Funny that,

I gave up golf too, and I'm not a bad player. Same reason, 5 hours is a long time. I have a family that keeps me busy. And I can maybe squeeze in 2-3 hours of guitar practice (wihtout golf) on the weekends, but this would be a problem if I kept up golfing.

My better half thinks I'm over the top - of course. But it sounds a whole lot like I'm in good company. And when I hear the quality of the wonderful recordings that some of you have made available, I understand with greater appreciation just what it takes to get there.

And I sincerely appreciate the positive and supportive attitudes of guitar players on this site.


best,

Stuart

I have three Collings. I have only been playing for three years. My answer would be: having a high end guitar does not make you a good player it just makes you play better. When you know you have a great guitar and it sounds awsum even when your not playing well it still sounds sweet. YOu enjoy playing it and hence you play it more. you become familiar with it and that leads to more consistent play. For those with talent it makes you a good player for the rest of us it just feels better.

One thing that hasn't been really mentioned, if you are a creative player, always looking to write a new song... try writing something on a "hung-a-junk" where the action is too high, they're more buzzes than a flock of crows, and any play on the upper frets sounds deader than a cemetary after midnight. See what kinda songs you come up with or at what point you just throw in the proverbial towel and stick to three chords, first position for everything.

Then pick up a Collings with properly adjust action, new strings... any Collings will do... then see how much easier it is and how the music will flow if you've got it in you on that day. The nice guitars remove some barriers, makes life easier, more pleasant, more soulful. You end up a better player... heck, I think that all of that has been said in one way or another.

If one is a skier, the better your equipment the quicker one advances and I believe guitar playing is the same.
Same with most other situations in life: golf, archery, surfing, etc. Buy the best one can afford.
Grant

That is a good point, Kenny, and similarly, trying to focus on improving the dynamics re a song that you have worked and reworked. You get to the point where you know the song inside out, but you don't have the dynamics worked out and you know it will ultimately sound a whole lot better. Well with an old beater, I would toss it over my shoulder and kiss that whole process goodbye. I have the patience of a fart in a tornado. It just wouldn't happen. Some people could do it, but the inspiration simply wouldn't be there for me.

With a guitar that produces clean beautiful notes, the sky is the limit, and a few simple notes played well can be very rewarding.

I played for 8 hours last weekend and 2.5 today so far. I'm working on two of my own songs and am learning other songs in three different keys now. I'm stil not very good at all, but the improvement I've made is really substantial. I don't think my own song work would ever have happened, as you say, without a high quality instrument. If you can't afford it, you make do, but of the things I've spent money on over the past 6-8 years, I have without question, received the most pleasure out of my guitar.

I only wish I would win a lottery so that I could have a whole lot more fun with a few more guitars. I'd love to have a few different distinctive voices re guitar sounds.

But, I'll just have to be patient.

Stuart