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Over the years I have probably had 50+ guitars. Strangely after having very sophisticated instruments my favourite ever for playing and sound was a Gibson Les Paul Junior. Single cutaway one pick up on a flat piece of wood but sounded sweet was light and felt good. Not very versatile but what it did it did well. I think I even liked its simplistic looks. Have to say I also like a four pick up bison bit heavy for me now
Guess sophistication is not necessarily better than simplicity.
Anyone else have similar thoughts or particular favourites other than the obvious big sellers

Bill,
This is an interesting question for most guitarists but is so often answered by the influence of a current hero, as well as a personal preferences.

I endorse your choice of the 1961 Bison but am interested to know if you sanction opening this thread to include 'custom' / 'specials' when stock guitars from named manufacturers fail to meet the brief?

Hi Harry
I just happened to be pondering the guitars I had over the years and tried to put them in some order of preference. Find it difficult to compare some of them because they all had different characteristics and not sure how for instance you compare an acoustic with a sold electric.
Personally Gibson electrics have not worked for me I just don't get on with the feel of most of them that is apart from this little les Paul Junior - got rid of it thought I had to have something brassier bad mistake as liked everything about it
Never had a Black Bison 4 pick up and should have bought one when I had the chance.
I personally don't buy or have favourite guitars because of a particular player. I played all my shadows numbers on a Jazzmaster for years. I liked Hanks sound but wasn't trying to copy all the intricacies of the number. I used to sing Elvis numbers but didn't sound like him
I feel as I get older there are guitars which hold a certain something for me. I like the early Burns guitars and have customised some for my own to what I feel are improvements.
Finally in answer to your question I think it is interesting to discuss instruments which are special to the owners. Why I said about not the obvious big sellers as I am sure the strat tele les Paul would dominate. I find it interesting that some of the great guitarists e.g. Les Paul Chet Atkins were always changing and adding bits onto their instruments which were not always the ones which carried their endorsements

Well for me there are 4 that stand out:

1 - 1959 Les Paul Sunburst (yes I know I'll never have one, fortunately there are reissues):
I'm a bit fussy with colour as I don't like cherry sunburst, mine is Iced Tea Burst which is a slightly lighter version of Honeyburst.
I also don't like them to have too much flame as most of the originals didn't! Again, most of the reissues seem to have either too much flame ... or none.

2 - Fender Strat (naturally!):
As to what era I'm fairly easy; have to be pre-70s though as that's when the quality started to drop.
I prefer maple boards for the look and rosewood for the feel, but have never noticed a difference in the sound.
Finish-wise, my all-time fave is Olympic White with a rosewood board, tortoiseshell scratchplate and aged white parts.
But honestly, all the custom colours are great, the only ones I don't like are 3-tone 'target' burst, mocha brown and Boring Black.

3 - Gibson 335:
Perhaps the most versatile guitar ever, particularly with the Varitone.
I've got a blue one in homage to Justin Hayward, but I hanker for a cherry red one also.

4 - Rickenbacker 330:
For the jangle - uber jangle if it's a 12-string.

What else?
Well I've never got on with Teles, but if I played country I'd probably have one.
Or if I played rock and roll, a Gretsch.
If I played jazz, a big Gibson semi.
If I played heavy metal, an Ibanez of some kind.

But I don't play any of those.

Hmmm... I think Bill means your favourite out of all the guitars you own or have owned.

In my case the two I can't separate are my American Vintage Series Strat, which just feels absolutely right and sounds great, and my Rob Williams Set Neck Deluxe (the one in my avatar pic) which is one of the most beautiful and responsive guitars I have ever played. My most expensive guitar, a Gibson Custom Shop ES355, comes in very close behind those two.

This is difficult because I have found that one can play the same "type" of guitar, yet obtain different results and feelings about the model. Each guitar, whether, exactly the same type/model, or, different, has its own characteristics. That is why the saying 'If it fits', then that is THE ONE is so correct, IMO of course!

Yes it is difficult. It's like asking what is your favourite song. Mine certainly changes fairly regularly. Mind you didn't say it would be easy. Makes you think though

The guitar that has become my favourite is one you've probably never heard of - the Alden TV Cruiser DLX.
It ticks all the boxes -
Well made - wood very stable - stays in tune
Low action - nice neck - easy to mute strings with heel of hand
Easy to play - has gap between pickups in the right place so I can pick without plectrum touching pickups
Looks good - Fiesta Red with all-gold hardware - rosewood neck with easy-to-see markers
Thinline Tele style means not so heavy as a full solid body
Good sounds - those Entwistle MVH pickups are split-coil with Alnico magnets and enamel winding wire - not humbuckers and not single-coil, but deep sounds and good highs - very versatile.
Bigsby (must to have a trem arm!) and Wilkinson bridge with all the expected adjustments
Easy controls for stage use - just a selector, a volume and a tone.

No famous person has ever played one and they are not made any more but it works for me!
Ray

RayL wrote:The guitar that has become my favourite is one you've probably never heard of - the Alden TV Cruiser DLX.

Alden TV cruiser DLX.jpg

It ticks all the boxes -

Well made - wood very stable - stays in tune
Low action - nice neck - easy to mute strings with heel of hand
Easy to play - has gap between pickups in the right place so I can pick without plectrum touching pickups
Looks good - Fiesta Red with all-gold hardware - rosewood neck with easy-to-see markers
Thinline Tele style means not so heavy as a full solid body.

Good sounds - those Entwistle MVH pickups are split-coil with Alnico magnets and enamel winding wire - not humbuckers and not single-coil, but deep sounds and good highs - very versatile. Bigsby (must to have a trem arm!) and Wilkinson bridge with all the expected adjustments. Easy controls for stage use - just a selector, a volume and a tone.

No famous person has ever played one and they are not made any more but it works for me!
Ray

I'm fortunate enough to have had a go on that guitar and can confirm what Ray says about it.

There is also another guitar in Ray's collection which has a little bit of a history: an Alden Corsair which I bought about 8 years ago by mail order and which arrived on the day I got some terrible news about a dear friend. I persevered with it for a while, even swapping the (useless) copy Burns tremolo unit out for a (much better copy of a Bigsby, but it was no use. The guitar felt permanently jinxed to me and I was quite content that a player like Ray would be able to make good use of it. And he has.

I was interested in the tales above of various Gibson guitars.

I've owned a few Gibson solids over the years (four currently) and can confirm that the nicest to play (as fas as I am concerned) is always the Les Paul Standard model. The one I have was bought well-used and even with a repaired headstock break, but it plays beautifully (with 12-52 strings and a Duesenberg trem fitted) and sounds wonderful. I have a Custom as well (bought new thirty-six years ago) and I prefer the beaten-up Standard (which cost me very little).

The Gibson 335 is the one that turns heads and grabs the ear at local jams. Fitted with John Pearse 12-52 strings (recommended, by the way), it can be used convincingly for any sound from Joe Pass to James Burton (subject to less scope for bending with those strings). A brilliant guitar bought on a lucky day on eBay for £1,000.

Ray I really like your Alden it looks fabulous. Is it all stock ? Did you have it from new ? I would like to have one like that