Move over Eddie Van Halen!

Add this to the long list of things that I never thought I would do--I bought an electric guitar. I am not the prototypical rocker. In fact, most nights I'm in bed by 10. But, the guys in the band had suggested that perhaps some of the songs that I play rhythm on would sound better with an electric rather than the acoustic I usually play. I couldn't really argue. My beloved acoustic certainly has it's place, but there are just times when rocking out is totally necessary. You can't really "rock out" on an acoustic. There's something too refined and subdued about the instrument. It kinda screams "coffee shop," not "rock concert."

Anyway, the idea of playing an electric struck a chord with me (yeah, I know, bad pun), so I found myself trying to find one. I didn't want anything flashy--I wanted a sleek-looking, rock 'n roll guitar, preferably black...none of this pink sparkly crap for me. I priced new ones and found that I was going to need at least a couple hundred dollars to get one. I figured there had to be a cheaper option. So, I went to my favorite Web site, craigslist, where I've gotten everything from haircuts to free furniture, to see what I could find there. I found one. For $50. It came complete with the amp and everything...for $50. I e-mailed figuring that someone else would snatch it up before I could get there. They didn't. At 9:30 at night, a time that mysteriously qualifies as "late" these days, the guy e-mailed me back saying it was still available and that he wanted it gone that night. So, I changed out of my pajamas, hopped in my car with my friend the Zombiemaster, and drove to this guy's apartment to pick up the guitar. I was expecting to find a beaten up instrument, but instead I found an almost pristine Yamaha electric guitar, with chords and amp. Again, for 50 stinking bucks! That's the kind of deal you just can't pass up. I need some new strings, a longer chord, and a bag to carry it in and I'm ready to rock! Who knew?!