27 Feb 2025

February 2025 – Ikigai and Vintage Guitars

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

IT IS WITH GREAT RESPECT AND HONOUR that I welcome you with open arms to CRAVE Guitars’ February article. One trusts that the little blue marble on which 8bn+ citizens fly at an astonishing rate through the universal void (NB. approximately 627km/s (1,402,559mph) relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background) is still a habitable ecosystem, despite mankind’s worst (and unfathomable) efforts to obliterate it and everything worthwhile on it. The current world state is, frankly, a disgrace to anyone’s sensible definition of civilisation. Talk about regression. OK. Let’s not.

Do you feel as though you are travelling at over 1.4 million miles per hour? No? Me neither. But you are. The reality of it seems unreal. We cannot comprehend the truth; it is beyond our ability to rationalise. Sometimes we need to think beyond what our five meagre senses tell us about our environment and wonder at our place in the vastness of the universe.

“In the sky, there is no distinction between east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480‑400BCE)

Once again, I am returning to the comfortable and comprehendible micro‑biosphere of vintage guitars. Once again, I am taking an oblique perspective and thinking about these adorable instruments within a wider life process. Once again, I shall be looking to the Orient for inspiration. Once again, it will, hopefully, make sense by the time we reach the end. Once again, here we go…

When writing this article, I found myself returning to some of the ideas covered in last month’s article, ’10 Things I Love and Hate about Vintage Guitars’. By providence, it turns out that this article makes a relevant companion piece to January 2025’s blog. Rather than reiterate some of the previous article here, you can access it here (opens in a new browser tab):

January 2025 – 10 Things I Love and Hate about Vintage Guitars

Last month, I used quotes came from Shakespeare’s ‘Taming of the Shrew’ and from the modern coming‑of‑age rom‑com film based on the Bard’s play, ’10 Things I Hate About You’ (hence the title’s tie‑in to the article). This month, I will focus on supporting quotes from the wise dude that is Buddha. Despite the different countries and religions of origin, the thoughts and ideas are harmonious.

“I don’t like to do what people expect. Why should I live up to other people’s expectations instead of my own?” – Kat from the film, ‘10 Things I Hate About You’

What is ikigai?

On the face of it, Ikigai (生き甲斐) is simply a word. However, behind those six letters/four characters lie a universe of possibility and potential. Ikigai is an ancient eastern philosophical construct that literally means, ‘iki’ (to live) and ‘gai’ (reason), usually used to mean, ‘purpose for being’. In Asian countries, particularly Japan, ikigai is so ingrained in the culture that it is inseparable from their daily way of life. It is therefore integral to the habitual behaviour and feelings of its citizens, rather than a discrete, overt rulebook for how to act.

It is believed that ikigai originated from Okinawa in Japan as a guiding philosophy for a long, happy, and meaningful life. Interestingly, Okinawa is the island prefecture of Japan known for its high number of centenarians per capita population. It has been suggested that Ikigai, enhances mental health, wellbeing and mindfulness. Taking the other side of the same coin, studies have shown that people who do not feel ikigai are more likely to be affected by cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, the vague notion of ‘happiness’ is downplayed in ikigai for more meaningful emotional states.

Ikigai is scalable and can be used to refer to an individual, a community, an organisation, a country/nation/state or society as a whole. In modern times, Ikigai was popularised by the Japanese psychiatrist and academic Mieko Kamiya in her book, ‘On the Meaning of Life’ (1966).

“The most genuine aspect about ikigai is that it involves your feelings. Ikigai is something you feel. It is related to one’s sense of self‑worth and personal values. And is more future‑oriented than happiness” – Mieko Kamiya (1914‑1979)

The Japanese government goes as far as to describe ikigai as, “A broad concept, ikigai refers to that which brings value and joy to life: from people, such as one’s children or friends, to activities including work and hobbies”.

Ikigai is not unique and the principles are not exclusive to Asian origin, similar ideas have manifested in other countries and cultures such as the French ‘raison d’être’ and ‘joie de vivre’, the Greek ‘Eudaimonia’ and the Austrian ‘logotherapy’. The western Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) of mindfulness is based on elements of ikigai. It seems that, whatever words are used to define it, many cultures actively seek the path to a satisfying and meaningful life, so why should we not join them in the venture?

Am I wedded to, or invested in, ikigai? Nope. Do I use it as my guide to life? Nope. Do I deliberately think about applying its principles on a daily basis? Nope. If that is the case, why is it important enough to write about and how does it work on a conscious and subconscious level? Well, I thought that, if I applied the principles of ikigai to something practical in the real world, it might produce some interesting results.

