At What Age .......
inmyhands
Posts: 11,704
At what age of a guitarists life does the pure quality of an instruments construction X the perfection of its voice / tonality become more important than signature additions, who played what, brand loyalty, Iconic brand names, etc.?
I'm not dissing signature editions because I own both a Steve Van and Eric Johnson signature edition that are excellent for their purpose.
At some point in the last 10 years or so, (I'lll be 65 in January), I found I cared less and less about who played what or what instrument was used on which song or which brand was endorsed by whoever and, instead, found myself flipping the bird to all hype and just focused on me, the instrument, our connection and the results.
I now own instruments that no one famous has played on a hit single, album or whatever and yet sound better to my ears and fit me better as a player. It's like at 60 years or so I just started absorbing all that gave me me and cared little or nothing about an instruments historical aspect. My finger spread. My choice of pickup voicing. My choice of body woods and body weight.
Was I a "late comer"?
Did others come to the same conclusion at an earlier age?
If you've reached this stage when did you get there?
If you haven't ........ can you see a time in your future when you will?
Guitar Manufacturers have reached a point where their history count's more than their current and future product development.
Yes. Sometimes the future sucks with Richlite or auto tuners. But other times something better comes along.
Where are you?
I'm not dissing signature editions because I own both a Steve Van and Eric Johnson signature edition that are excellent for their purpose.
At some point in the last 10 years or so, (I'lll be 65 in January), I found I cared less and less about who played what or what instrument was used on which song or which brand was endorsed by whoever and, instead, found myself flipping the bird to all hype and just focused on me, the instrument, our connection and the results.
I now own instruments that no one famous has played on a hit single, album or whatever and yet sound better to my ears and fit me better as a player. It's like at 60 years or so I just started absorbing all that gave me me and cared little or nothing about an instruments historical aspect. My finger spread. My choice of pickup voicing. My choice of body woods and body weight.
Was I a "late comer"?
Did others come to the same conclusion at an earlier age?
If you've reached this stage when did you get there?
If you haven't ........ can you see a time in your future when you will?
Guitar Manufacturers have reached a point where their history count's more than their current and future product development.
Yes. Sometimes the future sucks with Richlite or auto tuners. But other times something better comes along.
Where are you?
Comments
Now it would be disingenuous to suggest I was or am immune to what my favorite players played. That has played a part in some of the instruments I've acquired. But it usually had to be more than just that, too. The Blackmocaster was obviously inspired by Ritchie, but it's not an exact copy of a Fender RB Strat. And though I was a purist when I built it, and insisted on 21 frets, it became obvious over time that I should have served ME more than purity and I should have built it with 22. And two years ago, I added the 22 fret all these years later -- experience correcting a past mistake. So even when I end up with an instrument that is inspired by some player I like, these days, I'm more inclined to tailor it to suit my own specific needs. And almost every instrument I own is customized to my preferred specs to some degree.
-- David St. Hubbins.
It wasn't until after the turn of the century that I really started looking for a guitar that reflected me rather than someone else in my head. Then it took me almost another 10 years before I achieved that goal.
Although I still love the look of the SG I haven't owned one in a very long time. Tele's and LPs took over and, realizing the extreme comfort of a Strats balance and body shape, got me to thinking about builds that would combine the best of these models to be a perfect fit for me. That's pretty much where I am today with electrics.
-- David St. Hubbins.
-- David St. Hubbins.
My #1 electric, a Melancon Custom T, is a Les Paul disguised as a Telecaster with the deep back carve and balance of a '57 Stratocaster. Mahogany body / (burl) Maple top / PAFs . An added 3 way micro switch allows me to choose between humbuckers in parallel, humbuckers in series or humbuckers split with only one coil active to get a true single coil option. For me ...... it's perfect.
All the guitars I own sort of serves a purpose but they are bought or modded with kind of a purpose in mind. The reason I was attracted to my Superstrats (550 and a Gunslinger) was becuase of my manic obsession of 80s hair metal. I saw those kind of guitars in videos and wanted something like those myself. I modded the 550 into the much more streamlined design (with HS setup and only one volume and mini toggle) because it fitted me better. I also put the EVO and a rail in there becuase it was the best choice for getting that very saturated and processed tone I wanted out of the guitar. Same goes for the EMG I put in the Gunslinger, tonally it kind of did what I wanted to achieve with the guitar and also having an EMG was handy when playing a lot of rented backlines becuase it means you always slam the front end hard and can have a rather consistent tone no matter what you play through.
My DC Lester with P90s I got becuase I love the tone of P90s and figured it would track really good. It also looks very bad ass and rock n roll! I wanted something to contrast my fire breathing superstrats with, not less fire breathing but definitely in another way. I would not have gotten it if I didn't thought it looked cool.
My Tele is kind of the same way, I love single coils but don't love the "clonkiness" of Strats. What to do? A tricked out Tele, that's what. It is kind of a Tele Paul in a sense and it is one of my best sounding guitars. But as the same as above, a guitar sounding exactly the same but that didn't look cool and sort of played on the aesthetic I wanted it would have been a no-go.
I think in a sense for me all the tones I like I sort of also connects to a certain look and vibe in a guitar and that has to go hand in hand with it. It has to sound AND look right and those has to make sense as well for me for it to be an instrument I like. I don't know if that is something I'll ever "grow out" of, I am very vain
To sum it, for me look and brand plays a big part and that has to be aligned with the tone and what I want out of that very "tool" at that given moment. If I found a Jagstang delievering the best late 80s metal tone I've ever heard would I get it? To be quite honest, no, I wouldn't. Same goes if I could cram the chimest nicest clean out of a BCR, wouldn't really matter.
As a side note I also have a big aversion going out on a stage with knock-off brands on the headstock - I want it to say Gibson or Fender or Ibanez or Jackson or something like that... Just one of those vanity things I do care about no matter how silly it is. I am kind of growing out of it though, I don't really care as much as I used to... Maybe in time I will be on stage playing the most soothing clean guitar hymns on a chinese no-brand Warlock
Neither would I. Not even if they included ice cream and a new car. There are lines that can't be crossed!
I think that was also the reason why I started using GHS Boomers back then as well.
These days though I would really love an Eric Johnson Strat, nothing to do with Eric it's just that one of my students has one and I love it!
-- David St. Hubbins.
-- David St. Hubbins.