Not Bonding!

[retrorod]

That is great advice also

I had all but forgotten about our friend "the Capo" for a "fake set-up" and a bonding relationship...

[zombywoof]

First, after more than 50 years of playing my hands still feel like hamburger at the end of a long night of playing. It sure don't help that I tend to set the action on my guitars a bit higher. But I have gotten to the point where I slap on some lighter guage strings if I know I am in for a marathon.

 

Next, I have never figured out why folks think bonding with a guitar is a relatively quick process. Most folks have the period of being initially enamored with a guitar - after just a day or so they will swear it is the best they have ever held in their hands. But then the work of making that guitar do what you want it to do begins. Sometimes it works out sometimes it don't. If it always worked out there would be a heck of alot less used guitars up for grabs. Sometimes you are the one who changes as you set off in a different direction in search of a different feel and sound. I, as example, used to look for a guitar with alot of sustain. These days though I prefer one with a bit quicker note decay. Somewhere along the way I started to pinch strings more than strum them (something I learned from listening to Skip James. I wanted a guitar with a sharper more staccoto kinda response.

 

For me though coming to terms with a guitar takes time - sometimes alot of time. It takes not only getting to know a guitar but yourself and how to get it to work for your style. It takes that guitar helping you get through the bad times and making the good times better.

 

My advice is don't rush to judgement. Give it time.