I have always loved the guitar. When I was younger all I could think about was electric guitars. There were so many different shapes and colors. This was better than a candy store. I mean, even jelly beans and M&M's only come in one shape. And of course the guitarists on TV were really cool and I was decidedly not. So the attraction was complete.
I received my first guitar as a Christmas present when I was 10 years old. It was an inexpensive little plywood number with a spray painted finish. And it was an acoustic not an electric. But to me it was the most perfect thing I had ever owned. I still remember the feel and the smell of that instrument. And, although I could not have articulated it then, I knew somehow that my life had just changed.
In the subsequent dozen or so years I owned a several more acoustic guitars and one electric guitar. I was firmly rooted in the acoustic sound by then and playing an electric guitar wasn't nearly as much fun as I wanted it to be. I'm still a big fan, but only when someone else is playing. And the acoustic guitar was gradually narrowing down to classical, nylon string guitars.
In 1971 I commissioned a hand built classical guitar from Japanese luthier Masaru Kohno. When I saw it in it's case for the first time my heart skipped a beat. There was nothing fancy about it. No pearl inlay, no intricate artwork. But it was stunning. The back and sides were made from Brazilian rosewood and the top was made from spruce with a grain that was the straightest and tightest I've ever seen. I reached in and gently strummed the strings as it lay there and heard the most beautiful sound I had ever heard from any guitar.
In 1985 I bought a second guitar. This one is not quite as nice but it's still better than most. It's back and sides are made from gorgeous Indian rosewood and it has a lovely cedar top. It is factory made in a small shop and I bought it at a music store. I've had some minor changes made to it. I've replaced the plastic nut and bridge saddle with bone and I've put much higher quality tuners on it.
So many times over the years as I've practiced with one or the other I've taken the time to just look and admire the beauty of these guitars. The tools that I create my art with are works of art in themselves. The wood and workmanship combine to inspire me to be better. I'm reminded that true art is not necessarily glamorous. There is no fancy paint, glitter, or bedazzled look here. Just a handiwork begun by nature, crafted by a gifted luthier, and ending with me doing my level best to use it to play beautiful music.
As a postscript - As with their owner, they have been used and occasionally abused over the years. They have some dings and scrapes and are even a little cracked. But their tone has mellowed and deepened and they actually sound "mature". They aren't as pretty as they once were, but I believe they are better.