Do you play your favorite guitarist's guitar?

[Boogie]

Can’t say that I do, directly, but, I did really appreciate David Grissom that much more after playing his guitar and amp. The same thing happened when I played a Satriani high-end model. OTOH, despite ripping off a bunch of Billy Gibbons’ licks, my Les Paul will never sound like his (I hated the Pearly Gates in mine). However, playing the same licks on an SE One does do something magical.

 

[jxe]

marc bolan sang about his les paul (that made him feel small) and his ‘white swan’ strat-o-caster, but i never thought to buy one. i would however buy a les paul recording (with the ‘forest of mini toggles’) because john cale.

anyone seen the devo les paul that eastwood put out? confusing

 

[László]

Can’t say that I do, directly, but, I did really appreciate David Grissom that much more after playing his guitar and amp.

I have one of his signature amps.

“Really, do you sound like him when you play?”

“Not exactly.”

“Well, what do you sound like when you play through his signature amp?”

“I sound like a lousy guitar player in over his head with a very nice amp!”

 

[Fullmoon 1971]

In my collection I own 16 signature models & a further 13 models that are inspired by certain guitarists with the exception of my Polka Dot Flying V aka "Randy Rhoads" these have usually been impulse buys that SWMBO or the band have then pointed out that such & such plays that model the other one would be my "Red Special" it's slightly smaller than the original & was dirt cheap but housed the correct wiring and burn pickups. my musical tastes and playing styles that go all the way from Robert Johnson through to Zoltan Bathory via Duane Eddy & John Lee Hooker so from time to I'm bound to end with signature models

@bodia think you might like this.


And my self built "Randy Rhoads" V

 

[bodia]

In my collection I own 16 signature models & a further 13 models that are inspired by certain guitarists with the exception of my Polka Dot Flying V aka "Randy Rhoads" these have usually been impulse buys that SWMBO or the band have then pointed out that such & such plays that model the other one would be my "Red Special" it's slightly smaller than the original & was dirt cheap but housed the correct wiring and burn pickups. my musical tastes and playing styles that go all the way from Robert Johnson through to Zoltan Bathory via Duane Eddy & John Lee Hooker so from time to I'm bound to end with signature models

@bodia think you might like this.


And my self built "Randy Rhoads" V

I do!

 

[Dead&Co]

rory gallagher?

 

[Smitty]

Grew up inspired by Clapton, but I couldn’t bond with the signature strat. The soft V didn’t quite fit my hand. Did get and American Standard Strat instead (which ok, but I prefer the feel and tone of a Suhr throwback)

Bonamassa got me wanting a Les Paul, but again I never found one that was comfortable (or could stay in tune). Got an SC245 with the 58/15s which i love to play. I did buy a mini Jubilee which I’m really digging the sound of.

So I guess that’s a long way of saying no

 

[JohnMayer'sTherapist]

I want to play my favorite artist's guitar but, I'm having trouble finding one in my budget (which is still outrageous for a guitar). On that note, I watched Dead and Company's kick off show last night, and John's Super Eagle definitely still has the F hole decal. I wonder if the guitar is chambered. Maybe a SE III on the horizon?!?!?!?!?

 

[TroyBaer]

I do have a Red Special copy (Brian May) and a none-more-black "1984" Explorer with EMGs (James Hetfield). However, both of those are instruments I use only for certain specific sounds. My default go-to guitars are my Bernie (which I bought with no prior knowledge of who Bernie Marsden is) and my McCarty.

 

[shinksma]

My first useful electric guitar was a Flying V knockoff, because I wanted to be K.K. Downing from Judas Priest.

My next electric guitar was a Mexi-strat because I wanted those single coil tones of my favorite guitarist, David Gilmour (I had figured out I could play Floyd far more competently than Priest - I have slow, short fingers). I couldn't justify a US-made Strat at the time, and I didn't know or care about the subtleties (or not-so-subtleties) of how that mexi-strat was different from Gilmour's guitar (which had active EMGs at the time, IIRC).

