Anyone else less of a guitar snob these days?

downbytheriver

Yup, after fifty years of playing, 35 years of total snobbery - high end USA, vintage, boutique valve amps etc - I now play Korean Gretsches through a Digital Tone Master Deluxe Reverb and could not be happier with the setup. Some quite posh pedals though! 

richardhomer

Bit of a mix - my two main electrics are pretty expensive - but I recently recorded some slide parts for a friend on a ‘94 US Standard Strat and they sound great. I used the bridge pick-up (a Seymour Duncan JB Junior) and played through a Strymon Iridium. One of the best recorded tones I’ve ever achieved. And one of the least expensive.....

TTBZ

Yes and no. I don't get to play nearly as much as I used to, so when I do get a chance I'd rather be playing a quality guitar that I don't have to fight. To me a guitar with "fight" in it just means it's bad or poorly set up. That doesn't mean it has to be expensive though. The very most I'd pay for a guitar is probably about a grand but at the minute that's even pushing it and my upper limit would be about £500. When I am in a position to buy I'll definitely be aiming for a used Gibson though. Whilst I don't mind Epiphone they definitely have a cheaper and less satisfying feel to them which I was always in denial about before! 

HAL9000

Not a snob as such, but I do find that i) I find Fenders suit me better than anything else I’ve tried (including G&L which essentially are Fenders), and ii) to get the features I want I really have to look to the US models - although I’d happily have a Mexican with upgrades.

That said, my most recent acquisition is an Indonesian Yamaha Pacifica 611H which is huge bang for the buck - SD pickups, Grover locking tuners, and Graphtech nut and saddles which if bought separately would probably account for 2/3 of the cost of the instrument. 

hotpickups

Yeah would’ve said yes only expensive guitars a few years ago. However, my recent guitar is a MIM strat that I am more than happy with which didn’t cost the earth imo. My other guitar is a handmade guitar which did of course. The latter was an itch I’ve wanted to scratch for many years and I m not getting any younger Workmanship is outstanding though but probably could’ve got something similar for a lot less if bought ‘off the shelf’ but that wasn’t the point at the time. Still my number one guitar though   

57Deluxe

some of the cheapest no-brand guitars I have are better than the high price top brand and vintage I have inasmuch as they have soul and play better!

imalrightjack

I've 3 x HJ Williams (UK builder), 1 x Gibson, 1 x PRS, 1 x Schecter (the latter all USA built).  So it sounds like I am a guitar snob.  But, my wife owns a Squier Venus and I love playing it, especially dropping the tuning.  

pintspiller

Yes and no. I always ask is it worth the money. I chose a Squier Jazz bass over a MIM one for that reason. I would have preferred a Fender logo on the headstock, but I wasn't ashamed of it.

Chinese-made gear doesn't have the same stigma these days. Obviously people with more disposable income or professional musicians will generally steer closer to the pricier stuff.

gitapik

I don't know that it's so much less of a snob than more of a realist...(?).

I've had a '57 AVRI Strat for a little over a decade. Fiesta Red. Maple board. Beautiful classic Strat.

Except that it's been sitting in it's case for the past going on 5 years. I much (much) prefer my Silhouette Special. Sounds so much the same and I just like how it plays better.

So I finally sold the Strat. The buyer is totally elated. 20 year old. First really nice electric.

Some of my friends can't believe I sold it. Said maybe I'd play it again, someday. But I had a near death experience, recently. Bodysurfing. Ever since then, I've gotten into this head of letting someone else enjoy something that I'm not anymore. And if I ever want a great Strat in the future, I can always sell or trade for one.

Two great guitars. I guess I sold the one with the bigger name. Fiesta Red's a sought after color, too.

Nikc

Never been a big guitar snob but for some reason I really dislike Squire wouldn't couldn't own one like ever - no issue with Epiphone in fact I quite like them or PRS se. However I couldn't do an in house store brand like Harley Benton or Gear4Music no sir

Sarge

I couldn't afford to be a snob and if I could I don't think I would be.
I'm certainly biased towards 80s Japanese stuff half of that is the (or was) the bang for the buck of the Matsumoku affordable brands, the other half is their slightly quirky aesthetics.
Certainly I prefer the higher end of those I've bought but I play a Korean Westone (unfashionable) and a pair of partscasters more.

So more knob than snob I suspect. 

Voxman

Nikc said:

Never been a big guitar snob but for some reason I really dislike Squire wouldn't couldn't own one like ever - no issue with Epiphone in fact I quite like them or PRS se. However I couldn't do an in house store brand like Harley Benton or Gear4Music no sir

Similar feelings re Squire, PRS SE & Epiphone.  Can't comment on Harley Benton as never seen one. Re Fenders, I've been a true died in the wool USA Fender man only. However, with the quality of Mexican Fenders jumping leaps & bounds especially over recent years, I'd now quite happily buy one & in fact am looking at possibly getting a Fender Telecaster 70's Vintera Thinline.  

