Guitar Charity

Unlike other instruments, guitars have an emotional effect on the humans that play them. Eric Clapton ran into an apartment fire to save a guitar. It wan’t because of the financial value of the instrument. It was the emotional value. As he said, “It is not a very expensive guitar but I would pay a reasonable price for it as I really want to hold on to it. It is a guitar that’s been around my house for years and I’ve picked it up in times of great stress, like a comfort blanket.” It is hard to explain, but that is not unusual. Every Guitar Has A Story has a good number of videos that show the connection that humans form with guitars. That knowledge should be used for good.

Our friends at Ward Parkway Shops in Kansas City mentioned a charity called “Guitars For Vets.” It has been serving veterans for nearly 20 years. The basic program seems simple. Each veteran is given an acoustic guitar, gig bag, strap, tuner, strings, picks, method book and a certificate of completion after 10 lessons. Each chapter has monthly group sessions where the veterans get together and talk and play. Does it work?

After nearly 10,000 vets have been served, 21% experience less symptoms of PTSD and 27% have decreased symptoms of depression.

Every Guitar Has A story is going all in on this until we see a reason to stop. We are forming relationships now and we will keep you posted.

Thanks for caring.

Here’s our favorite veteran showing us one of his special guitars.

1966 Mosely Gospel Guitar

Watch this episode of Every Guitar Has A Story

1971 Gibson Hummingbird Custom George Ernest

This 1971 Gibson Hummingbird Custom was a working guitar until the musician changed genres. Proper storage and the passing of time can make a valuable investment.

1971 Gibson Hummingbird

Watch this episode of Every Guitar Has A Story

Guitars and Tariffs

Tariffs are dominating the news this week.

Nobody really knows how tariffs will effect guitar

sales. The predictions all fall along partisan lines.

It is going to be OK or it is the end of guitar sales

depending on your political leaning.

The obvious fact is that the most popular guitar brands

sell products that are manufactured in Mexico, China, Korea

Or Canada.

Fender has American manufacturing at Corona, California and

Ensenada, Mexico.

Gibson has American manufacturing at Nashville, Tennessee and Bozeman,

Montana. Gibson also own Epiphone and they are manufactured in China.

Paul Reed Smith has American manufacturing in Stevensville, Maryland.

Their SE models are made in Korea.

This pattern is similar for Taylor with manufacturing in America and Mexico.

Martin is mostly America with some Mexico.

Gretsch is America and Japan.

D’Addario is Long Island, New York.

Jackson is America, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia and China.

Charvel is America, Mexico and Japan.

The American made guitars will have no tariffs. The others are uncertain about the level of tariffs.

The good news is vintage guitars will have zero tariffs.

Maybe vintage is the best option.

Watch this episode of Every Guitar Has A Story.