Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
- Thread starter ratherdashing
- Start date
Dr. Vegetable
New member
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
I know, I know... Don't worry - the CN250 will ride again.
Shame...
I know, I know... Don't worry - the CN250 will ride again.
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
:clap:
:beerchug:
:clap:
:beerchug:
simply rod
Member
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
It's a perfect opportunity to learn how to do your own fret leveling. It is neither complicated nor expensive. In my case, my initial investment of $50 for materials and tools paid off with the first neck I did, and I've done 15-20 since then.
If you're interested, I got all the info and how-to over at TDPRI. I highly recommend checking it out.
It's a perfect opportunity to learn how to do your own fret leveling. It is neither complicated nor expensive. In my case, my initial investment of $50 for materials and tools paid off with the first neck I did, and I've done 15-20 since then.
If you're interested, I got all the info and how-to over at TDPRI. I highly recommend checking it out.
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
It's the multi-layer neck (likely multiple layers of onepiece boards, possibly quartersawn too). Japan in the 70s-80s did some WILD stuff with angling wood grains perpendicularly, interspacing together different grades or types of the same wood (i've seen stuff like flame/birdseye/flame maple sandwiches - not super pretty flame or birdseye, but it's selected for different hardnesses to be superstrong, not for the visuals), etc. etc. It's like having a second trussrod that's self-adjusting. In those, the truss rod is for emergencies only, or for wild stuff like going from E# on 8s to DropB on 13-70s or something.
It's the multi-layer neck (likely multiple layers of onepiece boards, possibly quartersawn too). Japan in the 70s-80s did some WILD stuff with angling wood grains perpendicularly, interspacing together different grades or types of the same wood (i've seen stuff like flame/birdseye/flame maple sandwiches - not super pretty flame or birdseye, but it's selected for different hardnesses to be superstrong, not for the visuals), etc. etc. It's like having a second trussrod that's self-adjusting. In those, the truss rod is for emergencies only, or for wild stuff like going from E# on 8s to DropB on 13-70s or something.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
My first guitar ever is long gone. It was a Squier Strat as well. It sounded awful and played even worse. I sold it when I was 17 for 50 dollars. I don't care.
The first electric guitar I ever played - the one I played in my first couple of bands - is my father's '70s Ibanez Les Paul copy. It's only a LP in profile. Ash body. 3-piece maple neck. Super 70s humbuckers. Bolt-on. A great guitar. It's still in my dad's possession, but if it ever comes into mine, I doubt I would gig with it. However I would also never sell it.
My first guitar ever is long gone. It was a Squier Strat as well. It sounded awful and played even worse. I sold it when I was 17 for 50 dollars. I don't care.
The first electric guitar I ever played - the one I played in my first couple of bands - is my father's '70s Ibanez Les Paul copy. It's only a LP in profile. Ash body. 3-piece maple neck. Super 70s humbuckers. Bolt-on. A great guitar. It's still in my dad's possession, but if it ever comes into mine, I doubt I would gig with it. However I would also never sell it.
aleclee
Major General GAS
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
Great point. I remember that construction being touted as enhancing stability.
pinto79
New member
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
Matt, I've tried to retire Telly, my Black 1993 MIM Telecaster. I keep saying that I'll use it to record and play at home only. She's been through hell and back and really deserves the rest, but I don't have anything else that sounds as good or plays as well, so I keep taking her out.
I'm confident that we could save your black Strat from retirement. The body and neck are solid. I'm sure I can figure out a solution for the truss rod and find a way to fix that bridge. I still think that's your best sounding guitar. The Cream one is a VERY close second, but there's something missing from it that the black one has.
If you do decide that you must retire it, retire it as is. Don't take anything off or swap any parts. The way it is right now is how you used it, so that's how it deserves to spend retirement.
Matt, I've tried to retire Telly, my Black 1993 MIM Telecaster. I keep saying that I'll use it to record and play at home only. She's been through hell and back and really deserves the rest, but I don't have anything else that sounds as good or plays as well, so I keep taking her out.
I'm confident that we could save your black Strat from retirement. The body and neck are solid. I'm sure I can figure out a solution for the truss rod and find a way to fix that bridge. I still think that's your best sounding guitar. The Cream one is a VERY close second, but there's something missing from it that the black one has.
