I thought I'd share a string change idea I just tried for the first time.

Some of you will be familiar with the somewhat-jangly sound new strings can make on certain guitars. Depending on the guitar, the sound can even verge on "brash," and it can take a day or so of playing to get them to settle down and smooth out. Well, I just took an idea that's common in the nylon world and applied it to my SS acoustic: switch out the wound strings but leave the unwound ones alone.

The unwound b and e strings don't collect dead skin cells and dirt like the wound strings do. I also prefer a warmer treble on my guitars (I typically go up a gauge on the b and e strings).

I slapped on four new Santa Cruz "medium" wound strings to go with the older b and e strings. And I must say, wow, they sound really fantastic. Smooth right from the get-go. Happy guy over here.

Just one more way we can dial the guitar in a useful direction. I had never tried this on a SS acoustic, but I plan on trying it on a few others going forward. I don't think this will work on them all, just on the ones that need a day or two to smooth out from all that new string liveliness.

That's my 2nd reason (behind lifespan) that I use the SCGCs  Settings changing in tone really drives me nuts. Especially as a fingerstyle player as my right hand is constantly working to create the right tone. Having these strings sound the same from week to week is invaluable to me. I no longer have those periods where I'm thinking, "This guitar isn't doing it for me anymore." They just sound the same all the time.

Quote from: B0WIE on June 18, 2026, 05:28:04 PMThat's my 2nd reason (behind lifespan) that I use the SCGCs  Settings changing in tone really drives me nuts. Especially as a fingerstyle player as my right hand is constantly working to create the right tone. Having these strings sound the same from week to week is invaluable to me. I no longer have those periods where I'm thinking, "This guitar isn't doing it for me anymore." They just sound the same all the time.

Right, and each string of the SCGCs sound like they are coming from the same guitar (tonal balance). A big deal for fingerstyle. There's a lot to be said for choosing acoustic steel strings via tension instead of only gauge, as nylon players do. It helps create more consistency from string-to-string. Nice that many acoustic players are wakening to the idea!

Quote from: BlueBowman on June 18, 2026, 06:28:13 PMRight, and each string of the SCGCs sound like they are coming from the same guitar (tonal balance). A big deal for fingerstyle. There's a lot to be said for choosing acoustic steel strings via tension instead of only gauge, as nylon players do. It helps create more consistency from string-to-string. Nice that many acoustic players are wakening to the idea!

I always tell people that the SCGC wound strings behave more like a classical string, but I wasn't entirely sure why. Great point you brought up!. In addition to the round core, I'm sure the equal tension is also giving them classical vibes. Which, for me, is a good thing. It took me years to warm up to acoustic guitars because I always hated the way the strings felt compared to electric or classical. Acoustics feel like they are fighting me a bit. These strings help.

 Just a quick heads-up on these strings. They are doing a BOGO this weekend. Apparently, they are sending the code to their email subscribers on Saturday. I just saw this posted on Instagram today.

Quote from: B0WIE on June 19, 2026, 02:22:19 AMJust a quick heads-up on these strings. They are doing a BOGO this weekend. Apparently, they are sending the code to their email subscribers on Saturday. I just saw this posted on Instagram today.

Thanks for the heads up! I'm down to only two packs.

Quote from: BlueBowman on June 19, 2026, 09:12:29 AMThanks for the heads up! I'm down to only two packs.

I'm temped to buy more but I already did that the last two times and I think I have a dozen sets now.  :roll
At the rate I change these things I've got a 4 year supply. Half-price on these is ridiculous though, and I'm such a sucker for a bargain...

Quote from: B0WIE on June 19, 2026, 09:52:38 AMI'm temped to buy more but I already did that the last two times and I think I have a dozen sets now.  :roll
At the rate I change these things I've got a 4 year supply. Half-price on these is ridiculous though, and I'm such a sucker for a bargain...

I typically have around 10-15 sets of various string brands at the ready. Use to be that 80% of those were D'addario XS's, but about a month ago I realized those 10-15 sets comprised 80% SCGC strings! I suppose I greatly favor them now (and kinda happened without me being all that conscious of it). Consulting my notes, 7 of my guitars are currently wearing them! Half off is a very welcome turn of events!!  :cheers

I've long enjoyed changing my own strings (it's even somewhat therapeutic for me), and I even enjoy the jangly, brash sound of new strings.  They settle down without me noticing, kind of like looking up suddenly and realizing it's time for a trip to the barber. 