“The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does” – Buddha

The principles of ikigai

There are many variations to the concept of ikigai. Many writers refer to ‘the four pillars’, ‘eight intersections’, ‘nine steps’ or ‘ten rules’. This means that the core concept has been interpreted in many different ways for different audiences. Looking into the variety of ‘frameworks’, it seems that authors can adapt the concept in any way they please to make their point. Some takes on ikigai are logical while some are frankly hard to connect to ancient oriental philosophical thinking. Some frameworks purport to be ikigai but aren’t – beware! Some people refer to the ‘rules’ of ikigai but ikigai is definitely not rules‑based – avoid! So… how to make sense of the subject matter?

In the end, perhaps because it resonated with my own personal norms and values, I am going to use the ideas put forward by distinguished Japanese neuroscientist, broadcaster and author Ken Mogi (1962‑) in his book, ‘The Little Book of Ikigai’ (2017). The tagline to the book is, ‘The Japanese way to finding your purpose in life’. I read this book with a curious, critical and almost‑sceptical mind. I chose this tome because it is relatively slim (and therefore accessible) and because I was, perhaps vainly, hoping that it would give me some tangible direction to my own sense of purpose. While the latter sadly wasn’t realised (perhaps I was expecting too much in the way of an epiphany), it was still a thought provoking read, providing many real‑world examples to bring the concept to life. Ken Mogi suggests the following as the ‘5 pillars of ikigai’:

Starting small
Releasing yourself
Harmony and sustainability
The joy of little things
Being in the here and now

Mogi suggests that these are neither mutually exclusive nor exhaustive and therefore best used as a guide, not a doctrine. The approach is entirely discretionary and relies heavily on common sense. Ikigai is neither religious nor spiritual dogma so it is secular in origin and application. However, ikigai isn’t a ‘pick & mix’ where fulfilment can be achieved by embracing some parts while rejecting others. If it is to be life changing and life confirming, it’s kind of an all‑or‑nothing holistic approach.

Perhaps it is because Mogi is a neuroscientist and I have a lay person’s interest in how the brain functions, his ideas accorded with my own. My curiosity lies in how humans make sense of our environment through perception, thought, memory, reasoning, learning, decision‑making and behaviour. Basically, there is nothing clever or pretentious going on here, ikigai’s quintessential simplicity seemed to me to be a reasonable and practical place to start.

The aim of Mogi’s book is to provide an outline to help readers to realize and discover their own ikigai. While Mogi’s methodology didn’t deliver (for me) on the implied and unmeasurable promise of “less stress, better health and greater happiness” (NB. from The Times newspaper review), it provided a basis for further exploration. Ikigai seemed a tantalising way of applying ideas to reality. In this case, testing what CRAVE Guitars is, the longevity of its journey, why it is compulsive and, perhaps, how it might develop in the future. So, in a nutshell, that’s where I am coming from.

“The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows” – Buddha

Why ikigai?

Regular readers may well have noticed that CRAVE Guitars’ articles often refer to things that have an Eastern origin and I regularly use quotes from the Buddha. To clarify; my ethnicity is white/British and I am not religious, so there is no cultural or ideological/theological motive to exploring this theme. I have absolutely no agenda here. I am not trying to influence anyone (including myself) or to promote anything. However, it has turned out to be more than just a detached intellectual investigation in that I can understand that there is more to ikigai than trite personal development ‘spin’. It is, by the way, much more profound than the headlines above might suggest.

“He is able who thinks he is able” – Buddha

While I admit to past hippie‑ish tendencies when I was younger, there is no history of Far Eastern philosophy driving my life. However, there are many things that I come across in my research that have roots in Eastern culture and actually mean something to my personal perspective on life. It may appear that Eastern thinking sits at odds with the harsh realities of the Occidental post‑industrial capitalist ethics pervading my country of origin (the UK). Ikigai clearly isn’t for everybody – each to their own.

Thus it was that, amongst many other topics, I came across ikigai and it struck a chord (sic!), sufficient to be worth investigating. It therefore seemed logical to extend that stimulus to include how it relates to my obsessive passion for vintage guitars.

“I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done” – Buddha

Ikigai and Vintage Guitars

So how does all this work regarding vintage guitars? Well, I hope to explain, first by clarifying what each of the five ‘pillars’ used by Ken Mogi mean and then how that equates to my passion for CRAVE Vintage Guitars.

Starting small – This can mean the little rituals and habitual routines that, together, make it worth getting up in the morning. It is about discovering life’s little pleasures that have meaning, even if no‑one else shares them. Once one recognises the small things that give you pleasure, one can cultivate, nurture and grow these things until they become something unique and tangible, which have value and reward. Over time, such appreciation can contribute to good health, a contented, fulfilling life and greater longevity. Some interpretations of ikigai extrapolate the ideas to include work and making money from one’s endeavours. However, commerce is not the focus here.

Starting small makes sense. How often is one able to start something fully formed, sizeable and successful? Big dreams and big outcomes (generally) have to start small if their potential is to be fully realised. Starting small doesn’t mean doing something shoddily. It is important, regardless of scale and scope, to act to the best of one’s ability. Doing small things and executing each small step with uncompromising perfection and proficiency is part of ikigai’s mantra.

