Emotional attachment to a guitar.....

[Ckackley]

I've got a tiny problem I've been mulling over in my head the past few months. When I was in High school I was DYING to get my hands on a black Les Paul. I was huge into Guns and Roses (This was the early 90's) and Led Zepplin at the time and HAD to have one. As a graduation present my parents tracked down and bought me a black Les Paul Standard. I was amazed, especially considering they thought I was wasting my time playing guitar so much and swore they'd never buy another guitar for me. This guitar served me well for years.
Fast forward 17 years and I hardly touch the thing. I play sevens pretty much exclusively now as they just fit my hands better than any 6 string I pick up. I'm also playing almost all 26.5 scale lengths (Schecters) as well. The Les Paul feels tiny and I find my fingers fumble on the frets unless I'm paying close attention. The weight is another factor. I injured my neck a few years ago in a sword fighting mishap and the Les Paul causes some severe pain if I'm standing. My all mahogany Blackjack is a featherweight compared to the LP.
The new black Loomis is looking pretty tempting and I'm broke. I'm giving serious consideration towards a trade but I'm still really attached to the LP. Throw my parents into the mix, who would surely kill me if they found out and I don't know if I should go for it or not. Given my past history I'm worried I'll regret it after I get rid of it. Though, even at home screwing around I'll pick up my cheap Damian7 backup guitar before I pick up the LP.

What to do, what to do...

 

[splinter8451]

Hey man, I traded you that Damien for your 7321 remember? Well, since getting that from you I have not really touched my Jem7vh. I thought I was for sure never getting rid of that Jem. I have had it for 3 years now and I had to save up SO much money to buy it new. I told myself and my friends a million times I would never get rid of it. But it is actually going to be in transit to Kentucky tomorrow... I traded it for a 2228

Emotional attachment is definitely a big thing for some people. But if it is never going to get played and feels awkward to you I say why not let it move on so you can get something you like more? And then you can buy another Les Paul to hang on your wall down the road when you are too old to play anyways

I feel like you should be happy with gear. Even if you are emotionally attached to a guitar, having a different guitar you will play more is more important in my book

Get that Loomis.

 

[xtrustisyoursx]

I'd keep it

 

[Esp Griffyn]

The rule with buying guitars (or anything really) if you have the slightest misgiving, don't do it. If you aren't 100% sure it's the right thing to do you will regret it at some point.

In this case, whether you like the guitar or not, don't sell it without at least consulting your parents. I know its your guitar but its still a sentimental gift. If you really want shot of it, try to convince them that the sentiment of them gifting you this guitar will live on with the new instrument you get in it's wake.

I've had something like 15 guitars over the years and now I only own two, and I only miss two, a Fender MIM strat and an Ibanez nylon string. My Fender YJM has erased the resentment of losing the MIM strat a hundred times over, but if you sell the LP and regret it, you might never be able to get another one quite like it. Then again, if its just not what you want in an instrument, why let it gather dust? Sell it to someone who will put it to good use like it deserves and use the money to get what you need as a musician.

 

[DaveCarter]

I know what ya mean, I have 2 Ibanez RGs that I never play, they just hang on the wall gathering dust. I either play 7s in Splintered Soul or use my Vigier 6 for session work, so I have no need of them at all...but the pair were an 18th birthday present from my girlfriend at the time. Plus one of them belonged to the lead guitarist of my favourite band at the time, so its been toured with Trivium, Slipknot, Cradle of Filth, Children of Bodom, God Forbid, Avened Sevenfold, Shadows Fall, loads of bands that I like, so I really dont want to get rid of it...even though I never play it! Ive been trying to decide whether or not to sell both the guitars for the last 3 years, and Ive basicaly come to the conclusion that so long as I can afford not to sell them, then there's no real reason to. Right now if I need new gear I can save for it pretty easily, so I dont feel the need to sell the RGs just for the sake of clearing space on the wall.

 

[Bevo]

I feel the same about my Ibanez, I let a friend use it and it killed me that it was dirty. I got it back and put it away again after cleaning it and putting new strings on it.

As said, keep it if you can afford it, the new guitar will come.

