Tools or Heirlooms?

Hello Troubadourians! It’s November and Thanksgiving is at the end of the month. I can’t help but think about the things for which I’m thankful. And it doesn’t have to be a religious consideration, simply the people and things in your life that make you say, “Yeah, thanks. You make my life better for being in it.” I can always start with Liz Abbott, who gave me the chance to write this column for you for almost 15 years. And I thank you, the readers of the Troubadour, for your support and readership. When people tell me, “Hey, that column you wrote was really interesting… Thanks!” I say, “It was my pleasure… always.”

So, let’s talk about one of our other favorite things to be thankful for… Guitars, of course. Well, I suppose it could be any type of instrument of which we are quite fond, but guitarists seem to be particularly enthralled with displaying their collections for all to see. I get it, our instruments are often extensions of ourselves, and we want people to know us for who we are, so we proudly display our prized Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, PRS, Fenders, or whichever make or model defines what a guitar represents for us. The more affluent among us display their pieces in custom display cases or hang them on the wall like works of fine art. And some instruments are certainly ‘art-worthy,’ while others have a vintage vibe that says its owner possess discerning taste for collectable instruments. Most though, just set up their axes on guitar stands in the music room, where they can be admired and readily played should the inspiration strike.

I’m okay with the humidity-controlled display case for vintage instruments—which are often quite fragile and expensive—but I have a few issues with hanging guitars on the wall or setting them out on stands… This is where we’ll start to disagree but please, hear me out.

The argument I hear most for having guitars out or on display is “If they are within easy reach, I’m more likely to play them.” Okay, I’ll buy that…in part…. But I always ask, “So, do you actually play them more often?” I get lots of answers to that question, most defending having the instruments out, but the most interesting one—and possibly the most honest—was “Actually, they’ve kind of become part of the décor and it’s really easy for me to ignore them, just like I ignore the lampshades…” In reality, there’s always one that we reach for most often, and the reasons for choosing that one vary, but we just gravitate to that instrument when we want to play. So, if we consistently play the same guitar when we want to play, why not just have that one readily available and keep the others in their cases? You do have cases for them, don’t you?

Let’s talk about hanging guitars on the wall. I worked in a music store for many years and the guitars that hung on the wall became “used” much faster that they should have. We often had to discount an otherwise new guitar because it had been dinged or scratched from hanging within easy reach for anyone. An exposed guitar is vulnerable to damage from many sources, not the least of which is that it can fall off the wall. They get dusty, the strings get corroded, and if there is any sunlight that can reach the guitar they will fade or change color. If an instrument is hanging on a wall, or in a guitar stand for that matter, it is vulnerable to damage. Sure, that is part of the game for a music store, but I always expected that if someone bought a guitar, they would treat it better. I learned that isn’t always the case.

Speaking of cases, it never occurred to me to have a guitar without a case (or more recently, a gig bag), but a case was always a separate purchase and one that a surprising number of people would forego. I often wondered what people would do with those guitars once they got them home… never mind, I’d rather not know… (shudder).

Back to the original question: Tools or Heirlooms? I know people who own both. A couple of them store their genuine heirloom instruments in temperature and humidity-controlled cases. We’re talking about extremely rare and valuable, vintage, collector-grade instruments. Those instruments have surpassed their function as guitars and have become true investments, most of which are rarely, if ever, played. They have crossed over into Heirloom status. I also know people who own vintage instruments that are considered player-grade. These are guitars that while still rare and/or valuable, they get played regularly mainly because they are such extraordinary instruments. For the most part, these guitars live in their cases when they aren’t being played. Most of these owners still consider these guitars to be tools. Certainly, they are aware of their value and are justly protective of them, but they exist to be played. Maybe they don’t leave the house anymore or go on tour, but they are played regularly. Well, unless you’re Joe Bonamassa…

My father was a master mechanic, and he had two well-stocked toolboxes. His tools were always well maintained and kept in an orderly manner in those boxes. He invested a lot of money into them, but he used many of them every day. Some were specialized, with limited use, but they were invaluable when they were needed to make a repair. That was my example of how to care for my tools. As for me, I consider every instrument I own to be tools of my trade as a musician. Some of them are admittedly expensive, but they exist to function as a guitar and make music in a particular way. Each one is curated to do something that I want to do as a player. I use them for live performances and studio sessions, and people often request that I bring one or more particular guitar because of what they do and how they sound. I am fortunate to be able to afford the instruments that I like, but honestly, I could probably get close to replicating most of them for a reasonable investment. But the main thing is that all of them get played regularly, some daily, and they all live in their cases when they aren’t being played. For me, opening a guitar case and taking the guitar out is akin to opening a Christmas present. And I get to do it any time I want to!

Here are my reasons why my guitars live in their cases… First, I have cats. Cats knock shit over if they can. A guitar in a guitar stand will eventually become a victim of a cat attack. I don’t want to have to have a headstock repaired. Second, I live in a high fire risk area. If we ever had to evacuate, we might not have time to find the case that goes with each guitar, put them in it, and get them into the car. I have tags on the cases with “save me first” on the guitars that I consider the hardest to replace. I don’t have to be home to make a decision; my family knows what to do in an emergency. Finally, they all have a strap, slide, capo, and extra strings in the case with them. They are self-contained so that I can grab a guitar and go to a gig or session and everything I need for that guitar goes with it.

So, I keep my guitars in their cases, and I make the effort to play all of them frequently, because I enjoy playing them and I need to make sure that every one of them is in full working order in case I need it on a moment’s notice. But that’s just me. You do you. I won’t judge…

Need to know? Just ask… Charlie (ask.charlie@hotmail.com)

Charlie Loach has played guitar in the San Diego music scene for many years, primarily with the power-house original rock band the Wild Truth and the elegant Americana ensemble Folding Mister Lincoln, performing and recording several CDs with both bands. More recently, he has performed with the vocal trio the Outliers. Charlie is an accomplished session player who is well versed in multiple genres of music from bluegrass to rock to country, and his playing is both smooth and tasteful whether on electric or acoustic guitar.