I was near Barry’s on other business and thought I would just drop in. I didn’t even notice at first that the old privet collection of guitars was not up on the wall any more. My eye made it’s way down the line of “for sale” guitars. There was a nice Alverez, an Epiphone an Ovation and a pair of old Yamahas 12 strings, some banjos, lot's of junk electrics, a new Fender Tele, cool stuff … but nothing I had to have… until I saw the old KayKraft hanging with all the other “for Sale” guitars. It even had a price tag on it. I took a peek… $500.00 “wow…” I though, “Barry is selling his privet stuff… times must be hard. But this old Kay can’t be worth that much.” I picked it up and played it a little. The action was way too high, as if someone had been playing slide with it but I knew it could be adjusted. The intonation was off a little but that could be fixed too. Then there was the sound. It sounded like a thousa
nd old blues records I’ve heard over the years. It sounded like the opening run to “Black Queen” from Stills first solo record. Not as much bottom end as Steven's Martin but tight lead run tone.
I wanted it… But $500 was a little too high and I had never had any luck haggling at Barry's so I hung the guitar back on the rack and walked out telling myself that the guitar was too old and too beat up for that much money.
I got back in the car and told my wife Alicia about it. “Is it playable?” she asked. "Yes…well, it could be. ” I said “You should go get it. You have the money. I love that guitar!” We talked about the old Kay Kraft we had at home. We talked about doing to Ed's with it all those years ago. ABout the plans that I had that never seemed to come to pass. We have been working on some music together that could use some acustic guitar. She was right, I did have the money but I couldn’t pay that much for the guitar so we just drove home and I tried to forget it. But I found myself looking up at the wall. At my old pawnshop find from 20 years ago. She was still pretty but she been silent for over 10 years. I had forgotten what she sounded like until this afternoon. But $500... that was just too much money.
2 comments:
I know I'm answering an old article, but I had an identical incident at a guitar-shop in Memphis maybe twenty-years ago. The owner wanted $600 and said he was told by the seller it had once belonged to the old bluesman Curley Weaver, but had no proof or anything. I also walked out, but then had second thoughts and went back and bought it. Terrible action, etc but like you said it sounded sooo... pre-war bluesey. Anyway, about five years later I had a chance to meet Curley Weaver's daughter, and asked her to look at it. She stuck a make-up compact mirror in the soundhole. On the inside of the top was written a faded CJW. She said "That was my daddy's guitar. My half-brother stole it from him to pay his debt to the moonshine-man." True or not, it's kind of... etherial... to hold that guitar on my lap and listen to my scratchy old Curley Weaver 78 on the Victrola.
(And the action is still terrible!)
I know I'm answering an old article, but I had an identical incident at a guitar-shop in Memphis maybe twenty-years ago. The owner wanted $600 and said he was told by the seller it had once belonged to the old bluesman Curley Weaver, but had no proof or anything. I also walked out, but then had second thoughts and went back and bought it. Terrible action, etc but like you said it sounded sooo... pre-war bluesey. Anyway, about five years later I had a chance to meet Curley Weaver's daughter, and asked her to look at it. She stuck a make-up compact mirror in the soundhole. On the inside of the top was written a faded CJW. She said "That was my daddy's guitar. My half-brother stole it from him to pay his debt to the moonshine-man." True or not, it's kind of... etherial... to hold that guitar on my lap and listen to my scratchy old Curley Weaver 78 on the Victrola.
(And the action is still terrible!)
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