I can find at least one or two things that irritate me about each guitar I have. It's a lot like being in a relationship.
The "Personality" of your guitar
- Thread starter STRHelvete
- Start date
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For me its usually “wish this one cost less”
wiretap
Well-Known Member
I think you misunderstand what I am saying. To be specific, I was referring to a current crop of Gibson’s currently being sold as “good wood era”. It’s nonsense, so the dates swing wildly but generally, let’s say 90s to early 2000s for the sake of this. This is nonsense because, as I mentioned, no two guitars are the same. Some sound great, some don’t. It’s a meaningless term being applied to literally thousands of instruments with no measurable data set. Access to better or worse wood is rather irrelevant because it doesn’t guarantee every guitar will sound great. It’s a nonsense term that people use to try to upsell their completely ordinary guitar. Those people can, for sure, kick rocks.
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Okay yeah I can see your point! There's often lots of exaggerations going on around stuff like this.
I see it as two different things. If the goal is to find a good guitar, then yeah try a bunch of guitars and find a good one. If the goal is to nerd out on minutiae then do that (that can be fun sometimes). But it's probably a bad idea to mix those two things together
wiretap
Well-Known Member
Okay yeah I can see your point! There's often lots of exaggerations going on around stuff like this.
I see it as two different things. If the goal is to find a good guitar, then yeah try a bunch of guitars and find a good one. If the goal is to nerd out on minutiae then do that (that can be fun sometimes). But it's probably a bad idea to mix those two things together
That I agree with! And, in some cases, when some people say “good wood era” they can also simply be referring to a time with particularly nice tops and such, that’s different and definitely a measurable thing with your own eyeballs. But on the whole in my experience, I’ve played some really great dirt cheap guitars, and some simply ok really expensive ones. You never really know until you play whatever it is you’re looking to buy.
Ordacleaphobia
Shameless Contrarian
So glad I'm not the only one that's thought about this. This was a tough lesson to learn, I used to subscribe to the 'I can sell this now, try something else, and just sell that and buy one of these again if I miss it' philosophy. That doesn't always work out when the one you get next doesn't vibe with you like the first one did.
I used to have a blue Ibanez S5470, thing was an absolute monster and picking it up felt like getting a gear upgrade in a video game where you just magically got better. Unfortunately though, it had a random hole drilled into the headstock that drove me mental so I ended up selling it with the intent of buying another one.
....which was how I learned those guitars went through 2 different neck profiles over their production lifespan; and that I absolutely did not fuck with the original one.
Took a dive selling that one and eventually swooped another S5470 that should, on paper, be the same as the first one; but...it wasn't. Thing just felt dead, sustain was weak, and I could never get the action where I wanted it. Sold it off and I still entertain the thought of trying to pick up another one.
Same thing with the RG921s; I had a blue one and red one, one always sounded like it was being muffled under a blanket or something and the other one sounded great, but the neck just felt off...like cartoonishly thicker than the other. Again, same exact specs save for the finish color. Both ended up going.
Also went through 2 PRS Custom 24s- both were killer guitars but one (actually the one in my profile photo) had a much more throaty tone to it and was noticeably heavier. Kick myself for selling that one, too.
Everything I have now though is a uniquely special snowflake. Comparison is the enemy of complacency.
I used to have a blue Ibanez S5470, thing was an absolute monster and picking it up felt like getting a gear upgrade in a video game where you just magically got better. Unfortunately though, it had a random hole drilled into the headstock that drove me mental so I ended up selling it with the intent of buying another one.
....which was how I learned those guitars went through 2 different neck profiles over their production lifespan; and that I absolutely did not fuck with the original one.
Took a dive selling that one and eventually swooped another S5470 that should, on paper, be the same as the first one; but...it wasn't. Thing just felt dead, sustain was weak, and I could never get the action where I wanted it. Sold it off and I still entertain the thought of trying to pick up another one.
Same thing with the RG921s; I had a blue one and red one, one always sounded like it was being muffled under a blanket or something and the other one sounded great, but the neck just felt off...like cartoonishly thicker than the other. Again, same exact specs save for the finish color. Both ended up going.
Also went through 2 PRS Custom 24s- both were killer guitars but one (actually the one in my profile photo) had a much more throaty tone to it and was noticeably heavier. Kick myself for selling that one, too.
Everything I have now though is a uniquely special snowflake. Comparison is the enemy of complacency.
I'm considering having work done to this guitar. I already have locking tuners, strap locks, a Gotoh bridge, satinized neck, and dual Seymour Duncan Triple Shots installed but I've been thinking about getting a sustainer system put in. I also figure if I'm gonna do that why not have stainless steel frets thrown in and a PLEK setup? Undecided yet as I rarely ever touch this guitar. It's only still here because everyone needs at least one trem guitar in the roster and I figure if I'm gonna keep it I might as well fully trick it out. I'm kicking around whether or not I wanna spend that kind of money for a guitar that isn't my main, my second, or even my third in line but I'm definitely curious to see the differences and how I feel about it afterwards.
