another musical purchase
Yesterday was not a bad day. It may have been the last day of my current project and thus the last day of employment for the foreseeable future, but at least I had the morning off and a rare chance to listen to “Nashville Jumps” on WRVU, unquestionably the best two hours of radio in this market. Radio would still be great if more of it was like this. Yesterday’s installment was a full four hours, as if some higher power wanted to make up in advance for sending me on the employment trail yet again.
It made a great soundtrack as I drove around the greater Nashville shopping for a new acoustic. I’ve been slowly and almost reluctantly getting back into songwriting lately, and my old acoustic—the very same guitar I learned to play on some sixteen years ago—is about ready for retirement. She was just a cheap little Fender that I bought for a hundred bucks back in junior high, and she has gone beyond any and all expectations. Kudos to you, nameless acoustic that sat with me all those many hours back in high school while trying to learn the entire Zeppelin catalogue and then again in the mid-nineties during my brief but regrettable Dave Matthews phase. I am certainly glad that you cannot tell stories.
I started off at Gruhn. I’ve always wanted to buy a guitar from there just because it sits next to the Ryman and is one of the meccas of guitar shops. I even found a cheap Martin within my budget that I might have gladly forked over the cash for, had I been allowed to play it without adult supervision. Look, I understand they spend all day having to deal with Ed and Gladys Sixpack who just had to swing through Nashville on their way home from Branson, but I am not to be confused with a tourist. I’m not in there to gawk at the pictures of prefabricated country stars or ask the staff if they’ve met Garth fucking Brooks. I am just there to buy a guitar. I teach guitar as a side job and have been known to pick them up on occasion. I will only pick up the ones I can afford. I will not even breathe on, look at, point to, or in any way invade the space of your overpriced shit. Don’t hassle me. I’m local.
Still, it was good to walk around downtown for a while. I actually like watching the tourists from time to time, as I can still remember driving up from Alabama back in high school and walking around a bit slack jawed and wide-eyed at downtown Nashville. I think about that when someone in a just purchased cowboy hat stops me to ask directions. I happily give them and even make something up if I have no idea what the hell they’re talking about.
The next stop was Guitar Center. I hate buying from chains and generally get most my equipment second-hand from Nashville Used Music, but I wound up pulling the trigger on an
Epiphone EJ-200 while there. Mine is black. I like the Epiphone acoustics and hollow bodies, as they get pretty close and are sometimes even preferable to their Gibson counterparts at only a fraction of the cost. Also, it did not deplete my meager music fund.
It made a great soundtrack as I drove around the greater Nashville shopping for a new acoustic. I’ve been slowly and almost reluctantly getting back into songwriting lately, and my old acoustic—the very same guitar I learned to play on some sixteen years ago—is about ready for retirement. She was just a cheap little Fender that I bought for a hundred bucks back in junior high, and she has gone beyond any and all expectations. Kudos to you, nameless acoustic that sat with me all those many hours back in high school while trying to learn the entire Zeppelin catalogue and then again in the mid-nineties during my brief but regrettable Dave Matthews phase. I am certainly glad that you cannot tell stories.
I started off at Gruhn. I’ve always wanted to buy a guitar from there just because it sits next to the Ryman and is one of the meccas of guitar shops. I even found a cheap Martin within my budget that I might have gladly forked over the cash for, had I been allowed to play it without adult supervision. Look, I understand they spend all day having to deal with Ed and Gladys Sixpack who just had to swing through Nashville on their way home from Branson, but I am not to be confused with a tourist. I’m not in there to gawk at the pictures of prefabricated country stars or ask the staff if they’ve met Garth fucking Brooks. I am just there to buy a guitar. I teach guitar as a side job and have been known to pick them up on occasion. I will only pick up the ones I can afford. I will not even breathe on, look at, point to, or in any way invade the space of your overpriced shit. Don’t hassle me. I’m local.
Still, it was good to walk around downtown for a while. I actually like watching the tourists from time to time, as I can still remember driving up from Alabama back in high school and walking around a bit slack jawed and wide-eyed at downtown Nashville. I think about that when someone in a just purchased cowboy hat stops me to ask directions. I happily give them and even make something up if I have no idea what the hell they’re talking about.
The next stop was Guitar Center. I hate buying from chains and generally get most my equipment second-hand from Nashville Used Music, but I wound up pulling the trigger on an
Epiphone EJ-200 while there. Mine is black. I like the Epiphone acoustics and hollow bodies, as they get pretty close and are sometimes even preferable to their Gibson counterparts at only a fraction of the cost. Also, it did not deplete my meager music fund.
Which is a good thing when you are soon to be unemployed.
posted by Rex L. Camino at 8:18 AM
6 Comments:
I always thought the folks at Gruhn were too prissy.
I am glad you found your Dave Matthews phase regrettable. I have a phase I regret, which has something to do with a crush on Boy George. I'm blocking most of it.
I agree about Nashville Jumps. Easily the best thing on radio these days. Now if they would only archive the show on the WRVU site for guys like me who don't get up at 8AM very often.
When is this Nashville Jumps show on? As soon as we move and we finally get dsl, I'm going to check it out.
Don't know your take on World Music on HWY 70 S in Bellevue, but I've often heard good things.
Congrats on the new purchase and good luck with the writing.
R
It now broadcasts from 8 to 10 on Friday mornings, Mel.
I second the call for archiving the shows.
Gracias, Ryan.
I've heard of World Music, but I have never been there. I don't get up to that part of Nashville much anymore.
Post a Comment
<< Home