A possibly sacrilegious post about two of the most popular guitars of all time

OilCityPickups

vale said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

vale said:

i think the ubiquitousness of those two styles is a big turn off for me. they are kind of 't shirt and jeans' obvious choices (etc)...

To me the most perfect looking guitar in the world ... definitely not t shirt and Jeans ... 

it still amazes me that the flying v and explorer designs date all the way back to 1957. so those shapes, that still seem pretty 'out there' and futuristic, were actually contemporary with ye olde elvis singles like 'all shook up' and 'jailhouse rock' that seem so quaint and crude compared to anything we have now. curiously anachronistic.

ps. smart guitar and lucky you if it's yours.

Sadly not mine ...

Fifty9

The guitars that made me wide eyed as a kid were the 58/59 Les Paul & the Strat (Slash & Clapton mainly). I’m sure that’s the same for the vast majority & that’s stuck with me. For me the emotional driver is a huge part of my choice in instrument and way more than ergonomics/scale length etc. I’d rather play imperfectly / slower on something that wows me than something that is a tool that gets a fraction more out of my playing.

Cliche or not, these 2 started my love for the guitar and that’s what ultimately brings me back to them as my must haves. 

Sporky

ICBM said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

To me the most perfect looking guitar in the world ... definitely not t shirt and Jeans ... 

It’s simply the most ‘electric’ of all guitars - I can’t quite explain why, it just is!

I asked Lady BMcH about this subject in the "if I asked you to draw a guitar" sense.

First answer was "like a peanut with a stick in it", ie an acoustic.

Second answer, when I said "and if I asked you to draw an electric guitar?", was "A flying V".

Because, it turns out, it is the only common guitar shape that absolutely wouldn't work if it was acoustic. Also they're easy to draw.

skullfunkerry

I've never actually owned a Strat, although I think they look great. I started on a cheap Epiphone superstrat, then went through some Ibanez stuff... when I was gigging in Skullfunk my main guitars were an LTD EC1000, Jackson King V & Kelly... I had a Voodoo Les Paul for a while but I didn't keep it. I'd always wanted a Tele, but after getting the Modern Player, I loved it for a while, ended up falling totally out of love with it and swapped it for a superstrat. The gigging guitars have all gone, now I've just got the two superstrats - one hardtail and one with a Floyd.

As far as inspirations go though when I was learning to play, it was mostly Mark Knopfler, so to 15-year old me the two most iconic guitars in the world were a cherry sunburst (Brothers in Arms) Les Paul or a red (most of the Alchemy video) Strat...

I think the nearest I get to wanting a Strat is a Charvel San Dimas... does that count?

richardhomer

skullfunkerry said:

As far as inspirations go though when I was learning to play, it was mostly Mark Knopfler, so to 15-year old me the two most iconic guitars in the world were a cherry sunburst (Brothers in Arms) Les Paul or a red (most of the Alchemy video) Strat...

I think the nearest I get to wanting a Strat is a Charvel San Dimas... does that count?

The Alchemy ‘Strat’ was a Schecter - so you’re probably close enough!

ICBM

Sporky said:

Because, it turns out, it is the only common guitar shape that absolutely wouldn't work if it was acoustic.

Well she's wrong about that...

http://www.guitarmaker.de/Images/Vacc12.jpg















On second thoughts she's still right .

vale

Sporky said:

ICBM said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

To me the most perfect looking guitar in the world ... definitely not t shirt and Jeans ... 

It’s simply the most ‘electric’ of all guitars - I can’t quite explain why, it just is!

I asked Lady BMcH about this subject in the "if I asked you to draw a guitar" sense.

First answer was "like a peanut with a stick in it", ie an acoustic.

Second answer, when I said "and if I asked you to draw an electric guitar?", was "A flying V".

Because, it turns out, it is the only common guitar shape that absolutely wouldn't work if it was acoustic. Also they're easy to draw.

some say 'necessity is the mother of invention'. i would say necessity and laziness.

rossi

TTBZ said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

TTBZ said:

I've tried a few times to get into strats and I just don't get it. The controls feel cramped and the switch is in the way. 

Les Pauls are my favourite though, I really want one again !

It’s that honky Sweet Home Alabama sound that rubs me up the wrong way.

Awful isn't it. I hate the out of phase strat tones. Pure cheese. My "strat" has a lone bridge humbucker with 1 volume control and that's it  if I had singlecoils it'd just have a 3 way switch.

My Strat doesnt have any pickups .Its a bit quiet......but my wife has never complained about it unlike my Les Paul which when plugged into my Laney makes her complain  a lot about fillings  rattling  and neighbors ,you know , girly things .