EL RENO’S GUITAR HEAVEN

EL RENO’S GUITAR HEAVEN By Louie Tyson   A quiz master participating in a parlor game called “What Am I?” may offer the following clues regarding this musical instrument:     “I am descended from a Roman ‘cithara,’ created about 40 A.D., and further     adapted and developed as an ‘oud’ and a ‘lut;’”     “My later incarnations came from the Moors (guitarra morisca) and the Latins     (guitarra latina);”     “Willie Nelson plays me quite well;” and     “If you want to find me at the largest location of its kind in the world, go to El     Reno, Oklahoma.”   El Reno? Oklahoma? Rock on!  Housed in a century-old building that practically “hums” as you enter, Oklahoma Vintage Guitar, with an inventory of over 3,000 instruments, is a tribute to the balladeer, the wandering minstrel and the headbanger. “Guitar heaven ” awaits those who enter their doors. Lead angel and proprietor Bobby Boyles, who has had a love affair with guitars since he was 15 years old, says that the iconic nature of the modern guitar captures the imagination like no other instrument.  “There seems to be an innate feeling in all of us to pick up a guitar and jam,” he said. “Every time I attempt to play a guitar, I feel the sweat and artistry of great American blues artists like Robert Johnson, the nimble fingers of Oklahoma’s own jazz genius Charlie Christian, and every young, talented player with a tune on his mind and a dream in his heart.”  As Boyles tells it, the journey that brought Oklahoma Vintage Guitar to El Reno was not without pitfalls and a learning curve. “We were looking for a building that would have appropriate character and location,” said Boyles, an Arkansas native who spent his non-musical career working with religious organizations and churches while also authoring several books. “From the minute I saw this historic treasure with its 10,000 square feet and met with the city fathers in El Reno, I knew it would be perfect for all our needs.” Guitars of all shapes, sizes, colors, styles and ownership line the walls, along with banjos, mandolins, fiddles and ukuleles. Also in the shop are accordions, keyboards, amplifiers, percussion instruments and resonators. Its vastness, combined with an almost spirituality, is nearly palpable.  “It’s all here – we want to be all things to all people, musically,” Boyles said. “Our friends love it that we have strings and other auxiliary guitar materials – sometimes there’s no larger emergency than a broken string.” Boyles has resisted corporate buyout opportunities and kept the emphasis of Oklahoma Vintage Guitar on customer service. And while Boyles has eschewed a “cookie cutter,” business model, the guitar lines that he carries are those with which he has worked closely since opening his first store. “We carry Martins, Gibsons, Taylors, Fenders and all the rest,” he said. Boyles makes particular mention of the “Ovation” guitar, which was developed by Charlie Kaman and virtuoso Glen Campbell. “When Charlie Kaman set about to build a better guitar 45 years ago, he had no preconceived notions about instrument design,” Boyles said. “After much analysis and experimentation, a parabolic ‘bowl’ shape proved to give the best projection, volume and tone. Ovation has gained its fame with its round back. “Interestingly, the Ovation is made using carbon graphite materials similar to those used on the nose cone of a 747 jet,” Boyles explained. Not satisfied that all major guitar lines are beating down his door, Boyles has worked to design his own. Presently, Oklahoma Vintage Guitar is the only location in the world where one can experience “Red River” guitars. “I call them ‘Red River’ after a wonderful fishing locale at home in central Arkansas; however, when I came to Oklahoma, I found that the Red River is the true dividing line between heaven and hell,” he said. “In all seriousness, all my years of experience playing and selling guitars have gone into the development and design of these instruments.” While prototypes of the guitar have been made overseas, Boyles said their manufacture will soon be made by hand in his El Reno shop. Boyles hopes to manufacture between 25-50 guitars in the first year of production. “We are going to build new guitars, both electric and acoustic, that will play like the classic pre-war Martins or pre-CBS Fenders – instruments that had legendary qualities,” he said. “Our ‘Red River’ guitars will also have a Native American sensibility, much like those made by artisans in the Cheyenne-Arapaho nation.”   Not one to dream small, Boyles next set his sights on an expansion of the store that will offer both historical and cultural insights into the guitar and its place in modern society.  “Our store is so grandiose and our lifelong guitar collection so impressive that during the next year, we will be turning the loft of the building into a guitar museum. People will be amazed at what we have,” Boyles teases. “I will mention that we have the Fender Telecaster Joe Walsh played during the days of the original recording of ‘Hotel California.” Boyles also says Fender guitars will be in abundance, from the Broadcaster and Nocaster to the 1952 Telecaster and the 1955 Stratocaster. When all is finished, the 2,000-square-foot museum will host about 250 guitars – for starters. “After all these years, I am very tied into the guitar community,” Boyles said. “There is always the valuable, one-of-a-kind instrument that appears on the market. With that in mind, there’s no telling what will be in this museum from day to day.” Boyles adds that his future museum and the city of El Reno are a match made in heaven. “El Reno is a historic city that is truly on the move. I am adding this museum at a time when the whole unique downtown is receiving a facelift that celebrates its history while also planning for a bright future.” Celebrities and professional musicians are not unaware of the Oklahoma Vintage Guitar store. “It seems now that we are a stop for professional musicians traveling this way as they go from gig to gig,” Boyles mused. “Most recently a contingent of band members who work with Kelly Clarkson drove up from Dallas just to check us out.” Another celebrity regular is Kerry Livegren, from the group Kansas, who regularly visits and trades guitars with Boyles. “We are always seeing bandmates of Toby Keith and Garth Brooks,” Boyles said. “Let’s face it, all these musicians are ‘guitar junkies’ and they get their fix by coming into our location for a visit.” Among the many celebrities with one of Boyles’ guitars in her collection is one not necessarily known for her playing skills. “A few years ago, Britney Spears was onstage doing a very difficult dance routine when she fell and seriously hurt her ankle,” Boyles said. “Rather than disappoint her paying fans, however, she finished the show. As a reward to her for being such a trouper, her manager called us and requested that we ship a ‘Daisy Rock’ guitar, an instrument manufactured specifically for women. This particular guitar was in the shape of a purple heart, and he gave her that ‘medal’ as a reward for going on with the show although wounded. We understand she was thrilled with the gift.”   For those who have the desire to learn, Oklahoma Vintage Guitar offers lessons to all ages of potential guitarists. “Some might think that we purists would be against computer games that simulate guitar playing,” Boyles said. “However, we find that the interest it creates causes people to try out the real thing.” Boyles said a recent family outing brought this particular concept home. “Over the holidays, my sister-in-law started playing ‘Guitar Hero. When she was through jamming with the kids, she and her husband asked to start lessons the next week, along with one of their sons.” So, from the inlay on the neck to the truss rod, fretboard and strings; from the first chord that rocked popular music as it introduced “A Hard Day’s Night” to the Brazilian rhythms of Antonio Carlos Jobim; and from the works of Carlos Santana to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, the guitar is and will continue to be man’s greatest attempt at combining art, design, music and style. A trip to Oklahoma Vintage Guitar will offer potential pickers just the right opportunity to twang, samba or just practice, practice, practice to achieve the uninhibited joy that only music can bring to both the performer and the listener.