To tell the truth, ever since an unfortunate incident a few years ago involving a guitar getting it's neck crushed by a VW bus door, I've been missing a proper guitar to play on. Buying one has been in the back of my mind since I arrived in London, but I was looking for something very specific and wasn't expecting to find anything matching my needs as well as my budget soon, so I was just browsing and dreaming. After looking at a few steel string acoustic guitars I was about to leave when I mentioned to the shop assistant that I didn't see any classical nylon string guitars on the floor. He nodded his head to the side, indicating the stairs to the basement which I have somehow not noticed up to that point and for the second time that day I found myself going underground.
The basement is both a showroom and workshop with classical guitars lining the walls. A bit more interested now, but still not seriously considering buying anything, I started to casually go through the instruments. My monthly budget had already reached it's limit, so I was just smiling at the tags with mostly three and four digit handwritten prices on them, but then a surprising figure caught my eye. £20? Could this be right? I took the instrument from the wall. The 3/4 guitar was noticably smaller than the rest and it was definately second hand. I didn't mind the odd scratch here and there, but the obvious work done to the neck did concern me. The brand was a name I have never heard of and the design around the sound hole reminded me of Space Invaders. I asked the man with the gray ponytail behind the counter if the price on the tag was correct. He agreed that it sounded very cheap, but after showing him where the neck was rejoined to the body he remembered doing the repair work himself and confirmed the price. He assured me that the damage had been properly repaired and gave me a guarantee on his workmanship, but I was still sceptical. I had to hear for myself.
I sat down on the stool and tuned the strings with a few quick harmonics. Playing the first few chords I knew it would be difficult to put down this guitar and after a few fingerpicking sequences (mainly to check the fret positions, but also to show off a little) I was convinced. The sound is surprisingly rich and clear with a nice deep, mysterious resonance on the lower notes. The strings are at a perfect height above the fingerboard for a firm yet comfortable action. The 3/4 size makes it light and easy to handle and this combined with the character that comes with a secondhand instrument, makes it a perfect travel guitar. I knew that I had found exactly what I was looking for and the price meant I couln't say no.
On my way to the bus stop I was counting the days to payday and with my new second hand guitar under my arm and three-day-stubble on my face I was feeling kind of like a busker. By the way the bums on the street were smiling at me they must have gotten the same idea, but I have learned not to judge anything on outer appearances alone.
And this is what she sounds like:
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