Guitar Snobs

[Sb39]

JumbleJumble - Depends on what you're being a snob about.  Music is kind of like a personally arranged and personally tailored religion for each of us.  I get some of your ideas, you get some of mine (in the common artists that we like), but we should never ever proselytize the artists the other person isn't into too much to one another.    It's like that guy that gives you a ride in his car...talks endlessly about how 'bada$$' this one song or band is...drives you nuts by playing it loudly enough to embarrass you both at red lights and singing it at the top of his lungs, and you don't have the heart to tell him, "Hey it's great that you like it, but I think it sucks."    Shoving a specific song or artist down another's throat can actually prevent them from ever wanting to listen to it on their own, which is the only way music should ever be heard by the individual.

When it comes to music, the only thing I'm a snob about is personal limitation for various reasons.  Whether it's indie or commercially written and produced...hard rock or broadway show tunes, all music has a weighted value in my mind.  And I think it's a tragedy if you limit yourself to one style without trying it first.  If you listen to it, and it doesn't connect with you, that's different, I won't fault you for that.  But if you don't let it in long enough to try to let that connection happen...that's what I'm snobbish about, I s'pose.  Give everything a chance, then if it still sucks to you, I won't ever judge.    ccasion14: 

 

[Jumble Jumble]

You're drunk.

Anyway, to get girls you only have to do one of two things: get on stage (legitimately), or dance. In my experience, it's arguably easier to get on stage, even if it takes years of practice, although that's not entirely necessary. You just have to dare to suck, and get someone to let you.

Dude it's 11am here. Well, I guess I've been drunk at 11am before. OK, I'm not drunk. I do love Katy Perry though. Me and the wife has seen her live, twice. And it was brilliant both times.

I never did either of those things and... I didn't get any girls. Ah.

The way I got them in the end was being funny and charming, I guess that's ok. I was never exactly a Casanova though.

Anyway, I'm off to do something about that "not being drunk" situation.

 

[Cagey]

Cop buddy of mine years ago told me he made more drunk driving arrests in the morning than he did at night. People go out and get hammered, then somehow manage to make it home in one piece, pass out for a few hours, then go out and drive the next day to get to work or whatever.

Thing is, your body can only metabolize an ounce of alcohol an hour at best, and the more you have in you the slower the process gets as the liver loses efficiency. People think since they got a couple/few hours sleep, they're good to go, but that's not the case. They're still drunk, but they've showered and put on fresh clothes and brushed their teeth. Maybe ate a piece of toast or a bowl of Cocoa Sugar Bombs. A presentable drunk, at as it were.

But, your breath still exudes alcohol because it's in your blood, which is sorta exposed in your lungs, and anybody sober can smell it a mile away. Cops are sensitive to such things, especially when you're behaving erratically. So, boom! You're busted! Cops love it because it's a long involved arrest, so they don't have deal with street bullshit for 3-4 hours.

Still, I say beer is the breakfast of champions.

 

[jackthehack]

Again, just stating my opinion. I don't like anything like a fender that's not a fender.

Wow - I feel bad for you buddy.  It's like saying you don't like redheads or something.  You're missing out on some great experiences.

Nothing against redheads. But the blondes that dye their hair "Aubrey O'day red...." Whats with that? Be blonde, be suhr, be G&L, not fender.

I can't believe I'm so quick to pull the age card, but dang, man.  Look at the "whys" behind why things are the way they are.  G&L, Music Man etc were instrumental in getting Fender to remove its head from its hind end.  Fender's offering were so effing poor that the *original* people tried to recreate more playable versions of what they'd previously created.  I own more Fenders and have built more guitars with Warmoth parts than you will probably ever play.  I've owned an actual Nocaster, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond Strats and Teles.  The ones I've kept, I've kept for a reason, and the ones that have had their necks replaced were also for reasons.  Fender made some garbage as well as some gems, even in the "golden era" or whatever.

I'll also echo Mayfly here, and expound to say that you shouldn't be a fanboi of anything.  If Fender is/was so great, WHY is that, and WHAT made it that way.  Music isn't about brands and trends.  Those things follow music.  Some of us have taken that to an extreme and started mod'ing and building guitars and basses that are EXACTLY what we want.  I'll put my Bloodwood/Ebony necked bass against any bass on the planet.  The fact is, I don't own a single pure Fender bass anymore.  For a reason.  It's my reason, so get your own!

-Mark

You DO realize you're attempting to have a logical argument/point out the obvious to a 13 year old? Just shoo him off your lawn and carry on...

 

[mayfly]

Anyway, I'm off to do something about that "not being drunk" situation.

It's 9:10 here and that's the best idea I've heard yet today.

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

This thread is awesome.  :cool01:

+ 1

Not so much a flamewar, more a very high efficiency heat exchanger working way over spec.

 

[Johnny]

Hmmmm...Madonna...Nope...Never cared for her music, but I did go see Neil Diamond in concert last month. 

Not my usual musical style, but the guy still sounded great at 70 and the songs are just classic.

OK...Let the bashing begin.  :laughing7:

 

[bagman67]

Just let me add this:


Redheads are still awesome.


My wife (a dark brunette, naturally) goes all crazy with the hair colors from time to time, and when she goes red (I mean, Crayola-box red, not some variant of auburn or ginger), she looks smashing.

 

[pabloman]

I Love Them Redheads

 

[stubhead]

What's weird is, there are a lot of semi-reds who go blond in enough sun and a lot of brunetties who go semi-red if they get enough sun, though unless you own your own private island, the carpet rarely matched the drapes, if you get my drift. I though Russell Brand was doing awesome until he married her, when (apparently) the RULE BOOK was unfettered. But yeah, I'd marry her for a week too. At least she's not scary =

WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR BRAIN!

not very, anyway

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I've been a Madonna fan for a while. The wife and I saw her live a few weeks ago, though, and we're less so now. I mean, come on, she has one of the best back catalogues in pop (as long as you like pop), but she just won't play the hits. And then right at the end she does Like A Prayer, note perfect. "I can," she's saying, "but I won't". A shame. Still like the records but probably won't go to another gig. The tickets were >$100 each.

 

[alterbridgefan]

Again, just stating my opinion. I don't like anything like a fender that's not a fender.

Wow - I feel bad for you buddy.  It's like saying you don't like redheads or something.  You're missing out on some great experiences.

Nothing against redheads. But the blondes that dye their hair "Aubrey O'day red...." Whats with that? Be blonde, be suhr, be G&L, not fender.

I can't believe I'm so quick to pull the age card, but dang, man.  Look at the "whys" behind why things are the way they are.  G&L, Music Man etc were instrumental in getting Fender to remove its head from its hind end.  Fender's offering were so effing poor that the *original* people tried to recreate more playable versions of what they'd previously created.  I own more Fenders and have built more guitars with Warmoth parts than you will probably ever play.  I've owned an actual Nocaster, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond Strats and Teles.  The ones I've kept, I've kept for a reason, and the ones that have had their necks replaced were also for reasons.  Fender made some garbage as well as some gems, even in the "golden era" or whatever.

I'll also echo Mayfly here, and expound to say that you shouldn't be a fanboi of anything.  If Fender is/was so great, WHY is that, and WHAT made it that way.  Music isn't about brands and trends.  Those things follow music.  Some of us have taken that to an extreme and started mod'ing and building guitars and basses that are EXACTLY what we want.  I'll put my Bloodwood/Ebony necked bass against any bass on the planet.  The fact is, I don't own a single pure Fender bass anymore.  For a reason.  It's my reason, so get your own!

-Mark

I dislike most recent fenders, especially my jazz bass. Lacks "magic" factor. Doesn't stay in tune, hardware is a mile off, etc. But every vintage tele I've played... Amazing.
My 1991 MIA tele... amazing. And I own a fender 60's jaguar, which I adore. I will admit, though; that one has been heavily modded.

 

[bagman67]

I don't categorically discount Fenders, or recent Fenders, or what have you.


My early-2000's MIJ Aerodyne Telecaster definitely had the magic going on.  It was also my first Tele, and was so very much "me" from the word go that I wondered why I had waited nearly 25 years to get one.  Of course, it was a far cry from a pure traditional Tele design, but anyway...


On the other hand, the matching Aerodyne Strat I picked up made me question why I bothered with Strats at all - it sucked.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Early 2000s is CIJ.  MIJ is earlier, though they've gone back to that designation recently. The MIJ/CIJ differences denote time period and factory location.

 

[Sb39]

Bagman...everything I've seen and heard about Aerodyne Strats leads me to believe they're one of Fender's most unintentionally well kept secrets.  I WILL own one eventually.  On my wishlist, big time.

