How Your Opinions On Gear Change When You Play Everyday:

Robert Herndon said:
@SG John,

SG's...Definitely different, as you pointed out. I had two, a brand new 2003 Gibson and a brand new 2016 Gibson, and I never bonded with either one. I sent the 2003 back in 2003 and traded the 2016 Gibson SG to @eSGEe for a Chibson that was better in every physical respect.

Interestingly, nobody has kept that 2016 Gibson SG for more than a few months. Lack of MOJO perhaps???
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This SG Junior was the only guitar I had for about six years, and learned how to play with it. It has never had the neck adjusted, and is still straight as an arrow. The frets are a little lower maybe, but also never been touched. It's still fun to play, even with the narrow nut. I didn't know there were wider ones for many years. I also didn't have the luxury as a teenager to say "I don't like the neck, I'll get something else." Instead (because I had no choice), I learned what that guitar was all about. Every little nuance. I think that's what I like about many of my guitars, is that they all have something to say and it's up to me to bring it out. People tend to change guitars like changing socks these days, and never really spend time with them and get to really know them. I've said in the past, I will only buy a guitar if I really like it, and it brings something that my others don't. Usually the first thing I play after tuning the guitar is every note looking for dead spots, then octaves around the neck to see if they are in tune, and other annoying stuff like that. I'm sure the staff at the store wish that I would play "Smoke on the Water" instead.

When I took my Billy-Bo build over to Q-Division Studios for Ed, Rafi, and John to check out, it was passed around by quite a few people, and they felt felt there was music that wanted to escape from that guitar. A couple of guys asked if they could use it for the "Hot Stove, Cool Music" show at The Paradise. I said sure, if Ed gets me into the show. It never happened, which was a shame. I wanted to hear it in other people's hands. Especially by some of the talent that were in that studio that day.

68_Junior_1.jpg
 
SG John said:
This SG Junior was the only guitar I had for about six years, and learned how to play with it. It has never had the neck adjusted, and is still straight as an arrow. The frets are a little lower maybe, but also never been touched. It's still fun to play, even with the narrow nut. I didn't know there were wider ones for many years. I also didn't have the luxury as a teenager to say "I don't like the neck, I'll get something else." Instead (because I had no choice), I learned what that guitar was all about. Every little nuance. I think that's what I like about many of my guitars, is that they all have something to say and it's up to me to bring it out. People tend to change guitars like changing socks these days, and never really spend time with them and get to really know them. I've said in the past, I will only buy a guitar if I really like it, and it brings something that my others don't. Usually the first thing I play after tuning the guitar is every note looking for dead spots, then octaves around the neck to see if they are in tune, and other annoying stuff like that. I'm sure the staff at the store wish that I would play "Smoke on the Water" instead.

When I took my Billy-Bo build over to Q-Division Studios for Ed, Rafi, and John to check out, it was passed around by quite a few people, and they felt felt there was music that wanted to escape from that guitar. A couple of guys asked if they could use it for the "Hot Stove, Cool Music" show at The Paradise. I said sure, if Ed gets me into the show. It never happened, which was a shame. I wanted to hear it in other people's hands. Especially by some of the talent that were in that studio that day.

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Awesome story!!!!!

I can identify with what you were saying about having no option as a youngster. My 18 fret Sears Silvertone had a fixed truss bar and I had to make do the best I could.

I even had to learn some solos in a different register because I only had 18 frets. It was a real handicap.

I played that guitar for a living, from the time I was 15 (In 1980, I was allowed to drop out of school to play music full time as long as I went to adult school, which I did in 1984) until 1983 when I save up and bought a brand new 1983 Ibanez DT-555 Destroyer. Man, talk about an upgrade!!!

The YelloStrat I got from you came home today!!!!!

Nothing but 1-3/4" neck widths anymore!!!!

20210519_114312.jpg
 
Robert Herndon said:
Awesome story!!!!!

I can identify with what you were saying about having no option as a youngster. My 18 fret Sears Silvertone had a fixed truss bar and I had to make do the best I could.

