Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

[blueman335]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

lol, no worries dude. im not going to get offended if some1 doesnt like fenders. i actually laughed when i read your post. good times.

Let me tell you, I'm less than thrilled with some of the things Gibson has done over the years, and I'm certainly not going to get defensive if you point them out. Hell, I'll chime in. Every manufacturer has it's share of blunders. Everything about most Gibson designs fit me like a glove, and Fenders seem like some kind of weird pseudo-guitar. But that's what I'm used to & it's just my opinion. Lord knows Hendrix proved that a Strat in the right hands can do anything.

 

[d1dsj]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

I should have added this earlier realy, if you are going to gig anytime soon I would keep the sentimental one as a back up and get just one great guitar. If you're not planning on gigging, then just go for broke and find one that will last a lifetime. Even if you do gig, other than a complete disaster, take the lead off Joe... one guitar CAN serve you well!

 

[phil_104]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

I was in a very similar situation last year. I found myself with a few guitars, some I played, some I almost never played, and I wanted something special. What I did, is I kept the only one that was of sentimental value, and sold everything else. Then, I raised some money (including the one from sold gear), until I had a budget price that was what I wanted. I then set out to play every single guitar in town, within that budget. Do this until you find one that really, really connects with you, and don't get lost in the '' I need a _____ for sure mode''.

Find 1 guitar you LOVE, and don't look back.

 

[veryhungrycaterpilla]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

I would have a very hard time going down to one axe. I don't have much in effects on the other hand...

My present problem is a MIA Strat I have with a maple fretboard. I found I just can't like a maple fretboard. I would like to sell it but my 4 year old son said he wanted that guitar when he "grows up". Where/how much are replacement Strat necks with a rosewood fingerboard?

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

First,
I can totally relate... I have been considering this for awhile too.. I LOVE having alot of choices and connect with each of my babies. BUT.... Mostly they are unplayed, and I wonder if I wouldnt really get more from playing one consistantly and learning all nuances and coaxing everything I need from that guitar with my hands... SRV, Hendrix, BB come to mind..
I figure Id be great if I could get down to :
Accoustic
Tele
Strat
LP
Superstrat

I just love all my axes and cant decide what to part with..

Anyhow... About you....
If you arent bonding with what you have, move them.. If they dont inspire you, they arent worth having.. Brand name or model doesnt matter.

As far as one guitar.. If you can afford the luxury, keep or get a back up. Maybe one that you have would be a good back up.
Try different guitars and brands to see what grabs you.. I have been able to try different things, and I have ended up LOVING some guitars that I never would have dreamed of. It may end up that what really trips your trigger may not be a super expensive guitar, but a pawn shop prize..
Just dont get hung up on gear.. Brand, quantity, etc..
Good luck and let us know how you end up

 

[blueman335]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

I wonder if I wouldnt really get more from playing one consistantly and learning all nuances and coaxing everything I need from that guitar with my hands... SRV, Hendrix, BB come to mind..

Son, Hendrix was constantly buying guitars (most from Manny's in New York). He had many Strats (rosewood and maple), along with several V's, a couple SG Customs, a LP Custom, a 335, a Gretsch, etc. He played these guitars live & in the studio. While he played Strats the most often, he had no loyalty to them.

BB has gone thru many guitars himself, from an ES-5, Tele, 335, 345, 355, and many Lucilles. He settled on the 335 design, but he's gone thru dozens of them.

Don't use these guys as examples of "connecting with one guitar." Blows your whole theory. Makes the flowery, romantic vision of 'one man-one guitar' look like the BS it is. You can have one guitar for years & still sound like crap. Odds are if you have a collection, you know more about them, and can do more with them. It's a big world out there, why impose artificial limits?

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

Don't use these guys as examples of "connecting with one guitar." Blows your whole theory. Makes the flowery, romantic vision of 'one man-one guitar' look like the BS it is. You can have one guitar for years & still sound like crap. Odds are if you have a collection, you know more about them, and can do more with them. It's a big world out there, why impose artificial limits?

Roy Buchanan and Nancy...nuff said....and yes I know he dabbled with a Les Paul before his death, but he sure didn't need it.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

You need to learn how to use smilies Blueman... but I had a good laugh reading those posts.

