She arrived just after lunch. I'm very, very pleased. Lottie was bemused by how long it took me to get it out of the box. It's not as easy as it sounds. Reassuringly, the hard case that came with her seems to weigh more than the guitar itself.
Apparently, the nitrocellulose finish to the maple top is "faded blue jean" which, for some reason, made me chuckle. Seems a bit pretentious for what's essentially a working guitar. But it is undeniably pretty. I've checked back, and the finish to my current PRS is "faded blue".
So when the next person asks me "Why do you need a new guitar" it seems I can't just say it's because I fancied a change in colour. In any case, the honest answer would just be "Because".
She is, in every sense, the big sister to my current PRS. American built in the PRS factory in Maryland, on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, the maple top, mahogany body and neck and rosewood fingerboard are machine cut, but hand finished, and the workmanship is exquisite.
Because the top of the new guitar has that nitrocellulose finish, rather than the veneer of my current SE model, the carving of the body is deeper and more pronounced, with inset tone and volume controls and switches. It has an elegance that the lines of the SE just can't match.
Which is not to disrespect the old guitar. The SE has been an absolute workhorse and a pleasure to play and perform with. In so many ways she's the more sensible choice for what I actually do with a guitar and the venues I perform at. But what's the point in a midlife crisis if you're going to be sensible?
Anyway, I've now spent a couple of hours plugged in and playing. Quite loud. I have very patient neighbours.
Her first gig will be this coming Friday.
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