The Guitar
The two women proudly presented the guitar to Vernon. He looked it over, picked it up and plucked a few strings. He smiled. For a few minutes he explored the guitar with his finger. He thanked his wife and her sister. Vernon, a product of a musical background, had never seen such a guitar.

First off, the hollow body was all steel. Where most guitars had a hole in the middle, this one had what looked like a perforated metal plate. Finally, the guitar was loud. What Vernon had was a National Stringed Instrument Company Duolian. Although the bottom of the National line, the Duolian was part of a family of loud, rugged guitars built for performers. Initially the marketers targeted Hawaiian and jazz musicians. However, the steel resonator guitar found its greatest acceptance among Black blues performers playing tent shows and juke joints.

Vernon didn’t know that much about the guitar or about playing it. He got a book. Mostly he just fooled around, making noises that over time became music. Happy to see Vernon doing something, his family encouraged him and began to praise his efforts.

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