Is Anyone Here A One-guitar Person?

[The Grim Peeper]

I like to rotate to minimize fret wear on my favorites. I think everyone has that one BFF guitar though. This is Mine it has a 57 bridge and 59 neck with 50s wiring. I've had dozens of pickup combinations in this guitar over the years and I finally nailed the sound I want. I have several others that are very close but this is my fav.

 

[johnfv]

I was a one guitar guy when I was younger but that was more about being poor Being a forum member here has contributed to a GAS explosion since then...

 

[Vinsanitizer]

I was a one guitar guy when I was younger but that was more about being poor Being a forum member here has contributed to a GAS explosion since then...
View attachment 36714

I recall seeing this picture a long time ago.
It's a great pic.

 

[lucidspoon]

I have one for every day of the week.

That's not really true... Some days have 2 when you include ones that haven't been add to my signature... But I rarely get to even play 1...

Primarily only been playing the Tele.

 

[Trapland]

One when I was young, cuz I couldn't afford 2. I changed amps much more than guitars. When I could afford a Les Paul, then I needed a backup for gigs. I still played 95% on whatever my number one was, although it changed occasionally. I tried in vain to make a second guitar identical to my #1.

Nowadays I play about 30% on my #1 59 reissue and divide the other 60% between 6 other custom shop Gibsons, a parts Tele, a $70 Squier strat and a couple more Junkers. I find I play them all better if I play them all, and change from very thin to very think necks. I also use anything from 8s to 11s these days. I really just like playing guitar, they're all fun.

 

[MexicanMike]

My attitude is simple, I want as many guitars as possible without messing up my finances. If I can afford it, I keep it.

 

[tubes]

Seems like there's two kinds of players: ones who stick to one guitar usually for their "signature sound" and familiar feel, and those who own a bunch of guitars and try to play them all.

That can't possibly be true - this mad notion about 'two kinds of players'.

You know the rules Vin: there must be at least 76 kinds of players.

Also, there is another question: how exactly does a person know which kind of player they are?

Is this a thing that a person should merely "claim"?
I hope not.

I think that a person should observe their own behaviour over about 50 years and only THEN, after a long period of observation, estimate what type of guitar they, the elderly player, preferred.

 

[Barfly]

I own quite a few guitars.. and I enjoy shuffling through them.

I own four Les Pauls and they all sound & feel different

<-- just wondering how that jives with the "tone is in the fingers" view. In theory, wouldn't every guitar sound the same since the tone supposedly comes from your fingers?

I, as you, use different guitars for different projects. Specifically because they are different.

 

[tubes]

I own quite a few guitars.. and I enjoy shuffling through them.

<-- just wondering how that jives with the "tone is in the fingers" view. In theory, wouldn't every guitar sound the same since the tone supposedly comes from your fingers?

I, as you, use different guitars for different projects. Specifically because they are different.

Cheers Barfly: I'll stick my neck out on this:

Here we go: I firmly believe that tone is in the fingers.

Contra your idea "wouldn't every guitar sound the same" I propose an alternative: if tone is in the fingers rather than in the rig then ANY guitar and amp can sound like ANY OTHER guitar and amp.

By that way of thinking - if you can't cause your V or LP or SG to do the job that a Tele or a Strat would do.... there is probably something wrong with YOU and nothing wrong with the gear.

Like we said: if IT is in the fingers, and not in the gear.
____

For the record and by way of disclaimers....

Sometimes, when I want to get a Strat sound, I actually use a Strat:
But then I just feel horrible.
That was just TOO easy.
I feel guilty and stupid for just going down the most obvious route.

Any fool can get a Strat sound from a Strat.

 

[Barfly]

Cheers Barfly: I'll stick my neck out on this:
I propose an alternative: if tone is in the fingers rather than in the rig then ANY guitar and amp can sound like ANY OTHER guitar and amp.

By that way of thinking - if you can't cause your V or LP or SG to do the job that a Tele or a Strat would do.... there is probably something wrong with YOU and nothing wrong with the gear..

