In the last few years I've gone through several electric guitars trying to find what really works for me. I've had a few Strats, a Tele, two LPs, a Jackson, a Music Man, and probably a few others that I am forgetting. Some were nice and I connected with them for a while, but I ended up selling them all and never feeling like I had bonded completely.
It dawned on me somewhere along the way that I really don't like most electric guitars. I have played the acoustic for so long now that many electrics feel too small and toy-like to me. And most of them seem way too cramped for space where the PUPS are. With a Strat, for example, I end up digging my pick into the middle PUP when I play.
At some point I became interested in hollowbody guitars as an alternative to the more common electric guitars. They are basically acoustic guitars with PUPS mounted on them. These guitars aren't very popular so it's a lot harder to find them to demo. I played some at different shops and many of them are good instruments but just very poorly set up from the factory. I came close to buying a high-end Gretsch but would always come back to the Guild. I'm not entirely sure why. I have always admired Guilds and I do like the road-less-taken aspect of them. They are a bit like Larrivee in this regard. Most people who play a hollowbody seem to have a Gretsch, and understandably so: they are wonderful guitars.
I researched all I could about these Guilds but was never able to get my hands on one. I decided at last to just take a chance and order one. It is rare to order a guitar that becomes a lifetime keeper, but that is how I got my Larrivee over 20 years ago, so it does happen.
I've had the Guild for a while now and really cannot get enough of it. When I first started learning about these hollowbodies, I decided I'd not get one with a Bigsby. Truth told, I think they look kind of funny. But now that I have one, I cannot imagine a guitar without one! It's so much fun to use! I'm a more laid-back player and love to play clean bluesy/jazzy/surfy/rockabilly-sounding stuff, so the Bigsby really is a must for those styles. At this point I've adjusted my technique to where the bar is either in my right hand or very close to it at all times.
I'm about to turn 50 and wanted a new guitar to mark what I'm referring to as "the second half of life." I plan on this being the last guitar I ever buy (I know, I know...). I now have the perfect electric and the perfect acoustic with my Larrivee. Maybe someday if the right 12-string comes across my path I will pull the trigger on it. But I really do want to be done with buying guitars. I actually don't enjoy it anymore, but rather I enjoy finding something I connect with and spending time with it, learning new music, and just being a guitar player. Finding new guitars, setting them up, finding the perfect set of strings, etc, etc, used to be fun for me, but now it's more of a hassle. I just want to play guitar.
I really wish Larrivee made a guitar like this. I'd have bought one for sure if they did.
Anyway, here is my new Guild:
Congrats on the new guitar and Happy 50th!
:nice guitar:
Congratulations Silence!
What a way to celebrate your half-century mark - with such a beautiful instrument. And great hearing it sounds as good as it looks! :nana_guitar
Congratulations on your Guild guitar. 50 isn't time for your last guitar. I got one this year at 72. I wanted a special run Larrivee coming in later this year, but a 90 year put money down on it LOL!!!
What a nice looking guitar, a memorable way to mark your 50th and to provide yourself a new outlet to make some great music. For my 50th, I bought my second Larrivee, a custom 12 string (LV03MT).
What a beaut! I was very close to buying that same model in white. So cool looking.
I'm around your age and "last guitar" would scare me. I guess I view playing guitar as traveling to another place, mentally. In life, I tend to visit the same places a lot but I occasionally want to find a new spot (and, sometimes I NEED to).
I agree about being "over" the hunt for the right strings, set-up, ect. That used to be fun but now it's an annoyance. I just want to make music with it and not work on it like it's a car. I even hate changing strings to the extent that I just sold a high-end guitar and told the buyer I was sending it with the 6 year old strings on it. As I type that I feel really embarrassed for doing it.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on April 19, 2024, 09:18:23 AMAnyway, here is my new Guild:
I notice you do not say the model. I was looking at reverb, and I could guess, but I would rather not do that.
What is it? It looks really fine, and complete!
Mike
Quote from: mike in lytle on April 19, 2024, 09:22:17 PMI notice you do not say the model. I was looking at reverb, and I could guess, but I would rather not do that.
What is it? It looks really fine, and complete!