I picked up a LP Deluxe because I was hankering for a good HB guitar - except it has P90-sized mini-humbuckers, so it still wasn't really what I thought I wanted. But it was similar to the LPs played by a lot of my favorite 70s artists. But I didn't get it because I wanted to look like Jimmy Page, I just wanted a more growly guitar.

That was about the end of buying a guitar because my favorite guitarist played one or because it was a "classic" played by many artists. Until PRS, that is...

When Steven Wilson came out on stage in 2001-ish playing an Emerald Green CU22, I suddenly realized I wanted one of "those" guitars - it was beautiful, and sounded a whole lot different (better) than the ESP (I think? Some kind of strat copy) he had been playing up until then. I decided a 24 fret version would be nice, never owned a guitar with 24 frets. So Emerald Green CU24, 10-top, with birds, was what I was going to buy next! I soon realized I couldn't justify the price of a PRS with my mediocre and infrequent guitar playing. i was used to buying $300 and $400 guitars, and that PRS was a whole lot more. So it remained a dream...

Until I separated from my third wife. Then I finally satisfied that itch.

Since then, I've bought many PRSi, some signature models, but none because of the associated artists per se: I liked the specs of the Akerfeldt, I liked the look and specs of my Santana, I liked the specs and top of my Spalted Maple top ZM.

When I get a Silver Sky, it will be because I like the guitar specs and how it plays, not because of JM, although I do like his music, and the Silver Sky is probably a good tool for getting that tone if I am in the mood.

 

[jxe]

john mayer killed frank ocean’s career. #teamtaylor

 

[Deleted member 5962]

In my collection I own 16 signature models & a further 13 models that are inspired by certain guitarists with the exception of my Polka Dot Flying V aka "Randy Rhoads" these have usually been impulse buys that SWMBO or the band have then pointed out that such & such plays that model the other one would be my "Red Special" it's slightly smaller than the original & was dirt cheap but housed the correct wiring and burn pickups. my musical tastes and playing styles that go all the way from Robert Johnson through to Zoltan Bathory via Duane Eddy & John Lee Hooker so from time to I'm bound to end with signature models

@bodia think you might like this.


And my self built "Randy Rhoads" V

I have the perfect amp for that guitar, and its for sale! Vox AC30hw2x. Handwired version with two blues.

 

[P90s]

Well, the Dead's best and worst periods could be a thread, a forum, an encyclopedia! And I guess it already has been and is all of those things. So I won't go too far into it here except to note that I think a big part of why I liked the early 70s so much was because they were down a drummer. As much as I love Mickey, they were a totally different band without him, and I thought a more lithe, swinging, turn on a dime improvisational combo like a great jazz quintet. With him, they're like an ocean liner - they could get up a hell of a head of steam, but good luck missing the iceberg! With just Bill on traps, they were like a speedboat that could change pace and dance around in the waves and turn on a dime. And this isn't a matter of what I was there for. I first saw them toward the end of '77, which to some was their peak year, and I was there from then through the end, with a lull in 88-92 when our kids were babies. And I liked '77-78, '81-83, and '87-88. But when I go to put on some Dead, it's almost always early '70s unless it's the anniversary of one of the more epic shows I saw.

One of my favorite time capsules from the late '80s. Enjoy.

I guess I probably did START playing a strat because so many of my favorites played them. I don't really remember - I just always kind of wanted one and I gotta figure that's a big part of why. But then I played one forever and I guess that sound and feel just got in my blood. I don't play it because of that now in any direct way. But I probably still love them so much now because I've been playing them for so long and if that was the initial spark, I guess it's still kind of a cause.

Whatever, i just love 'em. I should probably sell my 594 and get a Silver Sky because I'm evidently more of a single coil and P90 guy than a humbucker guy, (which I had started to think differently about for several months and led to me having a 594). But I just don't feel the need or desire to in any way change my current Cray hardtail strat, which is my favorite one after 40 years of 'em. And I seem to be madly in love with P90s and probably shouldn't just have a $350 P90 equipped telecaster, but I love THAT cheap beast too and don't feel any desire to upgrade it (maybe put a RWRP pickup in the neck, but other than that). So even if humbuckers are only my third favorite pickup these days, I'm lucky enough to have as good a humbucker guitar as there is and I freakin' love it too. So what if the expenditures are out of whack - I have three guitars I completely love and I'm sitting good and tight with what I've got...

