What is your campfire guitar?

[YamahaGuy]

A used Yamaha A1M with a terribly beat up case and a few dings here and there around the body binding and on the top and back. I've installed Tusq nut and saddle and ebony bridge pins. It plays very very nicely. Great neck, low action, and it's pretty loud acoustically. It doesn't sound bad plugged in either. Paid $249 for it.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Keith G50

I don’t hesitate to take any guitar I own to the campfire or front porch. To me, they’re tools for making music, so let them do what they were built for.

Same here. Life is too short and it’s just a guitar.
Besides, I bought them to play them not admire them.

[Mike McLenison]

Same as my performance guitar an Epiphone (EJ-160). Martin's and Gibson's don't leave the house.

[Mycroft]

Larrivee Parlour. When conditions look extreme, such as high heat and I might have to leave it in the car when I go into court after taking a ferry ride across the Sound, I have an old plywood Silvertone with a warped neck and a nut riser that I paid $49.00 for.

[Catamount]

Both of my “campfire” guitars were given to me by friends who bought them as their first guitar and then never learned to play (lucky me). A Baby Taylor and a JBP Artist.

[whvick]

Originally Posted by jpricewood

I’ve been through some Washburns, Epiphones, Recording Kings, and cheap Eastmans. None of them sounded that great compared to my more expensive guitars. Someone on this forum once said we will look back one day and realize all of our memories were made with some cheap, poor sounding guitar. That statement really resonated with me, so now my “take anywhere” guitars are my J-45 and D-55. My suggestion for tone junkies is to buy a nice guitar in “player’s condition” and take it everywhere.

That is a really interesting take! Thanks

[mcduffnw]

I just take anyone I want, the "good" ones with all the fancy pearl inlays and Cocobolo or Brazilian Rosewood, the "vintage" and VERY rare ones...with Brazilian and Pearl, the "beater" ones...just whichever I want to play. I bought and own them to play them, and sitting around the campfire, playng and singing with family and friends...especially down on Cannon Beach...is just absolute most fun I think you can have. Why would you not want to play your best for something that fun?

I try to be careful...but...I am not OCD/AR about it, and if I get a little nick or scuff...oh well...it's just another part of the guitars "story of it's life"...just like the wrinkles, and scars, and nicks and scrapes that I have from the "story of my life".

Life is too short not to enjoy your best guitars, as much as you can, anywhere and everywhere you are able to. What's the point to owning them otherwise?


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[TRose]

I’ll play any guitar I own on the porch. I only take my carbon fiber guitars -a Journey Of660 or Emerald X7 nylon to be specific- on an actual off the grid type camping trip to be played by the fire, in the canoe, etc.

I respect and admire those who say they will take any guitar they own to the campfire. I suppose if I have a AC’ed cabin or RV to retreat to I’d take anything I own. I can’t imagine a nice guitar hanging out in the tent or car for 5-7 days.
I also do not own a Symogi, Olson, Greenfield or Traugott(etc.).


I have many memories of my father saying to me or one of my siblings, “This is why we can’t have nice things.” So I have a hang up, for lack of a better term. I think this is common as it is what spawns the “Best Camp Fire/Backyard Beater/ Inexpensive Gig Guitar” threads.

[Rinaz]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

I keep this in my shop and backyard.
Savannah SGO-16
Paid $129.00 new a few months ago.
It is what it is...
[/IMG]

An OM Santa Cruz Engelmann/The Tree and I always burn my guitar after a campfire.

No, I lied. It’s an all hog orangewood for $125

[soma5]

Many good points have been made. I happen to own a RainSong, so I use that for knocking around. It is also good for those winter days where the humidity drops 'way down. I can leave it out all winter. It also sounds pretty decent acoustically and if you plug it in it sounds pretty darned good.

[Robin, Wales]

It's not just my 'campfire' guitar but the one I'm playing at the moment for everything. It is a Vintage Statesboro Parlour guitar.

I’ve been through some Washburns, Epiphones, Recording Kings, and cheap Eastmans. None of them sounded that great compared to my more expensive guitars. Someone on this forum once said we will look back one day and realize all of our memories were made with some cheap, poor sounding guitar. That statement really resonated with me, so now my “take anywhere” guitars are my J-45 and D-55. My suggestion for tone junkies is to buy a nice guitar in “player’s condition” and take it everywhere.

That's a sentiment I can understand - and it is something I would do myself as guitars are meant to be played. The guitar in the photo above was very, very cheap new (about $130) and I bought it just as a stop gap while I search for something nice of a similar size. But it actually sounds really good and plays OK now I've worked on it - so in its short life so far it is clocking up 'good' memories and getting a lot of comments about how sweet it sounds. In fact it is almost too 'good' to the point where it is making justifying upgrading it very difficult (much as I'd like to). Perhaps it may have a camping 'accident' soon!!!!

[whvick]

Originally Posted by Rinaz

An OM Santa Cruz Engelmann/The Tree and I always burn my guitar after a campfire.



No, I lied. It’s an all hog orangewood for $125

LOL........

[29er]

Voyage Air OM-04. I bought it new at a huge discount because of a top crack. I have abused this thing by camping, flying, not humidifying in the winter and the crack has remained stable and of course, it plays and sound great. Maybe the best guitar related purchase I've made at $200.00.

[H165]

H165.

[hairpuller]

My '70 Yamaha 'red label' FG 150.

Great beater, good tone, and laminate!

scott