Weedwhackers

July 28, 2018

They’re the same notes, played on the same instrument, but with a different sound. I changed the strings on my bass today; instead of the steel wound strings that have been on it for the past thirty years, I decided to try some weedwhackers. That’s right—they take their name from the string trimmer because that’s what they look like, especially if you buy the colored ones. I got plain ones because they look more like traditional gut strings at a fraction of the price. Rockabilly players use them for their slap bass technique, which I’d like to learn. Steel wound strings are too high tensioned for slapping. Weedwhackers are low tension, making them easier to pluck and snap against the fingerboard. How they’ll work with a bow is yet to be seen (or more appropriately, heard). 

They do sound different than the steel strings! I’m not sure if I’m going to like them, but if not, I’m only out twenty bucks, unlike a set of gut strings or even good steel wound, which can easily top $400 a set. But they do sound different. In life, we all get the same notes to play. Our Instruments are different, but even those of us who share the same instrument of values and faith sound different in the Master’s hands. He creates many different kinds of strings. Some of us are high strung; others not. Some are mellow while others are sharp and bright sounding. But the notes are the same. God’s compositions are filled with grace, holiness, forgiveness, courage, gentleness, truth, and other such notes. We play them on the instruments of our lives, with different strings, reeds, mouthpieces, sounding different, but working together to create the symphonic music of the Gospel. Tonight, the strings will stretch, needing to be tuned again in the morning. The strings of my heart will need to be tuned, also, and for that, I will worship and give thanks.