Got my "Bone" out ....

[SteveGaines]

Have an HD-28 that I bought new from Mandolin Brothers in 1978....At the time I was 16...My mother was "forcing me at gunpoint" to take PIANO lessons....Wanted me to play at the Baptist Church...While I have nothing against playing in Church....I WANTED A MARTIN....So, my father said if you can COME up with half the money...I will come up with the rest...

I worked TWO jobs the summer of 1978...I worked for a plumber as his PERSONAL backhoe( You know sharpshooter, shovel, dig.) then worked for a janitorial service...When the summer was up..I HAD 303.50...My parents said CLOSE ENOUGH!....723.00 bought a new Martin HD-28 from Mandolin Brothers back then...They were giving a 41% discount...

I took the guitar and played various "Fiddling Contests" and Bluegrass festivals..Not to mention just some good jamming with some buddies...

I met Mike Snider at a "contest" in 1979 and played guitar with him for awhile...Mike is an awesome guitar player...Showed me the Tony Rice licks...Met the Crouch Brothers from Strawberry Arkansas...Dennis and Tim when we were all just kids..Tim WAS/Is a MONSTER guitar player...

And was at the grandmaster's fiddling contest in late 79 or early 80 when Mark O'Connor was backstage...Steve Kaufman was there and someone asked Mark was he thinking of going back to Winfield?..He said "Can I borrow you guitar".. And proceeded to BLOW everybody's mind with a version of "Sally Goodin" he said HE HAD BEEN working on..

Also..Has a small scratch from a Turquoise bracelet that a "Drunken Jimmy Martin" put on it...At the IMBA's in 94 or 95... he didn't like the way I was playing "Lonesome River" ( I had a capo on and was crosspicking)...Needless to say..That old guitar has ALOT of memories..

Sent in back to Martin about 15 years ago...And Although I never had filled out the original warranty...They had me write a letter saying where, when I bought it, the serial number and had it notarized....Charged me 23 bucks for shipping and it WAS BETTER than it was when I bought it...

Put some Martin Marquis medium's on it and jammed with a killer little banjo player here in town...THE THING IS STILL A CANNON.....Digging those ditches and pushing that broom...Man I wouldn't TAKE nothing for "my bone"...

[sliding-tom]

Great story, thanks! Now that's a guitar you'd never let go, I guess.

[SteveGaines]

The "old plumber" who worked me that summer to get that guitar...Was from WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS ,WEST VIRGINIA....and was BLUEGRASS to THE BONE....Played Banjo and told fascinating stories about seeing "FLATT AND SCRUGGS" when they were still in Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys...AND LOVED RENO AND SMILEY.....That old man played banjo and he took us to MORE "FIDDLING CONTESTS" than I you could imagine...And the talent back then...Jimmy Mattingly...Timmy Crouch, Mark O'Connor..these guys would be teenagers and COMPETING...."man they would want to make you just put your guitar BACK IN THE CASE after they were done...

And my daddy..Lord love him...LOVES ACOUSTIC GUITAR...I got my first Stratocaster in 1979..."He said.."What are you going to do if the electricity ever goes out?".....He is a hoot..LOVES THE STANLEY BROTHERS...( I got it honest)...Matter of fact wants Carter, Ralph and George Shuffler's version of "IF WE NEVER MEET AGAIN(( This side of Heaven) played at his funeral...."Man...That song will bring tears to a glass eye... Love my bone...

[gakees]

Sounds like you're an Opry fan. There's something spooky that I really like about Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley :yah .

[SteveGaines]

Bill with Jimmy Martin had that "High Lonesome Sound" while The Stanley Brothers( IMO Carter Stanley was one of the greatest singer/songwriters who ever lived...IN ANY KIND OF MUSIC) were "Mountain Soul"..Loved those Stanley Trios with "Aunt" George Shuffler"...

[bluespckr]

Wow. Cool story, and so much history on that guitar. That ol' Martin has some stories to tell, doesn't it?

Very cool, indeed.

Paul

[sliding-tom]

Hi Paul - good to see you - where've you been? :ola