[mplpost] Canadian Guitars

[OCFF]

Oh, this is so great!  My first guitar was a 3/4 size "El Degas", bought for
me by mom for $100 from Drum World on Bayview Ave. in Toronto.  I was five
years old, and I'd had a dream that I played guitar.  The next morning I
described the dream to my mom...and then started in with the 'pllleeeaassee
can I have one' routine.  That lasted two weeks until I'd worn her to a nub.
I can remember, very clearly, sitting in my living room the night I got my
Degas, and tuning each string until it broke...crying desperately to my poor
mother that *my* guitar was faulty.  We went back to Drum World the next
morning and my mom bought me a tuner...and the nice guy in the shop took a
few minutes to explain the concept...(though those who have seen me play
know that I've been plagued with tuning "issues" ever since, but I blame
Joni, not my Degas).  ;-)

...that guitar took me to summer camp when I turned 9 and taught me every
Dylan, Neil Young and campfire song written.  It was here that I started
writing my own songs...beginning with a musical I wrote for the drama
program at camp called "The Toilet Zone".  I haven't thought about this for
a long time!

...when I was 18 I stripped the finish off the same guitar and had my sister
hand paint it w/ swirly, fluorescent, trippy flowers and off I went to
Europe.  The Degas and I busked through two months of backpacking; afforded
me copious bottles of cheap wine, infinite pouches of drum, and was a
constant source of amusement for the curious and the crass.

...when I was 25 I bought a new guitar from the 12th Fret with the help of
David Wren, and retired the 20 year old El Degas.  I opted for "Ted"...my
thusly-named Larrivee C-09, and though I continue to covet all Graf's
everywhere, Ted has been a profoundly worthy companion.

The Degas hangs on a wall now, left with one lifeless string, a broken
bridge and some faded, fluorescent flowers.  It was the best guitar ever.

eb


Erin Benjamin
_____________
Executive Director
Ontario Council of Folk Festivals
P.O. Box 248 Station B
Sudbury, ON P3E 4N5
Toll Free 1.866.292.OCFF (6233)
Fax (705) 674-5227
ocff@icomm.ca  http://www.icomm.ca/ocff

***The Ontario Council of Folk Festivals gratefully acknowledges the
generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation***


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