For me it's a Gibson Les Paul Custom.
I've been playing them at home recently and really loved it. As a result I took one to a gig at a local pub to play in our second set.
Played my PRS CE22 in the first set and was looking forward to getting the LP out.
One song in to the second set and I found myself thinking "I wish I wasn't playing this guitar", but couldn't go back to the PRS as it was now tuned to Eb.
I'm not even sure why, but I generally just didn't enjoy myself!
I'm 28 and I think that I have this idea where I'm an old man and I still have a Les Paul Custom that has aged with me. Thats not going to happen if I don't enjoy taking it to gigs, yet I still can't bring myself to sell them.
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It's also not uncommon to find folk that have a strong leaning to (e.g.) Fenders or Gretch's but who don't get on with Gibsons, and vice-a-versa of course. And even then there will be those that strongly prefer Tele's over Strats, or Jaguars over Jazzmasters etc or vice-a-versa.
It's all part of life's rich pattern, and it can sometimes be hard to define why one guitar feels right but another doesn't - there's no rules, no right's or wrong's - only what's right for you! If we all liked and played the same gear it would make life pretty boring!
Famously, the endlessly sustaining lead guitar on "Heroes" by David Bowie was achieved by working at high volume and standing in the right places in front of the amplifier to induce feedback for particular notes.
If the stage layout at the pub venue prevented you from achieving the best positioning of your amplifier, some of the best things about an overdriven Les Paul are not going to happen.
Perhaps, your question needs reframing? "Why did my PRS sound great and, then, my LPC not sound great in identical circumstances?" This would require boring, trainspotter info about what pickups you have in each guitar and any modifications to their wiring.
Because I was always the sole guitarist and we played a lot of covers in different tunings etc I ended up using a Variax most of the time, which never gets played these days as I don't do gigs any more, but I keep it because it is a "working" guitar.
i think you'll find this with a lot of guys who have gigged, there's a peculiar attachment to a trusty rig that plays well "live", I have a cheap Yamaha and an even cheaper no name strat that I hang onto simply because they were surprisingly good live guitars.
There are certainly some guitars that don't seem to find their voice until you reach a certain volume, I've never had a proper Les Paul (too heavy) but I suspect they fall into this category?
Keep it for a while, it’s an expensive guitar so worth thinking about before you sell it
My next gig is at a hotel and I expect it to be a mostly wooden room, so perhaps I should take the LP again to see if it's the same.
My Yamaha SG1802 was also a tad on the heavy side in comparison with the SG1000, but I primarily moved it on after finding a cheaper, lighter Japanese Les Paul of the same quality. Every Yamaha SG is a stunner to behold and strangely it was the newer model I found heavy.
In the most extreme instance, you could be comparing a skinny, alder/maple, screwed on neck instrument against a thick, all-mahogany, set neck, Black Beauty re-issue.
I loved it at home & practice, but I get a bit "flaily" when playing hard.
I kept crashing my knuckles off the volume pot closest the strings. Drove me nuts. So it went.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
That could have played a factor as I've noticed that often one tone at a low level can sound very dark, but then push up the volume and it comes to life.
The issue is that I don't play anywhere that I can really turn up. It's all number 2 on the volume of my Fender HRD and then mic it up, whereas when I used to play in originals bands I was using rack gear and turning my power amp up to almost full. No wonder I've not been getting the same feeling really.
It's the only guitar that I can play for an entire gig without wanting for anything else. Bare Knuckle Mules and coil taps help a lot with that.
Trading feedback here
Errrrr.....
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My two pennies worth would be, find something that moves you and you enjoy playing -you’re more likely to get old with it.
It was that particular guitar - I've had other Strats which sounded fine, including another USA Std.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I’m tempted to get another now I don’t gig - but I doubt I’ll ever come to terms with one. I played a studio session yesterday which needed a really ‘big’ lead sound. My 335 cranked sounded epic - with ergonomics which work for me.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
It's the same with Strats. Thin and weedy sounds at volume and the middle pickup just gets in the way.
I've settled on a PRS DGT which has a thoroughly comfortable neck and very decent single coil sounds along with a Telecaster with tappable P90s and a V neck. I honestly don't need anything else.