Guitars!

Guitars have always been a part of my life. The association with the six strings has seen me through the thick and thin of life. No matter however little I may have excelled at performing with it, the guitar has helped me gather friends, sail through the 'ragging' period in college with relative ease, getting invited to parties where lesser mortals like me would have been forgotten about otherwise and of course, the opportunity to play with a band which actually 'got paid' for its performances! Picture above was taken at the store 'Guitar Center' in Las Vegas.

The one below was taken at a rather a unusually decorated Ozzy store 'Kosmic Sound' in Perth.

But the fascination with this instrument for an enthusiast does not remain to playing and listening. The myriad models of the guitar out there in the market is simply mind blowing! As a matter of fact merely learning about and following the numerous styles, makes, 'editions', technologies, etc. of the instrument in itself can be an engrossing past time or hobby. And only a genuine enthusiast and connoisseur can understand the value of a $25,000 Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein replica or a $17,000 Fender Custom Shop Stevie Ray Vaughan Lenny Tribute Stratocaster (one of which I could touch at a Las Vegas 'Guitar Center'!)

There is even a parallel art form of making miniature scale replicas of guitars which are interesting collectors' items for guitarists as well as non-guitarist enthusiasts. The pictures below are of such beautiful and spectacular hand made scale models of various 'famous' models and 'editions' of guitars at one of those colourful 'bazaars' in Fremantle, Perth Australia.

The little girl in the frame will give you an idea of the scale of the miniature replica guitars.