One day last summer I was driving down the hill to the local market town for bits and pieces. Saw a 'bike down in the middle of the road, so stopped and asked the chap in black leathers if he was OK. When he turned I could see he was my age-ish- late 50s, grey beard, that sort of thing. "Fine" he said, "only had this thing a couple of days", so I drove on. Got to town, parked, and burst out laughing. My wife, I thought, is luckier than she knows. There was a chap who may not have ridden a 'bike since he was in his early 20s, gone out and bought himself a 500cc monster- he may not have lasted the year. With some men it's bikes- live fast, die middle-aged. With others it's women half their age- good grief, like I still actually could, y'know? With me it's guitars. You know where I am, who I'm with, and what I'm doing. I'm not bankrupting us with a Harley or a gold-digger. Ok, so the floor is covered in sawdust and the downstairs loo always smells of linseed oil and varnish. You know every blues in G backwards and there are guitars everywhere. But I can see now do TWO things with my hands- cook kick-ass food AND make musical instruments that really work. Both skills for a post-oil age- and I think I may be happier than at any time in my adult life.
Truly, build what you play, play what you love, and love what you build.
Comments
We could get a 3 wheeled Morgan, T-Rex or a Slingshot.
I love Indian Motorcycles. I miss the triangular headlights.
Yep... I've plenty to do but always have 4-6 build ideas of various cigarbox or bisquit tin or found object guitars in my mind with my office/shop calling to me from this bit of neck material, that cigar box, tin or license plate, etc.. Finding a small piece that would make a cool bridge or sound hole cover... and they all bring that side of my brain to life... hah... working off the last brain cell here but there you go. I totally love creative imagination re. these cool gits. Love playing 'em in shows and prisons and etc.. Great fun and still not illegal :)! I play at Sturgis and other bike rallies each year... LOVE those old Indian bikes... mercy... but my sweet wife can't do those re. arthritis and no way I can see spending the loot on one. I truly hear ya Wal! -Glenn
Well I just happen to have a Vintage Bike for sale. It needs restoring.
Well stated. Wal, that also suits me to a tee. Except I do get tempted by certain vintage looking motorcycles.
So Treu Wal ! every man shoud have a place to do his thing, but still its shifting the topics are still the same Bikes Women Guitars Blues music.Rock& Roll, when your younger you tend to do everything at ones in the same time, and as often as posseble , but getting older some things go to the background and others flare up, but Music stays for live!
I would love to sit on the front steps displaying and playing my guitars, we live in a tourist town with the main high-way in front of our house. In summer a constant drone of LOUD bikes accelerating towards several blind intersections and sharp corners a couple hundred feet down the road. I rode a lot in my younger years, always enjoyed it, hopefully more responsibly, well, maybe not always. Now I'm always tempted to stop them, hand them a guitar and say " try this, you will enjoy it more and be a lot safer". Then reason kicks in and I say to myself, give them time and sooner or later they may catch the cbg bug and see the light.
I couldn't agree more. The only downside is how much time I spend at my "real job," thinking and pondering building and playing.
My dream is to have a couch, fridge and coffee pot in my workshop, along with a small PA and maybe a few small amps. So people can come by and visit, or jam or both throughout the day.
Wal, I'm some past middle aged (68 last month), got a Harley Road King in the garage, and I have to blow the sawdust off the cover to think about Mrs. Grandpa and I taking a ride, which is increasingly rare. Too many crazies on the road, on the phone, busy with other than paying attention. Get Off My Lawn! I, too, prefer to take my chances with sharp rotating blades and hand tools. I got gits to build, gits to play, gits to share. I just love this gig. I leave the kick-ass cooking to Mrs. Grandpa, who nods approvingly when I roll out to the saws and wood, and knows it's keeping me "out of pool halls and off the street". I am usually pretty easy to find.
I've done the Bike thing, I'm too broke for the sports car or a younger gal, so it's guitars as long as I can build them myself. LOL