Traditionalism vs experimentation

[USofguitars]

Hey guys,

On the course of the last 10 years lots of new guitar brands appeared on the market, proposing new guitars made up of composite materials: Flaxwood (http://www.flaxwood.com) , Aristides (http://aristidesinstruments.com/), ...

In opposition to that, we've seen more and more "relic" and reissues more than ever, and classic brands recycling ideas and trying to use the old to make some new.

There's also a very big trend for small sized "boutique" guitar builders copying the classics.

On which side do you lean? Why?

 

[cardinal]

I like them all.

What I find disappointing is when someone like Gibson tries to introduce more modern tech and gets panned for it. They for sure muffed the roll out of some things, but they are trying to push the boundaries AND offer traditional things too.

 

[Dave L]

The composite guitars and using new materials maybe has a resurgence now, but it´s always been there in one form or another. From the metal-neck Kramers of the 70s via the composite stuff of Steinberger, Parker, Ibanez and Modulus in the 80s and 90s to those brands of today. Very little of it ever seems to stick or gain wide-spread traction, but I applaud them for it.

 

[lespaul6]

I'm more in the classic camp but I like innovation as well... I have a carbon fiber surfboard (Aviso) but the shape is a classic fish- so its a mixture of both.

 

[JimmyBlind]

Those classic electric guitar tones are synonymous with the guitars of those eras I think & why strats, teles & les pauls continue to stand the test of time. I think generally, the simpler something is & the less extreme something is, the more musical & dynamic it tends to be.
I owned a Regius for a short while & as well made & innovative as it was, it really lacked dynamics & was a pretty sterile guitar in the end.
It might be that modern guitars that have been innovatively designed & constructed are done so more for playability, aesthetics & originality than for dynamics. Arguably less of a reason to create a 'musical' instrument.

 

[cardinal]

Wel, with a Mayones, they have those multi-ply necks that likely are very stiff. It may be that you like a neck that is a bit more able to resonate. In theory composite materials can be designed to have particular stiffnesses and resonance properties.

I’m not sure I’ve seen someone try to reverse engineer a “holy grail” guitar to see if they could reconstruct it with modern, composite materials to resonate and sustain in the same way.

 

[Mudder]

IMHO a good guitar is good, whatever it's made of. I seem to favor classic designs but I'm an old fart.

 

[JimmyBlind]

Wel, with a Mayones, they have those multi-ply necks that likely are very stiff. It may be that you like a neck that is a bit more able to resonate. In theory composite materials can be designed to have particular stiffnesses and resonance properties.

I’m not sure I’ve seen someone try to reverse engineer a “holy grail” guitar to see if they could reconstruct it with modern, composite materials to resonate and sustain in the same way.

I agree. It was a really well made guitar, but was only good for certain styles. Played great & even sounded decent unplugged, but it had this overly bright sound to it that couldn't be dialed out. I'm not sure what the 11 ply neck through construction added to the guitar's sound. Probably more for stability & aesthetics.

There seems to be more innovation in guitars aimed at heavier music, and where you're less likely to hear, & need to hear, the dynamics of the guitar.
I'd be interested to play & hear an Aristides in person.

 

[Achilles]

Today's traditionalism is what experimentation was back then. If you know what i mean.
I have a nitefly Parker that is unbelievable. But so it is my my fender strat.
Every instrument and it's technology has it's purpose. That's what i believe anyway

 

[romanianreaper]

I like them all.

What I find disappointing is when someone like Gibson tries to introduce more modern tech and gets panned for it. They for sure muffed the roll out of some things, but they are trying to push the boundaries AND offer traditional things too.

I only had a problem with Gibson when I started noticing quality issues and I think alot of it was from spreading themselves too thin. I really like the whole "Traditional and Modern" approach they are currently doing with their guitars. I think it is great to have a classic, bare bones guitar and one with the auto tuners, coil-tap options, etc. Much better to primarily have a "this or this" approach instead of tons of options, especially when they get confusing.