...I know what you mean...My desire to even look at guitars is gone, that's how I know I'm done. I look at that 914 LTD every time I pick it up and can't believe it's mine. So blessed and will never take it for granted. As I look at retirement next year, my timing was good for this to happen!
Yessiree, blessed beyond words! With my electrics and amps, as well. My focus for the last several years (a few years before this covid madness) was trying to score gigs for the band, and now thinking of doing solos for grins and giggles. I still love demoing guits and gear as that's simply
fun. But all GAS is gone, genuinely cured, and this for some time now. It's a wonderful place to be, and likewise will never take that for granted!
Back to the Martys:
I didn't see a CEO model, but did play an Authentic: nice without doubt, but not all that impressed. And for all the hoopla (and the price), I didn't "hear" it. Probably in the same way others think 900s are "overpriced," the Authentics (two I tried) were frankly just "nice" guits that did not command any "ooooh" moment in me as other guits do when I play them. They did have a super-blinged, abalone-everything model that makes a 900 look downright spartan! Sounded good, but that's it, good. Funny thing about their line: not a lot of wood variety to be had. Zero options in maple, cedar, redwood, etc ...just the ol' standards with a scarce
few options that like zircote b/s or adi top. And on that note, perhaps their sparse offerings explains why there was
zero discussion of wood species except the obvious mahog vs rw broad brush talk.
The new SC series is interesting, as their "innovative" take on being "modern," as if to say we don't have to be that old company everyone thinks of. Almost like a Breedlove in that its shape and body features are a bit unorthodox. Good on them, imo! But I can't help but think how funny it is how Taylor was bashed by the old guard builders in the 70s-80s for being genuinely innovative in its departure to the traditional processes, but now that Martin does it, it is a step
forward for them, lol!
Again, glad to have gone and played em! My fave seems to gravitate around the OM/OOO models, much akin to my Style-2 (a GC-body) for its balance and string-to-string definition.
Edward
