Question About the Tonewood Debate Itself

richardhomer

Skipped said:

koneguitarist said:

if you spent thousands on a vintage Les Paul, you would be determined that it must be used as you spent so much on it.

There is a reason why Joe Bonamassa is still buying examples of wonderful guitars that were built from stored for decades/mature wood stocks. And then touring with them. It is clearly not because he was disappointed with the last 100 guitars he bought. Because that wouldn't make any sense, would it....

If Jimmy Page is in the mood to play today, he will reach for a guitar that he has owned more than half of his life and which has beaten off all the  competition. It is very unlikely that he will be reaching for an NOS R8 that has already been flipped 4 times........

We could have a very long list. It just depends on how many iconic musicians you wish to insult on the basis of their ears, experience and judgement.

Yet there are plenty of famous players who no longer use vintage Fenders - Clapton, Jeff Beck, Robert Cray, Mark Knopfler & Richard Thompson all used to play old Strats but (generally) don’t any more.

To be fair, when it comes to LPs, MK and EC still own - and use - vintage examples. Last time I saw a picture of Beck playing one, it was very obviously a reissue.

koneguitarist

Skipped said:

koneguitarist said:

if you spent thousands on a vintage Les Paul, you would be determined that it must be used as you spent so much on it.

There is a reason why Joe Bonamassa is still buying examples of wonderful guitars that were built from stored for decades/mature wood stocks. And then touring with them. It is clearly not because he was disappointed with the last 100 guitars he bought. Because that wouldn't make any sense, would it....

If Jimmy Page is in the mood to play today, he will reach for a guitar that he has owned more than half of his life and which has beaten off all the  competition. It is very unlikely that he will be reaching for an NOS R8 that has already been flipped 4 times........

We could have a very long list. It just depends on how many iconic musicians you wish to insult on the basis of their ears, experience and judgement.

I've had vintage guitars , a 54 tele, a 56 les paul, a 61 strat a 63 strat etc, old does not always mean better. 
Clapton, Beck, Knopfler, Gary Moore, David Gilmour all use new guitars as well as old.
As for ears and experience we all have them and all have different opinions, not all wrong and not all right either. Page probably doesn't have a NOS to hand, yet he does have NEW Gibsons, remember his signature ones. 

Hendrix, Trower and loads of others didn't buy vintage strats they bought new ones, as the vintage market was not created at that time. so they bought whatever was available. 
Bonamassa can afford the vintage guitars, he also has new, but fair play to him he is using the guitars he bought live. 
But back in early 80's how many pro players and weekend warriors were buying Aria, Tokai, Yamaha guitars and getting rid of all the 'old' stuff. 

But I digress, Bonamassa is not buying the guitars because of the wood, he is buying them as an investment and because he likes and can afford them. why not, if I had the money I would too.