Too Delicate to Play?

[Plank_Spanker]

I've been reading lots of posts from several boards (not too much here) about how delicate people treat their Lesters, and Gibsons in general. Some go to extremes and seem afraid to touch, let alone play, their Lesters - "I won't play them when it's hot because I might sweat on them".....................and the like.

 

Some are scared to death to do any kind of setup themselves - and shell out a premium to some knucklehead who promotes himself as a "tech".

 

There seems to be this delicate blown glass mystique that surrounds Gibsons - and it's bunk!

 

As pretty as they are, these guitars were built to be played, and played hard. "Loud and proud" is where they are meant to spend their lives. They won't disintegrate into dust if you forget to oil the fret board or polish the frets. The finish won't melt if you sweat on them.

 

I play regular gigs with a band, and all of my Gibbies work for a living - beer, blood, sweat, dings and all. I bought these guitars to play them.

 

I work my guitars hard, but I take very good care of them. They all make me happy every time I plug them in, and they deliver at gigs with all that goes with it.

 

Bottom line - play them! These guitars were built for just that.

 

*****Off Mini Rant********

[Ian Martin]

Thank you.

 

Alot of people on this forum seem to be collectors...though I have no names in mind in saying that.

 

I'm with you: I unapologetically beat the **** out of my guitars. Not on purpose, but if you play them it just happens. I'm not disrespectful of my guitars, I love them.

 

I am not rich, so when I shell out the money for an expensive Gibson it's going to get ****ing played and played hard. They are tools.

 

I like a polished guitar just as much as the next time...but if you play it, it's gonna show it. I play my guitar TOO MUCH to "wipe her down" every time I play.

[AXE®]

Oh man ... I bought em to play , Not to sit and be polished ,

 

I get my trophy's after the show , not for the show ,

 

I'm not a collector I'm a straight up player .

 

I don't intentionally try to age them , the do it by themselves .

 

Quit rubbin em ... Start Playing them !!!!!!!

[Tim Plains]

If I was in a band and gigged, I'd probably have the same view.

How much damage can I do playing home alone, really? I play 'em, I put 'em away.

I do treat them with care, but not like fine china.

I Virtuoso-ed the R9 a while ago, but that's different - that was to get rid of the VOS treatment.

I haven't touched the top since.

I thought about doing a power slide with it once, but we all know what happened to Monster Mash, don't we?

 

I'm sure I've said this before. I don't consider my guitars as a collection.

I understand that they are technically, but not in my eyes.

I don't need more than one guitar, but I like able to chose from a selection.

I play guitar everyday after work and on weekends. It's the one thing that always puts a smile on my face.

[deepblue]

Tim, I would never gig your R9.

If you were jamming with friends at home, or in the home of a friend thats one thing.

Too much could happen if you took her out every night....including theft.

[Ian Martin]

If I was in a band and gigged' date=' I'd probably have the same view.

How much damage can I do playing home alone, really? I play 'em, I put 'em away.

I do treat them with care, but not like fine china.

I Virtuoso-ed the R9 a while ago, but that's different - that was to get rid of the VOS treatment.

I haven't touched the top since.

I thought about doing a power slide with it once, but we all know what happened to Monster Mash, don't we?

 

I'm sure I've said this before. I don't consider my guitars as a collection.

I understand that they are technically, but not in my eyes.

I don't need more than one guitar, but I like able to chose from a selection.

I play guitar everyday after work and on weekends. It's the one thing that always puts a smile on my face.[/quote']

 

Tim, you don't have to defend yourself simply because you have a (nice/big) assortment of axes.

 

No one is singling you out!

[ckledzepplin]

ha monster mash

[Tim Plains]

Ian, I'm not defending myself.

This forum is all about conversation, isn't it?

Different people have different views & opinions, I just thought I'd share mine.

[Tim Plains]

Tim' date=' I would never gig your R9.

If you were jamming with friends at home, or in the home of a friend thats one thing.

Too much could happen if you took her out every night....including theft.[/quote']

I agree, in all honesty.

If I did gig, the nicest/most expensive guitar I would take on the road would be a LP Standard.

