Have you Ever Been Embarrassed by your Guitar?

[FrankHudson]

Of course, the socially expected thing to say is "No, never," and then to follow it up with modesty about the player/owner.

Frankly, I get little twinges of embarrassment or "Was I not wise/smart/knowledgeable" sometimes with my gear, including guitars. No, I don't let it ruin my life, I often laugh it off as the part of the human parade -- but seriously, we sometime learn from considering the opinions of others.*

When I played out, decades ago, my main electric was a Hondo Tele copy.**

My workhorse acoustic for years has been an old Seagull Folk. Someone here once described this model "one of the worst sounding guitars" they knew of.

My most expensive guitar by far is a modern Martin 000-17. A lot of forum opinion is that it's a one-dimensional "blues box" that's a poor copy of the kind of copy that Collings does.

Do I ever wonder if I've chosen the wrong guitars, denied myself the oft reported motivation of "get the best, it'll inspire you" or even sent the wrong message about how serious I am in the above choices? Sure, if not often. There's possible wisdom in those opinions, though I get musical tasks and pleasure a plenty out of the above guitars.



*What proportion is wisdom we should consider, and what part is just foolishness/snobbery/"works for you, wouldn't work for me?" I don't know. Varies.

**Hondo Professional II. Japanese factory, DiMarzzio vintage-aimed traditional single coils. Really not a bad guitar, but back then Hondo was thought of as cheap, shoddy, imported guitars bought by folks on low budgets, and that putting "Professional" in the name was to laugh. There was very much an opinion in my circle that you should have a Les Paul or at least an American Fender if you were serious about "pro gear."

Of course, a kid in my town, who went to school a couple of blocks away, played a Hohner Tele copy. Prince somebody. He did OK. And then there was the guy who played an Ibanez Flying V copy in a power trio with the weird nordic name pf Husker Du. I didn't do so well. Was it the embarrassment, the gear?

[whatitis]

Only when I was 14 and had my first electric which was a no name strat copy that was what my parents could afford. I was taking lessons at the shop where they bought it, and the owner would occasionally let people in even though he was technically closed. An older kid from my school was trying to get a look at the headstock and I kept turning so he couldn’t. I think the shop owner picked up on this and distracted him until he left. I wouldn’t feel that way now, but at that age having ANY name on the headstock mattered I guess.

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by whatitis

Only when I was 14 and had my first electric which was a no name strat copy that was what my parents could afford. I was taking lessons at the shop where they bought it, and the owner would occasionally let people in even though he was technically closed. An older kid from my school was trying to get a look at the headstock and I kept turning so he couldn’t. I think the shop owner picked up on this and distracted him until he left. I wouldn’t feel that way now, but at that age having ANY name on the headstock mattered I guess.

I do remember when I was in 9th grade, sitting in Earth Science class with Mr. Starr, and a couple of guys with real Fenders laid into me for an extended time about what a piece of junk my Squire was (MIJ, for the record, though long gone).

Kids are jerks.

[Bridgepin]

Yes, but it was due to my lack of understanding of the process a guitar goes through in opening up from years of playing and change of the cell structure . Early on in my playing journey my friend who inspired me to start playing came out to visit me after moving across the country and I had a brand new guitar not but a few weeks from buying it, his guitar had 6 to 7 years of solid playing logged in.

So we start to play and I'm so proud of my new guitar but is very apparent that his guitar just sounds fuller and much more resonant and my buddy saw the look of confusement in my face and just smiled at me.

After we played for maybe an hour or two I said, Bro I feel like I bought a dud how come your guitar sounds so much better? He was kind enough to explain that it's not a dud but brand new and needs to be played in to open up and over time the resins in the wood crystalize and that's why you are hearing a deference....Lesson learned and he was right. Sadly I haven't been able to play guitar with him in many years, he married the Wicked Witch of the East and she controls every aspect of his life.

[mr. beaumont]

My guitars continually harass me from across the room.

[RussellHawaii]

Does an air guitar count?
Once I brought an empty guitar case to a jam session. I didn’t know it was empty until I opened it! Fortunately it was an informal visit with a best friend, with no lasting consequences. Since then I only use gig bags!

[volman]

Not necessarily embarrassed, but I had finally got my dream electric...a PRS Custom 22. I also managed to snag a Mesa Maverick amp. My wife's coworker came over to jam and brought his Epiphone Les Paul and solid state Marshall head and cab. Such a heavy full tone from his gear and mine just sounded thin and weak in comparison. Learned a valuable lesson that the sound you want doesn't just come from a brand, but you have to pay attention to guitar shapes, weights, pickups...and for amps you have to research what it was designed to do. The Mesa Maverick wasn't anything like a Mark IV, Recto, or the like. That was about 15 years ago before the fingerstyle bug bit me and I no longer own any electric guitars or amps.

[jricc]

Originally Posted by RussellHawaii

Does an air guitar count?
Once I brought an empty guitar case to a jam session. I didn’t know it was empty until I opened it! Fortunately it was an informal visit with a best friend, with no lasting consequences. Since then I only use gig bags!

Thanks for a laugh Russell!

[broy]

No, i just embarrass myself.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Andyrondack

I think I sometimes embarass my guitars.

lol! That's my biggest laugh of the day .

I spent the past minute thinking about this and I don't think I've ever been embarrassed by any of my acoustic guitars. That includes the used Takamine I bought 15 years ago with the busted seam connecting the back/sides on the lower bout that I put tape to keep it together.

[Macpage]

I'll join the club in saying I also "often embarrass my guitars"!

While I have never ever been embarrassed by it, I have gotten "those" looks when bringing out or discussing my Martin dread clone. It has the misfortunate of bearing the corporate brand of a large company often described as "mostly never having made a decent acoustic guitar" despite their universal success with electrics.

I'll never forget my dad looking at me like an idiot when I bought it new for $500 three decades ago. He was stunned I didn't choose a Martin like he played. The few people I let touch it these days mostly go from the "look" to just getting on with playing.

Best,

Mac

[J Patrick]

…only when it lets a fart in public…

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by J Patrick

…only when it lets a fart in public…

Well here is Leo Kottke's take on it (first 25 seconds of the video from the live album "My Feet Are Smiling", though the following tune "Stealing" is excellent):



Tony

[blakey]

I had a dreadnaught by Garrison. It had 'Garrison' on the headstock. My friends started to nickname me Mr. Garrison after the teacher on South Park (the one that went ummmm K).
It had to go, although it was a really nice guitar, It did have fibre glass bracing.

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by RussellHawaii

Does an air guitar count?
Once I brought an empty guitar case to a jam session. I didn’t know it was empty until I opened it! Fortunately it was an informal visit with a best friend, with no lasting consequences. Since then I only use gig bags!

We have a winner!!