Gretsch
When I was eight years old my dad brought home a Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar, a Fender Twin Reverb amplifier, a mic, and mic stand. He was an accomplished guitarist already, having spent countless hours working out Chet Atkins playing style. I remember the day he brought all of this gear home like it was yesterday. He set up the mic and stand and accompanied me and all of my neighborhood friends as we sang Puff the Magic Dragon and other "cool" songs of that day. He gave me his old Les Paul Jr. and Silvertone amplifier. He told me I would one day inherit the Gretsch. That was in 1964.
In 1967 my Uncle Vernon borrowed the Les Paul Jr. because he had broken a string and was playing a gig at The Wagon Wheel bar with my dad and some friends. My uncle and his wife were hit by a speeding car as they were leaving the bar at the end of the evening and were killed instantly leaving six children. The Les Paul Jr. was destroyed in the wreck as well.
My uncle Vernon was my dad's brother and my aunt Giula was my mom's sister. That made their children double first cousins and we of course shared the same maternal and paternal grandparents. They actually had five children and were the legal guardians of Roger Creech, another cousin, the son of my dad's sister Ada. My parents took in all six children, so now there were nine children in our family since there was already me, my sister, and my brother.
With all of these new additions to our family, the Gretsch and amp are probably the last big ticket items my dad ever bought for himself. He worked swing shift at a paper mill and lots of overtime just to pay the bills and provide for all of us.
When dad died about seven years ago, I inherited the Gretsch. The neck is well worn from countless hours of playing. I play guitar now and so does my cousin Roger. We have lots of cousins who play guitar as well and it can all be traced back to dad and his influence not to mention at least four of his brothers who also used to gather for family jams. Family jam sessions are a huge part of our lives. Now my son is learning guitar, Rogers's daughter is learning guitar, and cousin Vernon's son is already headed toward becoming an accomplished guitarist. The three of them are planning on starting a band in the coming weeks. The torch has been passed.
I've determined to become a well rounded guitarist myself. I've spent years dabbling with the guitar having concentrating on bass primarly. I've purchased a Martin acoustic/ electric guitar that I hope will have a neck every bit as worn as the Gretsch country Gentleman's neck by the time I pass it on to my son.
The Gretsch is the guitar I like to bring along to the family jams because it reminds us all of dad. Mostly though, the Gretsch is important to me because it reminds me of dad's dogged determination to master the guitar. It doesn't hurt at all that it's the same guitar George used when The Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
The Gretsch Pages discussion forum http://www.gretschpages.com/discus/index.php?sid=2371775f528ea5cb78e12cd43b323d71
In 1967 my Uncle Vernon borrowed the Les Paul Jr. because he had broken a string and was playing a gig at The Wagon Wheel bar with my dad and some friends. My uncle and his wife were hit by a speeding car as they were leaving the bar at the end of the evening and were killed instantly leaving six children. The Les Paul Jr. was destroyed in the wreck as well.
My uncle Vernon was my dad's brother and my aunt Giula was my mom's sister. That made their children double first cousins and we of course shared the same maternal and paternal grandparents. They actually had five children and were the legal guardians of Roger Creech, another cousin, the son of my dad's sister Ada. My parents took in all six children, so now there were nine children in our family since there was already me, my sister, and my brother.
With all of these new additions to our family, the Gretsch and amp are probably the last big ticket items my dad ever bought for himself. He worked swing shift at a paper mill and lots of overtime just to pay the bills and provide for all of us.
When dad died about seven years ago, I inherited the Gretsch. The neck is well worn from countless hours of playing. I play guitar now and so does my cousin Roger. We have lots of cousins who play guitar as well and it can all be traced back to dad and his influence not to mention at least four of his brothers who also used to gather for family jams. Family jam sessions are a huge part of our lives. Now my son is learning guitar, Rogers's daughter is learning guitar, and cousin Vernon's son is already headed toward becoming an accomplished guitarist. The three of them are planning on starting a band in the coming weeks. The torch has been passed.
I've determined to become a well rounded guitarist myself. I've spent years dabbling with the guitar having concentrating on bass primarly. I've purchased a Martin acoustic/ electric guitar that I hope will have a neck every bit as worn as the Gretsch country Gentleman's neck by the time I pass it on to my son.
The Gretsch is the guitar I like to bring along to the family jams because it reminds us all of dad. Mostly though, the Gretsch is important to me because it reminds me of dad's dogged determination to master the guitar. It doesn't hurt at all that it's the same guitar George used when The Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
The Gretsch Pages discussion forum http://www.gretschpages.com/discus/index.php?sid=2371775f528ea5cb78e12cd43b323d71
posted by Robin House at
2:37 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home