like.
> > >
> > > damian, don't knock what you don't understand.
> > >
> > > duncan.
> > >
>