Attachments to instruments...

Zangetsu

Ya always see great guitars flying around adverts and other sites and I always wonder why...

I found when I bought my first guitar I just couldn't let it go, I broke the headstock off it (too bad of a break to be fixed) yet it still sits at the end of my bed. I even considered burying it and giving it its own headstone, few plants ya know the story... Poor Angelica

Then I got my Takamine, again same story, I have such a bond with this guitar if anything ever happened I'd be devistated. Its like a child or a really good mate (sometimes my durty mistress :P ).

I can understand some people may have made a bad choice when buying the guitar in the first place but then ya see people who have owned these guitars for over 15 years selling them for whatever they can get.

Same situation with buying second hand guitars, never understood it. There's nothing better then getting a brand new guitar and seeing take shape into an extension of your existence. Just can't do that with a second hand guitar, its been tainted with someone else's mojo.

So enlighten me people, do you have any attachment to your instruments? Do you like sloppy seconds? Would you sell your baby?

Yes this may be a page of nonsensical dribble but it also helped me kill 10 mins in work, roll on Vegas, 6 hrs to go!!

-=al=-

i havnt sold any of my gutiars to date, ive 7 and n would never even consider selling them, even though i hardly play my first electric anymore, id prob miss it if it was gone though

Alanstrainor

I can relate to being attached to my guitars, but when you get a "few" guitars, there just aint enough lovin to go round(my god that sounds bad!) there'll be a couple that might be amazing players, but they never really clicked.
As for second hand, im all for it, the guitar is what you make of it, not what it's already done in it's previous owners hands! Loads of "famous" guitars were bought 2nd hand, Stevie Ray's "number one" was bought second hand, and he went on to call it his second wife!

Eoin Madsen

My first guitar was a Mexican Strat. I hate it, but I've never seriously thought about selling it.

As for tainting with someone else's mojo... I'd be the same, but sometimes it's nice when a guitar already has some character, I guess. I dunno though, I'll only have guitars custom made these days, so I'm clearly neurotic to an extreme.

Voodu Child

Same situation with buying second hand guitars, never understood it.

Buying 2nd hand can be the difference between owning a good guitar and a great guitar. Pretty easy to understand tbh.

Zangetsu

No new guitar smell though... Thats enough for me :P

Zangetsu

Just out of curiosity, where can you get custom guitars made? I'm guessing you need a couple of grand to go down that route?

feylya

I still have my second guitar sitting beside me, even though I have a custom made which is a nearly identical spec but miles better.

As for custom guitars, Voodoo Child had a thread about one recently and I got one made by www.ranguitars.com in Poland

Zangetsu

Thanks fey

Doctor J

I only get attached to the good ones. I got rid of my first two basses but I will always keep my old ESP because it's probably the finest Jazz bass I've played. As long as I have a use for it, I'll keep it. If it's a piece of junk, what is the point in keeping it? Once you've learned on it and got to the point where your ability exceeds that of the instrument, move it on to someone else, let someone else develop their skills on it while you refine yours on a refined instrument. Use the value of the instrument to help finance better instruments and build up a collection of great, playable instruments (if you develop the taste for more than one) you will use, rather than a collection of crap. Your playing style should evolve, as should your tastes, utilise your resources to get the best instruments for you at that time. I've sold on quite a lot of instruments, you try things out, see if they're good for you and your playing style and if they're not, move them on. What is the point of hoarding?

Really, if it's just taking up space and you never play it, get over your sentimentality and **** it out. You're not kids, you can do without the security blankets

Darkstrike

Doctor J wrote: »

You're not kids, you can do without the security blankets

**** Off! Mr. Blankey stays with me forever!



































And you know, the axes etc. too.:rolleyes:

Squirrel

My first guitar I'm stripping and getting it repainted bymy sister in law. Eric Clapton had his Gibson ES335 for 40 years I think. Bought it in 1964 (I'm not positive on this) and was his third electric guitar, after a Kay and a Tele. It was only sold in 2004 in auction. Blackie was put together in 1970/71and was sold in the same auction, even though it was effectively retired in 85.

As an aside, can anyone tell me the best way to strip the paint off a body, and the best way to seal the new paint?

Demeyes

I'm not really into the new guitar thing. I personally don't like the feel of a brand new guitar, they feel nicer once they've broken in. Also I save a ****load of money and get to have fun shopping around when I'm getting something used.
As for selling, I've personally never sold a guitar, but it's getting to the point where I would consider it. I have a few now so some are going unplayed and I think that I'm not getting the use out of them that I should.

boycey

Theres also just plain old space in the gaff to consider too!!
We've 2 kids now and there'll probably be more- and kids stuff takes up a serious amount of room. I would love to have kept a few of my old guitars but ya know, mortgage to pay, kids to feed etc! I'd agree with Doc though, theres always a better guitar/amp round the corner, so why keep stuff you've outgrown if it helps to fund that new shiny thing you've been drooling over for ages.

