brc Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I started playing in 1956-1957, so I have been around guitars for a big part of my life. Was in a group in the 60s - 70s that actually had prety good success. That led me to open my own shop in Las Vegas for about 9 nine years, and I also taught guitar for the city of Las Vegas. Got in to collecting for a while, and wound up with quite a few vintage, and rare guitars. The story goes on as I know many of your own life stories do also, so it led to more involvement with guitars and equipment. But as I got older, the ol health took a turn for the worse, which among other things led to a stroke, which left my left hand unable to play guitar any more. After trying for the last three years, I finally came to the difficult realization that is not getting any better, and that its time to take my guitars down from the wall hangers, and pack them up. What a strange feeling when I walked into the room where some of my guitars where hanging on the wall, only to see a bare spot where my guitars once were there ready to play at any moment. Actually feel like I lost some real close friends. I have already sold about 8 or 9 guitars this year so far, but the balance of the guitars,the rare, and vintage ones are not being sold. There are some things you just cant part with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I'm sorry brutha. It has to come for all of us, and I'm sorrry it is here for you. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I am sorry to hear that Bill, I dread the day, as poorly as I play with my hand issues and utter lack of talent I still manage to enjoy making noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Jeez. Sorry to hear than, man. It sounds like you have quite an interesting history. Even if you can't play like you used to, at least you can share some good stories with us here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReGuitar Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I am sorry to hear that you can't play guitar anymore. I'm pretty sure our army lost a good soldier. Sometimes it's ******* hard dealing with the fact that we all are getting old and someday we'll be no longer able to do things we like but, it comes to everyone. Saying goodbye to your friends ain't no easy either. I'm glad to hear that you are keeping some of them. I wish you all the best and I'm sure you're going to find the strength to overcome it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I can only imagine what you're going through, and know that most of us will be hit by the realities of life sooner than we'd like. I've been dealing with rheumatoid arthritis for several years (a small thing compared to your situation), and I know it will eventually end music for me. My father quit playing sax after 70 years, and at 91 he still misses it terribly. I don't know if I could pack up my basses when I'm done - seems unbearable. I might just shut the door to the man-cave, and never go in again... You can't shut the door on on the memories though, and I'm sure you have many good ones. God bless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Man, that is tough. I can't imagine giving it up - yet as mentioned we all must at some point. Have you tried any other ways to scratch the music itch? While nothing can compare to playing guitar (IMO) perhaps electronic composition or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edlo Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I started playing in 1956-1957, so I have been around guitars for a big part of my life. Was in a group in the 60s - 70s that actually had prety good success. That led me to open my own shop in Las Vegas for about 9 nine years, and I also taught guitar for the city of Las Vegas. Got in to collecting for a while, and wound up with quite a few vintage, and rare guitars. The story goes on as I know many of your own life stories do also, so it led to more involvement with guitars and equipment. But as I got older, the ol health took a turn for the worse, which among other things led to a stroke, which left my left hand unable to play guitar any more. After trying for the last three years, I finally came to the difficult realization that is not getting any better, and that its time to take my guitars down from the wall hangers, and pack them up. What a strange feeling when I walked into the room where some of my guitars where hanging on the wall, only to see a bare spot where my guitars once were there ready to pay at any moment. Actually feel like I lost some real close friends. I have already sold about 8 or 9 guitars this year so far, but the balance of the guitars,the rare, and vintage ones are not being sold. There are some things you just cant part with. I am so sorry to hear that. I know what you are going through. As this year will be my last year as a USA Hockey Official, for the last 26 years I've been hitting the ice in the fall and officiating the sport I love the most. At least it will give me more time to play my guitars. I wish you the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 This is sad, I'm so sorry for you. When thinking about my troubled hands and that suffering strokes is running in my family, I may guess what will happen to me one day probably. When reading your lines, I admire your notion and will to try for three years. To me it seems your mental health is not affected, so perhaps there's hope it may turn out to be this way one day for me, too. I think I also couldn't part with some of my guitars and basses. Making music is a matter of the heart I think, and those awesome tools have grown on mine. As for my hands and playing, I had to deal with patience for years and still have after a mayhem committed by my ex-wife who wittingly ripped a suture on my right hand. She did that two days after my first carpal tunnel surgery in February, 2009, and since then I fight and am still fighting for being back to playing guitar. Later I dropped the operation of my the left hand until now, leaving it at about 35% sensitivity while the right is at circa 15%, and also has limited motility and muscular strength. Fretting causes me neuronal electric shocks in my left arm due to persisting carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and numerous cysts within my right hand make it ache 24 hours a day. Despite of this, at the moment, five years and five months later, I feel I'm nearly back. I still have to deal with a certain lack of endurance, but I hope I will overcome this weakness, too. Therefore my heartfelt best wishes for you, and hold on to your dream. As long as you are able to take guitars off a wall and put them into cases, there is still hope left I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 . Sad news. I had to deal with giving guitar playing up on a minor level when I had rotator cuff surgery - I can only imagine what you're going through. Deciding to sell off some of your guitars must have been very difficult. I wish you the best as you carry on. