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:

Bob-Dubery

Currently I have two flat tops and can't make up my mind between the two. I play the Larry and I think "oh, this is goooooooood". Then the next day I play the Morgan and decide that that's OK.

I did have a "go to" guitar for a while, not so much in terms of tone but in terms of getting ideas and inspiration (and I have a problem with that because that stuff should come from inside me, not from inside an instrument). That was a Mervyn Davis Smoothtalker - which I sold a while back. It may have been the ergonomics of the guitar that made it seem magical - for me the ergonomics are a big plus of the Smoothtalker. I told myself I didn't like the tone so much, or rather that the guitar was a one trick pony and distinctly not versatile. Yet whenever I was looking for an idea for some GFSA challenge or other inspiration always seemed to arrive when I was noodling on the Smoothtalker. Again, because of it's small size and the ergonomics, it was the most convenient guitar I had for noodling whilst watching TV.

Now I have the two very good flat tops, and a "mongrelcaster" electric that, it turned out, I got a good GFSA challenge entry out of (though the idea needed an electric, and when you have only one electric you don't waste too much time figuring out what guitar you're going to use).

shaunf

RoyC wrote Perhaps next time I visit my brother in PMB I will bring it down and contact yourself and PaulE for a get together in Durbs so you can play the Zion?

I couldn't possibly play an instrument like that. Maybe plink and plonk a bit, but not play. Still, I'd love to see it in the flesh, so to speak, so would gladly take you up on that. I'm actually an old Maritzburg boy myself and my folks still stay up there.

ZarK

There are quite a few of the more active members who hasn't shown me the 'theirs' yet... I'm really curious to see what inspires you. Even if it's an old beat-up R250 jobbie... If it truly inspires you and it's the the one you reach for the most, its more than worthy to be posted here... In fact, I'd love to see it just as much as the most exquisite examples already posted...

Many moons ago I had a Fender Strat copy. Black with white scratchplate and not a single letter, number or word printed anywhere on it. I got it for literally R100 back then and it just felt right and sounded great to me... I've bought and sold some pretty decent guitars from then till now, but I still remember that guitar and I wish I still had it... True story...

Jack-Flash-Jr

My ultibass (sorry I have very few pics without that friggin' monkey in them):

Fender MIJ After a few tweaks (proper scratchplate, tugbar, '76 pups and a couple of my own dings) it's like home. Same year as my MIJ Tele.... I quite enjoyed this PRS while I had it:

but my go to guitar (which needs a fix or two) is an Ibby axs32 like this one:

No pics of my own handy ?

chris77

ZarK wrote There are quite a few of the more active members who hasn't shown me the 'theirs' yet... I'm really curious to see what inspires you.

Toughie. I love my Baby Blue strat to bits, but my heart currently belongs to my Fender Standard Tele. I ordered two sets of pups recently, one for my Baby Blue and one for the Tele. Fitted the teles pups immediately, the strat ones are still sealed - so I guess that says a lot. Will try and post some pics of her tonight. 8)

nick

Out of my strat and my lp studio, its the studio everytime.

Pic from the day I got it, dont have any more recent ones without me in it ?

Reinhard

nick wrote Out of my strat and my lp studio, its the studio everytime.

Pic from the day I got it, dont have any more recent ones without me in it ?

Separation anxiety, then it definitely is the go-to guitar ?

AlanRatcliffe

Nice Chris! I know they are the cheaper models, but I've always thought there is something about the wine red studios that is very sexy...

Wizard

A 2nd hand Hamer Slamer with everything replaced; except the cheap body & neck.
An odd history of how it ended up like this.
Includes a Callaham bridge.

Jack-Flash-Jr

Do tell!

Wizard

Jack Flash Jr wrote Do tell!

1) Project to build a dream guitar. Had accumulated all of the cool components ... except the body & neck
2) 2nd hand Slammer Hamer lying around. Had been bought cheaply to strip & learn.
3) Got impatient one day.

guidothepimmp

Hmm..

Curious you said the slammer..

FFF also swears by his hamer slammer saying its the best playing fiddle he has.. Mind you, was before he got his arteeest..

Having worked on one, they can play great with a decent setup, I know FFF has new pups and switch.. And he mentioned tuners needed an upgrade,

But curious none the less, that's 2 gfsa ers who fancy their slammers

racman

I had a Hamer Slammer and Daytona(USA - still regret selling this one) and both were great guitars. The Slammer was exceptional value for money in my opinion and a great player as well.

ftcl

This is my go to guitar:

I had been playing mainly "metal" guitars, Cortx9, Schecter Demon 7, ESP Ltd FX 260FM, and I had kind of grown tired of the look. I had my eye on a nice Yamaha eas 920, which I had played once or twice, and I decided to check it out again. As I picked up the Yamaha, I saw this guitar. It was almost hidden away behind some amps.

I picked it up, and it just.. It just spoke to me. I bought it on the spot. I didn't even plug it into an amp. Just the way it felt, the way it was ringing in my hands. It just felt right.

The shop had just gotten the guitar that morning, and hadn't even made a price for it yet!

Anyway. I still own all the other guitars, but they're just gathering dust on the wall. This is the one I use for everything.

IceCreamMan

some amazing an exotic guitars ,,,i am humbled to be in their midst.... 8)

jackflash, take some pics of the ibby, its piqued my interest ..looks sweet

ZarK

@ftcl: That looks like a very high-end Cort. (I have great respect for most of the higher-end Cort electrics I've spent time with...) Correct me if I'm wrong: Mahogany back and set-neck, Seymore Duncan pups? Ebony board?
Looks to be a solid instrument with very cool looks to boot! (Dig the purple.)

ZarK

Jack Flash Jr wrote My ultibass (sorry I have very few pics without that friggin' monkey in them):

:roflmao: :roflmao:

Thanks for sharing Mr Flash.

ftcl

@ ZarK: That is correct. It is one of their Masterpiece guitars. It's a '59 at the neck and JB at bridge.

I have played a number of LP's, PRS's, ESP's since, and I've had no urge to change. I would need to fork out an incredible amount of money to top this guitar.

Quote: (I have great respect for most of the higher-end Cort electrics I've spent time with...) - Couldn't have said it better.

Also, to an extent, I enjoy the fact that it's such a great guitar from a brand that most look down on.

Jack-Flash-Jr

Hey we go IceCream... this is from a jam organised by Fritz decades ago... not sure if I have any other pics...

@ ftcl: what's the blonde hanging out behind the Cort? Looks cool too. I see you also have a go-to MBP.

nick

Jack Flash Jr wrote Hey we go IceCream... this is from a jam organised by Fritz decades ago... not sure if I have any other pics...

@ ftcl: what's the blonde hanging out behind the Cort? Looks cool too. I see you also have a go-to MBP.

I remember that get-together 8)

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