No Strings

In last Sunday's burglary, 30 strings were stolen - the multiple of 6 being thrown off by a 4-string bass guitar - not belonging to me. The loss of the LP , while a striking blow to the stringed arsenal, somehow doesn't compare to the empty space left behind where the Fender Gemini II used to ring. I dug the acoustic out of a storage space beneath the basement stairs in my folks' home back in Milwaukee when I was about 12. It was my Dad's. He never really played it - took a few lessons and then packed her away. I can still remember the feeling of uncovering a buried treasure chest when I found it.

Mark Rusch, youth pastor and US Army Chaplain, was the first person to ever show me a chord. A phenomenal character - he had an amazing Kermit the Frog impression, a plethora of card tricks, and a warm smile. I wonder where he's at today.

The same attitude towards the burglars and the replacement cost of these instruments applies to this second round of musical thievery. Unfortunately, this time, I find myself stringless - not a note to be heard:(


The Gemini II, I know this because I once asked while having the fret board filed down , would fetch a cool $25 at the pawn shop/used instrument store.