Anyone experienced a big reversal of opinion on a guitar type?

[rumstove]

Way back when I started ('90) Strats were awesome and I thought why would anyone want a Tele when Fender also makes Strats? Strat has 1 more pickup, 1 more knob, better headstock shape, more comfy, and cooler body shape...Tele is a just hillbilly country guitar. In 2008 I suddenly "understood" Teles and had to have one. It's still my 2nd favorite guitar, behind my SG.

 

[AaeCee]

The closest to a reversal for me involved relics. I used to loathe them. Such a stupid concept I thought.

Then I played a really nice one and didn't hate them as much, and kept thinking about how smooth and comfortable it felt.

Then I bought one, adored it, and got another.

Now I like relics.

 

[hawk45]

Never got the telecaster thing for 20 years. Haven't got any new gear in a long time as I was on a hiatus from guitar. Wanted to get something to respark my interest and picked up a tele. Love it. WAY more versatile than I ever would have given it credit for..

 

[sixesandsevens]

Telecaster and strats hated both now love them.

Same.

 

[William Braddell]

Had a swing and then back again. Thought I was a Strat guy and then 7 years ago decided I was a Gibson guy exclusively until about a week ago where I realised I just hadn't been using Strats in a way that would work for me and now I am the proud owner of a Professional II Strat.

 

[MBT74]

I never liked the looks of Jaguars, but the tone won me over. Then the playing feel. The looks are starting to grow on me. Still don't like the looks of a strat but I love the sound.

Gibsons are opposite for me: I love the look, don't get along with the sound. But I suppose if someone did make an LP style guitar with 3 single coils (not P90s, that's been done) then it probably still wouldn't sound like a strat.

Have you tried TV Jones pickups?

 

[illegal gardener]

Yeah. Headless. Big time. After first playing a strandberg i did a full 180. Never had interest in headless guitars, i thought they looked dumb and felt weird to play esp when doing bends and vibrato. Then after trying a berg i absolutely had to have one. Now its my favorite ‘around the house’ and travel instrument.

 

[singlecutarmy]

I've come around to not hating teles I guess but still don't own one.

 

[TP Parter]

I've always loved Strats, but had a hard time making them work for me the first few years I had mine. Neck and middle positions, loved them. 2 & 4, they sounded like they should mostly. The bridge however, not so much so. Then I swapped in some Gold Lace Sensors, and I could not be happier. Sounds like a warmer version of my guitar. The original alnico 5 single in the bridge paired with the TBX tone control was just too bright and would feedback like crazy with higher levels of gain or fuzz. With the Lace Sensors it sounds like the perfect Strat bridge tone to me, and loves being paired with a high gain preamp and boost, fuzz, treble boosters, you name it.

I am fine with them in E tuning, but really prefer them in Eb. I like 11's, with the bridge decked.

If you are playing with high gain, or going for a heavier style of music the right bridge pickup is maybe more important on a Strat than any other guitar. I need something with more warmth and midrange push than the normal Strat pickup. Gold Lace Sensors worked for me. But I could just as easily rock a Steel Pole 42, or SK90 with no remorse. Are they a "Strat" pickup? No. Do they do what I need clean to dirty? Yeap.

 

[Lt Dak]

I don't know if it's a "reversal", but right now I don't have any interest in the classic designs. The only thing that's left is my long-time les paul. All the other Gibsons and Fenders are gone, replaced by Music Man and PRS. The modern designs are particularly cool in my mind, with prs in particular carrying the nu-metal baggage. I'm too old to care, I like modern guitars.

 

[BlueRiff]

I’m sure we all do it from time to time, hear some music we like and think “man, this would’ve been so much better if they’d just used this instead”. The various “this’s” in the prior thought are interchangeable across many spectrums

I’ve not done this but you bring an interesting question listening to famous guitar tracks over the years - a new way of hearing them if they’d been done on a different instrument or amp, etc. Kind of a thought experiment. I’ll try it!

