On Friday I was at work in a local guitar store doing my regular techin’ and repairs thing. We’ve had a gorgeous left-handed Fiesta Red Fender American Vintage II 61 Stratocaster on the wall for quite a few months, and while rearranging the lefty display, the guitar department manager noticed that the action was super high on that guitar. So I took it to the tech room to give it a little bit of love. It was clear the neck needed a truss rod adjustment after going from winter to summer.
So I removed the strings, popped the neck off and saw this:
‘Mikkel Lives.’
Who was Mikkel? This was clearly written by a Fender factory worker (probably Javier if I’d venture to guess), probably to memorialise somebody who they lost. Was Mikkel a fellow factory worker? A friend? A family member? A pet?
Whoever Mikkel was, Mikkel is now the name of this guitar, and whoever buys it will be told the story and provided with the photo above, and their memory can live on in the music this instrument goes on to play.