From Canada...and Back

A note about how I fund gear purchases. A well-known fact is that I'm a frugal soul - to the untrained eye, that is often mistaken for being a cheap bastard - but I can assure you there's a (sometimes extremely) subtle difference. In my own mind, that difference is crystal clear. Anyway, I like getting new gear, and through the wonders of Craigslist, I've sold many things, and bought many other things with the proceeds - the overall net cash outlay has been very small.

Darling Wife has also suggested that I should keep my Rosewood proceeds separate, as part of my "music fund" with Craigslist sales proceeds. She has occasionally raised an eyebrow at my accounting methods - for example, a few weeks ago we had a paying gig. I made $55. Darling Wife was there (as the most supportive wife ever), and both my daughters had nothing going on, and came out to see us. Their bill at the end of the night was $51. So how much went into my music fund? $55, of course.

I've made some recent sales, and we've been gigging regularly - so the music fund has grown to a level where I've been thinking about what I want to buy. I decided on a mid-range acoustic guitar.

I have my Martin, which I like better every time I play it - which is every day. I still regard it as a lifetime guitar, and would only sell it if that's the only way I can get a kidney that I need to stay alive. I have my travel guitar, which I love for what it is. But I thought that I might be able to get something in the middle for somewhere in the $300-400 price range. Another guitar to have around the house (because you can never have too many), and something I could travel with, though maybe not to the beach or the campground.

I decided on the Seagull Entourage Rustic Mini Jumbo. I already have a Seagull acoustic - my Canadian beauty - which is a great instrument, and is now my younger daughter's. Many people consider Seagulls to be the best bang for your buck out there, and that's been my experience. The mini jumbo size would fit in my travel guitar's case. So with a Guitar Center 15% off coupon in hand, I ordered it, and it arrived three days later. I unpacked it, played it...and tried to convince myself I liked the sound.

I played it again later...and tried to convince myself I liked the sound. Then Darling Wife walked through the room as I was playing it, and simply said, "Rin Tin Tin." Meaning that it had a very thin, tinny sound. And she was right.

It occurred to me that maybe it was a bad set of strings. So I called Guitar Center and asked if I could still return it if I changed the strings. They said I could - so I put a new set on, played it again...and there was no difference. Rin Tin Tin.

The next day was Saturday, so I took it to Guitar Center, and they took it back and credited my card with no questions. It turns out it was surprisingly easy to send an ill-behaved Canadian back where it came from.

I'm sure I can get a good second acoustic in that price range - but, sadly, this wasn't the one. With my slush find restored, I started having second thoughts about what to use it on.

Stay tuned to find out what I decided.