Finding #1

[ZMAN]

After listening to Steve Prior talk about Jeff Beck having a Number 1 favourite guitar, I got to thinking about my situation. What would I call my #1. It seems that most of the Icons that play Strats have a Frankenstrat made of different parts. Gibson are a different animal. Being a multiple guitar owner I find it hard to come up with a number one.
With my Gibsons there are several points to be made. Neck size, tone, and playablilty. Weight is an issue but not so important because I don't play gigs.
So I am setting out to find my #1. I have a pretty good idea which one it will be. Since I only own Gibsons or Fenders I will probably get down to one of each.
So far in the running for the Gibson is my 1997 Gibson Les Paul Standard, then my 2006 Gibson LP Classic Gold top, and third my 1990 ES 335.
As for my Strats I am surprised to say my CV 50s, my 50th Ann. Deluxe then my MIM 60th Ann.
I guess if you only have one guitar it makes the choice easy, but I would like to hear from you guys on what makes your #1 the one?

 

[markb]

My American Ash (8502) Telecaster with 4-way switch mod. Many would dismiss this guitar as it's on the heavy side but it has a great punchy tone with tons of sustain. It's the loudest, most "present" electric guitar I've ever owned. This guitar chucks it out into the audience, beware if you're having a bad night. The U neck is quite chunky and very stable, no tuning issues here. Tones range from country clean to hard rock with a minimum of equipment, turn down the tone control for darker tones, snap it into the no-load position for bright twang, select position 4 for faux humbucking tones. This is a working guitar, that's why it's my no. 1.

 

[just strum]

Mine usually is the Dot. Although I would like new pick ups, pots, and switch, the sound of humbuckers over single p/u's is still more pleasing to my ears. My American Deluxe Strat is a close second and on occasion fills the number one slot due to comfort and ease of playing.

 

[ZMAN]

So far I am liking what you guys are saying. It seems as if the tone is the answer. That is one of th reasons I really like my Gibby Standard. It weighs a ton and has such a mellow tone to it, but it can snap at you in the treble position. Why I like the Classic Gold top is the neck and surprisingly the tone. I never really used the tone control on my guitars until I got this one. The ceramic pickups are so responsive the tone controls can give you a lot of diversity.
As for the Strats I really like the tone from the A3s on the CV50s, and the feel of the Deluxe 50th anny. The tex mex are a real close as well on the 60th.
I think if I gigged it would be easier to pick my go to guitar.

 

[oldguy]

Tough question......... probably the Agile LP copy w/ the WCR Crossroads pickups followed by the Roadhouse Strat and the Wilburn Versatare. They all have different necks thickness/radius wise, but they all have tone. The Frankentele is right up there also. I like the Charvel model 6, but the active pickups don't seem to have the responsiveness of the others. Oh, yeah, the Switch has the tone, but a bit bright for bluesy stuff. All the guitars I've put through the Ceriatone Overtone sound good, but the Agile probably does it all and does it best.............
Tough question.............

 

[Rocket]

Since I only own Gibsons or Fenders I will probably get down to one of each.

Hmmm... now where have I heard/said that before?

 

[Plank_Spanker]

My Number One varies depending on the project I'm involved with. With my last band, it was two Strats. With my current band, it's my Gibson Les Pauls.

I really can't be pinned down to a true Number One.

 

[wingsdad]

As an acoustic-electric switch-hitter, with a well-stocked toolbox to pick from (in my sig and 'My Pics') I have a clear #1 player of each type.

Many have come & gone or stayed, before and since, but through it all, my #1 electric since I got it in '81 is my Fender STRAT:

They made it for about 3 years from '80-'83. Mine's an odd Frankenstein of chrome & gold harware like most of the earlier ones were. The first-ever factory hot-rodded Stratocaster model, with a hotter bridge pup than the standard Stratocaster of the day they branded the 'X-1', but best of all, the lower Tone pot replaced with a rotary 2-position switch that kicks it from the standard 5 positions with parallel combos in 2 & 4, to add 4 more combinations:

neck and middle pickups in series - humbucking
middle and bridge pickups in series - humbucking
neck and bridge pickups in parallel
neck and bridge pickups in parallel, with the middle pickup in series

Adding the neck/bridge paralled single coil -- very mid position 'Tele-like' --to the standard 5 single-coil options, those 2 'humbucker' combos and the lethal 3-pup combo cover an amazing range of tonal territory with any amp. Great gigging axe for that reason.

