"Beater" Guitar

[ihs]

About five years ago I bought an old Silvertone classical for $5 bucks. Someone had dropped it, yielding a cracked top, loose neck/braces, and they had painted it a hideous red. I fixed the crack & braces (as best I could), sanded down the paint, stained the back/sides, refinished and set it up. Now I have a guitar that actually plays and doesn't sound all that bad.

I love this little (it's 3/4 size) guitar now. The Taylor's still get most of my time, but this sure comes in handy. If I'm at the computer (read:sharp corners on desk), or anywhere where harm is an issue, I grab it. I also leave it sitting out, and it never fails that when I walk by I'll just pick it up and play. It's gotten it's share of dings now, but hey, it was $5 bucks! How's that price for saving the Taylor's! There are even times when I come up with something new (arrangement, lick, etc.), and then "transfer" it to the Taylor's for refinement.

I was just curious: does anyone else have a guitar that they use like this, or am I crazy? (Don't answer the 2nd question )

[J.R. Rogers]

Not crazy at all! Having a guitar that you lug around the house, that you don't mind if it gets beat up, is actually quite common. I use an Epiphone PR-7E that has been the most reliable "beater" guitar I've ever owned. It's survived weird alternate tunings, and being subjected to all kinds of environments, that any Taylor would buckle under (or at least go out of adjustment. )

I've never even had to adjust the truss rod on my trusty Epiphone, and it plays and, believe it or not, sounds great. I play it when kicking back on the couch or on the bed. It's always got some odd funky Michael Hedges tuning plugged into it, and survives slapping and tapping, and it actually seems to sound better and better all the time.

The guitar is beautiful and is made out of birdseye maple plywood that gives a very bright but punchy sound. This is the same type of guitar that has been used in countless MTV unplugged episodes including performances by Kiss and Hole. (hehe)

Everyone should own at least one "beater" guitar, I think. Playing a guitar that you don't mind what happens to it, can invoke a "freeing" feeling, and can really open up your playing! (Now I'm going too far.)

J.R.

[gmccall]

Two things:

1. I have a guitar like that. I bought it in C. Bruno & Sons when I was passing through San Diego in 1967 just before my first trip to the Nam.

It is a VENTURA Bruno V-26 OM.

I think I paid under $200.00 for it then. I think it has veneer on the back but looks solid on the sides.

Not sure about the soundboard but if it is not a veneer, that soundboard has about 60 rings per inch!! It has a rosewood fingerboard that must be as hard as ebony. The word VENTURA in embedded in something that may be mother of pearl in the head stock. It is well used and sounds great!
Never had it refretted so the frets must be very, very hard.

I keep it tuned to DADGAD right now, but it is my beater, even though I take care of it. Sometimes I'll take it to an Irish pub on open night.

I thought it sound better than a low end Martin and the time, no disrespect to Martin. It sings.

I wanted a friend along with me on the rivers over in the Nam. That little guitar saved my spirit more than once...

2. Has anybody ever heard of the VENTURA line? I believe it is (was) an in-house line of C. Bruno and Sons.

-grm

[ckgdrums]

I have something similar. A Takamine G-230 GC. It's a nice little plywood guitar that always seems to stay in tune no matter where it comes to rest each day.
Lately it's been upstairs next to my bed. I work third shift and sometimes it takes me a while to get to sleep so I grab the Tak and play a while and that usually does the trick.
With new strings, it sounds really nice. It was my first acoustic, so it's got sentimental value as well as being my beater.


------------------
Later,
Chuck

[jdpresto]

My first beater guitar (not for long) was a Dixon D6 (Martin D-28 copy). It only lasted about 3 months before the fretboard, neck, and just about everything else on the guitar warped, leaving the 6th and 5th strings about 1/2 an inch off the fretboard and the 1st and 2nd just a fraction closer than that.

Then the bridge pulled away from the soundboard and that was that.

I do love my Seagull S6+Spruce when lounging around, or while sitting at the computer (or even in my office, hee hee hee ). Had it not been for the fact that I scored the Gull for 150$, I wouldn't classify it as a beater, but I surely don't lose sleep if I put a ding on it.

My girlfriend (and every other family member, friend, and acquaintance) asked me: "Why did you even buy that Taylor? You play the cheapie guitar all the time, and don't even use the new one very much."

Truth is (1) I have to know that I am sitting down for some serious playing and practicing under controlled conditions, and (2) I savor the sound of the Taylor, it is a treat to strum away on such a great sounding guitar that I deny myself the pleasure regularly so that I appreciate it that much more.

<And it helps supress TAS>

------------------
Jeff Preston
Indianapolis, IN
Updated 01/04/00 - http://php.spea.iupui.edu/jdpresto

[Erm]

My beater is an Alvarez artist 12 string. I bring it when I go away and I practice scales etc on it religiously. I keep the action high so it really helps me keep up stamina and muscles etc....

