Idk, I'm Calling BS on This Steve (Rothery of Marillion)

I spent over a decade working in a studio with easily a million dollar collection of vintage guitars. The perimeter of the live room has a mixture of modern reissue and vintage guitars constantly rotating based on what’s getting used or may get used by incoming artists.

I couldn’t count the number of times someone would either:
  1. Pick up a reissue and profess with total sincerity their deeply held belief that guitars today just don’t sound as good as this supposed true vintage piece they think they are holding.
  2. Pick up an actual vintage guitar and toss it back on the rack because it had a fret replacement at some point, therefore looks repaired and surely must sound subpar. Or they’ve never actually played Fender or Gibson vintage frets, and discover mid-take that they can’t actually play that solo without jumbo frets and a 12 inch radius.
So much of what we concern ourselves with IDEALISTICALLY is rooted in the sound of the guitar, but in reality we’re subjecting the guitar to all our weird human idiosyncrasies and mistaken biases. As it turns out what we think SOUNDS good is actually more about COMFORT. How does the guitar feel? Does it look like a guitar id play? Is it a cool guitar? Etc…
 
I would rather watch all Jim Lill’s excellent YouTube videos on tone wood speakers and the others .
It must take him hours to edit his brilliant videos 👍🍺
 
I believe that there is tone in wood.
Old wood? Grow ring on top of grow ring? Super dense? I don't know :idk

A tree harvested at 25 years (more space between growth rings) rather than one hundred years (less space between) IMO will sound different.
Which is best?

When it comes to old guitars, I think the electronics naturally aged is part of that "vintage" tone?

My home, built in 1799, I guess would be considered old wood?
I have to pre-drill everything or else nails bend and screw heads are snapped off.
Grow ring atop of grow ring.
I have a hard time believing that results in great tone?

As long as the craftmanship is top notch, Id take a brand new guitar any day :sofa
 
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