 

[Tootone]

I contest that anyone who can't get good sounds from a Strat is either...

a) Not doing it right.

b) Not using a Strat, but a copy or modded partcaster.

or both.

 

[MR.K]

Back in the mid 60's I was all Fender.
In the 70's I remember Gil Southworth commenting his favorite guitar was a es335. I didn't see it then. Big guitar not cool to my young self etc.
It took a lot of years but I now "Get it"
MY es335 is the most versatile guitar I've ever owned, hands down. Into a tweed deluxe there's nothing lacking. I get so much pleasure from this guitar it should be against the law.

 

[HERSCHEL]

Still detest traditional spec Telecasters, but also dislike traditional Les Pauls and Strats, as well. With a few feature upgrades, all can be nice.

 

[Mattbedrock]

Grew up in Florida and started playing guitar in the early 70’s. Les Pauls pretty much ruled the world - Duane, Dicky, Rossington, Toy Caldwell, CDB. But I could never afford something like that. Wound up with an L6-S because it was cheap.
Fast forward to the 80’s and superstrats were taking over. Found a routed HSS Strat in a pawn shop and it became my main guitar. SRV came along as well. Played the frets off it.
When I finally started to have some money, I got that Les Paul and a bunch of other stuff. Bought a Tele on a whim, never expecting to like it or wanted to be seen with it. A ”country” guitar. I was wrong. They rock as well. Got 5 now.

Now I still play LPs, Strats, Teles and love pointy Gibsons. Still learning to like hollows and semi hollows.

 

[St. Pancakes]

The Jazzmaster and Jaguar.

I finally found great examples of each, after 4 or 5 tries.

I’ve always been a Tele and Strat guy. Not a fan of the Strat trem, more of a bigsby guy. However,I didn’t care for bigsby teles. I got a 66 jag a few years ago and that was it. I loved the vibrato on it, after years of thinking I didn’t. The short scale was iffy.

Next, I fall into a ‘64 Jazzmaster, and that was it. It’s everything I want in a Fender. Usable(to me) vibrato, two great pickups, useful middle position, great neck, neck angle, super stable...I’m in love. I had a ‘64 years ago and I hated it.

I used to hate the look of Jazzmasters. Something happened a few years ago where I suddenly really liked the look. I tried one, and although I still love the aesthetic of the guitar, I didn't enjoy playing it. Maybe it was that particular one - it belonged to a friend of mine who is usually very careful in setting his guitars up properly - it wasn't comfortable to play.

 

[sjruvolo]

Just this year I found out how much guitar an ES 335 is.

 

[Bob T.]

Hated Strats for the first 4-5 years of playing guitar. Now, it's my number one.

LOVED AND LUSTED for any Les Paul I could put my paws on. Having played many and owned a few variants, only one was pretty good to me and I sold it anyway in favor of a 339. (This doesn't count a few vintage '54 and '55 goldtops I've tried. WOW! )

 

[jvin248]

.

Got a Strat when I started because they were everywhere and cheap. It got modded to death as I was searching...

Found a Tele and the Strat didn't get played for years.

Strat got back in rotation after I got a Joyo American Sound pedal and soon after wired it with the Armstrong Blender, sss blends to hsh.

Scratch built a couple of Jazzmasters and uncovered their charms.

Never much interested in Gibson, got a couple to flip but still didn't jive. A couple of Epiphones have stayed. Many PRSs.

.

 

[JB6464]

I always liked the looks of a Tele but hated the hum that went with them .
Then one day I built a Tele Deluxe with a FR and humbuckers and I haven't looked back since then .
I can put P90 size hums in it or any type of humbucker to get whatever I need and it always sounds great .
As for LP's they have that classic cool look but I always felt like I was carrying a boat anchor off my shoulders and the neck felt like I was jumping over a railroad tie to play , just couldn't 100% bond with them playing wise .
Sold my LP's but kept one I use for recording , so it's now Tele's or Strat's for me . Between the two I can get any job for my style of playing .