Music Appreciation

...beginner and semi-pro instruments. He said that the guitar was one of the only examples of an instrument where the cheaper, novice-grade models were much harder to play than the professional models. Gibsons, Paul Reed Smiths, Charvels, etc. come with nearly perfect setups, low action, play like butter, and cost big $$$. Whereas most beginner instruments are a struggle to play well, even for experienced players. This is especially true where it comes to the filing of the nut slots, which is a real pet peeve with me. Many beginner guitars are nearly unplayable because of bad setups.

My teacher was also a woodwind player (flute, primarily), and he explained that beginner woodwinds are designed to be really easy to play, with valves that seal (not very well) with minimal finger strength, etc. They are not known for outstanding tone, however. As one trades up to better, more professional instruments, they become harder and harder to play, requiring exceptional finger strength and dexterity in order to work the valves (which seal extremely tightly). It takes many years of practice to develop the chops to play an instrument designed for professional orchestra performers. The tone of these professional woodwinds is superlative, with a price to match, of course.

BTW, the pictures of those cheesy Italian guitars reminded me of that really bizarre instrument played by Warren Cuccurullo during his tenure with Missing Persons; IIRC, it was a Vox wah pedal with a Vox neck somehow attached to it. The wah pedal electronics had been gutted and replaced with all sorts of other devices: a preamp, a couple different fuzztones, EQ, etc. Cuccurullo eventually had several replica models made by Performance Guitar in L.A.