-Ray

 

[merciful-evans]

He played a strat in the early days (not REALLY early days, but early '70s, pre-Irwin) and it seemed like he mostly had his Irwin's set up for a very strat-like tone. Maybe with a few more options and a synth built into later ones, but still basically a strat tone. For me, about '70-74 was peak Dead and he was mostly playing strats during that stretch, so I still consider him a strat player. And to the extent I can come even remotely close to his sound (which I can't), I get closest with a strat...

And, if you have any boutique guitar money left over after buying all the PRS's you want, Doug Irwin isn't still making guitars, but Tom Leiber is. He was Irwin's right hand man and is making a couple of models that STRONGLY resemble the stuff Irwin was making. Really nice work too. At prices you might expect... I don't know if it's kosher to post a link here to another maker, but you can search for Lieber guitars. I'll never buy one but it's fun to look...

-Ray

Yes I recall his natural finish Strat and I loved the look. I expected to see it in 1974 at Ally Pally uk, but he was using something I didn't recognise (the 1st Irwin I think).

Though I never regretted losing my Strat. I missed the sound. After making a few mistakes with bolt-on neck models, I finally found the sound again with a uk custom build copy.

I checked out the Liebers. I think I'd seen the page before. Even if I could afford it, I cant imagine using one in the cheap dives I play in.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I bought a Santana because you're my hero.

I got a West St. because you guys are my hero’s.

 

[Steve's addiction]

I heard the price of the Myself model has tripled over the past two years. I wouldn't wait too long!

I almost bought a Myself but it was a fake!
Chinese have a knack for these things

 

[vchizzle]

I don't necessarily have a favorite player. I have some favorite bands that I name off quite a bit. Not many of them play PRS. Many play LP's and other various guitars. I'd say early on in my PRS playing days, Jane's Addiction & Rollins Band(Clint from Sevendust, but that was a bit later) were the 2 main ones that stick out in my mind. Present day, Karnivool guys use them. Dean DeLeo(STP) uses hollowbody piezo PRSi on a few tunes live. There are certainly plenty of PRS players that I like plenty, but when I think favorite bands and the players in those bands, there are less of them. Jimmy Herring is one of my faves, I suppose. I love Grissom at the PRS events, I have a lot of his solo instrumental stuff. Too country for me with vocals though.

edit: I play PRS because they are the best(for me). I've not really chased tones too much. My tone is influenced by some of those players that I like, I'm sure. I've never tried to cop them exactly though.

 

[P90s]

I almost bought a Myself but it was a fake!
Chinese have a knack for these things

I NEARLY pulled the trigger on the Gibson Historic "Myself" from the new Custom Shop, but I found out that the plastic cover under the cable jack connection was made by a different company than the original manufacturer in Upstate NY, and if that plastic cover isn't 100% historically accurate then the whole guitar is worthless in my opinion. Also, I found out that the concrete used on the floors of the new Custom Shop came from a different concrete supplier that was used for the Memphis Custom Shop floors, so, anything coming from that factory would also be worthless. I'm going to wait until a REAL "Myself" comes up on Reverb or eBay, and buy one of those. Can't believe Gibson would try to rip us off like that!

 

[alantig]

I thought I had a line on a genuine Myself model, but it turned out to be a pretty run of the mill Fender covered with mice dressed as elves. Some flimsy Sly Stone tribute guitar.

 

[shinksma]

I thought I had a line on a genuine Myself model, but it turned out to be a pretty run of the mill Fender covered with mice dressed as elves. Some flimsy Sly Stone tribute guitar.

There needs to be a Groan emoji/smiley. Rolleyes doesn't quite cover it.