How can I reconcile the fact that my more expensive guitar is my no.2 guitar?

[DekeDog]

I fell out of love with my 2007 AS Tele until I installed Fralin Steel Pole 42s. Now it's in my top 3.

 

[1stpitch]

I own two telecasters, one a mexican that's been heavily modified, and another lightly modified american professional 2. The american professional sounds good, I love the neck and the frets and it would've been my no.1 guitar had it not been for the mexican.

The mexican started out pretty meh, but over time has become my project guitar and ever since installing a set of Lollars, I just feel so guilty everytime I enjoy the sound coming out of it compared to the more expensive american pro 2. I'm not trying to bash the am-pro, and/or anyone owning one. After all, sound is subjective. I just feel so bad everytime I play the mexican and looking at the pro 2 as some sort of a backup guitar. The mexican neck actually feels too small for my hand (it's modern C profile) and I hate the neck so much I'm making a custom neck for it.

I'm sure other members here with way more guitars than I do have an experience with this sort of a situation...

So let me see if I've got this right. You love the neck and frets on the AmProII, but the Mexican which you "hate" and in fact are changing the neck on is your #1 because of the sound of the pickups?

Change the pickups in the AmProII. It's all about the neck.

 

[tfarny]

OP to his credit thanked folks for the advice about halfway through, I think he got the message.

I've never suffered from guilt over playing a less expensive guitar, but when I've had more-expensive guitars that I just had no interest in playing they always got sold after not too long a time.

 

[NHFlyCaster]

If you know which neck and pickups you like best then why not put those together?

 

[CryptCaster]

Cost doesn't dictate value (or quality, sadly) and so, I would argue that comparing your #1 and #2 guitar this way maybe isn't the most fair metric. Does your more expensive guitar FEEL expensive? When you compare how it's made, the woods, the fingerboard, the frets, the care that went into crafting it, does it feel like it should've cost more than your #1 guitar? That's where all that money goes (or should go). Cost won't give you that instinctive love or the desire to play one over the other. Your heart doesn't care about cost. And there's no shame in preferring a less-expensive instrument to its more expensive roommate. If you care for them both, and you enjoy playing them and they each bring something unique to the table, that's all that matters.

 

[Marc Morfei]

My least expensive guitar is the one I play the most. It’s a Michael Kelly.

 

[yegbert]

I like, and play more often, my less expensive Squier Standard Tele, compared to my more expensive Fender Classic ‘50s Tele; but likely because the ‘50s is a bit heavier.

I like my more expensive Gibson ES-335, and plan to get a lighter, easier to move and open case for it; so I can more easily get it out to play. But then, if and when I get that Squier Starcaster I want, the 335 might not get as much regular play.

I reckon these are nice retired and first world problems to have. I’m not struggling to make ends meet, or fighting DC beltway rush hour traffic twice a day; and for all this I’m thankful.

 

[Fiesta Red]

I have a vintage(?) 1980 G&L F-100 that’s in 9/10 condition. Love it. It was my first electric guitar.

I have a gorgeous and perfectly modified 1992 MIA ‘62-reissue Stratocaster.

If the house is in fire, I will grab the cheap MIM Telecaster that’s in my avatar photo

 

[OmegaWoods]

I think you should sell your American. If you don't love it, don't keep it.

I bought a Novo for $4k+ and waited a year to get it. I liked it a lot but it didn't become my #1 (even though I wanted it to be) so I sold it on to someone who will appreciate it more than I did.

 

[Chipss36]

Far and away my most expensive guitar is my LP, and it just depends on what I am playing as far as what’s best.

yes my lp can do a Bakersfield thing, my tele is better at it though.
and even some zep sounds better on my tele.

my cheapest guitar, a dano, and cardboard for tone woods, is my number one choice to play a couple of zep songs.

all of my guitars have pickups selected for that body, and that neck, nothing is stock, I run a reference set of pickups that I know well, on a new guitar, then talk to a winder about were q should fall To make the best of that guitar, sometimes takes a few sets to get to that point. I have never found a stock pickup to sound the best.

the ops post does not surprise me at all, he swapped pickups.
seems he made a good choice.

not so sure stock selling price had anything what so ever to do with any of this, however.

when you spend more, you get a better finish, better fretwork, better fret material, things like pots and switches that last longer. And more time spent on the manufacturing of it.

the country it was manufactured in , to me matters , are they paying a fair livable wage?

this can not said for many places in this world. And that is an issue for me.


cheep or quality, pick one. If you think you have both, you don’t.
you are overlooking a few things.

 

[pinchegil]

If picking a good wine, the higher the cost, the better the wine.

That’s not necessarily true either. In the end It’s preference. I like good old vine zins over cabs. Same with guitars socks and underware

 

[Linkslover]

I have 2 acoustics (in different locations). My oldest "cheapest" is a Yamaha FG160. My newest is a Taylor 314CE. Admittedly, the Yamaha is 47 years old and the Taylor is only about 20. I like playing them both. The Taylor is a bit easier to play, but the tone of the Yamaha compares favorably to any guitar I've ever played regardless of cost. So, if it came down to it, I'd probably pick the Yamaha unless I was playing where I had to plug in.

I have 3 electrics. A 40 year old Fender Lead, an American Standard Strat and a Guild Bluesbird. The Strat has the best tone. The Bluesbird is the lightest. The Lead has the best neck is the most fun to play, cost the least and has the worst ( though so pretty good through a good tube amp) tones. I've thought about changing the electronics in the Lead, but don't want to mess with its"original" condition. With better pups, it would probably be my go to instead of the Bluesbird which doesn't sound as good as the Strat, but weighs much less.

 

[stormin1155]

First world problems.... <sigh>

 

[robt57]

I have made 20 guitars now. It pains me to say my #1 is a heavy Pine Squire body that I got off CL for 45.00 and quickly tossed together with a new Fat Warmoth neck w/stainless frets. It was winter and I was not set up to spray in cold, so the pile of bodies I had made I could not use and was dying to play that neck.

I hand wipe poly the neck in the basement and tossed the axe together in 2 hours.

I have several 15 hour guitars, as I said it pains me the throw together not only is still #1 for 15 years, it is as originally cobbled, I doubt I will change it ever..

 

[acousticnitemare]

I don't know why, but the finish scheme on that Tele hits me just right.
Likin' it.

 

[Beachbum]

My former #1 - American Standard/Warmoth neck.

New #1 - American Performer body, American Standard neck and 52 Reissue pickups.

Both great. Right now I'm putting it down to action and pickups but I'm not certain that the new one is just still in the honeymoon stage.

 

[Controller]

I get what you are saying OP. No shame in having preferences even though they don't logically make sense. My most expensive guitar is a 50s Baja - 6.8 lbs, great neck, beautiful fit and finish, just blah when I play it. Pretty much last in playing order. I keep thinking one day I will pick it up and love it. Probably not going to happen. On deck for it are steel saddles and Tex Mex pickups. What do I have to lose?

My favorite Teles are a Classic 50s and Squier Bullet Tele with MIM Cabronita neck, both stock pickups.

 

[robt57]

I don't know why, but the finish scheme on that Tele hits me just right.
Likin' it.

Yeah, it has a bit of Robbin Ford visual thing going for it I think...