Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

Ascension

Well-known member
Had my old Peavey Generation S-1 for sale and almost let it go but have reconnected with it.
Started playing with it a little at my new Church gig and now suddenly it's my #1 player.
Anybody else almost let a real gem go then come to your senses?
Here is a clip with her from our last practice through the Peavey Ultra + head and my Fender 2/12.
https://app.box.com/s/vzttiberdyilybeslbuo
To really hear her sing hit the 3 min mark or so on the clip on to the end.
After listening to a couple clips of her I'm going what the heck was I thinking?? It's also one of the best playing guitars I have ever picked up and my dumb self was about to let it go??
Came to my senses and this one is NOT going anywhere!!!


 
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Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

Once you get beyond fifteen guitars, "rediscovery" happens fairly regularly.
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

A lot of those Peavey USA guitars are great. I have a Fury bass that looks pretty plain Jane, but has classic P bass tone, and one of the nicest, most comfortable bass necks I've played.
I've had a few guitars that I reconnected with. Usually, I never got around to selling them, they sat in their case unplayed for a long time. Usually what made me reconnect with them was getting the idea to drop a different pickup in them. Then it's like getting a new guitar. And often the reason I didn't play them was just that I didn't have a need for the tone, as it was. With a different pickup, suddenly the guitar had a tone that I found much more inspiring, and I had to play it.
 
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Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

A lot of those Peavey USA guitars are great. I have a Fury bass that looks pretty plain Jane, but has classic P bass tone, and one of the nicest, most comfortable bass necks I've played.
I've had a few guitars that I reconnected with. Usually, I never got around to selling them, they sat in their case unplayed for a long time. Usually what made me reconnect with them was getting the idea to drop a different pickup in them. Then it's like getting a new guitar. And often the reason I didn't play them was just that I didn't have a need for the tone, as it was. With a different pickup, suddenly the guitar had a tone that I found much more inspiring, and I had to play it.
About the same concept here but instead of a new pickup it was a new gig. This one has the rather rare Peavy active system that is unique to these guitars. In this particular setting it just works and works like nothing else has.
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

Funny you should post this. I just reconnected with my Peavey Generation EXP. It's the one I converted to a dual-HB'er, with the Duncan Designed JB/Jazz set. (My "cheapy" Tele-Gib, if you will.) Anyway, I love how this thing plays and feels. (And sounds.)
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

Yes and no.

Back when I had decided to have Will Stinnett build me a custom guitar, a friend of mine that was interested in picking up the guitar, had expressed interest in my previous no.1, a Swing EZ-10 that had undergone an extreme make-over.
After I promised him that I'd sell her to him once his finances allowed it, I found myself no longer reaching for her. In my mind, she was no longer mine.

Fast-forward about a year and a half later, my Stinnett SS6 was in my hands, my clear-cut no.1 and enjoying her every bit as thoroughly as day one (still do actually) but my poor Swing was still there in her bag, still being unplayed and it had been months since he had last mentioned it.

So I took her out of her bag, cleaned her up a bit and started playing her, rusty strings and in dire need of a setup and all.
It was like coming home! I LOVE my Stinnett and she still is my most comfortable guitar but my Swing had been my no.1 for much longer and after such a long time of not even looking at her, it felt real good playing her again.

Back to today, my Stinnett still is my no.1 and still gets at least 60% of my total playing time but my Swing is back into the rotation and I must say I am pretty happy that she is!
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

I've got a huge collection of instruments right now, and that includes almost 20 G&Ls. I tend to rotate through them; it might depend on the gig, or just because this one is blue, yadda, yadda yadda. All of them are set up using the same action, the same strings--and most of the neck profiles feel very similar. I do have a few that I consider "favorites", but all of them are very, very good. However.....I have one Legacy that I've have never been able to bond with, because the neck profile just feels SO different than my other Legacys--like it's not even from the same planet. It is a gorgeous guitar: the finish is a solid in creamy Vintage White, with a matching headstock, RW board, tortoise guitar and cream plastic. And like all my Legacys, it's a fantastic, vintage sounding Strat with a great vibrato and Leo Fender's brilliant PTB tone controls. Totally gorgeous, but it sure wasn't my favorite to play because of the neck.

