Thanksgiving Thread: What Guitar-Related Things Are You Grateful for this Year?

[Charmed Life Picks]

Would love everyone to share what you are thankful for these days. Always does my heart good to hear these stories. Thanks in advance for your contributions. My cup runneth over.

In the last year I acquired an Eastman OM-40, which is the total bomb. I wrote about ten news songs this year. Two weeks ago I did a show and had morethan 30 people attend.

I've been running a song-circle acoustic jam for six years now, very healthy, invitation only, and one of the best jams in Los Angeles. I'm grateful for all the members of our jam, and especially for my friend Tom K., who has come through some really tough health issues and has now returned to us. Rock on, Tom!

I'm grateful for 36 years of marriage to the coolest woman I know, for my two beautiful daughters, for our five dogs -- all with forged papers -- and food on the table, and a roof over our heads.

I'm grateful for the music of Steve Goodman, John Prine, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, and so many more.

And I continue to be grateful and amazed by this forum, for how much I learn here every day, for the friendships now stretching into years, and for the mods and Jeremy who make this one of the finest forums on the internet. Thanks, folks -- we couldn't do it without you!

Blessings of the Season to each and every one of you.

All the Best,
Scott & Rhonda Memmer

[JTFoote]

I have a lot to be thankful for, too!

I had the urge this year to do something musical that I hadn't attempted in a long time, which was to sit down, grab my favorite guitar (an older Gallagher dread, which I adore), put my nose to the grindstone, and write songs again. Life had become awfully, terminally blah; work, sleep, eat, pay bills, cruise the 'Net, watch the boob tube. Rinse and Repeat.

I have a good friend who was in a similar rut, except that he was retired, and had even less to do than I did. He is also musically inclined, but he hadn't played in a long time.

The fact is, our wives, who were the best of friends, had both passed within the last few years, and we were both just going through the motions of living, without giving it much thought. The daily blur. The only times I could remember feeling kinda upbeat was when he would come over to the house and visit, which was, unfortunately, infrequent. We would have real, intelligent conversations, about all sorts of things, and I looked forward to those days. Apparently, he did, too.

I finally decided to get off my doofus and ask him if he'd like to consider being my songwriting partner. Every day that I would be off work, we'd hang out and stretch ourselves to write the best songs we could about our families, friends, viewpoints and life experiences. Excepting for illness, we'd be absolutely consistent about it. No excuses, no begging off. A serious committment, one that would require leaving our egos at the door and learning to work together.

We started in late June, and have written 22 songs, thus far. This coming week, we are going to a studio in Nashville to record our first single. We won a half-price off recording contest, and both of us are really excited about the upcoming experience.

Doing this has changed everything. Everything. We may be older guys, but with a difference - now we're co-songwriters, exploring and learning something new every week, from software mixing and production, to pouring out the melodies and riffs and the rhythms of our lives. So I'm thankful for finding a purpose, being part of a team, and having actual goals and dreams again, instead of just waiting around for a heart attack, or a stroke, or something equally distasteful to end my days. We're new men! Old dogs pickin' and grinnin'.

Next ... 2020 songwriting contests and open-mic nights. We're not too pretty, but hey, we sound pretty good, and I am really stoked about the quality of the songs we have written. Hopefully, next year, we'll have to enough material to sort though for an album. Am I grateful for these wide open possibilities? You know it!

... JT

[AndrewG]

I'm grateful that my arthritis hasn't prevented me from playing. At least so far. Others might be hoping it does!

[RalphH]

I'm grateful to my wife for putting up with (and even encouraging) my expensive hobby

[Parlorman]

I’m phenomenally grateful to have music in my life. As Shawn Colvin wrote; “...if there were no music, then I would not get through.”

I am also grateful to be the current caretaker of some wonderful instruments.

[MHC]

Guitar related thing that I’m grateful for?

The AGF of course, and all the good people who make it the most awesome corner of the web. Thanks all!

