Are YOU a guitar contrarian???

[Katastrophe]

I don't know that I'm completely there yet, but there are some areas I'm becoming more cynical about. Here are a few.

I don't care what wood the guitar body is made of. If it sounds good and is reasonably durable, I'm cool with it. I prefer the look and feel of a maple fretboard. But, I'm also happy with my rosewood FB guitars.

Different neck joints do not imply "better" or "worse" in terms of quality. There are top quality bolties out there, and Gibbies that just don't cut it in the quality department.

"lower cost" does not always equal "lower quality."

"Solid State" does not automatically equal "Crappy Amph."

Do you have any opinions about gear that might go against conventional wisdom? I'm interested in reading them!

[Radioboy950]

Do you have any opinions about gear that might go against conventional wisdom? I'm interested in reading them!

I think your observations are spot on.
Sounds like you're a smart, savvy consumer like many folks.
I appreciate some higher end gear, but I'm no cork sniffer either.

As far as my own views, the only thing that comes to mind at the moment is the overpriced boutique amph market. I think it's utterly preposterous to believe you have to spend $3,500 on a friggin combo amp with a 12" speaker. And the Dumble/clone amph tone...sorry , I don't get it, don't want it, don't care.

[marnold***]

Hehe. Yeah, I am. No, I'm not! Yes, you are!

Sorry, voices in my head again.

My main opinion that goes against conventional wisdom comes when I refer to myself as a guitar player.

[Ch0jin]

Hehe. Yeah, I am. No, I'm not! Yes, you are!

Sorry, voices in my head again.

My main opinion that goes against conventional wisdom comes when I refer to myself as a guitar player.

Haha, that describes me exactly.

[hubberjub***]

I like owning a variety of guitars. Most of mine tend to be on the higher end but I like having both set neck and bolt on guitars. I have some nice amps but I don't have any that garner the boutique status. It's less about what you have than what you can do with it.

[Ch0jin]

I like owning a variety of guitars. Most of mine tend to be on the higher end but I like having both set neck and bolt on guitars. I have some nice amps but I don't have any that garner the boutique status. It's less about what you have than what you can do with it.

Actually there's a good point. I started out on a cheapy korean squire that I still play, albeit with much modified internals, but both the guitars I've bought since have been kinda pricey top of the line models. Quite apart from how nice an experience it is playing a good guitar, I find it a little humbling to do so also. My thinking is, "If this is the best playing and sounding guitar I can find, then anything bad coming out the speakers is ME" It's an expensive way to keep yourself humble, but it stops the "I'f I'd only got the slightly better one" syndrome.

It doesn't however stop the "I'd like to have one of those style guitars" syndrome though....

[MichaelE]

I bought my first high end guitar in December of last year. I don't think I'll need any more after hearing this one.

Maybe though, an RS-6, but that's still up in the air at this time.

But you're right about buying what you might consider the best guitar in the world; if it doesn't sound like what it's supposed to, it's the player and not the equipment.

I could sell every other guitar I own at this point and not miss them a bit, except for the nostalgia.

[otaypanky***]

Six strings and I'm happy

[guitarhack]

I don't know that I'm completely there yet, but there are some areas I'm becoming more cynical about. Here are a few.

I don't care what wood the guitar body is made of. If it sounds good and is reasonably durable, I'm cool with it. I prefer the look and feel of a maple fretboard. But, I'm also happy with my rosewood FB guitars.

Different neck joints do not imply "better" or "worse" in terms of quality. There are top quality bolties out there, and Gibbies that just don't cut it in the quality department.

"lower cost" does not always equal "lower quality."

"Solid State" does not automatically equal "Crappy Amph."

Do you have any opinions about gear that might go against conventional wisdom? I'm interested in reading them!

I totally agree. I only have one guitar that cost over $500, and have both tube and ss amps. The main focus for me is: do I have FUN playing it? If I do, then I'm happy!

[mainestratman]

I guess I'm a cork-sniffer... I have to have tubes.. and humbuckers, especially after I made the switch to LP... lol

[Bloozcat]

It would be interesting to see which guitars we'd choose if we were blindfolded when testing them....

[Brian Krashpad]

I guess I'm a cork-sniffer... I have to have tubes.. and humbuckers, especially after I made the switch to LP... lol

In general, for guitar at this point I'm a tube guy. I do have a Super Champ XD which has tubes but part of the signal chain is solid state, as I understand it (which is, not very well at all). For bass, I have both tube and solid state, and find the differences not nearly as important.

