Ever left guitar for another instrument?

[815C]

Guitar has been my main instrument for 40+ years. Although I've also played resonator, fiddle, mando, banjo, & keys as well, guitar has always been my main focus.

However, in the last 2 months I've been able to acquire a couple Fender Stringmaster steel guitars and an old Oahu lap steel. Although I already had another lap steel and a square neck resonator, something about these steels have just grabbed me to the point that I almost never pick up a guitar anymore. Consequently, whereas I used to frequent the AGF multiple times each day, I now find myself hanging out at the steel guitar forum.

I didn't see this coming when I got those steels. I've got a few guitar gigs coming up in the next couple weeks and need to get back on guitar a bit before then or my chops aren't going to be up to par.

Anyone else ever leave guitar behind for awhile in pursuit of a different instrument?

[PTC Bernie]

I've occasionally dabbled with other instruments, but it's always in addition to guitar.

Eventually they fade away and guitar is the one constant in my life.

[PorkPieGuy]

There's sort of an ebb and flow to my pursuit of learning musical instruments.


The last time I abandoned guitar was in playing the hammered dulcimer. I haven't really worked on much guitar since then. Maybe a little but not much.




But not matter what, I seem to ALWAYS come back to the drums:

[Toby Walker]

Yes, but I couldn't get any gigs, or at least any that paid.

[Goodallboy]

I've always wanted to depart from guitar but when I realized I'd never be as good on guitar as I wanted to be, I knew I didn't have time to "waste" on starting from scratch on a new instrument.

[815C]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Yes, but I couldn't get any gigs, or at least any that paid.

Toby, I've got a vintage 1965 ACE comb I bought from Eric Johnson for $3,800. You've got to jump on those when you find them. I've heard stories of comb players finding old Ace combs in yard sales for pennies - I can only dream of coming across such a find.

[815C]

Originally Posted by PorkPieGuy

There's sort of an ebb and flow to my pursuit of learning musical instruments.


The last time I abandoned guitar was in playing the hammered dulcimer. I haven't really worked on much guitar since then. Maybe a little but not much.




But not matter what, I seem to ALWAYS come back to the drums:

ok - drums, hammered dulcimer, and guitar seem to have a significant overlap in the skills required to play them. the hand rhythm that comes from drumming would work great on the hammered dulcimer, as would string theory (spelling chords, scales, licks, etc.) that comes from playing guitar. Kind of makes sense a drummer/guitarist would play hammered dulcimer.

[GibbyPrague]

No, but Ive two timed the blondes with a few brunettes ... does that count ?

[Dru Edwards]

Nope, although I have added a mandolin and a banjo to the guitar room but those rarely get played.

[Long Jon]

Hi fellahs !

You think those vintage combs change hands for a lotta money, you should see what they are asking for pre-war Sheffield Plate spoons these days !

1800's era solid silver ?! Fuggedaboudit! They're like finding a 1933 D45.

However, if you really want vintage tone, you have to get the real thing. . . Don't even get me started on what I think of this plastic and chrome travesty !

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Oh yeah, sorry,,,, forgot this ain't the open mic here. To answer the OP seriously, no , blow a harmonica sometimes is all.

[RustyAxe]

A Kurzweil PC3 workstation (synth) just landed in my studio a couple of weeks ago. It won't replace guitar, but I'm getting back my keyboard chops (haven't had a keyboard in five or six years), and should make my recordings more interesting.

The pedal steel has a strong allure, that's for sure. Fortunately, it's so difficult to play that I always grab a guitar when I'm done practicing just to build my self-esteem back up!

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Never left the guitar, but have fooled around with the harmonica, ukuele, and drums. I think I'll try my hand with the mandolin next.

[jaymarsch]

I have noodled both with banjo and the piano but not actually left the guitar. The only other instrument that calls to me is the hammered dulcimer. And I would love a Mule resonator - still in the guitar family though a different animal. (No pun intended!)

Best,
Jayne

[mtcross]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Yes, but I couldn't get any gigs, or at least any that paid.

I didn't know they still made those... thanks for the chuckle this morning.