This is my current "GO-TO GUITAR" Please show me yours?

ZarK · 2012-06-17T13:05:36+00:00

Been thinking about starting this thread for quite some time after I got my first Fender Stratocaster in many years. (Prior to that I swore I'd never play Fender's again... :-[ Like I said, this was a long time ago and I was heavily into hard rock/metal guitars back then...) Over the years I have been privileged enough to have acquired most of the guitars I've always dreamt of and then some... I traded one of these for a Gibson and US Fender Strat, thinking I'd keep what I liked (probably the Gibson) and sell off the rest -even both if we didn't gel... To my surprise I ended up keeping the Strat and found something peculiar starting to transpire... Most of the time when the urge hit for a quick jam, the Strat would come out of the case! (Back then I had no less than 11 guitars -most of them very high-end examples each worth more than double what the US Strat was worth... Arguably also prettier and fancier guitars for the most part...) This specific guitar just felt right and the variety of tonal options it offered just begged me to keep coming back for more. I was actually caught out by the affinity I developed for this specific instrument and she single-handedly lead me to develop a fresh approach to guitars (and music) and what I'm looking for in them these days when considering a new acquisition... She doesn't have the most elaborate look. She goes against many of my previous self-imposed constraints in my approach to instruments but she has tone, feel and mojo that is undeniable albeit completely subjective... She has an extremely thin finish that shows up any imperfection and accepting that has certainly been a positive departure for me. Her feel and quality of tone was so apparent that I took the leap and accepted her -warts & all. It was liberating... She has been my main "go to guitar" for some time and she's never failed to impress and inspire! The point of the rant is that I thought it would be very interesting and potentially quite insightful to have an 'archive' in which I (we) can catalogue which guitar at any given period of our musical journey has been your main inspiration. Your go-to instrument. I'm not looking for "the best" or "the most expensive" or "the fanciest" or "the dream guitar". I'm looking for your current instrument that puts the smile on your face every time you take her for a spin, the one that inspires you to venture further down your musical path. I suspect as time passes and tastes change/mature that your favourite favourite will most probably also change with the times... I just thought that it could be great to have a record that you could page through in the years to come that shows what inspired you in the present and the past and showcases the progression you've gone through... I anticipate that it could bring back great memories and feelings down line -if you're as passionate about instruments as I am... Lets see if you agree and this takes off? Some ground rules: 1. You have to own more than 1 guitar of the same type (either electric or acoustic) at any given time. If you have 2 or more instruments in each category, you can post 1 of each. (Only if they're truly inspirational to you... Not just because you have more than one of a type...) Technically this thread is about "the one", however... 2. If you only have 1 guitar and its not just a temporary stepping stone to the next, in other words its the one because it's well ...the one, I suppose that also qualifies... 3. It has to be the one you're naturally drawn to pick up and play. (Price, fanciness etc. is irrelevant) It has to be the one that inspires you for all the right reasons and tickles your creativity on a more primal level... 4. The 'honeymoon' phase has to be well and truly over. No point in posting a new acquisition: The guitar needs to have proven itself for long enough. 5. This is the place to rant about your passion and love for your main axe! 6. If your main guitar is still the same in a years time and your passion for it is even stronger. Post new pics and tell us why! 7. This is NOT the spot for bashing guitars and brands! Here you express your love and appreciation for your guitar. That is it! All guitars and brands are welcome. Please guys and girls: feel free to chip in with suggestions and recommendations but most importantly share your stories, photos and love for your main axe. Why is she 'the one' at this point in time? I don't care about aesthetics,exclusivity or monetary value. If she's worth 50 bucks and she inspires you, please share your passion with me (us) all the more! I'll start by posting 'the one' that's dramatically changed my approach to guitars and has been my main inspiration for more than a year already... This Fender has totally blind-sided me and I'm thankful and all the better off for it... Fender Standard USA Stratocaster '09 limited edition... :goodtimes:

MikeM

Think I'll have to take an updated photo of my pair of (not so identical) twins for this thread ?