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I have it pretty good. I have a few nice guitars and a wife that lets me buy them.

I have a comfortable place to play them and kids that humor my muse.

I have a couple of fellas to collaborate with and perform with in front of unsuspecting strangers.

And musically speaking the most important thing I'm grateful for is that after 50+ years I still have the passion to further my skills however meager they are.

[1Charlie]

I am grateful to have a regular monthly gig at the same bar that I frequented back in college...40 years ago.

[Deft Tungsman]

I have so much to be thankful for, but I'll focus on the gratitude I feel towards everyone involved in this forum.

The OP and JTFoote have shared the kind of stories that make me realize how lucky I am to be here, happier than ever, forty years after I decided to learn how to play the guitar.

[Coop47]

I had a dream last night that I was losing my hearing, so I'm grateful to to still have it and the health to continue playing.

Last year my Dad had surgery to successfully remove a cancerous tumor, and a month afterwards I was able to take him with me to Nazareth to pick up a custom guitar, meet CMF IV, and tour the Martin factory. Even though he doesn't play, he loved it and has developed a real appreciation for the craftmanship involved in guitar making. I'm grateful to still have him here, and that we were able to have a great time on an unexpected road trip.

I'm grateful my wife puts up with my guitar obsession.

Ten years ago I started playing again after a long layoff. I was pretty much self-taught and pretty rudimentary, but I taught myself a lot more using the internet. My goal was to play one gig in front of strangers. One thing led to another and I've been able to gig at least monthly for the past decade. I'm grateful for the musicians I found that were patient with me and gave me a chance to get better. I'm especially grateful to still have them as friends.

I'm grateful for the friends and - dare I say it - fans who come out to see my current band. I'm grateful to the bars and restaurants that still have live music. There are a lot of people who enable me to go out and do what I love most.

I'm grateful I have the means, time and a home that allow me to have way too many guitars. I'm grateful to the folks who've taught me so much about buying and maintaining guitars. I'm grateful to two people in particular whose repair skills with guitars and amps have allowed me to take a few risks and accumulate really good gear at low prices, and then trade and flip my way up to stuff I really love.

The holidays are tough time at home for a couple of reasons, mostly involving grief, loss and homecare for a parent who suffers from advanced Alzheimer's, but I'm glad for this thread and a chance to assess a few things and get a larger perspective. Happy Thanksgiving.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

My cup runneth over.

That's how I feel about the holy grail guitars I've acquired, most recently the Guild F512 out of Oxnard, but I already had a spectacular Corona-built Guild JF30-12. Then there's the New Hartford-built F50R 6-string, and don't forget the 2018 Gibson Songwriter 12-string. GAS-killers all!

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

I'm grateful that my arthritis hasn't prevented me from playing.

Yes, this!
And that somehow after 6 years I can finally play the F chord cleanly.

[jaymarsch]

Okay, after being grateful for family, reasonably good health, loving friends, compassionate coworkers and a generous community:

I am thankful for the many friendships that I have made through music and guitar. I have some lovely instruments, three were custom made by luthiers who I have come to know better over the years and so appreciate their passion for making beautiful sounding custom guitars.

I am thankful for my talented and supportive songwriting group and my many guitar and songwriting mentors and teachers who challenge me to be a better player and musician.

I am thankful for all of the independent guitar players and singer songwriters everywhere in the world who are following their dream and cobbling together a life of sharing and playing music for themselves and others.

I am thankful for this forum where I can easily connect with people from all around the world who love playing guitar and are willing to learn and teach all sorts of geeky things about the instrument and all that goes with it.

And I must add, that I am extremely grateful for our dedicated AGF moderators who always manage to keep us from completely going off the rails, or in our case flying off the edge of the fretboard!

Best,
Jayne

[jim1960]

Magic bridge pins.

[mr. beaumont]

I'm most thankful I'm still learning and progressing, and that "playing the guitar" is still easily in the top 5 most enjoyable things I can think of doing.