Let's Talk About Forever Guitars (and how to spot them)

Some #guitars are instruments that you bond with and will never get rid of. How do you spot which guitar is a keeper and which one is just passing through.
Check out Agrajag guitars: agrajagguitars...
=======================================================
Support the channel:
The Blues Guitar Bible: payhip.com/b/0...
Practical Music Theory For The Rock Guitarist: payhip.com/b/9...
Become a patron: / johnrobsonguitar
Courses & Zoom Tuition: www.johnrobsonm...
The Jam Bundle Vol.1: payhip.com/b/F2At
Merchandise: teespring.com/...
Fret Zealot Purchase Link: store.fretzeal...
Discount Code: JohnRobson20
Benefits of becoming a patron:
TABS, jam tracks & other resources for KZbin lesson content
A monthly Patreon only solo with jam track & full TAB
A monthly Patreon only radio show/podcast
A free course (choose from my lessons page above) for every new patron
========================================================
Axe Caricaturist: / axecaricaturist

[@derekclacton]

My partscaster Teles are forever guitars - but they’re always evolving, so they’ll likely be different forever guitars, if that makes any sense (not sure it does)! 👍

[@RocktCityTim]

I have 5 forever axes - 1973 Ovation Deacon 2020 Gretsch 1954 G6120 Chet Atkins Prototype (Country Music Hall of Fame) 1983 Yamaha SG800S 1997 Squier Strat (lightly modded) 2021 Gretsch G5230 Jet FT For those 5 keepers, they are simply the guitars in my collection that I really want to play every time I pick them up. I have 9 others that come and go, but those 5 will be around when I pass on.

[@victoryhousemusic]

My cheapest Tele is a worthless partscaster, my most valuable Teles are >£5k. I love them all equally and they all have equal sentimental value ❤

[@colinfalcon-original]

As you rightly stated John, your 'keeper guitars' are yours & you can do what you want to them & it's nobody's business but yours. If it devalues them in the eyes of Joe Public so what, if it works for you then that's all that matters. My modded 'budget' Tele's that you reviewed are a good example, I'll never get back what I spent on the Red Sparkly, but I don't care, it ain't going nowhere. However I did sell the white one (after changing the control knobs to witch hat), made a decent profit on it, so bought another & did the exact same mods to it and still had the profit in my pocket 🙂

[@Reeldin58]

Hi John, I'm really hoping my forever guitar is turning up this week. All my life I've longed for a Gibson Les Paul that I could say was mine. The thing is the one guitar I've owned and wished I'd never parted with was a bog standard Fender Tele that I bought back in the late 70s. I'd been checking out Les Pauls for months and heard a LP studio with mini humbuckers on a YT review and fell in love, it was a "That's the tone I want " moment. A few emails later and I'd done a deal on that very guitar. That particular model very rarely comes up for sale anyway, at the moment I can't find another anywhere on line. Something you once said came to mind when you once described a Les Paul as "A Telecaster on steroids" I'll let you know next October if it's turned out to be a keeper. The ideal thing would be to buy a Les Paul and a Tele but I'm pushing things to my financial limit just getting one and just this once I do want a designer badge on the headstock.

[@JRobsonGuitar]

Nice one, mate. I hope you fall in love with it!

[@calbrockocat8728]

The first guitat I really lusted after was a 335 Gibson from the time I was about 15. 45 years later, I picked up a lefty Stagg strat to learn on. After almost a year with it, my playing improved enough for me to start looking at better and KZbin was filled with the Harley Benton HB35Plus in Cherry and, yes, they had lefties. About 2 hours after receiving it, I unboxed it. Right out of the box, the set up was almost as if it was made for me. My hand just fit on that neck. Here I am 12 guitars later, I still reach for it first and most. My keeper. Going to get some new tuners for it after 3 years of everyday use. Mind you, I don't gig, but for a home player, what a guitar! Your mileage may vary.

[@johnmac8084]

Yes, I've got an HB35Plus in Cherry. The build quality is better than an Epiphone version I sent back a few years ago

[@pads-zr9ln]

My first keeper is am pro fender, was brought for my 40th, my mum has died in the meantime so I'm not shifting that one, I can't see myself selling my vintage v100, had the pickups switched and it's brilliant, neck hasn't moved in 3 years, setup is perfect

[@petergoddard1960]

Great plans for the Lester, John. That inlaid medallion will look tremendous. Truly personal.