When it came to guitars, it all started in the late 1970s with my first ‘real’ electric guitar (a Fender Mustang) and, following a trade up and savings, to a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson Les Paul Standard. At the time of acquiring them, they were far from vintage, both being second hand and less than two years old at the time. Small beginnings were a very big thing for me then. Then life and its burden of responsibility intervened for over two decades.

When it came to founding CRAVE Guitars, it began in a flash, spotting a 1989 Gibson Les Paul Custom in a shop window in Brighton, East Sussex, UK in 2007. It looked ‘right’ and I was hooked instantly, even though it wasn’t vintage at the time. From that moment on, the die was irrevocably cast. I gradually migrated away from a random accumulation of acoustic and electric guitars of various ages and budgets from all over the world to what became the more focused entity that is CRAVE Guitars of here and now.

The magic of vintage guitars is now a vital part of my daily life and has been for years. Several guitars are always on show and can be picked up and played at a moment’s notice or just looked at and cherished. There is some ‘it’ factor about vintage guitars that is beguiling and mesmerising (see last month’s article). Each one is unique and each has its own idiosyncrasies. While CRAVE’s overall ‘stockpile’ continues to grow, there are many moments of discovery, insight and pleasure that equate very well with ‘starting small’.

“An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea” – Buddha

Releasing yourself – In ikigai, releasing yourself is the idea of self‑negation, the person not being the centre of an activity, not being burdened by social status or a definition of ‘self’. Some interpret it as subordinating oneself for the interests of others. It also means that consciousness is linked to the discovery of sensory pleasure in things. To release oneself, one needs to let go of one’s ego – it is not the sense of self that is important, it is all the facets of what one does that makes something pleasurable. Releasing yourself is basically the antithesis of seeking fame or pursuing insipid celebrity ‘status’ for its own sake.

Not realising or understanding the idea of releasing yourself when writing last month’s article, I tried to articulate what I now comprehend as sensory pleasure. I talked then about the look, feel and tone of vintage guitars as well as an appreciation of their past and future. It really isn’t about me, it is about the almost transcendental experience of owning and playing music on a vintage instrument. I do not go on about how big my collection is, how special it is or how much it is worth (I genuinely have absolutely no idea of monetary worth). Neither is it about my playing ability (NB. rubbish) or the type of music I create – none of these things matter to the guitar.

The idea of releasing yourself, again not realising it, has been and is integral to CRAVE Guitars. Readers may have noticed that I attempt to remain enigmatically anonymous and in the background. The focus has always been on facilitating and sharing the wonder of CRAVE Guitars. The personality of the founder is immaterial. Indeed, I am uncomfortable putting ‘me’ in any limelight. Again, it is not about who I am, my ego or self‑esteem, it isn’t about my social standing or how I might be perceived by others; it is 100% about the vintage gear. I try hard not to reveal my identity and I purposefully do not share images of myself, CRAVE Guitars is all about (and only about) the artefacts, and it has been that way since it was established in 2007. Hopefully, this dissociation enhances the quality of the CRAVE Guitars experience.

CRAVE Guitars is not an elite collection and it isn’t a commercial enterprise. It is a non‑profit information sharing project. It is not modelled against any other entity, so it may be unique. It is what it is and I hope that others share my interest. Personal circumstances dictate that I have to live a modest, humble life and vintage guitars are my mission in life, unburdened by institutional, professional or commercial constraints.

Another example is when talking about the spin‑off project to (try and) write fiction – ‘The Distortion Diaries’. I have already stated that, if it is ever published, it won’t be under my own identity, it will be under a pseudonym. The aim is to focus readers on the material content, not the author. It is most definitely not about the author’s ego. How many times do people read a book because it is written by an author they like (or avoid one by an author they don’t), rather than read it because of its inherent literary merit? Removing the author’s identity, ego, vanity and position from the decision to read something may (?) enhance the journey in a different way.

I do not (need to) seek external validation for my work on CRAVE Guitars. Striving for approval (or not) is not a primary factor, although it is quite gratifying when positive feedback is received. If people wish to interact with CRAVE Guitars, that’s fine but it is not the same as interacting with me as a private individual; they are separate things – the disembodiment of the ego from the entity. I would much rather visitors focus their interest on the cool & rare American vintage electric guitars, rather than the vain, narcissistic vintage owner of them.

It seems that ikigai’s ‘releasing yourself’ has already been habitual for some considerable time. This was not deliberate but, now, ikigai finally makes sense to me.

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth, not going all the way, and not starting” – Buddha

Harmony and sustainability – This is about creating a sense of community around something that has a lasting, unforgettable impression. In our evermore connected world, it is easier to put something out there for others with a similar mind set to engage with. It also becomes easier for the community to contribute towards a shared outcome. Our modern world also means that we can achieve this far easier without causing adverse impacts associated with, for instance, environmental damage caused by travel.