If you do decide that you must retire it, retire it as is. Don't take anything off or swap any parts. The way it is right now is how you used it, so that's how it deserves to spend retirement.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
Not one that I ever seriously played.
I keep a few sentimental junkers that have been around the family since before I was born, though:
- My dad's first guitar, a "Melody Plus" plywood classical that his dad purchased for him with Blue Chip Stamps.
- My dad's Gibson B-25, his first "good" guitar. He used to play it constantly, but the top eventually warped and the bridge came up. The bridge has been re-glued, but the top is still warped. It is tuned open, and [rarely] used for slide.
- No-name plywood tenor guitar. I sat on it as a baby and caved in the back, and it's still broken, flapping around. It has a trapeze tailpiece, and for as long as I can remember, the bridge has been a broken drum stick. Only two strings remain, and they are jet black - at least 35 years old. I have occasionally used it at "noise jams," but it has no real "musical" use.
- My dad's Vietnamese acoustic guitar. These were popular among U.S. G.I.s serving in Vietnam. Many were purchased, and some of those were brought back, including this one. It was a gift from one of my dad's Vietnam vet friends.
- Hagstrom II. My dad's first electric. It was always sitting out when I was growing up. The pickups eventually died, and it sat under his bed for years. I gave it to my cousin after my dad died, as my cousin had a big sentimental attachment to it.
Not one that I ever seriously played.
I keep a few sentimental junkers that have been around the family since before I was born, though:
- My dad's first guitar, a "Melody Plus" plywood classical that his dad purchased for him with Blue Chip Stamps.
- My dad's Gibson B-25, his first "good" guitar. He used to play it constantly, but the top eventually warped and the bridge came up. The bridge has been re-glued, but the top is still warped. It is tuned open, and [rarely] used for slide.
- No-name plywood tenor guitar. I sat on it as a baby and caved in the back, and it's still broken, flapping around. It has a trapeze tailpiece, and for as long as I can remember, the bridge has been a broken drum stick. Only two strings remain, and they are jet black - at least 35 years old. I have occasionally used it at "noise jams," but it has no real "musical" use.
- My dad's Vietnamese acoustic guitar. These were popular among U.S. G.I.s serving in Vietnam. Many were purchased, and some of those were brought back, including this one. It was a gift from one of my dad's Vietnam vet friends.
- Hagstrom II. My dad's first electric. It was always sitting out when I was growing up. The pickups eventually died, and it sat under his bed for years. I gave it to my cousin after my dad died, as my cousin had a big sentimental attachment to it.
Kosh Naranek
New member
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
My first electric has mostly been sitting in its case since the late 80's. It never was that great a player - the neck is chunkier and the frets smaller than I prefer. And it has a few of the QC issues Fender was known to have in the CBS era. See photo.
Despite that, it has sentimental value, and it is appreciating in monetary value, so I'm hanging on.
Another one that has been retired and taken out of retirement a few times is my second electric, a plexiglass bodied Renaissance, purchased in 1980 when I was a high school sophomore with money I'd saved. The Renaissance has been sold to a friend, bought back for nostalgic reasons, given to another friend who didn't have an electric guitar, given back when he got a MIM Strat he loves, and sat in its case many years.
The neck is chunkier than I like, it has a few QC issues, and the tone always had issues. The Super Distortion bridge pickup it came with was microphonic. The Steve Morse signature bridge pickup I replaced it with sounded brittle. I did record one country-blues song with it. Steve Morse is known to coax twangy country tones from his guitars, and his bridge pickup is able to do that.
But just recently, I swapped the pickups for a set of EJ Customs I bought from a forum bro. To my delight, they don't sound brittle! They're bright but not shrill. The guitar sounds fantastic, and I'm looking forward to playing it on upcoming blues and country tunes that I record.
My first electric has mostly been sitting in its case since the late 80's. It never was that great a player - the neck is chunkier and the frets smaller than I prefer. And it has a few of the QC issues Fender was known to have in the CBS era. See photo.
Despite that, it has sentimental value, and it is appreciating in monetary value, so I'm hanging on.
