Guitar Beaters

Who commits the most violence against their guitars?

  • Fenderaphiles

    Votes: 14 58.3%

  • Gibson Gurus

    Votes: 2 8.3%

  • Taylor Tuners

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Jackson Junkies

    Votes: 1 4.2%

  • Gretsch Greats

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Martin Manics

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Roadies

    Votes: 2 8.3%

  • Drummers

    Votes: 5 20.8%
  • Total voters
    24
D

D28Flatpickr

New member
Inspired by another thread about relic guitars and distressing a new instrument to look "vintage", I made me wonder who trashes their guitars more?

This may be a question for those of you working in repair shops or buying,selling collecting vintage gear.

I'm gonna say Fender players are the worst offenders - being one myself - because all of my Fenders bear some sort of Honky Tonk scar and a couple have several.

On the other hand, I used to play with someone who owns vintage Gretsch guitars and they only have minor play wear.

At vintage shops and show it always seems, to me at least, the Strats and Teles are little more beat up than the Rickies, LPs, jazzers, and Martins
 
I don't think I know anyone who abused their guitars more than EVH. He was known for throwing his guitars into a van without any guitar cases, saying "guitars are instruments, not a decoration".
 
I've never seen a beatup Gretsch
1) theyre too damn expensive to buy another one
2) they demand more respect than other guitars
3) theyre just too nic
4) did I mention too damm expensive?


Mike
 
I've never been one to baby gear - it's a tool not a work of art. That being said, I try to respect my gear and not abuse it with ill intent (I work too hard to piss away money by wrecking gear).

I only have a couple of guitars that fall into the $1,000 plus range and I do perhaps treat them a little more carefully - I've got several guitars that I bought for $200-$400 (many used) - which I leave sitting around and may lean against something rather than put away in a case. I have been known to use soft cases when hauling my own gear - but I've never used a soft case when depending on a road crew.

I suspect I would be rather careful if I owned an expensive Martin or Gretch, (ie: $6,000 guitars) etc. - but since I don't own anything real expensive......I'm not real anal about proper care!
 
I have a similar outlook to mikeh above, but because I'm a poor student, a 1,000 dollar instrument is worth a fortune to me! Heck, even my 300-400 dollar guitars took weeks of saving to buy.

The only guitar I am casual with, and thus 'relic', is a 50 dollar beater acoustic. That has been dropped, filled with beer, thrown across rooms and has had all my friends sign their names on it. It now kinda looks like Willie Nelson's 'Trigger' :D
 
Most of my guitars have been beat into submission. I bought this SG and broke the neck off at the body during it's second show ever. Telecasters don't do that. My Ibanez AFS75T has been thrown across the room at least twice and both times it was like a new sonic youth song.
 
I try and not beat my guitars up too much, but I do tend to pick them apart over time....guitars I tour with and guitars I record with are two animals though....


my D28 has over 70 years of someone playing it to make sure it is a real relic but my Guild and Eastman and Gretsch guitars are all my own road abuse and studio knocks, I plan to take good care of all my instruments but when a scratch or ding appears then I kind of embrace it and move on.
 
weren't fenders designed with being beat to hell in mind? or was that a coincidence. as long as the body is fairly intact you can replace everything else unlike set necks.
My cheapos are always left out and leaning, my squier is a durable little bitch.
 
The poll left out all those 80s Japan wonder guitars. I've seen plenty of them beat all to hell, some from use and some from intentional misuse. I've even got one myself, finisn worn away in places, several nicks from falling over or being fallen over, big gash from where someone tossed me a screwdriver (I missed,) serious buckle rash on the back, scalloped fingerboard from years of bending strings, big burn mark on the headstock where someone stuck a cigarette, rust on all the screws and most of the hardware. Yep, the old girl looks like she has been through it all, she has. Fifteen years of life on the road makes a guitar really show its age. Even after all that abuse it still plays and sounds pretty decent and my son thinks it's one of my coolest guitars. The best part to me is, for each scar I've got a real story to tell.
 
Oddly, my most expensive guitar takes the most beating... well, not really a wonder, it's the only one I play standing up. sweating and hurling around. some screws and springs are lost from the bridge, it's full of plectrum-scratches and small nicks, and sticky with sweat and cigarette ash. Love it.:D
 
The non beat up list in the original post is a list of very good looking guitars.
The strat has become so generic a design its lost some of it iconic design status and is treated that way.
Myself - When I can afford something expensive, and that's hen's teeth time, I tend to look after it.
If I don't like it: I'll look after it to try and sell it for as much as I can get. If I like it: I'll look after it as said.
I did spend a whole $80 2 months ago on a Chinese Tele copy, including delivery, to "Frankenstein" but it looks pretty good and play quite nicely so I've been treating it like a guitar.
 
If yer guitar ain't hacked to shit you ain't playin' it right.:D

I like weird old junk and my '59 Silvertone has taken the most abuse. My Sparrow Big Daddy Ace is my main guitar but it's too clean....but I'm werkin' on that.
 
here's a beater......

it only costs $100,000.00.............:rolleyes:
 

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Since I haven't owned a gibson in 35 years and never owned a martin (or Martian, as they're known on local c'list), I don't have any fragile guitars, although I do have a couple nice ones that stay in their cases, the rest are out ready to be played.

I have seen my fair share of owner stupidity doing repairs--I did two headstock repairs on the same guitar a month apart, broken in two different places.

Now I think there should be carry permits for screwdrivers, lol.
 
I actually like owning beaters because you never rage when you put new dings in them. I have a 7 string Ibanez that I paid $100 for used, tossed a $60 pickup in it and I have my beater.

I can seriously say if the neck snapped in half I wouldn't be upset about it.

Same with the bass, I have a nice Fender american jazz, but I also have a SX bass that was $150 new. Same deal, baby the fender toss around the SX. haha
 
What's the point of having a nice guitar if it stays in the case?
I'm not a collector ..... I'm a player.

I have a valuable custom git and it's what I use on ALL my gigs. I sweat on it ...... my sax knocks against the AAAA quilted maple top when I play them together ...... it bangs into my keyboard etc.
I don't try to bang it up but a gigging guitar gets banged up no matter how you try.

But it's my best ax and isn't that what I should use on a gig? It plays better and sounds better than any of my others so except for occasional times when I just want to use something else it's my main gigging ax.
If it gets dinged ...... so be it.
 
Lt. Bob said:
What's the point of having a nice guitar if it stays in the case?
I'm not a collector ..... I'm a player.

I have a valuable custom git and it's what I use on ALL my gigs. I sweat on it ...... my sax knocks against the AAAA quilted maple top when I play them together ...... it bangs into my keyboard etc.
I don't try to bang it up but a gigging guitar gets banged up no matter how you try.

But it's my best ax and isn't that what I should use on a gig? It plays better and sounds better than any of my others so except for occasional times when I just want to use something else it's my main gigging ax.
If it gets dinged ...... so be it.
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The Stinnett?
 
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