Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Fun Stories => Topic started by: allgood on December 19, 2018, 04:56:28 AM
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Updated and corrected...
Welcome home 75-183, now affectionately known as Rosie. Well, almost. At least welcome back to the USA...
Several years ago I posted a note hoping to find the new owner of a Zebrawood Series 1, that I traded in for an upright, so I could buy her back. I purchased the bass from Guitar Ressurrection around 1992, for $1,050.00. The details are hard to remember, but I had just gotten married, and that was a lot of money for me. I think they let me put it on lawaway, or maybe I used a credit card. (Though I can’t imagine having a card, at that time, with a credit limit that high.). Of course I am the typical bass player whose world changed when I heard School Days, and dreamt of an Alembic since.
It was around ‘99 when I traded it in at Nashville Discount Music. ( I wanted the upright for jazz, and I had switched to a 5 string (a nice sounding Carvin, best I could afford at the time) because I was playing a lot of jazz charts written for a 5 string.) Every so often I would do an internet search, hoping to find the bass again. In 2011, she appeared online at Elderly Instruments. I saw it on a Friday, they were asking $3,500.00. Still a lot of money. I called and asked about making an offer. They told me it was just posted, so no reductions right now. I thought about it over the weekend and decided I would go ahead, borrow from the 401k, whatever I had to do. I called them on Monday... it had sold on Saturday.
In July of 2017 I posted a note here, hoping a member would know about it, but nothing that lead me to her. (I’m sorry, Mica, you asked for pictures on that occasion, but somehow I dropped the ball and did not respond.) Then, around October of this year she showed up on eBay, and was in Japan. I contacted one of the numerous eBay “sellers” of the bass and received some additional photos, but something wasn’t right. I found out how these sellers list other people’s property. (Funny, it is still listed for sale, though it was purchased and picked up 2 weeks ago.). Picure saw her on Digimart, Thanks Picure! so I looked there, but had some difficulty. Then RV-Bass posted a reply that he saw the bass on a listing at a store in a certain area of Japan. Thanks RV-Bass!! Then Eiji found it at a store, but for some reason I couldn’t find it there, I’m sure it was my fault. Thanks Eiji! Then ... Joe found the store where the bass was listed for sale and posted a link, and I was able to see the bass in their listing, and obviously for less than the eBay resellers were advertising. Thanks Joe!! If I did not list your name specifically, and you helped, please remind me! And thank you!! Without the Alembic Family here, there is no way I would have found her. Mica, Greg and others helped me identify her. And Greg probably was the one the pushed me over the top, encouraging me to pursue her. His comments on this bass’ uniqueness and rarity were persuasive. Thanks again to all of you.
Many of you watched the next phase unfold. I sent numerous emails to the store. I tried calling, but that didn’t work. They finally responded to email and the store was happy to sell, but could not ship due to CITES regulations. I felt almost back at square one, almost worse, knowing the bass was there but I could not have it. They said I could pick it up in person and would be ok, with regard to CITES, but no shipping. A trip to Japan would be fun, but not feasible... 2 kids in college, plus, I figured the bass would have a total price tag of around $10,000.00 once you add up all of the travel expenses. Never-the-less I began the research on CITES. The articles either told me I could bring it home, or I could not bring it home. Some had success, others , confiscation. Joe, Greg, Mica, and others joined in with helpful advice. Although Mica put another scare in me, She basically said if I get past the rosewood, there is the ban on Abalone to deal with! Joe had a good idea, so I emailed the shop and asked if they would remove the fretboard and sell me the rest of the bass. They did not want to start disassembling a 600,000 Yen Alembic. Again, thanks for everyone that ch8med in and educated me on CITES.
I called Elderly, to see if they would help me locate the person that purchased it from their website. I thought that person might still actually own the bass. Elderly would only reveal that a Japanese Collector purchased the bass from them in 2011. No contact or I’d details. (They still have the custom flight case I had made for it. I guess the collector did not want to pay the cost of shipping two cases.). I also asked if the would broker the sale for me. I thought maybe the collector was selling on consignment, and they had the relationship, and maybe they had experience with CITE permits. They politely told me that is not what they do. So, back, again, to square one.