Another one that has been retired and taken out of retirement a few times is my second electric, a plexiglass bodied Renaissance, purchased in 1980 when I was a high school sophomore with money I'd saved. The Renaissance has been sold to a friend, bought back for nostalgic reasons, given to another friend who didn't have an electric guitar, given back when he got a MIM Strat he loves, and sat in its case many years.
The neck is chunkier than I like, it has a few QC issues, and the tone always had issues. The Super Distortion bridge pickup it came with was microphonic. The Steve Morse signature bridge pickup I replaced it with sounded brittle. I did record one country-blues song with it. Steve Morse is known to coax twangy country tones from his guitars, and his bridge pickup is able to do that.
But just recently, I swapped the pickups for a set of EJ Customs I bought from a forum bro. To my delight, they don't sound brittle! They're bright but not shrill. The guitar sounds fantastic, and I'm looking forward to playing it on upcoming blues and country tunes that I record.
astrozombie
KatyPerryologist
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
My idea of "Retiring" a guitar usually involves selling it.
On the other hand, I had retired my jaguar for about a whole year or two back when I had other guitars. I was playing an SG and a strat most of the time. The SG was borrowed, and it was great because it's a standard, but the strat always left me feeling kind of mediocre. then one day i took the jaguar out for whatever reason and thought "Jesus, the build quality is so much better!"
My idea of "Retiring" a guitar usually involves selling it.
On the other hand, I had retired my jaguar for about a whole year or two back when I had other guitars. I was playing an SG and a strat most of the time. The SG was borrowed, and it was great because it's a standard, but the strat always left me feeling kind of mediocre. then one day i took the jaguar out for whatever reason and thought "Jesus, the build quality is so much better!"
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
THAT. well, either selling it, or upgrading it so far it's unrecognizable.
THAT. well, either selling it, or upgrading it so far it's unrecognizable.
JordanM82
New member
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
I have yet to retire a guitar, nothing has been so significant in my guitar playing life as to not merit being sold to the right opportunity or to continue being played because it sounds bad-a**.... I have been playing my Strat for quite a few years now and I doubt I will ever get rid of it, but I could not imagine not playing it either, when it needs a re-fret it will get one and it will stay in the regular playing rotation where it belongs... it sounds WAY too good to sit around not making music.
I have yet to retire a guitar, nothing has been so significant in my guitar playing life as to not merit being sold to the right opportunity or to continue being played because it sounds bad-a**.... I have been playing my Strat for quite a few years now and I doubt I will ever get rid of it, but I could not imagine not playing it either, when it needs a re-fret it will get one and it will stay in the regular playing rotation where it belongs... it sounds WAY too good to sit around not making music.
Ashurbanipal
Well-known member
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
I guess these would qualify, as they're no longer playable or worth anything.
Epiphone Special II. Multi-laminate body like CTN's Explorer bass, mudbuckers with double thick ceramics stock. Ugh. Use it to harvest screws etc.
Plywood nylon. Tuners are gone and bridge nearly pulled off.
I guess these would qualify, as they're no longer playable or worth anything.
Epiphone Special II. Multi-laminate body like CTN's Explorer bass, mudbuckers with double thick ceramics stock. Ugh. Use it to harvest screws etc.
Plywood nylon. Tuners are gone and bridge nearly pulled off.
Re: Have you ever "retired" a guitar?
I have an old acoustic from the 60s that I've retired. It's a low budget japanese knock-off of a Martin OMC. It's attractive and plays well but the bridge & neck joint are showing the effects of age. The fingerboard is also worn in a lot of places. I put a set of the low tension Newton Heritage Classic bronze strings on it and just leave it hanging on the wall as a decoration. I'll miss it until I find a suitable replacement.
Cheers.
I have an old acoustic from the 60s that I've retired. It's a low budget japanese knock-off of a Martin OMC. It's attractive and plays well but the bridge & neck joint are showing the effects of age. The fingerboard is also worn in a lot of places. I put a set of the low tension Newton Heritage Classic bronze strings on it and just leave it hanging on the wall as a decoration. I'll miss it until I find a suitable replacement.
Cheers.
