My guitar, my best therapy

My history with Manuel Rodriguez began seven months ago but it was driven by something that happened long before. Almost four years ago, I suffered two strokes that left me in a coma for quite some time. After awakening, during the rehabilitation process, they told me that playing instruments could help me, so I decided on the guitar.

I bought a budget range one to begin with and I soon realized that I was doing well, that it was indeed contributing to my recovery, so I decided to find a better instrument.

I tried different brands, but they didn’t have the resonance I was looking for. I needed to feel the guitar, for it to be an extension of my body, and suddenly a MR arrived in my hands. As soon as I played it for the first time, I realized that it was what I’d spent all this time looking for. Since then I have not played another.

My love for these guitars is such that I already have three: a cutaway, a D cedar and my latest acquisition, an FG, which I came to Spain to test.

That model is so special and not easily found in shops, so, as my wife and I had wanted to travel to Spain for a long time – after several decades of living in the Netherlands – we took advantage of my desire to play a FG to come.

For me, these are not only guitars, they are beauties, instruments far superior to others in finish and sound.