Just a small, quick one this Sunday but about a very disconcerting trend among the youth today. There is a shocking lack of basic information – about the acoustic guitars that people own, and just about everything that concerns them (the youth).
Day in and day out people (primarily youngsters) come to me and call the saddle the bridge, the nut ‘the white thing at the top’, don’t know the difference between the fretboard and the neck, not knowing what action is, not have any inkling about the specifics of the instrument that they own, and are happy to remain blissfully oblivious!
Paradoxical, wouldn’t you say that there are people like this around in today’s day and age when oceans of information, on everything under the sun, are available at the click of a mouse, or a swipe of a finger on the smartphone.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with not knowing the basics of things, only it makes one a sitting duck for unscrupulous elements in society. And they exist – and thrive – because the uninformed outnumber them 10 to one.
The other day a 27-28-year-old came to me with his guitar – a Hertz.
He said it was “very hard” (to play). One look at it and I had to agree that indeed, this would be hard to play
This is the 12th fret and you could easily push John Cena under there!
The other sticking point – literally – were the string ends with which you could murder a person, or else, be able to commit suicide with!
But it had a very pretty fretboard with abalone appointments
I checked things on the instrument and found that the relief in the neck would have been enough for five guitars!
Also, the saddle in the guitar had been put in the inverted position. The bass end of the saddle was towards the treble end of the bridge (and vice-versa)!
I pointed out the issues to the owner and asked him to return the next day to pick up the instrument.
I tried to coax him into getting a bone saddle and nut but he baulked at the idea as if I had asked him to take a sip from the toilet bowl. However, preferences – religious or otherwise – need to be respected.
After he left, I started working on the instrument. I loosened the strings (he didn’t wish to have them replaced) and pulled out the saddle from its groove, and to my amusement, only half came out with the other half securely lodged in the saddle slot!
And since the owner did not want a bone nut and saddle, and I had run out the plastic stuff, I asked him to get me a plastic saddle.
Meanwhile, I removed as much of the relief as I could. After the plastic saddle came in, I put it in, tuned up the guitar and took measurements. According to my measurements (.160 inches on the bass E string), more than half the saddle had to go for the owner to be able to play the instrument with some degree of comfort.
I did that which left just a sliver of the plastic thingy to hold up the strings.
Naturally, once I was done, the action stood at a very healthy spot.
Meanwhile, I also snipped off the string protrusions, giving a nice, neat look to the headstock.
Though the young man left satisfied, I urge all youngsters to read up, learn and become aware about everything that concerns them. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
UNTIL NEXT TIME, FOLKS!
Most of them don’t care about how it works; they just strum it, and they hear the sound….that would be enough.
Sad but true, V!