Established norms, values, rituals and customs over time all form part of a continuum sustained in harmony. In last month’s article, I referred to universal balance and an equilibrium that allows for a dynamic system of opposites to co‑exist. The Chinese way of yin and yang is all about harmony and sustainability.

In the last article, I talked about stewardship and temporary guardianship of vintage guitars and I also talked about the importance of conserving, rather than preserving, vintage instruments. All these are part of harmony and sustainability. The web site, social media and these blog articles all contribute towards CRAVE Guitars being a contributory part of a much broader community of like‑minded people anywhere in the world. Temporal sustainability also helps to maintain continuity between the past, the present and the future.

“Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else” – Buddha

CRAVE Guitars is not about the modern (bad) habit of convenient material obsolescence and disposability, or Gen‑Z’s inconsiderate demand for random, sterile immediacy and attention. CRAVE Guitars is about bringing instruments from the past, taking care of them in the current moment so that they will be relevant in the long‑term future. CRAVE’s esoteric trove of vintage gear attempts to find a synergistic coherence in the whole that is greater than the sum of the individual instruments.

The aim is that CRAVE Guitars isn’t a point in time, it is just a part of a much bigger, much longer story within the broader context of a vintage guitar community that includes the despicable ‘collectorati’, retailers, dealers, auctioneers, museum collections, individuals, artists and wider society. All of these things form just a small portion of CRAVE Guitars ikigai.

“In our interactions with others, gentleness, kindness, respect are the source of harmony” – Buddha

The joy of little things – Like starting small, this isn’t about appreciating the idea of something but it is about enjoying something for what it actually is. The joy of little things applies to all human senses, which may or may not be relevant depending on what one is experiencing. For instance the aroma and taste of expertly prepared food or drink is a sensory pleasure (hopefully). The visual appearance of nature, abstract art, architecture or (good) industrial design can evoke an emotional response. The touch of a blade of grass, a tree bark or a grain of sand can evoke a tactile experience beyond the object itself. The ambient sound of the waves or wind can compare with the greatest music if one is prepared to appreciate ones surroundings as suggested by ikigai. Nurturing an individual’s hobbies is about combining the joy of little things that is unique to that person.

Last month I talked about wabi sabi, the Japanese concept that something can be perfect because of its imperfections, using examples such as the patina, light reflections, scuffs, bumps and nicks, lacquer fading, finish crazing, and genuine wear and tear. It can also apply to details such as inlays, binding, tuners, knobs, frets, screws, contrasting materials, as much as to the whole. The uncompromising approach of luthiers to make something exceptional exemplifies ikigai. This doesn’t mean that quality is just about the most expensive and faultless artistic creations. It is about genuine quality – an object’s fitness for purpose. Some of the most basic and straightforward objects can carry just as much fascination. Budget guitars from the 1950s and 1960s can compare with the most expensive classics on a level playing field in terms of the joy of little things.

CRAVE Guitars is not obsessed with the most valuable or the rarest of all guitars, it is about real instruments. It is not about how much they are worth, it is about how they make one feel. Just as much joy can be found in every instrument by accepting it for what it is and not comparing it with some, often fictitious or unobtainable (and therefore ultimately joyless) ideal. Once acquired, a CRAVE Guitar rarely gets moved on. It is the pleasure of longevity that adds to and deepens the attachment to each instrument. The same, I hope obviously, applies for basses, effects and amplifiers.

Some manufacturers have developed a whole livelihood around the attention to every detail in an attempt for continuous improvement, examining every minute element to create synergy. Paul Reed Smith is one example of obsessional striving for excellence in every element while not forgetting the guitar’s fundamental purpose as a musical instrument. His fixation on superiority in every aspect of manufacturing is transferable to the pleasure of ownership and playability experienced by customers. The same ikigai has been instrumental (sic!) in the phenomenal rise of many boutique luthiers making a bespoke guitar as perfect as it can be for each individual customer.

“Do not overrate that you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind” – Buddha

Being in the here and now – This pillar of ikigai is also a fundamental part of Eastern spiritualism, as much as it is to society and culture. The past is gone, the future is as yet unwritten. All anyone can ever do is to act in the present moment. Animals, for instance, do not appear to abide by the human concept of time or space – they exist only in the here and now.

“What you are is what you have been. What you will be is what you do now” – Buddha

This doesn’t mean that the status quo is perpetual or unchanging. Rather, it is about change being constant and perpetual. The decisions that one makes in the present moment do not affect the past and can only have consequences in the future. Compared to the universe, we exist in one miniscule place and one miniscule moment in time. However, it is incumbent on each individual to do the best that they can while in the here and now.

“Everything changes, nothing remains without change” – Buddha

As mentioned in last month’s article, many guitars existed before I came along and will (hopefully) exist long after I’ve gone. Even then, each instrument only occupies a part of my time on Earth. One can appreciate the history, the mythology and the unknown stories of their past and one can only speculate about their post‑CRAVE future.