[retrosurfer1959]

I'm kinda guilty of both I have some I play hard and abuse. taking care of my gigging guitars means keeping them working with good string and most of the paint left on the guitar and I try not to let anyone puke in the case. My black standard is so bad it actually has a small bullet hole in the lower bout where somebody took a pot shot at it when it was in a stand on a stage. I hope the hell that's what happened to it anyway!!!

 

That said I have a one Piece top R9 and a few others that I pretty much baby and clean off every time I play them. so don't really know what that makes me not a collector in the true sense but a player that has a collection of more guitars then can be constantly played.

 

I just took delivery of the Warren Haynes 58 model at work. I'll post pics in a couple hours=d> I have no idea where it goes on the list of babied or abused it depends on how it sounds

[Gibson CS]

I'm with you: I unapologetically beat the **** out of my guitars. Not on purpose' date=' but if you play them it just happens. I'm not disrespectful of my guitars, I love them.

 

I am not rich, so when I shell out the money for an expensive Gibson it's going to get ****ing played and played hard. They are tools I play my guitar TOO MUCH to "wipe her down" every time I play. [/quote']

 

+70

[GuitarJunkie]

When I wasn't gigging, I would normally pull out the same guitar most of the time. I mean, I would occasionally play the others, but I figured my muck up a nice shiny new Gibson when I have my faded LP right there. This was especially true with rehearsals. Once we started gigging though, then I started using these things because that's the very reason I bought them. The funny thing is that now when I go to rehearsal, the one I wind up bringing happens to be the most expensive one I own.

[saturn]

I only play out about once a month, but when I do, I want to use my best guitar for everyone to see and hear. Right now my best guitar is my LP Studio Plus. Although it's a Studio and not AAA or even AA, I think it's very pretty. If I get a better model someday, I plan to gig with it too. I thinks it's a waste for all that tone to be heard by only me in my basement.

 

It's kind of ironic that the supposed purpose of the Studio was that it didn't look as pretty so it was for the studio where no one would see it anyway. Assuming that people wanted their prettiest guitars for live situations so everyone could admire them. Now people won't take their best guitars out to gig for fear, and Studios are used live as much if not more than Standards and Customs.

[WhiteRaven]

I only have one Gibson (an SG), and I play it like it's supposed to be played. I don't "baby" it, I mean, like, I don't practically cry every time I bump the body on something or stuff like that... I just play it.

 

I am kinda paranoid about headstock breaks, though. I've no experience with breaking headstocks, so I have no idea how much it actually takes to break it (anyone want to fill me in?). I keep having this recurring nightmare about me turning around, smacking the headstock off the dresser, and having it fly across the room. I'd probably cry then.

[Gibson CS]

i baby my guitars, but im not afraid of what will happen, i already know what is gonna happen

 

 

kick *** rock and ROOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

 

 

=D

[charlie brown]

Playing "out" increases their "Mojo!" All that grit, smoke, "blood, sweat, and tears" (Hey, that was a good band, long ago)

and all the rest are what some folks pay (a premium) for the factory to "fake," now. Amazing! I play my Gibsons (and other

brands too), as often as possible!! I DO take care of them, as well, but I'm not that "precious" about it. I actually prefer a bit

of "hazing" of the finish...after a few years of playing and polishing. The "New" super glossy incites me to mess with that, a

bit. ;>) Much prefer "well loved and played," to "new!"

 

CB

[RONNIESIZE]

i baby my guitars' date=' but im not afraid of what will happen, i already know what is gonna happen

 

 

kick *** rock and ROOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

 

 

=D[/quote']

 

Hell yeah!

[Ricky330]

I gig pretty frequently and I always polish my guitars when I change the strings (which is pretty much every 6-8 weeks). I certainly don't worry about dings and scrapes. That's all part of the charm of the instrument.

I do remember the first time I dinged my Les Paul though! I thought I was going to cry. I was cutting a string to length by the headstock and scratched the edge of the headstock! I was miserable for days. Since then, I've had a few dings in the nitrocellulose coating (easily repairable) and taken a little chunk out of the backside edge accidentally with my amp!

You just gotta play your guitar and forget everything else.

[deepblue]

If my guitar (any of them ) gets even the slightest ding I dwell on it for days!

So far so good with my Lesters *TOUCH WOOD*

I never used to be like that.

