tuesday afternoon

things have been busy around here. I am getting ready to teach several classes this fall and that tends to eat up the time. Kind of fun, actually, but also stressful. time is drawing close.

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cool thing this afternoon. I play guitar (kind of) and when I completed my Ph.D., SOF bought me a new guitar. Nothing like playing a solid-top guitar. Well, today I took it to a cool guitar shop in OKC to get a little adjustment to the action. Hanging around that store is just fun. He has all sorts of guitars in there, from the brand new to the vintage. there is a 1940s era Gibson that looks like shit. It is beat up and gouged. but that thing plays like a dream. You can't believe the sound that comes out of that wood. $4500 dollars for that guitar, and I believe it is probably a good deal.

I like the message. We can get better with age. And guitars only get better when you play them. I don't understand they physics, but my guitar sounds better than it did 4 years ago. As this luthier said, nothing really makes up for 40 years of playing. He said he once had a 1920s era Martin D-18 that had really never been played. Great guitar and great wood, but who ever bought it hadn't played it. He said it sounded like a good new guitar, but nothing like some of the vintage ones out there. Age alone doesn't do it.

reminds me of the townes van zandt line from "Snowin on Raton:"

Bid the years good-bye you cannot still them
you cannot turn the circles of the sun
you cannot count the miles until you feel them