Selling sentimental guitars

[Tenebrous]

Alright,

So I'm 24 in a few weeks time, and I've been playing guitar for coming up to 10 years. When my Dadcu died (he was a truly lovely man, the only person we bothered with on my mothers side of the family (her included, bitch) back in 2001, he left me some money to spend on whatever I wished when I turned 18. In 2006, I turn 18, and I buy a Fender USA Standard Telecaster and an Ibanez Ep-9.

Over the past 6 years, they've been played quite a bit, and they've both suffered a knock or two (the acoustic has a minor crack in the african mahogany side, on the telecaster it's purely cosmetic), but still play and perform great.

Thing is, I fucking hate the guitar now. I'll pick it up, play the same shit I've been playing for the last X years, and then put it down, only to do the same tomorrow. I can count on my fingers and toes how many songs I've actually learned note for note, start to end, over the past 10 years. Over the last 3 years, I can't remember learning a single new song start to end... I don't think I've even listened to any new music at all this year.

So why bother keeping around two instruments that cost me close to a grand a piece? Well, I thought they'd be something to show my kids/grandkids... "This is what I had when I was 18, and when you're 18, maybe you'll get one like it too."

I just wish it was easier to part with them. Anyone else struggle with shit like this?

[Lixarto]

Thing is, I fucking hate the guitar now. I'll pick it up, play the same shit I've been playing for the last X years, and then put it down, only to do the same tomorrow. I can count on my fingers and toes how many songs I've actually learned note for note, start to end, over the past 10 years. Over the last 3 years, I can't remember learning a single new song start to end... I don't think I've even listened to any new music at all this year.

I'd say it's not the guitars you have a problem with.

Write some songs and you'll see the world in a different way - it's a lot more fun than learning somebody else's stuff.

[Tenebrous]

Everything I come up with on my own sounds like a tesco value Uematsu rip off though. Like that Muse album which just sounds like Freddie Mercury on a bad night... It's kinda painful to go through.

I know my theory from years behind the piano, but I can't seem to translate it into anything I'm happy with any more.

[ICBM]

Throw away your theory and experiment with howling atonal Neil Young feedback (you may need a pedal for this), trippy Edge-like delays (you'll need a pedal for this obviously), tune it for slide, get an E-Bow, use some other non-standard technique-driven method of playing, or a combination of all of the above...

If it doesn't make you write something interesting it will at least probably be cathartic.

You can even apply some of this to the acoustic, although probably not so much the feedback bit .

[Tenebrous]

Throw away your theory and experiment with howling atonal Neil Young feedback (you may need a pedal for this), trippy Edge-like delays (you'll need a pedal for this obviously), tune it for slide, get an E-Bow, use some other non-standard technique-driven method of playing, or a combination of all of the above...

If it doesn't make you write something interesting it will at least probably be cathartic.

You can even apply some of this to the acoustic, although probably not so much the feedback bit .

I've done all this though. I started out as a grumpy Cobain-esque teenager, DS-1 into my Fender Frontman amp. Went through a few years trying to emulate Greenwood & Bellamy with my Boss GT-8. Had a classical guitar phase, found out I was much better with my fingers, but never found an electric guitar to suit.

Owned multiple Moogerfooger pedals, but decided what the fuck am I doing owning a £600 delay pedal? Yeah this phaser sounds cool, but it should do for £300. Oh look... I can play something over the rainbow on my ring modulator... I remember setting my delay & ring modulator up in sync and playing my telecaster with a pair of drumsticks... It sounded quite bizarre.

Hey, playing SOTR was actually pretty fun Maybe I should sell all my guitar stuff, buy another MF102, cause it to feedback into itself and control the pitch to play songs in stop/start motion.

[Adam_MD]

If you're feeling like you've hit a plateau or are just generally bored of music at the minute you should find some people to play with. You don't have to go the whole distance of trying to put a band together just have a few jams. I always find if I'm bored of playing the same shit in the house as soon as I start jamming with some mates it gets the creative juices flowing again. It's always more fun playing guitar with people rather than to a cd or a backing track.

I also wouldn't sell those guitars if there's any chance you might go back to it later as that's when you'll regret it.

[stickyfiddle]

Don't sell them. But do put them down for a while.

Or try a jam night? or join a band?

[jonnyburgo]

Just sell them, buy something else, he would've wanted you to be happy right?
Easy for me to say as I have no attachment to any of my guitars.

[Tenebrous]

If you're feeling like you've hit a plateau or are just generally bored of music at the minute you should find some people to play with. You don't have to go the whole distance of trying to put a band together just have a few jams. I always find if I'm bored of playing the same shit in the house as soon as I start jamming with some mates it gets the creative juices flowing again. It's always more fun playing guitar with people rather than to a cd or a backing track.

I also wouldn't sell those guitars if there's any chance you might go back to it later as that's when you'll regret it.

Don't sell them. But do put them down for a while.

Or try a jam night? or join a band?

Ideas that work in theory, but are impossible due to health issues.

Just sell them, buy something else, he would've wanted you to be happy right?
Easy for me to say as I have no attachment to any of my guitars.

Of course, but I can't think of anything that'd make me happy... Except maybe a new piano, but even then I wouldn't have to sell anything for them. They're just annoying me.

[toescantalk]

Don't touch them for a month or two. Then come back, and if you feel the same, flog 'em.