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Post subject: A brick returned 20-years later. (Update)
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:05 pm
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20-years ago I was in a band and I loaned my favorite guitar to the other guitar player. We were good friends at the time. But when the band broke up, he wouldn't give it back. He said he'd considered it a gift. It caused a pretty bitter dispute at the time, but I just chalked it up as a learning experience not to loan things of good personal value, and had since forgotten about it. I forgave him a long time ago.

Out of nowhere today, 20-years later, he shows up at my door to give the guitar back. He told me a story of a man who took a brick from a city, kept it, took care of it, but years later he didn't feel right about it, so he returned the brick back to the city. And so, it weighed on him, and he wanted to give the guitar back.

Ladies and gentleman, The Brick.

Image


Image

Image

I'm not sure what year it was made, but it's a vintage Japanese Matsumoku Westone. He did take great care of the guitar, looks the same as it did 20-years ago. Man I'd forgotten how great this guitar is. It's so smooth and solid. These things are amazing.

I think given the story behind it, and the color of the guitar, it would be appropriate to call it the Brick. I usually don't give my guitars nicknames, but I think this one warrants it.

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Last edited by shred6 on Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:45 pm
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That's a great ending to the story. We all have regrets in life and most never get a chance to realize them and rectify a mistake. Getting your guitar back made two people very happy.
Kenny V


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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:30 pm
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I've never found a Matsumoku guitar I didn't like. Congrats.

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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:21 pm
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Well not only did you get back your guitar but, you also got your friend back which to me, is far more important than any material possession. It's stories like these that restores my faith in humanity. Thanks for sharing it with us.


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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 6:14 pm
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To be honest, I still liked him. It was a dispute and I got over it after about a year. I understood to some degree. He was only 18, he had no other guitar that was usable, and he really had no money.

At that time, I'd offered to give him a cheaper guitar, but he didn't want it. He wanted that one. And he moved to Utah shortly after the argument to live with his mom.

When he left, one of the other ex band members told me he sold it to move. So you can imagine my surprise seeing that guitar this morning.

We had seen each other a couple times when he came to visit Vegas about a year after, but neither one of us really wanted to talk about the guitar. It was a done issue, and by that time, I had another Matsumoku guitar. So we would just visit and never talk about it. What was the point, I thought it was sold and gone.

But he is a good guy, I was totally surprised by his visit. He brought his wife and kids who I hadn't met. It was a cool morning. Very cool. It was nice to see him.

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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 6:38 pm
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That's great! Sometimes people never get the chance to go back and make it right! We all make mistakes. You're a big man! And he is too!


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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 6:44 pm
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Btw, I just had a good jam session with it. These Matsumoku guitars are definitely top quality. The craftsmanship is extremely good. Great tuners, love the brass saddles (not gold plated).

These old pickups are insanely good. I'll have to check the DC resistance on these just for the heck of it. But they are right up there with Gibson 57+ and Duncan 59s. They are like 59s but a bit hotter, slightly less top end, but still retain the bite and attack. I would have never understood what they were back then, so it will be interesting to see if they're the old MMK or aftermarkets. Whatever they are, they're perfect to me. Right in the sweet spot between vintage and hot.

Stunning sound, smooth feel. Just an outstanding guitar from top to bottom.

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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 8:39 pm
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shred6 wrote:
Ladies and gentleman, The Brick.


Nice guitar and great story. Good read amigo........

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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 11:04 pm
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desertbluesman wrote:
shred6 wrote:
Ladies and gentleman, The Brick.


Nice guitar and great story. Good read amigo........


+1 :D

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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2015 5:23 pm
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Great story...Beautiful guitar.

but it needs a Japanese name...or at least a translation of "Brick"

ブリック

Burikku


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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2015 5:47 pm
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shred, you sound like the kind of person it would be a pleasure to know.

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"If today was Christmas Eve, if today was Christmas Eve,
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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2015 10:13 pm
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Well thank you. I appreciate the kind words.

I had a chance to take a look at the pickups today.

Image

So there we have it. The original MMK 45 pickups. Great sounding pickups btw. I'll have to grab another bridge pickup in the future. There's just something about them that I connect with.

Also, upon a further inspection, the sides of the body are Walnut. Part of what gives this guitar a nice deep rich reddish/brown color. Beautiful guitar man.

It's kind of a confusing thing to research whether this guitar is considered an Electra or Westone. There doesn't appear to be many out there that had both names on the headstock.

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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:16 pm
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This is going out to Kevin O'Connell from Novato, CA ... If the $25 you stole from me back in 1982 is still weighing on you, and you feel the need to return it to free your soul, let me know ...

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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:51 am
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HA HA HA!!!


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Post subject: Re: A brick returned 20-years later.
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 10:42 am
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very cool story! and VERY nice guitar indeed.


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