Nathan Montgomery

Taylor Guitar beaten and broken

This instrument was definitely one of my favorites. Definitely the one I had the most fun playing. So much so that it has been to see the repair doctor 3 time for major cracks. Seems I like to play my instruments a little hard. However, it was not my playing that put it past repair. No, it was the price of convenience. At the time of its death I was using a gator soft gig bag to tote the instrument around it. While in transit an amp and some other equipment shifted in the car and fell on it. I didn’t even realized it happened till I opened it up a couple days later (and a couple days before the next gig I need it for). To say I was heart broken was an understatement. I was also very frustrated because it was the only instrument that I had customized for the percussive acoustic style of guitar that I love to play. With just a few days before the next gig and such extensive damage it was time to say good bye. Of course I didn’t have the funds to go out and replace it so I bought an inexpensive used acoustic which I moved the additional pic ups into and have been playing that for almost a year now I think. Of course this was always a temporary thing since it never sounded very good and played even worse.

In with the New, shiny and all-graphite acoustic guitar.

My new Rainsong Guitar in its hard shell case.

I have been considering RainSong Guitars for a long time, since the first time I pulled out the Taylor and found a big crack in the body and realized that either I need to play nicer or get a tougher guitar. I tried playing softer… But now it is time for something tougher. So yesterday I took a ride over to Huber and Breese Music Store, the only place in the metro Detroit area that carries them, and bought my first RainSong, the h-ws1000n2 (came with a custom hard shell case which I like even if it is as tough as they say it is). Today I have taken in to Mark Weninger Guitar Works to have some work done on it. I am having a hole drilled into the body so that I can install the 2 extra pickups that I use to get that big boomy percusive sound. Mark has been working on my guitars for years and always does a stellar job. I can’t wait to get it back! I will be writing more about the RainSong as I use it but so far it is great. Has a truly unique carbon sound and a loud bass sound.

So lesson learned? All convenience comes at a price. The gator soft gig bags are great but my Taylor was worth more than the convenience of the light easy to carry case with back straps.