Recently bought a new electric guitar.

[Silence Dogood]

One of my good friends decided to give the guitar another shot (he's tried a few times over the years) and wanted me to tag along with him to Guitar Center to help him pick something out.  While he was wheeling and dealing on a new Jackson electric, I noticed a Sterling (Music Man import) John Petrucci model hanging on the wall.  I'd seen these over the years and really never thought much of the design, but for some reason I decided to take it off the wall.  I went and found the same kind of amp I have and plugged it in.  To quote AC/DC, it was love at first feel.  It really got hold of me like nothing had in many, many years.  But, being one to rarely make hasty decisions, I put it back on the wall and walked out with my money.  I literally lost sleep a couple nights thinking about this guitar that next week (I know some here can relate to that).  When the next Friday rolled around I decided I'd go back to GC and if the guitar was still in the shop, I'd buy it.  And that's what I did.  I've barely been able to put the thing down since.  I'm literally playing hours a day, like I did when I was a kid. 
 

I will say that I think there was something in my subconscious going on with this purchase.  I've been taking guitar lessons online with Carl Brown (aka GuitarLessons365) and he plays this model quite a bit.  But the strange thing is, even when I see him playing it, I'd never thought much of the guitar or the design.  To me they are just very plain and unassuming.  His even has a flamed maple top that I don't particular care for.  But this surely had something to do with me being even willing to take the Sterling off the wall initially.  Maybe I just wanted to see what Carl Brown sees in this particular model.  Anyway, they sold another guitar either way.  Life!