An interesting, but disturbing trend

Em7 makes some fair points:

First, it's great to concentrate on one guitar, or even one model of one guitar, to get to know its nuances. It really works. For a long time, I made my living with only one guitar at a time. I'm a believer in that concept.

Second, I agree that the Maryland guitars are a cut above. Doesn't mean everybody needs one, and it's not talking down to anyone to say they're a better guitar, because that's the simple truth.

Third, Simon Says said he was done with this thread a page or two ago, and he isn't. Because he's that Angry Man Who Takes Things About Gear Personally And Goes Ballistic Over what Someone Says.

Bad form, seriously.

Hey, I've been that guilty guy. Sometimes I still am. Ask 11Top. He's still ragging my ass over past statements about guitar collecting from 2012.

I cast no aspersions on Simon, but, Em7 is a pretty good guy with a tremendous amount of good info, and I hate to see him berated.

Simon will tell me to go #$% myself. It won't be the first time someone's said to do that. I promise not to care. ;)
 
I have to agree with the OP In more ways than one. Also I think this has been blown out of proportion.
He is a good member who was expressing his views. And a very kind member. This is a forum for musicians, not politicians.
I don’t do politics.
I have spent thousands, and I mean tens of thousands on basses, guitars and recording gear.
I still have a lot of stuff, vintage fender,Warwick basses from 1986 blah.
A snob is a pretentious git.
This is a great forum, don’t screw it up
 
A snob is a pretentious git.
This is a great forum, don’t screw it up
I agree with you on the guitar stuff, but I’m gonna have to stick to my guns about my wife’s dinner and desert today. Both are brag worthy! Pics will be posted sometime tonight or tomorrow, and within 24 hours ALL of you will be wishing you were me. ;)

Ok, well at least for dinner time, you will. :cool:
 
Em7 makes some fair points:

First, it's great to concentrate on one guitar, or even one model of one guitar, to get to know its nuances. It really works. For a long time, I made my living with only one guitar at a time. I'm a believer in that concept.

Second, I agree that the Maryland guitars are a cut above. Doesn't mean everybody needs one, and it's not talking down to anyone to say they're a better guitar, because that's the simple truth.

Third, Simon Says said he was done with this thread a page or two ago, and he isn't. Because he's that Angry Man Who Takes Things About Gear Personally And Goes Ballistic Over what Someone Says.

Bad form, seriously.

Hey, I've been that guilty guy. Sometimes I still am. Ask 11Top. He's still ragging my ass over past statements about guitar collecting from 2012.

I cast no aspersions on Simon, but, Em7 is a pretty good guy with a tremendous amount of good info, and I hate to see him berated.

Simon will tell me to go #$% myself. It won't be the first time someone's said to do that. I promise not to care. ;)

Lol, no I won't tell you to f off ;)
 
I am not. But, who cares. People play cheap guitars and still love them.
Yes, and the last part of that sentence is all that matters. For years, my daily player was an Ibanez JS100 that I paid $400 for used, and I could happily live with that guitar forever as my only guitar if I had too. Unfortunately, 6 PRS's and 3 EBMM's later, it just sits in the case un-played, which is both a shame, and a waste. That is a great guitar.
 
For most of my playing career, I owned one electric guitar and maybe a backup along with an acoustic guitar and one amplifier. Today, there is a preference to purchase a bunch of lesser quality guitars to owning one really good guitar and maybe a lesser quality backup. I do not know when or where this mindset originated, but there is an advantage to owning only one good guitar over a bunch of inferior guitars, especially if that is all one can afford. It is like owning and practicing with only one firearm. One gets to know it intimately. That is why one Stevensville PRS guitar beats a stable of SEs. A Stevensville PRS guitar will continue to please long after the sting of the price is forgotten, buy once, cry once.

I know others have mentioned this fact, but chops and tone cannot be purchased. All but the most gifted guitarists built their chops through extensive practice (a.k.a. woodshedding). No amount of guitars, amps, or pedals are going to change that equation. It is much easier to become proficient with guitar when one is not swapping between guitars on a regular basis. If one cannot play with one's eyes closed (or at least without continuously looking at one's hands), one has not reached the level of familiarity to play more than one guitar, especially when we are talking about guitars with different scale lengths, which can take a period of adjustment for even experienced guitarists.

