BS: OLD BEATERS.

Subject: OLD BEATERS.
From: 53
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 08:59 PM

how can you determine which one of your guitars is a beater and which ones are not, i love all mine and i'd love to find what yall call an old beater. BOB

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Bert
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 01:31 AM

Then you obviously don't have enough guitars 53.

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: GUEST,Canuck
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 05:00 AM

My term for such instruments is "beach guitars" which you don't much care if you wake up around the campfire on the beach to find the top covered in condensation. My candidate is a '72 Yamaki cedar top which, for over 20 years was a sweet-voiced, playable guitar. Unfortunately, it wasn't a keeper--the top cracked in several places, critically along the neck. Thing is, it's still roughly playable, and servicable for such occasions.
Canuck [who can't seem to NOT buy additions to the stringed instrument collection]

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: 53
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 11:50 AM

i think you might be right bert maybe ia don't have enough guitars . BOB

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: MAG
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 02:22 PM

I have something called a Lotus; a Japanese guitar which predates the Tak I've had since getting my first real job (1975). (NOT the custom jobs made in California.) I keep it at work for story time and other programs. It plays just fine; it just ain't my "other" guitar.

I didn't take an instrument to local open mike last night, and someone lent me a Fender stratocoustic -- I likes it a LOT. I begin to see why you guys have them like some of us have children (or cats).

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 03:59 PM

I have a Martin Backpacker for playing in the car, or less than professional occasions.

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Justa Picker
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 04:49 PM

I haven't got anything I would term a "beater". Mine are all in pristine condition (and I look after them as if they were Faberge "eggs"), and there are probably only 1 or 2 people I would even let handle them other than me, unless I attended an event where the room space was lined with rubber and covered with flannel. *G*

I'm actually hoping to find a late model HD-28 sufficiently scratched, worn, and dinged up (but with no cracks) that is structurally sound, sounds and plays great to use in those situations where I really don't care who plays it.

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Podger
Date: 11 Dec 01 - 12:33 AM

A guitar is a wooden box with strings attached to it.

If you pay too much for one or develop a strong attachment to one you are probably a little awry in your grey matter.

Podger.

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Mark Clark
Date: 11 Dec 01 - 12:32 PM

I once owned an “old beater.” It was an old National wooden guitar with mahogony sides and back and a rosewood fingerboard. The fingerboard had deep gouges in it from being played so much and the frets had been filed down so they were just barely proud of the fingerboard. The badly worn spruce top had been painted with gold paint and a pick guard had been fashioned from kitchen Formica bearing the “mother-of-toilet-seat” pattern. It had a solid metal casting inside the slim neck that also provided the heel. The neck was attached to the body with two set screws so the angle could be adjusted. It had a De Armond pickup across the sound hole that actually worked.

I bought the guitar in a pawn shop in 1961 for $20 and sold it a year later for the same price. I sure wish I had that guitar today.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Deckman
Date: 11 Dec 01 - 07:52 PM

Remember ... never get attached to a woman or a guitar ... you can never get rid of them! CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: SlickerBill
Date: 11 Dec 01 - 09:28 PM

I'm not sure any make of guitar that can raise an eyebrow; ie Martin or National qualifies as a beater. I'm with Canuk on this one. My latest aquisition is a nameless archtop I found sitting by a dumpster. Top's full of cracks, but hell, I've always wanted an archtop, so this is a fixer-upper. I have yet another nameless guitar which also qualifies. For me any guitar which I don't have to worry about getting dinged or a little wet is a beater, and God bless em.

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Dec 01 - 09:44 PM

I used to think it had to do with how much the guitar was worth. Less than $200, a beater. But some beaters just don't follow the rules. I bought a SYaria guitar in a pawn shop for $50 for my son for his 12th birthday but loved it so much that I'm still playing it and looking on ebay for another one like it. This guitar also blew my second critera out of the water in that a beater is not a guitar you would perform with as I have performed with this beater and it held up admirably. Hmmm, good question? I'll put my West Virginia slide rule on it in the morning.

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Rolfyboy6
Date: 12 Dec 01 - 07:11 AM

Classic beaters have things like decals with "Steel Reinforced Neck" pasted on them. Some of them are awful, some do only one thing well, some are unexpected treasure. All very subjective. Here's a clickline to the commercial palace of beaters Subway Guitars. and another beater site: Unofficial Harmony Site

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Rolfyboy6
Date: 12 Dec 01 - 07:15 AM

Well that second clickline didn't work properly, humor unintended (that place is full of old beaters too). A second try: Unofficial Harmony site

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: Mooh
Date: 12 Dec 01 - 08:33 AM

I have been on a life-long quest for the perfect beater. I am nearing the conclusion that it will have to be one of my hand-made guitars, after it gets another 30 years of use or so. At that rate, I'll be 73 before I attain the perfect beater.

In the meantime I've got a Harmony archtop which can't even hold untralight strings tuned down a halfstep without the top depressing, a Harmony Sovereign which needs a neck re-set so it's currently set up for lapstyle, a Sears plywood classical currently collecting dust in my kids room, and an Aria plywood classical which does as a loaner. The only one of these I play is the Sovereign.

A few months ago I picked up a "second" Simon & Patrick solid top cedar and cherry dreadnought for real cheap and it is doing quite well as my beater. For daily use it gets tuned to a variety of open/altered tunings, and standard if I take it anywhere. Pretty good as beaters go. Decent sound, smallish investment, easily replaced if it disappears, doesn't attract thieves, and a secondary purpose...all good characteristics of a beater.

Still, not the stories to tell of a vintage beater, but at least when the time comes, they'll be our stories.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: 53
Date: 06 Jan 02 - 10:53 PM

i'm still looking for that old beater but yet i haven't found it. BOB

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: 53
Date: 06 Jan 02 - 11:00 PM

have any of you heard of a gibson lgo series guitar? BOB

Subject: RE: BS: OLD BEATERS.
From: 53
Date: 30 Mar 02 - 11:15 PM

I have my daughter in law looking for me for a old guitar, or any string instrument. She runs a 2nd hand store and I'm hoping that she will run something.