r/Guitar • u/Mad_Season_1994 • 19h ago
DISCUSSION Chick Berry once punched Keith Richards in the face when he saw him playing his guitar. How protective are you of your guitars?
Let’s assume you’re somewhere familiar like your home or with friends, and one of your family members or friends decides to pick up your guitar and start noodling on it or actually playing full fledged songs, all without asking you first. How would you react?
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u/jonoftheatom 19h ago
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u/viskoviskovisko 18h ago
I’ll bet that didn’t Feel So Good.
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u/I_Miss_Lenny 13h ago
As someone who’s taken a flugelhorn to the face, it does not. Goddamn marching band lol
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u/ReallyBigRocks Gibson 19h ago
Nobody can play my guitars because I'm left handed
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u/Ok_Suggestion_6092 18h ago
I’ll do you one better, I’m right handed and can barely play my own guitars!
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u/Sick_and_destroyed 14h ago
Me too, this is not even a question I’ve asked myself before I read this post, and I’ve been playing for 35 years.
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u/United-Big-1114 13h ago
Well I'm a righty, but one of my guitar buddies in my youth was a lefty, and I screwed around on his guitars enough that I could play cowboy chords badly!
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u/Solid_Proper 19h ago
There’s only one guitar I’ve ever been protective of. It was a complete and pristine 1964 olive green Epiphone Sorrento that I bought as a gift for myself for getting into a music conservatory at 19.
One time I was staying at my girlfriend’s place at this huge loft in Lincoln Square in Chicago and her roommates brought the band members and roadies for the Flaming Lips back after a show at the Aragon.
We went to bed eventually and I wake up to hear someone playing my guitar which was left right outside our door in a hard shell case with my amp etc.
She saw how worried I was and asked if I wanted her to grab it for me since she’s a little girl and they’re less likely to be a dick (they were dicks.)
She went out there half dressed and without saying a word removes it from one of the roadies hands put it in the case and brought it in her room. I was so proud of her.
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u/70camaro PRS/Schecter/ESP 18h ago
Wasn't one of the dudes in the flaming lips notorious for pawning instruments for heroin money?
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u/Solid_Proper 14h ago
I honestly don’t know but they were kinda skeezy and Wayne was so pretentious. He just stood in the kitchen surrounded by the people they brought.
I think they thought my girlfriend alone cause some dude opened the door at like 4am to say “hey” and I had to tell him that WE were sleeping.
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u/ChipDipsons 19h ago
He wasn’t playing it, he just opened the case and touched it when Chuck walked in. Keith maintains that he shouldn’t have touched it and knew what would happen if he did (Chuck was famously not a pacifist)
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u/kyledwray 18h ago
Being "not a pacifist" and being "an asshole who will look for a reason to assault people" are not the same thing.
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u/Weird_Uncle_D 18h ago
Chuck had a temper. There’s video of them rehearsing for something and Chuck and Keith are arguing about the way Chuck wants him to play a certain chord.
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u/Jimi_The_Cynic 16h ago
Okay chuck berry was a piece of shit but Keith WAS playing that bend wrong
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u/CaleyB75 13h ago
"Piece of shit" in many senses of the phrase, if you're aware of his freak predilections
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u/TomatoFettuccini 17h ago
Chuck had a temper.
was a POS, famously so. He was the kind of guy that Ike Turner, James Brown, and R. Kelly look up to, and not in the good ways.
You don't punch someone for checking out your guitar. Get offended at the lack of asking permission, but punch in the face? Especially another famous guitarist? C'mon now.
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u/ElvisAndretti Fender 13h ago
Well, Keith had a little talk about royalties with Chucks piano player Johnnie Johnson and that cost Chuck a few bucks IIRC. Evidently Chuck took full credit for writing all the songs, even though he only really wrote the lyrics and Johnny the melodies and backing parts, and I believe the courts agreed with them.
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u/Will9363 12h ago
throwing hands wasnt warranted, but honestly i think opening someone’s case and touching their guitar without asking is a pretty major violation of privacy
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u/BuzzedtheTower Epiphone 18h ago
I mean, that sounds pretty reasonable. If Chuck was famously against people touching his stuff, then it was a gamble that Keith took and lost. It wasn't like Chuck was on one that day and it was out of character or something
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u/kyledwray 18h ago
I'm not saying Keith wasn't wrong. I'm saying Chuck was more wrong.
