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So today, I went to Patrick's house to help him do a repair on a bass he made for his brother known as Frankenbass. A monster of woods thrown together with a pretty plain body with some custom features upon the request of his brother. I was sanding, which is something I take great pride in doing when working on an instrument. It's something I know I'm great at, and I know I can do with great care. It seems easy, but it takes a toll on your hands. I enjoyed it, I needed it to be honest.
While I was working on Frankenbass, Patrick was working on his new upcoming bass, a fretless with two scrolls and another monster of woods thrown together to be given the name "The Boxer Bass". And while working side by side for the first time since summer with Patrick, I felt totally humbled to be working with such a man of the craft. Doing something you're completely passionate about is something else, it really is. I love what I do and I'm lucky to have found what I love now instead of when I'm 40 facing some severe depression.
While working, we were talking about a very accomplished luthier, Carl Thompson. He's the man who builds Les Claypool's basses and Stanley Clarke's basses. He's a force to be reckoned with. Now while he may be accomplished, he's not passionate about what he does. Carl builds because he has orders to fill now and it's beyond his control. He wanted to be a jazz guitarist, but when word got out that he built an instrument, requests were made for him to build for others.
That is the worst.
I said that it hurts that someone we both look up to hates what he does. Then Patrick said something that made a lot of sense, "never meet your heroes". I think Patrick was let down more than me when he found this out. I mean I love Carl and his work, but Patrick builds because of him. Patrick's reason for anything related to bass building or repair comes from Carl. For me, I saw Patrick's bass during Children's Theater and I wanted him to build me one, but his basses are quite costly so I asked him to teach me how to build one. Ever since I started, I can't stop. My real hero is Stuart Spector, look his ass up dawgs. I want to work for him, but after hearing Patrick say what he said, I'm worried about meeting him and possibly being let down, I don't know how I'd regard the craft after hearing that what he's doing is just to make money, not to make people happy or himself. I can't handle that kind of news.
"Never meet your heroes" -Patrick Goodsell
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Heavy duty. Although I have a feeling that Carl Thompson is a better luthier than he ever was as a player.
ReplyDeleteThe world has a habit of putting us in places we are needed, in places in which we are deemed useful.
And I agree, never meet your heros. It is like opening up a Christmas Present of a rocket ship... you'll discover that it only goes to the moon in your imagination and it is made out of cheap plastic.
Luke
Carl even said he had no choice but to become a luthier. His mom told him to never keep what he knew to himself, that he should share it with who ever would listen no matter what it was. He's been taking her advice and working in Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteTruth be told, he probably is a better luthier. Hell, he plays bass now for a jazz group he's in. He's become too much of a legend and I think he's still too "humbled" to be bothered with his title.