This reminds me, I had a old washburn that toured with the old 80's band Goddo (Canada) that I loved but someone really wanted it bad. I gave it up and have been kicking myself ever since.

 

[Ckackley]

Hey man, I traded you that Damien for your 7321 remember? Well, since getting that from you I have not really touched my Jem7vh. I thought I was for sure never getting rid of that Jem. I have had it for 3 years now and I had to save up SO much money to buy it new. I told myself and my friends a million times I would never get rid of it. But it is actually going to be in transit to Kentucky tomorrow... I traded it for a 2228

Emotional attachment is definitely a big thing for some people. But if it is never going to get played and feels awkward to you I say why not let it move on so you can get something you like more? And then you can buy another Les Paul to hang on your wall down the road when you are too old to play anyways

I feel like you should be happy with gear. Even if you are emotionally attached to a guitar, having a different guitar you will play more is more important in my book

Get that Loomis.

I'm glad you liked the 7321 so much ! I gotta admit, us making that trade totally changed my gear choices. My main guitar now is a BlackJack. Congrats on getting the 2228 ! I said I'd never get rid of my 1527 and sold it a month after getting the Blackjack. lol

 

[Rick]

My Agile will be buried with me in a casket covered in cement.

 

[Ckackley]

Thanks for the replies so far fellas. I don't NEED another guitar right now as the Blackjack and Damien do what I need them to so I guess I could wait a while longer. Maybe I'm just gassing for the Loomis so bad I'm grasping at straws ?

 

[Cheesebuiscut]

I have my first guitar (an rg) that I don't even touch anymore except for leaving it in retarded experimental tunings I'll never use. Its gotten pretty nasty since the strings on it are uncoated

Still have no intention of getting rid of it. I get attached to everything I own though... especially if it was something like that guitar you got which is basically a symbol of your parents support (something I'll probably never get )

Personally I wouldn't get rid of that guitar even if it ends up as a display piece.

 

[hutchman]

Keep it man. So keep it. I love les pauls but I can see your point of not playing it.

I've got 2 guitars that i NEVER play but will never get rid of because of 1: Sentimental Value and 2: there so shit no one would want them

My first seven string is an Ibanez AX7 and is SO shit, especially now after years of abuse. But I learned pretty much anything worth learning on that thing. It's beat up REAL bad, tons of road rash. I've put it to retirement but the memories make me keep it.

 

[Bungle]

I injured my neck a few years ago in a sword fighting mishap

I totally get where you're coming from man, I've got a few guitars (shitty nylon string, shitty 12 string acoustic, shitty BC Rich, shitty strat knockoff. I see a trend there...) I don't play that I should get rid of, but I can't bring myself to do it.

 

[Ckackley]

Bungle- I was a middle ages reinactor for years. Strap on a suit of armor and do some full contact sparring. The group is called the SCA. Some dude went all "Braveheart" on me with a two handed great sword and ripped the tendon on the left side of my neck. I'm mostly better now. lol

 

[Randy]

^


Dude, that's fucking awesome.

 

[Bungle]

Ripped a neck tendon?! Fuck. That.

 

[Dark_Matter]

Keep it man. Hang it up on the wall, pass it down to your children(?), but don't get rid of it. I'm the same way.

 

[signalgrey]

me too. i have a super crappy acoustic that my dad bought for me before i went away to college. I cant possibly even think of getting rid of it.

 

[shredfreak]

Wish i still had my first electric really. Had a black cheapass strat copy but boy, that would be a great guitar now to mod the fuck out. I think it would have been the victim of a refret attempt if i still had it

 

[Despised_0515]

- Go back in time to the day after the injury
- Sue Braveheart wannabe
- ???
- Profit.
- Buy guitar.

On a serious note, I wouldn't sell it. Seventeen years of sentimental value can never be bought. You can save up and wait the grueling days of waiting to finally buy it and you'll love it that much more when you finally have it.

 

[Ckackley]

Words of wisdom all around. This about seals it. The LP stays. Reading everyone's posts go me thinking about everything I've done with that guitar and how excited I was when I got it. You guys rule, as usual.