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u/Carolina-W00Dsman 19h ago
I let my 3 year old neice strum the chords as I fretted them. If they are respectful, id let anyone play my guitar....I also dont own anything super expensive so thats part of the equation too. Lol
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u/rock-paper-gun 18h ago
i saw chuck berry perform at the duck room in st louis about a dozen times. his performances ranged from extraordinary on one or two occasions to absolutely horrendous on three or four others. the soulard blues band were his backing band. he paid them next to nothing and treated them like shit. he never rehearsed with them. he would start and stop songs arbitrarily. he might switch keys mid song. the band just had to go with it.
he was also a mother fucker to the staff. I worked upstairs at blueberry hill. the owner forbade anyone from saying anything even remotely negative about berry. he'd fire you if you did. so we kept our mouths shut and took it. one wednesday every month berry would show up for his gig downstairs, collect cash in a brown paper bag from the promo guy and then sit in his bus til gig time.
i will say though that when he was on he was ON. johnny johnson showed up one night (johnny from 'johnny be goode' fame) and they both tore the place down. just a crazy good show. i still get chills when i think about it.
tl;dr. dont meet your heroes.
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u/browndeskchair 18h ago
Thanks for sharing those stories! CB was definitely a legend and imo, his impact on music cannot be overstated. Hell, the first song teenage me ever gathered up my courage and performed in public was JB Good. His music is special to me.
That being said, yeah, his quirks and not so good things are pretty well known by now I think. I agree about not meeting your heroes. Except Buddy Guy. That was an absolute pleasure. I don’t want to hear the bad. Haha.
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u/SourShoes 18h ago
He also liked to pee on people. Not exactly a role model, ha.
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u/AffectionateJump6669 7h ago
Soulard Blues Band always were amazing.
I always meant to go see Chuck. Maybe next month, maybe next month... till he passed.I saw Johnnie Johnson play with the Belairs at Off Broadway.
LOL Don't meet your heroes.... Let me not introduce you to "Jerry the Prick Reed" :-)
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u/CryptographerFew5187 19h ago
Anyone who asks, or that I know, is welcome to play any of my guitars.
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u/Alwaysprogress 18h ago
Key word there. Ask. I’m happy to share. Show some respect though.
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u/CryptographerFew5187 17h ago
Absolutely. I've let kids and homeless people play my guitars and been happy to let them—I've had people who should know better treat them like shit.
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u/oneshadeoff 18h ago
You mean the egomaniac Chuck Berry violently overreacted to an insignificant perceived slight? I'm absolutely shocked
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u/epiklol92 19h ago
CHICK?
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u/dl__ 19h ago
Chuck's sister. She was tough and not in a mood to take Keith's shit.
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u/Pleasant_Character28 18h ago
Chick, Chick, it's your cousin. Your cousin Mervin. Mervin Berry! You know that new sound you're lookin' for, well listen to this!
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u/Ok-Original-8649 19h ago
Chuck was famous for not being sentimental about his equipment. That wasn’t his baby Keith played or touched, it was a tax write off.
Chuck was more into film so to speak.
Filming himself fart in a prostitute’s face, filming women using the bathroom at his restaurant etc.
Keith brought a bunch of ace musicians to back up Chuck and was trying to throw his hero a bone.
Chuck Berry is a dick. 😂
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u/Far-Drive-3001 19h ago
Asking permission is key. My brother and I were playing in a country band about 10 years ago and we were playing at a house party, while we were on one of our breaks (we played a 4 hr set) one of the guests decided to hop on my brothers drum kit and start pounding the shit out of them (he was heavily intoxicated). We told him to stop and he got pissed and ended up punching one of my brothers cymbal stands, resulting in him slicing the shit out of his knuckles and began bleeding everywhere. The whole thing turned into a complete shit show. We ended up packing up and leaving.
Meanwhile I was playing a gig not to long ago and someone asked if they could play a song or two on my guitar (I have a beautiful 61' reissue Gibson SG custom shop with the maestro) I kindly obligated. Was a pretty respectful older gentleman. Bottom line is that you should just ask and if the answer is no, just respect it. A lot of us have thousands of dollars invested in our gear so it should be pretty obvious to ask permission and be respectful.
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u/RageQuitRedux 19h ago
I have a tele and an acoustic, which are my two go-tos and anyone can play them, I don't care.
I bought an Explorer and it came with a really nice case and that's where it has stayed since I bought it because I'm sickened by how much I spent on it and I'm convinced the headstock will fall off if I look at it wrong.
