Guitar dilemna.......

    I'm at a bit of a crossroads guitar-wise. I currently have 5 guitars (discluding my Taylor acoustic), and I'm trying to get down to 1. I could do with getting some space back, and the injection of funds into my poor bank account. Also, it would be nice if I could put all of my hours into just melding with the one guitar rather than bouncing back and forth. Now, culling the 1st three is easy........ I have a cheapo strat that is pretty much worthless, a cheapo Vintage AFD Les Paul, and an American Deluxe Strat that I just don't really like as it just sounds too thin. Then the dilemma kicks in...........


    I should point out that I am left-handed, so good guitars don't come around very often.


    Now, I have the best playing guitar I have ever owned, it has a neck like butter, feels great and sounds terrific. It is a Wolfgang EVH Special, MIJ. I cannot say enough good things about it. Although pretty common, and not very expensive, I'd struggle to replace it and find another lefty.


    My other guitar doesn't feel, play or sound quite as good as the EVH, although that's not to say it's bad. It's not, it's great, but the EVH is a tough act to follow. The thing is, my other guitar is a Tokai LS1000, a 25th Anniversay Les Paul. There were only 25 left-handers made worldwide, and I have number 1 of the production run!! So, if I let that one go I'll never, ever replace it.


    Just totally stuck for ideas. I just know that sellers remorse will kick in regardless of which one goes of either the Tokai or EVH. But I'm resolute that I want to get down to one electric. Any thoughts/advice anyone?

    Quote from Ingolf

    Believe me: Being THAT resolute won't get you anywhere in the long run.
    So I suggest you get rid of the 3 lesser ones and you will feel much better immediately.


    You have probably got a point. The first three will give me no regrets at all, so I shall certainly start with them ;)


    Quote from chu

    Simple, sell what you don't use. Start off with selling one and see how you feel afterwards. Repeat as required.


    That's all fine and dandy until I get to the last two, lol.

    Bilbosmeggins,


    Fellow Lefty. I did a journey with many cheap then intermediate, and now some finer guitars, but by no means the "finest" if you consider things like historic or private boutique makers, custom shop (although I've had one or two, they are hit or miss like all guitars)


    So, first off, MusicMan's top stuff is the bomb in feel. And some of their guitars can be the bomb in tone if you got pickups that work for you. For ME that is my 1990's Axis Sport with P90's. The small scale makes it easy as pie to bend, it's FAST to play in terms of action. The width is a tad too narrow as it's easy to pinch or push the E's off the fretboard and my hands are Medium sized. I am known by various guitarists as "The Human Capo",lol, so I can clamp my forefinger but I can't thumb over the top well or beyond the fat E. So your Wolfgang is a Keeper!


    So, ditch the El Cheapo's and look into others IF YOU MUST. One at a time. Try finding USED so you can trade w/o much loss. My favorite guitar is my 2012 Les Paul Traditional. I tried making them, tried mid-range ones, thought I hated them. But when I got the real thing, I was blown away. Keep to modern ones. The 90's and early 2000's the made some stinkers in terms of quality control. It doesn't have the action of the MusicMan, no, but you get used to the various actions of guitars the more you play. So you accept their differences as a slave to their tone. The LP for me is the bomb in terms of tone. But there is a difference in tone playing through cheap modelers (my now gone Gretch Electromatic was amazing through a Pod XT but terrible through amps) Whereas my LP rips up anything on the KPA or real amps. So LP is worth a try. Set you back $1800-2200 used.


    I have a PRS Custom 22 that is great, but while it's action is superb, I like my Larivee RS4's action and tone better, but while it's more beautiful on cleans, it doesn't have the balls on crunch or overdrive that my LP has. So you could try the Larrivee instead of the LP. Used, about $1400 or less.


    Thing to thing about, keep to brand names. Hard to flip weird brands. Fender, Gibson, Gretch, you can sell them quicker than others, harder to flip brands that aren't know as well.


    I'm talking Solid Bodies so far of course. If you want a Semi, check out the Guild Starfire IV or V, whichever they did in lefty. In 2016 they will make more IV's (I have a guy going to NAMM if I don't go myself to talk to them and put my name in on one)


    Ok, you can't go wrong, tone-wise with a Fender Telecaster 52 RI. But the action on Fenders is something that CAN be frustrating. Tele's are better than Strats in that regard, but you eventually learn to love them. You will fight, hate, love, etc. It's like a marriage, haha. But they can do everything. Mine is 1998, the first year production of them I think. But they are around. I got lucky, as mine has Alnico V's magnets in the pickups and I think afterwards they went with more authentic Alnico III's which are weaker. So I don't know if I'd like a weaker magnet. Thing about Telecasters, they front as a weapon if you don't carry a knife. And you can still play after whacking a bunch of creeps that jump onto the stage naked. all but indestructible, those guitars.


