What don't you like about Guitars?

[druz15]

I hate GAS. I love guitar, but hate how much time I actually spend obsessing over gear I want but don't actually need, rather than playing the damn thing.

Oh, and the price.

actually this. If there was a way to shut myself off from outside influences about gear and stuff and make me just play (other than pure willpower obviously) I would do it.

[malevolentsparkle]

when at parties or whatever people say "oh you can play guitar? play [insert song here]!" which you either: 1. have never heard of, 2. have never played, 3. have played but can't remember it on the spot, or 4. can play it but they also expect you to sing it!

but then I'm the kind of person who doesn't really memorise songs very often.

[kdawg2a]

I genuinely can't think of anything that I don't like about guitars. Aside from my lack of playing ability, of course, but that's no fault of guitars. I actually like the limitations of the design of guitars. I know that sounds completely backwards. But, if a guitar was totally comfortable and easy to play, always sounded absolutely brilliant, never went out of tune, never required any kind of maintenance or setup, I think it would be a very sterile experience and it wouldn't hold my interest for long. I spent a large portion of my life wanting to be an engineer, and trying to be precise and perfect, and I grew to hate those ideas. And that's one of the reasons I came to love guitars - because they're not precise and perfect. That's what I like about guitars which, paradoxically, makes them perfect, I suppose.

I agree mostly with this, their imperfections are what makes them perfect. I love it when you've got to battle with your instrument for a while until you can wring the notes out of it that you wanted, it can ad drama to a song in performance. It would be nice if you could still get 59 les pauls for $300 like back in the 50's however. That would be my only gripe.

[Daza152]

I hate GAS. I love guitar, but hate how much time I actually spend obsessing over gear I want but don't actually need, rather than playing the damn thing.

At last you finally.....oh it's not you Daza!

Ha I don't gas over gear I don't need....just spend more time on here than playing

[jeremyb]

I hate that there's no perfect one, and if there was a perfect one, it'd be way out of my league.

Wait, was this guitars or women?

Don't sell yourself short Cam, you've got a lot going for you

Thanks. Pretty sure chicks prefer guys with jobs though.

Not in the mongrel mob!

[Rog]

This is for electric guitars: I don't like that its about the ONLY modern instrument which sounds so bad by itself, that it has to be 'enhanced' with all sorts of electronic effects before being able to be played in public. I mean, pick up a bass and plug it into an amp and you're away - pick up a guitar and plug it into an amp and it sounds like shit - (according to all of you here - I bow to your collective wisdom).

[Bg]

You're doing it wrong

[Slowy]

This is for electric guitars: I don't like that its about the ONLY modern instrument which sounds so bad by itself, that it has to be 'enhanced' with all sorts of electronic effects before being able to be played in public. I mean, pick up a bass and plug it into an amp and you're away - pick up a guitar and plug it into an amp and it sounds like shit - (according to all of you here - I bow to your collective wisdom).

I would have agreed if I hadn't just spent 3 weeks without my pedalboard. While it's nice to have the toys back, I got to really enjoy the individual naked tones of my 3 amps.

[Slowy]

when at parties or whatever people say "oh you can play guitar? play [insert song here]!" which you either: 1. have never heard of, 2. have never played, 3. have played but can't remember it on the spot, or 4. can play it but they also expect you to sing it!

And when you do play it, they either wander off or start talking loudly.

[sopachrga]

Intonation! Or lack thereof.
Also, that most guitarists seem to have something against being perfectly in tune. (Outside the realms of what the intonation causes)

[Rog]

You're doing it wrong

That's a given!!

Mind you, my guitar amp these days is a modelling amp anyway, so I can't talk....

[Bg]

through my tweed vibrolux clone, I put a bit of overdrive sometimes just because its lacking a gain stage due to the trem circuit, but I'm more than happy just playing a strat clean through it. Its lush As I am with either of the Bellbirds....
The bogner just needs a lead... these days I don't even use a floor tuner, just a clip on

I use more effects on the resonators as I like some reverb for the slow songs...

[Pastasauce]

I'm also all about plugging straight into the amp.

[jeremyb]

I'm also all about plugging straight into the amp.

This week.

[calling card]

Nothing ever came easy with them, thousands of hours playing. When I do I love it, never had a moment of meh and put it away. Yet it seems so hard just to pick it up & play, like it's some kind of chore.