Bowie, I just strung up my second guitar using the same "nifty, little string trick." Same warm (older) trebles combined with fresh SCGC wound strings. Happily, it's the same result as the first guitar. There's something about the warmer high e and b strings that sit so well tonally with the more articulate unwound strings. It really is a tonal balance thing, meaning for what I like, the tone seems more balanced from top to bottom. Of course, my goal is almost always a rounder, more fundamental treble (like a good classical). And by treble, I should point out that I'm mainly talking about notes played up the fingerboard on the b and e strings.

This time it was on my new 000-40R. Man, I really love this guitar. It's opening up in all kinds of great ways. It's very hard not to jump right to the "moon" spruce as being the standout factor here... *to the blackboard, young man*..."a guitar's tone is the sum of its parts," "a guitar's tone is the sum of its parts," "a guitar's tone is the sum of its parts"... :winkin:

Who knows how long the trebs will sound good, but I'm quite pleased with the sound. 

Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 19, 2026, 11:40:33 AMI've long enjoyed changing my own strings (it's even somewhat therapeutic for me)

I'm with you. I've never seen it as a chore.

I even look forward to the string change on new or new-used (to me) guitars. Gives me a chance to refine the set-up a little closer to my ideal. I still use pretty much basic tools for it all, too. Doesn't require any expensive or fancy tools. I often encourage players to get a handle on the basics of a good set-up. Many luthiers and techs will never be as good as YOU will be for YOUR guitar.

Just a quick comment on the Sant Cruz strings - they are great but I believe they are hex core, not round.  you would never know it by the sound.  No idea what kind of voodoo magic they are using but it works.

John

Quote from: John in Charm City on June 19, 2026, 06:13:03 PMJust a quick comment on the Sant Cruz strings - they are great but I believe they are hex core, not round.  you would never know it by the sound.  No idea what kind of voodoo magic they are using but it works.

John

Could be! I know that Richard Hoover has emphasized that they must be tuned to pitch before trimming, which is a round core thing. But, they very well could use a hex. I believe the core and wrap are both treated before wrapping, which would explain the slinky round core-like behavior, and tendency to unwrap.

I believe they are hexcore, but they don't feel like typical hexcore strings, so in my mind I put them in the RC box. As for why we need to trim them AFTER tuning to pitch, voodoo magic indeed! 

Just got mine ordered. Anyone need the code, PM me.

I have used the SCGC strings some over the years.  Very good strings. 

As an aside, I went down a very deep rabbit hole with acoustic guitar strings for many years, so much so that it began to distract me from actually playing the guitar.  I have tried to get over this because, while interesting, I found it ultimately unhelpful, and even somewhat obsessive. 

I've gone back to playing plain old S.I.T. acoustic strings and trying to not think about them.  YMMV.

Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 20, 2026, 11:23:09 AMI have used the SCGC strings some over the years.  Very good strings. 

As an aside, I went down a very deep rabbit hole with acoustic guitar strings for many years, so much so that it began to distract me from actually playing the guitar.  I have tried to get over this because, while interesting, I found it ultimately unhelpful, and even somewhat obsessive. 

I've gone back to playing plain old S.I.T. acoustic strings and trying to not think about them.  YMMV.

Spending a lot of time of online, it's easy to fall victim to this. Endless string threads abound! I think it's all in how you use the information. Grab the good bits, leave the rest, and don't rely on anything but YOUR judgment  :bgrin:

Quote from: BlueBowman on June 20, 2026, 02:44:01 PMSpending a lot of time of online, it's easy to fall victim to this. Endless string threads abound! I think it's all in how you use the information. Grab the good bits, leave the rest, and don't rely on anything but YOUR judgment  :bgrin:

How does one differentiate the good from the bad info? :humour:

Quote from: Rockysdad on June 20, 2026, 03:46:40 PMHow does one differentiate the good from the bad info? :humour:

For sure, Herman! I feel for the newbies, but experience will help shape judgment. And when in doubt, "if it sounds good, it is good." That advice has never failed me!  :thumb

Everyone has to find their own way. For me, reading about guitars makes me excited about playing guitar. In fact, if I'm not tinkering or reading about guitars I'm probably not playing daily. I've tailored my YouTube feed so that every day I'm seeing things that keep me focused on what matters to me (nutrition, music, exercise, etc). Otherwise, I'm inclined to constantly take on new hobbies and interests. It's a serious problem for me.

