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loadcali890 · 3 years

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Ventura Guitar Serial Number Lookup

Beautiful old vintage Ventura Bruno V14 guitar. Looking at other similar models on e-bay, I GEUSS it to be 60's-70's but I do not know. Serial number is 74725, could be made in Japan but I do not know! This guitar includes chipboard case, has warm aged tone, the vibe of old guitar. Ventura was a brand of stringed instruments imported from Japan by C. Bruno and Company during the 1960s and 1970s. Bruno was bought by Kaman in the early 1980s, after which the brand disappeared. Some of the Ventura guitars were knock-offs of the Martin line, such as the Ventura V-35 appearing similar to the Martin D-35, and the Ventura V. Good luck and happy Ventura hunting! Re: Ventura Guitar 14:51 on Saturday, June 5, 2004. (David Woodson) Posted by Archived posts. I have a 'Bruno' Ventura Classic gut string that I bought from C&S Music in Fort Worth,Texas in 1965-66. It has a nice classic tone but that is all I know about it.

GENERAL VINTAGE GUITAR RESOURCES:

Vintage Guitar Magazine - this is Vintage Guitar 101 and all neophytes are advised to start here. Of course, my favorite part is Michael Wright's 'Different Strummer' column, which covers the history of all those wild, wacky off-brand instruments in elaborate detail. VG has also published several of my own articles over the years, some of which can be found on this site.

The Blue Book - if you're serious about buying and selling used guitars, the Blue Book provides the most detailed pricing, dating and identification info. Much of it is available online for free.

GuitarHQ - a nice all-around mainstream vintage guitar site. All the standard Gibson and Fender type stuff, plus some other interesting odds and ends.

ProjectGuitar.com- where the Internet goes to work on guitars! All about guitar maintenance and repair.

MIMF - the Musical Instrument Makers Forum is a goldmine of information about materials, construction and repair techniques, including a gallery of unique custom built guitars that range from inept to incredible. If you need professional advice about repairing your old guitar, this is the place to ask.

Stewart-McDonald - a good source for replacement guitar parts and repair tools to keep your junker running. Also check out WD and Allparts. I'm not sponsored by or affiliated with these or any other manufacturer or retailer, but I'm often asked to recommend good parts sources.Well, here you go.

Ampage - a nice info source for amp schematics and other guitar electronics.

GuitarElectronics.com - lots of wiring diagrams.

Dr. Duck's Dating Service - an excellent resource, lots of serial numbers for many brands of guitars.

OTHER 'JUNK GUITAR' SITES:

Cheesy Guitars - a true kindred spirit, Meatex Z has created a wonderful site dedicated to all those unplayable Russian and Eastern European guitars. He was also nice enough to give me credit for naming his site and helping him out with information initially. We were originally going to do this project together, but decided that two sites are better than one. Go visit Meatex and tell him Big Beat says 'hi'.

SovietGuitars.com - this cool Russian language page for fans of Soviet era instruments is rapidly becoming an important resource.

Vintaxe.com - an excellent site about some of the lesser known vintage guitars produced in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. Lots of pictures and vintage catalog scans, including some of mine that I have shared with them.

My Rare Guitars - a nice collection of cheesy offbeat axes by a very hip collector and dealer. Vintage Normas, Ekos and Dominos galore, plus some great modern reissues.

Fetish Guitars - a fabulous site about Eko, Wandre, Galanti and other Italian guitars of the 60's. Both visually stunning and very informative, it is an absolute marvel.

Lordbizarre's Electric Guitar & Amp Museum - The name says it all. This collector from Belgium has put some seriously weird axes on display for your viewing pleasure.

Cheap Trashy Weird Old Guitars - cool name, and certainly the right spirit! A small but impressive collection of Egmonds, Wilsons, Musimas and even something called a Horugel.

21 Frets - I just love it when somebody takes totally trashed Hagstroms and Melody Makers and restores them from trash to flash. This site chronicles some really cool restoration projects.

Gudok - a Russian site that showcases 'the weapons of the proletariat', old Soviet guitars such as the Tonika, the Formanta and the Solo-II.

Hendrix Room - a Japanese site with a neat collection of totally off-the-wall 60's guitars with names like Youngtone and Melodier.

Animal Charme - dedicated to all those pointy headstock axes of the 80's, this is the home of the shred and heavy metal guitar!

Pointy Guitars - more 80's pointy guitar madness!

Guitare Collection - A wacky French site that showcases some totally bizarre Euro junk guitars, even including a couple from Russia.

Rockin' Hollowbody Guitars - a great forum for people of the thinline and archtop persuasion. If it's got F-holes, you'll find all about it right here.

Vintage Guitars - this Swedish dealer has a photo gallery with lots of Goyas, Hagstroms, Levins and other oddball Scandinavian beauties.

