Welcome home, Skipper! How’ve you been?
Skipper is home and nobody knows who Skipper is.
Six years ago or so this coming February, I had a couple of gigs and a House Concert near Osteen and Orlando, Florida. Before the Osteen gig a Friend, Pete Easton, wanted to know what guitar I had brought, so he asked, “What guitar did you bring?” I told him about the one I was going to play and about a couple more for trading. I did not mention looking for a really nice Gibson.
The gentleman sitting next to him, I did not know, was Alan Hale. Not Alan Hale the actor best known for playing Skipper. I assumed he was a gentleman because he wasn’t cussing and hitting on the waitress. I was right. He was a gentleman. Alan Hale leaned over to me and said “I have a really nice Gibson J-50, been under the bed since I bought it.” The waitress handed napkins to me. “That was what, about 1975?” The waitress handed more napkins to me.
I played my show for the most wonderful group of friends. Afterwards Alan Hale asked me, “How interested are you in that really nice Gibson?” The waitress handed me more napkins.
Well uh, how interested do I have to be? I asked.
“Now I paid $500 for it in 1975.” The waitress handed a towel to me. Alan said, “I’d have to get that much back for it.” I don't drool. I wasn’t drooling. I tipped the waitress well.
He did. He did, right quick, with the help of some very dear Friends, Tony Perry and Janice Schilling. I think of all of them often when this guitar plays what I feel. Napkins, please.
I named that really nice Gibson J-50 Skipper. I've played Skipper since the very first day, but since June it's has been in the shop for some repairs way above my skill level. The Shop at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville has perfected the art of whatever it is they do. Beautiful. Several of my lutherie Friends declined the job. I don’t blame them one bit.
It is serendipitously synchronistic, the timing, eh? (Those who know, know.) Oh, and OMG, this is the first guitar I heard after I got hearing aids!
Thank you, Tony Perry, Janice Schilling, Alan Hale.
Skipper, a song please
Played beneath my hands. Wonder,
Gently screaming angst.
Peace, Y’all!
da6d