Our big Christmas tour was staged in 3 segments for Nov/Dec with a chance to return home for a day or two in between. We are embarking on the 3rd and final segment of the tour today—heading to Minneapolis for our appearance tomorrow night at the venerable music nightclub, the Dakota. I’ve been there many times over the years!
The 2nd segment last week contained some ofour best dates and performances, but it will also be remembered for my great Baxendale guitar finally giving way to 8-years of playing on heavy gauge strings—the bellying of the top, the massive amount of pressure on the saddle leaning it forward, and finally the bridge split in two and it all came flying apart. (John Baxendale warned me that with me playing heavy gauge strings, it was a matter of time).
John came to the rescue like a true hero of the tour. He had just one of his guitars he owns as a keepsake guitar, he made it with his uncle and dedicated to family members. All of the others are commissioned and out the door. He offered to send me out his testament guitar meeting up with it in D.C. for the Barns at Wolf Trap. I sent out mine to him from Chicago for emergency repairs while borrowing a Martin there from the presenter.
John’s beautiful sunburst model got me through 3 of the most important concerts of the tour, including the #soldout Barns at Wolf Trap show and our big hometown concert at the Carolina Theatre. Before I fed ex’d his guitar back to him in Durango, I sat down and played a few parting improvs on it. Likely not going toplay the guitar again. It is a gem, a 12-fret, (while mine is the standard 14. But it’s got that classical Bax sound.
I will meet up with my guitar shiped back tome by tomorrow at the Dakota in Minneapolis. She’s got a new bridge plate,bridge, saddle and nut. And he tried to get some of the warpness out of the top I put in with heavies. I also told him that I’d be going with medium gauge now anyway. That was welcome news!
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#anappalachianchristmas #markoconnor #baxendale #guitar #acousticguitar #acousticguitarplayer
