Na Papa A'i kila: Nā Heroes Unsung of Guitar Background (A no ke aha ʻoe e mālama ai).
(Papa A'i Metala?)
E ʻae e kūkākūkā i kahi mea āu i ʻike ʻole ai ma kāu kīkā– Inā ʻaʻole i hoʻemi ʻia ma waena o ka solo a ʻōwili ʻia ma lalo o ka sofa. ʻO ke kila colonial neck plate. Ke kani nei me he relic mālama ʻole ʻia mai kahi puke steampunk, akau? Akā ʻo kēia hunk metala ʻole ka MVP unsung o ka paʻa o kāu koʻi, a ʻoi aku ka maʻalili o kāna moʻolelo hope ma mua o kou manaʻo.
ʻo ka mea mua loa, he aha hoʻi * ʻo ia * he papa ai? E kiʻi i kāu ʻāʻī a me kou kino me kahi pilina paʻa. Ua like ka ʻāʻī me ke apo hanana male– Hoʻopili ia iā lākou no laila ʻaʻole lākou e hoʻokalakupua kekahi i kekahi i loko o kahi ʻāpana. Me ka ʻole, ʻoiaʻiʻo e haʻalulu ana kāu kīkā me he hale kiaʻi ʻo Jenga i loko o kahi ʻino. Akā naʻe, ʻaʻole maʻalahi nā papa ʻāʻī colonial; he mau pila manawa liʻiliʻi lākou. ʻO ka “colonial” e pili ana ke kaila i kela mau wili eha, i hoʻolaha ʻia nā papa ʻehā i ka makahiki 1950 e kahi hui liʻiliʻi āu i lohe ai i kapa ʻia ʻo Fender. Y’ ʻike, ka poʻe i kuhi hewa i ka pōhaku 'n’ ʻōwili me ka Telecaster a me Stratocaster.
Eia ke kicker: ʻAʻole i paʻi wale ʻia kēia mau papa no ka nānā ʻana. Ua hana ʻia lākou no ka puʻunaue like ʻana i ka manaʻo, ʻoi aku ka paʻa o ka ʻāʻī o kāu kīkā ma mua o ka metronome. ʻAʻole i loaʻa i nā rockers mua ka manawa no ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i nā moeʻuhane– Ua paʻa loa lākou i ka hoʻokumu ʻana i nā luʻu kahua a me nā makuahine a me nā makua kaumaha. ʻO ka pā colonial ka mea i hoʻoholo ʻia no ka mea ua hana ia. E like me ka maʻalahi. Eia naʻe ma lalo kahi e ʻono ai: i ka manawa, ua ulu kēia mau papa mai ka ʻenehana haʻahaʻa a hiki i ka hoʻomana kahiko.
ʻO nā mea hoʻokani pila kahiko (ʻōlelo mālama) will wax poetic about “ʻā-pololei” papa ʻāʻī. ʻO kahi '52 Telecaster plate vs. he '59? ʻŌ, ua hoʻokaʻawale ʻia nā wili ma nā ʻano like ʻole, a ʻo ke ʻano font ma ka helu serial * iki iki * ihulima. He mea nui! Hoʻolimalima ka poʻe hoihoi i ke kālā lapuwale no kēia mau helu mai, i ka honua guitar, ʻO ka hilinaʻi ke aliʻi. Hiki i ka pā colonial maoli ke hoʻololi i ka hana hou i a “relic” waiwai he mau tausani.
Akā ʻaʻole ʻae ʻoe e haʻalele i ka ʻelepani ma ia wahi: hoʻolālā. Ua hoʻololi maoli ka poʻe luthiers o kēia wā i nā ʻāʻī i loko o nā canvases liʻiliʻi. Nā ʻīlio hae i kālai ʻia, nā logo i kālai ʻia i ka laser, ʻoiai nā memo i hoʻopilikino ʻia e like me “Ke kaua nei kēia mea hana i ka ʻoihana” (e nana ana ia oe, nā pūʻali punk). E hoʻololi i kāu pā maʻamau no kahi mea hōʻikeʻike, and unexpectedly your guitar has a backstory. “Yeah, this plate? Restored from a ’67 Jaguar that endured Woodstock. Smells like patchouli and poor decisions.”.
And afterwards there’s the mythos. Ever before heard the report that Keith Richards’s Telecaster neck plate was changed with a beer container cap throughout a 1972 excursion? Total hogwash, however that’s the magic– these plates inspire tales. They’re the silent witnesses to years of riffs, sweat, and the occasional airborne whiskey container.
So why should you care? Since every guitar has a heart, and the neck plate is its back. It’s a tip that achievement frequently hides in plain sight. Next time you get your guitar, give that little steel rectangle a nod. It’s not simply holding your neck in position; it’s anchoring years of background, one power chord each time.
(Papa A'i Metala?)
And if any person calls you odd for geeking out over an item of steel, simply laugh and state, “It’s not a phase, Mommy. ʻO ia * heritage *.”.
E nīnau iā mākou
inā makemake ʻoe e ʻike hou aku, e ʻoluʻolu e hoʻokaʻaʻike mai iā mākou. (nanotrun@yahoo.com)