Christmas at OK Guitars (Again)
OK Guitars (not at Christmas) but this is the place where it all happened
I was going to write a new Christmas poem this year (like I promised last year) but I re-read the one my wife and I wrote in 2015 and threw up…my hands and said, “I can’t do any better than this. I know my limitations”. So, for the third time (first time if you’re new to the site this year) here is “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas at OK Guitars”
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the pad
I was playing my Gibson- not great, but not bad.
I remembered a blues lick and played it with flair
Just like in the days when I had all my hair.
The block necks were hung not too tight or too loose,
As I waited for Santa inside my caboose.
I had them all tuned and I played every one.
The truss rods were perfect, the strings tightly strung.
All of a sudden on the roof of my shop,
I spied an old fat dude just reeking of pot.
He fell off the roof and into the snow.
I asked him right in. Why he came, I don’t know.
There was ice in his beard and mud on his boot,
And I thought only rock stars could wear such a suit.
He took down a red one, just like Eric C.
His fingers flew faster than old Alvin Lee.
It was wailing and screaming all over the town.
I could hear my Dad yelling, “Turn that damn thing down!”
Who knew this weird guy, such a flash with a pick
And a love of guitars, would be old Saint Nick?
I couldn’t believe all the sounds in my ear.
He said, “You get good working one day a year.”
Now Jimi, Now BB, Now John, George and Paul
Would bow to this master, the best of them all.
“You remember that Christmas back in ’63?
When you found a new six string left under your tree?
You started to doubt that I was the truth,
But my gift to you then was a link to your youth.
So for all of the years that would come in between,
Way deep down inside, you’d still feel like sixteen.”
He picked up some cases by Lifton and Stone,
Some old Kluson tuners and a worn out Fuzztone.
“Now, Charlie Gelber you must hear my pitch,
‘Cause this is my time and payback’s a bitch.
The 335 please, the red 59.
I gave you your first one, now this ax is mine”.
And quick as a flash it was stuffed in his sack,
And he waved a goodbye as he snuck out the back.
He jumped in his sled and sparked up a j,
Flew into the sky and was off on his way.
So if feeling sixteen is what sets you right,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
By Charlie and Victoria Gelber
With apologies to Clement Clark Moore
Love it! The mental image of that funky Santa making off with a super rare red ‘59 dotneck 335 is priceless! Rock on Santa! Three cheers to Charlie for writing this wonderful blog that educates and entertains us all year long! Happy Holidays y’all!
Merry Christmas to you and your family Charlie!
Here’s a little 335 Holiday Spirit…
Nice! What are the years of those red bad boys?
Thanks! 1963 & 1964
Right on! My current ES’s are ‘59 345 and ‘62 Riviera…