In the fall of 2019 I had the privilege of attending a guitar masterclass given by a long-time friend who made a successful career from his music, and in particular, his guitar playing. At one point he asked that we go around the room with each of us giving a bit of personal history with music, and our guitar playing. When my turn came I mentioned one instance in my younger days where I was left broken-hearted when my girlfriend at the time decided to call it quits with me. In jest, I mentioned that I eased my pain by "replacing" her with a new 1974 Les Paul deluxe tobacco sunburst. The entire room broke out in applause. Marc Cooper, the workshop leader, pointed out that was pretty well the only situation where I would get that kind of response.
Moving along to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was thinking about how I could reinvent myself, while weathering a business slowdown (as most of the world was experiencing). Part of that thinking included brainstorming how I could somehow combine my various skills and passions, which included graphic design and printing, as well as visual fine art, music, and of course, guitar playing and guitars. I’m not a bonafide collector, but I’ve owned and do own a few. They’ve always held a beauty and fascination that went beyond the sound and experience of playing, into the aesthetic of design that made guitars objets d’art. And when I thought back to that masterclass last year, it occurred to me that there were a lot of people out there who felt like I did, and would appreciate having a way to reflect that passion and visual aesthetic. So, the YOUR GUITAR ON A SHIRT concept was born. We'll also produce some cool-looking apparel on the way!
1 comment
What a great story, Peter! Love it. Well, not that your gf broke up with you, but that you made the best of it by gifting yourself an awesome guitar.
Wishing you all the very best with your new venture. I have a few guitar players in the family who will love receiving this as a gift!