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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Someone had a post on how he had dropped his guitar. That got me thinking about the time I dropped my Ovation Legend back in 1980. I was at choir practice and the guitar slipped off of the strapbutton. It hit hard and cracked the top. I was crying like a baby, I loved that guitar. Well I sent it back to Ovation and they fixed it very well. I soon learned about straplocks. Any one else have a story on how they dropped a guitar? I can still hear that legend hitting the floor. OUCH! :( |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | One of the guys broke the neck of a Martin D-18-12...
Check out some of the eBay listings where there is part of the headstock broken off...a lot also depends on the quality of strap. Some of the cheaper straps will slip off as the material where the slit is has stretched. Even with a quality Levy's leather strap, I will use a strap lock. At $30-45 for a good strap, a set of strap locks would allow the same strap to be used on several guitars. Also convenient when transporting in a case...if you can slip the strap off, you are stretching it. Sure would be nice if Ovation provided the complete set of the strap lock on a new guitar rather than just 1/2. Never found a source for just the strap end. |
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Joined:
February 2003
Posts: 398
Location: Gig Harbor, Washington | Man, like Slick Willie once said..."I feel yo' pain!"...
I was at worchip practice several years ago when my 25 year old A/E Artist fell over on the stage and snapped the neck, just above the nut - right across the "E" tuners!
Yeeeooouch! I immediately went into shock, then a psycho-coma and finally Croc' Tears...that's the bad news.
When I told a billionaire acquaintance of my mishap - he turned me onto a rocket scientist / brain surgeon of a luthier (Mike Lull Guitar Works:425-643-8074)
Mike Lull - Guitar Genius!
who repaired that vintage 5 piece neck to like new condition! Incredible - at any price (and it was a very resonable cost - especially considering the severity of the break).
And yes, I can still see that headstock hangin' from the strings...
Oh, and by the way, all my guitar stands now have little rubber stay thingys (hmmm, like an ounce of prevention!). Keep on a strummin', and... |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | re: "all my guitar stands now have little rubber stay thingys (hmmm, like an ounce of prevention!)"
last two stands I picked up - no stays, asked and they provided, just weren't on the stands. |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | My experience of this type is more what didn't happen. I had just bought the Yamaki copy of a Martin D-41 for about $400 in the 70's, and myself and some of the bluegrass players from our band went to somewhere south of San Diego, I think around Dulzura, where they had an old western town that the Country Gentlemen (one of the top Bluegrass bands at that time) were appearing. My buddy, Steve, who played guitar with us was all excited about 1) seeing the Country Gentlemen ("Fox On The Run" was one of their hits that we did in our sets) and 2) Playing my new Yamaki which sounded better than any Martin we had heard.
As we parked the car and headed for the area where the jammers were already convening, he grabbed the guitar, jumped over a ditch around the parking lot, stumbled, and pole vaulted over my guitar as he turned a somersault. I simultaneously S--T my pants and had a major cardiac arrest as $400 would by a lot of children's shoes as my wife would remind me when I brought the Yamaki pieces home, if I was even allowed back in to my home.
The guitar was not broken it wasn't even even scratched, and we spent a great weekend not only listening to the Country Gentlemen, one of the memorable life's experiences, but jamming in the western town saloon with a great lady piano player to a great crowd with Steve on the Yamaki and me on the mandolin playing old favorites, it fed us for the weekend after we had paid for the concert, (and supplied us with endless free drinks).
Sometimes what doesn't happen is the story.
Bailey |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | I was in high school playing the guitar mass with my then nearly new 71 les paul. I was up late the night before working and "partying". I stretched and the strap gave way and my precious lp went smashing to the ground. I still had the volume up so it made a horrible loud sound. The priest looked at me in disgust. He was not too into the guitar mass to begin with so I guess this gave him a reason to complain. I apologized after mass but I was really more concerned with how my guitar made it. Just a bent tuning gear, and it still has it to this day.
I rescued a Martin d 35 from a hippie crash pad in the mid seventies. I used it for all the coffeehouse folkie gigs I was doing back then. I decided that I was not into bands anymore because they consisted of just more people to complicate my life. Anyway, the college radio station sponsored a "folk festival" and I was asked to perform. I agreed. There was a bimbo that was also asked to perform and to say it mildly she wanted in my pants big time, but there was just too many things about her that I really did not like. (yup in retrospect I should have nailed her, but you know you go to philosophy and psychology classes and listen to that seventies feminist stuff and well respect won out over lust. never again though!)
to make a long story even longer, it was the day of the gig and she "forgot" her guitar. I had a reputation of NEVER letting anyone use my instruments because I had some bad experiences but she insisted that the only way she would perform is if she used my guitar. I refused. She started to cry. I hate when women cry. I handed her my guitar.