I do respect that some have limited time to devote to guitar and that can quickly turn into reading rather than playing. I understand how the research rabbit hole can be a dangerous thing.

Quote from: B0WIE on June 20, 2026, 06:38:02 PMEveryone has to find their own way. For me, reading about guitars makes me excited about playing guitar. In fact, if I'm not tinkering or reading about guitars I'm probably not playing daily. I've tailored my YouTube feed so that every day I'm seeing things that keep me focused on what matters to me (nutrition, music, exercise, etc). Otherwise, I'm inclined to constantly take on new hobbies and interests. It's a serious problem for me.

I do respect that some have limited time to devote to guitar and that can quickly turn into reading rather than playing. I understand how the research rabbit hole can be a dangerous thing.

I couple summers ago I bought a nice Jackson electric guitar.  I've liked these particular guitars since I was a kid in the 80s and did a sort of experiment:  Get the guitar, no mods, no upgrades, no messing around with the thing -- just play it like you would have done if you'd got it for Christmas in 1986. 

A time or two I've thought: Ah, these certain tuners would be cool, or this new bridge pickup...  Nope.  Just get it out of the case, plug it in, and jam.

It has been an absolute blast depriving myself of the endless mods and tonal rabbit holes and just playing this guitar.  It's something I needed to do in order to get back to basics.  Not everyone is in the same boat, so I'm not suggesting some universal approach.  But it has done me a lot of good.

Quote from: B0WIE on June 20, 2026, 06:38:02 PMEveryone has to find their own way. For me, reading about guitars makes me excited about playing guitar. In fact, if I'm not tinkering or reading about guitars I'm probably not playing daily. I've tailored my YouTube feed so that every day I'm seeing things that keep me focused on what matters to me (nutrition, music, exercise, etc). Otherwise, I'm inclined to constantly take on new hobbies and interests. It's a serious problem for me.

I understand this very well. Staying focused on what matters most in the modern era takes mighty discipline. So much info available to us via one click.

Quote from: B0WIE on June 20, 2026, 06:38:02 PMI do respect that some have limited time to devote to guitar and that can quickly turn into reading rather than playing. I understand how the research rabbit hole can be a dangerous thing.

The research rabbit hole, if used wisely, can certainly lead to better things -- in my case, better sounding guitars. That's where the "good" online info has led me: guitars I never would've otherwise known about, and also the knowledge to get the most out of those guitars (set-up, tinkering, modding).

But it can also become an unwieldy obsession for some, "chasing tone." Where one draws the line, well, that's a personal thing. My simple opinion, IF the chasing interferes at all with your playing, stop chasing. But, again, everyone will be different.

It's important to enjoy the journey! I know have.

Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 21, 2026, 11:37:05 AMI couple summers ago I bought a nice Jackson electric guitar.  I've liked these particular guitars since I was a kid in the 80s and did a sort of experiment:  Get the guitar, no mods, no upgrades, no messing around with the thing -- just play it like you would have done if you'd got it for Christmas in 1986. 

A time or two I've thought: Ah, these certain tuners would be cool, or this new bridge pickup...  Nope.  Just get it out of the case, plug it in, and jam.

It has been an absolute blast depriving myself of the endless mods and tonal rabbit holes and just playing this guitar.  It's something I needed to do in order to get back to basics.  Not everyone is in the same boat, so I'm not suggesting some universal approach.  But it has done me a lot of good.

Good on ya, Silence. I know that towards the end of my electric guitar playing days, I found myself keeping the signal chain as simple as possible. One tube amp, a Klon (or alternative) sometimes, and my guitar. I think that's where I found my best tone.  Enjoy that Jackson!

Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 21, 2026, 11:37:05 AMI couple summers ago I bought a nice Jackson electric guitar.  I've liked these particular guitars since I was a kid in the 80s and did a sort of experiment:  Get the guitar, no mods, no upgrades, no messing around with the thing -- just play it like you would have done if you'd got it for Christmas in 1986. 

A time or two I've thought: Ah, these certain tuners would be cool, or this new bridge pickup...  Nope.  Just get it out of the case, plug it in, and jam.

It has been an absolute blast depriving myself of the endless mods and tonal rabbit holes and just playing this guitar.  It's something I needed to do in order to get back to basics.  Not everyone is in the same boat, so I'm not suggesting some universal approach.  But it has done me a lot of good.

