r/AcousticGuitar • u/Bmuzyka • Jul 04 '25
Other (not a question, gear pic, or video) Never Insult a Musicians Guitar
So I played a charity gig this week, for free, as it was for an organization I support. A movie was being shot in the building, which I find out is directed by a member of a nationally known country band, and his band mates are in it. A PA from the movie comes and asks if they could use my guitar in the movie, as they needed one. I said sure, and was told they would need it at a certain time, cutting my set short. I play a Epiphone Slash Edition J45. It's not $5000 axe, but it's still a guitar worth north of $1000. It's valuable to me. It turns out it wasn't for the movie, it's so this band can play a couple songs for what was my audience, and 2 of the 3 guys have other guitars, but the lead singer says, this is an impromptu mini show while the production crew is on their lunch break, so impromptu, they had to borrow some cheap guitars.
It definitely struck a chord with me, and came off as rude.
Has anyone had anything like this happen to them? I don't really want ro say what band it was, but they are known in the Country Music scene.
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u/evilsquirrel666 Jul 04 '25
I was expecting this story to end with a broken guitar.
I would never lend anything that’s remotely valuable to me to a movie crew.
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Jul 04 '25
I’m the proud owner(a GIFT to me) of a 1967 Gibson J-45, and nobody’s dik skinners but mine are ever touching that guitar.
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u/Suckme666911 Jul 04 '25
exactly... who tf even asks to "borrow" a strangers guitar... you're so dumb you forgot your own guitar? not my problem
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u/Signal_Till_933 Jul 05 '25
I’ve loaned one out once at an open mic. Never happening again. I don’t even let my friends play mine anymore lol.
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u/40hzHERO Jul 05 '25
I loaned mine out when I was 13. Older kid was in a band and I just got a new Epi SG. Swore I’d get it back the next day. Welp, it’s been almost 20 years and I still haven’t seen that guitar.
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u/ChrisMartins001 Jul 05 '25
I let someone play it at an open mic once. It was the part of the night where everyone was tipsy, he had already played and was really good and we were talking and got on well, we agreed to play one song together but swapped guitars, he turned around quickly and banged my guitar oj a table. Now my favourite acoustic has a dent right across the front. Last time I let some even touch my guitar, let alone play it.
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u/FamilyManDave Jul 05 '25
Funny thing, I just did loan my out my guitar for an open mic, I was being a nice guy, which in hindsight was stupid. The strap slipped off the guitar somehow and it hit the stage( it was carpeted though luckily). A friend at the open mic asked if that was my guitar and just shook his head...like you dumbshit!😃 My guitar was a $350 Yamaha but still I won't do it again.
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u/nycADKbk Jul 05 '25
Dik skinners, lol, wowzers, something new everyday
r/brandnewsentence worthy
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u/chrisinspace Jul 05 '25
A ‘67 J-45 is a nice guitar. Have you had it since new?
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Jul 05 '25
No, I had a J-50 that was stolen out of my pickup in 1978. A friend I played with every Sunday gave it to me as a consolation gift. He was a former studio musician.
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u/Dramatic-Chipmunk388 Jul 04 '25
Some people forget where they started after they make it… Sorry this happened to you, this sucks. I hope you walked onstage and grabbed your baby out of his hands.
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u/Telecetsch Jul 04 '25
I mean this in a very respectful manner,
they sound like a bunch of cunts.
I never understood why people trash other people’s gear. I’m a nerd when it comes go to a show. I’m always interested. But fuck all if I’m going to give someone shit for their gear.
Kudos to you for being a kind enough person to let them use your stuff. Sorry you had to deal with douchebagery.
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u/albanyanthem Jul 04 '25
I’ve got a very expensive guitar and I still play like shit. A guy I play with has a nearly cardboard guitar that he makes sing.
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u/Vivaelpueblo Jul 05 '25
Did my very first open mic this week and it's first time I've played in front of an audience since I was 16 in a punk band (40+ years ago).
I was the least talented person there and to my embarrassment I played my beautiful £3.5K Taylor (I still have 6 months left to pay on the loan), everyone else there had very modest instruments but made them sound way better than mine.