I do not have to have humbuckers, at all. In fact, on the guitar side, the last 6 or 7 guitars I've picked up have been single coil of one type or another, or splittable buckers (Strat-type, lipsticks, DeArmond 2000, low-output toasters, P-90's, etc.). Which is not to say I don't have HB guitars, or don't like them. I own a batch and love playing them as well. It's just that I now have a range of HB's that I like (not interested in super-high output or actives), so I'm honestly not in the HB market any more.

I don't care about name on headstock one way or the other. Is the guitar a good one at a good price? Does it add something different to what I already have? That's all I really care about. I tend to concentrate on stuff that pops up locally, so my dollars stay at home, and so I have a chance to play before buying.

I'm pretty much at capacity guitar-wise though. Not really looking to buy anything in particular. Which is good, because I'm flat as a floogie.

[Katastrophe]

I guess I'm a cork-sniffer... I have to have tubes.. and humbuckers, especially after I made the switch to LP... lol

Not necessarily... Tube amphs, humbuckers and LPs are all cool. I drool over them myself, and there ain't nothing wrong with liking the tones that that combination provides.

High end gear is cool, too, although like Radioboy I don't see the reason behind a lot of the booteek amph prices. Some of them are ridiculously overpriced.

It's just not necessary to get good tone.

[mainestratman]

I gotta agree on the booteek stuff. I jammed with a booteek cork-sniffing Berklee virtuoso who bragged up and down that his 18w booteek would blow my my 100+ watt Marshmallow out of the water, song, tone and volume-wise.

He was gravely mistaken. Then got p*ssed because I was "playing too loud" and I responded with "Well, I thought you said your booteek amph was gonna blow me out of the water..?" lol

And that was with my American Standard Strat. That combination was pretty killer too. lol

[Ch0jin]

He was gravely mistaken. Then got p*ssed because I was "playing too loud"

HAHA Nice. He needs to brush up on his audio theory

- A perceived doubling in volume is generally accepted to occur around +6dB.
- To increase volume by +6dB is generally thought to require 4x the power.
- At 100W your Marshall is 5.56 times more powerful than the 18W.

Conclusion.

Your Marshall should have, and did, blow the 18W into the weeds.....

(I know which one I'd rather have in my apartment though.....)

[sunvalleylaw]

I have only one guitar that was over $500, and it is an acoustic. My first amph is a one off (Peavey C-30) and was used, so were two of my guitars (also used). The only reason I have a nice Fender amph is because I lucked into it when owed a bill. But it sure is nice. I enjoyed very much playing my son's cheap Peavey Vypyr yesterday, using his even cheaper Fullerton strat.

So I guess whatever works. But I do sniff a bit when I am buying those less expensive items to make sure they work for me.

[mainestratman]

Your Marshall should have, and did, blow the 18W into the weeds.....

(I know which one I'd rather have in my apartment though.....)

Yup. and I never left the VPR or went above 4.

And I'd rather have the Marshall in my apartment, if I had one. The JCM 2000 still sounds really good at low volumes.


SVL... a Classic 30? I'd LOVE to have one of those bad boys. In fact, I recently dropped that hint to someone who has the means and desire to feed my GAS... I'll let you know how that works out. ;-)

[Heywood Jablomie]

Absolutely a contrarian! Here's a partial list of voodoo/mojo BS that make virtually no sonic difference on electrics:

- Body/neck/fingerboard "tonewood"
- Finish
- Nut material
- Bridge/saddles
- Tail piece
- Fret metal
- Pickup covers (or none)
- Brand of tone capacitors, pots, switches
- Type of wires
- Cable to amp
- Shielding

[sunvalleylaw]

Yup. and I never left the VPR or went above 4.

And I'd rather have the Marshall in my apartment, if I had one. The JCM 2000 still sounds really good at low volumes.


SVL... a Classic 30? I'd LOVE to have one of those bad boys. In fact, I recently dropped that hint to someone who has the means and desire to feed my GAS... I'll let you know how that works out. ;-)

MSM, there are a couple of good Peavey Classic 30 and or Delta threads around here. It is a good amph. A bit more direct and mid voiced than the Fender 4x10, and plenty loud. I have never played much through a Marshall so I can't say how it would compare. It does like red LEDs though! Let us know how it works out!

Bottom line regarding these contrarian things, I tend to like what I like I guess. And I am too much of a noob even after not quite 4 years to pretend I really can hear things like different finish on a strat, or the back cover on or off. I can tell if I like a guitar or not though, and that is usually a gut thing.

I guess my one contrarian thing is I think my MIM Fender strat sounds just as good as any American I have played, including an Eric Johnson. But I am not sure I would say that about every MIM strat. Also, a used Digitech Bad Monkey with a repaired battery is just as good as a basic TS9 in my book.