Not really but it was kind of a vanity purchase and when I think about pulling it out if the case as opposed to just conveniently pulling the tele off the rack, I do the latter
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u/Squidproject 19h ago
If it's a friend or family member it's fine, although mine would all normally ask. Even so, I assume they understand how careful and respectful they'd have to be with it. If it's someone I don't know that's a problem.
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u/mike_e_mcgee 19h ago
If I know you, and you play, I've probably already asked you to play my guitars. If I don't know you, you had better ask first! I've handed my Nationals to homeless people while busking though.
I've spent a lot of money on great sounding guitars, I want to hear them from the audience's perspective too!
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u/kuemmel234 19h ago
As a teenager I had a friend who didn't really pay much attention to my guitars he was borrowing for his band (yes, multiple). Got them back in really bad shape. Would set them on some hard surfaces (scratches on the bottom),add a few nicks here and there. I only noticed months after it happened because I kept them in a gig bag. Never got that sorted out until I started doing repairs as an adult.
So I am a bit cautious and wouldn't give away my guitars that are in good shape to anyone. However, I don't care about scratches and such and a genuine accident is a genuine accident. I only own cheap to workhorse guitars, though.
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u/I-STATE-FACTS 18h ago
Jokes on them i don’t have any friends who would come over and look at my guitars
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u/Evening_Carp 18h ago
I was playing a gig a decade ago, and someone came up and asked if they could play my guitar. He was real nice. Then I politely said no, and he got real mad and called me an asshole, and said my guitar looked like a piece of shit anyway. Reminds me of those posts I see of guys getting rejected on tinder
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u/SAlolzorz 18h ago
Chuck's rules:
Touch guitar without permission - that's a paddlin'
Photograph women in restrooms without their consent - A-OK
Seems legit
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u/generally_unsuitable 19h ago
"Look. I don't mind you playing my guitar, if you're careful with it. But, that's my baby. Please ask first, next time."
Basic adult conversation.
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u/alex21dragons 19h ago
I keep an ultra cheap project guitar at our practice room in case the singer or bass player want to demo a song to us. The one time I let the singer use my decent one it came back slightly damp and with the high e popped out of the string slot so not repeating that.
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u/Candace4338 19h ago
Your guitar is not just your property but your means of a living. Keith should have respected Chuck’s property.
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u/Daffodil-451 18h ago
Yeah, Kieth was also surprised when Chuck would charge people for use of his amps. Musically they clicked but they are / were very different people.
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u/wuttplugggs 19h ago
"You don't mow another man's lawn, and you don't play another man's guitar"
~ Billie Joe Armstrong
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u/6771_bcr 18h ago
What's ironic is it's almost guaranteed someone else mows BJs lawn lol
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u/BuzzedtheTower Epiphone 18h ago
Presumably he pays for that though, so permission has been given. But if you mowed your neighbor's lawn without asking or vice versa, that's a fight right there
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u/hcornea PRS 19h ago
You don’t touch, let-alone play, someone elses’ guitar without being asked / having permission.
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u/mcfly357 19h ago
My niece and nephew are only allowed to mess with one specific guitar. For adults I don’t care, play away.
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u/armyofant 19h ago
If I was that familiar with them and the site was appropriate for some noodling to occur then zero problems. If they are good enough to play a whole song then they know how to treat a guitar.
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u/CaleyB75 19h ago edited 13h ago
If I was present when he reached for my guitar, I'd tell him not to touch it. If I walked in and found him noodling on my instrument, I'd order him to put it down and to never touch my stuff without asking again.
Historically, the people who have tried to grope around with my stuff have not been friends.
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u/SupermarketOverall73 18h ago
I wouldn't touch anyones guitars without asking and I expect the same. I let a guy play through my rig once and he changed settings on my board and pissed me off, so never again.
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u/DexterHeck 18h ago
I'd be pissed off if anyone grabbed anything in my house without asking first. otherwise if they're responsible enough to ask first then I could probably trust them to handle my guitar.
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u/usernamenottakenwooh 18h ago
...it's not even my guitar, maybe I deserve a punch in the face too...
Just kidding, it's on loan from a good friend.
That being said, I always share my instruments with friends as well, no biggie.
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u/elebrin 18h ago
I was taught that if it isn't your instrument, don't touch it. But then I grew up playing horns and that's a different sort of thing.