But that ruins the dead pan effect. Some of the funniest things are said with a straight face. Besides by now, whether they love it or hate it, people here should know my sense of humor.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

Roy Buchanan and Nancy...nuff said....and yes I know he dabbled with a Les Paul before his death, but he sure didn't need it.

Sorry, but while I think Roy was very talented, that Tele was so screechy that I can't listen to much of him at one sitting. I think he'd of caught on more with the public is his guitar wasn't so shrill. To me, he usually used too much distortion & effects. He was good enough that he didn't need all that. I'd love to hear Roy cut loose without all that noise going on.

When I listen to Roy I think: "There's a guy who needed a Les Paul." There's other guys too, identified with a certain guitar, that could also have benefitted from better tones, like Robert Cray & that tinny Strat of his, and although I love Muddy Waters songs & vocals, when he played slide on his Tele, it was so screechy, like nails on a chalkboard. To me, some guys bonded with the wrong guitar (or amp). Yeah they're famous and still have cult followings, but that doesn't mean everything they did was beyond question. I've heard too many guys get great tones on their Strats & Teles, to keep my mouth shut when I hear a guy that doesn't realize that you can overdose on treble.

To me, a great example of a guy bonding with a guitar is Rory Gallagher.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

I like having multiple styles of guitars...it's like an artist's palette with all the different colors.

However, I will usually focus on one style at a time. Changing guitars to get a different tone is easy, but sometimes I feel like my playing gets better if I'm forced to get what I want out of the one I'm playing...thin tones from the LP or butter from the Tele for instance.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

To me, a great example of a guy bonding with a guitar is Rory Gallagher.

+1...Robin Trower comes to mind, also.

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

Sorry, but while I think Roy was very talented, that Tele was so screechy that I can't listen to much of him at one sitting. I think he'd of caught on more with the public is his guitar wasn't so shrill. To me, he usually used too much distortion & effects. He was good enough that he didn't need all that. I'd love to hear Roy cut loose without all that noise going on.

When I listen to Roy I think: "There's a guy who needed a Les Paul." There's other guys too, identified with a certain guitar, that could also have benefitted from better tones, like Robert Cray & that tinny Strat of his, and although I love Muddy Waters songs & vocals, when he played slide on his Tele, it was so screechy, like nails on a chalkboard. To me, some guys bonded with the wrong guitar (or amp). Yeah they're famous and still have cult followings, but that doesn't mean everything they did was beyond question. I've heard too many guys get great tones on their Strats & Teles, to keep my mouth shut when I hear a guy that doesn't realize that you can overdose on treble.

To me, a great example of a guy bonding with a guitar is Rory Gallagher.

I'll agree with the Rory comment......I think Roy has enough fans that think he had a decent enough tone.

One mans "screechy" is another man's "articulate".

 

[blueman335]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

I'll agree with the Rory comment......I think Roy has enough fans that think he had a decent enough tone.

One mans "screechy" is another man's "articulate".

With Roy's individuality & talent, he should have a bigger following than he does. In conversations about great blues guitarists, his name doesn't come up very often (I don't remember seeing anyone mention his name on this forum, and a lot of guitarist's names have come up). To me, this is in large part due to his extreme tone, which I think alienated him from some listeners, a core that should have been his fans. I know a lot of local blues players that can't accept a guitarist that overdoes distortion and effects, regardless of how good he is. It's too bad, as Roy had a lot of interesting ideas. He chose to be at one end of the tone spectrum, and in the process lost a lot of the fans in the middle. Ironically, you have Robert Cray at the other end: clean, tinny, clumsy, & predictable, who's much more popular; and although his songs are more polished and professional, his guitar-work sounds like a beginner compared to Roy. 'One-man, one-guitar' didn't help Cray. He never mastered it.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

With Roy's individuality & talent, he should have a bigger following than he does. In conversations about great blues guitarists, his name doesn't come up very often (I don't remember seeing anyone mention his name on this forum, and a lot of guitarist's names have come up). To me, this is in large part due to his extreme tone, which I think alienated him from some listeners, a core that should have been his fans. I know a lot of local blues players that can't accept a guitarist that overdoes distortion and effects, regardless of how good he is. It's too bad, as Roy had a lot of interesting ideas. He chose to be at one end of the tone spectrum, and in the process lost a lot of the fans in the middle. Ironically, you have Robert Cray at the other end: clean, tinny, clumsy, & predictable, who's much more popular; and although his songs are more polished and professional, his guitar-work sounds like a beginner compared to Roy. 'One-man, one-guitar' didn't help Cray. He never mastered it.

