Pulled my guitar case down from our garage storage today, where it’s been sitting for YEARS and dusted it off in the sunshine on the gravel driveway. The acoustic Washburn guitar itself sits on a stand, unused in my bedroom, missing a string and all the others far from in tune. The black case was covered in dust and dead bugs. It has half of a “fragile” sticker on it from when I let United store it during a flight to Oregon from Vermont. It’s got duct tape around it in various places and it has other old stickers. My old band, Nutria, Greenpeace ’92, Winnie the Pooh holding a balloon, and a few others.
I got it down because I was thinking I needed to just finally take it in to our local guitar shop and have them put new stings on it, tune it up, etc… My kids are ALWAYS asking me to play it for them but it’s just in rotten condition. The guitar is actually in great condition, but I suppose guitar strings intimidate me. I’m a drummer: I can tune a drum, I set up my kit in like 3 minutes, and I can take it down and set it up in a new space with my eyes closed, I can find exactly what I want to hear with my Pearl drums with ease, but when it comes to strings for my acoustic guitar, I am a bit baffled. Always have been. So when I opened the case today and found a complete set of brand new strings, all six, in their original packaging just sitting there along with the chords to a couple early Blues Traveler songs, I was inspired. I did not take it down to the guitar shop just yet. I’ll give it a shot at home.
My kids are excited at the possibility. I am, too. Maybe I can actually put my guitar to use and tune it up tonight. Then I’ll need to learn some easy kids songs to strum and play for them…any ideas?