Not a guitar snob....any longer!

[Ed P]

I figure that others can play whatever they want if it brings them joy. But I may be a snob when it comes to my own gear. In all my years of playing I have constantly been disappointed in gear and it's always been the inexpensive stuff. And I wanted to like them. Oh well. I'll duck behind the couch now.

Having said that, IMO some of the biggest dogs I've played have been the holy grails of vintage pieces. I guess I wasn't lucky finding the good ones.

[tpaul]

I am quite happy with my Squiers, thank you very much.

[fatcat]

All things being equal, Tone is in the fingers.

Amen gentlemen, count me in.

[Skynyrd LesPaul]

One of the best guitars I ever owed was a Westone Paduak 1. I picked up in Japan in the early 80's. I paid next to nothing for it, got a Les Paul and got rid of it. I'd loved to have it back. I saw some Westone's when I got back to the states and they weren't near the quality of the one purchased in Japan. Last time I looked for one it was about 10x what I paid originally.

[Arbiter]

Originally Posted by Ed P

Having said that, IMO some of the biggest dogs I've played have been the holy grails of vintage pieces. I guess I wasn't lucky finding the good ones.

You're not alone. I've played some amazing pieces, but a lot more that were mediocre.

And I'll never forget the 1955 strat that to this day is the crappiest instrument I've ever played. I have a feeling that someone carved that neck on Monday after a hard weekend of heavy drinking.

[wkturn2008]

old 20th anniversary Les Paul Customs on ebay asking price is over $3000...mine was a great guitar but my Trinity River plays and sounds as good, my Main Street tele is as good as my 80s pink paisley tele...I think the value of those two are in more than just the name but if they weren't Gibson and Fender they'd be lots less expensive

[ELET Henry]

Although I love my top brandname USA built guitars I also own many really good guitars built in the far east over the last four decades. My recent Squier CV Strat and Tele are fantastic value for money, well put together with great pickups. I have a late 70's Ibanez AS100 which is as good as most Gibson 335's I've played and better than the Gibson Lucille I have. The Korean PRS SE guitars I have are of exeptional build quality at a very good price. Lots of the 70's Japanese made Strat copies are built to a high standard and with a pickup upgrade, (and maybe a fret dress), make very nice little instruments , I've bought several of these in the past for around £25 each at sales!

[Stefanovich]

It is easy to be a non-snob these days with so many great guitars coming out at low price points. Back when most vintage gear was being made (Let's say the 30's to the 70's) inexpensive generally meant truly awful gear. I suspect this is the true origin of gear snobbery. Off brand electric guitars of the 50's and 60's weren't just quirky, they were unplayable.

[garytelecastor]

What changed all this for me was the CV tele and strats.
I am now another member of the non-snob club.
I am going to look into the TR LP.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by Stefanovich

It is easy to be a non-snob these days with so many great guitars coming out at low price points. Back when most vintage gear was being made (Let's say the 30's to the 70's) inexpensive generally meant truly awful gear. I suspect this is the true origin of gear snobbery. Off brand electric guitars of the 50's and 60's weren't just quirky, they were unplayable.

This is spot on.

It's one thing to brag (or complain about costs) regarding a Harvard degree, Jimmy Choo shoes, or a Bentley. These are all things which are obviously out of reach for most of us financially and can be perceived as way off the mark price wise. But an American Standard Telecaster or Les Paul Standard, while pricier than the Chinese stuff, is still well within reach of most people and aren't "snob" or "braggart" items and are pretty normal. It does make sense, with the American stuff reasonably within reach, to complain about the pre-1970s imported stuff which was usually sub-par. It's more about complaining about the cheap gear than bragging about a then $300 dollar Stratocaster.

There are very few guitar items which really belong in the snob category of those who rub elbows in the circles of the Harvards, Jimmy Choos, and Bentleys. Here is a Fender which can qualify for snob appeal at an appalling thirty grand USD:

[Abu Twangy]

Not only China but Indonesia makes some good stuff now.

Even India is capable of making some decent guitars nowadays. I own a Squier VM HSS Tele that is an excellent guitar.

Totally erases the memory of the brief run of Indian made Squiers from 20-plus years ago that were absolutely crappy.