One day my wife and I are talking with her mother, who tells us of her sister-in-law, Bonnie, and her Thanksgiving plans. She is planning a visit on Thanksgiving rather than Christmas, because her son Clint is coming home for Christmas, so she won’t travel then. “Coming home from where?” we asked. “Japan.” In unison, my wife and I said, “Tokyo?!” I learned how to Message someone on Facebook, and communicated with my cousin, despite the 15 hour time difference, and eventually sent him a check and asked him to go shopping. After only one (fortunately) wrong store, he located the bass, and FaceTimed me to make sure it was THE one. He bought the bass.
So now at least my cousin owns the bass, but getting it home is still an issue. He can’t ship it, it would have to go through one of the CITES ports, and who knows what would happen. He would have to take it with him on the plane. Even then, would a CITES official be at customs? I started looking at the process of obtaining a CITES permit. The process is fairly clear for musicians leaving the US to go abroad and play, then return. It is an import/export permit. Then there is an export permit. But it was not so clear about only importing. So I contacted a CITES official who told me if I could prove the age, I would not need a permit. Mica then was nice enough to help with the proof of age. But the official also told me I better check with his counter-part in Japan. I tried, but they would not return any emails.
We now think there is a good chance well get past customs\Fish and Wildlife in the US, but still don’t know if it can leave Japan, and then the other issue...will the bass make it back in one piece? I assume the plywood case is 43 years old also, like the bass it carries, so I didn’t have much faith in it. It appears to be held together mostly with black duck tape. I considered purchasing the old flight case from Elderly and shipping it to Japan, but my cousin said we didn’t have time to get it there before his flight. He looked for a local flight case to purchase, but to no avail. So he wrapped well with bubble wrap inside the case and we decided we would take our chances. (Delta was not very cooperative about bringing into the cabin and placing in the cloak closet, or even gate checking it. (Another concern was that it would be stolen from the baggage claim if Clint wasn’t the first to arrive.). On December 17th, at 6 am, I received a message that he and Rosie were on the plane.
My wonderful cousin, Staff Sgt (he said I could use his name) Clint Gardner, flew Rosie from Tokyo to Atlanta. Clint also named her, perfectly, after the wood of which she was made, which created the trouble in the first place. The funny thing... after all that concern about CITES... he received not one question about the composition or age of the instrument, or where it was made. Atlanta was only a stopover for Clint, he was changing planes and going on to his home. Unfortunately my son had a surgery scheduled for the same day as Clint and Rosie’s arrival. So Clint’s sweet mother volunteered to meet him and retrieve Rosie for me. This type of adventure is right up Bonnie’s alley. She is a musician, her other son is as well, and, years ago, Bonnie hired some piano movers to move a piano out of a second floor apartment. They had to use a crane of some sort to lift it from a patio, because it would not fit down the stairs, and no elevator. The movers were successful in lowering the panel to the back of a truck. Then the truck pulled off, only the piano had not been secured, and it fell off of the back! So Bonnie drove about an hour and met Clint at the airport yesterday.
I asked for photos all along the way to memorialize the story, and also, I wanted to see a photo of the bass after landing, so I would know she arrived safely. I have read stories of everything looking ok, no case damage, only to find a broken neck inside. So yesterday I receive a photo of Clint giving me a thumbs up, and pointing to a case in Bonnie’s car. I texted back... “that’s great, but open the case”! No response until several hours later, Clint said he didn’t have time, he had to run back into the airport to catch the next flight. No response from Bonnie because she was already making her return drive. Ahhhhhh!!!!
I still have not received a photo from Bonnie of the bass. I don’t know if doesn’t want to open the case, or ... we’ll, I can’t even think of the negative possibilities. I’m sure she is fine. I have a photo of her packed well in bubble wrap, and of the case with red Fragile stickers, so I am sure she is fine. The first chance I will have to go and get her ( about a four hour drive to Bonnie’s for me) is Friday.
