Was it love at first sight?

[marnold]

I'm not talking about your significant other, I mean your guitar. Did you immediately take it off the hanger in the guitar shoppe and say, "This is it!" or did it take some time to grow on you? The reason I ask is because I often hear people say that if a guitar doesn't "speak" to you immediately, put it away. I agree with that to an extent, but not completely. Let me give my most recent example.

When I got my Floyd Rose I was thrilled to have a guitar with a real whammy bar. I liked it right away. However over my whole 45 day try-out period (via MF) I went through a real love-hate thing. Part of it is because of my nature. I love something at first, then I pick apart its flaws. Now that I've got the set up the way I like it, I really do like the guitar. It just took awhile. I know once it gets new pups, it'll be awesome.

As an aside, I also thought if I liked the Floyd well enough I could consider getting rid of my Fender. Not a chance. I don't know if it's just because I've had that guitar for a while or what it is. As I've commented before, it's a one-trick pony, but MAN what a trick!

 

[sunvalleylaw]

My strat, the first one I bought for myself. Though I was made aware of the good used one I actually bought, when I tried units in the store to check it out, I had to say . . . . Yep! It did speak to me.

 

[LagrangeCalvert]

To gear I couldn't afford....I have maxxxed out my GC card...I want a 60's players strat...I was love at first pick.....Damn I want one bad....

 

[Spudman]

I currently have 2 that I picked up and went WOW before I bought them.

My 91 Mexican Strat was picked from over 20 that the store had just gotten in. I had the store to myself as it was early in the day and I tried them all. This one had the best sustain and projection. At first the neck didn't excite me but now I'm firmly in love with the feel. It's the one that I just put Vintage Noiseless pickups in.

The second is a Squire (now wait) Strat that just spoke to me in every way - feel - acoustic projection - and then I plugged it in and went 'holy sh!t'. Got it brand new around 95. Turns out it is a Protone Squier. High quality stuff and I love it. It's #1. I remember going back to the store with it after a couple of weeks of gigging and said to my friend, a very experienced player, "what's up with this guitar?" He said he didn't know anything about it and couldn't figure out what made it so special. I couldn't either, but we've had quite a relationship and I don't see it ending (me and the guitar).

I remember my first USA Strat that I got when I went on the road around 1979. I tried it and for 2 weeks I couldn't quit thinking about it. I lived 150 miles away from the store too. I went back, bought it and took it all over the US and Canada. Sadly I had to let her go. It just had to be that way.

And finally, in 1984 I found a ridiculously low priced Duo Sonic that I was amazed by. I simply couldn't believe what I was hearing and feeling. It looked almost new with the original case. Amazing guitar. Alas, I was a dumb a$$ and let her go in a moment of weakness.

Some loves are never really lost. They live on in my mind as if it were just yesterday.

 

[Jimi75]

I remember my first USA Strat that I got when I went on the road around 1979. I tried it and for 2 weeks I couldn't quit thinking about it. I lived 150 miles away from the store too. I went back, bought it and took it all over the US and Canada.

Same for me with my ESP Les Paul. It wasn't 150 miles, only 40, but man did I dream of that guitar after I have tried it in a store. I was lucky enough to get the money together and could buy it after 1,5 month. That very guitar was still in the shop as if it had waited for me.
Same thing goes for my Jimmie Vaughan Strat.

Love at first sight is, when you play an instrument and it sounds and feels like never before, it gives you that little bit of magic that you miss from your other instruments.

 

[stingx]

I took one look at this guitar in the store and almost split the crotch in my jeans :rotflmao:

Now that's love...

 

[Jimi75]

I took one look at this guitar in the store and almost split the crotch in my jeans :rotflmao:

Now that's love...

May I say that this guitar is a GODESS?!?!?

 

[Tone2TheBone]

4 of my 5 electrics were "wow buy this now" for me. One was just a utilitarian choice just to replace a stolen guitar and fullfill the desire for another Strat.

 

[Jampy]

When I drove over a hour to look at my 1993 Strat, as soon as the owner open the case I wanted to :whatever: but stayed calm and picked it up to play and I was :drool: and have not had a single bad day with it, it really does speak to me, tells me to play it and be free :AOK:

 

[Jampy]

I took one look at this guitar in the store and almost split the crotch in my jeans :rotflmao:

Now that's love...

Man, I would have to wear trackpants to play that amazing geetar, but a tent I would surely pitch..

 

[tremoloman]

I would have to say my favorite guitar started out as my most hated one. Out of the box it did nothing for me, but after some upgrades and changes it became the one I always wanted.

That would be my "Marilyn" guitar BTW

 

[just strum]

When I was about 9 or 10 years old, my buddy that lived next door took lessons and owned a red Gibson SG. I remember staring at that guitar every time he opened the case. That guitar was only a distant dream because my mother didn't have the money and my dad was crying to blues about child support.

I never realized it until recently, but when I purchased my first decent guitar it was a red Epi G400. I still couldn't afford the Gibson, but I got a guitar that looked identical to the one I remember. I think subconsciously I was fulfilling a dream I had 40 years earlier.