Vermona - here's a German page about those amps and synths, so familiar to professional Russian musicians of the 70's and 80's. Never mind Fender, Vox and Marshall, everyone behind the Iron curtain knew that the best amps were made by Vermona. This factory also produced the famous Weltmeister accordions and the Ionika electric organ. To many older Russians, 'Ionika' is still synonymous with 'keyboard'. See the old Vermona amps HERE and the original Ionika HERE.

VINTAGE GUITAR INFO BY BRAND:

Ampeg - Vintage Ampeg Scroll Basses Aria - Guitar Gallery Burns - Burns Guitar Museum Carvin - Carvin Museum Danelectro - Danoguitars Egmond - Egmond Guitars Eko - Fetish Guitars, My Rare Guitars Framus - Vintage Framus Futurama - Futurama Story Grazioso - Palka.com Galanti - Fetish Guitars Goya - Goya Guitars Hagstrom - Hagstrom USA, Hagstrom Canada, Hagstrom UK Official Hagstrom Site Harmony - Broadway Music Co., Unofficial Harmony Page, Harmony Thumbs, Hillman Guitars Heartfield - Heartfield Central Hofner - Guitar HQ, Hofner Club Guitars, Vintage Hofner, Hofner Hounds Hopf - Hopf Guitars Hoyer - Hoyer Guitars Ibanez - Ibanez Vintage Page, Vintage Ibanez Museum, Ibanez Vintage, Ibanez Collector's World Jolana - Jolana Info, My Jolana Kramer - Kramer Krazy, Kramermaniaxe, Vintage Kramer Music Man - Unofficial Music Man Guitar Page Ovation - Ovation Fan Club, Ovation Tribute Page Shergold - Shergold Guitars Silvertone - Vintage Silvertone Starfield - Unofficial Starfield Guitar Site Teisco - Teisco Twangers Tel-Ray - Unofficial Tel-Ray Page Tokai - Tokai Registry Univox - Univox Page Vantage - Guitar Gallery Ventura - Unofficial Ventura Guitar Page Vermona - Vermona Vox - Vox Showroom Watkins - Watkins Guitars Westbury - Westbury Guitars Westone - Westone Guitars

Ventura Guitar Serial Number Lookup Serial

MISCELLANEOUS OTHER LINKS:

Guitars.RU - Russia's top guitar community. The place to go for information about Tonikas, Aelitas and other Eastern Bloc guitars. If you speak Russian, you can also hang out on their popular forum and socialize with other Russian guitarists. Even if you don't, many of the regulars do speak English.

Russian Rock Club of America - not really vintage guitar oriented, but these folks are my friends and associates. We keep the flame of the classic Russian rock tradition alive in our new homeland, promote independent Russian rock bands in America, stage concerts, music festivals and other cultural events. If you're a Russian rock musician or fan living in America, you're not alone!

: I bought this Ventura in 1980 at H & H music in Houston and I was just wondering what it is worth. It has a classical body style, not the dreadnought. The action is low and has an adjustable truss rod. The serial number is 60505 and the model # is V-200B. Does anyone out there have an accurate answer? Thank you for your time and effort in responding to this e-mail inquiry.

Have a great day.I ALSO HAVE A MATCHING PAIR OF V-11 BRUNO & V-15 12 STRING FROM MEMORIAL MUSIC JUST PRIOR TO H & H. THEY TOURED WITH BUFFETT IN 74-78 THROUGH CARIB/PROVO SOUTH & NORTH FLORIDA. NO ONE WILL VALUE THEM @ MORE THAN PURCHASE PRICE. : I bought this Ventura in 1980 at H & H music in Houston and I was just wondering what it is worth.

It has a classical body style, not the dreadnought. The action is low and has an adjustable truss rod. The serial number is 60505 and the model # is V-200B. Does anyone out there have an accurate answer? Thank you for your time and effort in responding to this e-mail inquiry.

Have a great day.I have a Ventura Bruno V-12 I paid $110 for in 1972 at Hauschild's music in Victoria, TX. Don't know if they are still around as the owner was up in years then. I have heard they were made in Japan but I dont know this for sure.

Guitar ID and AppraisalThere are many reasons for determining the precise age of your used guitar. The most important one is probably pricing the instrument appropriately when you’re looking to sell it. Prices for certain vintage models vary by thousands of dollars depending on whether it’s a 1963, for example, or a 1964.

You’ll also need to know exactly what your guitar is worth for insurance purposes.One of the most valuable and often overlooked resources to help you identify and appraise guitars is your local used instrument dealer. It’s so important to establish a working relationship with these folks. While it may be tempting to call every store in the area in order to save a few dollars when you’re shopping for something, developing a loyalty to one or two shops pays off when you need service that goes beyond a simple purchase.