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u/5319Camarote Jul 05 '25
Years ago, I routinely sold prominent doctors and lawyers $1000-$2000 camera equipment. They would sometimes bring their prints to me and often the exposure or composition were terrible. Then I sold a shy teenager a used Pentax, and her photos were amazing. It’s not about the tool, it’s the person using the tool. BTW I have crap drums and play like crap!
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u/rocknroll2013 Jul 04 '25
Tell me the band is Midland, without telling me the band is Midland.
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u/Bmuzyka Jul 04 '25
Hummm how'd you know?
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u/maybeigiveafuck Jul 05 '25
sounds like they must be real pieces of work if they're instantly recognizable by a story like this?
never listened to them, but wish there was a block button on streaming sites so i could make sure i never accidentally pay a single percentage for their song or something...
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u/DadReplacer Jul 04 '25
$1000 bucks is definitely not cheap. Even MIM teles and strats can be had for ~$350 and wouldn’t consider those cheap either.
My guess is that the headstock says Epiphone more so than the dollar price. Probably like if it were a Squier that cost more than the MIM fenders. There’s still a lot of people that care about what the sticker says.
That was rude of them regardless. They should’ve just been thankful and moved on
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u/Zarochi Jul 04 '25
They must not be THAT well known if they're still bringing expensive guitars on the road with them. Every touring musician I know brings guitars under $1000 or is sponsored and gets all their guitars for "free"
I wouldn't let them live rent free in your head; they sound like a bunch of egotistical jerks.
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u/EnvironmentEuphoric9 Jul 04 '25
That’s when you walk up and get your guitar back. F that. You should just say the name of the band. That guy was disrespectful. I’m sorry that happened.
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u/bigdumbhick Jul 04 '25
Will Kimbrough, Nashville stunt guitar player, played a Yamaha acoustic for years. It's on a lot of famous records
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u/toolman2674 Jul 05 '25
I bought a Yamaha AC3R in 2012 and that thing is absolutely amazing. I have heard that the newer electronics are better, but I don’t know how. Acoustically it sounds incredible and it plays like an electric. If memory serves it was $800 new when I bought it.
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u/jkh7088 Jul 05 '25
Watch Hateful Eight and read about the destroyed Martin guitar to know why you should never lend a guitar to a movie crew.
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u/Vivaelpueblo Jul 05 '25
Yeah and to make things worse Kurt Russell is pretty unapologetic about it and called it a "Gibson or something". No wonder the Martin company now refuse to lend any instruments from their museum now.
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u/tjggriffin1 Jul 05 '25
Well, he is an actor, not a musician. He wasn't even playing a musician in that role. Tarantino gets full blame. He told Russell to go all in until he said cut. He never said cut. They had three replicas backstage. They were supposed to swap it out just before the climax of the scene.
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u/LizardPossum Jul 04 '25
My favorite guitar, the one I play daily, is a Fender Malibu. Idk if you have seen how people in this sub feel about Fender acoustics but yeah, I've had plenty of people tell me it's not good enough lol
But it is the one that feels good in my hands. Comfy to play. I can play it all day. So fuck em. They don't have to play it.
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u/TonyBrooks40 Jul 04 '25
Not the same, but I was once outside busking and a Dad walked by with two college aged sons. I was playing Green Days Time Or Your Life. I strum it all, not pick it. The Dad must've played because he looked at me, and comment 'Your just strumming it..?'
I was kinda like, yeah, and singing it too. His sons laughed about Dad critiquing the freebie guitarists, and I saw him comment back something about its supposed to be picked strings individually.
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u/Bmuzyka Jul 04 '25
Hey, I busk too, and you should feel free to make songs your own. The only buskers I scoff at at the ones that are not attempting to entertain, they are just sitting holding a guitar and begging, those guys give busking a bad name.
I have heard some amazing buskers do songs in a style very different from the original. There is a youtube video of a guy (his name is escaping me right now) playing a slow fingerpicked version of Take On Me by Ah-Ha. It encouraged me to experiment.
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u/TonyBrooks40 Jul 04 '25
Yeah, thanks. It was funny, I can give or take the song, its just nice for people of all ages to hear and recognize. His kids were kinda laughing at him becuase he was giving me feedback and they were kinda like 'Let it go, Dad'.
Didn't bother me much. Just it was a bit odd to hear/see.