You posted that one here, right? I believe that thread actually changed my life (well, my guitar life). About 2 years ago, there became this movement online where shred guitar became cool again. People started talking about it and reminiscing, and there's a bunch of young players online who are getting into that lost era of guitar music. When I saw the red (?) Jackson in the thread on here it made me miss playing my Ibanez so I started doing that again. Then, I bought a couple of old Jems to restore, because I used to stare a pics of those for hours when I was a kid. The big thing was, when I hurt my hands last year, electrics helped save my sanity as acoustics were too hard on my hands as I was recovering.

 I was playing electrics for the first time in 10+ years, and I started playing all the time. It's just so easy to have one on the couch all the time, one in the living room, one in the office. No worries about cases or humidity. So, I'm playing several times a day now and, because it's frequent, short sessions (the kind of thing that stimulates learning) I can play things I only dreamed of playing as a kid. It's actually kind of shocking to me that I'm starting to play sweeps and crazy things like that at 50. I don't actually listen to that kind of music anymore but it's just so fun to practice. Keeps me off the phone and gives me back the kind of brain-stimulating entertainment I had as a pre-internet kid.
 :nana_guitar

Quote from: B0WIE on June 21, 2026, 10:03:05 PMYou posted that one here, right? I believe that thread actually changed my life (well, my guitar life). About 2 years ago, there became this movement online where shred guitar became cool again. People started talking about it and reminiscing, and there's a bunch of young players online who are getting into that lost era of guitar music. When I saw the red (?) Jackson in the thread on here it made me miss playing my Ibanez so I started doing that again. Then, I bought a couple of old Jems to restore, because I used to stare a pics of those for hours when I was a kid. The big thing was, when I hurt my hands last year, electrics helped save my sanity as acoustics were too hard on my hands as I was recovering.

 I was playing electrics for the first time in 10+ years, and I started playing all the time. It's just so easy to have one on the couch all the time, one in the living room, one in the office. No worries about cases or humidity. So, I'm playing several times a day now and, because it's frequent, short sessions (the kind of thing that stimulates learning) I can play things I only dreamed of playing as a kid. It's actually kind of shocking to me that I'm starting to play sweeps and crazy things like that at 50. I don't actually listen to that kind of music anymore but it's just so fun to practice. Keeps me off the phone and gives me back the kind of brain-stimulating entertainment I had as a pre-internet kid.
 :nana_guitar

Very cool!  It's fun to hear how one little thing inspires something else.  I love my Jackson and play it more than any of my other guitars during this season of life.  Like you, I'm playing stuff now that I only dreamed of when I was a boy.  Just yesterday I pulled up a song I've always loved the solo to, and a half hour later I've got it under my fingers. 

I've seen all these shred guys on YT but didn't realize there was necessarily a renaissance of the art recently.  I just figured there were still some people interested, and some doing the throwback thing (some of them were too young to have been there).  Most of the players I've ever met in person scoff at the whole genre.  Oh well, I love it and always have. 

I love Ibanez guitars too, though I don't own one.  I've always sort of wanted an RG550.  I've yet to see what all the fuss is about with the "Wizard Neck.  I love the Jackson necks so much that I can't imagine I'd like the Ibanez better, but who knows!  I need to put one in my hands someday. 

Rock on, BOWIE! :nanadance

Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 22, 2026, 12:19:14 PMI love my Jackson and play it more than any of my other guitars during this season of life.

Did you not also get a Gretsch?
Mike

Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 22, 2026, 12:19:14 PMI love Ibanez guitars too, though I don't own one.  I've always sort of wanted an RG550.  I've yet to see what all the fuss is about with the "Wizard Neck.  I love the Jackson necks so much that I can't imagine I'd like the Ibanez better, but who knows!  I need to put one in my hands someday. 

There's a flatness to the back of them that just feels like home to me. Probably because that was my first guitar. I actually learned a lot about how necks affect a guitars tone because of the changes Ibanez made over the years. They started doing with multi piece necks, then reinforced multi piece necks. That makes them stiffer and supposedly better. But, for me, it kills the resonance.

I've always liked the Jackson, and especially the Charvel necks. They feel a little more traditional to me, but still thin. It's funny, every time I pick up a Fender I think,"man, these necks are so bad", then I start playing and THAT'S the vibe. They're just perfect in their own weird way.

