Excessive inlay, changing taste

[MrDB]

I wouldn't want to own an entire stable of blingy guitars, but having just one would be fine.

From a talent standpoint I've already outkicked my coverage by a wide margin with my 000-28. I'm roughly Daisy Rock level, so what the heck does it matter now?

My retirement gift to myself will be a style 42 Martin. 000 if I can get along with the V neck (not likely) or an OM42.

[Rockysdad]

Originally Posted by markrj

I bought the Larrivee for both!

+1, My L-10 looks, sounds and plays great as far as I'm concerned. Purchased with my hard earned dollars, with absolutely no regrets and it'll stay with me.

[TBman]

When the humidity is normal I don't mind looking at my Guild D-55 with the fancy fretboard inlays as it hangs on the wall, but I was young when I bought it.

Give me a simple wood bound body, unbound fretboard, simple abalone sound hole inlay and dot fret board markers and I'm fine.

Once in a while I'll treat myself to a set of bone pins with inlays though and a nice set of good looking tuners.


If I ever feel the need to bling like a D-45, Eastman has that E-40D SB, but I'm neck high in dreads already, lol.

[Zissou Intern]

I much prefer spartan appointments on guitars. A D18 is just about perfect. Even the abalone sound hole rosette on my J15 is way too much for my taste.

I especially like the Eastman 40D, and few of my friends have 45 and 42 series Martins. I think they are beautiful instruments, but not for me.

[musicman1951]

Originally Posted by Otterhound

Bling has no tone .
Guess I'm a form follows function kind of guy .

From the review in One Man's Guitar:

I subscribe to the opinion that inlaying the edge of a guitar’s top with dense, abalone shell results in an increased complexity to the voice that is often described as an added shimmer or jangle. It simply isn’t present in guitars inlaid with wooden herringbone or thin plastic lines. All one has to do to experience this is play a Clapton 28 and a 000-42 side by side. The only difference is the pearl inlay. If they then play another model made in Style 42 side by side with its counterpart in Style 28 or 35 they will find the same tonal qualities present in both 42s and find them equally different from those non-pearled guitars.

So I'm not so sure bling has no tone.

[JimiRayTrower]

Opinions, aye....haha....plenty of people enjoy pizza, not everyone likes anchovies on their pizza.

I'm a mediocre player at best. However, it doesn't change the fact that I still love guitar bling. I love abalone inlays, body bindings, and rosettes.
I love abalone in general....Oh well, to each their own.


"If choice of guitars was based on skills, 99% of the AGF crowd would be over equipped." <-----agreed

[s2y]

I don't mind some nice abalone purfling, tasteful headstock inlays, etc. I'm not a fan of busy inlays all over the fretboard. I like to keep inlays on the traditional 3,5,7,9,12th frets, etc.

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by JimiRayTrower

"If choice of guitars was based on skills, 99% of the AGF crowd would be over equipped." <-----agreed

You have been a member of the AGF for less than one month, with only 3 posts, and you agree to a statement like that?

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

.....Now, excuse me, I'm going to go barf all over one of my guitars. Or, better yet, one of YOUR guitars, Earl. Which one would you like it to be?
Wade Hampton "Dry Heaves" Miller

How about the Rainsong, Wade? I could hose it -- and you -- off afterward, without harming either.

Edit: On second thought my Rainsong has electronics. How about my Blackbird Lucky 13?

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

From the review in One Man's Guitar:
I subscribe to the opinion that inlaying the edge of a guitar’s top with dense, abalone shell results in an increased complexity to the voice that is often described as an added shimmer or jangle. It simply isn’t present in guitars inlaid with wooden herringbone or thin plastic lines. All one has to do to experience this is play a Clapton 28 and a 000-42 side by side. The only difference is the pearl inlay.......

Sorry, but I have to politely call "BS" on this one. Because no two pieces of wood are truly identical -- even adjacent flitches from the same log -- there is more variation in individual guitar woods than could be accounted for by adding abalone trim to parts of the guitar that don't really vibrate. I propose that if you played three examples of any model side by side, you would hear distinct differences among them. Wood varies.

And that is apart from construction differences (bracing, etc) that there may be between a 000-28EC and 000-42. I'm not at all sure that the only differences are cosmetic..... What if they save the best woods for the 40 series, and the second best for the EC's?

[TBman]

Originally Posted by JoeCharter

Very true indeed. If choice of guitars was based on skills, 99% of the AGF crowd would be over equipped.

Now, now, don't get personal,

[51 Relic]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

I used to own a LV-19 Special Vine Edition, of which only a small handful were ever made. Wonderful guitar that a good friend now owns. I have simplified in my tastes, for the most part, but it had the perfect amount of bling on it, for a blingy guitar.

That one guitar that looks great with all the inlays [emoji41]

[Pickcity]

I have never been one to go for excessive bling, but I admit that when done right and tastefully, certain touches of bling can be very attractive.

I find beauty in simplicity.

[JimiRayTrower]

Originally Posted by guitar george

You have been a member of the AGF for less than one month, with only 3 posts, and you agree to a statement like that?

Just because I've only been a registered member for a short while doesn't mean that I didn't lurk here for years. I'm not even sure what the point of your post was about?

[rdeane]

I love to look at all the bling, abalone, pearl, wood, whatever is on there. I'm like a kid in a candy store. That being said, just because it is visually appealing to me, doesn't mean I want to own it. There must be something more for me to desire it for myself. That has driven my husband crazy for a long time, and now he just lets me state when there is something I actually want to own (i.e., give me a Christmas list already). I liken that tendency to going to an art museum and being awed by what I see, but not wanting to live with it. I guess I'm a hopeless Lookie-Lou.