“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow; our life is the creation of our mind” – Buddha

My role and responsibility is to document the here‑ness and now‑ness of each one. One cannot play all the instruments at the same time, so each experience is by definition different and ever‑changing.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly” – Buddha

Final thoughts on ikigai

So… the idea is to accept yourself for who you are and to find your own ikigai – your own reason for living, your purpose in life and your motivation to get up in the morning. I cannot guarantee that exposure to these ideas will change your life, make you happier (or wealthier), or make your life more fulfilling and satisfying. Ultimately, it is just a different way of looking at the same things. There are no revelations and there is nothing revolutionary here, however I have found that, once exposed to the ideas, incorporating some aspects of ikigai into daily activities may make life just a bit more bearable.

“Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have” – Buddha

Popular motivational (and often cringe‑worthy) sayings along the lines of, “small choices become actions, actions become habits and habits become a way of life”, pervade modern first‑world popular cod‑philosophy. However, ikigai does represent a mindful interpretation that has endured over many centuries to become part of and beyond Japanese culture. I don’t think one can simply dismiss ikigai (or other ideas like it) as irrelevant or ‘foreign’. It doesn’t mean that it works for you, so I’m just putting it out there for consideration. It doesn’t just apply to vintage guitars, I simply used that as a mechanism to illustrate how an abstract concept can be applied to just one practical example. Ultimately, this article is not instructional, its purpose is simply written for entertainment and information.

“If you do what is good, keep repeating it and take pleasure in making it a habit. A good habit will cause nothing but joy” – Buddha

I was quite surprised, when writing this article, how consistent it is with last month’s article about universal balance and vintage guitars. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was espousing many of the ideas I’ve covered this month. I suppose that at least it was complementary, rather than contradictory. Phew!

When starting this article, I intended to include some other philosophical concepts that could be relevant to vintage guitars. However, this article has taken up considerably more time and research than I originally envisaged. The other ideas will have to wait for another article for another month.

“What we think, we become” – Buddha

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

There didn’t seem anything obviously relevant to this month’s article, so I homed in on the ‘perfect because of its imperfections’ idea and came up with this month’s accolade. And so… drum roll please… I present to you…

Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo (2011): Kurt Vile (1980‑) is a strange animal to pin down. He is an American singer/songwriter, multi‑instrumentalist and record producer from Pennsylvania and former member of the indie rock band, The War On Drugs. His music is generally regarded as belonging to the ever‑so‑vague category of indie with a distinct leaning towards slacker rock and lo‑fi rock. SRFMH is Kurt’s fourth studio album released in March 2011 on Matador Records. Kurt sums up his feelings about the album much better than I can, “It’s just me and those thoughts you have late at night when nobody is around. It is more a feeling than a statement – a general wandering feeling” and, “a kind of trance‑like, Appalachian folk‑style”. His comments understate his otherworldly chiming heavily effected acoustic guitar playing and his laid back, contemplative vocal style that is best listened to as an immersive experience rather than a critical audition. Just 10 tracks covering 47 minutes, with the exquisite, ‘Baby’s Arms’ as the sub‑4 minute opening track and closing with the deeply haunting and unsettling, minute‑long ‘Ghost Town’. Overall, it’s a laid back indulgent pleasure.

Smoke Ring For My Halo is perhaps the least stressed out indie rock album I’ve heard and one to go back to, to take the edge off the world’s anxieties and to chill out. The lasting impression it leaves the author can be encapsulated in the framework of ikigai’, so, it kinda fits after all.

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” – Buddha

BELIEVE IN MUSIC!

Tailpiece

Well now… there’s quite a lot to get one’s head around in this month’s topic. I hope it has, in some way, proved enlightening or thought provoking. There are also a great deal more questions that have been provoked by this article, to which I will have to return to in due course, if nothing else other than to tie up some loose ends.

Strangely, I seem to have avoided my usual (irritating) traits of abundant alliteration, mixed metaphors, horrendous hyperbole and nonsensical non‑sequiturs this month. I’m sure my abundant grammatical and literary sins will be back after a sensible sabbatical.

Next month, I’m hoping to return to the topic of vintage guitars viewed from another angle. I would be delighted if you wish to return and join me and the fruits of my mangled imagination. See y’all soon.

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Why does every silver lining have to have a cloud?”

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30 Oct 2023

October 2023 – Return to and from obscurity

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: News, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

Hi y’all. This month’s article is mercifully short (relative to most) and a necessary, albeit uncomfortable, therapeutic self‑indulgence. It is probably not an enjoyable read, just as it was not enjoyable to write. Time, methinks, for some clarification. This article is about CRAVE (Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric) Guitars’ recent journey.

Before CRAVE Guitars, I was pretty much invisible to the world. Good, suits me fine. Even now, Crave Guitars is the main focus. Call me whatever you like; enigmatic, shy, introverted, inscrutable, reserved, or reclusive… I prefer to avoid people and I enjoy solitude. This is a lifestyle choice. Strangely for a guitarist, I do not crave (sic!) the limelight. I like to let the musical artefacts speak for themselves. To me, they are far more important. Publishing anonymously behind the veil of CRAVE Guitars is an indispensable creative outlet.