Mike
It's called a Manhattan X175. Made in South Korea in the old Samick factory. I consider it a pretty high-end guitar, priced between the good Epiphones and the Japanese Gretches. As far as I know, Guild no longer has a USA-made line.
It has DeArmond PUPs that sound just killer. The vibrato system works perfectly and it holds tune extremely well. It came with D'Addario regular 11s on it and it was set up just about right for me. I will try some different strings to see what really suits it. I'm also playing it with a very heavy pick which is unusual for me. A lighter pick just doesn't bring out the fat tone this guitar wants to give.
Quote from: B0WIE on April 19, 2024, 08:35:52 PMWhat a beaut! I was very close to buying that same model in white. So cool looking.
I'm around your age and "last guitar" would scare me. I guess I view playing guitar as traveling to another place, mentally. In life, I tend to visit the same places a lot but I occasionally want to find a new spot (and, sometimes I NEED to).
I agree about being "over" the hunt for the right strings, set-up, ect. That used to be fun but now it's an annoyance. I just want to make music with it and not work on it like it's a car. I even hate changing strings to the extent that I just sold a high-end guitar and told the buyer I was sending it with the 6 year old strings on it. As I type that I feel really embarrassed for doing it.
50 might seem soon for a last guitar, but I'm honestly tired of buying things. I love to find what works and bond with it. My Larrivee has been like that and I've had it 21 years now. I don't want another acoustic, and if I really bond with this Guild like I hope I will, I won't want another electric.
Really nice post, thanks for sharing. And nice guitar too, congrats!
I went thru something similar with my strat partscasters. I have zero ability to dial in tones simply due to too many choices. Two tone knobs, volume, 3 pickups, 5 switch points and that's before you get to the amp with it's volume and overdrive, compression, reverb and whatever flavor of the month dial in addition. I reached a point where I simply gave up and now prefer playing cleaner tones the strat does well. Also a bit of planning for the future where my hands will balk at playing acoustic when the nearby strat is so much easier.
Being a few decades your senior, let me assure you these are not your last guitars! :beer
Back around 2010 I foolishly traded a Gibson les paul Jr. that was in a satin burgundy finish. Ah, the simplicity of one P90 pickup, one volume and one tone knob!!
I like this thread. There have been personal comments given that are open and revealing.
Mike
Quote from: jpmist on April 20, 2024, 12:35:23 PMReally nice post, thanks for sharing. And nice guitar too, congrats!
...
Being a few decades your senior, let me assure you these are not your last guitars! :beer
Glad you enjoyed my post. Thanks. Sometimes when I get a bit of quiet time with my laptop, it's fun to try and write out something meaningful, so it's nice when it's appreciated by someone.
I understand what you mean about being my senior and my likely wanting more guitars in the future. And I will even leave open the possibility. But I really am tired of buying things. For so many years I've rat-holed money (I don't use credit), saved, sold stuff, and it's somewhat disheartening to have all my money gone by getting something new, and then starting the whole endeavor over again.
And not just that, but the joy of *getting* has really left me, and I hope it doesn't come back. Even with getting this new guitar, it wasn't so much about getting a *new* guitar, but getting something that I love to make music with. I don't really like going into guitar shops and demoing guitars anymore either, etc. It just seems like a big hassle to find one, get it set up, find the perfect strings, upgrade parts, etc, etc. It's all wearisome to me at this point. I just want to play guitar.
When I put this new Guild in my hands, I connected with it as a means to an end, that end being my playing the music I enjoy and getting the old sounds I want. Back in the day I would have started looking at *other* hollowbodies and seeing what nuances they might have to offer, etc.
It's that endless tone-chase that I'm so weary of. Who cares if the Gretsch would have done this or that better? Or if the D'Angelico might've had a superior bridge (as an example)? It just goes round and round and I want to move on from it all. I really think I have arrived at that place, which is exactly what I want.
Quote from: jpmist on April 20, 2024, 12:35:23 PMI went thru something similar with my strat partscasters.
