Concessions To Age

Believe it or not, I just had my first concession to age.

As I've said and somewhat firmly believe, I am not old. 30 is still an age filled with great vitality, and not the end of the line. I acknowledge that, but it's also a turning point. One where the consequences of how you live start to make themselves apparent. Wild nights of hedonism and sex-crazed madness now leave you feeling a little sore in the morning, hangovers carry a little more weight, the back makes more noises when you stand up. And while you may not be on the verge of falling to pieces, your body makes a point of letting you know where your limits currently are.

With my freakish lifestyle, such things have not been uncommon. Aches and pains have occurred so often, that percocet is starting to feel like an old friend to me. And it's nothing I ever shy away from, after all pain is supposed to build character right? And even if that character comes in the form of me being a whiny bitch, I suppose it's better than nothing.

But while at Guitar Center, burning a wee bit of time on overpriced instruments, I noticed my first true concession to age. It all started with a Classic series '72 telecaster. An instrument that I found positively disgusting in my youth, but somehow more attractive in my maturity. The thing sounded good too, and I was making some pretty pleasant, enjoyable noise. After a few minutes of playing, I noticed how easily I was jumping across the fretboard, hitting notes and bending strings. It was no-strain easy going music, and I wasn't investing a lot of time thinking about how hard to hit the string or how much force I'd need to pull off the next lick. It was all perfectly fluid.

At first, I attributed this ease of play to the instrument's hefty price tag. The thing did ring in at 900 bucks, the price of a moderate budget scooter. And you'd figure that things would play a little easier for that kind of money. But, it was more than that. Clearly, the instrument had a bit more finesse than anything I played at home, but my gear was perfectly functional. There was no reason I couldn't have a moderately close experience to what I was having here.

And then it hit me, it wasn't the instrument.......it was the strings. You see, this guitar was equipped with gauge .oo9 strings, and that is what made all the difference.

For those of you who don't speak musician, allow me to elaborate: Guitar strings are gauged by thickness, ranging from .008 to about .013. The number refers to the high E string (the thin one at the bottom) and all the other strings follow suit at an equal thickness for proper tuning.

Now, I have been an avid user of gauge .010 strings for years. There was that period when I was about 17 where I moved up into .011's, but that was mostly because of testosterone, and the extensive amount of tendinitis I have in my hands is strong testament to the fact that I am not designed to play strings that thick. So it's been .010's, for most of my musical career. And it's been that way so long, that I don't even bother to peruse the selection at my local music shop. I know the brand I like, the gauge I like, and the price I'm willing to pay. I walk up to the case, make my selection and walk out the door, simple as that.

So, I never stopped to notice that I was having difficulty playing guitar at home. Things had been the same way for so long, that I didn't even consider that a change might be necessary. That was, until I got my hands on that damned telecaster. And it's become clear as day to me now, I just don't have the strength anymore to push the thick stuff.

Now, many have tried to humor me by telling me that it's not the effects of age. "You've just got a lighter touch, that's all" they've said, trying hard not to make me sound pitiful. But, we all know the truth, my hands have changed. And asking them to work the way they used to when I was younger just won't float. And to be honest, I'm quite okay with that. I've got very little to prove on this front anymore. I certainly don't need to showboat with brighter guitars, louder amps, and bigger strings. I'm just here to play. Make a little joyful noise, and enjoy the process, that's what it's all about.

Still, it annoys me that there are things I can't do anymore. I'm just hoping the next little concession that comes up won't be for a long long time.