My six-stringed friend

Missymoo's June Challenge - today's challenge: A friend.

I bought this guitar for $70 in 1972 with my first tax return. It was a lot of money for me back in those days - half a month's rent. There was nothing special about the brand - a Lyle, made in Japan. Though in searching a bit today I learned: Lyle guitars are among the rarest brands of electric and acoustic guitars in the world. Produced during an indefinite timeline in the 1960s and 1970s in Japan, the history of the Lyle instrument brand remains somewhat of a mystery. Total distribution of Lyle instruments in the U.S. was very limited. ...they have a legacy of mostly being rare guitar models that are hard to find and popular to collect. Most online reviews of Lyle products are positive, citing their long-term durability as a major asset. Read more.

I didn't know this about my trusty old friend - I've never investigated her value since I never intend to sell her. What I do know is she has a sweet and rich sound - other guitarist friends have played her and swear she sounds as good as a Martin - she plays like a dream, she's a sturdy old dreadnought.

In years past I've had guitar lust - I was smitten with Taylor guitars for a while, then Breedloves. I'd go to a shop and sit down with one and play it - yeah, it sounded pretty good. But why would I shell out thousands of dollars for a new guitar when my old Lyle sounds just as good and is well broken in?

There have been times in my life I've spent as many as eight or ten hours a day playing guitar and singing. When you hold an instrument against your body for that many hours - well, you develop a relationship. It's almost like a pet - you pick it up and stroke it and it responds. We've shared some of the best times and some of the worst (gigs from hell or times when playing brought me out of a funk). She's been my Muse, my confidant, my therapist, my creative outlet. She's been in my life longer than just about any people!

I haven't been playing much the last few years, especially since I joined the choir and took up photography (and blipping!). But it's like any true friend you've been away from for a while: you pick up just where you left off without skipping a beat - though I do need to build up the callouses again.