Have you Ever Been Embarrassed by your Guitar?

[Bob Womack]

I spent my youth being profoundly embarrassed by my Silvertone guitars in the presence of my peers who owned Martins. I've written about it. I got over it.

Bob

[Gordon Currie]

I can remember when I first got into electric in my early teens, I had a Japanese Aria Strat copy. EVERYONE else I knew played the real thing, whether Fender or Gibson.

Teens can be pretty harsh, and I received plenty of grief for not having the 'right' guitar.

I realized that I had to get better than everyone else in order to rise above my meager instrument. And I did.

By the time I was in 9th grade, no one ever mentioned my instrument again.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by FingahPickah

"Guy Snidely" is a classic example of someone who is too ignorant to be embarrassed by his own behavior.

Originally Posted by UncleJesse

Crazy. If anything I've been embarrassed to be playing some of the high-end instruments I have at a jam session since most of the players are playing stuff that cost well below $1000. But no one ever said anything and I wouldn't either. Who really cares that much?

It's a somewhat common attitude among Midwestern musicians. If you don't own a Martin, Fender, or Gibson, you're obviously not a real musician and can't afford the good stuff. I used to take a lot of flack when I was a bassist because I used a lot of custom made fretless basses. That and being an unpaid hired gun in an original band are why I don't play bass much these days.

[zcregle1]

On the electric side of things, my first electric guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul Standard and the guys i was playing with in middle school made fun of me every time we played because it was a "bad" guitar because it was an Epiphone. Now i know more about guitars, they were playing import PRS and Charvel guitars that were probably all made in the same factory so now I can rationally say they were just being jerks but back then eighth grade me was upset by it and it made me not want to play win public because I didn't want to be made fun of of the guitar I had.

[bufflehead]

Embarassed because a guitar is named "Hummingbird Pro?"

That's nothin'.

Trying walking into a jam with a Big Baby Taylor.

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

Embarassed because a guitar is named "Hummingbird Pro?"

That's nothin'.

Trying walking into a jam with a Big Baby Taylor.

Haha!! Good one

[CityPickn]

Kind of. People don't know the brand name so I just say "I don't have a Gibson or Fender, just a dreadnought." Then they go on to either tell me some tall tale or how good their friend is. Couldn't care less. I don't know anyone who plays, unfortunately.

[SRL]

I have had a Cort as one of my main guitars. Growing up I learned on a cheap Squier Strat.

No one ever hassled me, but if they had, they're not the type of people I'd want to be around. Every hobby has brand snobs, and if you find yourself in their group, find a different group.

[ismaelbelda]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

Not because it was a bad guitar, but over something silly? I have. About a decade ago I had a Gibson model called the Gibson Hummingbird Pro. The guitar itself was beautiful and had a tone to die for - Sitka over Hog. It was based on the Ren Ferguson designed Songwriter, but it was mahogany instead of EIR.

What was so embarrassing? The name. It was nothing (and I mean nothing) like a real Hummingbird. I remember the name being mercilessly mocked here at the AGF. People walked up to me after a gig and would make faces when they heard the name.

Don't get me wrong - the guitar was a tone monster, had a lot of power, and was drop-dead gorgeous. But I just ended up calling it "the Gibson". If they asked what model, I'd say "Just a Gibson."

Why was it called a Hummingbird Pro by the "Boys in Bozeman"? It was exclusively built for Guitar Center, and the name was chosen by GC as a marketing gimmick.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

Didn't think so

The guitar is beautiful and who cares about the name. A name can't be a motive for shame. On the other hand, that feet...

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

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...

Frank, I'd be happy with either of those choices as my only guitar, with probably the Seagull Folk being my first choice. I understand what you mean by "missing out", and I wonder that myself until I pick up friends Martins and Gibson and Collins guitars and realise that I'm not.

For my playing, my sound, my lifestyle, something second hand and a bit road worn but fundamentally stable is what suits. And I'm getting a great working timbre from my cheap A&L. I could pay $ thousands for a "name" and not have a guitar that realistically is any better for me.

But that doesn't stop me looking, although it does stop me buying!!!

I may buy something expensive one day if a guitar falls into my hands that speaks to me. Or if I need something different because my playing circumstances change (for a specific band I join or the like). But for the present I'm not embarrassed by my guitar. It has loads of kick and rings like a bell, and it gives me the sparse punch that, 3 years into this particular music journey, is becoming my sound. And if I were to buy anything, then it would probably be to move my timbre more in that direction, which tends to be the opposite to what I would get from a boutique guitar.

[Triangle G]

Originally Posted by cdkrugjr

Nah.

Even if im playing a First Act, I'm still the weakest link

What’s worse, First Act or Esteban?

[Jay5150]

My CEO is a great iteration of a J-200 by Martin. I loved the balance and responsiveness over the J-200 and the J-200 Studio I tried in store.
Sometimes I get the : “Why didn’t you the a real Gibson instead?” and it makes me cringe every time. I just preferred THIS guitar, yet it kind of makes me feel embarassed that I haven’t bought “the real thing”.
In the end, what matters is that every time I play this guitar, it just makes me smile and people around always get speechless by how it sounds.

[dreamingOM]

Nope. I’m proud to be able to even hold a guitar. I’m grateful to even have the slightest amount of skill to even make a guitar sound good. I dont care if I’m holding a 50dollar pawnshop acoustic or my 5k dollar Gibson ES-330. They’re all guitars.

[rabbuhl]

My 214CE came with the ES-T. It was really too bright sounding through a PA.

[Tnfiddler]

I caught so much flack from Martin owners, for playing a Taylor 810, at least 10 years in bluegrass circles, that I HATED the name Martin and wouldn’t have even thought about owning one and didn’t for many years. I’m embarrassed for people like that and It’s sad that they don’t realize the damage they do to their genre. As far as playing my expensive instruments at jams, I’ve worked hard for many years to be able to own and enjoy them and my Bourgeois is my main bluegrass guitar. I just go to the Jams and play it and don’t ever say anything about it, unless I’m asked. I did have a guy, one time, who obviously had no clue what a Bourgeois is, ask me how I liked my Blueridge. My response was, “I don’t know, I’ve never owned one”! LOL