I even had to learn some solos in a different register because I only had 18 frets. It was a real handicap.

I played that guitar for a living, from the time I was 15 (In 1980, I was allowed to drop out of school to play music full time as long as I went to adult school, which I did in 1984) until 1983 when I save up and bought a brand new 1983 Ibanez DT-555 Destroyer. Man, talk about an upgrade!!!

The YelloStrat I got from you came home today!!!!!

Nothing but 1-3/4" neck widths anymore!!!!

View attachment 67033
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I no longer have anything under 1-5/8’s
 
SG John said:
This SG Junior was the only guitar I had for about six years, and learned how to play with it. It has never had the neck adjusted, and is still straight as an arrow. The frets are a little lower maybe, but also never been touched. It's still fun to play, even with the narrow nut. I didn't know there were wider ones for many years. I also didn't have the luxury as a teenager to say "I don't like the neck, I'll get something else." Instead (because I had no choice), I learned what that guitar was all about. Every little nuance. I think that's what I like about many of my guitars, is that they all have something to say and it's up to me to bring it out. People tend to change guitars like changing socks these days, and never really spend time with them.
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In 1988, I auditioned for a band with a borrowed guitar. They hired me on the spot, took me to a music store and bought me a brand new 1987 MIK Fender Squirecaster.

I played that guitar for 32 years. It probably had 20 different pickup combinations over the years:

FB_IMG_1602448828555.jpg

It's now in the collection of @Sp8ctre ....
 
I didn't try to make a living at it. Too many little fish to be eaten in a big pond between Boston and New York.

Instead, I made stuff for various fun things like these. Kept music as a fun thing to do. It still is.

Space Shuttle.jpg


Space Station.jpg



team-penske-penske-pc26-mercedes-tracy-35380.jpg




And... many, many, many, many other cool things.
 
Robert Herndon said:
That's a good mindset.

I generally don't turn down any good paying music job. You write good stuff. I don't really like my own material, plus, I need to earn a living and that dictates what I play, at least to some degree anyways.
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Here's a twist on the big hands thing. For a couple of years, I was a mandolin player in a Celtic punk rock band. Because I was a violinist as a kid, one of my friends begged me to be in his band to play mandolin. They have the same tuning, and I get to be the biggest person in the band (with the biggest hands) playing the tied for smallest instrument. The violin was the other.

When we would go to the studio (I did three records with them), not only did I play mandolin, but I would also play acoustic guitar, dobro, and the studio's Cittern. I had never seen a Cittern before, and was intrigued by a ten string version of a twelve string guitar, with a very Gaelic tuning. I had to learn it on the spot, so that I could run a few takes. These were times where my belief in the instrument has the songs, and it's up to me to bring them out had it's benefits. Of the seven of us in the band, I was the only one constantly stepping outside of my role, and trying on something different.
 
SG John said:
Here's a twist on the big hands thing. For a couple of years, I was a mandolin player in a Celtic punk rock band. Because I was a violinist as a kid, one of my friends begged me to be in his band to play mandolin. They have the same tuning, and I get to be the biggest person in the band (with the biggest hands) playing the tied for smallest instrument. The violin was the other.

When we would go to the studio (I did three records with them), not only did I play mandolin, but I would also play acoustic guitar, dobro, and the studio's Cittern. I had never seen a Cittern before, and was intrigued by a ten string version of a twelve string guitar, with a very Gaelic tuning. I had to learn it on the spot, so that I could run a few takes. These were times where my belief in the instrument has the songs, and it's up to me to bring them out had it's benefits. Of the seven of us in the band, I was the only one constantly stepping outside of my role, and trying on something different.
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That's so incredible that you can do that!!!!!!
 
Robert Herndon said:
That's so incredible that you can do that!!!!!!
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I learned a long time ago, that it's all about the song. Your role is to make it be the best it can be. It's why I like experimenting so much, and everything is always new to me. Frustrating at times? Sure, but that's the path I take. It's like my role as a machinist. It's impossible to see it, or do it all. What's important is to understand as much as you can, and do it well.
 
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