Ugh! I hate when this happens!

[Chipotle]

Not to discount anyone else's experience, but I'll say I've never had this happen to me. When I pick up my guitars, they sound like my guitars. They don't have "bad" or "good" days in my experience.

I'm curious (honest question!)--if you experience this, have you always had this happen throughout your life or playing career? Or is it something that happens as you get older, perhaps? I'm 55, is this one more thing aging will bring that I have to look forward to?

Or maybe my ears just aren't good enough to tell in the first place.

[edward993]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

Not to discount anyone else's experience, but I'll say I've never had this happen to me. When I pick up my guitars, they sound like my guitars. They don't have "bad" or "good" days in my experience.
...

I think you've missed the point many are making here: it is not the guitar. We are conceding that it is us, the player. Be it performance jitters or just having a bad playing day. It happens ...just as those magical days happen

Makes me think of amateur car racing: everyone needs to be very careful, especially since there is often a loose nut behind the wheel!

Edward

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by edward993

I think you've missed the point many are making here: it is not the guitar. We are conceding that it is us, the player. Be it performance jitters or just having a bad playing day. It happens ...just as those magical days happen

I understand, that's why I asked if it may be age-related (given the average on this board skews older). Do our ears change, beyond the typical hearing loss, or is hearing loss non-linear? I'm curious if there's any link.

[rokdog49]

Happens to me all the time.
When it does, I pick very lightly through an arpeggio.
That usually cures it.

[donlyn]

Ugh! I hate when this happens!

Some days your ears just need to not show up for some reason.
Don't fret, they'll be back bright ear-ed and bushy tailed tomorrow.

Don
.

[HillTone]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

Finicky guitars are kinda like when you start having kids. As my wife says, "The days are long but the years are short."

Oof. This quote is more and more apt every year.

When my guitars don’t sound good my first culprit is my hands, then the humidity, then the room, then I give in to the fact that it’s my mind.

[EZYPIKINS]

That's how it go.

Better to get it out in a rehearsal than at the gig.

I know when it comes to a gig, time goes by really quick.

Whet when everything sounds like crap. It takes forever.

[zephystar]

I see your location is SE PA, same as me. The weather here is crazy. It was mid 70's yesterday, in a few hours it will be 34. Likewise humidity is swinging wildly from day to day. I notice my guitars sound quite different from day to day when the weather is like this.

[guitarxan]

I had this happen to me Monday night. Was getting ready for a gig tonite(which went really well). Monday I couldn’t get my voice dialed in, the guitar sounded crappy and I couldn’t hit the harmony pedal correctly to save my life. I had put in a 10 hour day at work and just wasn’t feeling it. I went to bed at 9:30, got up at 7 and played again before work. What a world of difference. You were probably tired or frustrated. Get some rest clear your head and come back to it. You’ll be pleased at how good you and your guitars will sound.