My "confessional": I've never played

[Etienne Rambert]

You're not sick. You should be an inspiration to us all.

[barneyc4]

ive never played a gibson les paul

[rjoxyz]

Am I sick in the head or what?

 

 

 

Perhaps, but not for that reason...

[happy-man]

I feel fortunate that I'm very happy with guitars for which I've not spent more than $500. I'd been playing an $80 banged up pawn shop yammie for 20 years before I upgraded. When I found the Taylor 110, which was at the price point I set, I wondered, "Am I always going to regret that I didn't splurge and go for the all wood 314?" But when I played them sided by side I actually preferred the 110. Lucky me. When I was looking for a ~$500 12 string I didn't allow myself to play guitars outside the price point. But once I decided for certain on the D12X1 I almost left without trying a $3000 Taylor that caught my eye. I was actually in the parking lot and turned around to go back and at least play it. I was pleased as punch that I preferred the much cheaper Martin.

 

I actually first ran across the 110 while in a high end shop that had Goodall, Breadlove, Avalon, Bourgeois, Santa Cruz, etc. It was fun playing those, but I'm very happy with what I have. The most unique guitar I've every played was a Goodall. It had such a complex sound, like it had a built in chorus. I can have fun looking without GASing. Same with looking at Chevy Chevelles. I can admire, but I don't really want to do what it takes to maintain, so no CAS.

 

Scott O

[moctzal]

I made the mistake of going to this high end shop here in Calgary a year or so back. A semi-retired gentleman here runs a little shop out of his basement and deals exclusively in a hand-made luthier guitars. Alot of really nice stuff. I was gassing big time. A few days later I played a Taylor GS and just had to have one. A year after that I got one. I love this guitar and I hope I never get the change to play an R. Taylor to spoil mine for me.

I think if I didn't go to shops, or talked on this forum, I wouldn't have this problem...funny how I do it anyway...

[MattSkibaIsGOD]

I have never really lusted after any of the expensive guitars I've played. i guess i'm lucky. My wallet sure is.

[Charlies Ghost]

Ahhh...d03nut....Afraid to touch the "forbidin fruit".Scared it might lead to....Nahh.Maybe next time.

 

So you reconise what might cause a problem in your life and you choose to avoid it.Sounds like a good move.

 

I know your "special" and deseve the best but i'm guessing it's the high praise from others that sparked your intrest in these "status" names.What does the wife say?I can picture it now.d03nut walks into the room.Mrs do3nut says"Darling,whatever is the matter.You look like you've seen a ghost.

 

D03nut-(walking towards the fireplace sliding his fingers through his hair and sighing deeply)Honey.I know we talked about this.I know i told you.But i was walking past a guitar store

 

Mrs d03nut-(standing abrubtly with widening eyeys brings her hands up and starts shaking them)Ugghhhh.I can't belive it.How did this happen this.You were the one who told me.You were the one who said you could avoid it.I took you at your word.

 

d03nut-(one hand resting on the mantle while the the other strats to rub his eye while he lowers his head)I know.((mumbles)Damit).But this was different.It was the unicorn model.I never thought i'd see one.

 

Mrs d03nut-(folding here arms across her chest and while sitting down she turns away with an indignant look)Humph.

 

d03nut-(still with a bowed head he surveys the situation with his one uncoverd eye)(sheepishly)It was wonerful.It was like...oogh

 

Mrs d03nut-(arms still folded she turns to glare at him with squinted eyes and pursed lips)(after a moment the look start to soften)

 

d03nut-(seeing his chance makes his way toward his wife while lowering his arms,palms facing outward)It was incredible dear.Simply amazing.

 

d03nut-(havin reached his wife he drops to one knee and rests his steepled hands on her thigh)It was...It was just like they said it would be.The constrution.The fit.The finish.I mean it was...impecable.It was excatly like it was described in the three thousand forum post from happy owners that i read.And the sound was simply....amazing.

 

Mrs d03nut-(now looking down towards her prostrate husband she sighs almost inaudibly while her face starts to soften even more)"But i thought you were happy with what you have now.?"

 

d03nut(giving his most playful puppydog/rapscallion look that always made her melt when they were dating)I know.I love that guitar but I think i'll have to quit playing alltogether now if i have to suffer with anything less then a unicorn.It sounded amazing.It had the warmth and the woodyness.I had the undertones and the overtones.It had the...the nodaltones.

