Bad day in opieville

[opie wan]

Well, this starts out as the first day off I've had in a while. Not a bad thing.. right? Well, the deal is I've been working nights for the last month and, although I had the day off, I had to get up very early (0430) and take care of some business. So.... after working nights for a month I'm sleeping light during the night and then waking up 5 hours before I usually go to bed.

After taking care of business, my wife and I were sitting in my recliner (it's a big recliner) and we decided to recline. My Taylor NS-74 CE was sitting next to the recliner on a stand, and somehow, as the recliner leg rest extended.... it knocked the guitar over. I heard it hit the coffee table. I didn't want to look so I just closed my eyes and went to sleep. When I woke up I discovered a tuning key had been broken completely off. Deep... Deep... SIGH.... So I can't tune it to play it.

Well, after supper I decided to go outside, sit in the front yard, smoke a cigar and drink some cognac. So I did. I also decided I'd play my old mahogany weber while I kicked back under the stars (we're way out in the country and there are no lights). I had already lit the cigar and I was putting my strap over my neck (mandolin attached) and I got the instrument to close to the cigar. Sheesh... I hit the lit tip of the cigar with the top edge of the body of the mandolin. I was hoping it was just an ash mark... but... noooooooooooooooooooooooooo..... it was a ground in burn... the tip of the cigar actually split. How in Hades did I do that?!!

This is more weird than you can possibly imagine. I pamper my instruments and most don't have a scratch... now... I seriously scarred 2 instruments in one day.

Distressed Weber anyone .....?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[MikeEdgerton]

There's one reason each to give up cigars and recliners http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Crowder]

Er....sorry you had a bad day, and not to pile on, but it's hard for me to believe that someone who "pampers" instruments would have a guitar propped up out of its case, or strap on a mandolin while smoking a big old stogey. Those things just don't go with "pampering." YMMV and obviously did.

[Chris Biorkman]

That stinks. That's why I never play without covering the room in bubble wrap and taking a shower and putting on pajamas.

[Jim Garber]

My sympathies to you and your instruments.

That is why I don't allow myself too many pristine instruments. Everything I own is used, second- or third- (or more-) hand or vintage (pick one term) and pre-scratched. Frankly I could care less about scratches as long as they sound and play well.

[billkilpatrick]

i envy the cavalier attitude of those who allow their instruments to absorb the ravages of time and cigars and look forward to the day - many, many, many years in the future - when mine have a settled-in, well played, distressed look.

until then ... a smudge, a scratch - whatever - causes me hours of f'wenzied 'wubbing.

commiserations, opie wan.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Been there, done that, cried a lot.

[Stephen Lind]

maybe you have a calling there

the big makers charge quite a premium to do this kind of thing to a new instrument

[allenhopkins]

I never play without covering the room in bubble wrap and taking a shower and putting on pajamas.
Tell me when your next live performance gig is, and I'll try to be there.

[mandroid]

A George Burns distressed version, He liked cigars, too ... "say good night , Gracie"..

[Chris Biorkman]

I never play without covering the room in bubble wrap and taking a shower and putting on pajamas.
Tell me when your next live performance gig is, and I'll try to be there.
You'll be the first to know.

[Sandy Beckler]

Oh No.....Now you've gone and "jinxed" us all!
The board will be flooded with similar stories of woe...
Ya think maybe "Murphy" had something to do with it...when it rains it pours....you know.
Seriously, I think we can all sympathize, sorry to hear of your mis-fortune.
But look at it this way there is a positive...you live in the country. What are stars? (I live in the big city)
Sanchan http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Rob Powell]

opie wan ....life sux and then you die. Seriously, some guy put a ciggie burn in my D35 years ago. I mourned for ages.

I recently bought a Distressed Weber and I play the ever-lovin s**t out of it and don't care. It looks great and anything else I do to it just blends in!

Get some fine mesh sandpaper and lightly sand it until the burn looks like some kind of odd wear spot...plus now you can play it hard and not care!

OR...maybe it's time for a new mando http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

This may have been a blessing in disguise http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[fred d]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif What in the world is bothering you Gibson and many others charge more for that look http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Santiago]

When you're not using you mandolin or guitar, the way to pamper it is to put it into it's case. That said, I was putting my Gibson Customer Shop ES-335 dot guitar back into its case, and the case somehow slammed closed on it. Thank God for replaceable pick guards! Rule one: Stuff happens. Rule two: See rule one.

[opie wan]

Let's see.... I'm over the shock of it all now. I have to order a tuning machine for the Taylor. I guess that'll be alright. The weber sounds just like it did pre-distressing. I sort of wonder about the whole "distressing" craze some are interested in. I just don't buy that a factory can cause an instrument to sound like it's been played 40 years without decreasing the life of the wood. On the other hand, it's a great marketing ploy.... maybe... Unfortunately for Gibson, it didn't work on the SG's. You can by a "faded" SG for 600 bucks because very few people actually wanted one that was faded. I like a shiney instrument with an occasional accidental cigar burn:D

[Mr. Loar]

Awe, sorry you're going through tough times. I'll give you $200 for the both of them!

[earthsave]

Sorry to hear about that. Did you at least salvage your cigar?

[opie wan]

You're darned right!!! It was a Monte Christo! Luckily, the cigar wasn't damaged too badly http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
And the burn... when I got it all wiped off, was pretty small. It's just the idea that I'd burn my own instrument...... and I wasn't even playing The Star Spangled Banner.

[cbarry]

Sorry to hear about it, but "bad day in opieville" is the best post title ever.

[Jonmiller]

Last month I was up in Bend visiting my kids and someone asked me to play something on my mandolin, my Collings MT2, I put it on, also carrying beverages outside to the guests on the patio when the strap came off the top button (I've ben playing music since I was 9 years old-67' and I've never dropped and instrument), but down she went (I'm 6'2") and it hit on the back lower binding-"WHAAAAK" on the concrete. Cracked the maple, back and side. What a feeling:( . Fortunately Andrew Mowry lives in Bend, I took it to him the next morning and explained my plight, he took it out of the case and said "it's not that bad" and did a splendid repair job on it.

[Jim MacDaniel]

I never play without covering the room in bubble wrap and taking a shower and putting on pajamas.
Tell me when your next live performance gig is, and I'll try to be there.
You'll be the first to know.
And what's the name of the band, The Flannel Bottom Boys? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Mike Snyder]

This is obviously an omen. Although I have been known to savor a Cristo, I suggest you switch to a Fuente rubusto.
The shorter length will reduce the incidence of heat-related mandolin damage, and the citrus and spice overtones
are a fine counterpart to a nice jig or reel.