Two guitar questions from an amateur

Two years ago I attended a blues festival here in Italy. There was a guy who was playing acoustic blues in a small open space, no amplification - just him and his guitar. The sound he was getting out of that acoustic guitar was simply amazing.
Later on during the day I managed to know his manager, and asked him what guitar make that musician was using, as the sound was really mind blowing, He answered that it was a 20 dollars acoustic guitar, brandless. "How's that possible?" I candidly asked, "How can a 20 dollar guitar produce that kind of sound???" "That's were people always get it wrong" he replied, "It's in the hands, not in the guitar".
Simple story, but it was an eye opener for me, so I thought you might have liked it.

 

Surf's up!

 

Totally agree on all points. Also even when made by the same maker with the same types of woods they all sound different. In 1976 I was in Dallas and probably played thirty Martin dreads trying to replace an old D-28. Also, even a supposedly lesser guitar will, every now and then, strike it just right. I remember an old inexpensive a Yamaha dread I’d put up against a D-18. Sadly my dreadnaught quest ended with mixed reviews. I found a D-41 that had the sound, but over time the improperly placed bridge, the old style neck, and the clunky Grovers have made it less than its tone would indicate. I am debating now whether to see about a neck reset, some Waverlys, maybe a little brace scalloping, and resetting the bridge will be the best course or sell it and add the guitar work money to the proceeds, getting close to affording a Bourgeois or a Collins but giving up 42 years of aging. Meanwhile the LP, now about fifteen years old, sounds and feels pretty much the same.

 

I know the guy to do the work on it if you need a great luthier and you don't mind shipping it.

For great under the radar acoustics, I am a big fan of Guild.

 

I’d certainly consider it. I’ve used Erlewine here in Austin before. His work is lovely but pricey. I’ve read good stuff online about Kimsey. Sounds like he has built his practice around fixing early seventies Martins...nice wood, tons of design issues from the jigs bring a tad off resulting in poor bridge placement, to the traditional neck issues, to the big rosewood bridge plates in place of the small maple ones, to the big Grovers, to the unduly heavy bracing. My D-41 has every one of those issues, but it has acquired a lovely voice, like a bell. Totally agree on Guild.

 

i had the pleasure of meeting roy buchanan backstage after a show one evening and he was showing me and talking about his vintage fifties tele which he had owned on and off (pawnshops) for many years, he loved that guitar it is one of my most treasured memories in my show going history,,,, mind blown

 

Lazy asses.

 

Guitars? Pshaw! Two strings too many.

...but I do love a nice sounding Telecaster.

 

When it comes to playing---It's the guy, not the gear.
As for early Hoffner basses a buddy had me fill in at a gig on his gorgeous original one from the 60s and I gotta tell you it was lovely to look at and had an amazing woody tone.
It was one of those axes that even just one note has more to say than somebody playing a whole lot of nothing on another rig.
That was a magic night where I played out of my ass at a high level that surprised even those that liked my playing. They NOTICED.
The fact that it reeked of quality like a fine violin simply had me speechless.
If you dig what I am saying.
As for pricing I can't see paying a whole lot for an instrument as a "collectible."
Hell, I'M a collectible because I was the one making the music---not the damn guitar...

 

I got to play a 1959 Les Paul sunburst back when one of those could still be had for a mere $100k or so. Plugged into a Sixties Marshall plexi, cranked it up, and played some blues ...

... and I still sounded exactly like me.

BTW that exact guitar now belongs to Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), and you can buy a replica of it from Gibson for a fair amount of dough.

I'm sure there's something to aged wood, old finishes and all, but in the end the real magic is all in the hands of the player. Jeff Beck can pick up a $179 Squier Strat made in Indonesia or somewhere, and sound exactly like Jeff Beck playing his $2,500 signature Strat, or a vintage '57 Strat.