For those in the know, CRAVE Guitars took a ‘break’ for almost 3 years. That meant no monthly articles and a total withdrawal from participating in social media. Development of the CRAVE Guitars’ website also stalled, while expansion of the enterprise itself was reduced to a casual pastime. To all intents and purposes, CRAVE Guitars ground to an almighty stop overnight, at least as far as the outside world was concerned, although it has continued to tick over in the background. Playing guitar also dropped off to near‑nothing, so no more feeble fantasies for recording or video.

At the time, I thought that this ‘break’ would only be a very temporary interruption and things could return to status quo relatively quickly. Unfortunately, it turned out to be an extended absence. However, as time passed since the September 2020 cliff edge, I found the task of putting finger to keyboard increasingly challenging, making the hiatus a ‘thing’ in its own right that I knew eventually had to be confronted and dealt with.

In September 2023, I returned tentatively to writing with the article, ‘Dub Reggae Revelation’, exploring the wonderful world of Jamaican music, while October saw the next article, ‘Adventures in Ambient’, a delve into the serene, otherworldly dimension of ambient electronica. Neither of these articles focused on vintage guitars and neither genre is particularly guitar‑oriented. Why return with these in‑depth research projects you may ask? To tell the truth, both of these articles were an intentional and ‘safe’ distraction from addressing the pachyderm in the place (NB. The ‘elephant in the room’ is an idiom deriving from an 1814 story by poet Ivan Krylov, ‘The Inquisitive Man’). I also made a very hesitant return to posting occasional items on various social media platforms, although the prospect of getting back onto that particular treadmill remains daunting.

I apologise upfront for the style and content after an extended break; I’m basically out of practice and need to get back to being ‘match ready’. What follows is not a full explanation for the break, however, it is a cathartic attempt to ‘break the silence’ and restore some sense of realism. So…

Cause and effect

Coronavirus – The ‘coronapocalypse’ or ‘coronageddon’ pandemic started in early 2020 and we all know what happened between then and now. Over 771 million cases of SARS‑CoV‑2 worldwide and almost 7 million deaths (25 million cases and over 230,000 deaths in the UK alone, a shameful 9^th in the global league table, with the US at the top). Lockdowns, self‑isolation, testing, vaccinations, ventilators, hospitalisations, deaths and all that went along with the spread of the virus have been well‑documented elsewhere. In October 2023, Covid‑19 is very much still with us and continues to mutate, taking more lives in the process. As an inherently anti‑social animal, withdrawal from the social order was easy for me as a lifelong misanthropist and borderline sociopath. The impact on live music, music venues and manufacturers due to Covid has, however, been fairly catastrophic, as has the number of artists directly or indirectly affected by the contagion. What I think everyone can agree on is that the global health crisis has undoubtedly had a major impact on our day‑to‑day behaviour, mental health and occupational prospects. Covid, whatever its origins, respects no territorial boundaries and affects everyone; a so‑called ‘leveller’.

To quote Italian writer and moral philosopher Dante Alighieri (c.1265‑1321) from ‘Inferno’, “I had not thought death had undone so many”.

Economics – A deep crisis with a high price indeed. Thanks to Putinland egregiously and aggressively expanding its redundant soviet empirical aspirations, everyone, everywhere has felt the negative impact of just getting by on a day‑to‑day basis. The Middle East resorting to pointless bloody conflict again only adds fossil fuel to the escalating economic volatility. Never mind the tyrannical exploits of the People’s (?!) Republic of China. Etc., etc., etc. As CRAVE Guitars is a not‑for‑profit enterprise, there is no fat on the bones to indulge the increasingly expensive ‘hobby’ of vintage guitar hoarding. A low fixed income lags about a year behind the times during the current economic climate, so no spare pennies to squander on old gear. Vintage guitars tend to increase in (or at least hold their) value during recession and increase disproportionately so under periods of growth or high inflation, pushing these desirable relics out of the reach of enthusiasts (like me) and into the hands of wealthy collectors seeking return on investment and profit. Demand continues to outstrip supply, at least in everything I can afford. Ggrr. Argh. Sigh.

“War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.” (Edwin Starr, War 1970).

Life – During 2020 and 2021, the demands of sustaining all aspects of everyday life eventually proved overwhelming and something had to give. In addition to the already stated ‘break’, I also could not keep on top of current music and industry‑related events, so my insights into what was going on were inevitably constrained. My motivation and ability to acquire, maintain and play vintage gear also hit the proverbial buffers. The repugnant politics of, particularly, Twitter (now Elon Musk’s execrable X) resulted in a general reluctance to engage with online communities. The abuse simply wasn’t worth the effort. Human behaviour is not improving with time. In fact, it appears to be notably regressing. The outcome was CRAVE Guitars withered in short order like a scorched seedling affected by global overheating. Ultimately, the self‑imposed abstinence was basically driven by self‑preservation and survival.