    Something to think about, OLD guitars magnets lose magnetism over time. So 1950's guitars lost their punch by the 70's and were mellow. So guitar pickups do age. New their atoms are all aligned. Over time, they get misaligned and their individual magnetic fields cancel so they get less powerful. Getting a 1980's Strat with original Pickups will not sound like one made 10 years ago. My friend has one from the late 80's and its tone kills anything I've heard in the past 15 years, trust me, I've tried. I'm going to break into his house and just steal his pickups. Well, I'll solder in replacements so he will be perplexed and think his hearing changed. (keep this between us)


    Like you, I have a Taylor and it's a for-life keeper. You done good there!


    For now, if you just want to save money, but like playability, sell all your other cheap solids, and play the Wolfgang to your hearts content. I have not played one yet, but if it's like the other 4 MusicMan guitar's I've owned, it's action and playability is off the charts something to behold. No, there is no guitar like it. EVH did something amazing when he made and broke in his neck and I think they still model off of that is my best guess. PRS has great playability, but a friend of mine (luthier at Harry's Guitars in Raleigh, NC) made a guitar for me that has better playability than any guitar I've ever owned. It's a flat board, wide, and just low action and a breeze to play. The big brands aren't any where near this. So MusicMan is rare in that regard. Stop looking for THAT. Stick to TONE as your guide, as long as Playability isn't something that is like climbing a hill as you go towards the 12th fret.


    So that's the "wisdom" of my journey so far. But this is YOUR journey, and the NEXT guitar will be something that speaks to you. You won't be able to put it down. Sell the junk, keep the fun one, and when you get to a point where you can hold a NICE guitar in your hand, do so. Don't buy cheap any more. You are past that point. Be willing to drop $1k, $2k, $2.5k, buy used, be willing to flip it, and realize you might love it for 6 months and flip it anyways for another. That's part of the "Journey" we all go on.


    Best to you!

    Quote from Pick909


    Unless you are like @sambrox and buy three dreams guitars a month! 8o You can afford to keep some. ;)


    Lol! Just for the record, that was a one-off spree. I can honestly say that I think that I might possibly be considering to maybe not buy another guitar for what could turn out to be a fair while, probably...


    Nah, in all seriousness, I'm going to have a yard sale soon, and get rid of anything that's just hanging out in storage. Whoever said that about the wall hangers was dead on the money. I invested in 3 of them when I moved into a new apartment a year ago. 1 of them is reserved for a Fender mex Jazz bass, just in case I decide to record a jam at home, and the other 2 are in rotation (although the Tyler hasn't been on the sub's bench yet). Guitars really should be played. I have 10 of them in cases out in a warehouse doing nothing. So sad. I fully support your action of selling the lesser-played 3, @Bilbosmeggins

    Hey guys, where is our traditional gas (guitar acquisition syndrome)?
    I am really surprised to see how many of you are ready to sell their axes...


    Bilbosmeggins, you wrote "...I currently have 5 guitars (discluding my Taylor acoustic), and I'm trying to get down to 1..."
    Lucky you!!! I currently have 16 guitars and I'm trying to get up to 30... :cursing:
    ...but I have 1 wife and I'm trying to get down to 0... 8o

    Quote from rothko61

    Hey guys, where is our traditional gas (guitar acquisition syndrome)?
    I am really surprised to see how many of you are ready to sell their axes...


    Bilbosmeggins, you wrote "...I currently have 5 guitars (discluding my Taylor acoustic), and I'm trying to get down to 1..."
    Lucky you!!! I currently have 16 guitars and I'm trying to get up to 30... :cursing:
    ...but I have 1 wife and I'm trying to get down to 0... 8o


    Best post in year 2015 :D


    Thanks for your long and detailed post. Much appreciated. I did actually take a Music Man Super Sport Axis for a test drive about 9 months ago, but I think it was poorly set up and I foolishly walked away from it. Sounded absolutely killer though so I am always on the hunt for another, but they seem to be in very short supply as left-handers.


    Regarding Gibson LP's, I did own a 2006 Standard for a while, but never really gelled with it. Just my own opinion, but I think the Tokai blew it away in fit, finish, feel and sound. It's just how I wanted my Gibson to be. And, even unplugged, it rings out in a way that the Gibbo never could.


    As regards the other makes out there, I'm not really gassing for anything at all. I would like to try a high end Vigier at some point, and also have a hankering to bag an Andy Timmons Ibanez signature guitar. Forget the model number, but it looks like a strat. No lefties though so a bit of a bummer :(


    I think I'm fairly resolute now that I shall be keeping the Tokai and the EVH. They are both just too good. I can see myself going into mourning if either of them ever have to leave me.

    Quote from rothko61

    Hey guys, where is our traditional gas (guitar acquisition syndrome)?
    I am really surprised to see how many of you are ready to sell their axes...


    Bilbosmeggins, you wrote "...I currently have 5 guitars (discluding my Taylor acoustic), and I'm trying to get down to 1..."
    Lucky you!!! I currently have 16 guitars and I'm trying to get up to 30... :cursing:
    ...but I have 1 wife and I'm trying to get down to 0... 8o


    I managed to accomplish that last part of your "to do" list :)