As for my #1 acoustic (a/e, actually), it's my solid-spruce-topped, super-shallow bowl Korean Ovation Celebrity Deluxe CS257, my 50th Birthday present from my wife and daughter:

...besides the sentimental value, the top has opened up over 10 years to gradually warm & increase its natural volume and projection, and the marvelous mid-60's Strat soft-V neck, a tight contoured heel, strung .010-.047, it feels and plays like an electric, so it's the easiest to 'switch-hit' with when working stuff out.

 

[bigG]

Mine would have to be my Peavey HP Special USA. Peavey's custom wound p/ups are superb for just abt any kind of music - humbucker'd and tapped. The neck, although a bit thicker than I usually like, is asymmetrically cut, and I just don't notice the thickness - this would be my #1 humbucker equipped geetar.
In a tie for #1 would be my Fender SE Lite ash Strat. Has stock Seymour Duncans and is the "stratiest" sounding strat I've ever heard. Has a VERY comfortable V neck - the only one I've ever played, and fits my hand perfectly.
As far as action, my Ibanez S520EX has a very shallow neck and is probably the best I own for comfort and speed.
The choice would be between the Peavey and the Strat - and it would be a very hard choice.

 

[ZMAN]

I guess one of the main criteria for choosing a #1 would be how it fits you, and how it feels while playing. I find myself sometimes struggling with a guitar and switch to an old favourite and bingo things are working again.
We haven't heard from Spudman, I guess with him we could say the "Top Ten".
I guess the reason for the Strat being a number one for so many is the fact that they are modular. You CAN have the weight, neck, action, tone, and flexibility by mixing and matching parts.
The search continues.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Zman, from what I can tell, what I consider my number one, my 60th Ann. MIM Strat, is close to your choice(at least the one in strat land). I checked out the CV 50's and 60's, and of those, I would have picked the 60's, because of the PUPs, which seem to be closer to the Tex Mex ones in my 60th. I just love something about that tone. Like I have said from my first post, I went out and tried lots of guitars, and this model just kept calling me back. At least 3 or 4 examples of the same guitar told me the same thing, as compared to other MIMs, and Highway Ones. I did not go above that in price point. Obviously, the CV series were not out at the time, but at this point, my ear still really likes the sound of the strat I have.

 

[Rocket]

I don't get it... #1 for what? Different qualities serve different apps. Has someone found a single guitar that serves every need equally well?
I'd sure like to find THAT magic unit!

#1 compact electric for practice - Traveler Speedster
#1 general studio electric - '04 Black Beauty
#1 for electric classic rock - '78 ES-335TD
#1 for electric blues - '02 LPSpecSL
#1 for acoustic blues - '68 Folksinger
#1 for jazz - '54 Zephyr Regent
#1 6-string acoustic - '08 J-185EC
#1 12-string electric - '66 Rickenbacker 360-12
#1 12-string acoustic - '78 Ovation 12-String Glen Campbell

 

[ZMAN]

What I am getting at is that most of the top players usually have a guitar that they mainly use for all their gigs. SRV, Clapton, Beck, BB, to name a few. Of course they have a lot of guitars but they usually have one that they call their #1, I have 17 electrics and I could list all of them for different types of playing but there are only a few that I always have out and ready to play. I have to make myself put them away and get out a different guitar so they get played. I am tiring of this and I am going to just go to one or two that I will keep out and play.
I don't own an accoustic so I have no opinion on them.
I was just wondering what criteria most of you guys use to decide what is your favourite of the ones that you own.
SVL: I agree with you on the 60th. I really like those Tex Mex pickups. The only reason I like the CV50s better is that the pickups on it sound a lot like my friends 30 year old Standard Strat. He left it at my house for a couple of years while he went through a messy divorce. It has a very mellow tone. I really like the gloss neck on the CV50s as well.

 

[markb]

I don't get it... #1 for what? Different qualities serve different apps. Has someone found a single guitar that serves every need equally well?
I'd sure like to find THAT magic unit!

