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duffey is my hero
Oct-30-2006, 5:10pm
Hello All,

You won’t believe this! Just a weird story from playing in The Farewell Drifters. We have been playing a lot recently in the Nashville area. For a little while we were doing about 3 or more shows a week, rehearsing once or twice a week, and recording some in a home recording studio deal. For those of you, who have never heard about us (which is probably most haha), check it out at www.thefarewelldrifters.com. I am the mandolin player of course and I live on the couch and play mandolin for a living (and make barely enough to feed myself and live on a couch of a friend, but it is very well worth it!). Well we have had some strange things go on in the last two weeks. We have been playing down on Broadway in Nashville a little, and also at a place in Franklin called Kimbro’s Café.

The first crazy thing happened at Layla’s Bluegrass Inn down on Broadway. We played for 7 hours total that day and in the last set this guy from California came up to us and started talking to our banjo player about how much he liked his picking. The guy took a card and left without saying anything to the rest of us. The next day Trevor (banjo player) got a call from this guy to come down to the Gibson showcase at Opryland to pick with him. It was kind of a strange call but Trevor went anyways to see what was up. So he gets there and this guy just starts bringing him banjos to play off the wall. Then he gets the Gibson guys to go in the back and get stuff that wasn’t on the wall. So to make a long story short, the guy asks Trevor which, out of everything he has played, is his favorite one. Trevor picks out a custom RB-75 and this guy walks up to the front and buys it for him. Trevor is amazed and says thanks and the guy says he has to go back to California and leaves.

So we are all pretty amazed and jealous of Trevor for like a week. So this past Thursday, we are playing down at Kimbro’s Café in Franklin, TN. My brother and I have never had much money to buy a nice instrument but he is like a Clarence White clone. He was borrowing a hand made guitar from Billy Ray Latham (of the Ky Colonels) because Billy Ray loved his playing so much, but also because my guitar prodigy brother had played the top off of his cheap Johnson laminate guitar. So anyways, he had taken out a loan from our parents of 1000 bucks and was going to go buy like a cheap Martin the day after Kimbro’s. But, low and behold, during our break in between sets this guy comes up and gives Clayton a card and tells him that he loves his playing and to call him. So the same day he was going to go up to Louisville and buy whatever Martin he could find for 1300 bucks (which is a lot to us), this guy invites him to his Ranch! Clayton goes over there and this guy is a fancy guitar collector. He just keeps bringing Clayton guitars to play and then asks him the same question the guy asked Trevor the week before. Clayton picks out some kind of Custom D-18 that sounds like Clarence’s old Whitebook guitar and this guy gives it to Clayton.

Two weeks, two dreams coming true. Fate? Destiny? Haha. Still waiting for that day to come for me. I am the only one left without the instrument of my dreams in the band (and in my case, my dreams have pretty low standards haha). Just thought I had to tell somebody so I figured I would post it on the board that has helped me make smart decisions about my mandolin stuff before. And if anyone wants to do a good deed for a mandolin player, I am always around haha. With the help of this amazing board I think I have gotten the most out of a Michael Kelly Mandolin that can be gotten out of it. You can listen to it at www.myspace.com/thefarewelldrifters

Joshua Britt

Eric F.
Oct-30-2006, 8:27pm
Too cool. The guy wasn't driving Phantom 309 was he?

Andrew Lewis
Oct-30-2006, 10:48pm
That story is incredible. Leaves me comment-less. But I do feel compelled to say that photo is too cool!

Edit to Update:
Just checked out your myspace and then your website. Loved the songs on the space and then downloaded the two tunes on your website. You've won a big fan!

mandobando
Oct-30-2006, 11:41pm
Hey Joshua,

Thats a great story man! Your bro is a great picker and you are a fine mandolin player! I have heard you guys several times around town and we actually met at a Belmont graduation yall played. Don't know if you remember or not. I also have a demo your manager got to me and I really like it. I think you guys are definitely going places and I have a feeling you'll have the cash, or good luck to keep with the current theme, to buy whatever you want. You Michael Kelly does sound great though. I have the same one. Take it easy and I'll see you around town.

p.s. - The Stringdusters are playing a Halloween show tomorrow night at the Station Inn. Should be a good show

duffey is my hero
Oct-30-2006, 11:56pm
Hello mandobando,

Glad to hear from you. Thanks man. I am going to try and make it to the Stringdusters show tomorrow night. I have a feeling it will be a lot of fun. Clayton went backstage and jammed with Critter for about half an hour last time we went to see them at the Station Inn and they put on a great show. I like the Michael Kelly’s for the money. I raised the action up a ton on it to get it louder, sanded all of the finish off of the neck (for speed), and replaced the tailpiece to get it all sounding better. Thanks for the compliments and hope to see you again sometime.

Joshua

arbarnhart
Oct-31-2006, 5:24am
The next time the guy comes around, you might want to ask him if he knew Robert Johnson... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

DryBones
Oct-31-2006, 6:14am
I'm thinking it was 2 different guys...1 from California and 1 who had a ranch nearby. Either way it's a great story.

Red Englemann
Oct-31-2006, 6:52am
Too cool. The guy wasn't driving Phantom 309 was he? \

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

red

duffey is my hero
Oct-31-2006, 10:15am
Yeah it was two different guys. The banjo guy was a banjo collector from California. Apparently he has a vault full of collectors items back at home and was here to buy some special thing at Gibson. I think Trevor said that the guy also bought two banjos for himself. The guitar guy was from Nashville.

Keith Wallen
Oct-31-2006, 12:11pm
Wow that story is a trip! Also checked out the site and really enjoyed the music.

Santiago
Oct-31-2006, 12:12pm
My advice to your band mates is just to "play it forward," by entertaining others, making good use of these folks investment.