She did her set and then hopped off the stool on the stage smashing the top of my d 35 into the microphone and stand that was set up in front of her. She came over to me crying, I checked out the damage, a few nice scrapes and a nice dent and just put the guitar back in its case.
I still have a problem loaning out instruments even to crying bimbos. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I had a situation at a gig a few weeks ago where an extremely drunk guy wanted to come up and do one of his "original" songs. Of couse, he didn't have a fart's chance in a hurricane of touching my guitars. I kept ignoring him until he forgot about it. I don't let anyone touch my guitars unless I know and trust them. A few months back, Cliff came up and played a few songs at one of my gigs and I heard a collective "oooh" from the group of friends who were there as he picked up my guitar. I had at least 3 people ask who this guy was because they couldn't believe that I let someone play my guitar! I didn't realize that I had such a reputation. It was pretty funny. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | . . . John GRACIOUSLY left out the details that the guitar was his BRAND NEW Legend-12, it was the FIRST TIME it was being used at gig, and "fuckwad" (me) ended up bumping the venue's low ceiling with the end of the headstock while taking the guitar off . . . . :rolleyes:
Whenever the obligatory drunk wanders up at a gig and asks if they could play guitar, I ask "Did you BRING one???" When they sheepishly answer "no", I say "Well then, . . . I guess the answer would be 'No' then, . . . wouldn't it??"
Works Every Time. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | John, a farts chance in a hurricane? I am glad I started this thread just to hear that one. (lol) |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | The only problems I've had with drunk people playing my guitars is that they suck, and worse yet, don't know when to stop! The alcohol induces them into thinking they can remember that 3 chord song they knew "way back" in college that their buddy taught them 15 years earlier...and the sudden surge of tequila "balls" they just grew makes them think that the audience really wants to hear them struggle for 10 minutes to relearn how to strum a chord. It's usually quite pathetic.
Mr. Nice guy learned fast. Cliff's technique is best.
Johnny |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | If they're REALLY drunk/beligerant and they just WON'T let it rest, I tell them that I suffer from Hep-C, and if they REALLY wanna risk sharing a mic with me . . . have AT it!!
Back to the topic:
My SlotHead doesn't have "normal" strap pins on it. The end pin is turned walnut, and is (I believe) glued in. At the other end is a metal ring that swivels on a pin that's screwed into the topside of the neck just before it meets with the body. It's not overtly substantial - a little bit heftier than a goodly-sized teacup hook.
On the rare occasion that i used it on a gig, I had a special strap fashioned for it where I could tie a PlanetWaves quick-release to the ring and snap the other end into it's mate that was attached to a dedicated strap.
One time at a gig, the threads of the hook pulled out of the walnut and the Slot took a freefall.
Coronary City!
Luckily, I was able to catch the guitar at mid-calf level. Next day, brought it into the carpenter shop at work here, and glommed a goodly amount of two-stage epoxy on the threads and underside of the pin before screwing it back in.
It ain't goin' nowhere now. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | I was lucky toi never drop one of my Ovations because of Straps not staying on or falling off teh guitar stand. I did have someone knock over my Yamaha and my Epiphone a few times. They were on stands at the time.. Didn't break anything but Really Scuffed them up pretty good!!
Hey Cliff, love Your lines. I'll have to remember those. That Situation hasn't happened alot Lately, But boy it used to. I was playing a weekend Gig at a Mall several years ago and somehow, a Drunk Mall Patron got through Security and onto the Stage!
"...I..wannahear rrockinrobbin" he slurred. I told him nicely that i would try to remember it(never played the song and had no plans of playing it... I just wanted this Drunk Guy Off the stage)..he then voluteered to help play it if I would sing it.... Luckily by that time I was rescued by the mall Security Gaurds...They got him off stage and into the hands of the city Police.. who took him away in cuffs.
What a sight...I 'll never forget that one! |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | ". . John GRACIOUSLY left out the details that the guitar was his BRAND NEW Legend-12, it was the FIRST TIME it was being used at gig, and "fuckwad" (me) ended up bumping the venue's low ceiling with the end of the headstock while taking the guitar off"
What Cliff graciously did not mention was the time that I went up and did a song at one of his gigs. One night, Cliff was nice enough to invite me up to do a song with his partner. I proceeded to get through the song being extra extra careful not to bump the guitar. Once the guitar was safely returned to the stand (or so I thought), I walked away and my foot got tangled in a cord nearly pulling down the whole guitar stand. I would estimate that the stand was about 1/4 of the way knocked over when Cliff made a Willy Mays like move to catch it at the last second.
Needless to say I was both relieved and ready to crawl into a hole! Cliff's little bump on my guitar (which didn't even leave a smudge) was nothing compared to what I almost did to his stuff. I more stressed out at having to go back on after Cliff. He's a hard act to follow! |
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ever dropped it?