#1 compact electric for practice - Traveler Speedster
#1 general studio electric - '04 Black Beauty
#1 for electric classic rock - '78 ES-335TD
#1 for electric blues - '02 LPSpecSL
#1 for acoustic blues - '68 Folksinger
#1 for jazz - '54 Zephyr Regent
#1 6-string acoustic - '08 J-185EC
#1 12-string electric - '66 Rickenbacker 360-12
#1 12-string acoustic - '78 Ovation 12-String Glen Campbell

It occurs to me that your first four categories could be covered by one guitar. I'd go so far as to include the jazz box. That's five electric boxes into one to start with. Two acoustics for different styles? Far from essential.

Not picking, Rocket and enjoy your guitars.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

The whole "number 1" thing doesn't work for me. I like having a bunch of different ones instead. I can make do with just about anything, and frankly as long as they're playable, I really won't sound that much better on a more expensive or "nicer" one, at least not my playing.

 

[Rocket]

The whole "number 1" thing doesn't work for me. I like having a bunch of different ones instead.

+1

What he said!

 

[Spudman]

I like to play in 13/8 so my 'one' is constantly changing.

There is no way I could pick a number one.

 

[Jim Soloway]

I'm a serial monogamist and have been for years. I always have a number 1, a guitar that I play almost exclusively for months at a time. Then I get bored and move on to another one and start all over again.

 

[M29]

I think my cobbled together strat would be my no.1. Every time I plug that thing in I am inspired and thrilled with the sound, it resonates all over the place. There are so many different sounds you can get and the neck and neck/mid are sweet! In one word I would say it has the most (flavor).
This is a Highway 1 body with a beautiful pawnshop Squier neck and Fender vintage reissue pickups. I am going to put a bone nut on it and unless I run across a large amount of coin for another neck this will be it. It plays well and the action is low.

M29

 

[hubberjub]

For gigs I play my Modulus about 75% of the time. The rest of the time I use my Heritage 535. If I'm just jamming with friends I seem to always grab my '83 Strat.

 

[just strum]

The other thing I might add to my earlier comment is that I find that sometimes one of my guitars just doesn't "do it" for me on the particular time I am playing it. I mentioned the Dot and Strat, but this weekend the Wildkat just sounded and felt better than the others.

Rocket, what is "04 Black Beauty"?

 

[Rocket]

Rocket, what is "04 Black Beauty"?

'04 Black Beauty refers to my 2004 Epiphone version of Gibson's LP Black Beauty made famous by Peter Frampton.

Note: I've got another custom tri-pup (3-P90's) on the way... should arrive soon. Then I'll have to find an appopriate (jazzy) amp(h) to shove it thru.

Onward...

 

[mechanic]

My #1 is easy to explain.
Its my 1980 Vox standard model 24.
It's got the best rock & roll tone I've ever heard
and more importantly (to me) the neck fits my hand PERFECTLY.
Its a old friend that could never be replaced by another guitar regardless of price.
Eric

 

[ZMAN]

After reading these posts I have come to the conclusion that in my circumstances I can't decide on a number 1 either. Yesterday it was my classic goldtop, the day before my 335. One of the reasons is that I have them all set up exactly the same, and they all play equally as nice, and that makes it even harder. I must say it is nice to have the options.

 

[Rocket]

One of the reasons is that I have them all set up exactly the same, and they all play equally as nice, and that makes it even harder.

You have all of your guitars set up exactly the same?

 

[bigoldron]

My number 1 is my WI64DL Idol. It's my favorite and the one I won't get rid of. Lately, I've been playing my Yamaha Pacifica 112, but I still go back to that Idol on a regular basis.

 

[ZMAN]

Rocket, I sure do. I have all of the strats right down to the body and the lowest action possible, I have 9.5 D'addarios on all of them but 1. On the Gibbies I have the 9.5s on all but two and again the action as low as possible. I have a great tech who is a neck wizard, and he knows what I like. It took a while to find him but now he walks on water. It makes it real easy to change guitars, I also don't do slide. I am a fanatic when it comes to the action on a guitar. It has to be very low and no buzzing. I go to great lengths to make sure they are all that way.