Why I needed a new guitar

I've dabbled with the guitar most of my life. My folks bought me an acoustic guitar when I was a kid, and I learned to play it after a fashion. In high school a cousin of mine gave me a Fender Jaguar and a Fender tube amp, and I learned the joys of owning a really old electric guitar. But, for the most part, all I could play was some John Denver songs, and pretty badly at that.

In college, I swapped the Jaguar for a Fender Stratocaster at a 2nd hand music shop, and played quite a bit while I lived in the dorm; but alas, after I moved into an apartment, I got really really poor and sold my Strat and amp (along with my rifle collection, and anything else that I didn't need as much as I needed food and rent). After that, I pretty much forgot about the guitar.

Shortly after we moved up to Seattle in 2000, I found myself buying at the Guitar Center, purchasing an acoustic guitar. It was a Yamaha F335 dreadnought and cost me the grand sum of $179. At the time, I had forgotten most of what I knew about the guitar, and I figured it would allow me to get back up to speed plus give me some really gnarly callouses. The Sweetheart [tm] tutored me in all that is the Indigo Girls and in time, I could at least play the damn thing again.

At some point, the guitar went from being a thing I pulled off the wall occasionally to plink on to living on a stand in the living room next to where I usually sit. I actually started practicing, if you can believe that. Yet, still, I never played anything more involved that a little Travis picking and some chording.

Fast forward to Christmas 2005, when The Sweetie [tm] presented me with a banjo, which set in motion a chain of events from which I can never retreat. The banjo caused me to practice even more, and that practice translated over to the guitar, at least in left hand dexterity. And, I got interested in bluegrass music, and subsequently in bluegrass guitar and lead flatpicking.

These days I practice the guitar for a half hour to an hour almost every day, and I've finally picked up a little skill; I kind of had that a-ha moment where everything suddenly becomes so much clearer. I've even put together a band, Small Pet Advisory in which I play both the banjo and the guitar. (The band is getting pretty good, if I may say so, and I may, so I say so.)

Apparently I've contracted GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome) as a result of all of this.

I can't pinpoint exactly when, but the Yamaha started sounded less and less pleasing to my ear. Then I made the mistake of pulling a couple of Martins down off the wall at the local Guitar Center (yep, the scene of the original crime) and that ruined me forever. After much consternation and agonizing, I decided it was time for a new higher-quality guitar.

I played so many guitars, I'm not sure I could list them all, but I'll try:

• Martin DX1 - sounded good, didn't like the laminated neck, HPL (high-pressure laminate) for the back and sides was weird
• Martin DXM - similar to DX1, better sound.
• Martin DM - Much better sound, but still laminate (plywood) back and sides
• Martin D-16GT - Solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, sounds like a dream
• Martin D-18 - Like butter. $2000, though.
• Martin D-28 - Also like butter. Sound was more subdued. $2200, though.
• Martin D-35 - This is just a gorgeous guitar. About $2500. Sound is similar to D-28
• Taylor 510 - Neck felt really nice, sound was not what I wanted.

Yes, there is a theme. I had pretty much decided I wanted a Martin, but I had to try the Taylor to make sure. This was a big decision, and I wanted to make sure I got it right. I think I set out to purchase one 3 times, and balked, and it took me several weeks to finally go and get it.

I ended up getting the D-16GT. It had that Martin sound I was looking for, was all solid wood, and didn't cost an arm and a leg (just an arm).

Why did I need this guitar? Well, I didn't, per se. I mean, I can't shelter from the weather in/under it and it's not very nutritionally dense. But, looking back, I've worked pretty hard to become a competent guitar player, and I think hard work should be rewarded.

Plus, I just wanted it.