“These so‑called bleak times are necessary to go through in order to get to a much, much better place.” David Lynch (1946‑)

… and Death – After 43 years since meeting my other half, 33 years of marriage, and 13 years of caring (the last 6 years full‑time), my soulmate finally succumbed to cancer in 2022 after a protracted and particularly brutal decline. ‘Until death do us part’, as vowed. This, sadly, is the way of the wicked world and we will all, at some point, pop our proverbial clogs and shuffle off this mortal coil (mixing metaphors, sorry Mr. Shakespeare). Cancer sucks and there is no magic spell for getting over its cruel incursion. Fundamental and profound grief is definitely not conducive to the pursuance of a preoccupation, however, obsessive, with material things. An existential watershed was thus irrevocably cast. The inevitable and involuntary re‑evaluation of one’s existence results in a re‑prioritisation and reflection about one’s ikigai – the Japanese concept meaning the achievement of a sense of purpose and a reason for living. This is not an excuse, just a cruel and unavoidable fact of life… and death. Farewell wife. R.I.P.

“It is crucial to be mindful of death – to contemplate that you will not remain long in this life. If you are not aware of death, you will fail to take advantage of this special human life that you have already attained.” (The 14^th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso 1935‑)

Extortion – Around September 2021, CRAVE Guitars was subject to Internet extortion. A German company using a household brand name as a front threatened legal action for copyright infringement. Whatever the circumstances, I was forced into settling rather than risk disproportionate legal costs to defend against the possibility of legal action. However, the incident was totally fraudulent and the UK authorities took no notice, as it emanated from the EU (which apparently is no longer part of the UK) and, to them, insignificant in value. Thanks for absolutely nothing British Police and fraud investigation. Hello! Blackmail is a crime! For a not‑for‑profit enterprise with zero budget, this proved temporarily crippling. The specific event caused a ‘crisis of faith’ about whether to continue with CRAVE Guitars at all, while also compounding other pressures. Self‑doubt is a horrible and unproductive experience. All previous articles have had to be substantially edited with all images not totally owned by CRAVE Guitars were removed from all features, articles and web site pages, severely reducing their potential interest to the casual reader. All images used by CRAVE Guitars are now diligently produced either in‑house or obtained via copyright/royalty‑free sources.

“Blackmail is more effective than bribery.” John Le Carré (1931‑2020)

Property – CRAVE Guitars is not a discrete entity. It is not a museum and it is not a commercial enterprise. It operates out of a normal, and rather small, house in the South West of the UK. The property is almost 100 years old and in a very poor condition. The recent imperative has been to renovate the structure to provide liveable accommodation. As a result, a large proportion of time, effort and funds have had to be re‑directed towards extensive necessary property upkeep, leaving little in the way of capital for other things (like vintage guitars). The long‑intimated cellar refurbishment to provide a safe and secure home for the vintage gear keeps getting shunted down the list of priorities and further into the future. It does, however, remain a goal. The lack of storage space limits acquisition of any more instruments.

“Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.” Kurt Vonnegut (1922‑2007)

Karma – Hatred is a negative and wasteful emotion that has no redeeming characteristics whatsoever. It drains the soul of compassion. However, there are many contemptable people in this world intent on furthering their own agendas at others’ expense, seemingly with impunity. Everyone probably has a degree of experience of such self‑entitled, exploitative and controlling individuals. They are vile, vindictive and unfortunately often unavoidable, intent on causing misery wherever they go. Fortunately, such heinous parasites are relatively rare. The list is short but the hostile influence is high. Given that societal structures favour law over justice, it is unwise to name such vermin. I just hope that, in some way, they become aware of the terrible consequence of their actions and that their conscience holds them accountable. Sadly, they may not exhibit the necessary integrity and contrition. Where is karma when it is really needed?

“Now hatred is by far the longest pleasure; men love in haste but they detest at leisure.” Lord Byron (1788‑1824)

Musicology – Perhaps there is one positive note amongst all the preceding doom and gloom. My fascination with all things musical has been both long‑running and constant over time. While other things were understandably dominating priorities, the hiatus did present an opportunity for musical exploration and experimentation. I am no authority on the matter so, I set about addressing this particular shortcoming by adopting a more rigorous approach towards understanding and appreciating contemporary music (from the 1950s to the current day). Modern music is at least relevant and related to CRAVE Guitars to a greater or lesser extent, so therefore within my general bailiwick. I intend to come back to this side project on another occasion.

