Your gonna hate me, maybe even ban me...

[Darin]

While at GC today, I played a $2099 Suhr Tele. Then playd a $149 Squire Tele. The diffenece? A whole bunch of money. That's it. The tone was a little different. But not $1800 different. Not even different enough for the average person to notice. And get this. The Squire was set up and played better. I know it crazy. But it's absolutely true. Now I've had expensive guitars. I played professionally for 4 years. I considered buying a Tom Anderson a couple years ago for $2400. I've come to the serious conclusion that you can spend all you want on quality and refinement. No one but you will notice or care. The average person will dig your songs if they are good, and wont care about your hand made guitar. And here's the truth. ANY guitar sounds as good as you play. Period.

Well. There ya go. Spend all you want. But if you suck. You're going to suck on a hand made guitar. But if you can take care of business, you'll sound great on even a Squire.

-Darin

[mi2tom]

Yeah man I hear ya, seriously I think cheaper guitars are getting better in quality, seriously I'd rather get a well setup Rg350 than their expensive brother the Rg2550, difference is not that much though nothing too noticeable except for the Rg2550 sounded clearer not that muddy, I think just spend a few bucks to change the pickup and there you go.

[CosmicDebris]

Originally Posted by Darin

Spend all you want. But if you suck. You're going to suck on a hand made guitar. But if you can take care of business, you'll sound great on even a Squire.

-Darin

For real?

[dh0licious]

Originally Posted by CosmicDebris

For real?

don't be a smart ass

[Darin]

I know it might seem obvious. But I never really thought about it much un till recently. I spent TONS on cash on gear over the years. The only thing that made me sound better didn't cost a dime. Practice. How many time did I swoon over a piece of gear thinking it was the answer to my tone problems. Or the key to making me sound better. It's all BS. Buy expensive guitars because you want an expensive guitar. Seriously, if someone I had respected sat down and showed me how a Squire could sound like a $2000 guitar simply by playing well. I would have invested more time earlier on and less money on gear that made my bad notes sound thicker/clearer/whatever.

I'm not ever going to argue that a sweet set up J Custom doesn't play and sound better than a entry level RG. But, don't rationalize spending high end money and expect a miracle.

I Know its hard to be satisfied with cheap gear, especially when you want newer expensive stuff. But it really seems to be more for collecting and bragging rights.

[AleTheNervo]

I must agree with you. Very often the difference between cheap guitars and expensive guitars are very little noticeable. Recently I was trying an rg 350 and had to say I was quite surprised it played and sounded so good for a soem hundreds € guitar, compared to my jem or uv, that it didn't justify a difference of 1200+ €...I was so impressed that even if I didn't need it, I bought it for my little cousin, wich is going to be an impressive player in my mind. You have to be very careful though couse I played many cheap guitars like Squire, Epi and so on, from which you could hardly put out some notes. All in all is all matter of the guitar you have in your hands and of your bias

[Ibateur]

There's certainly going to be different opinions from different people here.

Some people will have different gear to achieve different sounds (LP, vs Strat (single coil) vs Strat (Humbucker) vs trem, tube sound, SS sound, high-volume/gain, etc etc) when recording or playing live. Other people will want to have a "me" tone (quoting your "tone problem"), so will focus on getting their own one perfect personal instrument.

I have two guitars. A 200 EUR Les Paul copy and a 600 EUR Ibanez RG. I quite like the tone of the LP copy though I'm sure anyone will say it sucks donkey balls if they even touched the thing.

One thing is certain for me, whether I use my RG or my LP copy, I suck.

[markg5150]

I have a Squier strat knocking around from years ago. It actually plays pretty well for a £100 guitar. But nothing I've ever touched comes close to my Suhr Standard.

I've owned a DBK and currently also have an RG20th and played countless Fenders, PRS, Anderson, Jackson & Ibanez in stores and 100% believe the Suhr is the best of the bunch and that's not just because I paid £2000 for it. The sound, playability and the stunning looks are perfect for me. YMMV

[Darin]

I'll go along with the 'me tone' thing. And I have played some unplayable cheap guitars. I suppose I grabbed an unusually well set up Squire. I think what I'm trying to emphasize is, hand crafted micron detail won't make up for not practicing. That and, a poorly set up $2000 guitar instantly goes back on the shelf. And a well set up $150 guitar, that sounds pretty darn similar makes a pretty interesting statement.

[DEADTUNES666]

The bottom line is Guthrie Govan or Steve Vai would be amazing on an old ass harmony acousticwith a lifting bridge, kind of like the Satch thing at his neighbors house.

