It’s a Splendor

Published on by bushboy

The Ragtag Daily Prompt Monday: Splendour

A short story about my Splendor guitar.

The Splendor, semi-acoustic guitar, is the first guitar I bought with my hard earned money.

I worked in a factory on weekends while I was at school basically making toasters and electric jugs. After a while I was doing everything from unloading and the goods in dock in the rear lane, to loading the truck at the front loading dock. The worse job was in Summer, working on the top floor with just a tin roof above, doing the powder coating of the toaster bases and other stuff.

It was a huge oven over 3+ metres tall with rods attached at the side to a wheel and chain that rotated the rods up and into the burners. I had racks with magnets and I attached 6 bases to the rack, walk INTO THE OVEN a short way and hang the rack. Then take the next hot one out returning it over to cooling racks. Rinse and repeat for 8hrs. I used to work with my arms and torso out of my overalls. It was probably 40C up there. Wasn’t too bad on a frosty morning. There was always the company of the person putting indoor spiral TV aerials together. They looked similar to this one.

Hi-Q Aerials
http://www.hiqaerials.com.au/product/A23/INDOOR%20SPIRAL%20ANTENNA

By the end of my time there I was earning $20 a day. Pretty rich for a school kid. Back then petrol was probably about 30c a gallon, a pack of smoke was less than a dollar and a glass of beer in the pub was 20c for a schooner.

I paid $115.00 It still sounds so good and has so many variables, look at all the knobs and switches. I know nothing about the origins other than it was made in Japan in the 1970’s. I can’t find anything despite searching or maybe I’m not a good searcher.

Oh should add a colour photo as well

Also for Terri’s Sunday Stills: #Sports and #Hobbies

31 thoughts on “It’s a Splendor”

  4. I’m a sucker for stories of hard-working school kids getting a reward somewhere along the line (having been one myself) and this is so heartening. Loved the tale of the work and the guitar looks gorgeous. I can imagine your pride in such an instrument when you bought it, and it’s great to know that it’s still good to go. I hope you find the provenance once day and trace it to its roots.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Wow – such an impressive work ethic. Your story was fun to read. Glad you still have the guitar and that you still play it. It looks well-loved and treasured. My hubby has a Les Paul from that era too – it’s hard to find actual value without getting it professionally appraised.

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  9. lol as I started reading I recalled my days in the paper bag factory and thought you’d have a tin roof as we did! Over 100 all summer and me chief of the handle depart. meant dealing with the hot things that glued the handles on …

    sadly I don’t have a great guitar to boast about my exploits, it all went in board!

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        1. I was imaging big pots glue, large brushes, overalls and dabbing, sticking, put to the side….next.
          My second job in Grace Bros was packing groceries at the checkout. I was around 15. One lady complained that I didn’t pack all of her shopping as there was only a couple of bags. Obviously she never had her groceries packed by some a bit OCD who had to use every available space so everything fitted perfectly together in that paper bag 🙂

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        3. At least the 10 Ton presses were downstairs but the just banged on all day. Working the presses stamping out shapes from pieces of metal. No ear protection either

          Liked by 1 person

        4. guess you have hearing loss now?

          They brought us those little bottles of cold soft drinks every hour as the govt claimed nobody should work there once it hit 100! They gave me a sympathy card when I left to work in the library 🙂 Air con and decent work conditions!

          Liked by 1 person

        5. Found this in pending, sorry Kate. Yes I have tinnitus more, loud music, chainsaws, mowers…..it all adds up. A sympathy card sounds strange, maybe sorry you are leaving. How was the sympathy for, those left behind or you for moving up in the world 🙂

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