I am sooooo not worthy

[tcarp]

Just got back from my weekly lesson. Usually I bring one of my acoustics but lately I've been taking the '69 RI Thinline.

My teacher and I have become friends over the years. He's got a small but nice collection of guitars...a custom homegrown Strat, a vintage ES175, an Epi Dot that goes to gigs where the ES175 might face danger, and his two newer loves, a Custom Shop Esquire Thinline (in bright Danny Gatton gold) and a CS Nocaster. Both those Teles start honking before he even takes 'em out ot their cases.

He's an amazing guitar player and songwriter. I, on the other hand , am a poser and hacker with no sense of timing, and even less ability. My goal is just to get to the level of "doesn't suck that much."

But today he let me use his Nocaster. As much as I like the neck on my Thinline, the thick chunky neck of his Tele really felt comfy. And it's only a tick heavier than my Thineline...very well balanced and it made my Tele feel like a toy by comparison. Don't get me wrong....my Thinline is a fine guitar by all accounts, but his Nocaster comes from another planet. What a great guitar.

I want one. Probably never have one, but I still want one. Wonder how a set of Nocaster 'pups would work out in my '69 RI? Could a neck transplant be far behind?

Tom

[CDKopf]

Dont shortchange yourself like that...everybody has to start somewhere. As far as your mods, with a tele, anything's possible. New pups, new neck. Make your own "carpcaster" :)

[falconer]

Originally Posted by tcarp

Just got back from my weekly lesson....He's an amazing guitar player and songwriter. I, on the other hand , am a poser and hacker with no sense of timing, and even less ability. My goal is just to get to the level of "doesn't suck that much."

But today he let me use his Nocaster...I want one. Probably never have one, but I still want one.Tom

Tom, I know exactly how you feel. From your self-described abilities, I could have written this post. My teacher is an incredible musician and writer.

I have a Ron Kirn with a neck that's pretty close to a Nocaster in dimensions. It feels good. Damn good, in fact.

And the guitar sounds amazing...when it's in the hands of my teacher.

In my hands? I'm not worthy.

But buy what feels best to your hands and the best you can afford that feels this way. At least you can't blame the guitar for your still sucking more than you want to. Boris wrote recently that we live our lives to one day not wake up in the morning. Enjoy the years you have left. I'm also 57.

My best recent day had my son listening to me play and actually saying, "Hey, you don't suck as much."

Good stuff.

And get a good amp. The best you can.

[blakktode]

...gotta say I feel a little better knowing that other people here share my lack of awesomeness...

My wife has offered the opinion that as a musician I can play a helluva radio.

[rolijen]

So nice to be part of the "I don't suck as much as I used to" club. That means we're going in the right direction.

[Nodremark]

Hey if all the really good guitar players bought 1 guitar a year, Leo would have starved to death.
It's the "don't suck as much as I use to crew" that keeps The doors of the Guitar Meg-Lo-Mart open.

[mlipping]

It's so nice to know that there are sooooo many of us who are getting better! Practice will not make your playing perfect, but it sure will make you better! I started 9 mos. ago and have had a few of those so gratifying 'aha' moments. My wife was, unknown to me, listening from around the corner the other day and said, "I could recognize a bunch of what you were playing and it was good." (I play through an audio interface and headphones instead of an amp mostly)

I have a weird schedule which allows me to practice and play undisturbed for a good bit every day. And I'm getting there! Just remembering the things that I thought were soooo difficult a few months ago and are now so easy is a great feeling. It's also confirmation that the stuff that I see as difficult today will be achieved with practice and play.

So cheers to all of us improving and not sucking as much!

[imsilly]

I know the feeling of having played equipement whose quality is far beyond the quality of my playing. Even saying this, good equipement is inspiring and also a great help in making what little skill you may have aquired shine through. I think amps make the most difference, but guitars (especially quality pickups and circuitry) are especially helpful.

I haven't been playing very long and I have never had a lesson in my life. So my progressive isn't the most rapid and it can get frustrating at times. Great equipement helps inspire me and gives me the impetous to keep practicing. The bloom of a good vintage amp and the feel of a properly made neck is invaluable in keeping the excitement of playing alive.

People do get really pissy when they see my equipement. An uncle of mine had kittens when he found out I'd managed to grab a 50s Les Paul Junior. I've gotten used to it and most loose their attitude when they get to have a go on them. It's nice to play equipement that you don't need to wrestle with to get a great tone. I remember I heard some concert pianist remark after being asked why he spent so much time setting up his pianos before a performance, "you want to play the piano and not have the piano play you."

Never be intimidated by great guitar gear. I have friends who are great players, far better then me, but are scared to pick up a proper guitar in a shop incase they are judged not worthy of owning it. One example was in a shop with a friend when I picked out a bunch of really nice vintage and custom shop fenders the salesman ask, "what band are you in?" and when I said, "none" he started to bang on about how the gear I wanted to try out was better left for professionals, what an arse.

[Dave Hopping]

Tcarp-
You're taking lessons from Alice Cooper?

[BuddyLee]

I suck too, but it is all worth it when I get a riff down. I get a smile on my face like Alfred E. Neuman.

Now I am not completely terrible like I am sure most of y'all are better than you give yourselves credit for, some people have heard me play and liked it. It is more of a case of when I hear a Good Guitarist I hang my head in shame.

My cousin was making light of Eddie Van Halen riffs a few months after he picked up his first guitar... some people are just gifted.

It turns out I am gifted in fixing Concrete masons and framing Carpenters mistakes, and saving the owner of the company tens of thousands of dollars at a time by having good report with architect and knowing more about my trade than he does... without throwing it in his face.

Too bad it is a completely thankless job and lacks hot groupies.

[mlipping]

"My cousin was making light of Eddie Van Halen riffs a few months after he picked up his first guitar... some people are just gifted."

No. Some people pick different things up quicker than others. It still is a matter of practice. If all you did was practice a certain lick for a period of time, you'd master it. I do believe some folks have better hand eye coordination, better ear, better memory etc. It still requires dedication and practice. You didn't just happen to wake up one day a master of carpentry and concrete, you learned and worked hard at it. I imagine you may have made a costly mistake or two along the way..... Hope the collapsing building didn't hurt anyone! lol

And as for thankless job.... Work is a four letter word. The grass is always greener. Try to be the best you can at whatever you do. Oh, and play the s#@t out of those pentatonics!

Peace,

M

[lewis]

I've sucked for 35 years but I still periodically find a smidgen of a reason to keep enjoying my utter lack of talent.
Yes, my gear far exceeds my ability but it makes me happy...very happy.

[Outlaw_Pete]

Been a member here for just about a year but lost my internet services for a lloooonngg time so haven't really posted.
I used to feel like I wasn't that great either, but you know what? I get my point across, and I love my guitars (Baja Tele and a standard tele) and the joy I get from playin' 'em is priceless :)