Matt Talks About His First Guitar

I love entries like this. Matt takes a break from reporting about world issues (which, I agree is of the utmost importance) and gives his fans some juicy Matthew Good trivia with respect to his first guitar, and some tracks in particular that it has made music on. Matt also speaks about his excitedness about starting a new musical endeavor.

I would like to believe that there is such a thing like musical karma. It's almost like that the instrument retains a bit of the artist's spirit when it has been played, loved, perhaps even abused. I have cymbals signed by Chester Thompson, and the late Larrie Londin, and I believe that a bit of their personalities live within those cymbals. If little else, at least these items might be worth something to a collector one day.

People collect such intstruments relentlessly, and often pay incredible amounts for them. You often see collections in museums like the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, or at nostalgia restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe, but many instruments are purchased by other artists, and even played by them. Yes, I know collectors are having a fit over this tidbit of information, but seriously, a musical instrument is meant to be played, not to sit in a vault and "appreciate" in value.

Take for instance, my friend / guitarist MA. He owns a guitar that was played on an album that has sold millions of albums. It's a piece of trash Aria Pro guitar, that he bought used while he was living in Vancouver, but the guitar he owns was recorded on Phil Collins' No Jacket Required album -- I kid you not. The guitar was likely played by session players, but I wouldn't be surprised if Phil himself strummed a few chords on that beast.

Even if there is no such thing as musical karma, at least he owns a piece of Rock N' Roll history. I doubt, however, that he is willing to part with it, at least for the now.