What is the best guitar you have ever played?

NelsonP

For me I would say:
PRS custom and JEM777 - it was 1989 I was looking for a new guitar and ended up in Chandlers in Richmond late one afternoon. I'd been in Denmark street earlier in the day and arrived just as the shop was shutting. They kept it open.and let me get on with it, handing me several guitars way out of my price rang in the process. Both were exceptional guitars.
Jackson Soloist - played on the same day in Denmark St.
Friedman Vintage T - what a guitar. Neck actually quite reminiscent of the Jackson above (no coincidence!)
My mates 2016 SG Standard, with P90s, which is a lovely instrument.

All of them had a really infectious feel to them that brought a ton of energy to how I played them. I still haven't worked out whether that is all in my head and the fact that they were all made of unobtanium.

So what are the best guitars you've played?

Lestratcaster

All the ones I own!! Haha.

But I did borrow a mate's PRS CE (don't know what year but quite new) and it plays very nicely, nice neck, and action is just about right. 

Blueingreen

The one I just listed for sale, obviously.

More seriously I have some nice guitars and my opinion about which is the best varies all the time.  Currently my Tom Anderson Short Classic.

eSully

Summer 2001 I spent in Chicago on a student Visa. There was a guitar shop down from where I was staying in wrigleyville that had a selection of old guitars and acoustics in the back room. I didn’t have a guitar with me in Chicago so I used to pop in there to have a little play as the staff seemed cool and didn’t give a crap about this random Irish student popping into the back room to Spend an hour or two playing guitar and buzzing off again without buying anything. Anyway, long way of saying there was this 1950’s jazz archtop the make I can’t remember now (pretty sure it wasn’t Gibson or anything like that as it was easy reach) but seriously, if I could ever find that guitar again I’d buy it in an instant and be a happy man. Couldn’t afford it at the time but it was amazing. Immediately popped into my head when I read the thread title!

DeeTee

Oddly, one of the original Les Paul Faded Studios. I've tried "better," but this was just very me. No bling, just good woods and pickups. Super resonant. I loved it. I'd still like one. 

sweepy

Parker Fly Classic, which I stupidly sold as the pickups were terrible and no suitable atternatives were available, if I had it now, Ash would have had 2 pickups to make

stimpsonslostson

A Squier Affinity Precision Bass from the early 90s. Seriously. 

It was the guitar i used whilst I was in a really fun band.
I sold it to finance a "better" bass to use as the gigs got more frequent... The band split up shortly thereafter & I still miss both the bass and the band .

richardhomer

1954 Gold Top Les Paul - totally original - replete with serial number.

Amazing sounding thing.... 

StuartMac290

One of my Asher Ultratone T Deluxes. A game-changer for me personally. I bought it recently, and was so blown away by it that within a week I'd bought a second one with a different pickup layout.

Just incredible, beautifully made, perfect guitars. The sustain is almost comical, especially for bolt-neck instruments.

I was really all set with my collection and about to order a custom build when I tried the first Asher. I'm now going to buy a third one instead.

Dominic

Albert Lee HH .......straight off the shelf.
Insanely easy, very fast, incredible neck and sounded great too
EBMM are very undervalued guitars 

iseverynamegone

The next one I buy ... until the one after that. 

HAL9000

A Fender Classic 50s Tele laquer. Just superbly comfortable to play. Also, a Classic Player 60s Strat. I'd say that IMHO both punched well above their price point.  

EricTheWeary

I’m not a young woman by the way and it’s hard to really say but probably one just like this:

https://i.imgur.com/Vcns2uU.jpg

At a guess @Danny1969 has played that actual one?

GoldenEraGuitars

My Lake Placid Blue Strat. It feels amazing, it sounds amazing and it’s got all the tones you would expect and then some.

Strangefan

My lakewood m46 I have never heard an acoustic like it , truly special. Is that 

Sporky

Yours. You were out at the time.

Sorry about the toilet.

AlexC

EricTheWeary said:

I’m not a young woman by the way and it’s hard to really say but probably one just like this:

https://i.imgur.com/Vcns2uU.jpg

At a guess @Danny1969 has played that actual one?

What type of guitar is that? You may not be able to say it,  but you can write it! And who is the lady? Your whole post has me intrigued!

ICBM

An original '56 Les Paul Custom. (Original apart from the frets, anyway - it had been refretted with medium jumbos.)

Incredibly resonant and musical-sounding - it would feed back controllably at will on almost any note... it seemed to almost play itself. One of the ones that makes you realise why there is something special about some (but by no means all) vintage guitars.

It's twenty years ago now, and the fact that I didn't buy it when I had the chance still annoys me!

Teyeplayer

A ‘64 es335 that was neither mine nor perfect and only briefly borrowed, there was something in the imperfection though that made it work perfectly for me. 

it got sold in a hurry as the owner went bankrupt and I believe I saw it surface in the usual second hand vintage circles soon after, before it going for what I (having played and bonded with it) believe to be a steal. 

That guitar remains both my holy grail and my albatross.

Bigsby

NelsonP said:

For me I would say:
PRS custom and JEM777 - it was 1989 I was looking for a new guitar and ended up in Chandlers in Richmond late one afternoon. I'd been in Denmark street earlier in the day and arrived just as the shop was shutting. They kept it open.and let me get on with it, handing me several guitars way out of my price rang in the process. Both were exceptional guitars.
Jackson Soloist - played on the same day in Denmark St.
Friedman Vintage T - what a guitar. Neck actually quite reminiscent of the Jackson above (no coincidence!)
My mates 2016 SG Standard, with P90s, which is a lovely instrument.

All of them had a really infectious feel to them that brought a ton of energy to how I played them. I still haven't worked out whether that is all in my head and the fact that they were all made of unobtanium.

I think the fact that three of the five were all played on the same day might be a big clue as to whether it's 'all in the head'!

Plus NGDs often have a quality of 'best guitar ever' about them... but a few years later the same guitar is up for sale. And, of course, there's the one you regret selling, because it was 'the best ever' (though if you hadn't sold it then, you'd still have sold it because, in reality, it was only the best once you couldn't play it anymore).

I reckon you need to spend a year or two with a guitar to really know how you feel about it - and even that might change over time. Probably why the 'best guitar you ever played' so often is one you can't play anymore.

EricTheWeary

AlexC said:

EricTheWeary said:

I’m not a young woman by the way and it’s hard to really say but probably one just like this:

https://i.imgur.com/Vcns2uU.jpg

At a guess @Danny1969 has played that actual one?

What type of guitar is that? You may not be able to say it,  but you can write it! And who is the lady? Your whole post has me intrigued!

Sorry, I was being vague rather than mysterious ( I’ll blame the beer).
That’s Jess Lewis, she’s a young protege type whizz kid guitarist and that’s her signature guitar made by Eternal. There’s probably only a few ever made.

https://youtu.be/HTcK5d-z8jk

Our Danny played some gigs in a band with her IIRC, I think it was a rockabilly band so not very much like that clip (!).