What is your "nothing compares with this" guitar?

[Ruppster]

Toby...I feel the same about my H&D.

[ChuckS]

I'd say it's my Carruth 12-fret 000 (steel string). Great fit for playing solo fingerstyle arrangements, especially where supporting the melody while still being balanced is critical. I assume part of its ability comes from a luthier also skilled in classical guitars.

[gfirob]

Something that is only touched on here is how the story of the guitar—how it came to you—often invests the guitar with a special kind of value, enhanced of course by the sound of it or the look of it. The very best guitar (at least in my memory) that I ever owned was a 1928 Martin OM 28 that John Fahey sold me when I was 16 years old. It was on the cover of his Album number six and was later stolen in a burglary. Each of the guitars I have now has some kind of narrative that goes with it, an origin story. None of them was just purchased at a guitar shop.

I once had a 1983 Martin HD28 that had belonged to a Canadian country music player, used in a hundred bars across the Canadian prairie. It had a poorly repaired headstock break, cigarette burns on the rosewood faceplate from butts parked under the strings, finish cracks like shattered glass across the top from going out of overheated bars into the Canadian winter, and so much arm-sweat damage on the lower bout that the herringbone was separating and the finish was permanently fogged. But it was the best D28 I have ever heard, bar none. I eventually gave it to my son.

When we have a guitar that was our father's or that we discovered in the closet of its elderly first owner, or that was hand made for us with wood we chose and built by someone of great skill, that story becomes part of what makes the guitar irreplaceable. And particularly with an older guitar, marked with playing wear or old repairs, wear that shows how long and hard it was played by someone who loved it, we experience its life before it came to us—the musical life that helped to make it the guitar that it is.

[vindibona1]

For me, I'd have to say my 1972 D35. I'd wanted a Martin all of my adult life. Set out to buy one in 1980 and was led astray by my first Alvarez Yairi which is now officially my daughter's.

A few years back I was killing time up the road and saw it hanging on the rack at the local mom-pop store. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. It was the first Martin I was compelled to pull the trigger on. No other Martin (or other guitar) has ever spoken to me the way that this one did. And that was before I found strings that matched even better. I pick up a new D35 and think to myself "pfffff".

My stepson has a 2003 D35 and my friend whom I play with occassional has a newer model (thinking 2011) and neither compare with mine in any category. Don't get me wrong, they're both nice. But that 40+ year old sound, the harmonics, the warmth, balance and ability to just make music musical, my '72 beats them all handily. It did have the bridge filled and saddles slots recut for split saddle to handle the '70's Martin intonation issues but is great now. I have two beautiful Taylors which I play regularly, but when I pick up my D35 I subconsciously ask myself why I even bought the Taylors in the first place... and I can never come back with an answer better than "I just wanted a Taylor". With the right offer I could sell either of my Taylors... But my Martin will be with me til the end.

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by gfirob

Something that is only touched on here is how the story of the guitar—how it came to you—often invests the guitar with a special kind of value, enhanced of course by the sound of it or the look of it.

Here's my story:

My H&D was purchased used. Guess who it was owned by? Read on.

I discovered this used guitar at Lark St. Music in NJ. I asked the owner, Buzzy if he could come down on the price. He replied that it was on consignment but he'd be happy to call the owner and ask if they would take my offer. Five minutes later Buzzy comes back and says, 'The owner wanted to know if the buyer was a professional musician and when I said yes she said then give it to him at his price.' Boy, was I happy about that. Buzzy said that the owner would be in touch.

Two weeks later I received a letter in the mail from the owner. Take a look at the next picture. Here's what it said.

To Toby Walker,

I hope you get as much enjoyment from owning the Huss and Dalton MJC as I did. I found it to be a very versatile instrument, and especially enjoyed using it for my strange tunings - the cutaway helped immensely in certain cases. I hope it brings you many years of pleasure and musical inspiration.

With best wishes,

Mary Chapin Carpenter
June 8th, 2010.

[ljguitar]

Hi Toby…

It's my 1993 Olson Dreadnought, East Indian Rosewood/Cedar…




James signed it in November of '92, but competed and delivered it in May of 1993…it's difficult to shoot pics inside the particular spot in my guitar he signed!

[jojobean39]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Here's my story:



My H&D was purchased used. Guess who it was owned by? Read on.



