Hello Sourdough,

Thank you for your kind, and tactful words. If I somehow conveyed that I thought the guitar was evil, then I misspoke. I think I would go so far as to say that my relationship with that instrument was a toxic one. Since the guitar was for all intents and purposes (all talk of soul and relationship aside) an inanimate object, I must shoulder the brunt of the fault for that toxicity myself. The only problem with the instrument was that it was a really very bad guitar. The action was too high, it wasn't in tune with itself, the tuning pegs (when they weren't breaking off in my hand) had a tendency to slip. I have an appreciation bordering on the mystical for well-carfted instruments and for their parents (their makers, and their adoptive parents who purchase them and begin to play them). But this was not a well-crafted instrument. And in my experience, learning on a poorly made instrument can, in the extreme teach the learner bad habits and can sour that person on the whole idea of learning to play music.

Had this guitar been anything other than a mere step above a dime store guitar I would have found some other use for it. To me, though, the idea of keeping an instrument around for purely decorative reasons is the most obscene use for it. The word "musical" is like the word "magical," but you take out the "ag" and put in "use." If it ain't being used, it ain't gonna do the magic. I shudder to go into some of these theme restaurants that decorate their walls with old instruments. Sure it looks kitschy and all, but...how sad to see all of those dead instruments nailed to the walls. Kinda like killing an animal just to mount its head on your living room wall.

Just so you guys will know that I am not evil incarnate, I did buy a little celtic knee harp once, convinced that it would leap to life under my hands. I discoverd that I had absolutely no affinity for it whatsoever. It was a pretty, but very mediocre instrument. After carrying it around for nearly three years I showed it to a new friend. He said, "Oh, neat!" picked it up and started playing it. Never had a lesson in his life, just sat down and noodled with it for 30 minutes and was able to do more on it than I had been able to teach myself in 3 years. I let him babysit it for a while to see if he would like to own it. I ended up selling it to him and a very reasonable price. He has now graduated to a full sized Celtic harp made buy a local craftsman.

To me, that was "the little harp that could" coupled with someone who had a real passion and curiosity for the instrument. My friend recognized that it was not the best of instruments, but it was a doorway for him. And that is magic. I s'pose it is possible that that guitar could have been a doorway for someone. But more than likely it would have languished in that persons basement or attic, because try as they might, they just couldn't get it to make a good sound. There it would sit. Alon. In the dark. Getting dusty, or moldy, or both. With spiders crawling around inside it. Slowly warping and twisting. If I were and instrument, that would be a fate worse than death. What is it they say? Better to burn out than to fade away.

Of course, maybe I am justifying to assuage a guilty conscience....

BeauD