Revival of an old friend
She has been a good friend to me coming to 10 years now. Through good and bad times, through happiness and sorrow, she never failed to be there. Though I’ve neglected her most of the time, leaving her alone, while I spend most of my time with my late fiancée. I did hold her recently, just before my fiancée passes away, trying to remember the time we spent together. Pulling the right string, stroking her at times, and she will reward you with a beautiful serenade. My dear old guitar. What? She does have a nice body what?
She was not my first guitar; my first one was a Kapok brand guitar. I bought it because I wanted to learn how to play. Back then, in 1994, I’m not really into rock music. It was a different kind of music. My coursemate, next to my room own one guitar, also Kapok guitar, always plays a nice song, sometimes a rift from a popular song. My Sabahan coursemate, opposite too my room, would always borrow the guitar and strum a few songs, while we sang together. Until one semester break, the guitar was left for us to play. We Sabahan can’t afford to go home for just a week break, so we stayed. That’s was when I took the opportunity to learn to play.
Soon afterwards, I bought my own Kapok, and also codebook, so that I know how to do ‘C’, ‘G’ and ‘F’, and I learned my first song, Dream, Dream, Dream. I even bought a songbook containing all the latest and old song. When I got back for a long semester break, the boys in my neighbourhood also have started playing the guitar. They asked me if I can play Smell Like Teen Spirit? They gave me a Nirvana album and asked me to try to play to the tune, so they could bring me to jamming studio. The day I went to the studio was the first time I hold an electric guitar. Playing Smell Like a Teen Spirit over and over for half an hour was exhilarating. I GOT HOOKED. And that was the day that I have converted to ROCK!!!
I have been playing the guitar since that day, so hooked I was at that time, if it doesn’t involve guitar, I am not interested. My brother’s also started playing the guitar that we formed our own band, playing mostly punk and Britpop music. We called our self EDM, then changed it to Blind Element. I even started my own website dedicated to alternative rock movement in Malaysia.
Getting back to my dear old guitar, I bought her in 1996 while I was still in JB. Nothing fancy, a Santana brand. The shop owner even offers me to lower down the fret. I agreed to it, and after a few hours browsing the shopping complex, she’s is finally mine. Last month bought new sets of electric guitar string, replaced the rusty string, and now, she’s making music again. Downloaded back all the guitar riff that I have forgotten. Although I’ve forgotten a few riffs, it’s almost like riding a bicycle, after playing a few riffs, I start to remember. There is something about the sound of acoustic guitar, it has this calming effect on me. And no, I don’t name my guitar.
so now, still playing guitar?
occasionally