While most shops charge a fee for an official appraisal, it may take an experienced retailer only a second to realize that your old Epiphone is actually a Nova 390, produced from 1976 to 1980 in the company’s short-lived Japanese factory. The shop employee may be glad to look up the approximate value of your ax in a book and give you an opinion about what it’s worth. But if you randomly drop by a store that you’ve never been to before and ask for this kind of help, they might not take the time to look carefully at what you’ve got.LEARNING THE HISTORYIf you want to educate yourself to identify guitars, the first step is to become familiar with the histories of some of the larger companies.

In recent years, more and more books providing information on the major guitar manufacturers have become available, and they’re a great place to start. There are some basic questions to ask.

When did the company start building guitars? Where were the guitars manufactured? Did the company move in the course of its existence, and did it move its production overseas? Did the model in question change drastically during the years of production?

For example, Gibson’s J-200 started out with rosewood back and sides and fairly standard X-bracing in the late 1930s. It was changed to maple back and sides (except for a few rosewood examples) and a double-X bracing pattern in the ’50s. Yet another double-X bracing pattern was used during the ’70s, and then a more Martin-like scalloped X-bracing was adopted when the model was reintroduced in the late ’80s. These are all differences that would be difficult for the uneducated eye to notice, yet they drastically affect the guitar’s sound and value.At the very least, these books will identify the time period during which the guitar in question was produced, basic information that will, for example, keep you from paying a premium for a '1960s Martin HD-28' (you’ll know that this model wasn’t introduced until 1976). Sometimes you can narrow down even further the time period in which your guitar was built because of a certain distinguishing feature. For example, a volute or scroll at the back of a Gibson headstock usually indicates that the instrument was built between 1974 and 1981 (although some appeared as early as 1969).Another thing that the trained eye will immediately be able to pick up on is whether an instrument was built in the U.S.

Or imported from one of the many low-end Asian manufacturers. When I worked in retail, a customer once walked in with a Ventura archtop for sale.

Convinced that he had a guitar that was built in the U.S. In the ’50s, he stormed out after I told him what I’d be able to offer him for it. Even if I hadn’t known that Venturas were made in Japan during the ’70s (which was confirmed by a quick look in the Vintage Guitar Price Guide), I knew as soon as he opened the case. It was mostly the guitar’s thick finish that gave it away, complete with lacquered neck-to-body joints and drips through the f-holes. The wimpy hardware was another dead giveaway that this guitar was neither domestically made, as he thought, nor a high-quality import. The best place to gain this kind of familiarity is at your local music store’s used-and-cheap section; the more guitars you inspect, the more experienced you’ll be.One of the biggest roadblocks in identifying a guitar can often be the serial number.

These numbers are frequently inconsistent or missing from reference books. In many cases, a serial number by itself is about as useful as a phone number with a missing digit. Few companies have consistently used the same system of numbering during their entire existence (Martin is among those that have). For example, Gibson began using an eight-digit number in 1977.

The first and fifth digits indicated the year of production (8XXX2XXX meant it was built in 1982). If you tried to apply this formula to a serial number on an older Gibson, or even a newer vintage reissue (which sometimes use 'vintage' serial numbers) you’d be making a big mistake.REFERENCE BOOKSSo, how does one go about accurately identifying a used instrument? Probably the publication most often referred to is Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars. Written by George Gruhn (of Gruhn Guitars in Nashville) and Walter Carter, the guide is a must-have for identifying older American-made guitars. Organized into brands, general information, serial numbers, specific features, and model designations, the book identifies most major-brand guitars of the past and offers meticulous descriptions and a wealth of helpful photos. It offers little or no information on smaller makers, budget instrument makers, and recent entries into the guitar market.Although designed to give approximate values for vintage instruments, the Vintage Guitar Price Guide is also quite useful in identifying instruments. While it doesn’t describe each model’s features in detail, it does provide a company history for most of the makers included.

The book’s many photos can be very helpful, and the general listings, which include many off-brands, are among the most complete available. As with all price guides, the dollar amounts shown are to be taken with a grain of salt, but having even a vague idea of an instrument’s value will make you a more savvy buyer or seller.Another excellent resource is the Blue Book of Guitars. This hefty book probably represents the most complete compilation of information on guitars that have not yet reached vintage status.

Ventura Guitar Serial Number Lookup

Ventura Guitars Models

It’s one of the few books that lists instruments made by companies such as Kay and J.B. Player and by individual luthiers such as Dave Maize and Steve Klein. Besides retail price information, the book includes brief descriptions of most companies and models listed, as well as a unique section on grading the condition of an instrument. In a color section, a variety of guitars are pictured front and back, showing a range of possible conditions-from 20 percent (poor) to 100 percent (new).You can also join guitar-related newsgroups on the Internet, but beware of advice from uneducated participants posing as guitar experts. Of particular interest to acoustic guitarists are rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic, rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz, and rec.music.classical.guitar.