@STRHelvete sounds like a boredom project (not always a negative - you may love it).
Not sure what all those parts cost, but have you considered buying a bass instead? Im sure someone is making a bass with similar body (Balaguer?)
Not sure what all those parts cost, but have you considered buying a bass instead? Im sure someone is making a bass with similar body (Balaguer?)
Funny you mention that. I have a PJ style bass and I've been wanting a Thunderbird since forever. Now that these are out I may have to grab one
I await your purple bass ngd.
Fresh strings for a better comparison, and just two guitars - no one's sitting through 11 minutes of my side profile
Not sure if it's the smaller gauge, but the R9 just feels nicer to play right now. May need to mess with the LPC setup (didn't change gauges).
Not sure if it's the smaller gauge, but the R9 just feels nicer to play right now. May need to mess with the LPC setup (didn't change gauges).
tedtan
Well-Known Member
The “A” guitar is significantly brighter than the “B” guitar in your example. Did they both have fresh strings and the same amp settings/mic placement/etc.?
Fresh strings on both - one 9-42 one 10-46. 9-42 set had maybe an hour on it, 10-46 was done just before recording. Same settings for each setting.
This.
- My best playing one quite heavy and super bright.
- My best sounding one has the neck profile I like the least.
- My all-rounder has the volume knob in the way
- The coolest looking one neck-dives
And on, and on... I believe all of those quirks give them indeed a personality. Sometimes I want to play one, sometimes another. Just like when you don't want to hang with the same people all the time.
odibrom
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... and sometimes our own guitars betray us too... when the jack is busted, battery is dead (for those with active circuits), volume pot is scratchy, the switch cuts out or a string breaks and we don't have stock backup...
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Having things different in guitars is a cool way to engage our creativity, it forces us to think differently. Although my guitars are all tuned up to be on similar back to back with each other, they're really not... What I mean is that all my 7s (minus the fretless for obvious reasons) can deliver the game effort and flawlessly, but they'll all feel and sound slightly different, adding to different expressions. At this moment I don't really have a number one, or The One has its title more due to emotional baggage than with tone or other technical features. Curiously it's not the most played one lately, although I try my best to rotate every one of them as much as possible..
HATEMORPH
SS.org Regular
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I personally have many guitars, some radically different, some very close in specs, to some being exactly the same.
I love each one for different reasons and the differences with the hardware, woods, pickups, string gauges etc all contribute to its sound. Some of those aspects contribute more than others.
For me personally, it’s why I fell in love with the Fishman Fluence pickups. I have or had guitars with EMGs, Seymour Duncans and different active and passive types and what I would find was, sometimes specific pickups of the exact same make would just sound different enough that it would make the guitar be great sounding or not so great sounding.
Once I got Fishmans and swapped guitars with them, I found that the pickups were all consistent enough that the woods, hardware and everything else could shine through. this ultimately is just how it sounds but for me, personally is what is very important.
A guitars playability is also extremely important but can be as subjective to the person as to how it sounds, but I find that usually, if the guitar sounds absolutely killer, I’ll like playing it a lot more.
My number one favorite guitar plays as good as it sounds to my ear and when I compare it to the others not only does it play like butter, it sounds the best, too.
I love each one for different reasons and the differences with the hardware, woods, pickups, string gauges etc all contribute to its sound. Some of those aspects contribute more than others.
For me personally, it’s why I fell in love with the Fishman Fluence pickups. I have or had guitars with EMGs, Seymour Duncans and different active and passive types and what I would find was, sometimes specific pickups of the exact same make would just sound different enough that it would make the guitar be great sounding or not so great sounding.
Once I got Fishmans and swapped guitars with them, I found that the pickups were all consistent enough that the woods, hardware and everything else could shine through. this ultimately is just how it sounds but for me, personally is what is very important.
A guitars playability is also extremely important but can be as subjective to the person as to how it sounds, but I find that usually, if the guitar sounds absolutely killer, I’ll like playing it a lot more.
My number one favorite guitar plays as good as it sounds to my ear and when I compare it to the others not only does it play like butter, it sounds the best, too.
Fresh strings for a better comparison, and just two guitars - no one's sitting through 11 minutes of my side profile
Not sure if it's the smaller gauge, but the R9 just feels nicer to play right now. May need to mess with the LPC setup (didn't change gauges).
Made some tweaks to the setup of each guitar (mostly the LPC)
redux is here
