Is your most expensive guitar your best or favorite? - Page 2

EZYPIKINS · #16 04-18-2021, 03:58 AM

For me yes. If it weren't for the playability and tone. I likely wouldn't have bought my J-185 in the first place. As I never liked what an acoustic sounded like from the back. But when you find one you can't put down. It's time to pay the bill.

Tannin · #17 04-18-2021, 04:38 AM

Yes. The Angel 3 is just a joy to play. I can play any style on it, play quietly, hit it hard, doesn't matter. Fingerpick or strum. Bluesy or sweet and melodic, it does it all.

No. The Messiah has a richness and beauty of tone that the others cannot match, and it's quite a lot cheaper than a Huon Pine Angel 3.

No. Much as I love the others, none of them offer that wonderful deep-down bark the Thunderhawk provides. It's a special feeling when I play that guitar.

Then again, the relatively cheap SRS-60 is a sweet thing that is just so nice to play. It's the cheapest guitar I own, and I play it as often as any of the others, maybe more.

But nothing is quite like the Angel, so yes. Or maybe no.

Look, ask an easier question, OK?

M19 · #18 04-18-2021, 05:04 AM

Yeppers. McIlroy A30c.

RP · #19 04-18-2021, 05:12 AM

All of my acoustics are priced similarly so my favorite at any given time is based on my mood and what songs I want to play...

hubcapsc · #20 04-18-2021, 05:31 AM

Three of my guitars have have value that could be measured in dollars.
Their values are all approximately the same... so... no

...

-Mike

jpricewood · #21 04-18-2021, 05:40 AM

No, my favorite guitar is not my most expensive guitar. My favorite is my J-45. My Guild is my most played guitar.

catdaddy · #22 04-18-2021, 06:15 AM

It may sound strange, but whichever guitar I'm playing is my favorite. I like all of them for the strengths that each one possesses: two of them are great for flat picking and strumming, two of them are wonderful for fingerstyle, one of them is a perfect travel guitar good for both fingerstyle and playing with a pick. They all sound great and all sound quite different, and I love the variety that they bring.

My most expensive guitar displays the best craftsmanship and build quality, but it doesn't surpass my other guitars in terms of my affection.

Dru Edwards · #23 04-18-2021, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catdaddy

It may sound strange, but whichever guitar I'm playing is my favorite. I like all of them for the strengths that each one possesses: two of them are great for flat picking and strumming, two of them are wonderful for fingerstyle, one of them is a perfect travel guitar good for both fingerstyle and playing with a pick. They all sound great and all sound quite different, and I love the variety that they bring.

My most expensive guitar displays the best craftsmanship and build quality, but it doesn't surpass my other guitars in terms of my affection.

Cat, my thoughts as well. Each guitar I have has its strengths and weaknesses. My Lowden F25 is fantastic for so many things but when I want a loud, mahogany based dread tone I reach for my Martin.

mawmow · #24 04-18-2021, 06:21 AM

My most expensive guitar is a rare Gibson L-OO TV
but it is not my favorite guitar as I like as much my
least expensive Eastman AC122ce, as well as Seagull
Performer CW QIT.

In between are Martin OOO-18 (2014), Taylors 322
and 412ce as well as Larrivee OM-09 to name these.

I play all of these every week and love them all : To
me, it is a matter of sound vs repertoire.

The Bard Rocks · #25 04-18-2021, 06:35 AM

Many of mine are specialty guitars, meant for specific purposes. There 4 are that share a purpose and my favorite is my second most expensive. The most expensive was not built specifically for me and there are changes I'd make were I having it built today. But they're all good and get played and enjoyed.

Taylor Poor · #26 04-18-2021, 06:39 AM

I only have once acoustic (Taylor GAMC) and it happens to be my most expensive. Love it to death, but I'd like to get something smaller like a 12 fret GC.

Rev Roy · #27 04-18-2021, 06:42 AM

Yes...but I’m down to one guitar at the moment with two new ones arriving in the coming months (see sig). Ultimately, though, I still expect my most expensive guitar to be the favorite.

Methos1979 · #28 04-18-2021, 07:15 AM

At this point, yes, my most expensive guitar is my favorite guitar. That's not always the case but right now, definitely. Like some others have said, I tend to have job-specific guitars. I usually have three that fit three primary categories but can also cover multiple duties if need be. In order of preference here are the three categories/guitars:

1.) High-end/Home guitar: 2006 Froggy Bottom H-12 Deluxe. I bought it used (thankfully). This guitar would be $10k new. It is by far the best looking, sounding and playing guitar I've ever owned. It fits me like a glove and plays like a dream and the sound is from the heavens. And none of that is hyperbole. Froggy Bottom was my 'someday' or 'retirement' guitar after running into one in the wild years ago and being the best guitar I'd ever played. This one does not disappoint. It doesn't get played as much these days as #2 below but not because it is in any way lesser.

2.) Travel/Busking/All-around, any environment guitar: 2014 Rainsong CH-OM1000NS. Bought used a few months ago when looking for a guitar for busking, it has become my second favorite. It actually gets played more than the Froggy right now in part because it's the newest and also because we're coming into busking season. I've owned many carbon fiber guitars and this one is just a great all around, workhorse of a guitar. It's super comfortable to play and sounds really good plugged in so it will make a good backup for amplified gigging.

3.) Live/Amplified/Gigging guitar: 2016 Cole Clark Angel 2. At one point recently, all three of my guitars were made by Cole Clark. And there is a good reason. They are incredible sounding guitars plugged into anything. So, for gigging there is nothing better. But shortly after acquiring all three we slid into a pandemic and then no gigging. And in reality, I didn't need three gigging guitars anyway so I sold off two over time and replaced them with the above. The only reason this guitar is in third place is because of the three it's both the oldest and also it's the only one with a long scale and I prefer short scale. But in its category, it's the absolute best of the bunch.

So that's my three. On paper and in reality these three guitars cover all my needs exceptionally well and I should never need another guitar, ever. But I've stated that at least 2 or 3 times over the years here on AGF only to see the entire lineup change shortly after I've said it! But I'm about to retire in a year at most and once that happens my guitar buying will likely slow way down. Or not. We'll see. I can say that it would have to be something pretty gosh darn incredible to unseat that Froggy Bottom from the top! It's that good.

musicman1951 · #29 04-18-2021, 07:37 AM

Yes, my favorite guitar is the Lowden, about twice the price of my Martin. It's the tone. It's always the tone.

It feels good, but who brings a guitar home that doesn't feel good?

emtsteve · #30 04-18-2021, 07:43 AM

My guitar stable tends to change often as I buy and sell. What I have noticed is that my favorite guitars usually are not the most expensive. Right now, my 2 faves are a Martin 00-15 that plays much larger than you would think for a 00 sized guitar. The other favorite is a Seagull folk cedar model that has laminated back and sides and was only about $350. To be a favorite, it has to speak to me and inspire my playing, which has nothing to do with the cost of the guitar.

That being said, I don't own a Lowden, Collings, Bourgeous, Froggy, etc so I may be missing something