I’ve made some idiotic mistakes in my past and I’m sure I have many more ahead of me. So today, for your reading pleasure, I offer this moronic affair: I swapped an anniversary present.
I was in the market for a new acoustic and had toyed with the idea of getting my first acoustic/electric. During a trip to Guitar Center’s Memorial Day Weekend Sale in 2007, I found, and fell in love with, a beautiful blonde Epiphone Joe Pass and unlike every other one I had looked at, this one was an “Emperor” not an “Emperor II” (that really doesn’t mean squat, but it scores a few points for uniqueness). One may wonder what an electric archtop has to do with an acoustic/electric: it’s hollow – that’s about it. However, I liked it and I talked myself into the idea that an electric hollow body resonates acoustically, albeit ever so slightly, and therefore could cure my compulsion.
Epiphone Emporium: Sheraton, Joe Pass and FT-135
Unfortunately, it was a beyond my price range, but thankfully my beloved wife came to the rescue and said I could get it for an early 5th Anniversary present.
A few months later I picked up a Sheraton. Between the FT-135, Joe Pass, and the Sheraton I felt like I had an Epiphone Emporium.
Like sands through the hourglass, so are guitars of my life and each emissary of this elite Epiphone empire was eventually either traded or sold.
Sadly, like I mentioned in the Silvertone post, I do not have the means or the will to hold on to a guitar that I am not playing and I had been struggling with wanting to play the JP Emperor. Finally, I gave in into my desires and let big blonde go. To this day wife teases me about that anniversary present, but thankfully she understands my plight — my addiction.
