• upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
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  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Topic: nearly made a mistake

I decided a while ago I was wanting a semi acoustic ibanez guitar after trying one out in the shop.
I decided I needed one for when the few times I am in a pub I can just plug in and play instead of using someone elses musical tool. My wife think I should just use anyones guitar that will allow it but I feel awkard with that.

So about 8 months ago I tried this guitar and I loved the sound, loved the look and thought I must have.
Yesterday when my wife woke up in the afternoon after a nightshift sleep I told her i was going into Clydebank to buy one and pay it up interest free. She was a bit shocked when I told her it was going to be about £349.
She tried her best to talk me out of it but to no avail. She even told me that she was going to surprise me for my 40th with a guitar. I told her never to do that as it is a personal thing and she should not go out and listen to someone in a shop saying how great a guitar is and she comes home with it for me t othink how I hate it because I never chose it, I never tried it out for size, sound, comfort, action etc.

well she did try her hardest but accepted I was going to go and do what I want.
We got to the shop and I saw the same guitar next to about 12 others. I went straight for it and sat on the stoll and played a few chords, picked a few notes and I felt myself gettiong sadder and sadder. It sounded duff! just not the same sound I remember months ago.
I was not going to give in there, I tried the other 11, some several times! We spent about 52 minutes in there. ( while I was strumming away my daughter and wife were playing the piano in the shop and not realising how loud it was and how folk walking by were stopping and watching, when my wife finally noticed she was getting watched she got very embarrassed and stopped)

I gave in, I never bought a guitar. I feel cheated for some reason, no idea why. I just think right now I should have a new guitar. But as the saying goes " good things come to those that wait" ,,,,well after a very long bloody wait to my 40th next Febuary this good thing ( being a very good guitar) better be a very good guitar.
I have gave in to her and said I will wait.

So a moral behind this is even though I could afford to go out and get a guitar I decided not to as I know I would not be happy later down the months and wished I had waited for the right one to come.

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: nearly made a mistake

Nice story Ken.
We can't choose our family but we can choose our guitars. Looks like either way you're gonna end up with the best of both! Be sure and let us all know when the big 40 arrives..........

Peace and Guitars,
Toney

Give everything but up.

3 Reply by cytania (edited by cytania 2009-07-22 14:05:46)

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: nearly made a mistake

Hi Ken, nice thing about using your own guitar is the familiarity factor, if you are playing solo it can help you feel ready. Players often have all sorts of things they do before a performance. Even if it's just one song. Lost my capo before going out one evening. I knew I could borrow one at the venue but I also knew I couldn't do my warm-up at home, so I cried off. I also have a lucky t-shirt but we're getting close to superstition there...

I can go round a guitar shop and pick the best guitar there, but I also know that there are other shops which'll have a dozen guitars of the same quality (often cheaper). The trouble with being able to hear the good ones is you get the nagging feeling you should buy them. And yes sometimes I do regret not purchasing straight-away, particularly the second-hand oddities. I come back a week later and someone else has bought it. Darn...

Try looking up GAS or Guitar Aquisition Syndrome on the net, sounds like you might have early stages. Since your 40th is a way away nothing says you can't keep trying guitars and leaving printouts of the ones you like around the house. I've got my sights on a Taylor 110e after trying one amongst many others and maybe I'll win the other half over in a few months. Inbetween whiles I'll drive shop assistants mad though...

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
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  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
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Re: nearly made a mistake

cytania,
great idea. I will start shopping round and leaving ideas for my wife then she can still suprise me.
I could also let her go to the shop nearer the time with my father in law as I trust his judgement.

Na, the shopping thing is good. I will take pics , print them out and write what shop they are from.


Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: Belfast
  • Registered: 2009-03-31
  • Posts: 330

Re: nearly made a mistake

UYK,

Lucky you my 40th is much further away - and in the wrong direction !!

"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." Miles Davis

StranSongs's Website

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2008-08-05
  • Posts: 256

Re: nearly made a mistake

Good story Ken ... I've had it happen where I played a Takamine G series in the store ... absolutely loved it ... when I got home it was the opposite ... now it started sounding terrible and I didnt like it ... needless to say, I don't have it anymore and I ended up getting an Ovation guitar and I'm happy ... now when I get my $1400 Martin I'll be seriously ticked if I get home and it sounds like cr@p!  neutral

"Rhythm drives the Rock-n-Roll train"

Gibson Les Paul/PRS Custom/Ovation Celebrity Koa
Line6 SpiderIII 75
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: nearly made a mistake

Sometimes those "salepersons" in the store will have you to play the guitar you're madly in love with through $3,000.00 worth of electronic enhancement( acoustic/electric or electric). Play the guitar you're considering purchasing through what you have at home, or the next closest thing to it. I have several close friends who work at music stores so I know first hand much of the chicanery that is employed in "finalizing the deal".

Also, when playing an acoustic guitar( without electronics) in those "fancy, high-end( ah-hem; chain)" stores,the room where the guitars are displayed  are dern near acoustically perfect. So when you get home and play your new guitar, it ain't gonna sound like it did at the music store. Although it is nice and convenient to play a guitar in a soundproof room without outside noise, it is best to take the guitar of choice out into the open area of the store and play it in a "real" environment.

Give everything but up.
  • From: Renfrewshire, Scotland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,359

Re: nearly made a mistake

No way are you not 40 yet!

Lmao lol





Only joking.

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

alvee33's Website

  • henryb
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Lhanbryde
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 204

Re: nearly made a mistake

Ken , which Ibanez were you trying, I,m considering the af75.

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2008-08-05
  • Posts: 256

Re: nearly made a mistake

SouthPaw41L wrote:

Sometimes those "salepersons" in the store will have you to play the guitar you're madly in love with through $3,000.00 worth of electronic enhancement( acoustic/electric or electric). Play the guitar you're considering purchasing through what you have at home, or the next closest thing to it. I have several close friends who work at music stores so I know first hand much of the chicanery that is employed in "finalizing the deal".

Also, when playing an acoustic guitar( without electronics) in those "fancy, high-end( ah-hem; chain)" stores,the room where the guitars are displayed  are dern near acoustically perfect. So when you get home and play your new guitar, it ain't gonna sound like it did at the music store. Although it is nice and convenient to play a guitar in a soundproof room without outside noise, it is best to take the guitar of choice out into the open area of the store and play it in a "real" environment.

It's great playing in the open area so long as ten 16 year olds aren't trying to show off their shredding emo skills on some Ibanez RG!  big_smile

"Rhythm drives the Rock-n-Roll train"

Gibson Les Paul/PRS Custom/Ovation Celebrity Koa
Line6 SpiderIII 75
  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: nearly made a mistake

henryb wrote:

Ken , which Ibanez were you trying, I,m considering the af75.

Ye know something...I dont know,lol. There were a few different mdels but I never looked inside the hole to see any numbers. There was no numbers on the head but one did have a name other than " Ibanez" started wit han S, but thats all I know. sorry

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending