Your forever guitars

DiscoStu · June 2020

These two.
My Mirrortop, because I built it myself and there isn't another one like it.

https://i.imgur.com/OjMCy43.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/A7o7oE9.jpg

And my Stonebridge acoustic, because I bought it new to celebrate surviving my brain tumour surgery. The most expensive guitar I own and it has such significance that it's never leaving.

https://i.imgur.com/AZcTQ09.jpg

JD50 · June 2020

https://i.imgur.com/ugtRVXb.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/uV45jfj.jpg

If I had to choose it would be the Jaguar...and maybe the Les Paul Special.

MagicPigDetective · June 2020

At the start of the year, I convinced myself that I should sell my strat to make way for a new Les Paul, partly due to guilt on spending so much on non-family things. This was the guitar I bought for my 40th when I got back into playing. Nothing flash, just a 2015 american standard. I put it up for sale here and on the local facebook gear page. I received two offers on facebook.......but those offers triggered something.

A voice deep in my soul cried out “what the hell are you doing, you stupid oik? Selling a superb guitar you love and you know you’ll regret it for the rest of your life?”. The mist cleared, what I had thought was common sense was revealed to be a foolish weakness. You only live once I thought. To hell with it, I decided to keep the strat and went ahead and bought the Les Paul. Nobody seemed to mind and all was well with the world.

I now love the strat more than ever. Having survived this test, I know it is destined to be my forever guitar.

DeeTee · June 2020

The same question was asked on another forum I frequent, and I said something similar there: I'd have trouble letting go of my 2014 SG Special.

It wouldn't be worth a lot, and replacing it would be a pain. I would want another SG with a maple neck and 24 frets. I'd also want the coil taps, but that can be sorted.

It's a weirdo and I love it. The neck is perfect for me too.

http://imgur.com/gallery/6CoMlPo

Barnezy · June 2020

I've never become attached to objects, guitars included. I have a favourite guitar, which is my Strat, as I play it the most, but I'm sure there are better ones out there, I haven't been somehow lucky enough in my 4th Strat purchase, to hit the jackpot. I have somehow become attached to the idea of having a full collection though, Strat, Tele, LP, 335. I probably will always have one of each.

The only guitar I would keep, would be a pre-CBS Strat, but purely to pass it on the the kids, whilst enjoying it along the way. If only buying one wasn't such a minefield!

cm01 · June 2020

This ... sold it once and luckily managed to buy it back ... and it still had the magic. Chinese made Burny 335 with a skinny neck and Gibson 57 classics. I swear I play better on it than any other guitar even though I prefer fat necks and it just sounds great - I recorded with it recently and the engineer wanted to buy it off me

And I’ve got a feeling this ‘burst replica is going to be with me for a long, long time

MattNovak · June 2020

When I first started earning money through gigging, and thought I was going to be a rock star, I bought a '93 Ibanez PGM500 (this would have been in about 2004). I subsequently had a tattoo of it done on my upper arm, because it seemed like a rationaal thing to do. Will try and find pics of both (still have them, obviously).

Sarge · June 2020

This.
Westone Prestige 250.
It was a dog when purchased and I've put many hours into a sympathetic restoration.
It is heavy and not very sofa friendly but it sounds great and the most comfortable neck I've played to date.

axisus · June 2020

Jimbro66 said:
All look great but that one on the right is brilliant!!

Ahh yes, my midi guitar. It might put you off when I tell you that it lights up!

Headless guitar video on Vimeo.

RaymondLin · June 2020

axisus said:

Jimbro66 said:
All look great but that one on the right is brilliant!!

Ahh yes, my midi guitar. It might put you off when I tell you that it lights up!

Headless guitar video on Vimeo.

I love it even more !

Snap · June 2020

An Avalon L12 jumbo. It has huge sentimental value and is a lovely guitar. When my mum died, long time now, she left us all a bit of money and said to go buy something to remember her by. She was a music teacher, so it had to be some sort of instrument. I took myself to Hank's, set out my budget to them and spent several hours there, came away with this. I think of her every time I pick it up, which is just how it should be.

Here's one in action.

artiebear · June 2020

Snap said:

An Avalon L12 jumbo. It has huge sentimental value and is a lovely guitar. When my mum died, long time now, she left us all a bit of money and said to go buy something to remember her by. She was a music teacher, so it had to be some sort of instrument. I took myself to Hank's, set out my budget to them and spent several hours there, came away with this. I think of her every time I pick it up, which is just how it should be.

Here's one in action.

What a great thing to do and a lovely guitar. I got hold of an L32 for my brother in law some years ago after he took a liking to one of my O Lowdens at the time (an O32). He still has it many years later and it is a stunning guitar.

dindude · June 2020

Despite my comment earlier in the thread, I forgot about this - a keeper by nature of it being a wedding gift from my wife, and the fact it’s more acoustic than I will ever deserve (you’ll know what I mean if you ever have the misfortune of hearing my acoustic playing). It’s a very nice instrument, and I don’t think you can even buy full-bore USA Taylor’s without electronics these days.

https://i.imgur.com/6EP6VFv.jpg

lovestrat74 · June 2020

enjo said:

munckee said:

@enjo that telecaster looks like a great piece of wood. I'm not into strats with humbuckers but a lovely looking guitar.

Thanks @munckee, the tele is actually a really nice bookmatched two piece swamp ash made by Jamesguitarparts. I added comfort cuts and finished it with wood dye and tru-oil.

@enjo do you remember what stains you used for this? Looks great. Might be an option for me as I have an ash tele to finish..

enjo · June 2020

lovestrat74 said:

enjo said:

munckee said:

@enjo that telecaster looks like a great piece of wood. I'm not into strats with humbuckers but a lovely looking guitar.

Thanks @munckee, the tele is actually a really nice bookmatched two piece swamp ash made by Jamesguitarparts. I added comfort cuts and finished it with wood dye and tru-oil.

@enjo do you remember what stains you used for this? Looks great. Might be an option for me as I have an ash tele to finish..

Colortone vintage amber and tobacco, you can see the process on a vid here and the steps I went through:
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/117500/first-partscaster-tele#latest
I highly recommend it! Just note that it is a very thin finish that doesn't go deep into the wood so be careful not to sand through it when applying a top coat.

Greatape · June 2020

susbemol said:

My Gibson 335 Block Inlay.

Oh, how I envy thee..

Greatape · June 2020

MagicPigDetective said:

At the start of the year, I convinced myself that I should sell my strat to make way for a new Les Paul, partly due to guilt on spending so much on non-family things. This was the guitar I bought for my 40th when I got back into playing. Nothing flash, just a 2015 american standard. I put it up for sale here and on the local facebook gear page. I received two offers on facebook.......but those offers triggered something.

A voice deep in my soul cried out “what the hell are you doing, you stupid oik? Selling a superb guitar you love and you know you’ll regret it for the rest of your life?”. The mist cleared, what I had thought was common sense was revealed to be a foolish weakness. You only live once I thought. To hell with it, I decided to keep the strat and went ahead and bought the Les Paul. Nobody seemed to mind and all was well with the world.

I now love the strat more than ever. Having survived this test, I know it is destined to be my forever guitar.

I learned (eventually) the hard way - don't sell the right strat unless absolutely necessary. In fact, not even then.