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[tubes]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Cheers Barfly,

But I'm not happy with this "...agree to disagree..." situation.

What, if anything, are we disagreeing about?

 

[The Grim Peeper]

Formula and style is everything! If a China made modeling amp sounded like a 68 super bass cranked then we'd all be happy right? Rig and guitar is EVERYTHING and so is taste and style and ability and creators! What else??? Hmm oh yeah the $$$ to buy that amp. I'm taking donations???

 

[Matt_Krush]

For recording, I usually track 4 guitars. I use different ones and 2 amps and eq them differently.
Live, I take 2 guitars for hour or less shows (2 is one and 1 is none if one breaks a string or pukes out for whatever reason). And due to the fact one set is Eb and the other drop D tuning, I keep 1 in each tune (I hate watching bands tune on stage...so unprofessional).

 

[SmokeyDopey]

You know the rules Vin: there must be at least 76 kinds of players.

I thought there were 72

 

[Vinsanitizer]

That can't possibly be true - this mad notion about 'two kinds of players'.

You know the rules Vin: there must be at least 76 kinds of players.

Also, there is another question: how exactly does a person know which kind of player they are?

Is this a thing that a person should merely "claim"?
I hope not.

I think that a person should observe their own behaviour over about 50 years and only THEN, after a long period of observation, estimate what type of guitar they, the elderly player, preferred.

The world and all that is within it:

 

[saxon68]

I own quite a few guitars.. and I enjoy shuffling through them.

<-- just wondering how that jives with the "tone is in the fingers" view. In theory, wouldn't every guitar sound the same since the tone supposedly comes from your fingers?

I, as you, use different guitars for different projects. Specifically because they are different.

While I agree the players sound is in their fingers, different guitars and amps will bring out different playing in me. IE, if I am on a cleaner channel I play differently than say on the red channel of my EVH. If I play an old Traynor I play differently, when I grab a flying V I play differently, or using effects like echo or flange ort whatever, etc. Apples to apples gear, yeah same style, but if youre fighting a junker you're not going to have the same mindset and performance. My 2 cents worth

 

[AJU]

While I agree the players sound is in their fingers, different guitars and amps will bring out different playing in me. IE, if I am on a cleaner channel I play differently than say on the red channel of my EVH. If I play an old Traynor I play differently, when I grab a flying V I play differently, or using effects like echo or flange ort whatever, etc. Apples to apples gear, yeah same style, but if youre fighting a junker you're not going to have the same mindset and performance. My 2 cents worth

I concur with that saxon68, I have 4 guitars at the moment, 2 acoustics and 2 leccys. One acoustic is steel strung and the other is a flamenco/classical (much brighter than ord classical). Both leccys are different as well, ones a jackson the other is a fretking. I play all sorts of styles but its very curious how you can get some interesting sounds out of each and as you say one plays to the guitar in hand so to speak but playing out of character say blues on the flamenco its quite interesting too..

 

[chiliphil1]

While I agree the players sound is in their fingers, different guitars and amps will bring out different playing in me. IE, if I am on a cleaner channel I play differently than say on the red channel of my EVH. If I play an old Traynor I play differently, when I grab a flying V I play differently, or using effects like echo or flange ort whatever, etc. Apples to apples gear, yeah same style, but if youre fighting a junker you're not going to have the same mindset and performance. My 2 cents worth

Honestly, I sound the same no matter BUT the sound coming out of the amp is different

Essentially my style is the same and my general "vibe" is exactly the same. No matter what guitar/amp I'm playing I sound the same but a strat sounds like a strat and an LP like an LP.. if all that makes sense.

 

[Lo-Tek]

....

<-- just wondering how that jives with the "tone is in the fingers" view. In theory, wouldn't every guitar sound the same since the tone supposedly comes from your fingers?

....

No. All guitars and amps have their differences- that's obvious. The statement is not intended to be taken that literally. Any idiot knows rolling back the guitar's tone knob changes the sound quality drastically.

 

[GibsonKramer]

I was for years, and that's one of the reasons I got bored, stagnant and quit, for near 15 years.

Though... just ONE of the reasons.