It's all conjecture at this point, but I submit that Roy felt he had found his personal sound. It may sound extreme to you or someone else, but it was right to his ears. I, for one, put his tone easily within my own top ten favorites.

Oh, and much of what I hear of his playing is that Tele into a cranked Vibrolux, not crazy processing and effects.

- Keith

 

[blueman335]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

It's all conjecture at this point, but I submit that Roy felt he had found his personal sound. It may sound extreme to you or someone else, but it was right to his ears. I, for one, put his tone easily within my own top ten favorites.

Oh, and much of what I hear of his playing is that Tele into a cranked Vibrolux, not crazy processing and effects.

- Keith

I agree. Roy obviously liked his tones. I just don't think they were that popular with the average blues fan (Roy gets very few requests and airplay anymore). His playing & technique is worthy of a bigger audience.

I've got an old VHS tape of live performances, "Further on up the Road" featuring Roy, Albert Collins, and Lonnie Mack. Roy's distortion, reverb, & treble were way over the top, and it was a real distraction to the notes he played. Yeah, he must of liked it that way, but that's too much for a lot of blues lovers. He kept himself from being more popular, but that probably didn't bother him at all.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

I agree. Roy obviously liked his tones. I just don't think they were that popular with the average blues fan (Roy gets very few requests and airplay anymore). His playing & technique is worthy of a bigger audience.

I've got an old VHS tape of live performances, "Further on up the Road" featuring Roy, Albert Collins, and Lonnie Mack. Roy's distortion, reverb, & treble were way over the top, and it was a real distraction to the notes he played. Yeah, he must of liked it that way, but that's too much for a lot of blues lovers. He kept himself from being more popular, but that probably didn't bother him at all.

While I do dig his core tone, his reverb does get pretty swampy at times. That's probably the one thing I'd want to change. A lot of people feel his tone is too sharp as well, but I love treble, so I'm cool with it. I'm sure there was no shortage of ice picks at the "Further On up the Road" performance you mentioned.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

While I do dig his core tone, his reverb does get pretty swampy at times. That's probably the one thing I'd want to change. A lot of people feel his tone is too sharp as well, but I love treble, so I'm cool with it. I'm sure there was no shortage of ice picks at the "Further On up the Road" performance you mentioned.

I think Albert Collins was clearly the best of the 3, the best chops, and lots of showmanship, going out into the audience with a 100' cord.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

Blueman,
Thank you soo much for setting the record straight!! I see now that I not only MUST keep all my herd, I need to get more!!!!
Bless you !!!! Blesssss you!!!

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

Have you upgraded the PU's in the Epi's? I have some G-400's & LP's, and with Duncan and DMz PU's, they sound great. Very enjoyable to play. Have yours had a set-up & string change recently? LP's have a distinctive sound & sustain, with that fat body. I have a C5/JazzN & Fred/Bluesbucker in my LP's, and I'd recommend those pairs to anyone. In my SG's, I like a C5/'59N, 498T (A8)/490R (A5), or a pair of Phat Cats or P-94's, all of which give muscle, cut, and bite. If your LP & SG sounded like mine, I bet you'd keep them.

I'd dump the Cort & start a fund for another guitar.

Not a particularly big fan of Epiphone, but will add that I definitely agree a guitar like an G-400 SG has the potential to sound great with new pickups.
I actually don't mind the stock pups for clean tones and mild over drive to be truthful, it was only with high gain riffing (old Metallica) that they just didn't cut it for clarity and tightness.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Thinking about going down to one guitar. What would you do?

Not a particularly big fan of Epiphone, but will add that I definitely agree a guitar like an G-400 SG has the potential to sound great with new pickups.
I actually don't mind the stock pups for clean tones and mild over drive to be truthful, it was only with high gain riffing (old Metallica) that they just didn't cut it for clarity and tightness.

I have a couple of Epis that are absolutely Ducky!! (sorry, was thinking bout my grandma..) Anywho, my G400 sounds and plays amazing. Stock wasnt bad, but I put a C5 in the bridge.. Holy poo!
I have an EPI LP that could be "the one" if I wasnt so undecisive..