 It's officially Spring of 2021. A time to reflect, a time to start fresh, and a time of re-growth. As we move beyond 12 months into the COVID-19 Pandemic, it feels appropriate to take a moment to reflect on the past year, as well as look forward to the future, for DWP Guitars. 2020 began with a tour of Asia in January with Bon Iver. Although the “Corona Virus” was something we were hearing about as we made our way through South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan; it wasn’t until we got home that everything changed. On March 6th, we played M3F Festival in Arizona, which was unexpectedly my last time on Stage Right for 2020. The world came to a halt a week later and took the music industry with it. While much of the past year has been spent social distancing and wondering when life will "get back to normal", I think its important to focus on the silver linings. 2020 was a difficult year in many ways, however it did provide an opportunity for some exciting movement in the world of DWP Guitars, as well as some important lessons along the way. DONATIONSSpring and Summer of 2020 pulled back the curtain on cultural and societal inequalities that exist in our society today. While millions of people saw their industries shuttered due to the Pandemic, we were all once again witness to racial injustices that pervade our everyday life. With a belief that music creates and builds community, it’s important to me that DWP Guitars contribute to communities in need. In keeping with that belief, I couldn’t have been prouder to have been able to make donations through DWP Guitars in support of COVID-19 Relief, and the Social Justice Movement. COVID-19 RELIEF TELE This custom Tele was signed by the incomparable BRITTANY HOWARD and auctioned off, raising $3250, to benefit The COVID-19 Relief Fund organized by SWEET RELIEF MUSICIANS FUND. ”Artists, and those that support them, are facing unprecedented hardships right now. Aware of the enormous medical and financial burden that COVID-19 is having on the music community; Sweet Relief is actively taking steps to provide assistance where it’s needed the most.” BUILDING FOR CHANGE UKULELE This "Da-Rel" MINI Electric Ukulele featuring a piece of locally sourced Beetle Kill Pine, was donated to benefit Social Justice. This beautiful piece of Colorado found a new home in Wisconsin, and raised $1000 in support of COLOR OF CHANGE. ”Color of Change’s campaigns and initiatives win changes that matter. By designing strategies powerful enough to fight racism and injustice – in politics and culture, in the workplace and the economy, in criminal justice and community life, and wherever they exist – they are changing both the written and unwritten rules of society. Mobilizing their members to end practices and systems that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward.” DWP GUITARS IN STORESBy the Fall of 2020 life had taken on a “new normal” and stores were allowed to re-open with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Additionally; without a Fall tour to be on, there was extra time to pursue retail outlets for DWP Guitars. As a result, I’m very eager to announce that if you find yourself in the Denver area, there are now a couple stores where you can check out product from DWP Guitars. GUITAR BUILDING CLASSES!Winter of 2020 provided one more unexpected and exciting opportunity. Ryan, (owner of BROWN NOTE PRODUCTIONS) like so many of us in the music industry, found himself with an unexpected amount of free time while we wait for concerts to return. Seizing the opportunity to pursue some long overdue personal projects, Ryan reached out to see if I could help him get started in guitar building. I couldn’t have been more honored to help, and together we built the first “Brown Note Custom Shop” guitar.  With the success of Ryan’s first guitar build in the books, I am excited to announce that DWP Guitars will now officially be offering guitar building classes in 2021 and beyond! GUITAR BUILDING BASICS CLASS"Guitar Building Basics" will be the first guitar building class offered through DWP Guitars. A 5-day class, in which you'll learn about the fundamentals of guitar building, while building your own solid body electric guitar. Each student will learn about neck construction, fret installation, body construction, guitar electronics, and final set-up, as well as using the tools necessary to complete each task. At the end of the five days, you’ll have a fully playable guitar you built yourself that’s ready for finish (finishing is not included in the class). In addition to a guitar you built yourself, you will also go home with everything you need to do it again!
If you’re interested in getting started with guitar building too, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to reach out via email or any of my social media channels (all linked below) for more details. LOOKING FORWARD2020 was a year unlike any other, and while 2021 has started much the same way; life does seem like its turning the corner toward resuming as we knew it before. We will all take lessons away from the past year, but I’m confident that we all have a lot to look forward to. I know I can’t wait to be on Stage Right again, but I’m also excited about what the future has in store for DWP Guitars. Stay tuned to “Memoirs from Stage Right” for more current updates in the world of DWP Guitars, and I can’t wait till I can see you in person at show, hopefully sooner than later! 
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AuthorDARRELL PLAMPIN Archives
February 2022
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