Find Guitar By Serial Number

You might also check out rec.music.makers.guitar and alt.guitar.These resources and the others in the Acoustic Guitar Owner's Manual should help you on your way to becoming a guitar expert. All you need is hours and hours of paging through every available book on the subject, countless weekends spent at guitar shops and vintage instrument shows, a careful examination of all of your picking buddies’ axes, and (let’s face it) the purchase of a lemon or two.Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar magazine, October 1998, No. 70.Toll Free 877-712-4747.

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animationnut · 7 years

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Support System

Rating: K+ Summary: For a while, Lance had been Ash's only means of support, the only animal she could rely on. But now, as she deals with her ex-boyfriend's attempts to get her back, she realizes she's no longer alone. She has a group of protective performers surrounding her, the family she'd been lacking for far too long.

'Ash, babe, talk to me.'

'I'm sorry, seriously.'

'Can we meet somewhere? Grab a bite to eat or something.'

'Come on, give me a chance babe.'

The three dozen text messages clogging her inbox followed a similar pattern, all of them Lance pleading for her to talk to him. Ash grit her teeth together, agitation causing tension to build in her shoulders. Sprawled out across the plush red theater seats, Ash began the tedious process of deleting the messages, fingers flying over the touchscreen. Her guitar lay across her stomach as she waited for her stage time. Mike's crooning voice currently filled the auditorium, his soothing melody causing her to relax slightly. Annoying as the mouse could be, only a pathological liar would claim he had no talent.

Ugh, I can't do this everyday, she thought, watching as the messages flew into the trashcan icon with each tap. It'll drive me crazy.

As irritating as the unwanted influx of texts from her ex-boyfriend were, she would have to tolerate them. She had contemplated blocking his number or getting a new one for herself. But she knew if Lance couldn't access her by phone, he would start hanging around her apartment or, even worse, Moon Theater.

Ash had sent him a lengthy message stating she was through a week ago, which was when Lance first started to pester her. It was clear he was ignoring her, which wasn't a surprise. He had always ignored her and it taken her far too long to realize it. Huffing out an annoyed breath, she hoped he would give up soon before she did something they would both regret.

"Hey! April Laverne is a sorry excuse for a musician!"

"Who's dissing my girl?" demanded Ash instantly, whipping her head to glare at the stage. Her heated defense of her favourite punk rocker fizzled out when she took in the concerned gazes of the others directed on her. "What?"

"Earth to Spikes," drawled Mike. "You gonna take your turn or keep wastin' our time?"

"We've been trying to get your attention," said Rosita gently. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine." Giving her head a sharp shake, Ash slung her guitar over her shoulder and got to her feet. She stuck her phone in the pocket of her skirt and climbed onto the stage, pausing to glower at Mike. "April is a creative genius."

"Compared to you? Absolutely," he returned with a smirk.

Rolling her eyes, she hooked up her guitar and began to play, fingers flying over the strings. The speakers behind her pulsed and the stage vibrated as the rhythm gained momentum. The comforting feel of her guitar and the beat of her music caused her to grin.

Noticing the teenager beginning to bob her head, Buster called out, "Heads up!"

"Aw, not again," groaned Mike.

Ash began dancing around the stage, shaking her head wildly as she lost herself in her rock and roll melody. Quills flew in every direction, causing everyone to take cover to avoid getting struck by the pointy needles. Mike raced to the edge of the stage, where his girlfriend normally staked out to observe the performances. He grabbed her hand and they both jumped to the floor, Nancy giggling as they rushed to take cover behind the seats.

"I fail to see how the possibility of impalement is funny," he muttered.

"Mr. Moon, I think we're going to need the duck tape again," spoke Meena, trying to hunker against the wall.

Buster raised his clipboard to intercept a couple of quills, glancing briefly at the new holes in some of the front row seats. "Most likely," he agreed, hardly bothered.

Ash soon finished her number and she caught her breath, lowering her guitar so it slung against her side. "How was that?"

"Awesome," declared Johnny, wrangling himself out from seat he had crouched behind.

"Awful," countered Mike, grunting slightly when Nancy elbowed him in the side.

"That was great, hon," said Rosita with a smile.

"You make, like, the greatest dance music," said Gunter cheerfully.

"You're so cool," said Meena in awe.

Buster nodded. "Wonderful job, Ash." As the porcupine swelled with happiness he made a few notes on his clipboard and declared, "You all did amazing today, guys. We'll be ready for our next show in no time. Go home and get some rest."

