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That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:17 am
by chuckjaywalk
Has anyone else had the experience of buying a guitar and it is just... perfect? Like, you wouldn't change a thing about it. Like it makes it through the honeymoon and the moves and the frustrations? Like she is your guitar, meant to be? Like no other guitar can fill that place in your heart?
My Lola is perfect like that. I got her in a weird trade: my Candy Apple Red Squier Jaguar (which had faded to that Johnny Marr orange in a store window), a DM-2 with a missing label, and a Companion Fuzz clone that OfficerBukowski made me for his 2006 Shoreline Gold American Series Stratocaster with a chip on the heel. He had, and I have, no idea what the pickups are. They are definitely not stock. The tremolo is the push-in bar style like on a Deluxe. She's so golden and resonant, with a neck that I can't stop playing. The board looks more like pau ferro than rosewood, with a lovely light figuring. But mostly, she just sounds good. I have been through a divorce and too many breakups with her. I've moved all over the place and she never left me. Lola is my girl.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:56 pm
by rfurtkamp
I've never been a "just one guitar" guy - even in the day, when having two or three was something you didn't do unless you were a studio guy or a rock star.
I have some guitars that are perfect as what they are - there may be something I don't LOVE about it but I wouldn't dare change anything lest the magic go away.
My first-run Classic Player Jaguar HH is heavier than sin, but the coil blend works better than I ever thought possible, the neck is the single best 24" scale Fender I've ever had the privilege of playing, and it's rock solid on tuning to a point that it was never an issue with the guitar synth pickup.
My junky, beater Squier VM Jag is far, far better than it has any right to be either, it's the only guitar I've ever owned that named itself, and this one did so within seconds of picking it up. It's a malicious, mean, alive instrument to a point where I've warned people before they play it that it has ugly, mean voodoo.
The only one I have that is absolutely perfect in terms of layout/config, everything but the knob choice (which was a 30 second swap), the 2014 Gibson 339 Studio (no f hole, one dirty fingers bucker). Original owner on it, so I konw that's how it rolled out of the factory. I never thought I could love a one-pickup (and bridge, at that) guitar, but I've had it now almost a year and it is just glorious to a point where I'm giving Gibson stuff a look for the first time in a long time as it's almost paid off and I may have to deviate from my years of buying "just Fender" stuff.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:58 pm
by kosta
Reigniting my 339 Studio GAS.....
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 3:28 pm
by Chuckchuck
The perfect guitar for me was probably the blonde Epiphone Emperor Regent. Favorite bass--Epi Jack Casady. Both sold off long ago. Too bad so sad. I may get them again but it's not a priority.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 4:50 pm
by gnomethrone
I have an unreasonable love for my blacktop jazzmaster. Ive never read anything positive about them but that's kinda endearing. The sunburst is just a little nicer than others like it. the neck is my favorite ever. it holds tune and feels solid and substantial. A previous owner put locking fender tuners on it and some nice knobs. I put a modified mustang bridge on and have tried a few different pickups at the bridge. Have had an old 1st gen dimarzio super distortion in there the last six months and it's not going anywhere. I've bought and flipped 3 or 4 guitars since buying this one a few years back but nothing ever takes its place. If I had to sell all my gear this is the one thing I'd keep.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 5:39 pm
by rfurtkamp
There was nothing terrible about the blacktops, just people have the hate for MIM Fender for no apparent reason.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:32 pm
by gnomethrone
rfurtkamp wrote:There was nothing terrible about the blacktops, just people have the hate for MIM Fender for no apparent reason.
Yeah that figures. The stock bridge was a little wonky, but that was the only real problem with it and was a cheap fix.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:21 pm
by waltdogg
my Faded Les Paul Special, neck is perfect, finish and body are beat to shit, very resonant, and dead stock besides a few necessary upgrades.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:28 pm
by DRodriguez
I don't really have one perfect one, more like a perfect combo. I don't ever feel like a guitar is perfect for everything.
I did some work on and got work done on the 2 main dirges and they are heaven for me. The dirge strat with the G&L neck is thick and chunky and perfect for chords. Beefy tones and great for rhythm guitar. I do most of my songwriting on it unplugged. The Dirge telemaster I tweaked enough to make it a beast of a lead. It can cut through almost anything and the neck is thick enough to be comfortable but thin enough to really move on.
And then I have my Epiphone Elitist Casino that can get those real natural woodsy slightly dirty tones.
The rest of the guitars are just a little extra seasoning.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 7:53 am
by spacelordmother
All this perfection and not a single pic...
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 9:04 am
by backwardsvoyager
spacelordmother wrote:All this perfection and not a single pic...
'perfect' for anything/everything i can or will do given my preferences. no sufficient reason to buy guitars anymore. none of the things that ever bothered me about other guitars present (namely lack of purple-ness).

Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:38 pm
by rfurtkamp
There, I posted..one.
Yay.

Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 4:24 pm
by skullservant
Pretty much just use my Tyranny all the time when I play out. Bastin Jazzy stays at home for the most part, H loves playing on it
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 4:54 pm
by WayToHip
None of my guitars are perfect, much less the one I could spend the rest of my life solely using, but my jaguar does the solid body bit well and the harmony goes the big jazz box thing better. I guess if I had a semi hollow guitar I'd be happy with that and nothing else.
Re: That Perfect One
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 5:41 am
by p.j.
My Parker Nitefly SA is pretty awesome. I just put black tele knobs on and I am set. Most of my other guitars get extensive mods. I am happy with the Nitefly just the way it is.