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brc Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Thanks every one. I did keep trying, but to no avail. Its kind of difficult to explain, but I will try. Say when you pick up some thing with your hand, you just automatically know to grasp, or squeez the object tight enough to be able to pick it up. When I try and use my left hand, I have to tell myself,"grasp the object and keep holding it". But if I dont keep saying to myself to squeez, my hand will just let go. Because of this, I cant form a cord, have any dexterity to play any type of melody, or lead. It could be worse of course, so I am not feeling sorry for myself. But boy it sure is strange to go in the room, and not see my guitars on the wall, or my amps in the corner. I do have either 4 or 5 hurricane type wall hangers that I wont need now. If any one can use them here on the forum, they are yours if you want to pay for the shipping. If you can use them, PM me with your information, and we will work it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Sad news, indeed. But, you have handled things in the best way possible. I've had to scale back just about everything myself in the past few years. Not an easy thing to accept, I know. There are other things, but most of all it just takes time for acceptance. Best wishes to you on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 So sorry to hear this...always a sad day when someone has to give up something they love. Have you tried taking up slide guitar, lap steel style? Much easier on the arm and hand, doesn't require as firm a grip as fretting does, and a very expressive style of playing... No matter what you decide to do, I hope you'll still stick around the forum! Best of luck brc... -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Terrible news, brc. Really very sorry to read about your condition. Is there any chance you could adapt your playing to a lap-steel type bottleneck / slide / pedal steel guitar? Check out Junior Brown if you are not already familiar with his playing. He seems to have lots of fun. It wouldn't be able to offer the same thing, of course, but it might be worth trying if you have not done so already. Just trying to think of ways to keep you in the saddle. Best wishes with sorting out the herd. That must be hard. I'm sure the favourites will remind you of the great times you had. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I can't say it any better than my brothers before me. I can only add that I don't know how I'd come to terms with this, (and believe me, I have thought about it. everytime I fire up a chain saw or get the skill saw out, I stop and tell myself -- think about everything you are about to do.. and then think it through again) I applaud you for being able to rationalize this, it had to be one of the hardest things to come to terms with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Only thing I have to add is the old saying, "gettin' old ain't for wimps," with the addition that neither are circumstances in which one finds oneself with diminished capacity. I surely wish I could run for hours and hours and hours as once I could. Ain't likely. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoya Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Sorry to hear this. Your story makes me appreciate the time and ability that I have to play guitar as well as do other things in life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I'm sorry to hear that, and I wish you the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Sad to read this brc and I admire your persistence. The slide idea occurred to me too - hopefully that could be possible and satisfying an option as it's a great sound to my ears, especially on a resonator. All the very best to you in any case. Milo - ' youth is wasted on the young' I also find apt quite regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Best wishes. I am sure this will come to many of us - I can only imagine how you feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Sorry to hear this Bro. I really am. Much respect to you for your contribution to the instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 s there any chance you could adapt your playing to a lap-steel type bottleneck / slide / pedal steel guitar? Check out Junior Brown if you are not already familiar with his playing. He seems to have lots of fun. It wouldn't be able to offer the same thing, of course, but it might be worth trying if you have not done so already. Just trying to think of ways to keep you in the saddle. P. Sad news brc. Very best to you. I like Pippy's way of saying swing that bat again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretplay Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Sorry to hear your news Brc you are living through what so many of us, especially older members, dread. But as Dylan ( Thomas that is ) said rage against the dying of the light. However I do understand that there comes a time when you have to learn to live with it or try to any way. As Pippy said perhaps there is another instrument to make some noise with, lap steal or dolcimer. You also have a life time of knowledge that many guitar players would love to have,you could go back to the teaching. If you have a library of recording you could remix, as the years go by we hear our selves differently. All these things are easy to say but I'm sure you will find the answer. Go well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Sorry man. As you can tell, many of us here are empathetic because we are fast approaching the same place. I think this hits especially hard because of all the other enjoyable things we've already given up. Can you try playing the ukelele left handed? Harmonica? I know I'm grasping at straws here - but you might find there is another musical avenue you can explore. Don't look at this as a door closing - but a window opening. (Sorry, I write in cliches because I think in cliches.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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