I have 2 Gibsons, 4 Fenders, 1 PRS, 1 Patrick Eggle, 2 Epiphones - but the guitar I tend to always have out as my 'everyday' guitar at home is my second cheapest guitar - my Yamaha Pacifica 611 VFM that I picked up secondhand (albeit immaculate) for £300!   It's build quality is really good & with its Grover locking machines, Seymour Duncan HB & P90, 3 way plus push-pull split coils on the HB, very nicely finished comfortable neck, Wilkinson trem, nice balance, comfortable strat like bodyshape, it punches well above its weight. Only minor criticism is that the switch gear isn't the best quality and is a tad scratchy but it's no biggy and I might upgrade the switch gear sometime. 

skullfunkerry

No, not at all. I had a custom shop Jackson at one point, but other than that my guitars have all been lower end. My Performance would be expensive to replace but I'd probably get a Pro-Mod Charvel or similar if it came to that.

I'm happy with my Katana, too: for what I need it sounds great, was cheap, and is easy to carry. I did have a Rockerverb at one point, but I replaced that with a Dark Terror as it was easier to carry (much to the consternation & disbelief of most of the Orange Amps forum, haha)

skullfunkerry

No, not at all. I had a custom shop Jackson at one point, but other than that my guitars have all been lower end. My Performance would be expensive to replace but I'd probably get a Pro-Mod Charvel or similar if it came to that.

I'm happy with my Katana, too: for what I need it sounds great, was cheap, and is easy to carry. I did have a Rockerverb at one point, but I replaced that with a Dark Terror as it was easier to carry (much to the consternation & disbelief of most of the Orange Amps forum, haha)

HAL9000

Voxman said:
...my Yamaha Pacifica 611 VFM that I picked up secondhand (albeit immaculate) for £300!   It's build quality is really good & with its Grover locking machines, Seymour Duncan HB & P90, 3 way plus push-pull split coils on the HB, very nicely finished comfortable neck, Wilkinson trem, nice balance, comfortable strat like bodyshape, it punches well above its weight. Only minor criticism is that the switch gear isn't the best quality and is a tad scratchy but it's no biggy and I might upgrade the switch gear sometime. 

I feel like that about my Pacifica 611H. Exceptional bang for the buck, only let down by the cheap pots and switch. Thinking of a trip to Feline once the current situation is over for better pots etc and a proper set up.  

Flanging_Fred

From the evidence of my guitar “collection” I’ll buy anything from a Gibson Custom Shop model to a s/h Spongebob guitar. I really don’t care much about brands as long as the guitar isn’t dull. I need it to have character or something unusual about it.

Fez

I have an epi Les Paul and a PRS SE as well as 3 bitsa strats so I am not a guitar snob anyway. I do like and appreciate quality guitars though always been a fender player and never owned a Gibson. One day maybe. These days the quality of mid price guitars is so good and a good set up will sort most problems you can spend what you like. I think you should play all the guitars you have if at all possible.

Arjailer

I've never been a snob with guitar gear.

In 33 years of playing I've only ever bought 5 guitars, all of which I still have, and the most I've paid is £550 for a PRS SE in 2009.

My current amps are a Blackstar ID100 TVP through an H&K 4x12 that I bought for £80, and a Katana Mini for living room playing - the only pedals I use beyond the TVP's foot controller are tuner, volume and wah.

Never really felt I was missing out by not getting "better" gear.

Branshen

gitapik said:

I don't know that it's so much less of a snob than more of a realist...(?).

I've had a '57 AVRI Strat for a little over a decade. Fiesta Red. Maple board. Beautiful classic Strat.

Except that it's been sitting in it's case for the past going on 5 years. I much (much) prefer my Silhouette Special. Sounds so much the same and I just like how it plays better.

So I finally sold the Strat. The buyer is totally elated. 20 year old. First really nice electric.

Some of my friends can't believe I sold it. Said maybe I'd play it again, someday. But I had a near death experience, recently. Bodysurfing. Ever since then, I've gotten into this head of letting someone else enjoy something that I'm not anymore. And if I ever want a great Strat in the future, I can always sell or trade for one.

Two great guitars. I guess I sold the one with the bigger name. Fiesta Red's a sought after color, too.

Would you say that it doesn't spark joy anymore? 

AlexO

I wouldn't say it's pure snobbery for me. It lies more with heritage...

I need it to say Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Rickenbacker on the headstock for me to really gel with it. I've owned a few Collings, Tayor, Fano guitars and they are incredible often better guitars but I miss something in the nostalgia I get with the others.