NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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JSett
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Re: NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Post by JSett » Thu Nov 03, 2022 11:04 pm

Telliot wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 8:05 pm
Unicorn Warrior wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 7:22 pm
Telliot wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:29 am
US flags and camouflage are massive no-no's for me. Also see: white guy with dreadlocks.
Not to derail.

What is your reasoning for being put off by these things?

I work with a white guy with dreads. He’s one of the most pleasant people I’ve ever met. Probably won’t have a guitar finished with a white guy with dreads on it, but still
Well, this probably could be a thread in and off itself, but I have a strong knee jerk reaction to cultural appropriation. White people have stolen enough from Black culture, dreads are an extension of that in my eyes.
It's a touchy subject but I don't see an issue with any of it unless it's done from a position of mockery and context is everything. At this point in time cultural dress and styles and music are so mixed up that it's, in my eyes, almost a moot point. White guys with dreads, Africans in 3-piece suits, Japanese bikers dressed like Hells Angels, white people in the 70s/80s with tight perms, Black Americans with chemically straightened and bleached hair, Japanese girls in Germanic check dresses, white dudes playing the blues, Chinese pianists playing Beethoven....everyone borrows from everyone now.

I think it's a bit of an overreaction for the most part considering its not in any way limited to one culture doing it to another as a one-way street. Like I said...context is key.

I mean, how do you feel about this Ukrainian/Jewish dude with dreads? Quite the moral conundrum...

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Re: NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Post by gishuk » Fri Nov 04, 2022 4:33 am

Dreadlocks were never an exclusively black thing anyway, they would have been found in many cultures such as Celts and Greeks etc.

As for the guitar I think it looks awesome, although I'm not American or in any way a fan of nationalism.

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Re: NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Fri Nov 04, 2022 4:36 am

I used to have dreadlocks, for well over a decade, so maybe I'm biased.

I really don't get the "cultural appropriation" argument for many of the reasons stated above. We're at such a stage now, socially evolving, genres blending, fashions crossing over, sexuality & gender rules being re-addressed. Just this massive, rather messy melting pot, but it's great, IMO.
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Re: NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Post by Larry Mal » Fri Nov 04, 2022 5:59 am

Well, while people have always borrowed culture, and that kind of hairstyle is common to a lot of cultures, within the specific culture of the United States dreadlocks had never been worn by white Americans until black Americans started wearing it. I don't care what anyone does, but it's simply not a case of anything other than cultural appropriation in this nation.

Now, you could argue, hey, it's just a hairstyle, Larry, but in the United States nothing is just anything. And the reason it's a little galling is because of the historical and continued biases against black hairstyles, which has led to situations in which black folk have felt a need to make their hair become more like white people's hair or face prejudice in the workplace.

The reverse of that of course is some white person adopting a black hairstyle to appear edgy or counter-cultural, in which case there is likely no bias in the first place and also the white person can stop doing this at any time, eliminating any bias in the workplace, whereas a black person cannot.

It's not just simply a matter of wearing your hair a certain way. I would argue that in every culture that humans have ever created hair has been a cultural statement, and dreadlocks in the United States absolutely is.

That is, as long as black hair can be a locus of oppression in this nation white people should probably avoid the hairstyle same as they avoid the oppression. At least this is how I would, and do, handle it. Of course, black American culture is such a powerful force in this nation it simply isn't possible to not be influenced by it and that's a wonderful thing: but that doesn't mean you have to be an imitation of a subculture you aren't part of.
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Re: NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Post by ThePearDream » Fri Nov 04, 2022 6:44 am

Back on topic, that thing is rad as fuck. I'd rock it as-is.

It's not like just being around a US flag will turn you into a Republican. And if it made some randos think I'm a redneck, that'd be their issue, not mine.
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Re: NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Post by Telliot » Fri Nov 04, 2022 7:59 am

Larry Mal wrote:
Fri Nov 04, 2022 5:59 am
Thank you, Larry. You summed up my feelings on this subject perfectly. I knew it might stir up trouble when I made the comment but don’t want to spend any more time derailing the OP’s thread.
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Re: NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Post by Larry Mal » Fri Nov 04, 2022 8:14 am

Telliot wrote:
Fri Nov 04, 2022 7:59 am
Larry Mal wrote:
Fri Nov 04, 2022 5:59 am
Thank you, Larry. You summed up my feelings on this subject perfectly. I knew it might stir up trouble when I made the comment but don’t want to spend any more time derailing the OP’s thread.
Yeah I hate to derail the subject that much but as long as we are talking culture, that's the OSG way right there.

Anyway, like I say, I will festoon myself with the American flag infrequently because it's mine to use as I see fit same as anyone, and if someone thinks I'm not "real American" enough for it then fuck them.

However, I've been spending time with a new friend lately, and when I went on her Facebook page I saw that she had written about the United States simply:

"I hate it here."

And I was like, yeah, that'll work for me.

So anyway an upside down American flag works well for me. And if I got a cool old guitar with an American flag on it I would absolutely respect whatever history led to that.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: NGD: Meet the Star Spangled Stanger

Post by Tiny C » Mon Nov 07, 2022 8:54 am

What a ripper. Great find! If you have a hard time getting along with the paint job, I am sure there are probably a lot of buyers who would love it as-is, so you might want to flip it or trade it rather than refinning it.

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