I only owned 1Electric and 1 Acoustic for years and that electric was a Made in Japan Epiphone Les Paul Custom. It was all I needed, sounded as good as any 'Gibson' LP Custom, played as well etc - I know because my Band mate had 2 Gibson LP Custom's and even he preferred my Epiphone and sustained much better too. That maybe just 'luck' that I ended up with a 'great' but 'cheaper' model without Nitro that yellows, cracks and wears more but it was 'all' I needed. It never let me down when I gigged.

Now I have more money to invest, I have more guitars. Its NOT about having a back-up, its more about having 'different' options for 'different' sounds, different 'feel' etc. I think what's changed is that overall, guitars are a LOT cheaper (take in inflation and disposable incomes into account) and so people aren't 'forced' to pick between a Les Paul, Strat or Tele and that will be 'their' only guitar until they trade it or need to replace it. When I was 'learning', it seemed you were a Gibson (LP, SG), Fender (Tele/Strat) OR 'other' Ibanez, Charvel, etc (Super-strat) but nowadays, it seems that you must have a 'variety' otherwise you're missing out.

If you only have a typical Strat, you are 'missing' out on the Les Paul sound for example. So some may see it as £4000 for a 'single' instrument that does one thing exceptionally well but not 5x better than an import 'copy' but you could buy 4 or more 'different' instruments and get more options, more variety, more versatility etc. For £4000, they could get a LP type, T-type, S-type, Shredder type, semi-hollow/acoustic etc.

Not saying 1 way is better than another - I think whatever best fits that individual and situation is the 'RIGHT' choice for them even if its not the right choice for everyone.

In my current situation, I don't have 'space' for a LOT of guitars so I can't go crazy and buy 5 guitars just because I can, its more important that 'each' guitar is the 'best' option for me. It just so happens that I'd rather buy a Core Custom 24 than the 'SE' Custom 24 because its a better use of my 'limited' space - both take up similar room and as I am not gigging, not taking my guitars out of the house, I am very comfortable playing them. If I was 'gigging' in the pubs/bars I used to, I wouldn't want to take a £4k guitar in to them, wouldn't be able to relax or just 'play' - having had my guitar knocked flying across the floor, seen necks, tuners etc broken by drunk patrons etc - one of my bandmates had his guitar 'stolen' too whilst we were loading up the cars after a gig. Therefore, I'd buy an SE as I could easily afford a replacement if worst case situations occur.

If you are in a Covers band, it maybe more beneficial to have a 'variety' of decent, but cheap guitars over 1 'high end' guitar. If you like modding and customising your guitars, it may well be better to get an SE or S2 - especially if you plan on swapping everything, covering it in stickers, artwork, paint etc.

There are guitars of ALL different styles, specs, colours and price points to suit 'EVERY' preference. Just because something may be better and that can be a 'quantifiable' measure, doesn't mean its a 'better' fit for the individual. A PRS Core may well be 'better' and justifiably more 'expensive' as a result, an SE may well be the 'better' option for the individual. Even if it frees up that individual to 'play' their guitar without worry and stress, feel 'free' to express themselves fully - if that means putting on a 'performance' on stage, swinging their guitars around etc, not caring, stressing about the money invested in it, not putting you in a difficult financial position etc.

Would you recommend a complete beginner buy a PRS Core 594 to a 'beginner' with no experience - of course not because they don'tknow what they 'like' yet or what they may want to learn or do in the future. They may went to be a Whammy bar trick shredder, may want or prefer a tele/stratty feel/sound etc. Cheap guitars can also help players get to know what they like so when they do have money for a high end guitar, they buy the model best suited to them.

Anyway, my point is that every person has different budgets, preferences, needs/wants etc on different musical paths and different phase of their musical journey etc so there is NOT one 'rule' for everyone. Not everyone want's, needs or should buy a Core over an SE because the SE maybe the 'better' option for them and their current situation. Like I said, if I was still gigging in the Bars I used to play, an SE would be a better option for 'ME' than my Core's. Its only since I retired and my kids are now independent that I have had the 'budget' to buy Cores too - as a parent, it would of been 'irresponsible' to spend £4k on a guitar when my kids needed feeding, clothing, entertaining etc
 
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