Sometime around when I bought the Washburn, I also bought an electric guitar and amplifier. I have no idea why and, looking back on it now, I can tell you very little about. I advertised it for sale shortly after, deciding that electric was not for me. But I didn’t get an offer; not a sausage. So, in desperation, I took it to the music shop in Woden Plaza and asked if they were interested in buying it. No, they weren’t, but the WOULD take it off my hands as a part exchange for another guitar. In stock they had this near-new Yamaha six string nylon. It was sort of like my original guitar and the deal was done. It was a little more difficult to play than my other guitars, having quite a broad neck but, despite this, it was incorporated into the collection and served me very well as my take-to-school guitar for over 20 years. Quite how it managed to survive the hurly-burly of the classroom for that period and still look so good at the end of it is beyond me because classroom instruments take a real beating, especially in primary school.
I had made a mental decision by this stage to not sell any of my instruments (pity I wasn’t able to do the same thing with my motorcycles) so it is still with me.
Next followed three instruments all of which were acquired under unusual circumstances.
The Yamaha 6 (steel) strings guitar was given to me in a broken condition on the off-chance that I might be able to fix it. The neck was completely broken through and it looked unsalvageable. However, I knew my father in law was a great carpenter and handyman so I took it on a “if it can be fixed, I will, otherwise it goes to the tip” basis. This must have been in the late 80’s. Dad removed the strings, matched the broken ends of the neck together and glued them, then clamped the whole thing together for about a week. As added security he drilled two angled holes through the fretboard into the base of the neck, and inserted two long wood screws which he countersunk by a couple of mil. Once released from the clamp it was clear that the neck was as strong, if not stronger, than it was before it was broken. He then filled the remainder of the screw holes with putty, waited for it to dry and then painted them black to match the board.
The pictures show the crack that separated the two pieces of the neck and also the fretboard repair.
This instruments has also done service as a classroom guitar.
In 2001 when I went to BCC as the IT Manager, I soon noticed a black steel string guitar (minus strings) sitting in the corner of the staff room. Enquiries as to its owner or any other details drew a blank. Then, one day while I was doing some music in a classroom on an RFF assignment, the teacher noted my guitar and picked it up and started playing it. In spite of the fact that I have never taken valuable guitars to school, I still make it a point of never letting anyone play them. Over the years hundreds of children have asked, assuring me that they can play (usually it ends up being that tedious “Smoke on the water” drivel) but my answer is always the same. And, when they ask why I tell them that, if I let THEM play I would have to let anyone else who wanted to play also. So, it is “look but don’t touch”
It is a little more difficult when a teacher picks up the instrument and starts playing while you are teaching their class. It was quickly apparent that Jim Bradley could not only play, but far better than I do, so it ceased to be an issue. After class he thanked me and inadvertently solved the mystery of the Ibanez in the corner. It belonged to him. He had bought it but very soon after purchasing it, found that he hated it. The action was too high and no amount of fiddling with the neck adjustment could make it any better.
At the end of the school year, Jim sought me out in my office and told me that he had taken a year’s exchange teaching gig in the UK and that he was getting rid of a lot of stuff. Would I be interested in the Ibanez Of course I said yes and was even more surprised when he refused any payment, saying it was a gift. Wow.
He was right about the action, it was a very difficult guitar to play. Fortunately, many years before I had devised a fix for such instruments where an adjustable neck was either not present or where it would not adjust properly. Guitar “purists” might want to avoid reading the next paragraph.
It consists of removing the strings and using a hacksaw blade to cut down the string slots in the upper bridge. In most mass-produced guitars these slots prevent the strings from sitting as close to the fretboard as they need to in order to make for comfortable playing. I then cut a section of the bound “E” string that is as wide as the fretboard and install it immediately downstream from the top bridge. This lowers the action at the “business end” of the neck and a tweak of the neck adjustment seals the deal. Yes, I know it is barbaric, but it works.
So, another free guitar. It hasn’t been played much but, when I am in a “little bit country” mood the Johnny Cash comes out and the black guitar seems very appropriate.
In 2004 when I moved to Wollongong to live, one of the first schools where I found casual employment was Albion Park Public. I worked mainly in the senior classes and especially in the year 6 class supporting the teacher with some specialised grammar and reading programmes. I worked alongside his wife who was a trained ESL teacher and we got some pretty impressive results. Late in the year when the usual clean-ups and so forth were being done I saw out the window of the classroom some senior boys going back and forth from the school house to the dumpster, taking loads of rubbish. And, in one of the loads was an old, battered, guitar. I threw up the window and asked the boys what they were going to do with it and they said they were going to smash it, rock star style, and put it in the bin. It seemed a little silly to do so when all that appeared to be missing was the strings and one tuning peg so I rescued it and asked Mick if I could have it. The answer was obvious; it was going to be thrown out, if I thought there was any value in keeping it, I could have it.
A few repairs later and I had a very serviceable nylon string guitar. It has no brand name but is identical in configuration and style to a Maton that is owned by a friend and I am pretty confident that it began its life in that Melbourne factory. This guitar has been my “take to school” guitar ever since and has survived bangs, knocks, drops and being slung over my back while I rode my motorcycle to teaching assignments far and wide. It is obviously quite old and has the tone and timbre that goes with an older instrument.
Sadly, it is also the instrument that has the most tragic story of all of those in my collection. The teacher who gave it it me was Mick Clancy. He, and his wife, Carol, who I worked closely with as well, were both victims of the Malaysian Airlines tragedy in the Ukraine and perished together in that attack. Consequently I have had a little plaque made that commemorates Mick and reminds me of a wonderful teacher and colleague every time I pick it up to play it.
There are a few more to go but I’ll leave it at that today.
jeffb says
Love reading your stories,Phil. Good to read about the new life given to some guitars that were destined for the junk heap or fire. Jeff
Phil Hall says
Thanks, mate, glad you’re enjoying. Last installment will be published today.