 

Mrs d03nut(gasping with shock)The nodaltones.

 

d03nut(throwing out his hands with a manic electrified look on his face)Yes....Yes.The nodaltones.

 

Mrs d03nut(looking lovingly and longing at her husband)But dear,do we have that kind of money.

 

d03nut-(quicky changing his expression to a serious one)I've gone over the numbers and it seems like it would work out fine.I'd have to borrow a little from vinny.

 

Mrs. d03nut-(looking shocked,an uncontrolled pufft comes out of her mouth.)Vinny.?.Vinny the loanshark vinny.?.

 

d03nut-(giving that tight,straight,pulled back smile he throws up his hands)Hes not a loanshark honey.He just a nice guy that lets you borrow money when you...when you need it.I worked it out that I can make these small monthley paments.We won't even notice it.

 

Mrs d03nut-(nodding her head while smirking)Yeah nice guy.Nice guy till you miss a payment.Then the juice starts runnin' and he might even send his clown Rudi over to throw....

 

(just then theres a loud crash as the door burst open a man dressed in black wearing a cape storms in)

 

Mrs d03nut-(a gasp escapes from her surprised face as she brings her hand to her chin)It's Dick Dasterdly!!

 

dick dasterdly-(bring his had up to stroke his noexistant mustache)Muuhhhwaaahhh.Yes it's me.Dick Dasterdly.

 

d03nut-(reaching for the derringier that he always keeps in his waistcoat)Your not welcome here dick.

 

(While d03nt whips out his little pistol dick reahes up and in one fluid motion pulls out his glass eye and deftly flicks it backhand style knocking the deringer out of d03nuts hand into the fireplace where it discharges and unfortunaly shoots d03nut in the shoulder sending him falling to the flo0r writhing in pain:)

 

dick dasterdly-(walking over he grabs his eye,pops it in his head and stands over the injured d03nut florishing his cape).Well,what did you expect.(stroking his nonexistant mustache again)Muuhhhwaaahhh.I've Come to take whats mine.

 

(Turning around dick lunges toward Mrs d03nut.Taking her by surprise he grabs her and throws her over his shoulder very pirate like while kicking d03nuts d03 into the fireplace.Muuhhhwaaahhh.)

 

do3nut-(while watching dick dasterdly stride toward the door with his wife almost convincingly putting up a struggle while rideing on dicks shoulder,he manages to groan out)I'll get you someday dick.

 

dick dastardly-(turning to d03nut florishing his cape)Muuhhhwaaahhh.I bet you will.(he then reaches over and pulls Pepe,d03nuts favorite sun conure form his cage and bites his head off and throws the still twitching carcus hitting d03nut right between the eyes.Spitting the head out he florishes his cape an lets out one last Muuhhhwaaahhh as he exits the building.

 

[jephre]

HA!

Good thing you beat the deadline on the writer's strike by an hour or so or you'd never be able to work in my town again...

[Etienne Rambert]

Charlie's Ghost:

" (While d03nt whips out his little pistol dick reahes up and in one fluid motion pulls out his glass eye and deftly flicks it backhand style knocking the deringer out of d03nuts hand into the fireplace where it discharges and unfortunaly shoots d03nut in the shoulder sending him falling to the flo0r writhing in pain ."

 

 

So Dick Dasterdly has a glass eye and neither the protagonist nor his wife have any prosthetic devices?

 

You call that screenwriting? If you're going to introduce a prosthetic device into the plot, don't be timid. Step boldly into the realm of artificial body attachments! What you've done with that glass eye is the rough equivalent of leaving a pistol on the table in Act I.

 

If one character has a prosthetic device in your script, there should be at least one more prosthetic device belonging to another character to balance out the plot.

 

This goes back to Aeschylus. If a man has a prosthetic leg, he unscrews it and hits another man over the head with it. The victim must then retaliate using his own artificial leg or other artificial body part. This is an iron rule of comedy.

 

Don't be timid, man! If you're gonna introduce a prosthetic device into your plot, you're on the hook (get it?). The audience will be anticipating more prosthetic devices to follow.

[simplygoodmusic]

 

I love this forum.

[JasmineTea]

If the prosthetic leg is wooden...is it laminate or solid?

The back and sides are lam. But the top is solid.

