Paul Brett – Collecting Vintage Acoustic Guitars
The guitar has got to be about the most well known musical instrument. Or maybe the simple drum is really the most well known musical instrument. There can’t be many people who have never seen a guitar and don’t know what a guitar is.
One thing that makes guitars so appealing is their accessibility. Unlike a Piano, or a drum kit, a guitar is portable and almost anyone can pick one up. But creating a tune on a guitar can be a struggle.
I’ve met people who, within a few months of picking up a guitar, were good enough to form a band and start gigging. Then there are other people, myself included, who have been playing for many years and still learning.
But this is one of the reasons why guitars are so compelling. There is always something new to learn, new instruments to try and new gizmos to play with. Playing guitar is an engrossing and immersive pass time that can take over your life.
In recent years I’ve become something of a guitar collector. I am a lover of vintage resonator guitars. These are a form of acoustic guitar that uses a resonator cone made of spun allumnium to give the guitar extra volume. The design originates from the early part of the 20th century before electronic amplification became commonplace. The sound of the resonator guitar is very much the sound of the blues, the music that I love.
If you know any guitarists you may already know how obsessive they can become. Playing guitar, collecting guitars, listening to guitar music and going to gigs to see guitarists play can often take over their lives. And if you are unfortunate enough to have a guitar playing wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend you may find yourself feeling that you are less important than their obsession with guitars.