I Hate It
There are some reasons why I hate it;
- it looks like the body has passed through a fire ... NOT unscathed
- that it was just rubbed down a little afterward and not cared for
- there are patches of stain/darkness inconsistent with the timber
- the binding looks older and damaged
- the f-holes are scummy with intensifier
I Love It
There are some reasons why I love it;
- all of the above
- AND the fact that it is so uglified and thus a little unique (see picture below)
"Ugly Bat Boy" the cat and just about any old Chinese Crested dog with some years on it
And another Chinese Crested for good measure. It's worth looking up ugly ones in a general browser search.
Additional Reason To Hate It
This next reason is a bit unfair to the guitar -- if I may anthropomorphise the kit -- and I feel twinges of guilt for airing my feelings about it in an open forum. But here's why I hate it;
Yesterday, I took my only steel string geet-tar to Chris Melville for a refret and comprehensive setup, as well as a couple of minor fiddly-farty bits needing attention. I'd paid $1500-ish (RRP ~$2200?) some 10 years ago for my Ayers ACSR (Auditorium Cutaway Spruce Rosewood). Chris indicated that the guitar was worth doing the work to because of existing solid construction and its potential to "sing" once he'd done what he does very well.
Meantime, he let wifey and I play with an Eastman that he'd done the comprehensive setup work on already. "Oh, my!" I thought to myself as every note rang out clear and true and with such volume/presence for such light action and plucking. Now everything else sounds like rubbish to me. Well, at least every other guitar in *my* household!...
And that's why I hate it!
Additional Reason To Love It
But I still love this kit because I've invested my self in it -- whether competently or otherwise -- and my primary reason for buying it was actually to do the setting up myself. Well, that's still a little ways off at present, but I've bought the basic tools and practiced a bit on wifey's Kasuga "Hummingbird" clone. And I truly like that rustic look. I "caused" it. It's its own signature now.
Eventually upcoming: Pt9 More Coats
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