OMG Moment! Need to sell all unneeded internal organs

Haych

I've owned and played many nice guitars over the years.  Les Pauls, PRSes, which I loved then hated then learned to love again quite recently, Strats and everything in between.

I was quite content with my humble little stable of instruments and then last night some bastard (he calls himself a friend) gave me a Tom Anderson Classic to try.

Man alive - I did not know a guitar could be THIS good in every single way.  It was incredible!

I want one, no..... I need one!

Who wants a kidney?  Do I need my liver?  I can live with just one lung, can't I?

ThorpyFX

Haych said:

I've owned and played many nice guitars over the years.  Les Pauls, PRSes, which I loved then hated then learned to love again quite recently, Strats and everything in between.

I was quite content with my humble little stable of instruments and then last night some bastard (he calls himself a friend) gave me a Tom Anderson Classic to try.

Man alive - I did not know a guitar could be THIS good in every single way.  It was incredible!

I want one, no..... I need one!

Who wants a kidney?  Do I need my liver?  I can live with just one lung, can't I?

Tom Anderson is a bit of a legend really. his guitars seem to be almost obsessively built. Like you say every single detail has been thought about. big fan here.

Haych

I'd always looked at Anderson guitars and secretly scoffed at them before.  I mean, it's just another Strat/Tele right?  How much difference can there be?  How can that particular design be made any better than what it already is?

Goodness how wrong was I?

I was once asked if I could only have one guitar what would it be, and I'd always feel pained trying to even think of an answer.  After last night I think I could quite happily answer the question now.

usedtobe

You can manage with one kidney, one lung, and you don't need an entire liver, so I say go for it! Don't forget to post pics!
  

richh

It seems like used prices are very low for these, compared to new,  so if you buy wisely in the used market, you should always be able to get your money back, in the unlikely event that you want to move it on.

gordiji

I looked at, not tried a few and was a bit put off on the classic series to see just 2 screws holding the neck on. Fender got roasted for reducing to 3 in the 70's so can anyone explain this. Is the neck glued as well ?

Teetonetal

Haych said:

I'd always looked at Anderson guitars and secretly scoffed at them before.  I mean, it's just another Strat/Tele right?  How much difference can there be?  How can that particular design be made any better than what it already is?

Goodness how wrong was I?

I was once asked if I could only have one guitar what would it be, and I'd always feel pained trying to even think of an answer.  After last night I think I could quite happily answer the question now.

What do you think, is the X factor that they have?

olafgarten

gordiji said:

I looked at, not tried a few and was a bit put off on the classic series to see just 2 screws holding the neck on. Fender got roasted for reducing to 3 in the 70's so can anyone explain this. Is the neck glued as well ?

https://www.andersonguitarworks.com/wedge/

simonk

gordiji said:

I looked at, not tried a few and was a bit put off on the classic series to see just 2 screws holding the neck on. Fender got roasted for reducing to 3 in the 70's so can anyone explain this. Is the neck glued as well ?

They use some fancy woodwork to create a 'special' joint apparently. Strength isn't an issue.

CloudNine

 Have owned two, and tried a few more. Never played a bad one. Also never played what I would consider a great guitar. Some nice deals out there on used ones though.

rico

Teetonetal said:

Haych said:

I'd always looked at Anderson guitars and secretly scoffed at them before.  I mean, it's just another Strat/Tele right?  How much difference can there be?  How can that particular design be made any better than what it already is?

Goodness how wrong was I?

I was once asked if I could only have one guitar what would it be, and I'd always feel pained trying to even think of an answer.  After last night I think I could quite happily answer the question now.

What do you think, is the X factor that they have?

I would like to know this too!

Haych

Teetonetal said:

Haych said:

I'd always looked at Anderson guitars and secretly scoffed at them before.  I mean, it's just another Strat/Tele right?  How much difference can there be?  How can that particular design be made any better than what it already is?

Goodness how wrong was I?

