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  #1  
Old 12-03-2021, 01:32 PM
penguins0141 penguins0141 is offline
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Default Connecting with Your Guitar

I've really known it since I purchased it, but today I have determined to part ways. My Martin D-18, though it sounds absolutely incredible, I've never really connected with it. I try, and I have played it in so many venues and different styles, tunings, etc. But, alas... I really just don't connect with it like I do my other guitars. Anyone else experience this? My go to is still my Taylor 324e. I am going to try a Martin 000-18 to see if that fits my personality better. I'd be interested to hear if other guitarists have been frustrated by trying to make an excellent guitar fit when it just doesn't.
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Old 12-03-2021, 01:36 PM
Bob from Brooklyn Bob from Brooklyn is offline
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Life is too short to fit square pegs into round holes. Go with your gut!
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Old 12-03-2021, 01:49 PM
Goat Mick Goat Mick is offline
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Sometimes you just don't bond with a really good guitar for some reason. I've had several that I really wanted to like but for some reason I just didn't feel good about them. They all played and sounded great, but they just didn't connect. It's weird. Every guitar I have now, I have bonded with and that makes it difficult to move one along for a new one to come in.
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Old 12-03-2021, 01:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by penguins0141 View Post
I've really known it since I purchased it, but today I have determined to part ways. My Martin D-18, though it sounds absolutely incredible, I've never really connected with it. I try, and I have played it in so many venues and different styles, tunings, etc. But, alas... I really just don't connect with it like I do my other guitars. Anyone else experience this? My go to is still my Taylor 324e. I am going to try a Martin 000-18 to see if that fits my personality better. I'd be interested to hear if other guitarists have been frustrated by trying to make an excellent guitar fit when it just doesn't.
Recently I've "connected" with guitars I've owned, and built a bond with them. However, to me it's kind of a newish experience - for most of my playing life (50 yrs or so) guitars were just guitars. But nowadays, guitars are friends.
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Old 12-03-2021, 01:51 PM
rollypolly rollypolly is offline
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Nothing wrong with that. Sounds like you've spent a lot of time with it and if it's still not clicking, it's just not for you.

It's funny, the guitar that I connect with the most is the one I've though about selling , the GPC-15, just because cutaways are my favorite , but man that thing just clicks for me. Go figure.
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Old 12-03-2021, 01:54 PM
llew llew is offline
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It happens? Like Bob said above...life's too short. Move it along. A good D-18 should be fairly easy to move in this environment. Maybe a 000-18 is more your style. Best of luck whatever you decide...
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Old 12-03-2021, 03:03 PM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
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I think it's time to move on. Not every guitar is one we can connect with.

I think it's great that you made the determination that you're just not connecting rather than hold on just because it's an iconic guitar.
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Old 12-03-2021, 03:31 PM
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Yes, definitely. But, kinda good that that happens though, right? Otherwise we wouldn't have so many nice used guitars to choose from.
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Old 12-03-2021, 03:44 PM
brad4d8 brad4d8 is offline
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I've had a few over the years that I didn't connect with. Most recently a Tacoma era Guild F40. Played well, sounded good, just never connected with it. First was 50 years ago, a mid-60s Country Gent/ I'd admired them for a long time, finally got one, wound up trading it for a Tele.
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Old 12-03-2021, 03:52 PM
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If a 324 offers the tone you love I’m not surprised the D-18 isn’t speaking to you. I had a 327 GP and it was a wonderfully warm even soulful guitar. That mahogany/Blackwood combo is superb…but a completely different tone than a D-18. To my ears the D-18 is among the best of the best in the guitar world. And my Authentic ‘39 is at the top of the heap. But that’s just me. Follow your ears. As others have said - life’s too short to hang on to guitars that don’t bring you joy.
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Old 12-03-2021, 05:47 PM
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I'm having the opposite problem - bonding with each one I buy. Thankfully I buy used, LOL. Still, my plans were to use them for a while, resell, and try another. Mostly I've been "trying another"...... I feel guilty when I review the inventory and start contemplating which one gets cut from the team. And I do enjoy them all - just a wee bit more than I anticipated.

But as Mick points out, it's now hard to try any more. I'm full up.

And as others have noted, there are many nice choices and you'll find another to bond with...... I'm playing the 00's, 000's, and OM much more than the larger ones.

John
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Old 12-03-2021, 05:49 PM
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There is no accounting for taste. If you don't like a guitar, you don't like a guitar. I don't care for many more guitars than I like. The modern D 18 is one of them, but a mid sixties D 18 is a dream. I'd say 10% might agree with me, but that would probably be optimistic. Also in the not for me category is any Taylor made after 1990, and most Collings Ive played. Any Gibson J 45 or LG 2 from 55 and before works for me. There are very few guitars I can afford that I like.

So go ahead and find yourself something else. Permission granted.
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Old 12-03-2021, 06:00 PM
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I had a D-18 I wasn’t bonding with. It was a great guitar but......
Sold it and got an HD-28. Also didn’t bond with it. Sold it and got a D-35 (Amberburst)
I’m 100% bonded with the D-35

Sometimes a guitar speaks to you and sometimes it doesn’t
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Last edited by Mbroady; 12-04-2021 at 07:18 AM.
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  #14  
Old 12-03-2021, 06:17 PM
bufflehead bufflehead is offline
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There was a while where I thought the only guitar with which I could bond was a D-18.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:06 PM
caperrob caperrob is offline
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I had two Martins and thought the 000-18 was it....then GAS struck. The deal was made and I can't say that I didn't second guess it. But after all was said and done, I honestly never did bond with the Martins I owned. So, yes I totally relate.

Last edited by caperrob; 12-04-2021 at 06:33 AM.
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