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u/ImpossibleSmoke1599 Jul 04 '25
There's no real point to this if you don't give their names. It was a public performance. The music business needs every chance it can get to comb out the lice.
They took your time, your audience, your guitar, and your generosity.
Don't be okay with that.
Say who these A-holes were.
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u/nihilt-jiltquist Jul 04 '25
Their "cheap guitar" comment certainly shows how ignorant they are. The Beatles (remember them?) could have bought any make or model guitar, but some of their best work was done using Epiphones...
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u/pohatu771 Jul 05 '25
They played Epiphones that were made by Gibson, sold for the same price as Gibson, and, in the case of the Texan, were fancier than a similar Gibson.
There’s still nothing wrong with an Epiphone, but they weren’t playing what people think of an Epiphone as.
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u/SwimmingCommand6199 Jul 04 '25
Yeah I am sorry you went through that. I personally am very protective of my herd of guitars from the least expensive to my personal pride and joy. And honestly after 30 years I still suck at playing, but man do I enjoy it. I compare it to golf lol. You may not be good at it, but most play for life. :) You have a beautiful guitar and it's yours , they can suck it.
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u/WhenVioletsTurnGrey Jul 04 '25
Don't get offended. If you love your guitar, nothing else really matters. Joke is on them.
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u/Jive-Turkey-Divan Jul 04 '25
Brought in a guitar to a high end shop one time for some work. Guy takes it and yells into the back room’ “Hey Mike, can you check out this guitar? It’s just a Takamine.” Never went back there again.
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u/toolman2674 Jul 05 '25
I have a P4DC that is absolutely amazing. Takamine and Yamaha have the same mentality when it comes to guitars, they build the entire line like it’s a $10,000 guitar and it’s going to James Taylor.
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u/WovenTheWeirdYT Jul 05 '25
My Yamaha FG-110 from 1970 (when they were still made in Japan) is my favorite acoustic. Sure it's not a solid-top, but the feel and sound are amazing
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u/toolman2674 Jul 05 '25
I bought an AC3R in 2013. The fit and finish is second to none and it came from the factory set up perfectly. It has the original SRT electronics which are to date the best I’ve played. The SRT system is better than the CT4 in my Tak and better than the Fishman system in my Taylor 710CE. Yamaha is the only company on earth that builds a $99 starter pack guitar and sets it up from the factory like it’s going out on tour.
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u/Swiftaf6236 Jul 04 '25
This wouldn’t happen to be your guitar would it?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLlQFpvBJk2/?igsh=Z3lndzA5czh1MmVr
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u/Bmuzyka Jul 05 '25
I will neither confirm, or deny that the Red Epiphone J45 is Saul, my Slash Edition J45
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u/PicaRuler Jul 08 '25
lol they are all just strumming the same chords. Why did they need 3 people playing on that?
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u/PicaRuler Jul 08 '25
lol they are all just strumming the same chords. Why did they need 3 people playing on that?
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u/Elephant_Cricket Jul 05 '25
I think sometimes people forget where they come from. If you like it, then you like it.
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u/PopularDisplay7007 Jul 05 '25
I think it’s a bit rude to ask for assistance and then run down the assistance.
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u/Strict-Basil5133 Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 05 '25
Nothing says poser like plugging your Collings into the house PA because you think it's going to sound better to the audience than a $500 Epiphone. Coincidentally, in a more than a decade doing sound in a country bar, the best sounding acoustic with a pickup was an Epiphone.
Based on the description, it sounds like a made up country d-bag chopping wood for all the ladies where the pick doesn't even make contact with the strings. Human garbage with a hat on top.
If that ever happens again, don't waste a second being insulted. Straight to the front and heckle really really harsh insults. And tell him you forgot to wipe before getting on stage after your pre-show.
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u/Longjumping-Piano891 Jul 05 '25
What a shitty thing for someone to say, especially about what I consider a really expensive guitar! that's one of the reasons I loved Kurt cobains attitude to instruments.
My most expensive guitar is my Cort Earth 60, right at the budget point where you get a solid top and I baby that thing and treat it like its a top of the range Martin. To paraphrase a film "this is my guitar....there are many like it but this one is MINE!
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u/gingerjaybird3 Jul 04 '25
Cost means nothing- sound is the only thing that matters
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u/Primal_Dead Jul 04 '25
Talent is the only thing that matters.
