Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

[BloodRose]

This has happened to me a bunch of times. First let me say I love all my guitars. So its not like I have a dog Im glad to get rid of. So, when I decide I have to sell, I pick the one or ones that dont inspire me to pick them up the most and that are probably most marketable. But Ill list them for sale and Ill play em I time or two for nostalgia and OMG, they for some reason sound and play more amazing than I remembered. This has happened a bunch.. One guitar was feeling so good once that I almost asked the buyer to take a refund. (my vintage Baretta with rare maple board)

today I played my LTD 1000 ctm and the thing was sounding HUGE and notes were ringing for ever and so on.. Im trying to keep from pulling the listing..

This ever happen to you?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

I don't sell things often anymore for that reason. And if I do, I purposely don't play it before selling it. I just put the stock pickups back in, tune it up, and put it away.

Amps are also difficult, because there's probably a reason I bought it in the first place.....because I liked it.

But no matter what, it's always sadder to see a piece go knowing it's for bill money, not a new toy.

 

[alteredbeast]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

But no matter what, it's always sadder to see a piece go knowing it's for bill money, not a new toy.

agreeeed

 

[youngthrasher9]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

The answer: http://how-i-met-your-mother.wikia.com/wiki/Graduation_Goggles

 

[DankStar]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

yeah, amps too. you'd think I was in Molly Hatchet with all the amps I have laying around right now! if the world crumbles into a spontaneous jam session, I am so ready.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

Has yet to happen to me but I can understand why it happens.

 

[verbotenco]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

I had similar experience but with a pre amp. I just sold my Behringer piece of arse pre amp 2 weeks ago and was so relieved it is now gone. So, I don't know, I don't think I share what you feel.

 

[hermetico]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

I have a theory here. We are selling stuff because we don't feel comfortable with them or because we aren't able to get what we expected from them or because it doesn't fit our style.
When a buyer is interested on that gear, he knows what he wants and how to test it (better than us) so, when other plays it you got surprised.
At the end, tone is on your fingers and, it's a good thing to hear your guitar / amp / pedal on hands of other (better than you) guitarist. I went surprised with most of my gear and, that made me to think: "ok, now... how do I get that tone?".

 

[The Dali]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

Nice to see you Hermetico!

I think the OP was stating that when HE plays the guitar before selling it (or posting on ebay or taking pictures of it) that HE feels that it plays so much better than it did the last few years. I find that occurs all the time. I move guitars around quite a bit and I always find that I LOVE the guitars I have more than I should. Gear is gear in my mind. Unless I find that one perfect soul mate I'm going to look around for something better. But, I always have a hard time selling off a guitar... even if it is a $100 guitar (but it is SUCH a GREAT value...!)...

 

[tonello]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

It's called Graduation Goggles.

When you're in high school, you can't wait to leave, and start your life, and get away from all the burnouts and the dicks. Then when you finally hit graduation, you realize that you'll miss all the burnouts and the dicks. And the lunch ladies with ****ty attitudes.

Same happens when you breakup with a girlfriend because you guys always fight. The minute you decide to breakup, you realize that you will miss them.

It's happened to me with ****ty gear and good gear. With ****ty gear, it's reminding you why you bought it in the first place. With good gear, you're subconsciously telling yourself to find a different piece of gear to sell. I've done that with gear for the pawn shops. I was buying my girlfriend an engagement ring, but being a college student, I had no money... only a barely used Gibson explorer. I played it a few times, but it was usually in it's case due to logistics. So when I was taking it to the pawn shop and they plugged it in to play, I heard it and asked to play it once "for old time's sake". Courtney almost got an engagement guitar.

 

[hermetico]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

Nice to see you Hermetico!

I think the OP was stating that when HE plays the guitar before selling it (or posting on ebay or taking pictures of it) that HE feels that it plays so much better than it did the last few years. I find that occurs all the time. I move guitars around quite a bit and I always find that I LOVE the guitars I have more than I should. Gear is gear in my mind. Unless I find that one perfect soul mate I'm going to look around for something better. But, I always have a hard time selling off a guitar... even if it is a $100 guitar (but it is SUCH a GREAT value...!)...

Hi there, mate.

Well, in that case, you were usually focusing in one or two guitars or one or to amps and, at the end you think you don't need so much gear so, you want to sell that gear that was more compulsively bought than any other thing but, you want to check that everything is ok for the potential buyer and, suddently you realize that I doesn't sounds so bad and, that's good.
If you don't firstly convince yourself about the goodness of the gear, how will you convice the buyer?.
You have to re-valuate (up) the gear before selling it, to be sure that the money that you are asking for is reasonable, since the gear "worth it"!.
Tricks of our mind, I guess.
LOL

 

[alteredbeast]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

Same happens when you breakup with a girlfriend because you guys always fight. The minute you decide to breakup, you realize that you will miss them.

AMEN, man.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

The Dali is correct! I love the gear or wouldnt have bought it. But when it came down to what to sell, I had to pick what hasnt inspired me the most when Ive played it. Guitar X will have just felt ok last couple times it was played, so Ill say ok, can part with this one.. Put it up for sale and give it one more play for old time sake and man the thing just hits all the buttons.. Its almost like they purposely try to impress me to keep from being sold..

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

I went to sell my Agile. I had never really played it the way the guy who was going to buy it played it ; which was loud through a great amp ( Rivera tube). It sounded so damn good, that I was actually happy when he didnt buy it, and Ive decided to keep it.
I dont doubt sometimes for some people a different guy can wrangle more out of a guitar then someone who owns it, but in my case, tone aint ever 'in the fingers', its always in the gear, and the guys gear brought that Agile guitar to life.

 

[hermetico]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

The Dali is correct! I love the gear or wouldnt have bought it. But when it came down to what to sell, I had to pick what hasnt inspired me the most when Ive played it. Guitar X will have just felt ok last couple times it was played, so Ill say ok, can part with this one.. Put it up for sale and give it one more play for old time sake and man the thing just hits all the buttons.. Its almost like they purposely try to impress me to keep from being sold..

As I said, you need to convince yourself about the value of such a guitar, otherwise, you could find abusive the price you are asking for to the buyer!.
LOL

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Why do guitars sound SO much better when you are selling them?

I guess it's the same reason why wives look better when you divorce them. When you have something you don't appreciate it, when you don't you do. Having said that I never missed and I'll never miss high school. Cause reading all that s**t is just way more than all the good stuff together.