Is this even a guitar? How did it end up in the collection?
Recently I started listening to some music that I wasn't interested in (or aware of) before, like some blues, but certainly a lot of country and bluegrass. There is an awful lot of crap made in these styles, but also some music that is much more beautiful than I would ever have expected. And of course, the dobro plays a prominent role in much of this music. However, since this instrument has a very distinctive tone, and I wasn't sure if it would ever be more than an infatuation for me, I decided to go for a cheaper instrument. Enter Samick...
Samick? Oh come on. Don't you have *any* pride?
I was very lucky to find a "freak", a budget instrument that really sounds and plays very well. I play it like a normal guitar, but tend to swich to flatpicking on it instead of fingerpicking. With a flatpick it sounds a bit like throwing marbles in a metal bucket, but it also has a very warm tone when you fingerpick it.
What about using a slide or bottleneck?
I can't play anything with a slide but I already decided that I would like to have a lapsteel guitar some day. I'm in no hurry. Meanwhile, I quite like this little, very heavy, shiny guitar with the tacky dolphin inlays. Every time I touch it I leave some finger-stains behind, but that's just part of owning a metal guitar I guess.
How do people react to it?
You'd be surprised how many people see it and say "What the @#$% is that?" This of course is one of life's great mysteries: doesn't every houshold in the world own "Brothers in arms" yet?