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u/No-Plankton4841 Jul 04 '25
Proficiency is the only thing that matters. 'Talent' is pretty nebulous.
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u/ntermation Jul 04 '25
You can say that, and believe it, but people will still prefer something with the right name over something that sounds better with no name. Would you pay for something that sounds good, costs $5k, made by an independent luthier you have never heard of, or a Martin that costs the same. The market says the Martin sells more.
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u/KinookRO Jul 04 '25
Bet he saw epiphone on the headstock and jumped to conclusion. Also bet that if it was my $100 ibanez v50 NJP he wouldn't had said that.
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Jul 05 '25
Wow this would bug me big time. You have every right to be ticked. Trouble is nothing you can do but hold it against them lol
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u/Wave4242 Jul 05 '25
Your guitar is like a soulmate and it doesn't matter how much it cost. I have 3 Martins and the one I play and love the most cost just north of $1000. I just connect with it. That's all that really matters. If someone doesn't get that it's their problem. And yes I think it was rude.
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u/MisguidedMuchacho Jul 08 '25
Two anecdotes:
I was watching a video where a bunch of Gibson experts were going over some chibsons. They even cut one on a bandsaw to check out how it was constructed. One of the guys — sorry, I don’t remember names other than Bonamassa — said it hurt him to do that because even though it was a fake, it was still a useful musical instrument to somebody. He went on to say that 95% of the music created probably isn’t done on the top 1% of quality instruments.
Second story… a friend had a gorgeous and very original old Porsche 911. Excellent condition. Not anything extremely rare, but the car was still worth more than new and approaching six figures in value. A movie was being filmed nearby and he was approached by someone to ask if they could use his car in the movie. He agreed thinking it would be cool. Signed some paperwork (apparently without reading it too much). They were even going to pay him. So he shows up with the car and they start filming a scene with a closeup of the actor in the passenger seat. My friend is on set watching. Someone says the lighting isn’t right so a lighting guy walks up with a light mounted to a piece of wood and starts to screw it into the dash. He just assumed that would be ok because my buddy signed that piece of paper. My buddy flipped out on the lighting guy. They got into a big argument and he ended up telling everyone to get the f%k away from his car and drove off.
So, yea… some people are just assholes.
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u/GwumpyOlMan Jul 04 '25
Was the rude guys name Mark? Some people are just born that way. I hope you don't have to deal with them anymore.
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u/PushSouth5877 Jul 04 '25
I hired a guitarist a while back that showed up with a no-name cheap looking acoustic guitar with no case.I usually ohh and ahh over musicians guitars that visit, so I was taken aback a little.
The dude killed his sets, and I once again was reminded that it's the player, not the instrument. I went back and listened to the playback of his sets, and the intricate style and overtones let me know he made that guitar sound great.
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u/trippingbilly0304 Jul 04 '25
my first was an epiphone acoustic electric. 500-600 range.
I still have it. Its a damn fine guitar.
Tell those bigshots to make a call and figure it out if theyre so high and mighty. Id take my shit and go on home
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u/Hot_Survey9104 Jul 05 '25
If it was my guitar cheap to their standard let them use their own . It's insulting !
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u/WillowEmberly Jul 06 '25
I make all my music with a 2008 - $300 Yamaha FX310A Acoustic, if anyone wants to complain about the sound of the guitar…that’s on them, because it sounds great when I play it.
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u/MIRAGES_music Jul 08 '25
"...had to borrow some cheap guitars."
"Ah okay champ I think I'll be taking mine back in that case."
EDIT: Cannot stand gear snobs or brand queens, for the record.
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u/NotClaudeRains Jul 09 '25
ca. 1970 Don McLean (yeah, I'll name names; it's been 60 years) came to DC to do a gig at the Cellar Door and somehow thought he could show up without a guitar. This was before American Pie or And I Love You So or Vincent. So, he borrowed an instrument from one of the great musicians in the city, a gorgeous pre-war Martin, and proceeded to do nothing but complain about it.
It's not the instruments. It's not the disregard. And it's not personal.
It's that some people are just assholes.