 

[Cagey]

On the other hand, the matching Aerodyne Strat I picked up made me question why I bothered with Strats at all - it sucked.

Older Strats, or new ones based on old ones, are easy to hate. They were a cast iron bitch to keep in tune, the pickups were often very thin and sterile-sounding, and they were noisy as lockup at Wayne County Jail in Detroit. I played for probably 20 years before I ever got one, and it wasn't even a Fender, it was a G&L. That changed my mind about them. Prior to that, you couldn't give me a Strat. I've seen guys smash them out of frustration. Hell, even Jimi Hendrix had to do that from time to time.

 

[Sb39]

I actually always figured the Hendrix era strat to be the turning point that made people begin to appreciate the pre-CBS models and give them value in the first place, but I could be wrong about that.

 

[bagman67]

Bagman...everything I've seen and heard about Aerodyne Strats leads me to believe they're one of Fender's most unintentionally well kept secrets.  I WILL own one eventually.  On my wishlist, big time.

Well, mine sucked @ss, for the reasons Cagey attributes more generally to pre-two-point tremolo Fender strats.  Tuning was a fight every time, and it was indeed shrill and noisy - sounded like cats having sex in my amp.  In its defense, it had a very comfy neck.


Maybe the more recent flame-top veneer/plastic pickguard ones are better, but the my tuxedo-black one really blew.


Now, the Telecaster - if I had a few bucks in my pocket and no Warmoth wet dreams in heavy rotation, I'd pick up another Aerodyne Tele for sure.  That was a fine axe, despite the Kluson tuners.

 

[Cagey]

Opinions vary. The CBS stuff was junk, and I don't think you'll get much argument from anybody on that, but the older stuff wasn't anything to write home about. The hardware was pitifully bad, as was the fit/finish. Of course, I'm comparing to what's available today, which is worlds away. Kinda like comparing a modern Mustang to a '65. The '65s were junk, relatively speaking. Bad brakes, suspension, tires, steering, engines, sheet metal - you name it. They were death traps. Thing is, there are a lotta fond memories of those old girls so all their inadequacies have been forgotten/forgiven. Guitars are much the same way. Problem is, forgiving and forgetting doesn't change the reality. The only way I'd take an old "classic" is so I could put it on ebay and wait for a sucker to enrich me.

 

[Sb39]

Opinions vary. The CBS stuff was junk, and I don't think you'll get much argument from anybody on that, but the older stuff wasn't anything to write home about. The hardware was pitifully bad, as was the fit/finish. Of course, I'm comparing to what's available today, which is worlds away. Kinda like comparing a modern Mustang to a '65. The '65s were junk, relatively speaking. Bad brakes, suspension, tires, steering, engines, sheet metal - you name it. They were death traps. Thing is, there are a lotta fond memories of those old girls so all their inadequacies have been forgotten/forgiven. Guitars are much the same way. Problem is, forgiving and forgetting doesn't change the reality. The only way I'd take an old "classic" is so I could put it on ebay and wait for a sucker to enrich me.

Don't wanna sidetrack this thread, but at LAST...someone who will tell it like it is about 'classic' Mustangs. 

And I should know, I owned one of the worst, a 73.  They were like all musclecars in the 60s.  Designed to go fast, and in a straight line (although fast is refutable today when you have V-6s in Mustangs that make more net horsepower than most V8s of the musclecar genre).

My irritation with vintage anything, especially Fender pre-CBS guitars is when I see auctions on ebay and some junky old Strat going for $30,000.  Collectors amaze me.  The sales pitch they try to give for the guitar being 'they don't make 'em like this anymore' just makes me want to comment on each and every video I see. 

"No.  They indeed don't 'make 'em like that' anymore."  Only I don't mean that in any real positive light.    I don't have any problem with collectors paying value for them because they're old, they're historic, they're rare.  But some sort of superior sounding/playing/'holy grail' instrument?  Please.  Such examples were few and far between, and more likely due to the artist experimenting with so many different tones that they happened across whatever sound made them famous.

Apologies in advance to any vintage Fender fans.    I owned a Fender 'reissue' of sorts, my SRV strat, which I sold to get the money for just the body of my new Warmoth LP.  Worth every penny.  The SRV was a buzzy, toneless piece of junk.  And the 'jumbo' frets on it were tall and not wide, nothing like SRV used on #1.  You would expect more from Fender for $1200 new.  But back in '98 when I bought it, I got caught up in the name brand, and the name sake attached to it.