Mental check on buying a good guitar

[Marty Grass]

This video struck me. It's about the downsides of getting some special guitars. I admit that this has affected me and created a learning curve the hard way.

A good example is the Firebird, a guitar I put many hours on in practice in my adolescent bedroom sitting on my bed. I joined a band. Standing up with the Firebird required getting the feel of a different instrument. This would be true with Les Pauls, but the lesson I learned was to use a strap when practicing while sitting.

I encourage you to look at this brief and thoughtful video. His wisdom sounds true.

[alltunes]

I like Keith’s vids. Yeah I had a Firebird late 80’s….it escapes me now why I had to have one back then Those mini humbuckers did have a unique sound though. A good Tele is all I need now.

[SierraTango]

Regarding point #1: I can assure you that owning and gigging with a "valuable" 1990 Benedetto Cremona does not suck at all. What I find ironic is this: let's just place a dollar value on my guitar of $25,000. That is peanuts when you are looking at '59 Les Paul's 50's Strats and Tele's. It's less than half of asking prices on a early issue 335. So I guess I'm gigging with a mid-priced "vintage" guitar. I won't even go into Monteleone or upper end D'Angelico or D'Aquisto.
Granted, I'm not playing venues, fairs or festivals where I'm gonna get into a fistfight over my duo's version of "Along Came Betty". I have a fine backup instrument for the bucket o' blood honky tonks with my Pisano 880.
However the absolute joy my BC brings to my music and, hopefully, the listener is priceless.

[Stringswinger]

I have 21 guitars ranging in value from a low of say $700 (A Warmoth partscaster Strat) to a high of say $18,000 (A Non cut D'Angelico Excel). They all get used on gigs, but I do take into account the risk to the guitar when choosing which guitar to grab for a particular gig/venue.

Over the years I have owned over 100 guitar and have found that there were some guitars that I could not bond with, but there are many others who love them. IMO, a guitarist needs to cycle through as many guitars as it takes until they find what works for them. It ain't a one size fits all world. I kind of feel the same way about women, though I have only had about 50 of those and currently only have 1.

[digger]

Over five years ago, I became aware I had too much “stuff”. Not just valuable music equipment, but stuff in general. I felt that the things I owned were starting to “own” me. I was always worried about something happening to them, doing maintenance, concerned about storage space, etc. So, I did some soul searching and began downsizing everything.

I'm kind of lucky, I guess. I've never really had much GAS. When I was starting out on the guitar, back in the seventies, I lusted after a Strat. I bought a new one with money from my Saturday job. I still have it and still use it at gigs. I'm told it wasn't a very good era for Strats but this one is still plenty good enough for me. I've been that way with acoustics, and even my archtop (Aria FA77) is more than I'll ever need, if I'm honest. After all it's good enough for Jim Mullen...

These days, I'm pretty much where you were five years in the quote above. I may one day treat myself to a nice OM size guitar or maybe a true acoustic archtop. But in either case I'd probably only do so if I can get rid of enough stuff to make space, and even then it would probably be a Loar or an Eastman. And it would also be dependant on my doing more gigs than I am now.

Good choice of reso' by the way. No chance of getting a Mule this side of the pond but I did push the boat out and treat myself to a Michael Messer Lightning a year or two back. Haven't played it as much as I should so any tips would be welcome!

Derek

[John A.]

Very early in my electric guitar journey I almost bought a Firebird (which sounded great), but the downside was obvious even to clueless teenage me, and I passed. Vees and Explorers never appealed to me. To the whole "too valuable to play" thing, I really can't see that. If I were rich enough for an original burst (or just a mere Collings), I'd play it. None of my guitars is particularly valuable, but they all cost an amount that mattered to me at the time I got them, and losing them would be a bummer and potential financial hardship to replace. But I play them.

[Rickco]

I had that "Im owned by my shit' epiphany a few years back and started down sizing. easier said than done. We moved which made it easier to unload many collected "treasures" until it came to guitars...Im old and retired and never play out and only occasionally with friends. I got down to 7 guitars and cant seem to let any of them go, i do play them all but could get by happily with any one...well mabey two...possibly just that nice 16 also...well shit whats one more really like to keep this one also, you know the drill. I visited a friend ive known for 60 yrs and taught me my first tune (secret agent man) He became a great player and was highly regarded in his area although a part time player. I asked him if he was still active and he handed me a CD of jazz fusion. The guitar tracks were exceptional and I asked him what guitar he played assuming I was hearing a custom or really nice "jazz box" he laughed and said he was still playing the melody maker (no pedals!) from the early '60s when we were kids. When he asked me I changed the subject. Every time I try to "thin the herd" I find ways to justify a silly amount guitars, I think it must be some kind of hoarding syndrome, it has no logic.
Great post, nice to know your not alone.

[Gilpy]

The video makes some good points but I think he makes too big a deal about maintenance for rare or valuable guitars. A good guitar will need to be worked on once to make everything right and then very seldom afterwards. Totally agree with him about Flying V shapes...really weird feeling!

Another great sounding guitar that I wouldn't want to have is a SG. They're all neck-heavy. Can't deal with that!

As for guitars that are too pretty or pristine to play out, yeah I had one: a Collings Soco deluxe. Absolutely perfect guitar. Sold it because it didn't sound as good as some guitars I had that were 1/4 the price.

