Stories

For most musicians, the story of their instrument starts the day they purchase it, but with Delgado Guitars, the story began long before. Manuel A. Delgado takes the time to understand your needs for an instrument and build exactly what you desire and his instruments are truly made by hand. You will not find CNC's, table saws, molds or even other employees at his shop, because the process is done from conception to completion by him. Manuel treats each instrument as an individual and respect his clients to offer them that special care, so when it finally reaches your hands, the story doesn't begin, it continues. Please let us know some of the special memories or stories of your guitar or ukulele, or Irish Bouzouki or whatever have created for you. Send us your story and answer the question: "Does your guitar have a story?"

Delgado and Me
by John Schmidt

There's a picture down the hall
Of my buddy Delgado on the wall

I glance at it nearly every day
As I hustle by along my way

Someone I knew years ago
When life was simple and the pace was slow

For so many others, but not for me
That's just the way I found it to be

We had some great times Delgado and me
In the early sixties in West Germany

Delgado,he used to always say
"God's gonna slow you down some day"

"That's gonna happen,just wait and see"
"Then you'll recall these words from me"

The best of friends,that's what we were
Delgado and me,that's for sure

"Gado" I said,I called him that
"I ain't gonna happen,not to this cat"

Now he's gone,God rest his soul
And I've not slowed down,not that I know

So whenever I pass his picture there
I slow way down like I'm going nowhere

Since I know from heaven,he's watching me
And still he's saying"you wait and see"

______________________________________________

Dear Delgado Family,

My fiance' taught himself to play the guitar by listening to one record over and over when he was in collage.
Billy sat on the end of his bed with his inferior guitar gently cradled in his lap and as the turntable spun and the sharp point of the needle ran across the black vinyl clearing one complete turn... only at that moment would Billy stop listening and lift the needle and try to play what he had just heard.
Needless to say, it was with great patience and the love and respect of the deep tones and sound, which resonated from the guitar that allowed Billy to continue to learn about the complexities of the instrument.
Now after celebrating his 69th birthday Billy himself stills studies the same way. Never having learned to read music he still relies on his hearing to feel the music.
That would most probably be much easier for someone that can hear well, but for Billy he has not had the pleasure and the gift of full hearing sound for too many years now.
Instead he relies on hearing aids and mostly the tone that vibrates up through the guitar itself and into Billy's bones and soul.
Next year Billy will be 70, and even though I have only known him two years what I see every night when he sits on his short whiskey barrel cradling his guitar is amazing.
Billy worked as an engineer throughout his career and in his spare time played the guitar and became a fine wood craftsman. He himself has re-built and built guitars over his lifetime.
This morning we were watching a "BOSE" of all things infomercial and saw you working on guitars and talking about sound. We too have a Bose system and although it sounds fabulous it still does not give a person that has lost so much of their hearing the satisfaction of vibration the way holding an instrument in your hand and arms does.
So what might you be wondering is my letter to you about.
Well...a couple of things, for one thing a technical question. Have you ever made or heard of a single piece back guitar? If so who what and where can I get information about one.
And second, for Billy's 70th birthday, which is in March of 2010, I would love to give him a new guitar made by a master.
I understand that you have this unique gift and talent to create beautiful sounds through wood.
I am also sure that your talent and years of experience grant you a much deserved fee for your instrument.
All that said, I am also sure that "IF" there would be the slightest chance for me to purchase one of your guitars it would take me a year to save the money in which to do so.
So I must rely on, "The Master of Tone and Experience" to choose the best guitar for my Billy. What I can tell you is that Billy loves a guitar that has a deep deep tone, one that he can feel the full vibration against his chest when he plays and one that I know will bring tears to his eyes each night as he sits on his whiskey barrel holding a creation made from wood bringing back memories of his youth and dreams to accomplish the mystery of tone and sound.
Thank for taking the time to read my letter and hope that you will be able to help me in choosing the guitar that will allow Billy to hear the music like he could when he was in his youth.
until...
donna

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