How long?

stimpsonslostson

We all know the story- you buy a new guitar, it's the best thing ever. The honeymoon period where everything is new and exciting. Then you settle down & learn to live with the guitar on a day to day basis. 

How long does it take you to "bond" with a guitar & know it's a keeper?
Conversely, what's the shortest period you've gone from "love" to "for sale"? 

Teyeplayer

Shortest period was three weeks. AVRI Jaguar. I’d have another but it wasn’t as good as my firebird which was getting all the attention.

CountryDave

Shortest period was one gig.
i knew that I would constantly be twitchy about taking such a valuable, delicate instrument to some ropey pubs.

ICBM

It took me about two weeks to go from my '77 Les Paul Signature being the best-sounding electric guitar I've ever owned to giving me unbearable hand cramps when playing it, and selling it to a friend who had coveted it as soon as I got it.

The shortest period to 'bond' with a guitar and know it's a keeper is one second... the time it took me to play a chord on my Rickenbacker 381. I didn't even own it then, it was just round for a check-up for its owner before he put it on Ebay.

stimpsonslostson

My shortest was a week. 
The guitar sounded great in isolation (the shop) but was quite "middy" & I couldn't get it to sit well with a band- I apparently like a bit of "bite". 

skullfunkerry

The Jackson that I'm currently selling went from 'Mmmm I love this Jackson neck shape' to 'Actually it's not as nice as my Performance' within a month... my Voodoo Les Paul lasted one gig, until I realised that the control layout wasn't as quick and easy to use as my LTD.

On the other side of it, my Performance and my Squier Contemporary were both keepers within a few minutes of playing them - in the case of the Performance, it took about 2 chords

JerkMoans

Interesting thread... My current no.1, a Feline LPJDC, just felt ‘right’ the moment I first played it, and with a couple of minor mods has grown on me ever since. 3 1/2 months: must be some sort of record  

Conversely, at precisely the same time I scored its Telecaster stylee cousin and completely failed to gel from the get go, despite its gorgeous looks and top grade appointments. So it was up for the chop within three weeks. 

Needless to say, when it sold I made the mistake of giving it a twang, and started to regret the decision...

designerseye88

I purchased a new guitar recently (well it's over 60 yrs old so not that new) but i had heard that from the owner and other people that it was something special. I wasn't disappointed. As soon as I got it home it just felt right, the neck was perfect and played beautifully. It's almost two weeks later and I still cant wait to get home after work and play it. 
I never say never but I think this one will be kept for a long time, It's meant I've had to sell a guitar I never planned on doing (my 59 special - Available in the classifieds ) but it's worth it. It's probably the best sounding guitar I've ever played and gives me all the sounds I've wanted. 

On the other end of the spectrum I had a 94 LP Classic last year. Lovely guitar and almost mint, but the fact it was so clean put me off playing it. Theirs something about battered old guitars that make me want to play them. More wear the better!

terada

In a heartbeat or after decades. So many variables really.

With hand issues its usually comfort that makes me move something on, and for that I generally know after about 2-4 hours of play. If its really bad I'll know after 5 minutes.


Taste in tone can change at any time, so that's wildcard IMHO

guitarfishbay

Basically after I've set it up to my tastes.  If I like it or not at that point it's going to be pretty obvious these days.  I've stopped kidding myself I'll adjust to the neck shape or the ergonomics, I either like it or I don't.  For solid body electrics there is so much choice that there isn't any benefit to forcing things.

axisus

Immediate bond with all 4 guitars I have made myself.

Guitars I fall out of love with usually get banished to the loft for years. A couple of cheap ones I gave away to teens I knew who were interested in guitar. 

I have concluded that nothing is a keeper unless I made it myself.

57Deluxe

Instantly. Those that need keep coming back to is cos they aren't hitting the spot for something or other.

'Bonding' over a longer period is more of accepting some compromise or other.

dindude

Can take me a while to bond, I don't know how people can fall in love with a guitar in a store environment, I need some time so I prefer buying on-line.

The quickest though was a USA G&L ASAT Special I imported from the states. It was heavier than the moon, and I almost cut my hand up on the frets ends when I picked it up, so by the time it hit my lap for the first time, it was basically up for grabs - a dogs dinner of a guitar.

MLten80

09 telecaster mim.

hardly played since then, recently sold on

was something about then neck. wasn't skinny or fat... just odd & uneven profile

it's hanging on new owners wall now too apparently 

skunkwerx

Player series tele. Even if the rest of it was up to scratch, I couldnt live with the restringing... there was no easy way to do it.. the string holes in the body didnt line up with the holes in the saddles at all, and pushing or moving the saddles back wasnt as easy or quick as I thought.. 

Got a better Tele and its so much easier.. 

Restringing ease is something I wouldnt have thought would put me off.. but I like non fiddly and fast it turns out. 

Roland

For me it’s six months. There’s the initial thrill of the new, “Listen to what it will do”. Then there’s the creeping “how do I get it to do this which was so easy on the last one?” Eventually it settles down to “this is where it fits into my playing”. That’s where it changes from a love affair to a longer term relationship. 

maltingsaudio

Hmm my 3 keepers have just hung around, there was no point at which I thought yes definitely keeping these,but over the years they never got changed and now at the point where no don’t want anything else. The guitars in question are PatrickEggle Berlin Pro, Musicman Silhouette and Fylde Alchemist.

All is not lost however on the guitar wanting front as Mrs M is after a Rickenbacker 12, or a 335 or a Moon acoustic or a pair of irregular choice!

guitars4you

I can determine in 10/20 seconds that I don't like a guitar - And that is based on an unplugged acoustic test as I go for the feel first and listen to the acoustic voice

After that, how long does it take ? - I'm not sure - I'm spoilt as I've played to many guitars - I personally own about 6 and will sometimes keep something back, that is used, that has  recently arrived into stock - Maybe keep it for a few months and enjoy it, then list it for sale later when it is time to sell - Like the recent 345 restoration - I have to remind myself that dealer first/player second - Or business first/pleasure second

I agree I don't think you get to know any guitar, inside out in a day, week or month, but you can quickly suss out its potential

I agree with @57Deluxe that most guitars have some issue that is not ideal, whatever that is, so some compromise required, but maybe that is why many  of us have more than 1 guitar - 2 or more guitars offers something different, whatever that might be - Great position to be in, as it allows you to sometime step away, then come back and hopefully re-bond and remember why you brought it and what makes it so good

merciful-evans

Love affair = 1 month.

I got one of the 2012 Jackson Elites - the last run from Japan's 'Charvel' factory. I already had a '95 model.

It played beautifully but I hated the active Seymour Duncan pickups. At gigging volume it was just mud.

Sold it 2 years later.

Longest love affair. Its ongoing still. A Gibson ES-339 Studio I bought in 2015. I appreciate it more ever time I play it. Its still not my favourite guitar, but perhaps one day...

57Deluxe

guitars4you said:

I agree with @57Deluxe that most guitars have some issue that is not ideal, whatever that is, so some compromise required, but maybe that is why many  of us have more than 1 guitar - 2 or more guitars offers something different, whatever that might be - Great position to be in, as it allows you to sometime step away, then come back and hopefully re-bond and remember why you brought it and what makes it so good

/\ yep deffo this.

jrc2806

For me I usually realise that I have bonded with a guitar the moment the buyer leaves my house with it :-)