Play the guitar as you lift your praises loaded with thanksgiving. Sing and make joyous music with all you’ve got inside.

Psalms 33:2 TPT

Recently I have fallen behind in my guitar playing. I do try to pick one up every couple of days, but have yet to get back into the good groove I had going a while back. Of course I am pleased to have them out and available and all of these guitars are very important to my story.

So I decided to restring one of my Ovations. First I removed the worn strings, then I cleaned all the parts that are normally hard to reach. That is when I remembered how very beautiful this instrument is. Hence the photographs.

Yes, this guitar has a lovely tone (I will take a moment to record something that hopefully demonstrates how nice it is – see video below), but a great guitar is also a work of art.

The combination of carefully selected (and acoustically complementary) woods and harmonic design make well-crafted guitars creative across several disciplines.

Hats off to the luthiers.

This particular model is an aqua Ovation acoustic-electric that Rebekah carefully researched and then gave me for my birthday around the year 1998.

I have never seen another example featuring this particular hue of blue. But more than the awesome aesthetic, it is designed specifically to keep the integrity of its acoustic tone even when run through an amp. And at that time, playing with the Praise Orchestra at our Brandon church, this Ovation was exactly what I needed.

Today all of my guitars still speak clearly to my deepest places. And, occasionally, a new song will come along and I find myself lost in the music once again.

I am still looking wistfully at two specific guitars that will complete my collection (if a collection can ever be completed).

The first is a high quality classical guitar that will replace the rescue I currently own. The second is another Taylor I have had my eye on for a while. Stay tuned. I promise to keep you in the loop.

Grateful for all that I have – DEREK