Regardless of the role they play on stage or in the studio musicians have a wide range of valuable equipment to look after, but which of their possessions do they cherish the most? Here a swathe of musicians share what they value the most.
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Guest post by Rachel Campbell of The Case Farm
Whether you’re a drummer, singer or accordionist, you probably have that one piece of kit or equipment that you’ll never let go of. Every time you look at that autographed guitar pick, it brings back priceless memories that you’ll cherish forever.
Keeping your prized possessions safe from harm is essential, and The Case Farm know how to do just that. Their customised foam insert cases can be made for any object of any shape or size, no matter how small or fiddly, helping to keep your most prized possessions safe and in mint condition.
Here we’ve looked into what some musicians described as their most prized possessions, so read on to see if you can relate!
Handpicked by BBC Radio 3, Belle Chen was crowned one of the ‘Top 4 Best New Music by BBC Introducing Classical Artists’ in 2016. Here’s what she had to say about her most cherished possession.
“Currently my most prized possession as a musician is my Yamaha Silent B2,which is a silent acoustic piano by Yamaha. It gives me the ability for practising acoustically as well as work on sounds via midi straight into my laptop. It’s just perfect for late night sessions.”
Short Sharp Scratch is the creation of songwriter and producer, Jak Chantler. His prized possession helped him to kickstart his career.
“I could not survive without my YAMAHA silent guitar, it has been a game changer for me. It has lovely mellow tones for rhythm and picking parts but I can also create lead lines that really cut through the mix. I had a weekly gig that was keeping me afloat when I suffered a hand injury and struggled to play, until I tried the silent guitar, it literally saved my life! Also as it has an interesting design it draws attention, this guitar has boosted my popularity!”
Alternative-Rock band, Kernel Panic, talk about their favourite musical instruments.
Pedro (guitar and vox) — “I’ve just got a second hand Gibson Les Paul which is pretty much in mint condition. I bought it from eBay for about £300 less than it should have been. The action on it is perfect and I think it’s one I’ll use for years to come.”
Andy (bass) — “I think my personal has to be my Epiphone Les Paul Bass guitar which my family each put some money into when I was 15. I’ve since had a custom vinyl wrap which had my favourite albums on from when I was 18. My favourite albums have changed a bit but I still love the guitar.”
TJ (drums) — “My cymbals are priceless to me because I got them for my 18th birthday and I have been buying extra cymbals to add to my set up. They’re also priceless to me because they’re zildjian cymbals and in my opinion they are the best cymbal make in the world and I would never sell them.”
Natalie has a prized possession that most people would be envious of.
“My most prized possession is a guitar signed by Paul McCartney. I got a one to one songwriting session with him in my 3rd year of LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) and afterwards I (cheekily) asked him to sign my acoustic guitar. He complied enthusiastically and now it’s one of my prized possessions as it reminds me of my time at uni and some of the best memories I have.”
Reg found his 1944 Martin guitar hanging on the wall in a music shop in San Jose, California in March 2014.
“She caught my eye just as I was leaving the shop. I’d always wanted to own a vintage Martin but they are way out of my reach, price wise. This one was about $900, which was astoundingly low for such an instrument. Closer inspection revealed why. It had a replacement back, bridge and machine heads, the varnish looked like messy boiled toffee and the interior was a log train wreck. Still I thought I would give it a little play and immediately it sang.”
Feel free to share your own stories of your musical prized possessions with us! We’d love to hear them.