Resonate In Perpetuity

Ngak’chang Rinpoche wrote: My dear departed friend Don Young who founded the National ResoPhonic factory in San Louis Obispo California. Don was a wonderful, generous, and multi-talented man. He was a valued friend — admired and respected by many in the music industry.

Don personally oversaw and crafted the 5 National ResoPhonic guitars that I use.

He is deeply missed by many musicians.

Don and I worked on various projects together and he was always intrigued by my lunatic notions of guitar innovations.

The only idea he ever rejected was the idea of putting a whammy bar (tremolo arm) on a 12 string.

Making a steel Tricone version of the Gibson ES355 however, was something that appealed to him. Sadly Don died before the project got off the ground.

Don wrote (spoke) a marvellous introduction to Volume IV of ‘an odd boy’ and I love to re-read it to hear his voice. Don’s introduction can now be found in Volume IV of ‘an odd boy’ Here is part of Don Young’s introduction.

NB — Don Young knew Ngak’chang Rinpoche as Doc Togden as well as Ngak’chang Rinpoche
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Doc’s a dark horse. It was a few years before I found out he was Ngak’chang Rinpoche – a Buddhist Lama with students ’round the world. I thought he played gigs for a living – but he’d not done that since he was a teenager. He was the vocalist and harp player with the Savage Cabbage Blues Band – but he also played a low-tuned back up bass, which was his idea. I never heard of a two-bass band anywhere else – but I can see how that could work really well with a high-tuned bass playing lead-bass alongside a lead guitarist. Doc’s ideas on music and musical instrument could fill a book on their own.

He’s going to teach me about that and about meditation one day, when we both have more time.

As well as being a Buddhist Lama and musician, Doc’s a poet, an artist, and a man who can ride a horse and shoot a .500 Linebaugh. It takes a steady nerve to shoot a revolver like that. We share a love of Old West firearms and knives and Doc has fine collection. Last year he brought me back a Gurkha kukri knife from Nepal.

I’ll get down to Doc’s books now – because that’s what I’m supposed to be talking about. Doc’s Buddhist books are pretty deep and make you think – but his memoirs are deep too – in a different way. Doc’s memoirs are a great read but there’s an awful lot of life packed between the covers.

There’s such honesty and integrity in an odd boy – and you feel as if you’ve been there yourself and seen every scene. Some parts of Doc’s life were quite like mine – but some are the stuff of legends. Doc is legendary – a legend in his own time. No doubt about it. No one’s going to forget Doc Togden or Ngak’chang Rinpoche in any hurry. There’s just too much of the guy in so many ways – but he’s never been showy. I’d say you could pass him on the street and not notice him – but that’s not true. He’s the snappiest dresser you’re likely to meet – but definitely not fashionable. Doc has a fashion all of his own. I once asked Doc if he ever dressed casually and he told me ‘ . . . that’s something I tend to avoid even on holiday.’

I could say a lot more about Doc and about his odd boy books – but its better you read them. If you read Doc’s books—all four volumes—you’ll find a world you didn’t expect to find. Doc’s the real hero of a real story that tells you that you can be a real hero too. Doc’s telling you that you can be an artist – that anyone can be an artist. Doc’s telling you that life is art if you work at it – and that everything in your life can be art – all you have to do is plunge in. That’s enough from me.

Don Young