the birm*

Unimaginable/things I thought I’d never own

So about a year ago I acquired a whole bunch of in-laws. When it comes to birthdays, they seek out pretty amazing presents for each other and they make it quite a big deal.

When it came round to Eric (my father in law)’s birthday, he was offered a week’s course on guitar building (where you make your own guitar with a professional guitar maker). Ever since that day he’s been making people sweet guitars, based on well-known shapes, but with superb cuts of wood (that are as beautiful as they are acoustic).

So this year, as it happens every year, my birthday came around (or at least is coming around in a few days). We had a celebration with Candide’s family for the birthdays that happen in the first half of the year (hence the use of the past in the preceding sentence).

I must be pretty hard to buy things for, as I don’t like useless junk and I have everything I need. The things that I’d like are usually quite expensive, and hence don’t really make the wrapped-up-present-category…

Anyway, to cut a long story short (more like to remain on the subject of my post), Eric walked in with a Fender guitar case. I knew what was in it, but not what it was like: I un-zipped the new, black cover and SHAZZAM, a brand new, custom made Fender Telecaster replica (the one with symmetrical cut-aways), all wood and chrome. It’s been hard to wipe the smile off my face, except for the fact that I haven’t played an electric in years and that I’ll be needing a lot of practice before I can do it justice! Still, I never dreamt I’d own a custom built, hand-made guitar…