ZarK

Vic wrote
My current go too 's are these two Gibson arch tops. Both single pup models....ideal for jazzy tones as well as old school rock 'n roll tones. I really love these guitars.

1953 ES-175 early P90 tone. Sounds great with a bit of reverb and slap-back echo

1958 ES-175 with an original PAF

Truly exquisite guitars, Vic, but a sneaky move! ? With the ladies being so similar, unfortunately you'll have to search your soul and choose 'the one' to meet the criteria of this thread. ?

ZarK

Badapple wrote Current Go-To Guitar. I don't know why but it's the one I grab.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

This is the whole point of the thread: To keep a record of which axe you naturally gravitate to at this particular point in your life. Showing us 'the one' you reach for more often than not, without intellectualizing anything and irrespective of brand, price, the latest fashion, "status" etc. -things that often just distract us from forming that special bond that transcends words and opinion and ultimately only distances us from the pure, unimpeded joy of playing guitar...

Looking forward to seeing more!

vic

Zark....if I must choose, I'll go for the P90 model. ?

Chocklit_Thunda

ZarK wrote
Chocklit_Thunda wrote I don't have a go to guitar... I try to play all of mine equally.

I believe that choosing a favourite guitar is like having a favourite child.... You're allowed to but you just can't say it out loud ?
Makes sense to a certain extent... (Children have feelings -apparently?) If we treated our children like some of us do our guitars, they'd be scarred for life and on so many levels... ? Most of us have even replaced or gotten rid of an axe or two when so inclined (or emotionally charged) at a particular point in time, often just to regret it down the line because maybe our mindset, taste, ability or experience level just wasn't in sync with that particular axe at that particular time. Wouldn't suggest doing the same to one (or more) of them mini-me's...

It's not about which is your favourite. All of mine are my favourite but I have found myself naturally gravitating to different instruments in different phases of my life... If you have "the one" at this time, please share! If not, hopefully we'll see some pics in this thread in future. ? ?

Haha I can see the gumtree ad now, "child for sale, it's a 2005 model. Great condition. A few scratches. I'm selling because I've started focussing more on raising teens. R2700 neg or willing to trade for a nice valve amp." ? ? ?

But yeah I still don't have a single main guitar... I pick up a different one almost every day ? so I alternate between 5 guitars and a bass. But they're all completely different. Unlike owning say 2 strats or LP's where they're different in more subtle ways, my guitars are all worlds apart ?

ezietsman

I play these two the most (I only have 3), but the LP is my favourite. Tokai LS92 with a pair of Bareknuckle humbuckers ?

AlanRatcliffe

ez wrote Tokai LS92 with a pair of Bareknuckle humbuckers ?

Let me guess - Mules? Been eyeing those myself.

ezietsman

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
ez wrote Tokai LS92 with a pair of Bareknuckle humbuckers ?
Let me guess - Mules? Been eyeing those myself.

Mule in the neck, Black Dog in the bridge.

Badapple

ZarK wrote
Badapple wrote Current Go-To Guitar. I don't know why but it's the one I grab.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

This is the whole point of the thread: To keep a record of which axe you naturally gravitate to at this particular point in your life. Showing us 'the one' you reach for more often than not, without intellectualizing anything and irrespective of brand, price, the latest fashion, "status" etc. -things that often just distract us from forming that special bond that transcends words and opinion and ultimately only distances us from the pure, unimpeded joy of playing guitar...

Looking forward to seeing more!

No problem!

I agree. It is interesting to see what people tend to use as a got-to guitar. IMO - it does not matter what cost, status, fashion, etc is linked to the guitar. I mean, I also own a MIM Fender Strat and a '77 Lawsuit Ibanez but the cheap Epiphone is the one I grab.

It could be that it;s the guitar that is normally the closest and it doesn;t need to be plugged in and so forth. I'm not really sure but it does the job I want it to ?.

