The Magical 2% of Electric Solid Body Guitars

[abyssinianson]

A bit off topic but I would be interested in your opinion about Acoustic Guitars Firemodel55
. 

If it doesn't "hiyaw" - word on the street is he won't play it, buy it, or name drop about it.

Not sure why the 2% magical resonance stuff is worth fretting over when most people should be worried less about the 2% they may statistically never have rather than spend time finding an instrument that works for you, and then actually learning to play the thing and make music with it. I mean, seriously, say you have access to that <2%..then what?

[treblinkalovescene]

Look, as much as I'm a person of science, you're going to have to parse what FM55 means when he establishes a claim instead of taking it at face value. The figures here are obviously not precise, but he's trying to communicate how far (in his experience) the gap between a "magical" guitar is from a dud, and how often it comes up in a production run. It's a conversation, not a journal, so idk maybe we're being a bit too pedantic here. We're already dealing with superlative claims as is.

Now, just try to contextualize it this way, FM55 is literally the guitar gear equivalent of an audiophile. While YMMV, I can guarantee you that he's not just trying to blow smoke up your ass. At the very least, most of us were invited to his house at some point or another just to hear the difference for ourselves. Sorry, by the way Alex. Never got the schedules to work!

If you could make the trip over to his house sometime, try bringing a guitar you think sounds good, and compare it to his roster of guitars. I'm sure you may not 100% agree with his statements, but having access to that much high-end gear at one time might be an experience all its own.

[firemodel55]

If it doesn't "hiyaw" - word on the street is he won't play it, buy it, or name drop about it.

Not sure why the 2% magical resonance stuff is worth fretting over when most people should be worried less about the 2% they may statistically never have rather than spend time finding an instrument that works for you, and then actually learning to play the thing and make music with it. I mean, seriously, say you have access to that <2%..then what?

Since I have access to that 2%, I don't need to sell them EVER... unless an act of god should force me to.  Surprisingly, that 2% works for everybody.

[firemodel55]

I concur.  If the 2% comes from the inputs of the living legends like Clapton..etc., then case closed.

Di ba namili rin si Claption?  Simple lang, may Claption signature ang Fender right?  Sa tingin mo lahat pareho at maganda ang tunog?  Sasabihin ko na sa iyo that among the Clapton Models both Custom Shop and the standard stuff-- maraming dog at ubod ng kaunti lang ang magaganda.

So two possibilities lang:

1) Either bingi si Clapton dahil hindi niya naririnig ang pagkakaiba OR
2) Alam niya na malaking variation mula maganda hangang panget pero mas importante sa kanya perahan kayo kaysa sabihin na 1-5% lang ng signature guitars ko ay maganda

So, credible pa ba si Clapton sa iyo?

[analog.matt]

My data is acquired from experience and exposure.  Thats why I say, I will tell you when try 100 Made in USA Fenders.  In the meantime, I am short cutting the process for you. 

I have to give you a ball park figure for magical guitars right?  As I said, for Fenders its 5% for me.  John and Paul have lower estimates.  On the extreme is Gibson with about 1% and the other extreme is Suhr at around 10% -- yes I am surprised by Suhr because they seem to be getting their numbers up.

I once sat down with all the employees in one of the popular guitar stores in Melbourne CBD.  It was a slow day for them and I was free and I knew all of them. It was a modern guitar store.

after the conversation warmed up, I asked them point blank:  lets get serious now. I know you are all working musicians. you play when you're not here and you've been working at this store for many many years. we all know by this time in our lives
what a good Les Paul sounds like. So let me ask you this. how many Les Pauls have gone through your hands that sounds close to the real deal, or close to what we hear in the famous records we love and cherish?
don't lie to me. we're just the only ones here. no customers. you know what im talking about: the bloom, the chirp, the dual tone blah blah blah, you know what I'm talking about.

then one of them answered: I've been working here for more than 8 years. none of the modern les pauls. and I've handled a lot of special orders from the Gibson Custom Shop. the really high end ones.
the ones you have to wait for quite some time before they arrive. from all those orders I had made,  there was only ONE that passed through our hands. it was really gorgeous. and it sounded like what a les paul should sound like.
when you hear it. you'll know right away that IT IS A LES PAUL. no questions.   and all the sales men nodded. the guy then said, ask these guys, there were there too. they got to play it.

so i tried to make sure I heard him correctly and asked: so that's the only one? only one? nothing after?

he said. "nothing"

so I joked, "whoever that guy is, he's one lucky guy then"

they all reacted, "well hell yeah! when you hear that les paul, you'll know "its the one"

If it doesn't "hiyaw" - word on the street is he won't play it, buy it, or name drop about it.

Not sure why the 2% magical resonance stuff is worth fretting over when most people should be worried less about the 2% they may statistically never have rather than spend time finding an instrument that works for you, and then actually learning to play the thing and make music with it. I mean, seriously, say you have access to that <2%..then what?

the reality is, music can be enjoyed at any level. its just that the quality we want to have depends on us -- nasa atin to set our priorities and set where to tow the line.

accepting the truth will set us free.

[queer_rocker]

The Magical 2% of Electric Solid Body Guitars?

My PRS included.




lock thread please 

[pallas]

I once sat down with all the employees in one of the popular guitar stores in Melbourne CBD.  It was a slow day for them and I was free and I knew all of them. It was a modern guitar store.

after the conversation warmed up, I asked them point blank:  lets get serious now. I know you are all working musicians. you play when you're not here and you've been working at this store for many many years. we all know by this time in our lives
what a good Les Paul sounds like. So let me ask you this. how many Les Pauls have gone through your hands that sounds close to the real deal, or close to what we hear in the famous records we love and cherish?
don't lie to me. we're just the only ones here. no customers. you know what im talking about: the bloom, the chirp, the dual tone blah blah blah, you know what I'm talking about.

then one of them answered: I've been working here for more than 8 years. none of the modern les pauls. and I've handled a lot of special orders from the Gibson Custom Shop. the really high end ones.
the ones you have to wait for quite some time before they arrive. from all those orders I had made,  there was only ONE that passed through our hands. it was really gorgeous. and it sounded like what a les paul should sound like.
when you hear it. you'll know right away that IT IS A LES PAUL. no questions.   and all the sales men nodded. the guy then said, ask these guys, there were there too. they got to play it.

so i tried to make sure I heard him correctly and asked: so that's the only one? only one? nothing after?

he said. "nothing"

so I joked, "whoever that guy is, he's one lucky guy then"

they all reacted, "well hell yeah! when you hear that les paul, you'll know "its the one"

the reality is, music can be enjoyed at any level. its just that the quality we want to have depends on us -- nasa atin to set our priorities and set where to tow the line.

accepting the truth will set us free.

Music can be enjoyed at any level.

Let that sink in, digest it.

Since the dawn of man sounds enchanted, visions honored in sonic ritual chants, strings resonated, sonatas were composed and not a custom shop in sight.

[analog.matt]

Music can be enjoyed at any level.

.

as long naman as we're honest with ourselves, appreciate our blessings, everything should be okay. as long as we're humble, a spade will be seen as a spade imho.