My New Guitar

I remember the first time I went guitar shopping. I was 15. I'd just had my first working summer with the occasional shift at the hairdressers where my mum worked. I had been learning guitar on my Dad's electrics and this second hand Tanglewood he bought me online. It sounded pretty awful and I knew I wanted to start gigging locally, this meant I needed a new guitar. It was really important to me at the time that I bought it myself, I didn't expect my Dad to spend a penny on this guitar for me. 

 We went into Oxford one day after my orthodontist appointment and I played a few guitars. I fell in love with this Washburn. If I'm honest, it was mainly because it looked so similar to Taylor Swift's Grand Auditorium Taylor. Obviously my Dad knew that's why I wanted that one. He tried to get me to play others but I was so smitten. The guy in the shop handed me this small bodied acoustic which sounded incredible but the price was around £300. My Dad's said since that he would happily have helped me with the extra money so that I could have had a really good guitar but I was set in spending my own money. I ended up with the Washburn and don't get me wrong, I love it. 

 I can't explain the connection you make with your instrument as a musician. 

It's something you only understand if you play. I could never love a guitar the way I love my Washburn. I wrote the most raw, emotional songs of my life with that guitar. I played the best gigs and made friends with that guitar and she will always be my first guitar. 

 But it's been clear to me the last year or so that she just doesn't sound as good as other people's guitars when I'm playing gigs and performing. If my Dad does my sound, it's fine. He knows how to set up around her flaws; but that's not always the case when you play open mic set ups and festivals. I needed something with a cleaner sound for performing. 

 It's weird to say I feel almost guilty letting myself fall for another guitar. 

 But about 10 months ago I accepted I'd need to buy something better. Having saved the amount I would need for my car and insurance working at my local pub, I decided to work as much as I could up to my exams to see how much I could save for a new guitar. 

 People would often ask me as a student why I was working so much; I was pretty honest with people. I don't want to keep asking my parents for money, if I want something, I pay for it. I was chatting with a colleague about guitars and he recommended this brand called Faith. I'd never heard of them before but he explained that they're the most affordable brand of handmade guitars in the UK. I did some research and watched some reviews on YouTube over the course of a month and I just fell completely for these guitars. 

 At this point, I'd moved house and had to leave my job. I'd also had to dip a little into my savings to get myself sorted at the new house so I didn't have as much money as I originally hoped. I could afford the basic Faith range, the Naked. These are basically the budget guitars of the Faith range and they cost around £500. I was sure that these were the guitars I admired and so my Dad looked into it for me and we planned a trip to Worcester. 

 This shop in Worcester said they stocked the whole Faith range on their website; but when we got there they didn't have any at all except one in for repair. This was a Faith Naked Venus, the exact one I wanted but it had a huge dent in the middle and various scuffs around the edge. It sounded incredible; but obviously I couldn't buy that one. We went away a little dissapointed and tried a few guitars in another shop but nothing came close to what I knew I wanted. I was determined this time to not waste my money. 

 We had to go into Stratford to pick up my sister and so we decided to just check out the Stratford Music Shop and see what they had. 

 When we got there they had one Faith left: a Faith Natural Venus. This was the better quality version of the guitar I'd picked, and they retail at around £720. This is a lot more than I had. 

 However, their Faith had been on display for a while and so they had it at a discount price of £599, which I could afford. I was so happy. I tried out the guitar and it was just perfect. The body shape fitted me perfectly, it sounded beautiful and it was better than what I expected to go home with that day. I asked if they had any hard cases I could buy and the guy said it already came with one included in the price. 

 I think if it hadn't have been for that deal, I'd have let myself go home empty handed and bought a cheaper guitar at a later date; but I just couldn't walk away without that guitar. It was too perfect. 

 There was a Fender my Dad and I played in the shop that sounded awesome as well, and I could tell he wanted me to get that one. But the Faiths have this beautiful warm tone to them and I just love it. 

 I think Dad might be buying himself an acoustic very soon!

 In my new house, I took the two small bedrooms. My parents were planning on knocking the wall down so that me and my sisters would all get the same amount of space; but I decided to keep my room as two separate rooms so that I could have my bedroom in one, and my books and college stuff in another. My second room has also become a bit of a music room for me. All my instruments are set up now and I have such good acoustics in here! 

 It's a really good atmosphere in here too. This is my creative space; so when I revise in here I have this motivation that I just never had when I was writing on my bed. 

 I have already filmed a cover with my new guitar, follow this link if you'd like to check it out. 

Thank you so much for reading, I'll see you next week!