ENGLISH MUM: A shining star of wonderful gorgeousness » In which #2 seeks the Holy Grail of all Stratocasters

Jun

In which #2 seeks the Holy Grail of all Stratocasters

Filed under: Diary, Photos — English Mum @ 12:42 pm

So, my house is slowly filling up with guitars. In the office/music room/throw-any-old-shit-that-you-can’t-be-arsed-to-put-away room there are guitar stands everywhere; the bedrooms are littered with guitars, there are amps, wires and foot pedals all over the bloody place, and yet they come.

Last Saturday, then, found us once again in our spiritual home: our local guitar shop. They’re always terribly welcoming and friendly in there (nothing to do with the fact that we’ve probably paid their mortgage in there for the last two years). #2 has been saving hard for a guitar for rather a surprisingly long time. It’s been tough going: he’s lusted after Xbox games, drooled over flat screen TVs, coveted sparkly white Adidas trainers, but no. His determination has seen him through. So we’d annoyed the lovely people there to death, plugged in various amps, played 17 million gazillion different riffs (’Stairway to Heaven’, anyone?), twiddled with buttons and even had a sneaky play on a couple of drum kits… and then it happened: nestling quietly in the corner is nothing other than (queue angelic choral music) THE GUITAR OF HIS DREAMS!!!! The Fender Stratocaster in cream!!! Just like on Wayne’s World (remember the scene when he ogles it on the stand in the guitar shop?: ‘It will be mine. Oh, yes — It will be mine’). Okay it’s second hand, but it’s perfect and tantalisingly close to little #2’s budget and I can feel his hands sweating as he finally gets his mitts on the object of his affections. Trouble is, it’s still too much money. ‘Ah’, says Smiley Friendly Guitar Bloke, ‘but we’ve got a sale on next week, and if you’re one of the first fifty in the queue, you get put in a draw for this Gibson Les Paul too’.

And so it came to pass that we were out of bed and away from English Towers before the bloody rabbits (note to self: must get a gun) this morning to get down there to join the line of other hopefuls (we were twelfth - not bad eh?). It’s been a tense week - what if it’s sold before I get there? What if I still can’t afford it? But happily, opening time finally came, and stomachs rumbling (damn you, McDonalds - not opening until 9am on a Saturday?) we rushed upstairs to the guitar section to find #2’s beautiful Strat not only still there but IN THE SALE!

Long story short then, the Strat is ours, #2 is immensely happy, and yes, we got in the draw for the Les Paul. Fingers crossed, then, and as Mad Uncle A would say: ‘rock and roll!’.

7 Comments »

Aw…

One fine day, far into the future, when you and I have used our free bus passes to get into Dublin for #2’s sell out gig, you’re going to gaze up at your tattooed, hairy, rock n’ roll little boy and remember this day…

Bless.

Comment by jennynib — June 28, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
I soooooo identify! Poor DrummerBoy managed to customise a cheapo drumkit that I bought for him when he was 12. Saved madly for Ziljhan symbols and new skins - then last year won a brand new Pace Kit in a band competition. Should have seen the face on him! So at 21 what does he buy now . . Playstation, sub woofers, flat screen TV’s . . good luck to your little fender bender!

Comment by Baino — June 28, 2008 @ 9:54 pm
Never,never,never be so proud of your baby that you sit right up front at his performances.They put the very large amps in front and proud Mums leave stone deaf and their bodies feel like they have been mugged.I know from experience.My baby now has his own air conditioning company and is going through the same fun with his own little darlings,one drummer, one guitarist and a keyboard player.What goes around does work out rather well.

Comment by june in florida — June 28, 2008 @ 10:55 pm
Jen: Oh blimey. He’s banned from tattoos - remember the golden rule? Do as I say, not as I do!!!!

Baino: Wow! He must be really good! I’ve always wanted to play the drums….

June: Hmm, I can imagine this is akin to the buzzing ears I experienced for several days after Linkin Park!! Glad to see he’s carrying on the family legacy though lol x

Comment by englishmuminireland — June 29, 2008 @ 7:37 am
EM - when you say “Long story short” that means that you don’t actually tell us the whole story first! Now, I know that I would love to have children and if I did I would encourage whatever hobbies that they had (well, within reason) and I would be terribly proud of all their achievments. So, I can sometimes admit that I am happy that I don’t have kids - I long for quiet. Blissful, absolute, complete, silence kind of quiet. Perhaps the odd cow mooing or bird singing would be OK. I am guessing that doesn’t happen very often at English Towers!?!

Comment by Don't Bug Me! — June 29, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
So far my youngn’s are banging on a baby guitar (Bentley) that sounds much like a ukelele, and whacking the Panasonic keyboard until I’m about ready to murder someone (do NOT buy a gun. Even for the rabbits. I’m tellin ya- the temptation…), but none of them know a ‘Les Paul’ from a ‘Less Noise’. I try, but it’s trying.

I have a handmade Tacoma folk size with an acacia wood hard top and mother of pearl everywhere (which is not made anymore), and my boys call it ‘pretty’. Eeep.

Count your blessings.

Can I buy the Les Paul off you if you win? Maybe #2 will cut me a deal?

Comment by Camron — June 30, 2008 @ 3:49 am
Cam: Glad to hear you’re starting them young! Oh, and I see what you mean about the gun…. Hubby wants to mount it over the fireplace!!! I think that might cause some issues.

Comment by englishmuminireland — July 1, 2008 @ 10:33 am