This morning I received an email from a company I've been a customer of-
Carvin Guitars showing, yes, that photo op:
The text of their promotion (you, too, can have a
Presidential guitar, sans seal, for $729!), my response, and call to action for my fellow musicians follows. Let's press music equipment manufacturers to do their part to help get New Orleans back on tap,tap,tapping feet.
Carvin Guitar's email boasts:
President Bush arrived in San Diego the week of August 29th as part of a 3 city tour. Bush addressed thousands of Navy sailors, Marines, and World War II veterans at The North Island Naval Station in Coronado, CA. Coronado is one of the coastal San Diego cities that is also known for the historic Hotel Del Coronado.
Country star, Mark Wills, flew in to play a special show for the military crowd and had contacted Carvin 4 days prior to arrange a special gift for The President. Mark commissioned a special Carvin Cobalt acoustic guitar to be adorned with the official Presidential Seal. On Friday August 26, the image of the official seal arrived and Carvin's art dept quickly output a color decal and sent it down to the Custom Shop. A Carvin Cobalt C980 was selected for the seal and after 5 coats of gloss, the guitar was finished Monday August 29, just in time for The President's arrival in San Diego.
Carvin's Vice President, Mark Kiesel, personally delivered the Presidential Guitar to Mark Wills when he arrived in San Diego on Monday evening. The following day, Mark Wills presented the guitar to President Bush following his visit to the Naval Base.
Well, it's going to take quite a bit more than "5 coats of gloss" for me to not see Carvin as shameful for promoting this ill-timed, ill-conceived photo op to sell its wares in the face of the continuing horror. I respond:
Dear Carvin Guitars,
Today I recieved an email from you, in which you proudly show the President goofing around with a Carvin guitar. Perhaps you are not aware that this photograph has made quite a few rounds on the internet- and not in a good way. It represents to many of us the very callousness of this President in the face of the worst human tragedy to ever befall our nation. At this very moment, the tragedy continues. Your proud use of that image was, for many of us (regardless of politics), very bad- not good- public relations. Here is a proposal which may help undo this damage to your image:
New Orleans was our country's music capital, proudly representing every genre of music in the world- jazz, zydeco, country, blues, gospel, r&b, rock, reggae... and on and on. Now it's fallen silent with musicians dead or evacuated, their equipment destroyed. I would love to see Carvin step up to the plate, and help get New Orleans rocking the very instant its citizens (and its guests) are allowed to return. Perhaps an equipment trade-in: their destroyed/water logged gear for nice, new (Presidential, even!) Carvin gear. This would help restore livelyhoods to brilliant musicians who have lost everything. This will help restore our collective pride in this amazing city and its amazing culture. This will help take away the bad taste left in my mouth at seeing your ill-timed, ill-conceived promotion. It will be fantastic public relations (and likely a tax write off) for you. In this time, every one of us needs to help, each within our own abilities. Surely, our newly destitute and devestated brothers and sisters in music are more deserving of your largess than a millionaire politician who cannot form a G chord....
I do hope you will give serious consideration to such a proposal. I remain
Respectfully yours,
[redacted]
Carvin, especially, needs to jump into action. Contact them
here
or call 1-800-854-2235
But really, this is an idea that should be applied much more broadly. New Orleans is truly a pillar of not just America's, but the world's culture. Its architecture, its food, and its music are informed by, and are a reflection of every corner of the world. What remains of its architecture will be seen soon enough. For those that remain, its food is reduced to MREs- IF you're lucky. Those who got out now comprise a diaspora of damn good cooking. But it's music is silenced. Music companies everywhere should dig and dig deep. Everybody wins. So, musicians: who made your equipment? Let's use the comments to round up contact information, and let's get to work.
I'll start:
Gretsch Guitars: 480-596-9690
Yamaha Guitars: : contact form
D'Addario Strings: contact form