Awesome thread.

:goodtimes:

guidothepimmp

My current go to

DaFiz

The nylon string has been donated to my grandson.
The Takamine only comes out of the hard case at band practice coz it gets plugged in to the PA.
The Telecaster only gets used at gigs.
The "go to guitar" is the Ibanez Concord... (Made in Japan 1970s)

On a stand right within reach all the time... If I wanna practice a ditty... she's there with me all the time. 8)

ZarK

Vic wrote Zark....if I must choose, I'll go for the P90 model. ?

Very cool. Thank you. I know for many of us its difficult to choose just one, but this has always been part of the point of the thread -to force us to search deeper and make the (sometimes) difficult decision. Hopefully food for though for some of us? :-\

I love your guitar(s)... :goodtimes:

ZarK

guidothepimmp wrote My current go to

Love the traditional form, natural finish and simplicity... Reminds me of a blank canvas where the physical instrument doesn't distract from the music it is able to generate. Wow... :goodtimes:

Lethe

The guitar a bought from DomHatch. It's a great guitar. Very versatile and dynamic. Also easy to play and great tone.

AlanRatcliffe

Lethe wrote

The guitar a bought from DomHatch. It's a great guitar. Very versatile and dynamic. Also easy to play and great tone.

Ah you got that one. Good buy sir!

Lethe

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Lethe wrote

The guitar a bought from DomHatch. It's a great guitar. Very versatile and dynamic. Also easy to play and great tone.
Ah you got that one. Good buy sir!

Yeah ? Definitely worth it. I just wanna get wood pickup surrounding thingies like you have on yours! Brackets they're called? It looked rad on your PRS!

domhatch

Lethe wrote
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Lethe wrote

The guitar a bought from DomHatch. It's a great guitar. Very versatile and dynamic. Also easy to play and great tone.
Ah you got that one. Good buy sir!
Yeah ? Definitely worth it. I just wanna get wood pickup surrounding thingies like you have on yours! Brackets they're called? It looked rad on your PRS!

aaaaah, my heart just sank a little. it's always hard to say cheers to a guitar, especially a really great guitar like that one. but i'm really glad to hear you're getting so much pleasure out of her. it's the second time i've sold a prs but thankfully on both occasions i've sold on to guys who've done so much more with them than i could have. and i'm in a better place - i financed my tokai lp custom and a new amp.

so yeah, bummed to see her go, but movin' on down the road. enjoy! 8)
dh|

CDee

Here's my current Go-To guitar. Gibson J-165.

I got this guitar in 2009 and I like it more today than what I did then(Can't believe how time flies ???).
She really has a great voice for such a small body. I like the smaller body as it's easier to maneuver. It's just so easy to play. ?

It was my son's favourite till I got the Gretsch, now he prefers that... ?

domhatch

CDee wrote Here's my current Go-To guitar. Gibson J-165.

I got this guitar in 2009 and I like it more today than what I did then(Can't believe how time flies ???).
She really has a great voice for such a small body. I like the smaller body as it's easier to maneuver. It's just so easy to play. ?

It was my son's favourite till I got the Gretsch, now he prefers that... ?

cute li'l guy. my son doesn't come near my gear until i crank up the amp - then he's fully into it. can't be bothered with acoustics or clean tones. he's taking piano lessons at the moment, and i'm betting on him going shopping for a guitar and usurping my 4w vox once he's allowed to choose his own instrument...

AlanRatcliffe

Lethe wrote I just wanna get wood pickup surrounding thingies like you have on yours! Brackets they're called? It looked rad on your PRS!

Pickup mounting rings. Be aware that most come unfinished and finishing makes them a lot darker (I tung oiled mine). I like contrast, so the rosewood rings worked on mine (especially as a darker line between lighter body and pickups), but might be a bit dark on yours (but would go well with the board). A flame maple would work with your natural binding.

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