So, I was thinking that most of the traditional guitar brands have something about them that is a bit quirky and less than ideal, e.g:
- Les Pauls are heavy, have breaky headstocks and a string splay that leads to tuning issues.
- Strats, with their single coils can be hummy, and have bolt on necks which puts a big block of wood in the way.
etc.
Thing is, we all love our Strats and les Pauls.
And when someone comes along and fixes the problems that are inherent in these designs we reject them.
Which makes me wonder, do we in some love our guitars more because of their imperfections?
And if someone came along and made the 'perfect guitar', would be harder to love (e.g. its perfect but dull)?
Comments
They also to an extent equate character with familiarity.
In general a lot of guitarists are concerned with resale value which further entrenches this.
I don't believe there to be a single perfected design but I do believe improvements are possible. My own perception is guitarists are more conservative about this than bassists.
That said it's maybe because I don't possess the chops to push one of those more perfect instruments to a point where they might resist.
Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
The massive recordings we consider classics were made with those guitars and so the next generation wanted them too. As icons they lead the business (either as originals or imitations). People have made some excellent guitars since, but few have made the iconic recordings many guitarists aspire to. It's odd because the likes of the faces had big guitar based hits without resorting to the marshall amps and les paul/strat combinations.
in the 70s the quality issues had players modding and a new industry sprang up supplying alternate pickups, brass fittings etc. and then a series of innovative guitars (including one John Birch). It really is all about the player, but we still associate the guitars with the hits.
A guitar is an extension of oneself, a means to artistic expression. I've played many guitars that I consider superior instruments in terms of logical design but I still found my Strat to be a much more expressive instrument than, say, my PRS.
I don't know if there's an identifiable or rational reason for this. Music is an emotive art form and perhaps the instruments themselves have much more to do with emotion than merely function.
If you draw a comparison between guitars and transport then if I had the choice of driving a vintage Porsche 356 or being in 1st class on the new Siemens GWR e320 into Paddington then I know what I'd choose. One will get you there effortlessly but the other will give you immense satisfaction before you've got to the end of the street.
So maybe playing a guitar that doesn't make you try a bit harder is less satisfying than an instrument that demands you play with determination and passion. I don't really know, but they're my thoughts spilled out in text form all the same.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
I'd easily believe some of it is psychosomatic though and it's because the person expects it to sound different.