hi
>>>theodore wrote
>>>>on a related note I saw some really cool guitars the other day
called afri- cans. They are made out of oil
cans. I guess people in South Africa not having 20 billion dollars to buy a
fender or a Gibson started fashioning home made guitars from oil cans. A
company has started to make them with aluminum necks and solid running gear,
pretty darn cool, for about 400 bucks.
oh wow!! i cant believe those blik(tin) guitars have made it to the rest of
the world. they are a huge tradition here. a 5 litre oil can, fretless
wooden neck, nylon strings, and, amazingly, you can actually play them. one
of SA's better known guitarists, Sipho Mchunu, who played with Johnny Clegg
as "Juluka" started out on one of them.
there was also a cheap wooden guitar available here, by the brand name of
"bellini" which was famous for selling at fifteen rand (just under two
dollars!!). again any number of well known guitarists, and hordes of lesser
known ones - like me - got their start on these cheapies.
and we also have "real" guitars here. Mark Maingard's handbuilt guitars - as
played by one of the CSNY guys (i think it was stephen stills) who made a
trip out here especially to buy one and said "A unique and lovely sound;
he's really one of the best"
http://www.hughsfineguitars.co.za/maingardview.htm
just for comparison, martins start at around thirty thousand rand.....
ron
