The guitar that got away. (And what it taught me about creating epic products.)

This...

He swept a palm towards a non-descript acoustic on the wall.

This is a guitar worth spending time with.

Reaching up to flip the price tag, only one eyelid twitched as I revealed a series of zeros.

The monobrowed muso went on.

The sound you get out of it is something else - soft lows, strong mids, balanced highs. Here, have a strum.

He handed it to me.

That tone, hey? Oh, and it’s made from African Mahogany and maple. Abalone rosette, too. Real nice. Take as long as you want; yell if you have any questions.

I wedged the instrument between armpit, thigh and fingertips and proceeded to spend quality time with a hunk of wood and steel.

He was right - it was a beauty.

And even though I hung it back on the hook and slunk past the shop assistant with ‘I can’t afford it’ avoidance, what he said struck a chord.

A guitar worth spending time with.

What a lovely, odd sentiment - like the instrument had a life of its own, a character, a will. Less a commodity and more a living part of the transaction. 

I wondered:

What if we all created products and services worth 'spending time with’?

Courses and workshops people loved being a part of. Food, drink and artisan goodies with a story to tell and ingredients that give back. Brands you want to be around.

There’ll always be a market for cheap, one-dimensional products.

But consumers increasingly crave craftsmanship - products, services and experiences with passion as their main ingredient, and depth you can savour.

Is your product, service or brand worth spending time with?

And should I just buy the damn guitar?

Let me know in the comments.