Sorry I Still Have Your Amp

We scheduled a band practice at my house this weekend, to work out some new arrangements on some old songs, but life conspired against all of us and we were unable to get together. Still, the prospect of having the band over inspired me to straighten up the basement and get some gear organized.

This was long overdue.

I’ve been playing music live for more than 2o years, in various bands and duos and solo formats. In the rush of setting up for a show, or clearing the stage so the next band can perform, I’ve grabbed the wrong guitar cable or left my capo clipped to the house mic stands (that happened recently). Friends come over to play music and leave amps or microphones, always assuming they’ll be back to play again soon and they’ll get it the next time. There’s a bass amp of mine somewhere in Montana, and I constantly assure him (and myself) that I’ll get it the next time I’m out there.

I’ve purchased, lost, replaced, inadvertantly stolen, and indefinitely loaned more pieces of equipment than I can possibly recount. And for a while I felt guilty about it — I offered to buy a friend’s amp that had been sitting in my basement for close to a decade, and I am still kicking myself over the Epiphone archtop guitar I never grabbed out of the Burn Kate van before we finally sold it for scrap.

The basement reorganization was a way to take stock of what I have, clear out those things I’ve been hanging onto out of convenience or sheer laziness, and maybe relieve myself of a little guilt attached to all that stuff. The best I can do is forgo the gear I’ve let go, and forgive the musicians who are lifetime borrowers. I can do an honest accounting of the gear in my possession, and contact the rightful owners to return it when they’re ready.

Most importantly, going through all this gear allowed me to revisit all the places that playing music has taken me, and sit with the memories of people I’ve played with. If I’m careful, those pieces of the past can help me clarify what I’m doing with my music, what my goals are, and what tools I need to accomplish those goals.