Best of the Welcome Columns


Best of the Welcome Columns

Author: Rhynes, J.D.
The final disposition of yer musical instruments?

How many times have you heard this story? A musician dies, and someone offers the widow a sum of money that she cant resist and off goes the treasured instruments, usually to a dealer, or worse yet, a "collector" that cant pick a lick! A lot of times, the person selling the instruments has known for years in advance that the instrumens were promised to a friend, family member, band mate, etc. I myself was a victim of such an incident years ago. An older gentleman that taught me how to play music thought enough of me, to promise that his 1943 D-18 was one day going to be mine, because he knew how much I loved him and that guitar. After he passed away, his son went to get the guitar about a month later, only to be told by his step mother that she had NO idea where or what happened to it. He later found out it was sold fer a measly $200.00 . Greed, pure and simple. SO, what to do with your instruments when your time comes when you either CANT play, or you die OR, maybe you have an instrument that you haven't played in years, since you got a better one? Here's what I did with most of mine. In the last 14 years, I have given away 2 guitars, and 3 fiddles, with this provision; When the recipient gets too old or cant play anymore, they have to find a good young musician that they know will take care of, and PLAY it, and they have to GIVE the instrument to him/her. They can NEVER SELL IT! If they do, I'm coming back and haunt 'em to their dying day! The first one I gave away was a1943 00-17 Mahogany body Martin. I gave it to Rob McCoury because he NEEDED it. He plays lil' "Sweeetness" all of the time, and is on a lot of Del McCoury's records. I hadn't picked that guitar since I got my custom built guitar"Miss Lovely" in 1976. A period of 22 years, so in 1998 I gave it to the person that will own it till? A good trade in my book. IN 1972 I was given a fiddle that at one time belonged to the unofficial Poet Laureate of California. It was made in 1835 by an unknown maker, but was it ever a HOSS ! A gentlemn by the name of Red Craig gave me that fiddle. He was a mechanic by trade, and he was tuning up my Porsche one day when I spy'd the fiddle case in his little one man shop. He let me look at it, and I knew right away it was one great fiddle. He said it was left to his father back in the 40's , and a lot of people had tried to buy it over the years, but he wasn't interested in selling it. I said, if you ever sell it Red, I'd like first chance at it. He sez, jes what would you do with it? i'd play it I said. The hell you say, Red sez. SO, with that, I tuned it up about half pitch, 'cause it still had the old gut strings on it, and sawed a lil bit of Sally Goodin fer him. Red said, KID you can have that fiddle, because yer the first one to tell me the truth, BUT, you can never sell it. You have to give it away jes like I'm givin' it to you today! Sadly, Red passed away 6 months later. Ray Park tried fer yeeears to get it from me, but I gave it to one of the best old time Cowboy singers you'll ever hear, Skip Gorman. Skip needed it, and I knew Red would be proud that I kept my word. Sadly, that fiddle was stolen from Skip a year er so ago. BUT, I'm working on gittin' it back for him. More on that in due time. So now I'm down to 2 guitars, 2 fiddles, and one bass. Where are they goin? Well, I knew where my custom made Black Forest guitar was going, as I promised it to Russell Moore back around 1997, so in 2010 I gave it to Russell when he was at our festival in Grass Valley. I also gave my Lewis Conservatory Violin to Hunter Berry that same year. Probably two of the most emotional time's of my life, knowing that I would never be able to play the instruments that meant more to me than anything else I owned. That was the fiddle that my Dad paid $25.00 hard earned dollars fer in 1948. Since then I've seen Hunter play it on the Grand Ol Opry, a good trade if I do say so. I made the same deal with Russell and Hunter. They can never sell 'em, they have to give 'em away. Along the way, I found out Jeanie Ramos needed a fiddle to play, so I gave her a fairly good one to learn on. That left my 1960 00-18 Martin and my 1951 Kay bass. Well, since I was diagnosed with Parkinson's 4 years ago, my ability to play any instrument is jes a memory now. I never promised either one to anybody, and all of the bass players I know have better instruments than my old beat up Kay. Also, my 1960 00-18 Martin is one that I bought at a yard sale about 9 years ago, and I never promised it to anyone either, so the both of 'em are now on consignment at John Green's Fifth String music store in Sacramento. Hopefully someone will come along and fall in love wih 'em, and give me a BIG pile of Frog Pelts [ $100.00 bills ] and I'll be able to enjoy buying a new pair of custom made boots ! A lil story about me giving Rob McCoury "Sweetness". When Junior Barber [ Dobro player fer the Gibson Bro.'s ] found out I gave Rob that guitar he asked me, you dont happen to have an old Dobro ya wanna git rid of do ya? Ha ha ha. So there ya are folks, that's where my axe's went . I made sure they went to who I WANTED TO HAVE THEM! The look on the respective faces of Rob, Skip, Jeanie, Russell, and Hunter when I gave them the instruments will live in my memory forever. That alone is worth more than all of the Gold and Silver the earth may hold. WHAT do you have planned fer yer instruments?

Posted: 1/26/2012