News/Newsletter 11.08

Healdsburg Here I Come

I don't know about you, but I can't wait until this year is over. It sure has been crazy. Just like everyone else on the planet I look forward to the prospect of a new one. I was excited to learn that in the coming year I was accepted to show at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival - August 2009. I see this as a blessing and a curse. It costs money and time to do a guitar show. I have little to no experience with these kind of shows, so I am nervous and excited at the same time. I think my wallet is more nervous then I am. California is an expensive place to go to especially with $30K worth of guitars. But I am going to be hopeful and see what happens. Please read on...

This past October was my very first guitar show. I went to Woodstock, New York on an invite from a client of mine whom owns two of my instruments. He was one of the curators of the first Woodstock Guitar Festival. Even though my guitars were not for sale he thought it would be fun to show off the guitars and do a meet and greet. I am going to be honest - and this is absolutely no reflection on the great people I met and the amazing host my friend and his family were to me - but I am not sure if I like guitar shows. Although it is a good environment to chat with friends and strangers, it is quite possibly one of the worst environments to hear a guitar. There is more opportunity for someone to scratch the heck out of an instrument then actually hear it. Its kind of like taking a Porshe for a test drive inside the confines of a garage. Or taking a Faberge egg to an omelet shop. When I was younger I worked at a retail music store and attended many NAMM shows, in my opinion the same kind of thing on a much larger scale. I found it more fascinating to people watch then to actually attempt to hear any instruments.

I really hope that I am not coming off as cynical and grumpy. Then again people like Andy Rooney make a living describing things this way. But let's face it, honesty is the best policy. If you can't fool yourself you're going to have a hard time fooling others. Maybe if I tried to look at it in the same vein as the 1893 Chicago Columbia World Exposition that would help? Probably not. That was a time when most things were new. Now things are old five minutes before they are exhibited. Maybe it was the same way back then when trying to have discussions with your contemporaries. Well most of the time it turns into how many guitar makers does it take to screw in a light bulb. Again, not being cynical just stating the facts. I suspect many would agree. Blame the internet for that not me.

With that, I must say I am excited to be proven wrong. I've met many great people along the way, and I look forward to meeting more. If anyone at the Healdsburg festival is reading this please don't be dismayed. I am much nicer in person, and thanks for the invite. If you think I sound grumpy you should have heard the guy I talked with at the show about hide glue. Yikes! See you in California.....

Frankie Montuoro
11.08