Greg mentioned the bass was on a long strange trip. The trip continues. Hopefully on Saturday I will post some pictures when we finally get her back home. And hopefully they will be of a bass in one piece. I want to thank Mica, Greg, Joe, Picure, Eiji, Jazzyvee, and everyone else here that was helpful and encouraging. (Again, if I omitted your name, please forgive me and let me know.). There is no question that without this club I would not have found her. Thanks, Wickershams and all at Alembic for supporting this forum. Look for an update soon. Allen
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This is the best news ever... that's great, Allen.
Finally... Welcome Home, "Rosie". :)
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Congrats Allen !!
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Oops, I reviewed some old posts and realize I shorted Joe of some credit, Joe actually sent a link to the store where she was located. Sorry Joe, and thanks again!! I expect I left others out also, forgive me, and I’ll try to get it all right before the story goes to a magazine! Also, need to give credit to Clint for naming her... and perfectly, after the wood that caused the trouble!
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It's always good when the process works.
This is a sentiment from a song over here in the UK that was a big hit in the early 70's and it just came to my head as I read your story.
Enjoy
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What a great story, welcome home Rosie!!! So happy for you!
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To make a Big Bang Theory comparison.... "Schroedinger's Bass". The Bass in the case is either broken, or not and won't be confirmed until opening.
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Congratulations!
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Awesome! Great story, and glad you and Rosie are reunited! :)
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As we used to say back in the day when Rosie was but a younster, "Far Out"!!!!! Great story! Thanks for sharing.
Bill, tgo
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Reunited (and it feels so good!)
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Wow,
Time to shake your groove thing ;D
So cool...Cheers!
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Right on time, my 4 am wake-up call from Rosie. Now there's a picture worth waiting for... ;D
Congratulations Allen. I will enjoy this win for a very long time. That thing is still listed on ebay!
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Great news Let's hear some sound clips and a gig report sometime. :-)
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Thank you all for the kind words... and fun song! I’ll have to see about sound clips, I’m not much into recording. Strings are a bit gritty, but everything works. Still had the blue box and 5-pin cable. The only thing missing was the stereo-to-mono cable I used to have, to come directly out of bass and skip blue box. Is there a good source for those? Or do I need to have one made up, like the old days? And Merry Christmas to everyone. It has already been a Merry Christmas to me! And a happy birthday. Happy Anniversary. Happy Father’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day. Happy Mid-Life Chrises Day.... for about the next five years! Thanks, Allen
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Congrats again! Bayou audio cables makes stereo-to-mono cables, that’s where I get mine.
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Thanks, they popped up on an internet search, but they have their website set up where you can’t get info right now. I guess I’ll have to wait until after Christmas. The nerve of some people. Don’t they know I just got my old bass back, after 20 years?!😊
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Congratulations one again such a great pic, enjoy the bass!!!!
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Great story, great picture, great players' community here!
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Congrats! Love the picture!
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What a great holiday present! Here's a post from Mica about how to make a stereo/mono cable. Pretty easy if you've ever been around a soldering iron.
http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=275.msg1098#msg1098 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=275.msg1098#msg1098)
Bill, tgo
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Congratulations! What a great reuinon story! Thanks for the shoutout too!
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Ok guys and gals, this is about to get a bit... I won’t say weird, but at least unexpected. First, let me tell you I am a filthy rotten sinner. I ride a Harley. I have spent many nights playing music in smoke filled bars, and will again. (Thankfully there is not as much smoke these days.) I’m not exactly clean cut, and certainly not clean shaven. Not that any of those things make me a sinner. They don’t. But they also don’t fit the image many have of a “Christian.” I certainly don’t consider myself to be “religious.” I don’t wear any church denomination label. But.. I know that I have been saved by the grace of God. What you are about to read, some of you may discount entirely, and believe that I am way off base. And that is fine. But I just read a book and, because of that book, I am compelled to say what I am about to say.