Your bit here about a partscaster got me thinking of something. About 25 years ago I built one and it was a truly amazing guitar. When I got into the acoustic I was convinced that I was done with playing electric, so I offloaded the guitar, my amp, pedals (I had a minimal setup but it was nice), etc. For years, as my wife predicted (she's good at that), I regretting letting go of the Strat. Now that I have the Guild and my simple little setup again, I'm finally (many years later!) over letting go of that Strat and honestly don't want it back again. I feel at home with a hollowbody guitar. But, man, someone ended up with a killer Strat on the other end of eBay back in the day! I hope they are still enjoying it.
Nice guild! I had my eye on the x175 recently too...the new production model has this beautiful natural finish and if I recall some soap bar looking p90s...reasonable price too.
Guild is a cool brand and I understand Yamaha purchased them recently so I'm excited to see if they start making some of the Starfires in Japan. I love the look of a natur maple semi hollow or hollow.
I decided I wanted to dress up my Guild a bit so I had a custom truss rod cover made by Jayne Henderson of EJ Henderson Guitars. Not only does she make great guitars and ukes, but she is known for her wonderful inlay work. I named my new guitar "Gilda," sort of after the Rita Hayworth character, and because the name Gilda means 'golden.' It seemed fitting for a vintage-looking gold guitar. What do you think?
:tongue:
Nice touch to an already classy headstock.
I would be honored to have a single TOOTHPICK from Henderson Guitars!! Very nice touch!
My midlife meltdown continues, this time with an 80's style shredder. It seems apropos that the guitar's finish caught the reflection of my minivan for the pic. Welcome to my life!
:roll
That is a sweet ax! To me, it screams 80's hair metal band, in a good way. :nice guitar:
Shred is back to being cool. Give anything enough time...
On youtube, I even see a lot of respected classical players posting an occasional electric guitar solo lately. I generally don't read youtube comments but these are always hilarious as you'll see a lot of people from the EU classical community being critical while the (assumedly) American viewers heap on the praise. I think it's cool to finally see shred/heavy metal solo guitar getting respect as an art form. It's not something I play but I've always respected those who have the discipline to build their chops. If we're honest, what Tommy Emmanuel does is acoustic shred and it's no less vulgar or excessive than most 80's metal guitarists. :guitar
I'm going to go grab my Ibanez now.
Quote from: StringPicker6 on March 23, 2025, 07:35:02 PMThat is a sweet ax! To me, it screams 80's hair metal band, in a good way. :nice guitar:
That's exactly what I was going for!
Quote from: B0WIE on March 23, 2025, 08:49:47 PMShred is back to being cool. Give anything enough time...
On youtube, I even see a lot of respected classical players posting an occasional electric guitar solo lately. I generally don't read youtube comments but these are always hilarious as you'll see a lot of people from the EU classical community being critical while the (assumedly) American viewers heap on the praise. I think it's cool to finally see shred/heavy metal solo guitar getting respect as an art form. It's not something I play but I've always respected those who have the discipline to build their chops. If we're honest, what Tommy Emmanuel does is acoustic shred and it's no less vulgar or excessive than most 80's metal guitarists. :guitar
I'm going to go grab my Ibanez now.
I love a good Ibanez! Thought about getting one but I just love Jackson necks. They fit my hand perfectly. And like you pointed out, YT is the place for shred! I love it.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on March 23, 2025, 11:15:07 PMI love a good Ibanez! Thought about getting one but I just love Jackson necks. They fit my hand perfectly. And like you pointed out, YT is the place for shred! I love it.
My luckiest guitar buy ever was when I saw a craigslist ad for a "Steve Vai Ibanez $500". The guy was about to go out to dinner w/ his family and I told him, "Please, I'll give you your asking price, just wait for me". I didn't tell him I was an hour away. :laughin:
It turned out to be the rare black Ibanez Jem from 1989. The one tasteful looking Jem they made w/ pyramid inlays. He was a jock and this thing sat under his bed unused for 20 years. I feel weird for owning it because it's worth a lot and I rarely play it but this was a childhood dream guitar for me. I think I'm going to learn to shred some day and, if not, this thing wasn't a bad investment.
