another guitar

[chris mcbain]

Hello Shads friends,
I have just had delivered my new Burns Guitar ( see burns threads) but wondered if every guitarist on this site goes through a similar conversation
with their partner which I do, my wife who is not interested in guitars although happy that it's my hobby and keeps me out of trouble we usually go through
a conversation like the following........
ME. Iv'e just ordered a new Burns Guitar couldn't resist it etc etc.
HER. Let's look at the photo, looks like the others you have only a different colour.
ME. No this is a Burns my others are Fenders.
HER. Well are they the same company ??
ME. No.
HER. Well they look the same to me, you can only play one at a time.
ME. So I try to explain the differences.
HER. What does this new one do that the others don't.
ME. Basically different sound ,different coils etc etc.
HER. Well they look the same to me, don't know why you wanted another one.
ME. OK. Why have you got 20 pairs of shoes in the wardrobe then.
HER. Well there all for different occasions , some heels ,some flats, some different colours.
ME. But you only wear one pair at a time.
HER. Yes but it's nice to have the choice.
ME. Love you have just answered your own question about my guitars.


Chris.

[MikeAB]

My late Wife always supported my playing costs totally - but she had a fair wardrobe of shoes - many pairs unworn - which I therefore didn't dare comment on of course. Clever girl.

However, that conversation would have been had with my late Mother - who did not have a shoe fetish! Come to think of it she also said 'you'll never play all those CD's' as well.

[bazmusicman]

Hello Shads friends,
I have just had delivered my new Burns Guitar ( see burns threads) but wondered if every guitarist on this site goes through a similar conversation
with their partner which I do, my wife who is not interested in guitars although happy that it's my hobby and keeps me out of trouble we usually go through
a conversation like the following........
ME. Iv'e just ordered a new Burns Guitar couldn't resist it etc etc.
HER. Let's look at the photo, looks like the others you have only a different colour.
ME. No this is a Burns my others are Fenders.
HER. Well are they the same company ??
ME. No.
HER. Well they look the same to me, you can only play one at a time.
ME. So I try to explain the differences.
HER. What does this new one do that the others don't.
ME. Basically different sound ,different coils etc etc.
HER. Well they look the same to me, don't know why you wanted another one.
ME. OK. Why have you got 20 pairs of shoes in the wardrobe then.
HER. Well there all for different occasions , some heels ,some flats, some different colours.
ME. But you only wear one pair at a time.
HER. Yes but it's nice to have the choice.
ME. Love you have just answered your own question about my guitars.

Ha Ha....I love it !

Regards,
Baz

Chris.

[shadowriter]

just wondered how many of us can admit to telling the wife the new guitar
cost less than it did. In an interview I read once Hank said something like ' When I go
I hope my wife doesn't sell my guitars for what I told her I paid for them.'

[Tigerdaisy]

My partner never asks about price and I never tell her when a new guitar is arriving- it just turns up... I never ask her about her acquisitions, so it works both ways...

[dave robinson]

I have been through all of that over the years.
I love trying out new instruments and when I was young I couldn't afford an expensive guitar, it took a lot of hard work on behalf of my parents to afford my first electric guitar, a Vox Duotone and a Watkins Dominator amp. After that I took over the payments on a Fender Stratocaster in PX for my Vox guitar and it was a struggle to pay but mum & dad helped again. Like many, I had to settle for a Watkins Copicat rather than a Binson or Echholette and never had the chance to play the more 'upmarket' kit that seemed to be the requirement.
It's because of those memories that I now buy and sell stuff at the rate that i do, because I can. I have had and in some cases still have some very expensive desirable guitars, some which were beautiful instruments but weren't for me because if comfort issues when being used on stage. By and large I have broke even with purchases and sales, so to me that's fine and it has given me the opportunity to own and play very desirable instruments.
What I do enjoy is finding new budget priced instruments that compete with the elite, I'm currently into the new D'Angelico range of instruments and they are superb as well as being very reasonably priced. I'm also a big admirer of Alan Entwistle and Trevor Wilkinson for their excellent products, the Vintage guitars are great value and good working guitars. Of course I still love the Fender Strat, Tele, Jazz, Jag etc but each guitar gives something different and I enjoy using all of them for different things.
As I've mentioned before, I prefer my Burns SSJ to the Marvin - probably because of it's similarity to Strat in the trem department.
I seem to play differently on a Les Paul or a Gretsch to the way I play my Stratocaster, but people still tell me it sounds like me. One of my favourite guitars is my Brian May which is so versatile it will comfortably go from the soaring Queen sound to Hank Marvin at the flick of the switches and it is so easy to play.
I have a special affection too for the big archtop guitars that are associated with jazz, but my interest is the connection they have with rock & roll, Scotty Moore, Carl Perkins, Chet Atkins etc. I've owned a few of them but I can't feel comfy with them on stage so I always let them go. I have a couple of Epiphone 339s that are small bodied 335 types and they are great for stage work.I recently picked up a D'Angelico 335 and that's quite comfortable on stage and as I got it second hand, didn't cost a fortune, I like those kind of guitars.
I'm selling stuff that I bought and don't use, so in effect financially, I remain on an even footing and eventually when I've tried and tested everything out there, I will prune down the collection to something sensible and keep guitars that I know I will use and enjoy. Some people collect paintings and art, some collect expensive jewellery and watches but I have no interest in that stuff, the important thing is that the guitars and echoes & amps & effects keep me busy and out of trouble, whilst allowing me to offer experience and advice to those who ask.

[Teflon]

Whenever a guitar catches my eye, I always mention it to my wife, and her response is always the same: "If you want it, get it. Life's too short" .

It's always me that prevaricates, usually stressing about whether we have enough room, etc, etc. I'd love a new Rapier 33, but we have a small house, and I have 6 guitars already. I suppose I should let some go, but each one has some sort of emotional attachment. For example, I never play my Strat these days, but it was the first "proper" guitar I bought when I was 19, and I could never let it go. Similarly, my acoustic is essentially a decorative object these days, but my Dad bought it for me for my 21st, so it's going nowhere .

Cliff

[dave robinson]

I always regretted selling the guitar and amp that mum and dad bought for me, but at the time I had to PX the guitar as part of the deal for my Fender.
I since found the exact models of guitar and amp and they live in my studio as a reminder of mum & dad and where I started. It's somehow comforting to see them.

[Teflon]

............ I since found the exact models of guitar and amp and they live in my studio as a reminder of mum & dad and where I started. It's somehow comforting to see them.

I know just how you feel

[Uncle Fiesta]

My last girlfriend once said, "I'm sure you love those guitars more than you do me."

I replied, "That's because they've got volume controls."