This guitar is as important to me as my other guitars, every guitar I own has a purpose, although I don't care if anything happens to it.

It is a good sounding 12 string for under $200. It's done me right over the years. We wrote a lot of bad songs together.

[Camalex]

I recently bought an inexpensive Tacoma as a "second" travel guitar -- to take to lessons on cold days. But my "beater" (e.g. the one that's played most) is my Taylor 814ce and at the price of a Taylor, what's the point of letting it sit in a corner? The Tacoma has a similar neck width and string spacing so it is a good guitar to take to lessons when it's 20 degrees outside or to the beach in the summer.

But honestly, playing a "beater" at home in order to preserve my Taylor isn't why I bought the Taylor. Taylors plays better than the others and I play better when I use my Taylor. Why settle for second (third/fourth) best when a Taylor is in the building?

As to scratches, dents, etc. -- I'm pretty careful with all of my musical instruments so they all get pretty good treatment from me.

[Marge]

My Larrivee Parlor is meant to be my "beater" guitar. It sits in it's stand where I can just grab it and play. It has a Planet Waves humidifier in it's soundhole but doesn't spend time in it's case. It's there for me to play. I will take it to our farm where I won't worry so much about it getting knocked around or temperatures. I take care of it, yet am not as obsessed as I am about my Taylors.

On the other hand, I am becoming more relaxed about the Taylors. I bought those guitars to play not to sit in the cases. I have become a lot less obsessed about them. These instruments were created to play. If I keep them locked away I don't play them, that is not good for the guitars or for me. I decided they need to be played, and I need to play them. That's why I bought them. I keep at least one Taylor on a stand. The room has a humidifier going and the guitar has a Planet Waves humidifier in the sound hole. I pay attention and if the guitar starts to show any indication of drying out, in the case it goes. Then I take one of the other Taylors out of it's case. It's sort of like getting a new guitar all over again since I haven't played it for a while. The system is working well for me. Thing is there's no sense in having the Taylors and not playing them.

MAKE it a great day!!!
Marge

-Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets
angry, he'll be a mile away - and barefoot.

[ihs]

I just thought I should clarify. The beater hasn't replaced my Taylor's; it's just let me play guitar in more places/times than before. They get played all the time, and they are certainly showing it through the dings and scrapes here and there. I don't feel like playing them, however, when there is the threat of more damage than that. For example, I run & lift weights every night after work, and love to sit down and play when I'm done. However, I have no desire to leave the effects of my workout (read:my sweat) on the finishes of my Taylor's. Later in the evening, after a shower , the Taylor's come out.

Just thought my first post was a little unclear about how much my Taylor's still get played - which, I've found, is never enough

my "beater" is a fender gemini with a cracked sound board [left it on the stand-next to the heating vent...dont i feel stupid!!!]i can pound away on it,bang up against the wall,bump the arm rest etc.my new taylor...welllll,i make everyone in my house,and everyone in the houses on each side of me,take out all pens,pencils,keychains,and take off anything with an exposed zipper!i had to tell larry i meant jackets or coats.....i didnt know he'd go outside naked....a few more doses of them antibiotics and he should be good as new!lol

[mapletrees]

Originally posted by gmccall:
Two things:

1. I have a guitar like that. I bought it in C. Bruno & Sons when I was passing through San Diego in 1967 just before my first trip to the Nam.

It is a VENTURA Bruno V-26 OM.

I think I paid under $200.00 for it then. I think it has veneer on the back but looks solid on the sides.

Not sure about the soundboard but if it is not a veneer, that soundboard has about 60 rings per inch!! It has a rosewood fingerboard that must be as hard as ebony. The word VENTURA in embedded in something that may be mother of pearl in the head stock. It is well used and sounds great!
Never had it refretted so the frets must be very, very hard.

I keep it tuned to DADGAD right now, but it is my beater, even though I take care of it. Sometimes I'll take it to an Irish pub on open night.

I thought it sound better than a low end Martin and the time, no disrespect to Martin. It sings.

I wanted a friend along with me on the rivers over in the Nam. That little guitar saved my spirit more than once...

2. Has anybody ever heard of the VENTURA line? I believe it is (was) an in-house line of C. Bruno and Sons.

-grm

I've got a Ventura - actually it is my wife's. It's a knockoff of a Gibson J200. All plywood but man oh man it's from a different generation(mid 70's) - an inexpensive guitar that is built solidly, has quality tuners, has attractive binding, and a maple neck that could only be outdone by Taylor. Love it! After 25 years the frets finally gave out. What metal did they use for those frets? I swear they could stand re-entry into the atmosphere. I often find myself looking at the guitar wondering how this guitar could not be solid wood - it just sounds too good.

[mapletrees]

By the way, my Ventura has one other funky feature I just never see on other acoustics. There are two large screws right on the bridge that allow you to instantly adjust the height of the saddle on both the treble and bass side. Too cool.