Quote from: mike in lytle on June 22, 2026, 07:34:47 PMDid you not also get a Gretsch?
Mike

It's actually a Guild hollowbody.  I still have it.

Ugh, this is resurecting my deep desire to have an electric guitar!!
I love electric guitars, but I always get overwhelmed by all the dials and knobs and amps and pedals.  Then I convince myself, it's no fun playing electric by myself, unlike acoustic. But I'm 50 also, and I was raised on 80's rock. Maybe I need to look at the used guitars...
One guitar that is simple and gorgeous to me is the German made Duesenberg Julietta. Perhaps I'm on the wrong forum to discuss this?  :nana_guitar

On the subject of strings, my son and I went to see Wilco in concert last week. Singer/songwriter/band member Jeff Tweedy prefers using dead strings on his guitars and rarely changes strings unless they break. If you get a chance to see Wilco or Jeff Tweedy on his solo tour, don't pass it up. Jeff is also featured on the cover of the current issues of Acoustic Guitar and The Fretboard Journal.

Sometimes visiting and perusing this forum feels like stopping at the donut shop after getting a weekly weigh in at Weight Watchers. Reading these threads has a negative impact on my willpower. It's also interesting to note that I have purchased three of my five Larrivees sight unseen without playing them first. They include a 12 string, Forum VI and 00. Two years ago this week, I visited Oxnard,CA to see the progress on my mahogany topped 00-24 that Matt Larrivee showed me during the factory tour that John had arranged for my son and me. Matt also showed me a Baker T Pro and once he explained the research, thought and effort that went into the design and development of this guitar, it came home with me. Up to that point I had never seen an electric Larrivee guitar in the wild but the Baker T Pro far exceeded my expectations. With its one piece Swamp Ash body, Quilted Maple top, one piece Maple neck and unique dual pick ups, this guitar is so fun to play.

The Larrivee family and their employees, past and present, are the real deal.

Quote from: StringPicker6 on June 23, 2026, 03:52:54 AMUgh, this is resurecting my deep desire to have an electric guitar!!
I love electric guitars, but I always get overwhelmed by all the dials and knobs and amps and pedals.  Then I convince myself, it's no fun playing electric by myself, unlike acoustic. But I'm 50 also, and I was raised on 80's rock. Maybe I need to look at the used guitars...
One guitar that is simple and gorgeous to me is the German made Duesenberg Julietta. Perhaps I'm on the wrong forum to discuss this?  :nana_guitar

My advice would be to just go for it. But I know what you mean about tonal options being a distraction.  I actually bought some pedals, messed with them, realized they were more of a distraction than anything else, and then got rid of them in favor of just plugging in and jamming.

I used to think playing electric by myself wouldn't be any fun, but it has turned out to be more fun than I could have realized.  For me at least, and YMMV, it has proven to be therapeutic even.  I will think of a favored solo from my youth, a riff, etc.; then I'm off to YouTube, and usually a few minutes later I'm enjoying the piece under my own fingers (and always my own interpretation -- that's the most fun of all.  Who cares about note-for-note when just jamming for fun?). 

I'll share a bit of my electric guitar journey...

You and me are about the same age (I'm 51).  I was fascinated by the guitar my whole life.  EVH and all the 80s guys were my heroes.  I got a Strat when I turned 18.  Grunge was big then.  This was way before YouTube, so it was way harder to get music education. 

Never could play fast like my heroes.  Didn't care for the grunge stuff (though I did see Nirvana just before the end).  I ended up developing a bluesy kind of style with my Strat that I was pretty good at, but that was also pretty boring for me. 

Circa 2001 or so I got bit by the acoustic and sold my Strat, amp, and all my gear and only played acoustic for a long time (got my Larrivee in 2003). I didn't think I'd ever play electric again as I had genuinely lost interest.  Kind of a shame in some ways because I had built such a cool Partscaster that was just a joy to play.   

Years passed and maybe five or six years ago I started feeling the tug of the electric again.  I bought and sold several (Strats, Teles, a LP, some weird Ibanez I scored off CL and kept for two days before flipping it).  No love connection. 

