PLAYING THE FIELD
Is it worth getting used to playing other types of guitar? I’ve always favoured Fender-style guitars – Strats, Teles or other bolt-on neck, single-coil pickup instruments. Every time I try a Les Paul I think it’s okay but not really for me. The bridge feels funny, there are too many knobs, the balance is strange, etc.
But I was wondering if I should get used to them. After all, if I consider myself a competent player I should be able to pick up any make of instrument and get a tune out of it, right? I don’t need a specific LP tone, but would being able to handle this guitar comfortably improve my skills as a player? Ian Nicholls, via email
Hi Ian, thanks for your email. For us, the real benefit of playing lots of different types of guitar is that a change often unlocks inspiration. Lots of pro guitarists have told us they consider themselves well repaid if they get one good song out of a guitar they’ve bought. Because the slight differences in feel and design, tone, sustain and what have you that exist between contrasting guitars often provoke new ideas in the player. Another valuable aspect of trying something new is that you might discover you really like a sound or style of playing that you’ve never gotten into before. Editor Jamie got into the chunky sound of humbuckers during a Cream tribute gig, after years of mainly playing single-coil guitars – so the 335 purchased for the occasion really did open up new doors of sonic discovery.
Some adaption was required, yes, but that is the case with all growth. If you can afford it, we’d say that getting to grips with a classic design that’s new to you is well worth it – even if you come back to old favourites later, you’ll be enriched by the experience.