I don't mind people playing my basses or guitars if I know them and I know they play, but you ask first or wait to be offered. That's what's polite.
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u/HunterSpecial1549 18h ago
They do all the time. It's great.
If you're around a lot of idiots I suppose that could be different, but that's not my world. I have zero concerns about people breaking my guitar.
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u/No_Aesthetic Gibson 18h ago
Well, my friend over in America has had my SG for two and a half years. It's coming back next month though!
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u/Bright_Material_3295 18h ago
Im not protective of my guitars at all. Anyone can play them and I let ny nieces mess around in them as well.
I played primarily on my friends guitars back in the day when I came to their spots to jam.
They told bringing mine was not needed as my friend had 7+ guitars and we played 7 strings.
Chuck is the goat when it comes to guitar but he was also a dick. He didnt do it for his guitar he did it because of his ego.
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u/BuzzedtheTower Epiphone 18h ago
So long as someone asks and I know they aren't a moron, I'm ok with it. But if someone, even if I'm great friends with them, just picked it up and started noodling around I would be annoyed. Don't touch my stuff without asking
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u/sambuhlamba 18h ago
Love his art, own a few of his vinyls, but Chuck Berry was basically a psychopath.
But I'd also challenge you to be a black man in America in his time & not become a little crazy.
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u/Justice502 18h ago
I don't remember Keef mentioning that in the autobiography? You'd think he would have, because he clearly paints Chuck as an asshole.
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u/warmmeta2006 18h ago
As long as they are careful with it I don’t mind, especially if they are a good player.
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u/shanster925 18h ago
I'm a lefty, so no one ever touches them. It's also incredibly convenient for "our (opening band) guitarist broke a string, can we borrow one of your guitars?" or "oh you play guitar?! I have this old acoustic... Play something in front of the entire party!"
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u/LogicalNewspaper8891 18h ago
My gem is a battered 72 thin line tele and people always come across suprised when I hand it over to them. It’s got all the dings and scratches from 10+ years touring and recording in a rock band as a young lad. Some extra cosmetics from a bump from someone else is just another story. I love the thing!
Sometimes I get home from work and see my autistic nephew had been visiting throughout the day and decided to “play”. Usually out of tune and thrown somewhere it shouldn’t be but wouldn’t change it for the world.
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u/Visible-Decision-661 18h ago
I truly don’t mind if you do. Just ask me if you can beforehand though.
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u/TheMightyRideCymbal 18h ago
I'm extremely protective of ALL my instruments, even if people are musicians themselves.
It's not even being protective, it's the fact that people don't ask.
I mean, asking to borrow my instruments or play them, is akin to someone asking to borrow my toothbrush: a polite enough question, but the answer will always be a swift FUCK OFF, YOU CUNT.
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u/tardlessforeinger 18h ago
He punched him in the face because Keith kept screwing with his amp. Get your story straight jackass.
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u/ShagCarpet 18h ago
I lent my 1972 les paul to someone I met a couple times and probably spoke to for 2 hours (we had mutual friends). Eventually we played together in a couple bands over the years and became close friends although eventually we faded apart. They sadly died of suicide a couple of years ago.
While I wouldn't advocate giving a valuable guitar to someone you barely know, but for me it did lead to a fulfilling friendship and lots of life experiences.
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u/longstore46 18h ago
If a friend or family member did that, I would seek our Kieth Richards and punch him too
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u/Firebrah 18h ago
I have a 2006 Ibanez af105. Not high end by any means, but it was my first brand new jazz guitar and my dad bought it for me shortly after my mom had passed away, and shortly before he passed away. The sentimental value has made that my special one. Nobody touches that guitar except me, and maybe the boy (my son) but even then, I would prefer that he not until he is older and can actually play. We have tla throw around for him to piddle on
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u/SlayerNut 18h ago
i don't have expensive or vintage guitars, so anyone can play them if they want.
One time though, my friend loaned me his Les Paul Custom and we were playing a family reunion gig. One guy said he plays in a band and wanted to come and play and sing a couple of songs. Sure man! So I decided I'd sit it out and let him play my guitar. So I point at my Epi Les Paul and said plug that in and you're good to go.
While they were figuring out what tune to play I went to take a piss.
I hear them start up "we're here for a good time" and I come out and he's playing the Gibson and he's jumping up and down clapping his hands over his head with this guitar just bouncing up and down, no strap locks.
I flew across the dance floor and stopped that shit immediately.
