Hi there fellow picker, I'm in about the same range of time with a guitar in my hands. Extensive bouts of hours upon hours in the woodshed. Bought & sold my fair share of different types. Just love playing more than anything.
I'm actually second generation and my Dad worked in a music shop & as a guitar teacher back in the 65-70 period of time. He routinely commented to me that some instruments were just horrible quality to deal with. Low tech and low standards of production. He could understand the "rarity" or "scarcity" value (though hated the inflated prices non-playing collectors did to guitars) but told me time and again that better construction techniques of today are worth appreciating.
And, honest to goodness, I've got a similar voodoo-like relationship regarding one particular guitar of his. It's a 1981 Fender Strat Elite, an un-loved high-end thing he picked up and just kept around. It's got this weird triangular 'V' cut to the neck, a hard ebony fretboard, and when the garbage floating trem is locked down, it plays like nothing else. I've written more riffs, ideas, and can do so again and again without fail every time I touch it. The strangest thing, and while I don't care to put a technical description on why it's magic (I do like the Washburn Dime Custom Shop necks, which also had a pronounced 'V'), I can't deny there's just something to the relationship. Cool to see it's not just me.
I'm actually second generation and my Dad worked in a music shop & as a guitar teacher back in the 65-70 period of time. He routinely commented to me that some instruments were just horrible quality to deal with. Low tech and low standards of production. He could understand the "rarity" or "scarcity" value (though hated the inflated prices non-playing collectors did to guitars) but told me time and again that better construction techniques of today are worth appreciating.
And, honest to goodness, I've got a similar voodoo-like relationship regarding one particular guitar of his. It's a 1981 Fender Strat Elite, an un-loved high-end thing he picked up and just kept around. It's got this weird triangular 'V' cut to the neck, a hard ebony fretboard, and when the garbage floating trem is locked down, it plays like nothing else. I've written more riffs, ideas, and can do so again and again without fail every time I touch it. The strangest thing, and while I don't care to put a technical description on why it's magic (I do like the Washburn Dime Custom Shop necks, which also had a pronounced 'V'), I can't deny there's just something to the relationship. Cool to see it's not just me.