Yesterday I told my wife the following... I know that God wants us to be generous, and spending the money I did getting my old bass back may not have been part of His plan. I could have used that money to help others, to pay our own bills, to put towards our kids’ college, etc... And goodness knows I risked all of that money, because the bass might not have made it back at all. BUT... for all of the circumstances to line up as they did... here is a recap...my bass playing was recently rekindled... my kids are now out of the house and I have more time, about three months ago I HAPPENED to be at a hotel bar (again, probably not the place “Christians “ hang out!) and saw a great player live... Quintin Berry (please check him out, unique style)... and all of this got me thinking about my old bass, the greatest playing and sounding bass I ever saw. Then I HAPPENED to see my old bass on eBay, the exact one, after trading it away 20 years ago, the wonderful people on this site found exactly where it was... half way across the world, in Japan, then I happened to have a cousin on military duty in Japan, who happened to be flying home for Christmas, and the customs/FWS folks, I guess, happened to be busy, or not care, and never questioned the CITES issues, which were so worrisome, and the baggage handlers handled the 43 year old case, made mostly of duct tape, with great care... well, all of that just seemed to work together too well to be happenstance, or a coincidence.
I’ll continue with my conversation with my wife in a bit. Now, add this to the equation, which I have not told before... two years ago I was rear-ended while riding my motorcycle. Fortunately I wasn’t injured badly. I did not file a law suit, but the insurance company sent a check to me, so that I wouldn’t. Guess when I received the check... two days before my cousin Clint needed the money to purchase the bass, in order to have it in time for his trip home. Guess the amount of the check... without giving the specifics... the check was enough to pay back my health insurance what they paid for my doctor bills, the purchase price of the bass, something for Clint’s expenses and for his time and efforts, and there is a bit left over to buy back the custom made flight case... oh yeah, which just HAPPENS to still be sitting at Elderly Instruments, waiting (for eight years) to be reunited with the bass.
So I continued telling my wife... we have a son. And while I want to teach my son good life lessons, I also get a lot of joy when things happen that just make him happy, bring him joy. In fact, he is just getting into the guitar, and I will get a lot of joy when he opens his Christmas present this year, which is a used Squire Strat, with a few nice upgrades. Well, I believe that God is my heavenly father. So, wouldn’t He get joy from things that make me happy? I think He does. And therefore, I think He had something to do with this whole bass thing!
And... while I pray to God for my family’s safety, that he heals my son’s roommate from Cancer, that he helps me live my life in a way that will be a blessing to others, and so on... I must admit to you, we all know the many things that could have happened to the bass, so I also prayed ... “God, I know it is certainly not important in the big scheme of things, and I know you are very busy with things that really matter, but, if you could help that bass get back in one piece, and without being confiscated by the FWS, I would appreciate it.”
I expect I may receive a few responses to this that say that I am nuts, or that this isn’t the place to discuss religion, or even some that agree that some “Providence” may have helped me get the bass back, but it might be attributed to the stars alignment, or “Karma”... or whatever, and that’s ok. I hope you believe me that I am not the preachy type, and I am not trying to convince anyone here of anything. The book I just read this morning (another coincidence?!) was about a farmer that needed a new (used) truck. Like my story, many things lined up just right for him and when it was all over, he looked back, and said he believes it was not only a blessing from God, but that God created all of the circumstances, not just so that he could get the new truck, but so that he would have a story to tell, about how God blessed him. After all that happened to me with the return of the prodigal bass, and just reading that book, this morning, how could I not do the same thing?!
So, though I may be marked as a religious fanatic on this site, and this posting may be turned over to the forum moderators and removed, I feel I must share. You can read this as just a nice story, or you can believe that I am giving too much credit for something that is only circumstantial. But hopefully there will be at least one person that will receive some kind of blessing from this, that it will make someone feel good. And if it does, you don’t have to respond and admit it!😊. I’m not looking to “out” any other believers.😉.
God may be up there saying “Allen, I don’t have time for those kind of things. Nice of you to give Me some credit, but I had nothing to do with you getting your bass back.” Maybe He didn’t. But maybe He did. In the Bible there is a story of a blind man that Jesus healed. The “religious” leaders questioned him about it, how, why, etc... He said “I don’t have answers for you. All I know is that I was blind, and now I can see.” All I know is that I enjoyed playing my new old bass for several hours yesterday, and I thank God (literally) for that opportunity!
Thanks for reading! MERRY CHRISTMAS! Allen
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Allen, thank you for sharing your personal experiences. Spending a considerable amount of money on anything should make you consider life's priorities and the fortunes of those close to you, so it's only natural that this should bring out what you believe in and what you stand for.