The group started to bustle around, bidding their goodbyes and grabbing their items. Ash slipped her guitar into her case and hefted it into her arms. Her contented glow from the praise of her friends (or, in Mike's case, an insult that covered grudging respect) lasted the entire trip home. It immediately faded when she walked the last block to her apartment, where she spotted Lance sitting in front of the building.

She froze and backed away so that she was out of his line of sight. She pressed against the concrete siding of a convenience store, heart beating in her chest. It had been half a month since she had discovered Lance cheating on her, and a week of him attempting to get her to agree to meet face-to-face. There was no question that she was over him, but she certainly didn't want to see him, at least not on his terms.

The orange-red light of the setting sun washing over her, Ash had an internal struggle. She could walk right past Lance without saying a word, but she knew that would never happen. He wouldn't let her pass until he felt he had his say.

Screwing her eyes shut and clenching the handle of her guitar case in anger, she stormed down the sidewalk. As she retraced her steps to the train station, her mind whirled with possible places where she could spend the night.

…

"Good morning, Mr. Moon!"

"Gooood morning, Miss Crawly," said Buster, swinging around in his chair to properly greet her. He accepted the mug of coffee she held out to him, a fond smile curling across his face when he discovered it half-empty.

"How do you think Ash would like her coffee?" Miss Crawly asked. "Or maybe she would prefer orange juice?"

Buster's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Pardon?"

"She's sleeping in her rehearsal room," informed Miss Crawly. "I thought she might like something to drink when she wakes."

"Is she okay?" he asked worriedly, for this was an occurrence that had never happened before.

"She's snoring, so I didn't want to wake her up."

"Let's stick with orange juice," spoke Buster hastily, hurriedly getting up and departing from his office.

He went down the stairs and immediately spotted Ash through the glass panes of the rehearsal spaces. She was splayed out across the hardwood floor, using her guitar case as a pillow. Buster was quick to get by her side, shaking her shoulder gently.

"Hey, Ash."

With a groggy grumble the teenager opened her eyes. "Wassamatter?" she yawned, sitting up and rubbing at her face.

"Is everything alright?" asked Buster, eyeing the girl intently. "Did you spend the night here?"

Ash blinked for a moment, suddenly recalling where she was. Smoothing back her ruffled quills, she said quietly, "Sorry, I meant to leave early but I guess I slept in."

"No, no, it's fine," said Buster quickly. "You're always welcome here. Did something happen?"

Ash thought of Lance and fought back a grimace. "It's all good, it's just…something came up and I needed to crash here for a night."

Not at all satisfied with her vague response, Buster crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you in any trouble?"

"No! Gosh, no." Ash stood up, brushing out the wrinkles in her clothes. Seeing that she wasn't doing a very good job of convincing Buster she wasn't in any sort of serious situation, she let out a sigh of resignation. "It's just Lance, okay? He keeps trying to get me to talk to him and he's not taking no for an answer. He was waiting outside my apartment last night and I didn't feel like having a conversation with him, so I came here."

Buster's lips sharpened into a frown. "Is he harassing you?"

"No, he's just being stubborn and persistent." Ash shrugged. "It's frustrating, that's all. I know I probably should just talk with him and get it over with."

"You don't owe him anything," said Buster firmly. "He doesn't have the right to force you into a conversation you're not ready for."

Ash stared in surprise for a moment before smiling sincerely. "Yeah. I know."

"Good morning, Ash!" Miss Crawly shuffled into the room, holding a glass of orange juice and a granola bar. "Here you are."

"Oh, thanks, you didn't have to," said Ash, touched. She accepted the breakfast items and squinted at the granola, which had a bite taken out of it.

Buster grinned. "That's normal. You get used to it."

"Hey, it's still good." Ash took a bite of the apple crumble granola. "Thank you, Miss Crawly."

"Of course, dear." She patted the teen's arm affectionately and went to begin her tasks for the day.

"The others should arrive soon. You can get in some extra practice time on the stage, if you want," offered Buster.

Ash shook her head. "I think I'm going to work on some lyrics."

"I can't wait to hear them," he said. He paused and then added, "You will tell us if you need help speaking with Lance."

It was more of an order than a question, and Ash felt the lingering shreds of stress over her life drama disappearing over his support and concern. "Yeah, I will. Thanks, Moon."

"Anytime." Buster gave her a warm smile before departing.

Ash dug out her notebook, her mood light and content, and started to craft another song as she waited for her friends to arrive.

…

As Rosita and Gunter danced across the stage, salsa music thumping in the background, Ash felt her phone buzz insistently in her skirt. Lips twisting into a scowl, she dug the slim device free from her pocket, figuring that maybe if she gave in and spoke with Lance over the phone, he would see she was serious and leave her alone.