(https://www.sellmyjem.com/uploads/5/1/5/6/51568669/8553733.png?1431367603)
Quote from: B0WIE on March 24, 2025, 01:07:46 AMMy luckiest guitar buy ever was when I saw a craigslist ad for a "Steve Vai Ibanez $500". The guy was about to go out to dinner w/ his family and I told him, "Please, I'll give you your asking price, just wait for me". I didn't tell him I was an hour away. :laughin:
It turned out to be the rare black Ibanez Jem from 1989. The one tasteful looking Jem they made w/ pyramid inlays. He was a jock and this thing sat under his bed unused for 20 years. I feel weird for owning it because it's worth a lot and I rarely play it but this was a childhood dream guitar for me. I think I'm going to learn to shred some day and, if not, this thing wasn't a bad investment.
(https://www.sellmyjem.com/uploads/5/1/5/6/51568669/8553733.png?1431367603)
Wow! What a find!!! I've never seen a Jem with that particular cutout. I like it. I always loved the pyramid inlays too, much more than the vines.
As far as shredding goes, I'm 50 and this year finally decided I'd try and learn to play faster. I'm sure there are many great techniques for learning, and if one sticks with anything in a disciplined way it would likely work, but I happened upon a couple YT vids that really helped open this world up for me. I'll post them below in case you are interested. I'm still not playing super fast (yet!) but I'm hearing sounds coming out of my amp that I've never heard before, and that has been both fun and encouraging! And it's really something to demystify all this a bit and see your fingers moving faster than they ever have. Best wishes to you in learning too!
https://youtu.be/vgkXjamtap0?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/PJyj0tGQ4q8?feature=shared
Quote from: Silence Dogood on March 24, 2025, 08:18:19 AMWow! What a find!!! I've never seen a Jem with that particular cutout. I like it. I always loved the pyramid inlays too, much more than the vines.
As far as shredding goes, I'm 50 and this year finally decided I'd try and learn to play faster. I'm sure there are many great techniques for learning, and if one sticks with anything in a disciplined way it would likely work, but I happened upon a couple YT vids that really helped open this world up for me. I'll post them below in case you are interested. I'm still not playing super fast (yet!) but I'm hearing sounds coming out of my amp that I've never heard before, and that has been both fun and encouraging! And it's really something to demystify all this a bit and see your fingers moving faster than they ever have. Best wishes to you in learning too!
https://youtu.be/vgkXjamtap0?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/PJyj0tGQ4q8?feature=shared
Thanks. I've stumbled across some of Paul Gilbert's videos on Youtube and, even though I wasn't trying to watch them as shred instructionals, I found them fascinating to watch. He explains things so well that they can give anyone who is playing guitar some food for thought. I tried watching some Vinny Moore recently and, even when he's teaching, he's still going faster than my brain can keep up with. I like that Paul explains the shifts and things that experienced players benefit from knowing. I don't need to know the scales, I need to know how to be more efficient so I can move around the board. I thought having a little classical guitar agility would help but it's really a different thing entirely, even though both are equally challenging. As a kid I thought classical seemed impossible as I could never understand how to do bass + lead. Now, it's almost the opposite, and my right hand wants to position like a spider, it does not want to wiggle a pick.
Quote from: B0WIE on March 24, 2025, 09:19:12 PMThanks. I've stumbled across some of Paul Gilbert's videos on Youtube and, even though I wasn't trying to watch them as shred instructionals, I found them fascinating to watch. He explains things so well that they can give anyone who is playing guitar some food for thought. I tried watching some Vinny Moore recently and, even when he's teaching, he's still going faster than my brain can keep up with. I like that Paul explains the shifts and things that experienced players benefit from knowing. I don't need to know the scales, I need to know how to be more efficient so I can move around the board. I thought having a little classical guitar agility would help but it's really a different thing entirely, even though both are equally challenging. As a kid I thought classical seemed impossible as I could never understand how to do bass + lead. Now, it's almost the opposite, and my right hand wants to position like a spider, it does not want to wiggle a pick.
I'm with you on the scales, etc. That stuff doesn't hold my attn for very long. My favorite way of learning to is just find songs/solos I like and learn to play them. That's what most if not all the great guitarists that we've looked up to our whole lives did. They'd slow down records and learn the parts.