For me (and I'm not saying I'm them) I have to be comfortable with what I'm playing on, or I really suck... My step-father plays and he's a big Gibson/Fender guy and I can't get used to it

I had a buddy in NJ Stan Steel who could pick up any stringed instrument (banjo-mandolin-guitar-bass-ukelele) and just tear on it. We hated him

[shreddersymphony]

Originally Posted by Darin

While at GC today, I played a $2099 Suhr Tele. Then playd a $149 Squire Tele. The diffenece? A whole bunch of money. That's it. The tone was a little different. But not $1800 different. Not even different enough for the average person to notice. And get this. The Squire was set up and played better. I know it crazy. But it's absolutely true. Now I've had expensive guitars. I played professionally for 4 years. I considered buying a Tom Anderson a couple years ago for $2400. I've come to the serious conclusion that you can spend all you want on quality and refinement. No one but you will notice or care. The average person will dig your songs if they are good, and wont care about your hand made guitar. And here's the truth. ANY guitar sounds as good as you play. Period.

Well. There ya go. Spend all you want. But if you suck. You're going to suck on a hand made guitar. But if you can take care of business, you'll sound great on even a Squire.

-Darin

This is one of the more intelligent things I've ever read on this forum. I agree 100%. I own custom guitars simply because I prefer to have a one of a kind guitar that no one else has, built to my specs, but I know that quality of sound wise (although certainly noticeably better to a trained ear) is not a MILLION times better than a higher-range RG with Dimarzios. To me, no guitar should be priced that high without having been made to your specs. I've seen Suhrs and Tom Andersons with a nice flame top, plain rosewood/maple fingerboard and dot inlays sell for 2800+...I got each of my 2 custom guitars done for under 1400 (a piece), and I can guarantee that they match up or exceed the Suhrs/TA's quality wise. Check out #350048797879 on everyone's fave auction site...how does this thing justify a 1600 dollar starting bid, used? Those plastic dot inlays must really jack up the price .


All in all, in my opinion in today's guitar world to really get your money's worth the best option is to get a custom guitar made. That aside, if customs arent your thing or youre low on cash, there are plenty of fantastic sounding guitars even in the 250-400 price range.

[shred4Him]

I am of the opinion that you buy what inspires you to play, regardless of the price. My favorite guitar is my Parker Fly Deluxe. I have had many other guitars since I have owned it, and they are all gone while the Parker stays. No other guitars speak to me the same way. It is now to the point that I have decided that I won't play anything else because it is usually a waste of money since I will end up getting rid of it.

Guitars are such a personal thing. Status should never be a deciding factor. When people ask me what the best guitar is, I tell them it is the one they like the most. Play them all and get the one that speaks to you.

The moment I hear somebody start bragging on their gear I tune them out. I have no time for cork sniffers. I want to be around musicians who are more concerned with doing something cool than posing with their stuff.

Just get what you want and forget everybody else.

[kotornut]

Yeah man, I think that most Ibbies and such are good enough for me.

I also have to say that any prestige Ibanez is good enough for me. I've played a lot of J-Customs and they ar eawesome. But that's mostly asthetically. An RGA121 is my dream guitar, to be honest. Simple and elegant.

I like Suhrs and so on. They look great and I would like to own one, but I wouldn't pay for one. Not in a million years. Not when my hero has played a $1600 guitar for 20 years and still has the best tone I've ever heard.

[shreddersymphony]

Originally Posted by shred4Him

I am of the opinion that you buy what inspires you to play, regardless of the price. My favorite guitar is my Parker Fly Deluxe. I have had many other guitars since I have owned it, and they are all gone while the Parker stays. No other guitars speak to me the same way. It is now to the point that I have decided that I won't play anything else because it is usually a waste of money since I will end up getting rid of it.

Guitars are such a personal thing. Status should never be a deciding factor. When people ask me what the best guitar is, I tell them it is the one they like the most. Play them all and get the one that speaks to you.

The moment I hear somebody start bragging on their gear I tune them out. I have no time for cork sniffers. I want to be around musicians who are more concerned with doing something cool than posing with their stuff.

Just get what you want and forget everybody else.

True man. I dig the Parkers (except the 42...the body style kinda scares me). And the whole status doesnt matter thing is absolutely true too. People pay 3500 for a Les Paul, but to me the guitar I had built for me has more soul (in my eyes/hands). I think I started playing guitar twice as much as I had previously once I got my first custom, so I know watcha mean about it inspiring you to play. Ive owned Jacksons, Ibanezes, Agiles, ESPs, etc, but none have inspired me to play the way my customs do.

[shred4Him]

Yeah, there is no point to having an expensive guitar if it just sits in a case. They are tools, and tools that aren't used are useless. There have been plenty of guitars that I have wanted, but after I played them I was unmoved. That is not to say they weren't nice instruments. They just didn't move me.

I was going to buy a Suhr a few years ago. I had played a couple and I really liked them. I almost convinced myself that I like one more than my Parker. Thankfully, I didn't have the money to get it at that moment. After some time passed, and I was able to do some more comparison, I noted that it was more about the excitement of a new guitar. I realized that I liked my Parker more. The Suhr was a GREAT guitar, but it would have sat in the case since I would have been grabbing the Parker when I wanted to play. You just like what you like. There is no accounting for it, so just go with it.