She didn't get the chance, for Mike jumped nimbly onto her knee and accepted the call on her behalf. "Ash?" Lance's hopeful voice flowed from the speakers.

"Listen, you grunge band poser. You're pathetic," the mouse said sharply. "You're makin' a fool of yourself, beggin' to be taken back by a girl who clearly wants nothin' to do with you. Get lost." He hung up as quickly as he had answered and glared up at the stunned porcupine. "Have some backbone."

"You think I haven't told him to leave me alone?" snapped Ash, his insult jolting her back to reality. "Not all of us like to be rude."

Mike snorted. "You clearly aren't talking about yourself, because you have no problem disrespecting your elders."

"Like you can talk," sneered Ash. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and could not help but smirk. "You didn't need to jump to my defense, Shorty."

"Who said I did?" returned Mike dismissively. "Guys like that put the male species to shame. Gotta be put in their place."

"Yo, Mike, you're up!" called Eddie from the stage, switching tracks on the music player. "You ready?"

"What kind of a question is that?" he scoffed. Casting a wink at his girlfriend, he said, "This one's for you, baby," before striding towards the stage.

Ash rested her chin against her paw, shifting a quick glance between Nancy, who sat on the arm of her theater chair, and Mike. She could not help but detect the affection and sincerity of his pet name for Nancy. It made her see the difference in how Lance used to refer to her as 'babe', always spoken in a lazy, sometimes bored drawl, without much meaning behind it.

"Don't worry sugar," spoke Nancy, distracting Ash from her thoughts. She gave the porcupine an encouraging smile. "He'll give up eventually. And if he doesn't, just give him a good kick where it really hurts. He'll leave you alone in a heartbeat."

Ash could not help but laugh. "I won't pretend I'm not tempted, but I'll leave that as the last course of action."

The rehearsals eventually ended and Ash packed away her guitar. When she straightened, it was to see Johnny, Meena and Rosita hovering near her. "What's up?"

"You want me to bring you home?" offered Johnny.

"You could spend the night at my place," added Meena.

"Or I could drive you home," spoke Rosita.

Ash held out her hands, eyes widening slightly. "Whoa, it's okay, really. I appreciate the concern, but I'm sure I can handle it."

Rosita frowned. "Are you sure? Lance might be waiting for you. Are you ready to speak with him?"

"Well…no," she admitted. "Not yet. But Johnny, you visit your dad every day after practice. He'll get worried if you don't show up."

"He'll understand," he assured. "It's no problem."

"Don't worry, really. I'll figure it out."

"My family wouldn't mind at all if you slept over," Meena said.

"I know, but I really don't want to intrude," insisted Ash. "It's short notice."

Rosita clapped her hands and gave a nod. "It's settled then," she said determinedly. "I can give you a lift. Or you could stay at my house."

Ash floundered for a minute, realizing that her friends were not going to let her go home by herself. Swallowing past the lump of emotion that suddenly grew in her throat, she said, "If you don't mind, Rosita, I'd like a ride home. Thank you, Meena and Johnny, for your offers."

"Of course," said Johnny, relieved that the girl would not have to deal with Lance by herself. "Call if you need anything, yeah?"

"If you ever need to spend the night away from your apartment, just let me know," said Meena earnestly.

"Be safe," Rosita said to the two teens, giving them each a hug. Ash gave them both a fist-bump and followed Rosita towards the theater doors. "Norman should be here soon," the pig muttered, peering down the street. At seeing a familiar blue van cruising towards her, she said brightly, "Oh, there he is!"

When the vehicle came to a stop at the curb, Ash gaped at the multiple piglets that pressed their faces against the windows. "Rosita, I really can't ask you to go out of your way like this—"

"You didn't ask. I'm insisting," said Rosita simply, giving Ash an affectionate pat on the cheek. She threw open the passenger-side door and blew a kiss to her rambunctious children. "Norman, we're going to give Ash a ride home."

"If that's okay," interjected Ash quickly.

Norman nodded. "No problem."

Ash managed to maneuver herself into a seat, crowded on either side by piglets who eagerly pulled on her quills and poked at her guitar case. Rosita twisted around and chided, "Don't bother our guest, kids."

"It's fine," assured Ash.

For the ride to her apartment, she fielded questions from the energetic children and sang along with them to the pop songs that played on the radio. Her good mood quickly faltered when they finally arrived in front of her building, where Lance was once again camped out.

"Ooh, is that your boyfriend?" asked Caspar, pulling on her paw.

"Er, he used to be. Not anymore."

Zoe craned to get a good look out the window. "How come?"

"That's rude, Zoe," Rosita scolded lightly.