So on a whim, I decided to use it for the gig I had last New Year's Eve. WTH--it looks nice and I can deal with the weird neck for a few hours, right? I probably hadn't used it for five years, so it needed a light fret polish, new strings and a lube job. My playing style has slowly changed over the last few years, so I lowered the action just slightly to fit my new standard, and intonated the bridge. Then I used the 12" radius gauge out of the set I got from Stew-Mac. It needed just some very slight adjustments to the saddles, and then I re-checked the intonation.

BAM! It's like a totally new guitar!!!

I just can't believe it. For whatever reason, that "weird" neck seems to have vanished--the profile now feels the same as my others. I've been playing it around the house for the past few months as I learn more and more about the new Mesa Mark V I bought, and it just plays great.

I thought I had done a set-up on this when I bought the guitar off E-Bay years ago, but apparently not. I've always thought it was a gorgeous guitar, but I've been majorly disappointed because the feel of the neck was so odd.

I think it just really goes to show that I should never really give up on a guitar--at least not until it's had a good setup!

Bill
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

Giving a guitar a full setup is literally the first thing done to her after acquiring her.
When she's bought from my favorite store it gets my setup of preference by the store-owner who is also my tech before ever leaving the store.

When she's not, she gets there ASAP!
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

Good reason not to ever sell a guitar. Eventually you live to regret it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

^+10.

Several years ago I tried to sell my Ric 620, but didn't get any reasonable offers. So I put it in the closet and forgot about it for a few years. Just this weekend I got it back out and now I can't stop playing it. I can't find my stereo cord so I'm not even enjoying the "ric-o-sound" right now.
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

Yes and no.

Back when I had decided to have Will Stinnett build me a custom guitar, a friend of mine that was interested in picking up the guitar, had expressed interest in my previous no.1, a Swing EZ-10 that had undergone an extreme make-over.
After I promised him that I'd sell her to him once his finances allowed it, I found myself no longer reaching for her. In my mind, she was no longer mine.

Fast-forward about a year and a half later, my Stinnett SS6 was in my hands, my clear-cut no.1 and enjoying her every bit as thoroughly as day one (still do actually) but my poor Swing was still there in her bag, still being unplayed and it had been months since he had last mentioned it.

So I took her out of her bag, cleaned her up a bit and started playing her, rusty strings and in dire need of a setup and all.
It was like coming home! I LOVE my Stinnett and she still is my most comfortable guitar but my Swing had been my no.1 for much longer and after such a long time of not even looking at her, it felt real good playing her again.

Back to today, my Stinnett still is my no.1 and still gets at least 60% of my total playing time but my Swing is back into the rotation and I must say I am pretty happy that she is!

yeah, the two of you go way back.. dont think you should ever part with the Swing.

Ascension, glad you rediscovered before it was too late. I do this alot. Get one of my old girls out and get re blown away. Often I discover this when I do a final play after Ive sold one.. Cant recall the model of the pv I had, (nitro maybe) but it was a ripper
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

yeah, the two of you go way back.. dont think you should ever part with the Swing.

Ascension, glad you rediscovered before it was too late. I do this alot. Get one of my old girls out and get re blown away. However, too Often I discover this when I do a final play after Ive sold one.. Then I get a wicked case of sellers remorse.. Cant recall the model of the pv I had, (nitro maybe) but it was a ripper

That axe had the most humongous floyd on it.
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

Everytime I pull out my 80s Kramer Pacer, Im just stunned. It plays so darned easy and sounds great.. Had a luv fest with her today...
 
Re: Rediscovering a guitar that you own.

I have been falling in love with my MIJ 1980 Iceman all over again. SD Dimebucker/Jazz combo, B.C. Rich wiring split/split/phase, Kahler hybrid trem, locking tuners - the thing play likes a dream and sounds unreal.

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