anyone else keep buying the wrong guitar?

grungebob

I've realised I keep buying the wrong guitars. I look at everyone else's collections of great quality and playing guitars and I get the urge to try and match them,like I can't be considered a good player unless I have this or that. I want to like certain guitars and have bought loads only to sell them again because well It turns out I'm more comfortable on short scale guitars, but that narrows down my choices quite a bit and typically short scale guitars are finicky and considered student models. Where are the quality short scale guitars at? Also it turns out I've become a snob for nitro finished guitars.

Anyone else keep buying the ones that looks nice v the ones that play the best for them?

VimFuego

guilty as charged. I have bought and sold on 2 LP copies now. I can't get on with them, they feel all wrong to me, but I love the look of them and I have no doubt I will pick up another at some point.

guitarfishbay

I went through about 10 humbucker guitars that weren't a Les Paul.  Mostly superstrats with fairly hot pickups.  I eventually decided to look at buying a Les Paul and couldn't believe that basically any decent LP with PAFs could get me the tones I had been chasing all along.  I'm much happier now and have come to the conclusion that there is no point in reinventing the wheel.  The industry standards are the standards for a reason.  

midiglitch

Part of getting the right guitar is figuring out what doesn't work for you.

Incidentally I had a phase once upon a time where I was convinced short scale was the only way for me, now I believe it is much less important than finding a guitar which is comfortable and has the feel and sound you connect with.  The design of the guitar has a much bigger bearing on how far away the nut is than the scale length imho.

I still have a wonderful jaguar from that phase because I was lucky enough to find a guitar that speaks to me within it, but I have two other longer scale electric guitars that are equally comfortable, and that is my lot.  

The key is to play lots of different guitars! No shame in buying and passing them along just be aware that you will generally lose the cost of the postage each time.

[Deleted User]

I've owned four Les Pauls over a 30 year period. Each time I really wanted 'get on' with them but have finally concluded that they just don't work for me. I won't be buying a fifth....

axisus

I worked out all the things I wanted in a guitar, and then I built it. Done it 3 times now and massively happy with all of them. No.s 4 & 5 are being planned as we speak. Can't really see interest in buying other guitars now

1 - short scale midi tele

2 - personalised strat

3 - relic frankentele shredder

4 - tele-ish variax transplant

5 - relic tele/strat

Lodious

I sympathise with you Richard, I've owned a Les Paul for about 15 years, but it's only in the last few I have started to like it...for the first 5 years I detested it, and couldn't understand why I'd bought it. The only reason I kept it, is I knew if I sold it, I'd buy another (and the fact I love the look of it ;-))

 

I keep doing the same with two channel amps...when I don't have one, I think I need one, I buy one, I don't like it, I sell it.....I think I need one, I buy one, I don't like it, I sell it.....I think I need one, I buy one, I don't like it, I sell it.....I think I need one, I buy one, I don't like it, I sell it.....

 

I'm looking for a 2 channel amp right now :-)

mike257

I don't think you can know if a guitar is 'right' for you until you've spent some serious time playing it and enough experience with other options to make a comparison - taking it off the shop wall and having a blast tells you very little compared to living with it through a couple of months of regular gigging.