[fingers galore]

I play mine. Blood, sweat and beers.

 

If I had a r9 I would gig with it. The ones I have heard sound to sweet not to. All just my opinion. Cheers.

[Riffster]

I am just a hobbyist and with 7 guitars I do not put a lot of wear on them. Two of them are Gibsons and I rarely even clean them.

 

I have ahd my LPVM for 3 years and I have cleaned it twice since I bough it. I love the "patina" on its neck, it is a nice mixture of sweat, french fries and chicken wings grease and germs. When I cleaned the guitar last the neck was too squeaky clean.

 

My new explorer is going to get the same tratment I have had it for 3 months and no cleaning yet. I have been rubbing the neck with a microfiber cloth but just to break it in faster.

 

I restrung and cleaned my 12-stringer acoustic last week. It does not have a pickup so the tuning is using the mic on my tuner. Talk about patience....

[ChanMan]

Don't get the distinction, myself. I have guitars that are not played as often as others, but all my instruments are played. If you have a guitar just for having it, then you are a collector... and immune from having to play all your guitars. I mean... there a folks with 50+ cars... they don't have to drive every one of them... it's a collection.

 

But what I really don't get is why the two seem to be mutually exclusive. There, apparently, are only 2 possible scenarios to some folks: Play them and screw them up, or store them and keep them nice.

 

Pardon the post, but this was my #1 since the '80s, until I bought my LP:

 

 

 

It doesn't look all horked up to me, and it has gigged, outside, inside... practices... the whole 9 yards.

 

Why can't they be played AND taken care of??

[Riffster]

I agree ChanMan, taking care of your guitar shouldn't mean you are a collector necessarily.

 

I do not take of of mine as I should because every time I try it goes the other way for me. Example? I put 2 of the dings my LPVM while trying to get it in the case. It does not get more ironic than that.

[Witmer]

Don't get the distinction' date=' myself. I have guitars that are not played as often as others, but all my instruments are played. If you have a guitar just for having it, then you are a collector... and immune from having to play all your guitars. I mean... there a folks with 50+ cars... they don't have to drive every one of them... it's a collection.

 

But what I really don't get is why the two seem to be mutually exclusive. There, apparently, are only 2 possible scenarios to some folks: Play them and screw them up, or store them and keep them nice.

 

Why can't they be played AND taken care of??[/quote']

 

 

Well...maybe it's because I'm clumsy. I don't play out much at all, so most of the wear on my guitar is just wear...gold coming off the hardware, a duller spot on the nitro, etc. But then there's the ding where I had it on a stand, and was carrying another stand across the stage. The big bottom fork on the stand I was carrying fell out, landed on its rubber tip and sprang thought the air to collide, metal-end first, with the guitar.

 

And then there's the nick on the upper corner, no idea how that happened...and scratches on the back because I don't want my pants to fall down and refuse to buckle my belt off to the side.

 

I've given up feeling upset about it, but I can't say I'm happy when "character"happens.

[stymye]

Don't get the distinction' date=' myself. I have guitars that are not played as often as others, but all my instruments are played. If you have a guitar just for having it, then you are a collector... and immune from having to play all your guitars. I mean... there a folks with 50+ cars... they don't have to drive every one of them... it's a collection.[/quote'].

 

if your just learning guitar and have say 3 reissues , I would have to wonder why not have one nice guitar and spend some money on lessons so you can truely appreciate the guitar. than mabey become a musician and buy them to use and really enjoy in mabey a band scenero.

a person with a bunch of nice cars can probably drive those cars pretty well and really appreciate them for what they are.

some car collectors let someone else actually drive the car. should someone hire a musician to come over and play the guitar for them. and the next new one and the next new one? if so ,,shoot me an email...lol

 

people can do whatever makes them happy but that doesn't mean people can't wonder what their doing.

In some cases I figure its an addiction, and mabey in some cases for attention?possibly?

 

for me it's all about being a better player I'm always practicing, I have 4 guitars, one nice LP, I almost bought a new faded but instead I set a goal for myself to improve my playing on the one I already have to annother level, when I get there that might be the reward. I can't see buying annother and annother without having some kind of purpose . well thats just me , everybody has their reasons