Played a couple of great 335's today and happily left the store without either.

Had a bit of time to waste this afternoon in Manhattan so I popped into Guitar Center on 14th street and had a play on a new custom shop 1959 335 reissue which was beautiful but very pricey (five and a half grand) then the salesman (working hard to flog me a really expensive guitar) handed me a very pretty sunburst 1966 335 which was REALLY nice except for some rather worrying looking cracks in the top (stable and repaired but hence not nearly as expensive as a mint '66). I played both through an original blackface (not sure what year) Deluxe Reverb in the high-end posh guitar room - so no twiddly, twiddly, screeeech!! RAWK!! noises from the main room. Both were very nice but the '66 was the clear winner.

It does make me smile going into guitar stores now that I am in my forties as the kids that work there assume that I must have loads of cash and are happy for me to play the really pricey stuff... However, I won't be buying either. It was fun checking them out though.

A couple of observations that made me smile:

They had a plaintop VOS 1960 Les Paul just like mine hanging on the wall. Asking price $4,500.00 (I paid about two and a half for mine - and yes, it was brand new)

They wanted about $4000.00 for the '66 335. I like my '72 just as much and it cost me less than half that.

Cool.

:mrgreen:

lucky... they look at me for playin an epi les paul

lucky... they look at me for playin an epi les paul

I don't understand how every other Guitar Center stays in business. Every time someone brings them up, there are stories of salespeople giving customers the evil eye for playing guitars. At my GC, the only guitars I ever play are Gibsons and American Fenders, and I've never gotten any kind of flak for playing the expensive stuff.

I worked around Union Square right near that GC, and I used to go there like 2-3 times a week. They have so many cool Vintage guitars there. I've never even felt worthy enough to ask to play one. BBB, you have me somewhat encouraged to go in there and ask.

Now, I work a couple blocks from J&R downtown. While they don't have any vintage or used stuff (sadly) they do have cool new gear (at sometimes sub-craigslist prices). And for me, the sort that likes to hang around and shoot the bull with the guitar shop dudes, they are awesome. No pressure, nice guys, who don't mind taking any ax down for you to play and who enjoy hanging and talking guitar related "shop talk".