I just received as a gift last night an Alvarez ABT60 baritone guitar. Baritone guitars are a hard sell for some players--how am I going to use one, one may ask one's self. For me, an intermediate at best fingerstyle player, its a way to cover up one of my weaknesses: the bass aspect of fingerstyle. I haven't mastered alternating bass, being rather rudimentary at best in that discipline, and my tunefulness is primarily contributed by my playing on the treble strings. Playing my rudimentary bass notes on the baritone suddenly brings forth tons of bass sound, making my playing sound more complex and complete. Nice subterfuge. My hat is off to Taylor for raising my consciousness regarding baritone guitars.
I have a similar feeling regarding 12-string guitars. My first 30+ years of playing was really pretty basic strumming with a few interesting chord shapes thrown in. Then I got my first "good" instrument, a Tacoma PK-30 in 1999 as a special birthday gift from my wife. My playing began to improve due to the easy action and compelling tone of this instrument (which motivated me to play more frequently). And then I got my first Taylor in 2007, with even better action and tone. My playing began to improve even more, my instrument playing time increased, and I haven't looked back since.
Shortly after acquiring the Taylor, and before I began fingerstyle playing, I bought a 12-string. Lets not kid anyone, my playing was just OK. But the 12-string has so much more going on, it instantly made me SOUND like a better player. I still remember vividly a friend(the wife of a musician), who was unaware I played guitar, coming up to me after I played a few songs on 12-string as part of a Unitarian church service. She asked where I gigged normally. Duh, I said, I don't do any club gigs. But I was flattered. Thanks to my 12-string.
Many of you who responded to my poll regarding guitar skills replied that after many years your playing "Is what it is". I'm in that category as well, but certain instruments certainly can make one sound better.
My final example is my Taylor BTO GC 12-fret. The rosewood back and sides and sinker top bring to my fingerstyle playing extra levels of complexity, which I believe make me sound better than I am! Sometimes the suit makes the man.............
