Letter Zero.50
Dear friend,
According to David Crosby, the reason you want a great guitar is that it is such a joy to play that you wind up playing it for hours, and that’s how you get good.
That’s a seducing statement, but is it true? Not for me.
I don’t play guitar but I know a few things about cameras. One thing I can tell you is that you can take horrible photos with the best cameras just as easily as you can with the cheap ones. I’m guessing the same is true about playing horrible music on great guitars. That’s why my experience has been the opposite of Crosby’s. It seems the more I pay for my gear, the harder it is to make art with it. It might just be me. But I don’t think so.
For many creative people the only way to create the sounds they hear in their head (or the images they see in their mind's eye) is to invent the tools themselves. I’m working on some essays about artists who shun off-the-shelf gear in favor of building their own instruments. In my coming emails I’ll introduce you to some really inspiring characters. If there’s somebody that came to mind as you read this letter, send me a note about them because my research is ongoing and this topic fills me with inspiration. Plus, I’d just love to hear from you. Stay creative.
Your friend,
Adrian
P.S. If you want to hear more from David Crosby, there’s a nice video of him describing his guitars on YouTube. Even though I picked on his quote about great guitars, there’s something captivating about musicians gushing about their love for their craft. Makes me want a great guitar…