Chalky's Guitarist Theory - profound or bollocks?

Chalky

I have long held a theory that there are 3 types of guitarist -Sassafrass added a 4th...

A) The Guitar Keeper - the physical guitar is their THING. For example, they are excited by a 10 top, and horrified by a logo change (see 2015 Les Paul). They own lots of guitars.

The Guitar Player - the playing of the guitar is their THING. For example, they are excited by putting a new neck or new pickup on a Tele for how it will affect their playing, and horrified that no-one appreciates how well their mongrel beaten-up partscaster plays and mystified why no-one will bid for it. They own several guitars including 'projects'.

C) The Guitar Musician - the music/performance is their THING. For example, they are excited by the solo they play in that song in the set that gets the audience going, and horrified that their loved one bought them that superb and really expensive guitar that they can never gig because its just too valuable. They'd have preferred a slightly bigger old car to squeeze their gear into on Saturday night. They own few guitars.

D) @Sassafras added a 4th category: "those ones that keep buying gear in the hope it will make them sound better rather than concentrating on their playing which can sometimes be really shit."

Which one are you? I know many will say a mixture but which one is your main trait? Have I missed one or two types? Am I talking bollocks? Is Sassafras? )

underdog

I own lot of guitars, I like a nice top on the right guitar but logo changes or robotic tuners don't bother me, in fact the tuners seem really cool to me.

I like putting the right set of pickups in, refinishing an guitar, or changing looms but have no desire to have a partsacaster.

I'm definatley not C as I don't perform apart from to an audience of my iguana who lives in my guitar room

p90fool

B.

viz

I think of it slightly differently - head, heart and hands. People who are drawn to the theory of music, people who like the soulfulness of music and people who just like playing. I think complete musicians are probably all three; I'm probably mainly head and hands. But hopefully a bit of heart too.

hubobulous

I'm not precious about logo changes etc, and I'm not too much of a tinkerer, but I think your broad categories are pretty good. Given that I'm a bit of all 3, I thought it would be more useful to allot how much of me is in each:

A) 25%

25%

C) 50%

I love mother nature's ability to create stunning wood and adore just playing, learning and noodling. I like kit in terms of amps and effects, (and obviously my red spatula), but playing live is what the culmination of it all is for me :-)

Sassafras

You've forgotten the 4th category: those ones that keep buying gear in the hope it will make them sound better rather than concentrating on their playing which can sometimes be really shit.

jd0272

A to an extent, the sig is utter shite, but I like to have nice things B absolutely C absolutely.

Who knew.

underdog

Sassafras;526444" said:

You've forgotten the 4th category: those ones that keep buying gear in the hope it will make them sound better rather than concentrating on their playing which can sometimes be really shit.

Oh I will take that catagory then, it's the closest to me.

jd0272

Sassafras;526444" said:

You've forgotten the 4th category: those ones that keep buying gear in the hope it will make them sound better rather than concentrating on their playing which can sometimes be really shit.

I'd suggest that category is more USA forum member based....?

ICBM

Surprisingly enough on those definitions I am mostly C, but with an A sense of visual artistic rightness which makes me annoyed by horrible logos and very slightly 'off' headstock shapes . Not very B.

I own few guitars - fewer would be even better - have a big old car but would prefer a cool van, and although I love my own guitars I am more than happy to play a beaten-up house guitar at an open mic (best if black)… and apparently I sound the same on anything. (Bad, probably!) It's really about the song, in fact - even though I don't sing .

Chalky

@Sassafras - Good point about the fourth category!

Roland

On those definitions I'm a C. Are you going to get anyone confessing to being an A?

Chalky

Good point Roland. Could be self-selecting in that Type A might be the type who would never join a forum like this?

monquixote

I'm a C with a bit of D thrown in. 

breakstuff

I'll admit to being a D mainly because I've got into modding and building partscasters which can hoover up a staggering amount of your time.If I dedicated as much time to practicing as I did farting about I'd be a much better player.

Though I can play the intro to Sweet Child O Mine so that makes me awesome.

meltedbuzzbox

im lost. 

I am non of those. I am a song writer that happens to play guitar and I use it for writing. 

I will play anything, anywhere. I know the audience doesn't care if its a prs into a timmy through some bullshit hand wired boutique amp. I like playing, I like gigging, I love the studio. Its about the music 

monquixote

meltedbuzzbox said:

im lost. 

I am non of those. I am a song writer that happens to play guitar and I use it for writing. 

I will play anything, anywhere. I know the audience doesn't care if its a prs into a timmy through some bullshit hand wired boutique amp. I like playing, I like gigging, I love the studio. Its about the music 

I would have thought that would be C then?

meltedbuzzbox

not bothered about soloing and I do play my expensive guitar.

I kinda do the writing thing for me as well (without sounding to arty farty)

Perhaps I need category e) the awkward bugger?

monquixote

meltedbuzzbox said:

not bothered about soloing and I do play my expensive guitar.

I kinda do the writing thing for me as well (without sounding to arty farty)

Perhaps I need category e) the awkward bugger?

I took soloing to be an example and figured it meant. 

A) Collecting Technique C) Performance 

meltedbuzzbox

So which one is composition? 

Philly_Q

I'm about 90% (A), I genuinely love guitars and get a buzz out of buying them (although I don't specifically get excited about things like 10 tops, in fact I'm more interested in relics and simple guitars like Les Paul Juniors).  Incidentally this doesn't really extend to amps or pedals, it's all about the guitars.

As I always say, I don't claim to be a guitar player, I'm just someone who likes guitars.

However I guess there's a slight hint of (B) and even (D), I like tinkering and I've always had the idea - or delusion - that one day I'd stop messing about and really sort out my playing.  In reality, I'm no better at 50 than I was at 17.

(C) doesn't apply in the slightest although, in some ways, I guess that's the person I'd like to be.  I'm realistic enough to know it's never going to happen.

I think @meltedbuzzbox has a point, there maybe should be another category for people who are primarily creative, songwriting types who just happen to use the guitar as their main tool.  They may not see themselves as "guitarists" at all.