My gold Guild got the name Gilda, so I wanted to give my new Jackson a theme too. Since it reminds me of the 80s, I decided to name it Marty after Back to the Future. Behold!
GREAT SCOTT!!
If you replace the capacitor on the tone pot with a flux capacitor and play at 88bpm... well... be sure to have a sports book in your pocket.
LOL!!!
Great responses, BOWIE and StringPicker6! I'm not sure why but themes and electric guitars go together for me. Not so much with acoustics. When I pick up the Jackson ("Marty"), I find myself playing 80s riffs (White Lion, Def Leppard, Skid Row, et al), so in some ways it's my own little Time Machine, like Back To The Future. My own little midlife meltdown, and quite a bit of fun.
:cheers
Quote from: Silence Dogood on March 29, 2025, 10:49:58 AMMy gold Guild got the name Gilda, so I wanted to give my new Jackson a theme too. Since it reminds me of the 80s, I decided to name it Marty after Back to the Future. Behold!
That is super cool.
I'm in the process of selling off (I think....) my electric gear after not playing it for 8 years. Bummer as it's a one of a kind PRS, a Suhr HSS and special cab with light neodymium magnets. When I was in a band it was cool but I like the solo acoustic now.
But I get how awesome it is... I really hope you enjoy this bad boy. Again... Very cool ...
Quote from: B0WIE on March 23, 2025, 08:49:47 PMI'm going to go grab my Ibanez now.
Wow, less than two months ago and I've already gone back in DEEP. I've been giving my old electrics some care, swapping out pickups, fixing up an old 80's Jem I picked up at a great price. I hadn't been playing electrics for the last 13 years but I'm SOOOOO glad I didn't sell mine all those times I was tempted. I have a few special electrics that I bought specifically because they were those 1 in 100 "nice ones".
Quote from: guitarman001 on May 15, 2025, 03:36:47 AMThat is super cool.
I'm in the process of selling off (I think....) my electric gear after not playing it for 8 years. Bummer as it's a one of a kind PRS, a Suhr HSS and special cab with light neodymium magnets. When I was in a band it was cool but I like the solo acoustic now.
But I get how awesome it is... I really hope you enjoy this bad boy. Again... Very cool ...
Thanks so much! I'd be the last person to tell someone else what to do, but, man, I'd consider thinking long and hard before offloading ALL electric gear. I did this when I got way into acoustics and it took about ten years before I regretted it, but I surely did. I had built a dream Strat that I still miss sometimes. Anyway, just my lowly two cents.
:thumbsup
It's the advice I get from many. My time is restricted heavily and I think that to get good at something, you can't do everything. But I hear you....
I'm primarily both an acoustic player and a porch picker but after 55 years of playing, I finally stuck my toe in the water and bought my first electric guitar. Mine happens to be a Larrivee Baker T-Pro designed from the ground up by Matthew Larrivee. I'd be the last person to suggest keeping a guitar that isn't being played but I would encourage you to pause and think about it before proceeding.
As the old saying goes, "The Apple doesn't fall from the tree." and that's certainly the case with Jean Larrivee's two sons, John Jr. and Matthew. They have grown up in the business with their parents and their contributions to the company are evident. Three of my Larrivees coordinated by John Jr. and Matthew are out and ready to play on this rainy day: An LSV-03, a 00-24 and the Baker T-Pro. I might add that my son has an American made Fender Telecaster and he likes my Larrivee better.
Quote from: guitarman001 on May 15, 2025, 05:38:16 PMIt's the advice I get from many. My time is restricted heavily and I think that to get good at something, you can't do everything. But I hear you....
Man, I can certainly relate to time being restricted. If I'm lucky I get 15-20 minutes on my Larrivee before going to bed each weeknight. On weekends I'll knock out a couple hours a day, usually on my electric because I don't get to play it during the week. I don't have a "music room" so each time I play electric I have to drag out the amp, etc. in my living room, set it all up. A bit of a hassle, but part of the gig when you have a large family and a small-ish house. All said, I wish you well in whatever path you choose.
Thanks, guys... Such a shame we can't just play ours 8 hours a day.
Those Baker T Pros look great.
My two are a Suhr Pro S4 and PRS orange fade 10 top with satin maple neck and 57/08s