GUITAR
WHAT REALLY MAKES A GUITAR COOL ? | James Duke
I was listening to a podcast interview with Mark Farner recently and he was talking about the guitars he played back in the Grand Funk Railroad hey-day . He played some really wild guitars . One that is especially noteworthy is the Musicraft Messenger . This was a guitar built in the 60 ’ s that looked like a Hawaiian lap steel w / an aluminum neck that ran all the way through the body . It ’ s a crazy looking and sounding guitar . The old ( cheap ) DeArmond pickups gave it a nice microphonic howl and the guitar looked like nothing else around . It was one of his main guitars and he used it to create some truly unique tones . I love when musicians blaze their own trails , finding things that work for them without worrying about what everyone else is doing .
I was talking to a friend the other day about a new bass he was looking to purchase . He needed a five-string bass for a steady gig he has and had narrowed it down to one particular model . He had done some serious research , looking at and playing many different bass guitars . He walked me through all the specs and told me how it seemed like the perfect option and , then , he asked me if I thought the bass was “ cool ”.
I told him that the bass is cool if he likes it and it does what he needs it to do . Who cares what I think ! He was hesitant to pull the trigger , but only because it wasn ’ t really in line with the brands and styles of the guitars that he , and many of his peers , play . It ’ s a common theme in all music circles . It can be intimidating to use an instrument that isn ’ t in the “ in crowd ”.
Years ago , I was playing at a really big festival . It was my first time ever playing to a crowd that size and I was really excited . I only took one guitar ( I was green . I didn ’ t know any better ). If you ’ ve followed me for a while you probably remember a certain blue guitar I played constantly for probably seven years . I took it to every gig , all over the world . It was my # 1 . So , there I am at the festival and I was the only person with that type of guitar . Everyone else were playing Les Pauls and Stratocasters . Maybe a couple Telecasters were around . I didn ’ t think much about it at all . It wasn ’ t until much later when people were making comments to me , sort of making fun of the guitar . I didn ’ t really get it . Who cares what guitar I play ? I decided that I was the one with the gig , so I must be doing something right . I kept playing the guitar .
I ’ m not saying you shouldn ’ t play a guitar because it ’ s popular . I ’ m saying you shouldn ’ t care if what you play isn ’ t what other people think is cool . Do you think for one second Eddie Van Halen thought , I wonder if people like this piece of junk guitar with hand painted stripes , pickups ripped out , a quarter drilled into it and orange reflectors glued to the back ? He probably wouldn ’ t have passed the first audition for many mega churches today , solely based on the look of that guitar . I never had the chance to ask Eddie , so I can ’ t be certain , but I ’ m willing to bet he didn ’ t care . What about Brian May ’ s home-made guitar be built with his Dad that he has played through his entire career ? I don ’ t think he worried what anyone thought . Then we have Ed Sheeran with his little baby guitars . The Edge played those Line 6 guitars with the dial that-made it sound like an acoustic , with a black and red bullseye painted on the entire body . Google Prince ’ s guitars . I think you get my point .
A musician needs a connection with their instrument . That might take you on a long journey to find the right one , or you could just as easily play the first guitar you got when you were a kid for the rest of your life and be totally content and happy . It ’ s up to you , not anyone else . You owe it to yourself to trust your instincts and go where the inspiration is .
By the way , my friend loves his new bass and wishes he hadn ’ t waited so long to get it . It might not look like what his friends are playing , but he ’ s inspired and playing better than ever . That ’ s what it ’ s all about .
James Duke James is a musician , songwriter , and producer from Jacksonville Beach , Florida . Most known for playing guitar alongside artists like John Mark McMillan , Matt Redman , Johnnyswim , and Steven Curtis Chapman , James also records his own music under the name All The Bright Lights . He currently lives in Nashville , Tennessee with his wife and 3 kids ..