[jtees4]

Your post sounds exactly like me. I actually sold my last fairly expensive guitar (LP) a couple of weeks ago (I've owned probably 100 mostly Gibby's and Fenders since the 70's..owned pre CBS tele too).
I do still own one Gibson, but I only paid $400 for it recently, 1997 Gibson SG1 and I love it. I own a Squier Strat which I modified with pickups, an older Lotus Strat which I also modified and a Hohner G2T. That's about it. OH...and I also sold all my old vintage pedals for much $$ too! Now I use a couple of cheap Boss pedals and am just as happy.

[rsclosson]

Originally Posted by Abu Twangy

Not only China but Indonesia makes some good stuff now.

Even India is capable of making some decent guitars nowadays. I own a Squier VM HSS Tele that is an excellent guitar.

Totally erases the memory of the brief run of Indian made Squiers from 20-plus years ago that were absolutely crappy.

I also have a Squier '51 that I wouldn't hesitate to use on a gig. Totally stock, it is a great guitar.

[Ed P]

I really envy those of you who have found happiness in inexpensive equipment. Doing so fits my dearly held ethos. Until recently I've gone out of my way to get the best possible sound out of inexp

ensive gear; I haven't wanted to find tonal nirvana with upscale (for me) gear. And then I stumbled into putting together a rig with some nicer gear. It was a game changer for me. So, tone is in the fingers? The gear? IMO it's a blend, not just the fingers.

[dman]

I own a couple of Squiers, an Epi LP, a Washburn ES335 clone and two partscasters. None were expensive. I've played brand-spankin' new MIA's some Custom Shops and a few vintage Strats and Teles in the $15,000-20,000 range. I don't sound one bit different (for better or worse) than I do on my budget gitfiddles.

And for proof that it's the archer, not the arrow, check Youtube for Jack Pearson at 3rd & Lindsley's back in February rockin' a $90 pawnshop special virtually stock Squier Affinity Strat! WOWWWWW!!!! (I'd imbed this, but I'm a dunce in that arena....and others.)

Oh, yeah...he's playing through a Blues Jr. No Dumbles involved.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by dman

I own a couple of Squiers, an Epi LP, a Washburn ES335 clone and two partscasters. None were expensive. I've played brand-spankin' new MIA's some Custom Shops and a few vintage Strats and Teles in the $15,000-20,000 range. I don't sound one bit different (for better or worse) than I do on my budget gitfiddles.

And for proof that it's the archer, not the arrow, check Youtube for Jack Pearson at 3rd & Lindsley's back in February rockin' a $90 pawnshop special virtually stock Squier Affinity Strat! WOWWWWW!!!! (I'd imbed this, but I'm a dunce in that arena....and others.)

Oh, yeah...he's playing through a Blues Jr. No Dumbles involved.

Yes, it's the archer and his arrow is an Affinity Stratocaster. This guy burns as well as any Scofield, Benson, or Beck. Well freakin' done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM41s...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEZux...eature=related

[jackal]

All too true. Even though they have been slammed everywhere, one of the finest playing and sounding LP copies ever was a Hondo that I had back in the late 70s. Bought it for $50 at a pawn shop, did a set up myself and it rocked! And I still remember the tone the lead player in the first band I was in had using a Silvertone set-up, masonite guitar and all. Action on his was probably higher than SRVs, but Joe had tone on anything he played.

[Tone Master]

I would think that the Pre-BS Strat would be the prize, but to each his own.

[kelnet]

No-one had ever told me that I couldn't own whatever guitar I wanted to own. I haven't actually met anyone from the guitar snob club. Therefore, I've never felt the need to defend my guitars.
Then I joined this place, and there's lots and lots of guys who feel that they need to defend their decisions to buy inexpensive guitars. However, every time someone posts pictures of his new Rondo or Affinity or Stagg, he gets nothing but compliments. No-one ever says, "Why didn't you get an Am Std?"
I still haven't found the guitar snob club.

[flag72]

no guitar snobb here. I have a few U.S. made tele but my best tele is a Classic Vibe with a few up-grade and I also have an 1972 Electra super gold L.P. copy that is awsome so theres no need for the 1000.00% + guitar to be good , as long as it feel good to and sounds good the player that's all that count...lloolll