I would never maintain that vintage guitars are always worth the extra cost over more modern guitars. But some really are special, like my '64 ES-335 that I use in even the lowliest dives. I also have a '36 Martin 000-18 that I use as my only flat top.

[Cunamara]

IMO, a guitarist needs to cycle through as many guitars as it takes until they find what works for them.

I have had nowhere near as many guitars*. Ironically enough, I am strongly beginning to suspect that "the right one" is the first electric guitar I bought in 1986- a 1981 Ibanez GB10. Three Teles, a Strat, an ES-175, a Cushman carvetop, a Rick Turner RN-6, a Takamine classical... all really nice guitars, they sound and play great, but whenever I pick up the GB10 I am home.


*(or women; maybe I just got lucky in finding the right woman on attempt #3, so I didn't have to keep going)

[Stringswinger]

I have had nowhere near as many guitars*. Ironically enough, I am strongly beginning to suspect that "the right one" is the first electric guitar I bought in 1986- a 1981 Ibanez GB10. Three Teles, a Strat, an ES-175, a Cushman carvetop, a Rick Turner RN-6, a Takamine classical... all really nice guitars, they sound and play great, but whenever I pick up the GB10 I am home.


*(or women; maybe I just got lucky in finding the right woman on attempt #3, so I didn't have to keep going)

You are fortunate. It saved you a lot of money and stress, especially on the woman part

[Marty Grass]

The video makes some good points but I think he makes too big a deal about maintenance for rare or valuable guitars. A good guitar will need to be worked on once to make everything right and then very seldom afterwards. Totally agree with him about Flying V shapes...really weird feeling!

Another great sounding guitar that I wouldn't want to have is a SG. They're all neck-heavy. Can't deal with that!

As for guitars that are too pretty or pristine to play out, yeah I had one: a Collings Soco deluxe. Absolutely perfect guitar. Sold it because it didn't sound as good as some guitars I had that were 1/4 the price.

I would never maintain that vintage guitars are always worth the extra cost over more modern guitars. But some really are special, like my '64 ES-335 that I use in even the lowliest dives. I also have a '36 Martin 000-18 that I use as my only flat top.

I hope it didn't put too much emphasis on maintenance. I think his point is that if you have a 1950s LP that needs a fret job, you will want to find the right guy and fretwire for the work. Plus refretting probably drops the value considerably.

There are guitars too expensive to routinely gig with, especially traveling a lot across oceans.

I get his points completely.

[Woody Sound]

In college, I used to go see a good local blues band, and the guy had a Firebird. It sounded awesome for blues. Kinda hard to describe, and I always wanted to at least try one.

[Bach5G]

I’ve come to that place in life whereI’ve realized that at 70, either I will sell my guitars or my wife will sell my guitars.

Oh, I’ll keep the MIM Tele, which is what I play the most. And maybe the Player Strat. But my 50 year old 175 that rarely leaves its case? Or my Jim Hall?

[Stringswinger]

I’ve come to that place in life whereI’ve realized that at 70, either I will sell my guitars or my wife will sell my guitars.

Oh, I’ll keep the MIM Tele, which is what I play the most. And maybe the Player Strat. But my 50 year old 175 that rarely leaves its case? Or my Jim Hall?

Let your wife sell them when you are gone. You worked hard/smart to get them. Enjoy them while you are still here. And play that 175, they are the most iconic jazz guitar ever for good reason.

[Alter]

I have both expensive and cheap guitars, amps and gear, and use all of them at home and in gigs. You do get to appreciate the care free functionality of cheaper gear, especially on gigs with travel/touring/difficult weather/etc conditions. But better gear spoils you, and once you experience say a great guitar, it's difficult to go back to a mediocre one, cause you hear the difference. Then you have friends that have everything.. You hear and play a 60s Gibson 335 through a 1965 Deluxe reverb... it kind of stays with you Or a great archtop ..

Then you are left handed..... hell !!

[DawgBone]

I love firebirds and V's. My old neighbor had a 64 non reverse and it was an amazing instrument and I found it quite comfortable. I am a bigger guy so I don't mind bigger guitars. I just can't stick a V unless it's live on stage. I found the Les Paul to be pretty much the ultimate couch guitar so that's what I'm playing right now.

[Sam Sherry]

Over the years I have owned over 100 guitar and have found that there were some guitars that I could not bond with, but there are many others who love them. IMO, a guitarist needs to cycle through as many guitars as it takes until they find what works for them. It ain't a one size fits all world.

Nicely said, once again.

There's a point at which a guitar becomes too bling-y for me to feel right.
Something about the Super 400 / New Yorker made me feel, 'Too much for you, Sam. You aren't that much of a guitarist.'
And yet the pearl-block Fender D'Aquisto Elite and the 1967 split-pearl-block Epi Howard Roberts don't trigger me that way.

It's like some kind of gear-based imposter syndrome. It isn't reasoned and it isn't reasonable. It's just something about my self that I don't want to fight with.
Heck, I have no problem toting around a ca. 1850 double-bass. I think I'm a decent bassist but not tons of guitarist. And yet both those could be incorrect, or not.

"Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical."
-- Yogi Berra

[2bornot2bop]

As a pianist, I feel kinda bad. I went through 109 guitars in 7 years. But I was curious, so that’s my out.