Now that I’m off tour and there is a Long Beds event in the offing, it’s time to swing by the guitar hospital and get my poor Larrivee out of rehab.
I’m hard on that guitar. First day I had it I slapped an International Harvester logo on the soundboard. Why wouldn’t a guy? Since then I’ve put a lotta wear and tear on it. Wore grooves in the frets, especially up there in the D-chord region. Let it get too dry this winter. And somewhere along the line I gave it a rap that dinged the varnish and eventually led to a crack in the wood.
The ding that eventually became a crack is visible above and to the left of the red “i”. I don’t mind scars and wear on my guitar. It’s a tool, and I cherish some visible indications of mileage. But these things went beyond wear to neglect and required attention. So before the last leg of book tour I left the instrument in the capable hands of my friend Gordy. When I handed the guitar across the counter, Gordy turned it this way and that, ran his hands over it as if it were a trembling bird, furrowed his brow worriedly, and looked at me like I was a bad parent. It’s no wonder, because Gordy is an artisan of guitars. Someday when the farm is paid for I hope to get a Bischoff. This guy has one, and he’s playing it right here.
I’m eager to see the guitar. Gotta get after it, been on book tour so long my calluses have faded…