[Johnson] Keep it old?

[Sherrill Watkins]

Ed: I really think your observations about gear with a worn, scratched,
rusted or heavly used appearance is quite valid. I have a Johnson Adventurer
that someone has drilled a hole in the front panel. I am thinking about
covering the hole with one of those decal/stickers that looks like a bullet
hole. I have seen these on the back of trucks, suv's and car's. That is the
only way I know to cover the hole in the front panel? However, I could also
just leave the hole there uncovered and not worry about it. What would you
suggest? Question: When the equipment dies, what happens to the hole? -73-
Sherrill W. k4own 

-----Original Message-----
From: W5HTW at att.net [mailto:W5HTW at att.net] 
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 5:37 PM
To: Johnson at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Johnson] Keep it old?


Now for the question: been looking at Willie Nelson's guitar. It's a worn
item just below the acoustic hole. Also, there are many hot rods that seem to
be going to the primer/beat up look. After I sent off my panel to Dee
Almquist and installed a substitute panel that was slightly rusted up, that
had a hole in the front panel, and wear marks on some of the rotary switches
(not to mention a rusted in call sign of a previous ham "W4HOP"), I was
rethinking my decision to put back in a refinished panel. Hmmmm....what about
leaving it "historically" alone? Whaddya think?

Wille has been making music and writing hits for a good many years with that
old Martin.  And that isn't just a worn area - it is a major hole.  I've
heard various reasons about why he continues to use it, but certainly one of
them is "it works."  Another is it is "well seasoned" and with a guitar that
can be very important. To me, 'the sound is right' will do. 

Most of the ham equipment I have had in my nearly 48 years in this hobby has
had someone else's name and/or call sign on it.  It worked, it did the job,
and 'the sound was right.'  Depends upon what you want, I would think.  If
you want 'restored like new' then you need the new panel.  If you want
"working good and operating" then it really doesn't matter, but a flavor of
history and nostalgia can be a warm friend on a winter night.  As a teen, my
parents bought me a brand new, factory built Viking II.  I hardly got to use
it, as we moved, I never got up antennas, and then I went into the military,
so I sold it.  Couple or so years later I wanted another one, and bought a
well-used one from a friend.  It was marked, his name, his call, his
fingerprints.  I think it worked better than the new one, at least in my
mind! 

Today my Viking II (a different one, yes!) has a history the size of a
weathered West Texas rancher's face.  And I ain't runnin' it to be purty!  It
works, and I can sit and wonder how many countries it has worked, or messages
it has handled, or nets it has enjoyed.  

It has a face. 

Ed




--
Ed Brooks, W5HTW
http://w5htw.home.att.net/index.html
Active since June 1956 Extra since
Jan 1970
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