[Harmonycat]

The back and sides are lam. But the top is solid.

 

The top may in fact be solid but is the Leg made of Sitka, Englemann, Adirondack, or cedar?

 

And which one resonates more when striking a skull?

 

But seriously.....

I played the most expensive guitars I could get my hands on.

 

That is how I learned what a great guitar is supposed to be like.

 

Then I went about looking for guitars that sounded and played as much like them as I could find.....for a lot less money!

 

How do you know what "good" or "great" is, if you cannot define it, according to your own tastes?

 

I've got some great guitars that sound a lot more expensive than what they were.

[Glenn F]

I confess: I've never played a Les Paul that I've liked. They don't fit me very well, and they're too heavy for gigging.

 

Cheers!

 

Glenn

[d03nut]

I know your "special" and deseve the best While d03nt whips out his little pistol.. dick dastardly-(turning to d03nut florishing his cape)Muuhhhwaaahhh.I bet you will.(he then reaches over and pulls Pepe,d03nuts favorite sun conure form his cage

 

On the first point: Listen who am I to argue? The man is obviously an "astute" observer.

 

Just a "little" correction on the next point: the "pistol" in question is rather "large". The Mrs. is nodding in agreement.

 

On the last point: dick would have a hard time handling my beloved conure. He bites.

 

One final note: given the ending, I smell a "sequel"....

[Charlies Ghost]

(edit)(When d03nut whips out his 50 caliber magnum desert egale he deflects dicks tiny little glass eye.He then rushes up to dick and and proceeds to jam his massive gun in and out of dicks empty eye socket)

Happy now.

 

Hey d03nut.Sorry if i take your threads a different way sometimes but i find them....Well i'm not sure what i find them but i do have fun responding to them.

 

Sorry about dick killing your bird.It was pretty awfull of him to destroy something you love just for the hell of it.Maybe in the sequal he'll bring him a couple of sunflower seeds.

[Michael Martin]

I played a Collings once. It was a very nice guitar, but...

 

1. To my eyes, hands, and ears, not THAT much better than something costing 1/3 as much...maybe not even better at all, in some cases...

 

2. Clearly, those extra bucks would be wasted on the likes of me.

[riffmeister]

[keithj]

ive played one guitar i wished i had'nt and to this day it haunts me it was a santa cruz om .simply frigen AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sisyphus2]

Ive have occassional access to a collection of "high end" guitars - martins, Taylors and Santa Cruz, and have concluded that beyond a certain point the difference is subjective. The sound and feel of a guitar are what matter but are they really superior to my old Fylde? I think we have to look at it critically.

[garthman]

 

Ive have occassional access to a collection of "high end" guitars - martins, Taylors and Santa Cruz, and have concluded that beyond a certain point the difference is subjective. The sound and feel of a guitar are what matter but are they really superior to my old Fylde? I think we have to look at it critically.

 

 

I agree entirely. I've played Martins, Gibsons, Taylors and lots of other "high end" guitars many, many times and, whilst of course I concur that they are all excellent guitars, there is nothing "extra" in them that has ever given me the urge to acquire one. I suspect that the name on the headstock (and, often, the bling) magically enhances the sound that some people claim to hear.

 

It would be interesting to do a blindfold test, wouldn't it?

[Etienne Rambert]

I played a Collings C03 a couple of weeks ago. I was not impressed. We had 3 people present. Myself, the owner and the owner's son. My Guild F-65 blew it away according to 2 of us. The owner steadfastly defended his axe. But his son and I heard the real deal.

Even the owner admitted though that the Guild had a slap you in the face kind of presence. But he thought the Collings had a fuller, warmer & rounder tone.

 

I was too busy being slapped in the face to notice.

 

I also played his Ryan. It was an extremely nice guitar. I liked it much better than the Collings and I had to admit, it had a fuller sound than my F-65.

[DeepEnd]

A local mom and pop where I buy strings occasionally carries Bourgeois, Collings, H & D, and Santa Cruz, typically with a price of $3000 or so, as well as high-end Martins and Taylors. I've never given in to the temptation to play one of them. I've played a few Alvarez Yairis, a Guild, a Martin and a Gibson (never played a Taylor) and they were all nice but since I can't afford one (except maybe a used Yairi one day) why bother?

[lauren]

mess with the devil:cop: