Too Delicate to Play?

[Plank_Spanker]

I guess I should have clarified my original post a bit............

 

I play my Gibbies hard, but I really do take great care of them. They get a thorough cleaning when I change strings (two gigs or two weeks - whichever comes first), and I wipe them down well when I'm done for the night. They all still look great when they're cleaned up. I definitely don't abuse my Gibbies.

 

My point was that I'm not afraid to get out and play the hell out of my Gibsons. I've heard and read from other Gibson owners who are literally afraid to play them for fear of damaging them. That's a collector's take.

 

I'm in no way slamming anyone here, and I'm definitely not espousing the intentional abuse of guitars.

 

Fear not the looks - do that Gibson proud and play it for all you're worth.

[FennRx]

I guess I should have clarified my original post a bit............

 

I play my Gibbies hard' date=' but I really do take great care of them. They get a thorough cleaning when I change strings (two gigs or two weeks - whichever comes first), and I wipe them down well when I'm done for the night. They all still look great when they're cleaned up. I definitely don't abuse my Gibbies.

 

My point was that I'm not afraid to get out and play the hell out of my Gibsons. I've heard and read from other Gibson owners who are literally afraid to play them for fear of damaging them. That's a collector's take.

 

I'm in no way slamming [b']anyone[/b] here, and I'm definitely not espousing the intentional abuse of guitars.

 

Fear not the looks - do that Gibson proud and play it for all you're worth.

 

hell i dont ever change my strings and i dont ever wipe my guitars down.

 

but i dont play all of guitars regularly. in fact, i've never played a gig and prolly won't ever jam with anyone. so i suppose i fall into the collector category. my thing is that i get one and then find another is better. I bought the Classic, then a Standard and then a R8. But I have been posting classified for the Classic and Standard, but not much of a market in Indiana.

 

though i did break out my Studio and I played the **** of her this morning....prolly more than in the last 3 or 4 years combined. and i'll tell ya, she's damn fine axe. and i kinda like the fact that she's got dings, dents and buckle rash.

 

i am curious though, who are you aiming your micro-rant towards? if it's me, that's fine. no offense will be taken.

[Plank_Spanker]

i am curious though' date=' who are you aiming your micro-rant towards? if it's me, that's fine. no offense will be taken.[/quote']

 

Not you or anyone else here in particular. My rant was scatter shot to all of those who spend more time primping and preening their Gibbies than playing them.

 

You can primp and preen after you get done playing them for all their worth - I do.

[AXE®]

Agreed , All my sticks still look good , not beat to hell .

Worn in and comfortable is what I'm talking about .

I don't wear a trash can lid for a belt buckle .

I wipe them down after a hard play .

The only time I case them is for transport , otherwise they sit in the stands , where I can get my hands on them quickly .

One is hooked up and ready at all times ... Just hit the go button and lett'r rip...

[Riffster]

Glad this subject got back on track. Although there was really no right or wrong answer to the original post to begin with.

[Manimal]

No offense guys, but this thread has turned into a "I rough it more than you" type of thread. Who cares??? At the end of the day, there are dudes that whipe their asses with expensive guitars, and some that pray to them like a shrine, and thats fine!!!! We all have different motives guitar-wise here.

1.) Can afford any guitar there is, and as many of them they want with no limit needed and are totally honest to being a collector and not a "player".

2.)Basement/bedroom player= Can afford to buy a few high-end guitars for home enjoyment to jam with, practice, learn tunes, even home record some of their own tunes. *Play their guitars regularly, isnt scared of them, but these few guitars are it for a while, can't afford to lose one.

3.)Recording album/ live use = This can vary. If playing and recording is your job, than yeah guitars are just tools. Respect them, but don't worry they are replaceable.

4.) Guitar Noob= No disrespect here at all. New to guitar, and were able to obtain a guitar that is probably WAY beyond what is neccesary, but hey they exist and they are icons. When this "noob" develops guitar skills and can then buy another, this usually takes the fear of damage away.

 

I personally play at home, write at home, and record in the studio with my LP Standard. I've been playing for about to 15 years and never owned or played such a nice guitar as I have now. After 4 months of ownership I have taken really good care of it, changed the strings about 4 times, and play daily, do a session a month in the studio. I SUCK at changing strings, soldering, all of it. And I'm man enough to admit it and don't care if anyone looks down on me for it. Chances are I can do plenty of things better than someone who thinks I'm a "wuss" for not being able to do set-ups or mods on my own, and vice versa. I have an excellent local tech who is going to be installing a bone nut and new caps in my guitar, and its going to be done perfectly. I'm over the whole "Its my new baby!" thing, but I still will not joke around with this thing. It will get its natural (few) battle scars, and if I sell it, I'll get good money because I take good care of it. Don't you guys like to buy stuff thats been taken care of? Now when I start gigging in September, it will be on a modded Vintage Modified P Bass, and I'll play the hell out of it, but I"ll still take care of her because its mine, I take pride in stuff that I own, and theres nothing wrong with that.

I would suggest to "condition sticklers" to play the guitar without worry, you'll get even better than you are currently, and with regular cleaning and maintanence your guitar will be fine.

I would suggest to "Pro's or Hacks"alike, treat your guitars better and stay the course of improving your playing, over how many "Pete Townsend Windmills" you do, or how "low" you can sling your guitar while still being able to play it. Or taking shots off the back of your guitar at a bar gig. Stuff like that is just embarrassing.....