I'll never forget my first build. I was just amazed that I could actually build something that made music. There was a grin on my face for days.
Friday, I sold my latest build. It's a much more stable instrument than the first one and more musical too. Plus, it went to a really good home. Short story...
Some friends of ours run a bicycle shop in town. Perry and Debbie are musicians too (winds, brass, guitar) and pretty good ones. When Debbie heard that I was building CBGs, she told me to bring one by the shop someday for her to see.
Conveniently, their shop is next door to a local music store that has been interested in my progress, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Loaded up my latest build and headed across town.
Debbie saw me get out of the car and gave a big wave. I said, "I have something you might like to see". When I pulled out the CBG, her mouth dropped open and she reached for it immediately.
For the next 10 minutes, she walked around the store, picking away and showing everyone that would pay attention - silly grin on her face all the time. Finally, she said, "you're selling these, right?" I said "yes" and she said "how much?" Gave her the current price and she said "can I buy this one? Can I write you a check?" I said "sure, but I was going to show it to the guys at the music store too". She told me to run next door and show them while she found her checkbook.
Next door, the music store dudes were happy to see me and the CBG too. They have seen my progression in build quality over the past few months and couldn't wait to get their hands on the latest model. They picked, they commented andthey plugged it into amp after amp. All smiles at the end of 20 minutes, they offered to sell them for me at the store, if I was interested (think I am).
With the CBG in the hands of its new owner, a check in my wallet, an offer to sell for me, the assurance that I should build a lefty for Perry... and a smile of my own. It was a pretty good day.
Comments
That CBG looks tasty ! If you consider CBG's fringe in the USA, here in England the general public have no idea what I'm talking about unless they are into Seasick Steve. When my own friends & family hear them being played they are usually amazed because they don't think a 3 or 4 string "toy" can be that musical !
Great story Hal. It seems like this happens a lot. We forgot how fringe the cbg thing is. Even a million people is less than a third of a percent of the US population, but there is something like "only" 30,000 on this site. We are not mainstream, even though the internet makes it seem like it sometimes. We say we make cbg's, and they say "what"? Then they see one and they are amazed.