The guitarist and not the guitar

[sevargnhoj]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

There are two ways to approach this. A well-built instrument can help you improve your playing, so having a good guitar can be an advantage to a musician who's learning and growing. Full disclosure: I've been playing most of my life, and I'm definitely still learning!

This has been the case for me. A few years ago I stepped up from a 2006 Taylor 210 (my first "good" guitar) to Kolaya Carmen 13 by Brad Daniels. That guitar taught me more about playing than I had learned in the previous 40 some years. Now, when I pick up any guitar from the "junk" Aspen I used to keep in my office to my friend's collection of "high-end" guitars, I'm pleased with how I can make the guitar respond and the sound I can get out of it.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by highvibrational

... what I'm looking for is not in a guitar, but in me. To be able to play beautifully in the way I envision and not try to find the most perfect guitar ...

I think that's true. I guitar that sounds good and that you are comfortable with in terms of playability and cost is important, but once you have that, the rest comes from you.

I have some expensive guitars and I enjoy them very much. But if I could not afford these guitars, I could have still been happy making music with guitars that cost $600-700 that I use for traveling. There is a fairly minimal reduction in how it feels to play a great song well when I do it on one of these less expensive yet still good guitars.

Tommy Emmanuel makes great music on a $2000 Maton guitar, and I have heard him do a lot of songs on an old Kalamazoo guitar that never was a great guitar. I played that Kalamazoo next to Tommy once in an airport when we were waiting for a plane, and it was nothing special. It's Tommy who is special.

I think you are wise to concentrate on developing your skills as a guitar player. Developing your skills as a guitar collector gets awfully expensive and doesn't do much for your guitar playing skills.

- Glenn

[matt986]

These types of threads always remind me of this.

[fazool]

I've heard phenomenal guitarists sound awful with a lousy instrument.

And I've heard lousy instruments sound wonderful in phenomenal hands.

There are no absolutes and it takes both.

[guitar george]

"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." Great accomplishments depend not so much on ingenuity as on hard work. This is a saying of the American inventor Thomas Edison.

Similarly, to become a great guitarist depends not so much on the guitar but on the hard work required to excel at playing the guitar.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by matt986

These types of threads always remind me of this.

Is that an ebony fretboard?

[highvibrational]

Awesome video! That's exactly what I mean. A toy guitar from Walmart? As a beginner and one who wants so much to improve, I've been bitten by the GAS bug and have entertained buying guitars way beyond my means to compensate for my lack of skills. Yet, I love the guitars I have and will work them until I really feel like I deserve a higher-end instrument. Maybe as a reward I'll get an Emerald X20 or Martin 000-18 or Gibson J-45. But as for now? I need to play and practice. Thank you all.

[Arthur Blake]

Originally Posted by highvibrational

...As a beginner and one who wants so much to improve, I've been bitten by the GAS bug and have entertained buying guitars way beyond my means to compensate for my lack of skills....

I think the single greatest ingredient to improvement is the amount of time practicing.

However, I also have found better made guitars can make you a better player - more inspirational, more responsive, improved tone.

However, I would never recommend spending beyond your means. Just start saving while you're practicing and you've got the best of both.

[Tony Burns]

Originally Posted by highvibrational

Hello all,
I feel like I had an A-HA moment recently when I realized that what I'm looking for is not in a guitar, but in me. To be able to play beautifully in the way I envision and not try to find the most perfect guitar that is in the market. This relieves me of the energy drain of searching for the right instrument and puts my focus on my skills that would work on ANY instrument.

Do any of you have any thoughts about this topic?

You hit the nail directly on center - Its the guitarist not the guitar -in every situation . I always say "Id rather hear a great guitarist on a crappy guitar than a crappy guitarist on a great guitar "

[Nyghthawk]

With the caveat that it is not an original thought, "the problem with every guitar is after a while I still sound like me."

It is always the artist.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by fazool

I've heard phenomenal guitarists sound awful with a lousy instrument.

And I've heard lousy instruments sound wonderful in phenomenal hands.

There are no absolutes and it takes both.

Yes, a player needs a good guitar, one that responds at a professional or near-professional level. And he/she needs a guitar that he/she is comfortable playing. After that, it's up to the player.

Sometimes a player finds that he/she can't get the sound or response he/she wants. So that player might look for something else to fill that void.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying good guitars for those who have the means. I have certainly enjoyed my time with some very nice guitars. But a person can't buy their way to professional competence. It has to be earned hour by hour.

Regarding what kind of guitar player I enjoy listening to, I enjoy hearing a very good player playing a very good guitar. That's my favorite combination.

- Glenn

[TBman]

You want to have a guitar in your hands that inspires you to play. If every time you pick up your guitar and it doesn't feel right or the sound isn't quite there for you, you have the wrong guitar and you won't throw yourself into playing it 100%.

I don't have $5,000 guitars, but I was lucky enough to find guitars that make me want to pick them up and play them constantly.

[Dronfield]

This will soon be proved at the David Gilmour guitar auction - i hope that whoever buys a guitar doesnt expect to suddenly sound like him!

I find that lessons are a good way to keep improving, because they provide me with a focus and motivation to practice. I have tried other sources, eg books / Youtube, but find that i learn best via a teacher, who can provide one to one guidance re timings / technique etc.

Rich

[tbeltrans]

I just read this cool little story on another forum...

Most of us have heard the story about Chet Atkins being told how good his guitar sounded. He pointed to it sitting on the stand and said, "How does it sound now?"

Tony

[TBman]

Originally Posted by matt986

These types of threads always remind me of this.

This is a vocalist. The guitar is really just a prop. He would have sounded just as good acapella