Also, for the past several years I've been in the midst of a fascinating little midlife meltdown that has gone through several phases.  "Nosce te ipsum" (know thyself) has been the prevailing theme (I did not bring the theme but it seemed to present itself to me).  The point of it all seemed to be about me getting back to the real me, the one that was always there and waiting to be rediscovered.  A great line from Chesterton comes to mind:

"Happy is he who still loves something he loved in the nursery: He has not been broken in two by time; he is not two men, but one, and he has saved not only his soul but his life." ("Nursery" simply being the old Brit way of referring to childhood.)

Enter the red Jackson electric guitar into my (mid)life. 

As I was mining back into boyhood memories I recalled frequent trips to the mall in the mid 80s.  There was a guitar shop in the mall (how cool was that?).  There was always a red electric guitar in the display window.  I can see it all now in my mind's eye like it was yesterday.

So all these years later I was trying to recapture what it would have been like to get that red guitar (I don't know what kind it was).  I would have thought every part of it was the coolest thing in the world.  No thought of upgrading parts, swapping PUPs, obsessing over country of origin, etc. I would have thought it was perfect, made just for me, and enjoyed it to the full.  I determined to try and recapture the experience 40 years later and just get a guitar, take it out of the box, and enjoy it.  I did that with the red Jackson. It has been quite fun! And midlife is turning out to be more fun than boyhood even was. 

 :wave

Quote from: teh on June 23, 2026, 07:06:06 AMOn the subject of strings, my son and I went to see Wilco in concert last week. Singer/songwriter/band member Jeff Tweedy prefers using dead strings on his guitars and rarely changes strings unless they break. If you get a chance to see Wilco or Jeff Tweedy on his solo tour, don't pass it up. Jeff is also featured on the cover of the current issues of Acoustic Guitar and The Fretboard Journal.

Sometimes visiting and perusing this forum feels like stopping at the donut shop after getting a weekly weigh in at Weight Watchers. Reading these threads has a negative impact on my willpower. It's also interesting to note that I have purchased three of my five Larrivees sight unseen without playing them first. They include a 12 string, Forum VI and 00. Two years ago this week, I visited Oxnard,CA to see the progress on my mahogany topped 00-24 that Matt Larrivee showed me during the factory tour that John had arranged for my son and me. Matt also showed me a Baker T Pro and once he explained the research, thought and effort that went into the design and development of this guitar, it came home with me. Up to that point I had never seen an electric Larrivee guitar in the wild but the Baker T Pro far exceeded my expectations. With its one piece Swamp Ash body, Quilted Maple top, one piece Maple neck and unique dual pick ups, this guitar is so fun to play.

The Larrivee family and their employees, past and present, are the real deal.

I've never seen Wilco live but have seen some footage of Jeff solo with an acoustic.  It's pretty amazing to see him put a whole arena into a trance like that by himself.  Pretty cool to know about the dead strings.  I used to know a guy who loved dead strings.  I have an old Takamine that does well with them, but strangely enough, my Larrivee will not tolerate a set of dead strings.  It won't hold tune and will fuss the whole time.  It likes new ones only!  Strange how they seem to have their own personalities!

Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 28, 2026, 09:02:49 AMMy advice would be to just go for it. But I know what you mean about tonal options being a distraction.  I actually bought some pedals, messed with them, realized they were more of a distraction than anything else, and then got rid of them in favor of just plugging in and jamming.

I used to think playing electric by myself wouldn't be any fun, but it has turned out to be more fun than I could have realized.  For me at least, and YMMV, it has proven to be therapeutic even.  I will think of a favored solo from my youth, a riff, etc.; then I'm off to YouTube, and usually a few minutes later I'm enjoying the piece under my own fingers (and always my own interpretation -- that's the most fun of all.  Who cares about note-for-note when just jamming for fun?). 

I'll share a bit of my electric guitar journey...

You and me are about the same age (I'm 51).  I was fascinated by the guitar my whole life.  EVH and all the 80s guys were my heroes.  I got a Strat when I turned 18.  Grunge was big then.  This was way before YouTube, so it was way harder to get music education. 

Never could play fast like my heroes.  Didn't care for the grunge stuff (though I did see Nirvana just before the end).  I ended up developing a bluesy kind of style with my Strat that I was pretty good at, but that was also pretty boring for me. 

Circa 2001 or so I got bit by the acoustic and sold my Strat, amp, and all my gear and only played acoustic for a long time (got my Larrivee in 2003). I didn't think I'd ever play electric again as I had genuinely lost interest.  Kind of a shame in some ways because I had built such a cool Partscaster that was just a joy to play.   