[@TheEssexCat]

Good man Grandpa Joe 👍

[@johnmac8084]

Wow John, an NYPD Les Paul! That's gotta be unique

[@BrentAdams]

Instant Forever Guitar! T.C. McInturff that I had Custom Made (I already knew that I loved the way they played...but I wanted something "special"...and they made it for me!) My G&L Legacy that I found used after trying for years to find an S-style guitar that I could "bond with". What a difference! ...and...a Hamer Mirage. a set neck 3 single coil (S.D. Cool Rails plus a Hot Rails in the bridge). This is a mash up between a Hamer Archtop Studio and a Strat....and the first "S-style" guitar that I ever found that "felt right" for any length of time in my hands. The last on my list....my Teleblaster! I heted everything about T-style guitars except for their tone. So I made my own...a Double-Cut with comfort cuts plus a humbucker in between the two T-style pickups with a special Monster 5 way switch to get the pickup combos that are important to me. Now I have a T-style that I LOVE!

[@chrisplumridge5808]

Some really great guitar playing there sir!

[@vincentdoyle6987]

Great idea with the coin but it might go better as the selector switch cover. 🤷‍♂️

[@vincentdoyle6987]

More of the Thin Lizzy harmony style guitar please 👍

[@mikehurley5052]

I got a Jet JT 350 last week, that aint going nowhere, awesome guitar with a to die for neck.

[@JRobsonGuitar]

That's the thing with Jet guitars... the neck feels like something from a boutique custom shop.

[@ilikeblackguitars]

I do look forward to seeing the LP after the mods I bought a Epiphone LP custom in black shocker there 😂I asked a tech to install a set of Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz pick ups but I wanted the neck in the bridge and the bridge in the neck. He replied that’s not how they go. My response was simply my guitar I’m the one who will be living with it so that’s what I want to hear coming from it. I got that guitar in 2009 and it’s still with me reverse pick ups and all plus a few other mods. When that feeling goes over you when you hold it you know it’s not going anywhere

[@paultraynorbsc627]

thanks for sharing John 🎸🎶🎵

[@fretworkband3204]

You’re changing the Gibson LP tribute?! Allow me to paraphrase from one of my favorite movies. “You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. [ 16:44 Robson]You think you’re merely [changing a guitar]? That is not the case!…[Guitars] are the international system of currency that determines the totality of life on this planet. And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature and YOU ALONE WILL ATONE”. Ha! Do as you please, just don’t think Ned Beatty (Arthur Jensen) of “Network” will approve. 😂

[@victoryhousemusic]

John forgot to mention he already personalised his LP pickups 👍

[@peterhall4852]

Always wanted a SG. Bought one in 2014, and its still my favourite. Luckily, Gibson standards were basically 61 standards then and its fabulous. My Fazley Maverick is a keeper. Ash body and a great neck. It just works for me.

[@strumminronin]

I have a bitsa-strat from years ago that is monu-MENTAL-ly problematic, heavy, etc. I have none the less hung onto it because of its history, how it came to be, in other words, sentimentality. There is another bitsa-strat on the way that has all the boxes ticked, and I sincerely hope that it will be "The One". All I can say is that "mid-life" brings about "changes". When/if I let go of my other guitars, I know who is staying, who is going. And a "special" one that I would like to will to someone, but he's too young, and his dad might not approve.

[@phililpb]

my parts caster strat is my forever guitar. it nothing special I just cant afford anything else

[@Vincentbrennan1301]

75 Les Paul Deluxe in Natural stock. Fender Baja. Would not part with either.

[@joenolan4415]

I am trying to downsize my collection but finding it impossible to know which to let go …. HELP !

[@strumminronin]

I can relate, mate. I feel your pain.

[@jimbrennanguitar]

My forever guitar I've played every day since 1985. I realized it's magic when I gigged with it and it was way more comfortable than my Les Paul and could also get Strat sounds. It's an '85 Ibanez Roadstar with HSS pickup configuration and the neck fits like it was made for me. It could use new frets now haha.

[@johnmac8084]

Maybe a stainless steel refret?

[@jimbrennanguitar]

@@johnmac8084 Definitely! Like John, I'm addicted to stainless steel frets now.