Apr 02 2010
It’s Hard To Dispute That The Guitar Is Extremely Cool
In all the universe of musical instruments, how many men — at least — would ever argue with the notion that there’s never been a cooler musical instrument than an acoustic or electric guitar? Sure, a drum set can give the guitar a run for its money in certain circumstances, but who’s strong enough to strap a set of drums on their back and play for nickels and dimes on a street corner? A guitar lets a person do that, if needed.
For most guys who don’t have the musculoskeletal structure to carry around a complete twenty piece, hard-rocking heavy metal drum set on their backs, it’s the guitar by a landslide. Certainly the instrument has done its part to make more men and boys try to learn to play it than anything else ever has ever gotten men and boys to attempt something. Even one of those big dreadnought acoustic guitar rigs has a hold on men and boys unlike most any other instrument.
At the least, women dig the sounds that a well made and well played guitar can make, though they may not be all that enamored of the guy playing it, but women won’t generally let him in on that little secret of woman-to-woman sisterhood, it’s fervently hoped. Any guy worth his salt, however, will look at a guitar and truly believe that he will eventually be able to play it like Eric Clapton, though most people know better.
Look at an Alvarez acoustic guitar and wonder at its beauty and precision. Keep looking at it and wonder, as well, why even the most ham-handed man goes weak at the knees at the sight of it and the thought of learning to play it like it’s meant to be played. In truth, something like . 0001% of all men on the planet will ever come close to being able to play that instrument in such a manner, but the hope remains.
Over the last half-century, guitars of all types have come to dominate cultural awareness when it comes to music. Probably, Chuck Berry and his wild playing in the late 50s can be most blamed for the phenomenon. But even somebody sitting around with an acoustic guitar and a lot of classical guitar training will admit that he gets a thrill from playing the opening riff to ‘Johnny B. Goode.’
And this is the beauty of learning to play guitar; because one can start out on something like a Takamine acoustic guitar and then — after toughening up his fingertips and strengthening his hand muscles — be ready to transfer all that hard-won knowledge over to a slick playing and totally beautiful sunburst Fender Strat. What boy or man hasn’t dreamed of that?
When looking at everything when it comes to musical instruments and what a guitar can bring, it’s hard to dispute that it’s probably the coolest instrument of all. This is regardless of whether it’s an acoustic or electric; pulling out one of these things and then playing it — however badly — seems to do things to people that puts them instantly at ease and feeling good about themselves.
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