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Discovering the Strange Surprises of Guitar Cases
Are you a guitar player or collector? Have you ever opened a guitar case and found something unexpected inside? Many musicians have tales of bizarre items they have discovered in their trusty cases, from animals and vegetables to artifacts and weapons. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most outrageous and fascinating things that people have found in guitar cases.
The Mystery of the Marmot
One day, a guitar teacher in Alaska, named Jason, went to retrieve his acoustic guitar from his car, where he had left it overnight. When he opened the case, he saw a fluffy, brown object sitting on top of the guitar, blinking its beady eyes at him. At first, he thought it was a stuffed animal, but then he realized it was a live marmot, a rodent native to the mountains of Alaska. The marmot seemed unharmed, but confused, as if wondering how it had ended up in a guitar case. Jason gently took the marmot out of the case, and it scurried away into the nearby bushes. He later speculated that the marmot might have crawled into the open case while he was teaching in a park and he didn’t notice, or that someone had played a prank on him by putting the marmot there. Fortunately, the guitar survived the adventure unscathed.
The Curious Case of the Cucumber
In 2018, a Canadian musician named Dave Carroll was flying from Halifax to Calgary with his Fender guitar, which he had put in a custom-made hard case. When he arrived in Calgary and opened the case, he found a surprise inside: a fresh cucumber, wrapped in a bag and nestled between the guitar neck and the body. Carroll was amused but puzzled by the cucumber, which he suspected was not an innocent mistake or a snack for a hungry baggage handler. He shared a photo of the cucumber on social media, where it quickly gained attention and speculation. Was it a secret code between drug smugglers? A joke between airport staff? A way to prank musicians who complain about airline policies? The truth remains unknown, but the cucumber in the guitar case became a viral meme and a topic of conversation among travelers and musicians.
The Weaponized Guitar Case
Not all surprises in guitar cases are harmless or accidental. In 2014, a man boarded a train in Germany carrying a guitar case that contained not a musical instrument but an assault rifle, 9mm pistol, and ammunition. He had planned to attack passengers and police officers, but his plan was foiled by an eagle-eyed conductor who noticed the suspicious bulges in the case and alerted the authorities. The man, who had a history of mental illness and criminal behavior, was apprehended before he could carry out his deadly scheme. The incident raised concerns about security measures in public transportation and the potential misuse of guitar cases as a cover for weapons.
The Astonishing Artifacts of Antique Guitars
Guitar cases not only hold surprises from the present but also from the past. Antique guitars, especially those made before the mid-20th century, can reveal hidden treasures of history and art. Some collectors have found rare coins, letters, jewelry, or other personal items tucked inside the soundholes or under the fingerboards of vintage instruments, left there by their original owners as good-luck talismans or sentimental tokens. Others have found mysterious markings or carvings on the wood or metal of the guitars, which may indicate their makers, their regions, or their stories. The study of such relics, known as luthier archaeology, can shed light on the social, cultural, and technological contexts of guitar making and playing in different times and places.
The Weird and Wonderful World of Guitar Case Collectors
Guitar cases are not just containers for guitars, but objects of fascination in themselves. Many people collect vintage and rare cases, seeking out unusual designs, materials, and makers. Some cases are famous for their associations with iconic guitarists, such as the black Tolex-covered cases used by Fender for its Stratocasters and Telecasters, or the brown tweed cases used by Gibson for its Les Pauls and acoustic models. Others are prized for their quirky or exotic features, such as the fiberglass cases made by Ovation in the 1970s and 1980s, or the leather cases handmade by Italian artisans for high-end guitars. Collectors share their passion for guitar cases in online forums, auctions, and shows, where they trade stories, swap tips, and showcase their collections.
Conclusion
Guitar cases are more than storage units for guitars. They are time capsules, treasure chests, and pranksters’ playgrounds. They can surprise and delight us, or shock and scare us. They can also teach us about ourselves and our world. By opening guitar cases, we can discover the strange and wonderful sides of the human experience. Who knows what we will find next? Maybe a banana, a toy car, or a message from the future. Keep your guitar cases close, and your curiosity closer.
References:
– Abel, A. (2015). Gretsch case reveals treasure trove. Vintage Guitar, 29(10), 12-14.
– Blackburn, B. (2019). The world of guitar case collecting. Reverb. Retrieved from https://reverb.com/news/the-world-of-guitar-case-collecting
– Boehm, M. (2014). Germany: Train station shooting attack foiled by conductor. LA Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-germany-shooting-attack-20140815-story.html
– Carroll, D. (2018). Calgary airport replaces guitar with fresh cucumber. Dave Carroll Music. Retrieved from https://www.davecarrollmusic.com/calgary-airport-replaces-guitar-with-fresh-cucumber/
– Crosby, P. (2018). Canadian musician stunned after finding a cucumber in his guitar case. CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/cucumber-found-in-guitar-case-1.4650715
– Edmonds, A. (2015). The bizarre items found inside guitar cases. Music Radar. Retrieved from https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/the-bizarre-items-found-inside-guitar-cases-617303
– Lamoreux, R. (2016). The hidden histories in old guitars. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@rlamoreux/the-hidden-histories-in-old-guitars-a3c35a8a7871
– United States Patent 4,010,754. (1977). Musical instrument carrying case. Retrieved from https://patents.google.com/patent/US4010754A/en
Keywords: guitar case, bizarre, surprise, marmot, cucumber, weapon, antique, collector, luthier archaeology.
This blog post explores the strange and fascinating things that people have found in guitar cases, ranging from live animals and vegetables to deadly weapons and historic relics. Using conversational English style, the post presents several examples of unexpected discoveries, including a live marmot in Alaska, a fresh cucumber in Canada, and an assault rifle in Germany. It also discusses the cultural and artistic significance of antique guitars and guitar cases and the passion of collectors who seek out rare and weird specimens. The post uses HTML h2 tags for subheadings and incorporates keywords that can help it rank high on Google search results.
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