Essays and Etcetera

Today was my 28th Birthday. It was a day like any other day for me because I celebrated this past Saturday with my family. Even Saturday was very low key. Beyond picking out supper (roasted leg of lamb with potatoes and home made chocolate éclairs for dessert) and everyone singing the worst screeching rendition of “Happy Birthday” they could manage (a family tradition of self-flagellation) I had a regular Saturday.

My birthdays are not personally a big deal for me. I understand, and can appreciate, that birthday celebrations are an occasion (or excuse) to show affection and appreciation for loved ones. But I find nothing to celebrate in my own birthday because all I have accomplished on that particular day is to have kept breathing for another year–hardly a high bar for celebration. More personally meaningful celebrations are those which mark an accomplishment or deed which I have done. By that logic my birthday would be a celebration for my Mom, since she was the one who did all the work and accomplishment 28 years ago. And I can’t think of many (any?) occasions in my life due some celebrating. I guess reflecting on my life and partying don’t really go together, in my perspective.

To be twenty-eight is to be a decade older than eighteen. I suppose the most profound observation I will make is that a decade passes very quickly. I did little more than clear my throat, and it was gone in a flash. Clearly I should start calling myself an old man now, because I will have scarcely finished collecting my thoughts only to discover it a reality.

It is in living that one discovers the meaning of the Biblical phrase “Man is but a breath.”

But I digress.

Supper and dessert were delicious. The primary gift given to me was a new guitar (actually arrived on Friday), along with a case and some picks. That was the surprise gift of some wealthy siblings. The not so surprising gifts (which I requested) were a new alarm clock and underwear. I am so practical about gifts I can make people fall over dead with boredom.

My old guitar (inherited from my Grandpa) was showing serious signs of its age–most prominently in the significant cracks in the guitar back–so it was impossible for the new guitar to be anything but a step up. I have not had a chance to play it much yet, so the details of my opinion may be refined with time, but this is my basic reaction so far:

The thinner neck appears to make playing the frets easier. The position of my hand felt better–not so cramped or reaching. The guitar itself holds the notes and tones much better. They trail off clear and sweet now whereas with the old guitar they died more quickly (no doubt due in part to the split backing). Also, the nobs for holding the guitar strap are much better than on the old guitar. Not only are there two of them, but the heads are significantly larger, so I doubt I will have any problem with the strap coming off.

I do have one complaint but I think I have determined that it is with the strings, not the guitar itself. Last birthday I was given some Martin strings for my old guitar, and I was very happy with them. The strings on the new guitar sound (to me) noticeably different. I would call it tinny, hard, or sharp. I preferred the Martin strings, which I would describe as more mellow, rounded, and smooth.

As I was playing today I noticed that I could hear the difference between the strings more (and it bothered me more) on the wrapped strings, which only made me more sure it was a difference in string metal which I was noticing. I had a spare set of Martin strings so after practice I pulled them out to compare them with the strings on the new guitar.

The Martin phosphor bronze strings looked copper in appearance, those on the guitar looked brass in color. A quick internet search revealed that there are phosphor bronze and brass as two choices. According to eHow, “Buy a set of brass strings if you want your tone to be sharp and harsh; they are usually more brittle than bronze.” And bronze strings “provide brilliance in sound.” Yeah, that pretty well described my experience.

A different website said phosphor bronze strings maintain bright, long lasting brilliance better than brass or plain bronze strings. So call me a phosphor bronze string fan.

I will need to restring my new guitar sometime soon.