Campfire guitars - does anybody really use them around a campfire?

2manband

2manband

Kick Henry Jackassowski
We all know the archetypal "campfire guitar" - a cheap but decent sounding acoustic - probably a dreadnaught style - that one typically uses to strum some open chords and sing some popular songs with some friends around a campfire.

And lots of people own a "campfire guitar" or find a good deal on an inexpensive guitar and tell themselves, "Oh this can be my campfire guitar"

Problem is, I don't know anybody who actually use a campfire guitar for capfire guitar-ing.

I've played a lot of acoustic guitar, and I've hung out with friends - often times other guitar players - around many a capfire. But there's never really been any guitar playing going on.

Is this out of the ordinary? Are you guys roasting marshmallows and strumming G chords on your Takamine's over the weekend, or is this whole notion of a "campfire guitar" just wistful romance?

Edit - I see that STFU has inserted itself in the word "w i s t f u l"
I was gonna change that, but I think I'll let it ride.
 
I' ve played acoustic round the campfire, but it's been 20 years or so since I did.
fwiw, we played metal tunes.
 
I tried it once, got busted by the Bad Cliche Police. :embarrassed:

Actually I can't remember the last time I actually hung out around a campfire. I think it was when I was a kid before I had even started on guitar.
 
we had a tipi built in the woods behind a pal's house.
we'd go out there, drink and whatnot, and play guitar round the fire.
some of the best metal tunes we did back then started on those nights.
 
I think I tried it once or twice, and was pretty unimpressed.

It's hard to see what anybody else is playing (cuz it's dark)
You have to bring your guitar along on a camping trip (when you may already have more gear than you'd care to mess with)
You have to worry about it getting rained on, stepped on, knocked over, etc. Some drunk asshole playing it.

etc. etc.
 
we were the drunk assholes.:lol:
this was only a 15 minute walk out from our drummer's backyard, so it wasn't actually camping.
so I guess it wasn't actually a campfire, but a boozing fire.
 
I've probably played more music around a campfire than anywhere else. My old bluegrass band used to practice outdoors around a fire pit. The banjo player owned about 40 acres backed up to the National Forest. Pretty much year round except in the the coldest dead of the winter, or if it was raining. We used Martins and Gibsons, and my old Kay bass.
 
Over the summer we had a weekend-long full-band writing/drinking session at which we very drunkenly built a fire in the firepit in our singer's backyard and very loudly performed our entire set on three acoustics and a set of congas. We had fun. The neighbors, not so much.

:embarrassed:
 
I suppose I should also mention that the sun rise during our set closer that morning. It was likely a little after 4am when we started the set. We all also passed out in the backyard. :embarrassed:
 
I've got an old Ibanez Performance acoustic, perfect for campfire music. We don't have to go anywhere for it, we have one every month or so if it's not too hot or too cold. I can walk the property and scavenge up enough kindling easily and keep firewood stacked up in 2 areas, one for outdoors (mostly pine) and the other for the fireplace.

I love sitting around the fire with a cold drink and friends, or just my wife. It's therapeutic. And I can play in the dark :grin: :wink:
 
Yes, I have a number of times. On a Takamine, no less. The guy in the next camp told us to STFU, too.
 
Every summer, first week in August. Guild D25M. The site of the fire moves by a few feet from year to year, but it's in the same field, with (mostly) the same people.
 
My wife wisely suggested putting a natural gas fire pit on our back porch. That, my Seagull, and a cup of coffee make for a very relaxing evening.

As far as actual camping, I work hard to live indoors with plumbing. Why would I give that up?
 
I was handed a guitar while sitting next to a campfire once in my life. When I stood up to take the guitar I realized how drunk I was and handed it back :embarrassed:
 
The last time I did something like that was at a jam at a friend's house where there was a big fire pit in the backyard. Everyone brought their acoustics and took turns leading a song. Pretty sure I played my Martin D-28. Not exactly a campfire guitar, but in that crowd it wasn't out of place.
 
I used to when I was younger, camped and was first learning guitar. I think some of the cracks in the finish of my acoustic are campfire related :shrug: Camping is the only time I've really ever played for an audience (small but still)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top