"Sorry…"

Norman glanced at Ash's apprehensive expression and then at his wife, who was regarding Lance with a soft, disapproving scowl. Unbuckling his seatbelt, Norman opened up his door. "I'll walk you in, Ash."

Ash wanted to protest, but seeing Lance made her stomach twist, and she hated how he was forcing her into this state of discomfort. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Rosita gave her husband's hand a loving, grateful squeeze. "Ash, you call if you need anything," she directed. "Night or day."

Giving a nod, Ash followed Norman out of the car and towards the front doors. When Lance saw her, his face lit up and he jumped to his feet. "Ash, babe—"

"Not now Lance," she interrupted, glaring at the ground. "I'll talk to you when I'm ready. Please leave me alone."

"Come on," Lance pressed. He started towards her, but paused when Norman stepped smoothly between him and Ash.

"I believe she said she doesn't want to talk to you right now," Norman said calmly, though there was an undercurrent of warning.

Lips pursing into a thin line, Lance stared at Ash, who avoided his gaze. He didn't want to let her leave, not when this was the first time he'd gotten this close to her in over a week. But Norman was staring at him, and he could see Rosita watching intently from the car. As stubborn as he was, he knew when not to push his luck.

"I'll talk to you later," he promised, turning on his heel and walking off.

Ash let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "He never knows when to give up," she muttered, digging around for her key. She approached the door and turned to Norman, saying, "Thank you. I really appreciate this."

"You have Rosita's number?"

"Yeah."

"If he gives you any trouble, let her know."

Ash rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't think he will. But if it turns into something I can't handle, I'll call her. Thanks again."

She waved to Norman, Rosita and the piglets and entered her building. When she arrived into her apartment she set her guitar case down and lowered herself down on the couch. For a while she sat in silence, revelling in the realization that she had gone from being alone to having a group of animals to depend on for love and support.

…

When her phone buzzed in her pocket the next day, Ash's first instinct was to ignore it. She'd been distracted enough during practice for their next show, and today Nana Noodleman was watching their progress. As everyone's eyes were trained on Johnny, his fingers moving across the piano keys as he sang, Ash suddenly had a gut feeling that she ought to check the text.

Sinking lower in her theater chair, she slipped out her phone and peered at the screen. Her heart jumped into her throat as she read the message from Lance.

'I'm coming to see you. I'll be at the theater in five minutes.'

She was initially shocked that he would be so bold to come to her workplace, but realized he didn't intend to barge in. He wouldn't have sent the text warning her ahead of time, which meant he had no desire to speak with her in front of all her friends. He honestly didn't want to cause a scene. He just wanted to talk.

She contemplated this, brow furrowed. If she were to be truthful, she wouldn't speak to Lance at all if given the option. He had betrayed her and there was no excuse or explanation he could give that would change that. But it also wasn't healthy to leave their feelings simmering beneath the surface, ignored and untouched. She had thrown him out and they hadn't properly spoken since then.

Taking a breath, she quietly stood and inched her way down the aisle, trying not to disturb Johnny's performance. A hoof landed on her arm, causing her to pause. Eddie looked at her with concern and asked, "Lance again?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "I'm just going to step outside for a second."

"Is everything okay?"

"Totally. If I'm not in time for my cue, let Meena go ahead. I'll be back."

She hurried out of the theater and when she stepped outside, she blinked against the sunlight. When her vision cleared it was to see Lance crossing the street, a grin on his features when he saw her. Steeling herself, Ash waited until he stopped in front of her.

"You've been annoying me for a week straight. You've staked out my apartment, come to my job, even after I said I would talk to you when I was ready. Now we're here, and instead of kicking you where it hurts like I should, I'll give you five minutes to give me your speech."

Raising his paws in a placating manner, Lance said, "I know, I know. I'm sorry, okay? I'm stupid."

"You are."

"I should have supported you from the beginning."

"You should have."

"You're amazing. You really can write songs."

Ash gave a slow nod. "Did you actually listen to what Set It All Free was about?"

"Yeah," Lance admitted reluctantly. "I did. I'm really sorry. Can you give me a second chance?"

"No, I can't, and frankly I don't want to," said Ash calmly. "Lance, you can't even admit that you were holding me back. You like to be in control—lead vocals, lead guitarist, the only song writer. It's who you are. I'm not going to be restrained anymore. The second I realized that is the second our relationship fell apart."

"We could figure it out," insisted Lance. "Think of all the gigs we could get together."

"You mean all the gigs you could get with me," countered Ash. "Lance, music and performing isn't just a gig or a fad to me. It's my life, it's who I am, and I'm not doing it just for money." She then set her hands on her hips and regarded him knowingly. "How's Becky?"

"Fine," answered Lance automatically. "I mean—uh."

