What makes a "workhorse" guitar, in your opinion?

[Wellington]

I hear this term a lot everywhere. Guitar reviews etc, but the usage is terribly inconsistent. To me I understand it to mean a no frills, affordable but well built and decent sounding guitar that will hold up to abuse. Yamaha gets called this, as well as a lot of Godin guitars, like Seagull and Simon & Patrick etc. I've owned guitars from these brands, but of all the guitars I've owned I'd poetically have to say my Yamaha LL16 is the toughest so far, at least it feels tough. It's fairly heavy, feels unbelievably solid, has a 5 plyneck that's incredibly stable etc. To me that's a workhorse. Sounds great and tough as nails.

The thing is tons of other guitars like Martin hey this title. To me I feel the need to be very careful with a Martin as they're so dang light and I feel like it will crack if I look at it wrong. Obviously there has been many a Martin used and abused for years and years and play and sound great. I think almost any half decent built guitar can be a workhorse of you want it to be in that sense, but to me I resort back to a somewhat overbuilt and good sounding guitar.

[Matts67]

I tend to look at it more in terms of versatility across different genres / styles of playing. Even a lightly braced guitar will last a very long time - it's all about how it's maintained.

[BluesBelly]

A work horse guitar is any Takamine Professional model. Great sound. Great playing action. Great electronics, and easy on the pocket book assuming you are playing in the $2,000 range.
Toby Keith, the Eagles, Garth, Kenny Chesney, on and on and on

Blues

[Wade Hampton]

For me a work horse is any instrument that sounds good, plays easily, works both as a solo instrument and an ensemble instrument, and goes for years without any repair issues or need for adjustments. It’s a guitar, or mandolin, or banjo, or mountain dulcimer that I can just grab and go and not have to worry about whether it’ll do the job.

Low maintenance, in other words.

Most of my instruments fall into this category, frankly, because I don’t like to have to dink around getting them to play and stay in tune. But one of my best all-arounders is my 1998 Larrivee OM-03W, in black walnut with an Engelmann spruce top.

That particular guitar is the Rock of Gibraltar so far as I’m concerned. It’s got a good pickup in it and sounds great on a microphone, and it stays in tune no matter what the humidity levels are.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

........any instrument that sounds good, plays easily, works both as a solo instrument and an ensemble instrument, and goes for years without any repair issues or need for adjustments. It’s a guitar........I can just grab and go and not have to worry about whether it’ll do the job............
..........got a good pickup in it and sounds great on a microphone, and it stays in tune no matter what the humidity levels are.

Wade Hampton Miller

I think Wade's captured the idea of workhouse well in the snipits re-printed above. My only additions are: 1) besides changing humidity levels- they sounds good in a variety of acoustic environments and aren't too fussy about mic placement (when mics needed), and 2) they can deliver the tone you want for a variety of genres and techniques. One side characteristic of a workhorse for me is that even it's been in the case unplayed for a while, it's usually in tune the moment you pull it out to play; just another way of saying they're just ready to play and sound good when and where you need them. Good question OP!

[j3ffr0]

dings and scratches

[1neeto]

Workhorse guitar to me is a no thrills no frills right down to business instrument. Sounds good, plays good, keeps stable tuning, it’s well constructed, no fancy inlays or bling, and can stand the occasional drunkard from that gig at the bar that knocks it down from its stand. It’s the one guitar you know you can depend on at the camp fire, or a live gig.

[Brucebubs]

I looked up 'workhorse' in the dictionary ... it said 'see Maton.'

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I looked up 'workhorse' in the dictionary ... it said 'see Maton.'

That’s only in the Australian edition of that dictionary, along with definitions of “billabong” and “swagman.”


whm

[LeftyKev]

One that can do everything, versatility is the key. Gibson J-45 springs to mind.

[T.Lime]

Any guitar- of which there are very few- that can do anything required, acoustic, amped, campfire, live, recording, solo band ,whatever and still sound high quality. They need to be affordable for a working musician, so that means in the $1500 to $2500 range. They need to be available anywhere , so if something does happen it can be replaced with very little change in sound Not much harmonic overtone so that little is needed in the way of EQ either live or recorded. While Takamines and Matons are good, they are much better amped than straight. If we leave out the boutique offerings we are left with Taylor, Martin and Gibson and of those three I venture to say that the two that most fit the bill are the Martin D-18 and the Gibson J-45

[Goodallboy]

It’s many of the things already mentioned, along with the trait of sounding great no matter the brand of strings being used, or what the bridge pins are made of, or how much it weighs.

[Pickcity]

Versatility, durability, playability, most of what everyone else has stated. I see no reason why high end guitars can't fall into this category, and I am certain they do, especially for professionals who travel all the time.

For me it is mostly a plain Jane, low bling, but very good instrument that just keeps going and going, no matter the conditions. My Taylor 114e comes to mind. Just a simple player's guitar with plenty of give. For an $800 guitar it can do most anything I need, and it has done so for 10 years. It's a good guitar, and I don't have to worry about it. It is a definite "workhorse".

[llew]

Any guitar can be I suppose but the icons come to mind for me. D-18/28 and J-35/45 have always been in the forefront of musicians everywhere. Touring, recording, writing, where ever?

[Ed66]

I would agree with most of the preceding statements. It should be versatile, sturdy, easy playing and provide good tone. I don't consider a "beater" necessarily as a workhorse, although I'm sure it may have been ridden hard - you don't have to subject it to abuse to call it a workhorse.