So it was my 30th birthday back in June and, as an early birthday present, I treated myself to a USA Fender Strat. Tobacco burst, cream pickguard, two point tremolo, rosewood fretboard. Really nice guitar.
And for a few weeks I didn't really bond with it. Wasn't really getting into the sound or the feel. I put a hotter pickup in the bridge and I felt more interested and for a while I quite enjoyed playing it. But now, I'm not sure again. I just don't get on with it. The neck feels too slim and I prefer a fatter, heavier sound. To be honest I play with a lot of distortion anyway.
I picked up a Mexican JM with humbuckers a short while after and I actually like this a lot more. The neck is CHUNKY and the sound does it for me more.
So... what do I do? This guitar was supposed to be a special birthday instrument marking a special occasion but I'm not even sure how I feel about it. Don't dislike it but don't love it. Do I sell it? Do I try to find something I love better? Am I about to go down a rabbit hole from which I may never return!?
Comments
It’s worth noting that with guitars we all go through many, many different models before we find the ones that stay with us.
Alternative to selling, if you can be bothered, is switching the neck. Plenty options for alternate necks on eBay. If its a modern spec US fender it may be routed for humbuckers already so those could be changed.
I like that its such a different guitar though to my usual Esp ltd Explorer with Its active humbuckers and rosewood board. So I know I'll always use it.
So far so good, but I'm still reserving the 'this is my 30th' stamp for another month, just incase anything goes wrong. Lol.
There must be something about reaching 30 and deciding on an American made Fender though..
Is this our version of a mid life?
I get what you mean though. You want to love it because its supposed to mark your 30th, and if there was contributions towards it, no doubt you feel guilty or bad thinking about moving it on.
That aspect would make it hard for me.
Probably 4 or so years ago I got back into playing properly and for my birthday got an Ltd ex-50. I loved it, but after fettling and swapping pickups etc, I realised there was a couple weird issues. Strange harmonic type, wolf tones almost that would sound even after releasing the note.. weird stuff.
I felt terrible because my mum, dad and sis all chipped in and got it for me, but in the end I sold it and put that money directly toward the Ex-360 (its bigger brother) in the same colour from the same shop, in the hopes my guilt would subside because it was basically the exact same guitar but better.
I still feel a bit shit about it actually, because I don't think I ever told them.. I can't actually remember.
Then again I'm not very good at being ruthless with sentimental gifts.
I guess it was fundamentally the guitar for me though.. hence the upgrade to the exact same thing.
When I used to play bass, I noticed the neck profile being the first thing that I checked, as I end up discarding the instrument if it didn't fit my hand.
My biggest loss on a guitar to date was a GJ2/Friedman, due to the wide/thin neck profile and how it used to cramp my hand after a few barre chord songs - I bought that thing new and it just sat in the corner while I played my G&L or Yamaha.
It sucks, but it happens and unless the guitar is £3K, you're not expecting absolute perfection, which is why I returned a PRS and not the GJ2/Friedman - I was still unsure during the honey moon period.
I would sell or trade it - All part of the ongoing search/disease.
By the time you're 40 you won't even remember your 30th birthday...
"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 realised that the thing I really cherished as the "gift" was opportunity to go to a shop and try *everything*, and take home whatever fitted. Selling the Dove didn't diminish that experience, and I now have a guitar that suits me even better than what was the best guitar in the shop on the day.
My only regret is that I couldn't keep both.
Thanks again everyone.
http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/141066/fs-ft-fender-american-stratocaster-2003-4-tobacco-sunburst-800?new=1