I discovered this used guitar at Lark St. Music in NJ. I asked the owner, Buzzy if he could come down on the price. He replied that it was on consignment but he'd be happy to call the owner and ask if they would take my offer. Five minutes later Buzzy comes back and says, 'The owner wanted to know if the buyer was a professional musician and when I said yes she said then give it to him at his price.' Boy, was I happy about that. Buzzy said that the owner would be in touch.



Two weeks later I received a letter in the mail from the owner. Take a look at the next picture. Here's what it said.



To Toby Walker,



I hope you get as much enjoyment from owning the Huss and Dalton MJC as I did. I found it to be a very versatile instrument, and especially enjoyed using it for my strange tunings - the cutaway helped immensely in certain cases. I hope it brings you many years of pleasure and musical inspiration.



With best wishes,



Mary Chapin Carpenter

June 8th, 2010.

Very cool. She’s a great artist.

[L20A]

I have played a lot of very nice guitars over the years.
I decided that there is no "Holy Grail" for me.
There will always be a guitar that is the best at the time.

When I add up cost + desire + need+ sound, I am very happy with two great guitars that I already own.
My 1981 Martin D-35 and my 2005 Guild D-55 are all the guitar that I will ever need.
Other guitars have come and gone but these guitars stay with me.

[packmule]

For me, right now it's my '69 Martin 00-18 that I bought a few weeks ago. The shop I was in had a selection of nice guitars - Collings, Huss & Dalton, Goodall, Martin, Taylor, Waterloo, but I just kept coming back to this well worn 00-18. I knew I'd kick myself later on if I walked out of the shop without it. Certainly for myself and my needs, nothing compares to this wee guitar.

Regarding stories attached to guitars contributing to why we revere particular instruments, the last guitar I felt this way about was a very sweet '57 Gibson J-50 that I got in a pawn shop for $180 back in 1999. I was out of work and had arrived early for a job interview at a thrift store nearby. I was looking in the window of the pawn shop killing time when I saw the J-50. The price tag was slipped through the strings on the neck so I assumed that one of the strings was obscuring another number, expecting the guitar to cost more, but when I asked the guy in the shop if I could play it he got it out of the window and it was indeed $180, with original case no less! It played and sounded fantastic, but all I had in my wallet (and to my name!) was $10. I asked the guy if I could put $10 down on it, and pay the remaining $170 off in two weeks time and he said "Yes, but only if you play me another song because you play so beautifully..." Needless to say I obliged with a song, and still managed to make it over to my job interview in time! Got the job, and a second job later that week, and paid the guitar off as promised.

That J-50 played many shows, toured around the country with me, flew back and forth to Ireland and the UK at least 4 times. I regrettably sold it to fund a move back to Ireland in 2006. Definitely kick myself over that decision.

[Methos1979]

I have not yet met my 'nothing compares to you' guitar. I've played some that have been seriously great tone monsters but in many of those cases they were at stores and had high-end price tags that precluded me from an actual purchase. And it's difficult to say from a single sitting/playing session in a store whether it would have continued to be 'the one'.

Those guitars were, in no particular order:

Santa Cruz Custom F in Italian spruce over Cocobolo
Goodall mini jumbo in Koa
Froggy Bottom H14 Brazilian

I did own briefly a Huss & Dalton MJC in cedar over EIR that was something special so I understand what Toby see's in his.

[muscmp]

my gibson chet atkins CE. solid body electric with nylon strings and piezo pickup.

play music!

[Rosewood99]

Is this a different way of asking what is your favorite guitar you've played?

[kayakman]

It would have to be my 1938 Gibson L5.

[philjs]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Is this a different way of asking what is your favorite guitar you've played?

Maybe, but I think the original question can be taken two ways:

"nothing compares with this" great guitar

OR

"nothing compares with this" crap guitar!

I've played some low-end instruments that barely qualified. I mean they were guitar-shaped and had strings but they were essentially expensive firewood. The point being that "nothing compared to them" (except maybe actual firewood).

Phil

[BoneDigger]

Every guitar I own serves a purpose. All are impressive in their own way and each one has a unique voice or feel to it.

Of the guitars I own, only one would qualify as a "nothing compares" but only because it was a custom order to my specifications. It's my new Elijah Jewel dread with sinker redwood and walnut. It's different enough from most guitars so that it is unique.

20180608_225822.jpg