I was once asked if I could only have one guitar what would it be, and I'd always feel pained trying to even think of an answer.  After last night I think I could quite happily answer the question now.

What do you think, is the X factor that they have?

That is a very difficult question to answer with words, if you know what I mean.

It was as if the guitar had been tailor made for me if that makes any sense, it just fell into my hands and felt "right" in a way no other guitar ever has.  Not to mention that it was beautiful to look at but it was beautiful to touch, to feel and it even smelled great.

The attention to detail was incredible, everything designed just so.  The end result being that the finished guitar really is greater than the sum of its parts.

It was a joy to play and I found myself thinking that I'm really not this good at playing guitar, but my playing was above the ability I know I possess.  I was coming out with licks and using techniques that I can't really play all that well but pulling them off very convincingly.  It just made me want to play and to keep playing.

The fretwork is just something else.  I know he uses stainless frets but they were finished to perfection, the ends perfectly rounded with amazing precision - I understand that SS is a dog to work with and some big manufacturers seem not to be able to get it right, or care, with ordinary NS frets.

I saw a video recently of Paul Reed Smith at NAAM apologising to the other guys for making them look like amateurs.  Somebody needs to make a meme on that with Tom Anderson smirking and commenting, "That's cute". 

I still like my guitars but will be working my way towards acquiring an Anderson as soon as I can.

skaguitar

Playing devils advocate...you might try another one and not get the same feeling....sometimes people try quite a few les Paul's for example before they find the 'one!

ThorpyFX

skaguitar said:

Playing devils advocate...you might try another one and not get the same feeling....sometimes people try quite a few les Paul's for example before they find the 'one!

I thought this would be the case too...... I was in World Guitars chatting to smithy and was sufficiently curious to try one. I ended up trying 5 of the 10 that they had on the wall. Honestly not a bad thing to say amongst all of them, they are so light, resonant and incredible to play that I was truly shocked. I didn't even go to try those guitars, I went to try a few PRS as I had something i wanted to trade in.

I walked out with a Tom Anderson Angel (in purple).

xscaramanga

When I was a kid someone gave me a guitar magazine (the annual Guitar World Buyer's Guide or something?). There was a picture in it of an Anderson Drop Top with a quilted maple top in a kind of orange burst, and I wanted it badly. When my family first got dial-up internet I ran up big bills looking at the Anderson website.

I thought I didn't want one anymore, but you lot are Not Helping.

Haych

Oh dear!  Shit just got real.  Mark at World Guitars has made me a very good offer on a PX for my PRS Custom 22 against a used Drop Top!  Still got to find a helluva lot of money but that's what a credit card is for, surely?

Bridgehouse

Haych said:

Oh dear!  Shit just got real.  Mark at World Guitars has made me a very good offer on a PX for my PRS Custom 22 against a used Drop Top!  Still got to find a helluva lot of money but that's what a credit card is for, surely?

Do it.

You'll regret it later if you don't.

bassbora

usedtobe said:

You can manage with one kidney, one lung, and you don't need an entire liver, so I say go for it! Don't forget to post pics!
  

You want to see pics of his organs? I thought this was a guitar forum 

Bridgehouse

bassbora said:

usedtobe said:

You can manage with one kidney, one lung, and you don't need an entire liver, so I say go for it! Don't forget to post pics!
  

You want to see pics of his organs? I thought this was a guitar forum 

I like to see a good Hammond. Go for it, I say..

bassbora

Bridgehouse said:

bassbora said:

usedtobe said:

You can manage with one kidney, one lung, and you don't need an entire liver, so I say go for it! Don't forget to post pics!
  

You want to see pics of his organs? I thought this was a guitar forum 

I like to see a good Hammond. Go for it, I say..

Love it. 

thomasross20

Ah!! I finally got to try one at the Guitar Show and can hand on heart say I prefer Suhr's. I always wanted to check this out as a lot of folk seem to prefer Anderson but seems I'm the other way round.