Please welcome "Cap" to the Chazmo family

[capquest]

Chaz,

I'm so happy it got there safely.
The pictures are wonderful.
I never knew that Augie had put his stamp on the top when he rebuilt it.
Glad to hear that you're going to get it brought back to life.

I'm overjoyed that it's gone to someone who will give it a new life and will let it sing again. Not to wax to poetic, but it's like seeing your daughter married off to a really good man.

Funny thing is it's more of a feeling of release to not look at it in it's case every day and think of the past. In fact I've played the new little Yamaha more in the last two weeks that I played the F50 in the last few years.

Norman Mailer said you can never go home again and he's right. I see now that one of the reasons I didn't play it was the internal knowledge that my time with it had passed.

As some of you know from my "facing East" post I'm a Freemason and believe me this is very Masonic lesson.

I'm teaching a Coast Guard captain's seminar this week end but I'll post more later.

Thanks for giving her a new home Charles

David

PS. When I get time next week I post the story of how I almost lost it to Customs at the port of Yokohama because Brazilian Rosewood is a protected species. Had to pay a "fine" (bribe) it back. From then on I used to hide (read smuggle) it into ports when I cleared Customs.

 

[12stringer]

She looks like a beauty Chaz...I am also glad that she made it to you and can look forward to a new and long life

 

[chazmo]

Thanks, Randy, folks...

Hey, and thanks, Cap. You can surely wax poetic while I wax the wood.

I know what a prized and sentimental posession this was for you. Believe me, it's my honor to to start the next chapter in this wonderful guitar's life. That Masonic lesson is a pure gem of wisdom which I completely understand and agree with. You can't take it with you, and you can't have the past back again. For better or for worse, life is a march forward in time and you have to embrace the changes that come. [how's that for some Sunday morning philosophy!? ]

With regard to musical instruments, we're all just temporary stewards. I have little doubt that most of the guitars in my little collection will long outlast me. My mother's Favilla, and the Ibanez AW-75 which was my first purchased guitar in 1981, carry their own stories which will have to be imparted to their next caretakers.

Doyle Dykes was out here a few months ago and he recounted to us how he felt that his various guitars had songs in them waiting to be written. An interesing way to look at things... No question, great instruments have the power to inspire.

Hope the Yammie inspires lots of great stories for ya', Cap!

 

[bdeclee]

Chaz & Capquest:
That is a first-rate, awesome guitar. I LOVE it. And I know you both do and always will.
Barbara

 

[Scratch]

I could dang near weep. One beautiful guitar and a beautiful story behind it. Another great LTG, meant-to-be moment... Keep on a pickin' Cap, and best wishes, Charlie, as you care for that treasure.

 

[Default]

I love win-win situations!

I'm particularly happy that capquest is able to enjoy playing again. That's another friend's victory I can rejoice in!

 

[chazmo]

Hey, anyone else played around with Windows Live Photo Gallery? I had some fun this morning making some composite panoramas from the interior shots I took yesterday. This is very cool stuff (IMO); let the software do the work:

 

[fungusyoung]

Congrats, Chaz! Another beauty :shock: .

 

[bdeclee]

That panorama-stitching software is cool.

Question: why is the top stamped "1972"? Is that your OTHER F-50R?

 

[chazmo]

That panorama-stitching software is cool.

Question: why is the top stamped "1972"? Is that your OTHER F-50R?

Barbara, neat isn't it? I'm really having some fun with the software. Some very, very clever programming going on there (this coming from a software engineer ).

Good eyes! No, 1972 is *this* guitar, and therein lies one of Cap's amazing stories about this axe. The soundboard was built by luthier Augustino LoPrinzi and it is not original. The woman who originally bought the guitar for Cap in '66-'67 smashed it a few years later. Poor Guild, and poor Cap. Anyway, Cap told me that Augie had this guitar quite a while (sounds like it was over a year) and fully repaired it.

The soundboard material is German spruce (you can tell by how white it is compared to typical darkened Sitka). And, the bracing appears to be Augie's design. You can see in some of the pictures that the original kerfing has some spaces for braces that don't exist (I presume Augie re-used the kerfing). He definitely put a lot of time into shaping and trimming the braces. The soundhole rosette and purfling are gorgeous and understated (I don't know what materials Augie used).

I'm trying to get in touch with him, actually, to quiz him about it a little. He's actually quite well-known and has had his own line of guitars for a while now. When Cap knew him, he was a barber with a side business!

I love this guitar!

Ah, the stories....

 

[cjd-player]

Beautiful guitar and a wonderful story, Chazmo

Thanks for posting.

 

[chazmo]

Thanks, cjd!!!

 

[chazmo]

Cap is back in my hands today. My luthier did a bunch of work on her, primarily a re-fret and a new bone nut. He also did some work on my JF-30-12, and now the whole Chazmo herd is in perfect playing shape. Somehow I feel more complete knowing that. I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about, so I'm not going to apologize for being a guitar geek.

I'll try to put some impressions together over the next few days for you guys. I know Cap is a rare bird indeed, but she has a bunch of Guild bretheren to sing with at the house. Are Hobokens allowed to socialize with Westerlys and Tacomas, or have I introduced a canary into the coal mine???

 

[Metalman]

Wow; TWO guitars came outta that case??????????

 

[chazmo]

Wow; TWO guitars came outta that case??????????

Huh? Sorry, metalman. Lost ya'.

 

[Metalman]

Wow; TWO guitars came outta that case??????????

Huh? Sorry, metalman. Lost ya'.

Alright; it was a weak attempt at a joke. I was referring to the picture of the new F-50 alongside one of your older ones. Seeing TWO guitars, heh, heh . . . :?

Never mind . . .

 

[chazmo]

Wow; TWO guitars came outta that case??????????

Huh? Sorry, metalman. Lost ya'.

Alright; it was a weak attempt at a joke. I was referring to the picture of the new F-50 alongside one of your older ones. Seeing TWO guitars, heh, heh . . . :?

Never mind . . .

Ah!!! Well, perhaps not two in one case (that'd be a little tight), but the '67 is definitely the ancestor of the '71! So, not twins, but shall we say "family?"

 

[Alec]

Hey Chaz'

Last time I was here you were still waiting to take her out of the case. Very pretty guitar, and I love the bridge!!

Excellent stuff all around!

Alec

 

[chazmo]

Hi Alec, thanks! I'm playing Cap now on a daily basis. Last night I had the '71 and Cap out. I love 'em both! What's a boy supposed to do?!

 

[Scratch]

Dang, that's one sweet Guild, Chazzy. How's the JF30 playing after the doctor visit?