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Thanks Adriaan!
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Since it was somewhat alluded to in the course of the thread, and since it hasn't been mentioned in quite a while, I thought it might be of some benefit for our newer members if I pointed out that we do in fact have posting guidelines, and that they can be found here (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?board=30.0). :)
Enjoy!
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Thanks David, I have never known the rules, or that there even were rules. One thing I appreciated in reading them was that that rules themselves don’t read like rules, to me, but more like a commentary on, or description of, the people that are in this club. I guess this is because I have read so many posts and see the helpful and accepting attitudes of everyone, before I read these rules. I think there are a lot of these folks that didn’t know there were rules, but their true self just shines through their words, and whether or not they were instructed not to, they would not think of being ugly or critical or demeaning. I have also noticed how humble folks seem to be in this club, and how they quickly share in others’ happiness and successes, like the many positive comments and congrats I received, including from you, after my fun success story. How many other forums have we seen where folks get into squabbles and are so critical of each other? Not here. And though we come from many different backgrounds and hold different beliefs and ideals, we support and encourage each other, in spite of those differences. If everyone had the attitude I see in the Alembic Club members: accepting, helpful, selfless, encouraging... what a wonderful world this would be!
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Yes; well said.
And ... "the people that are in this club ... their true self just shines through their words".
Yes, very much so. :)
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This was a great story! Thanks for posting and I really got caught up in it. Glad it worked out and you were reunited with a special guitar from your past. Sometimes it becomes way bigger than any dollar amount and it's a personal connection. That's what I love about Alembic guitars - it's ALWAYS a personal connection unlike the rest of the guitar universe.
Oh yeah, Merry Christmas to everyone, and yes, I've packed a a few vodka-based "holiday cheer" units under my belt. Maybe a few more than socially acceptable but...😎😎😎
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This was a great story! Thanks for posting and I really got caught up in it. Glad it worked out and you were reunited with a special guitar from your past. Sometimes it becomes way bigger than any dollar amount and it's a personal connection. That's what I love about Alembic guitars - it's ALWAYS a personal connection unlike the rest of the guitar universe.
Oh yeah, Merry Christmas to everyone, and yes, I've packed a a few vodka-based "holiday cheer" units under my belt. Maybe a few more than socially acceptable but...😎😎😎
I'll just say one word. Prosecco.
And two more: Merry Christmas!
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What a great ending to an amazing journey! What a great picture to. You guys look happy together :)
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Thanks Joe, you were a big help!
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An absolute pleasure to help my friend.
Joe
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What an amazing story! I'm happy that you got the happy ending you desired! Thank you for pointing out God's hand in the entire process & giving credit where credit was due! I absolutely agree with you! I don't think your story is over yet, I think there is a reason for you getting your bass back & I look forward to following your journey.
Rusty
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:D. Thanks Rusty!!! Your right!!
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You're welcome! I've never tried to locate my 1st Alembic that I sold, but God did bring about some circumstances that led to me buying 2 new ones. Out of respect for the posting rules I won't go into details here, but if you want to hear my story email me. My address is on my profile.
Rusty
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Ok guys and gals, this is about to get a bit... I won’t say weird, but at least unexpected. First, let me tell you I am a filthy rotten sinner. I ride a Harley. I have spent many nights playing music in smoke filled bars, and will again. (Thankfully there is not as much smoke these days.) I’m not exactly clean cut, and certainly not clean shaven. Not that any of those things make me a sinner. They don’t. But they also don’t fit the image many have of a “Christian.” I certainly don’t consider myself to be “religious.” I don’t wear any church denomination label. But.. I know that I have been saved by the grace of God. What you are about to read, some of you may discount entirely, and believe that I am way off base. And that is fine. But I just read a book and, because of that book, I am compelled to say what I am about to say.
