After years of losing out to my Guitar addiction (read more here), this week I finally stood my ground against Guitar Acquisition Syndrome, and it felt great!
The guitar in question? A lovely Fender Player Series Telecaster in sunburst with a Pau Ferro fingerboard.
Or this with single coils…
First of all, what caused this particular bout of Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.
Well. I was feeling sorry for myself. I was back at work the next day after a two week holiday, it had been the twin’s birthday the day before. Like a small child, I needed something for me!
Also, the frets on my existing Tele were wearing, the playability wasn’t optimum, maybe now was the time?
Also, I was hankering for a more traditional-style Tele rather than the Tele custom configuration and I’d read universally great things about the new Player series.
Falling into the Guitar Store Trap
So there I was, I’d seen the video, I’d done some research on Joe Walsh (A famous Tele exponent who’s song featured in the video), and, after trying out a number of guitars, including Strats and maple fingerboard Tele’s, I arrived at the exact one.
Of course, I was intentionally plugged into an expensive Fender valve amp, and with Joe Walsh’s James Gang Funk #49 still ringing in my ears I had nailed the tone.
More than anything, the Pau Ferro fingerboard did the trick, seeming to impart a thicker, punchier tone and reminding my more of a Gibson playing surface than a Tele. The fretwork on these Fender Player series instruments is immaculate, buffed to a shine and made for a slick playing experience altogether.
At this point I was sold, hook line and sinker. So what stopped me?
Look past the Guitar Store Experience.
The video, the amp, the environment of Guitar heaven. All these elements put you in a happy place, a buying place. It’s mostly an illusion. How will you feel about the instrument when you get home? Probably not as happy?
Search for the negatives.
This is hard to do when you’re falling in love. But this particular Tele had a loose switch cap, no case (or even a gig bag), those metal knurled controls? well, they were harder to manipulate on the fly.
You can be blinded, but I noticed some lacquer had crept onto the nut. I put the tuning instability down to new strings, but was it really?
Lastly, there was the infamous Tele jack socket. Replaced on mine, but somewhere down the line, I would need to mod this guitar too.
Think about the first hour (Short term)
Time and time again, I’ve made impulse guitar purchases, thinking it would improve my guitar playing life. The first hour of getting the guitar home is crucial. You’ll either confirm you made the right decision or you’ll be left with a bitter taste and a guitar to sell.
Think about how you’ll feel after an hour with it at home, with £500 less in the bank.
Think long term.
Short term snap decisions rarely turn out well. On my journey this time, I’d just about confirmed the Fender Player series would be the ideal upgrade in the future, but why rush?
Did I really need to buy it right now? Of course not.
Would it be a sensible investment further down the line? Absolutely.
The funny thing is, when I got home, I spent the next hour tinkering the neck relief on my Tele, which sorted out its issues and would have prevented me from looking elsewhere, to begin with!
This would have definitely been a case of regret if I had gone through with it.
You too can beat Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. Remember that marketing is a very powerful, multi-billion dollar industry influencing all our buying decisions, and driven by extensive psychology research, but you don’t need to fall for it!
Thinking objectively, realistically and practically, helps, and could save you a fortune.
Good Luck!
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