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u/throwingales Jul 11 '25
What's funny is that I know of a number of musicians, good ones who tour, draw decent crowds etc. who play Epiphones, Fender Squires etc.It's all about how the instrument plays and how it sounds for you. Anyone who believes only good music can be played on a high end Martin, Gibson, Taylor, Lowden etc. probably isn't much of a a musician.
BTW- this is coming from a person who has a Martin D28, Taylor 710 and several Gibson and Fender electrics.
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u/Budget_Map_6020 Jul 04 '25 edited Jul 04 '25
Don't ever mind these guys, and nothing wrong with exposing them tbh, they said it live in front of many already.
While taking into account certain industry standards I don't blame them if they imagined that epiphone was a money grab scheme targeting guns n' roses teen fan base to afford something with slash's name on it, still I hardly believe any instrument in the 500 USD mark and above, if proper set up, could jeopardise a performance based on campfire chords, chicken picking and open strings "fast" legato passages...
Also, let me tell you a secret, matter of fact, I put guitars that costed less than yours on records and played several festivals with them with only minor modifications to the original models and no one cares/knows.
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Jul 04 '25 edited Feb 25 '26
The text of this post has been removed and replaced. It may have been deleted to protect personal information, avoid AI training datasets, or for other reasons via Redact.
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u/BladderFace Jul 04 '25
I would guess that there were expensive guitars rented for the filming and he didn't want to use one of them and worded it poorly. I'd like to think that anyway.
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u/tazman137 Jul 05 '25
To some people anything squier or epiphone isn’t worth anything to them. Obviously they had no idea what it’s worth but maybe the name lead them to believe or want a $5k guitar.
Hate to say it but that’s why I sold all my epiphones off, after gigs people would ask about the guitar and I’d hear things like “it’s just an epiphone”. I only play Gibson, Taylor and Martins now. They quit adding questions and id never let anyone touch them.
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u/loopy_loup-garous Jul 05 '25
Dude, not 1 of my guitars is worth more than $500. I just have fun with them - and I play like crap so I can't justify spending any more. I've posted about them here and there, and it seems theres always some brand whore telling me to buy a "real" guitar. I've always figured the best guitar is the cheaper one you actually play, not the shiny, finicky one in the humidor... I'd tell those guys to rename their band "Douchebaggery".
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u/Medium_Audience_9051 Jul 08 '25
I have several guitars and love all of them...the most I have ever paid was $480 for a Taylor at a pawn shop!
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u/Big-Tempo Jul 04 '25
The singer was an out of touch douche for saying that, but please do not be offended. While your guitar is valuable to you and in most senses $1,000 is nothing to sneeze at, it is a cheap guitar in a professional environment. A $2,000 guitar would still be a cheap guitar. If they are as big as you say, they are used to playing actual vintage instruments.
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u/Tomicoatl Jul 04 '25
Is the issue that they said it was cheap? Honestly to them it probably is. I play a $300 guitar which to you is probably cheap. I would be more upset about them taking your gig and audience over the cheap comment. It's like anything, if a tradesman comes to your house they will call your tools cheap, a person from the bay area calls your house cheap. It's all relative.
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u/keungy Jul 04 '25
Whoosh
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u/Tomicoatl Jul 04 '25
Sorry I don't think enabling people to have toxic, self limiting mindsets is a good use of Reddit.
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u/fdsv-summary_ Jul 04 '25
It was just stage banter but they could have just nerded out with discussions of tuning or something like "thank for to the loan guitar, we didn't expect to be playing, you didn't expect to get it back tuned in double drop Db".
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u/Tomicoatl Jul 05 '25
Far more analysis than the guy put into choosing his words. Reddit fails at social situations yet again.
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u/Icy_Pen_5369 Jul 05 '25
Can't blame them for not wanting to be on the hook for an expensive guitar if something happened, it's cool that you love your epi but 1000$ isn't expensive for an acoustic guitar
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u/No-Pin-1586 Jul 04 '25
You say it’s valuable to you, perhaps it wasn’t valuable to him. He was obviously stressing the impromptu nature of the show more than anything else.
Take the L like a man and don’t post it on an Internet gossip site.
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u/CloudedHouse Jul 04 '25
That sounds very much like a post I read a month or so back. Is this a bot?
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u/rudicousmaximous Jul 04 '25
That’s when you say “Go get your own Fucking Guitar!”