Yakult

I would only keep my jackson, plays better than any american Jackson I played, but Im even selling that for funds things are so bad.

prolly will keep it tho.

johnboy8

i actually prefer second hand,you can upgrade to the deluxe model over the standard when buting used.also you dont have to worry too much about it,for example i have a brand new deluxe strat which i'm very protective about,but i have a les paul standard that i bought last year second hand(2004 model)and not that i would throw it around but if i had to pick one to bang against something or dint it would be the les paul.in relation to selling your first,i would keep the strat because it was my first but everything else can go,usually to finance new gear and to make space.

Patricide

Im pretty connected to all my guitars, Especially my first one which is in the process of being upgraded(cash flow propblems makes this a difficult task). My ltd has always been a reliable workhorse that plays like silk in my hand and even though my acoustic is cheap as chips its got a great sound and ive never played another acoustic that even compares for feel.

I have sold ONE guitar in the past which i regret to this day, RHCP knows exactly how much i loved the guitar but the Sh!t had really hit the fan and I had no choice whatsoever . On the plus though deaddonkey(a boardsie) picked it up so i know its in good hands.

I still havent found a bass i have a connection with yet, my first few basses were terrible, then my warwick was a lovely bass but the neck and weight of the body just didnt sit right with me at all, My musicman is getting there but i really dont feel comfortable playing a 4 string anymore. I dont think il be happy with my bass setup untill I get a 5 string MM.

felim

Noone has mentioned that sometimes the sale of a guitar is a necessity. I had a Gibson Les Paul Standard for 11 years, it was my one and only electric. A situation in my personal life arose where I was in urgent need of a cash injection so my beloved LP had to go. It nearly broke my heart but it had to be done. There was most definitely an attachment to that axe, I still miss it.

Dord

:rolleyes:

Anyways, moving on...

I think if a guitar doesn't "click" with you then there's not much to do other than get rid of it. Personally I won't keep instruments that I don't feel comfortable with. Sometimes that bond or attachment is there, but sometimes no matter how much you want to like it... you can't.

I had that recently with a Tele I bought, just couldn't get comfortable with it. No point in keeping a guitar I didn't feel like playing. It sorta defeats the purpose.

I'm not really bothered about used or new. I'll buy whatever.

One point to make is that the reason why it's so easy to get a good deal from stores in Japan on used instruments is that there's a different culture there. People generally don't want to buy used instruments unless it's something vintage or really special. Better for us though!

vantasic

I can relate to this. I moved city for college and had to leave the gear behind. oh how i miss it. i sold my first ever guitar (squier affinity strat - jansen, crap, but my crap!) to my friend and bought it back just a couple of weeks later.
I do like a shiny new guitar but usually you get much more guitar for your money second hand with some lovely dents on them too!

feylya

Just sold my second ever guitar tonight. No need to keep it - I have a custom now

Patricide

feylya wrote: »

Just sold my second ever guitar tonight. No need to keep it - I have a custom now

What guitar you sell fey?

feylya

Ltd M-100

68 lost souls

I still have every guitar I ever owned. The last guitar I would ever sell is my Epi SG. Spent 9 months saving for her when I was younger and too many memories. I feel it's bad luck to sell your first.

I buy second hand all the time. In fact the SG is the only one I ever bought from new, apart from my acoustic that I was given as a present. I like to buy them in a bit of a state and then fix them up the way I want them. For example my 50 euro Squier has been transformed with a set of Seymours, a custom scratch plate and a set of roller tees. I like to do the work myself aswel, not only am I saving money but I find it rewarding.

Being a student of course tends to push me towards buying second hand or doing the work myself.

Doctor J

feylya wrote: »

Just sold my second ever guitar tonight. No need to keep it - I have a custom now

Good man

feylya

Doctor J wrote: »

Good man

Yup. I was sitting there looking at it the other night wondering why I was playing it and the Ran was sitting in it's case. Then my brother rang asking about the EMG's. "You want to buy the guitar as well?". [fonze]Eeehhhhh[/fonze]

Doctor J

You did the right thing.

feylya

Correct. Now I can finish paying off my Res Paur!

Doctor J

Yes, yes, sell the chaff to pay for more wheat :pac:

red_ice

Doctor J wrote: »

If it's a piece of junk, what is the point in keeping it?

I cant have this conversation again :pac:

Eoin Madsen

I sold my B8 cymbals to some guy through Buy & Sell years and years ago. It was for a really fair price, with the cymbal bag, and the cymbals were in fine condition (not a crack and hardly even a scratch). But for some irrational reason, I felt like I was ripping the guy off. Probably because I knew those cymbals sound like pots and pans without even having the charm of pots and pans.

I think maybe this is why I can't sell my Strat. I know it sucks, and I think it's fairly worthless so I'll feel guilty if I try and offload it.

I should see a psychiatrist.

RoosterIllusion

I have a ten year old Spectrum bass. It's dusty and still has the original strings on it (I didn't play it to be honest) :P

I like it though and I would never sell it, not that it's worth much but it's easy to keep it, I don't mind keeping things like that.

I have a squier tele that I love too, it's nothing great but for me it's important. I'd say I would be less attached to the expensive stuff than the old sentimental crap. Luck of the draw :P