ZarK wrote
@BMU: Well spoken... ? ...and a confident +1 on the J-Custom's quality-for-money.
When compared to cars, I've always thought of these brands as follows:
Fender: Vintage Hot Rod.
Gibson: Vintage Muscle Car
Ibanez: Formula 1
(I'm obviously generalising as I obviously haven't owned every model of every line within each brand but I have experienced quite a few from each brand for myself. To narrow it down for the nit-pickers ? : I'm generally making reference to ( but not limited to) a high-end Strat, Les Paul and RG)
Personally I've already had the custom dragged-behind-the-bakkie look with my ESP Truckster. I'm at a point that I'm not willing to fork out the extra $$$ to have someone age a guitar for me. I'd much rather buy a good playing and sounding second-hand example that has a ding or two already... Sick of running after my guitars with a lappie and polish... Caring for your guitar(s) is one thing, giving over to your OCD is quite another... :-[
I'd beg to differ slightly -
Fender Strat: '55 Chevy with a warm 350ci and tow ball
Gibson Les Paul; '48 Ford Super Deluxe (Heavy Metal alright!)
Gibson SG: Vintage Muscle Car
Ibanez: Formula 1 (To be forced to compete on equal terms with all the other retired formula 1 teams like Fender, Gibson, Kramer, Hamer, PRS ad infinitum, in the Historic Guitar Races, once its sparkle has dulled and it has been surpassed by the next 'Formula 1' guitar - Now that will be interesting!)
Guitars are fantastic tools of the soul - that's why we should love them, for the way that they allow us to express the joy, or the pain, that is inside us, letting the soul scream and sing. To collect them, cosset them and treat them like a collection of bone china may necessary for some. Let THEM pay 100K - I'll knock mine against the cymbals, sweat and drool all over them whilst I'm playing and use them for what Leo Fender designed them for.