Yesterday I told my wife the following... I know that God wants us to be generous, and spending the money I did getting my old bass back may not have been part of His plan. I could have used that money to help others, to pay our own bills, to put towards our kids’ college, etc... And goodness knows I risked all of that money, because the bass might not have made it back at all. BUT... for all of the circumstances to line up as they did... here is a recap...my bass playing was recently rekindled... my kids are now out of the house and I have more time, about three months ago I HAPPENED to be at a hotel bar (again, probably not the place “Christians “ hang out!) and saw a great player live... Quintin Berry (please check him out, unique style)... and all of this got me thinking about my old bass, the greatest playing and sounding bass I ever saw. Then I HAPPENED to see my old bass on eBay, the exact one, after trading it away 20 years ago, the wonderful people on this site found exactly where it was... half way across the world, in Japan, then I happened to have a cousin on military duty in Japan, who happened to be flying home for Christmas, and the customs/FWS folks, I guess, happened to be busy, or not care, and never questioned the CITES issues, which were so worrisome, and the baggage handlers handled the 43 year old case, made mostly of duct tape, with great care... well, all of that just seemed to work together too well to be happenstance, or a coincidence.
I’ll continue with my conversation with my wife in a bit. Now, add this to the equation, which I have not told before... two years ago I was rear-ended while riding my motorcycle. Fortunately I wasn’t injured badly. I did not file a law suit, but the insurance company sent a check to me, so that I wouldn’t. Guess when I received the check... two days before my cousin Clint needed the money to purchase the bass, in order to have it in time for his trip home. Guess the amount of the check... without giving the specifics... the check was enough to pay back my health insurance what they paid for my doctor bills, the purchase price of the bass, something for Clint’s expenses and for his time and efforts, and there is a bit left over to buy back the custom made flight case... oh yeah, which just HAPPENS to still be sitting at Elderly Instruments, waiting (for eight years) to be reunited with the bass.
So I continued telling my wife... we have a son. And while I want to teach my son good life lessons, I also get a lot of joy when things happen that just make him happy, bring him joy. In fact, he is just getting into the guitar, and I will get a lot of joy when he opens his Christmas present this year, which is a used Squire Strat, with a few nice upgrades. Well, I believe that God is my heavenly father. So, wouldn’t He get joy from things that make me happy? I think He does. And therefore, I think He had something to do with this whole bass thing!
And... while I pray to God for my family’s safety, that he heals my son’s roommate from Cancer, that he helps me live my life in a way that will be a blessing to others, and so on... I must admit to you, we all know the many things that could have happened to the bass, so I also prayed ... “God, I know it is certainly not important in the big scheme of things, and I know you are very busy with things that really matter, but, if you could help that bass get back in one piece, and without being confiscated by the FWS, I would appreciate it.”
I expect I may receive a few responses to this that say that I am nuts, or that this isn’t the place to discuss religion, or even some that agree that some “Providence” may have helped me get the bass back, but it might be attributed to the stars alignment, or “Karma”... or whatever, and that’s ok. I hope you believe me that I am not the preachy type, and I am not trying to convince anyone here of anything. The book I just read this morning (another coincidence?!) was about a farmer that needed a new (used) truck. Like my story, many things lined up just right for him and when it was all over, he looked back, and said he believes it was not only a blessing from God, but that God created all of the circumstances, not just so that he could get the new truck, but so that he would have a story to tell, about how God blessed him. After all that happened to me with the return of the prodigal bass, and just reading that book, this morning, how could I not do the same thing?!
So, though I may be marked as a religious fanatic on this site, and this posting may be turned over to the forum moderators and removed, I feel I must share. You can read this as just a nice story, or you can believe that I am giving too much credit for something that is only circumstantial. But hopefully there will be at least one person that will receive some kind of blessing from this, that it will make someone feel good. And if it does, you don’t have to respond and admit it!😊. I’m not looking to “out” any other believers.😉.
God may be up there saying “Allen, I don’t have time for those kind of things. Nice of you to give Me some credit, but I had nothing to do with you getting your bass back.” Maybe He didn’t. But maybe He did. In the Bible there is a story of a blind man that Jesus healed. The “religious” leaders questioned him about it, how, why, etc... He said “I don’t have answers for you. All I know is that I was blind, and now I can see.” All I know is that I enjoyed playing my new old bass for several hours yesterday, and I thank God (literally) for that opportunity!
Thanks for reading! MERRY CHRISTMAS! Allen
Thanks for sharing Allen,
To God be the glory!
Jon