Outlets of Sound Anonymous

Every time I strap on a guitar, a joyous juxtaposition of feeling washes over me. Sweet harmony glides on a smooth, still surface of my mind, while nervous anticipation rumbles underneath in a tumultuous undercurrent. Behind the neck of this instrument I feel a perfect duality of absolute calm, coupled with an electric energy. When I plug into my amp, all worries quiet but the mind stays awake, in complete synergy with the hands, working together in a unit to create a third appendage, one more powerful than any physiological one. A working unit of sound and power capable of moving people, capable of tapping into the power of human emotion.

If a guitar is nothing but wood and wiring to a player than he will do nothing more than just play notes, but if he sees the guitar for what it is, a new dimension will open up to him. It is behind this instrument that I feel most creative and at peace with everything.

My true love for guitar began when I first watched my uncle plug his Gibson Les Paul into a massive Marshall amp and rip into an E chord, sending a powerful reverberation into my young ears. After incessant begging, rivaled only by Ralphie in the film A Christmas Story, I received an acoustic guitar as a Christmas gift. What...