"Yeah, I thought as much," said Ash, and instead of disappointment and heartbreak coursing through her, it was amusement. "I think you and her are better suited for each other."

"We had a good thing going," Lance said quietly.

"We did," Ash agreed. "You ruined it. But you know, it might just be the best thing that's ever happened to me. For that, I thank you. Without you I've found my place here."

Lance arched an eyebrow dubiously. "Seriously? You want to stick around this dump?"

"It's not a dump," said Ash fiercely. "It's gorgeous, and the animals I perform with have supported me far more in the past month than you have in the two years we dated. I want to be with them for as long as they'll have me. I'm missing rehearsal right now, actually, so I need to go. I moved on, and I'm happy. I think if you let yourself move on, you'll find you'll be happier too. Bye, Lance."

She turned on her heel to go and Lance shot forwards, wrapping his paw around her wrist. "Wait—"

He didn't get a chance to finish and Ash didn't get a chance to free herself. The theater doors burst open and ten figures spilled out into the afternoon sunshine. Buster levelled Lance with a serious stare and said quietly, "You've had your say and she's had hers. It's time for you to go and leave her alone."

"Should I use the broom on him?" Miss Crawly asked, waving the cleaning implement threateningly.

Nana regarded Lance with a disdainful expression. "This is private property, young man. Leave at once or I will call the authorities."

Releasing Ash, Lance backed away, seeming to shrink at the group glowering at him. He mumbled an apology and rushed off, disappearing down the street. Rosita moved forwards and clasped Ash's paw, inspecting it. "Did he hurt you, hon?"

"No," said Ash quickly. "He's not that kind of guy." A light blush spread across her cheeks and she asked, "How long have you been watching?"

"Um…for most of your talk," said Meena, ears folding in to cover her face. "Are you mad?"

"We were just super worried the dinkleschplatt might try something," Gunter explained.

"Sorry," said Eddie, rubbing the back of his neck. "You looked pretty frazzled as you were leaving. I had to say something."

"Shoot." Ash glanced at Johnny apologetically. "I messed up your act, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't," he assured quickly. "I finished just as you left. It wouldn't have mattered if you did, anyway. So long as you're okay."

"Didn't hear that love junk she was spewing?" scoffed Mike. "She's clearly lost her mind."

Rolling her eyes briefly, for he had broken out in a string of insults the instant Lance laid his paws on Ash, Nancy said proudly, "Good job, sugar. You hit him where he hurts the most—his pride."

"Well, that was quite the intermission," said Buster with a smile. "Let's get back to it. You're up, Ash."

"Got it!" As they all started to file into the theater, Ash fell into step next to Nana and said, "I'm sorry for wasting your time, Miss Noodleman."

"Drama is as inevitable in life as it is in theater," returned Nana. "It is that boy who should be far sorrier than he is. He could've learned quite a bit of what it means to be a true artist from you."

A compliment from Nana Noodleman was as rare as a blue moon and Ash brightened. The esteemed and elegant actress hid a smile behind her fan as the teen cheerfully thanked her, skipping head towards the front of the group. Before she passed by Buster, the koala extended his arm to pause her.

"For the record, you might as well decorate your rehearsal space to your style, because I don't expect you or the others to leave anytime soon."

With a wide grin, delight and affection bubbling within her, Ash said, "You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried."

…

Two weeks later, when Ash arrived at her apartment to see a colourful bouquet of flowers awaiting on her doorstep, she was perplexed. She read the card attached to the floral arrangement, eyebrows flying upwards when she discovered it was from Lance.

'You're right. About everything. I'm sorry. Think we could maybe be friends again, one day?'

She couldn't help the smile or the amused laugh that escaped her. When they had been dating, Lance had never once gotten her anything romantic as flowers. Not even when they fought. And now here were the flowers she'd secretly wished for, despite not being the romantic type. It was not an offering of romance, but of friendship and apology.

"I guess you can learn," she mused aloud.

She set the flowers on her coffee table and fished out her phone. There hadn't been a single phone call or message from Lance in fourteen days. She typed out a text and sent it off.

'Yes. We can be friends.'

Ash didn't regret the time she spent with Lance, nor did she want to forget about it. It was crucial in helping to shape who she was, as an animal and as an artist. A relationship was no longer in the cards, but she could work with friendship. He was no longer her sole companion in life.

She was lucky enough to find the ones who would be her lifelong friends, her mentors and her greatest supporters. She had finally found the family she'd been lacking, and she couldn't wait to spend the coming days, months and years with them.

#sing 2016 #sing 2016 fanfiction #ash (sing)#mike (sing)#lance (sing)#buster moon #Rosita (sing)#miss crawly #moon theater family #my love for this movie is strong #johnny (sing)#meena (sing)

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