Years passed and maybe five or six years ago I started feeling the tug of the electric again.  I bought and sold several (Strats, Teles, a LP, some weird Ibanez I scored off CL and kept for two days before flipping it).  No love connection. 

Also, for the past several years I've been in the midst of a fascinating little midlife meltdown that has gone through several phases.  "Nosce te ipsum" (know thyself) has been the prevailing theme (I did not bring the theme but it seemed to present itself to me).  The point of it all seemed to be about me getting back to the real me, the one that was always there and waiting to be rediscovered.  A great line from Chesterton comes to mind:

"Happy is he who still loves something he loved in the nursery: He has not been broken in two by time; he is not two men, but one, and he has saved not only his soul but his life." ("Nursery" simply being the old Brit way of referring to childhood.)

Enter the red Jackson electric guitar into my (mid)life. 

As I was mining back into boyhood memories I recalled frequent trips to the mall in the mid 80s.  There was a guitar shop in the mall (how cool was that?).  There was always a red electric guitar in the display window.  I can see it all now in my mind's eye like it was yesterday.

So all these years later I was trying to recapture what it would have been like to get that red guitar (I don't know what kind it was).  I would have thought every part of it was the coolest thing in the world.  No thought of upgrading parts, swapping PUPs, obsessing over country of origin, etc. I would have thought it was perfect, made just for me, and enjoyed it to the full.  I determined to try and recapture the experience 40 years later and just get a guitar, take it out of the box, and enjoy it.  I did that with the red Jackson. It has been quite fun! And midlife is turning out to be more fun than boyhood even was. 

 :wave

Great story! It reminds me of the time I went into a music store in my early teens and seeing an electric guitar out of clear acrylic. I think it's a famous model, being see through. Anyway, I just thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw.

Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 21, 2026, 11:37:05 AMI couple summers ago I bought a nice Jackson electric guitar.  I've liked these particular guitars since I was a kid in the 80s and did a sort of experiment:  Get the guitar, no mods, no upgrades, no messing around with the thing -- just play it like you would have done if you'd got it for Christmas in 1986. 

A time or two I've thought: Ah, these certain tuners would be cool, or this new bridge pickup...  Nope.  Just get it out of the case, plug it in, and jam.

It has been an absolute blast depriving myself of the endless mods and tonal rabbit holes and just playing this guitar.  It's something I needed to do in order to get back to basics.  Not everyone is in the same boat, so I'm not suggesting some universal approach.  But it has done me a lot of good.

That post resonated with me.  I've teetered and tottered with electric and can't seem to give it up entirely so I wanted to have something around to play when the mood strikes but didn't want to tie up thousands of dollars in guitar and amp...pedals, pickups and speakers and mods...I've spent countless hours tracking down some buzz or rattle and spend obscene amounts of money...it really becomes an addiction.

So recently I bought an Epiphone firebird in wine red with rosewood fingerboard and a used Roland Solid state amp from the mid 80s and I've actually had some of the most inspired sessions I've had in a long time noodling around.  And low and behold, I actually really dig the stock pickups and original 12" speaker.

Quote from: Sandstorm on July 23, 2026, 08:07:06 AMThat post resonated with me.  I've teetered and tottered with electric and can't seem to give it up entirely so I wanted to have something around to play when the mood strikes but didn't want to tie up thousands of dollars in guitar and amp...pedals, pickups and speakers and mods...I've spent countless hours tracking down some buzz or rattle and spend obscene amounts of money...it really becomes an addiction.

So recently I bought an Epiphone firebird in wine red with rosewood fingerboard and a used Roland Solid state amp from the mid 80s and I've actually had some of the most inspired sessions I've had in a long time noodling around.  And low and behold, I actually really dig the stock pickups and original 12" speaker.

This is awesome! (I'd love to see a pic of your Epi -- I love Firebirds!)   There really is something about the simplicity of a good guitar plugged into a good amp.  Those old Rolands are nice too! 

I might've said this elsewhere... but a couple years ago I got into reverb pedals too.  I bought a nice one, and had a fellow around here locally build me a custom one.  It wasn't cheap but, man, was it nice.  I loved tinkering with it all but ended up seeing that it was all more of a distraction than anything.  I offloaded the pedals and just use the built-in reverb and delay on my Boss amp.  Sounds great for what I do. 

Viva the simple life!