“For I was conscious that I knew practically nothing…” (attributed to Plato’s account of Socrates),

Summary – The extended hiatus appears, prima facie, to be an irrational and disproportionate response to a culmination of disparate events that, in the past, would (probably) not have been a big issue either in isolation or together. There was no single external trigger, rather a confluence of factors that proved to be ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ (NB. an idiom derived from an Arabic proverb that describes a minor action that causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, resulting from the cumulative effect of small actions – a.k.a. ‘the last straw’). However proverbial it is, it does raise the point that we all need to do our best, despite difficult circumstances, to look after ourselves first and foremost. Not to do so inhibits our ability to deal with external threats and have empathy for others. We only live once and life really is too short (see above). There are no second chances. Time to be positive about the future…

“The future depends on what we do in the present.” Mahatma Gandhi (1869‑1948)

The way forward

In late 2023, I regard my preoccupation with CRAVE Guitars as essential therapy to help cope with other day‑to‑day circumstances. I am, however, still finding it incredibly hard to rekindle the spark of craving (sic!) held previously. The prospect of CRAVE Guitars returning to its old form is, as far as I can tell at the time of writing, rather unlikely. After over sixteen years of building the ‘brand’, this state of affairs is genuinely heart rending.

As I am only just beginning to recover some of my former vintage guitar mojo, I cannot say for sure what the way forward will be. The first faltering purgative steps are, I think, basically threefold:

To resume writing articles, although these will not be regular or consistent to begin with and they will likely not be major tomes as before (probably a relief for many!).
To recommence work on maintaining, updating and expanding the CRAVE Guitars web site, together with resuming a modicum of social media activity.
Last but most certainly not least, to get back into acquiring, maintaining, playing and sharing my compulsive captivation with vintage guitar gear.

Simple to say, less easy to do. Pursue them I must for my own sanity. I can only hope that the extensive investment in CRAVE Guitars as a coherent entity over the years has not been totally wasted and that the impetus behind what the brand stands for continues in some form, even if it is in a less assertive fashion.

“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749‑1832)

CRAVE Guitars’ Album of the Month:

As this article is an anomaly in the canon, I couldn’t move on without at least mentioning something musical. As we are moving away from sultry summer warmth into darker, cooler and wetter autumn, I’m clinging desperately onto evocative tropical Jamaican beats. Therefore, my selection for ‘album of the month’, October 2023 is:

Dubbing at Aquarius Studios 1977-1979 – The 16 tracks were laid down at Dynamic Sounds, Harry J’s and Randy’s Studio 17 by session bands the Aggrovators, Soul Syndicate and High Times Players, and dubbed at Herman Chin Loy’s Aquarius Studio during the peak years of Jamaican dub reggae. For me, these tracks deserve repeated listening. Irie mon.

Footnote

Mental Health & Wellbeing is a serious issue in today’s chaotic and dysfunctional world. Depression and anxiety present an insidious and invisible menace of 21^st Century lifestyles. They are not trivial issues to be dismissed out of hand and can be severely debilitating. The impact is non‑discriminatory and can affect anyone at any time to one degree or another and can strike without warning. There is no simple ‘cure’ and the adverse effects can be both long lasting and unpredictable. If you haven’t actually experienced these problems first hand, it can be difficult to understand the symptoms, let alone be able to unravel the causes. Meds can be useful but ultimately result in a chemical cul‑de‑sac. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the current fad with professionals but the focus on process is only good for some. High quality one‑to‑one psychotherapy is expensive and thereby exclusive. Mindfulness is a dreadful title but the western concept, based on aspects of eastern spiritualism (but not religion) and meditation, can be an effective tool for building resilience and promoting focus. Whatever your remedy, in the face of an increasingly intrusive stressful life, it is important to take care of your whole self, mental and emotional as well as physical. These opinions, I must emphasise, are not the warped rantings of an insecure neurotic grumpy old man… or are they?

To quote one wise Asian dude, “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480-400BCE)

Tailpiece

I apologise once again for the self‑centred, self‑serving self‑pitying nature, as well as the unforgiveable excess of hyperbole, of this therapeutic ‘confessional’. It had to be done. For CRAVE Guitars, putting this ‘explanation’ of involuntary absence was an obligatory recuperative process along the path to recovery. Without casting the metaphorical albatross from the (ancient mariner’s) neck, things could not get back on track. CRAVE Guitars does not need reinventing, rather it needs to adapt to a different paradigm. Hopefully, in an attempt to be positive, there may be the fertile green shoots of a new beginning.

“Ah! well a-day! What evil looks Had I from old and young! Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772‑1834)

So… is CRAVE Guitars back? Well… only partially. The world around us today is a different place and CRAVE Guitars’ minuscule part in it is going to have to be different. Primarily, this means a more modest, humble and less determined approach to vintage guitar appreciation. Frustrating though it is, it’s possibly better to call it ‘work‑in‑progress’ than any form of momentous return. Long live CRAVE Guitars!

On the plus side, the next few articles are already in planning and likely to be both more relevant and more optimistic than this poor excuse for an editorial. After that, who knows? Watch this space.

Peace, love, truth and guitar music be with you all. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Sometimes it is better to withdraw intentionally from society than to be wholly rejected by it”

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