Does it really matter what guitar you have ?

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by generalliamsayn

Excellent that this one has been settled.

Next subject: BRIDGE PINS

I bought some titanium ones. They were £80 reduced to £60. Now THAT is a deal too good to be passed up

[foxo]

There is one thing that irks me slightly. Buy an object and people (kindly, don’t get me wrong) rush to congratulate you. Write a song though and you’re lucky if anyone says anything in Show and Tell. Hell, I would take negative feedback over no comments at all. It is what it is I guess.

[Edgar Poe]

What is most important is if you can play it or not.

Ed

[jrb715]

It absolutely matters to me what guitar I'm playing.

And I don't believe even a great player can make a "bad" guitar sound good. This is, I understand, sort of tricky, because really fine music can and has been played on inexpensive, flimsy guitars without sustain and rich harmonics. But I think these guitars do sound good for much music, and what we generally think of as guitars that sound wonderful, say Froggy Bottoms, won't sound good with the same music because it won't sound right. But music that will sound good on Froggys won't sound just as good with a crummy guitar, no matter who plays it. This has been my experience as an audience member at more than a few concerts.

[mawmow]

You are absolutely right ! I own some fine mid-range guitars in the price scale.
I would go downward if I could actually have more technical skill and
make lower grade guitars sound as good I do with those I own since
the skill counts probably more than the woods. ;-)

As a matter of fact, I would have as much pleasure playing a then crappy
Gibson Lg-0 as I am pleased to play my great Gibson L-OOTV.

I actually make my beauties sound better as my skill improves and
I am pleased to get some lower grade guitars I then adjust and get them
sound better I used to years ago, searching real true vintage sound.

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by foxo

There is one thing that irks me slightly. Buy an object and people (kindly, don’t get me wrong) rush to congratulate you. Write a song though and you’re lucky if anyone says anything in Show and Tell. Hell, I would take negative feedback over no comments at all. It is what it is I guess.

I've never actually been over there. I recorded something recently (just a cover) that I was going to share, but I wimped out. I may have to go peruse.

I guess many people are more interested in the gear than the craft (or at least other peoples craft). It's the same thing on camera forums. Buy a camera and everyone is excited. Share a photo and tumbleweed unless it's really, really good. Or has a hot chick.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by foxo

There is one thing that irks me slightly. Buy an object and people (kindly, don’t get me wrong) rush to congratulate you. Write a song though and you’re lucky if anyone says anything in Show and Tell. Hell, I would take negative feedback over no comments at all. It is what it is I guess.

LOL, you hit the nail on the head with that one. Sure, I could follow the example and post comments about other people posting their music. Mine got crickets.

[tinnitus]

Countless epic recordings we all love have been made on marginal, even primitive gear. Technology and manufacturing have advanced to where a well-chosen guitar might be very playable, sturdy and nice sounding - all for just a few hundred bucks. A plus-side there is if some knuckle dragger drops it or wears some buckle rash into the back, you're not stuck with a tragically flawed instrument that broke your budget - and your heart.

At some point, if one's playing becomes sufficiently advanced to be limited by the guitar, then a better one is certainly worth a more substantial investment.

I'm hardly amazing, but I've used certain bicycles, kayaks, cameras and guitars enough to "outgrow" the capabilities of some. With that said, I was far more informed when I went searching, thus making better choices when I ponied up the big bucks.

Years ago, I went guitar shopping with a stack o' cash in my pocket, fully expecting to come home with a Gibson, Martin, Taylor or one of the well-regarded brands that year.

I made myself a promise on the way out, vowing to ignore brand names and just focus on feel, tone and playability. Never heard of them before but came home with a beautiful Larrivee that's still plenty of guitar for me two decades later.

[foxo]

Originally Posted by s2y

LOL, you hit the nail on the head with that one. Sure, I could follow the example and post comments about other people posting their music. Mine got crickets.

I’ve rectified that for you.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Tony Burns

So what if you have a less exspensive guitar -theirs too much hype about what a guitar costs or what its made of. What really matter is how does it sound when you play it . Its the musician not the guitar - i think we put to much emphasis on a guitar and not on what it can do -or what can someone do with it --


.

True, but if we did that, the only active sub-forum would be the "Show and Tell".

Tony

[donlyn]

Does it really matter what guitar you have ?

Originally Posted by Tony Burns

So what if you have a less exspensive guitar -theirs too much hype about what a guitar costs or what its made of. What really matter is how does it sound when you play it . Its the musician not the guitar - i think we put to much emphasis on a guitar and not on what it can do -or what can someone do with it --
.

Don't remember replying to this thread, as I initially thought it a bit of a fishing expedition. Turns out, many of the replies were insightful and interrelated.

I don't have much new to offer, only my perspective.

My simple answer to the question is 'yes'. With the qualifier that it matters greatly to me. As has been pointed out, it is more important what I play than what I play it with. To be honest though, I do play better on some guitars than others. And I also think that a better guitar makes me want to play better. I gotta play as if I deserve to own it.

Most other people don't care what guitars we play, many knowing little or next to nothing about the brands, even if they've heard of them.

There are many brands mentioned by the players here, and everyone has their favorites. Because what you like is a personal thing, there is no wrong or right about it. It just differs from one player to the next.

So the best answer I have is to play the best I can.

To quote Ricky Nelson,
"You see, you can't please everyone,
So you got to please yourself."

Don
.

[Sonics]

Not a popular view, but I'm with Eric...time index 5 minutes.

[Hack Guitarist]

I respectfully disagree. When I wanted to purchase my first USA made solid wood guitar, which was the first time I had ever paid more than $1000 on a guitar, the actual guitar mattered a great deal. That was, and still is, a lot of money for me to spend on a guitar. I had played everything I could get my hands on and had narrowed it down to my top two but I couldn't decide between those two. I debated with myself for several months over those two guitars. Being able to come here to ask what others thought and ask about their experiences with these guitars helped me a lot. Other people brought up things I hadn't even considered. I'm glad there is a place like this where I can talk about guitars with other people.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by anjoga

But yes, the musician makes music not the guitar. The guitar is the tool.

I can buy into that on a purely intellectual level, but when I'm making music the guitar becomes more than just a tool. On an expressive level, it's more like a partner. The quality of the music I make is enhanced by the quality of the guitar. This is not just about tone, and it's not just about playability. There's a certain dynamism that a quality guitar has that others don't. I want that dynamic to be part of my music.

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

I can buy into that on a purely intellectual level, but when I'm making music the guitar becomes more than just a tool. On an expressive level, it's more like a partner. The quality of the music I make is enhanced by the quality of the guitar. This is not just about tone, and it's not just about playability. There's a certain dynamism that a quality guitar has that others don't. I want that dynamic to be part of my music.

I agree wholeheartedly