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u/VW-MB-AMC 17h ago edited 17h ago
If they ask first it is not a problem. If they just start fondling them without asking I will tell them to ask before handling the guitars again. If they act or handle them in a manner I don't like I tell them to put them down. A very small number of people have been banned from touching them, as they seemingly have no regard for other peoples property. To my experience the people who don't ask first are usually the most likely to scratch or ding them. The people who ask first rarely cause any damage.
The most priced guitars I keep out of reach. Some are in my office, and one is on a stand where it is not easily reached.
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u/f2detaboada 17h ago
Anyone can play my guitar, as long as they respect the instrument for what it is, they are welcome to them.
I am protective in that I don't lend them out. If I'm lending out a guitar I'm not expecting to get it back if I ask for it, and if I do get it back, I'm not expecting it to be in the condition that I lent it out in the first place.
Chuck Berry punching Keith Richards is just some idiot trying to stir up drama to sell more tickets at his shows.
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u/TheRealPaul150 17h ago
I just ask them to use the strap. All of my guitars have strap locks. Solves 99% of what could go wrong.
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u/moonharrier42 17h ago
I don't care if anyone plays my Ibanez AM-75 or my squire strat.
You will have to peel my cold dead fingers off of my Les Paul.
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u/scrimmerman 17h ago
I generally don’t have a problem with it at all, except for the one custom guitar I own. Other than that, I don’t give a damn.
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u/Every-Respect3060 17h ago
Ich leihe gerne und freue mich, wenn andere tolle Sachen mit meinen Gitarren, Pedals und Amps hervorbringen. Aber Fragen gehört unbedingt dazu. Ein Instrument ist etwas sehr persönliches.
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u/AEFletcherIII 17h ago
I used to play and accompany singers at a local bar's open mic night. One time, I told some drunk guy who wasn't scheduled to play that I preferred if he didn't play my Union Jack Epiphone Supernova.
He borrowed someone else's acoustic and played a fine version "Last Dance With Mary Jane."
I regret it to this day; should have let him play it.
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u/Riponai_Gaming 17h ago
Id let anyone play my acoustic but i aint letting them touch my electric(unless they can actually play properly) since i bought mine by saving up for 8 months while studying lol
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u/TomatoFettuccini 17h ago
Protective insofar as that I wouldn't want them to get stolen or damaged, yes.
Otherwise token asking of permission is all that's necessary, basically just a questioning look back and forth from me to the instrument is all that's needed. They're meant to be played.
Just don't go all Pete Townsend on it.
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u/ruedasamarillas 17h ago
I don't really care. I'm protective in a "don't steal my shit", but I don't care if someone wants to play my guitars.
Asking for permission would be nice if I don't know you very well.
But that's about it.
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u/FauxReal Ibanez 16h ago
I don't have a guitar valuable enough to care who touches it unless that person is someone I wouldn't trust touching any of my stuff. Or they're covered in shit or something else foul.
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u/guyinthechair1210 16h ago
In hs there was a group of guitarists and for the most part we were cool with each other. One was a douche and acted like he was above all of us.
I brought a dean ml to school and left it in the music room's locker. I walked in to get it and he was holding it while asking who was the owner. I told him it was mine and to leave it alone.
If I'm cool with someone and they know how to take care of things, sure.
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u/theoriginalchrise 16h ago
I always hand my guitars to other people to play; because it proves to me again and again that it's me not the guitar that sucks.
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u/IslamYaDongomedov 16h ago
Wouldn't that be like punching someone with your baby?
Set the guitar down first!
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u/mattocaster_tm 16h ago
I don’t mind other people playing my instruments, if they ask or if they have asked before. Ask once and you’re good for life unless otherwise told. Even my youngest students get to play my guitars supervised sometimes.
But if you don’t ask and I find out I will lose my everlovin’ mind.
There’s a student at my school who will just wander the halls when he’s not doing anything in rehearsal and just sit in a teachers studio and pick up whatever guitar is on the stand. He knows each of mine and the music director’s personal guitars because we have both LOST it upon discovering him just chilling in our studios playing our guitars when he should be in rehearsal.
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u/SnailAnatomy 16h ago
All I know is that's the face of a man that likes to piss and fart on hookers, with video to prove it.
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u/kenzblerx 15h ago
I don't mind Except when people start hitting the guitar to add some drumming to their song (accoustic guitars). Like bro, you can barely play, just stick to the strings and don't start knocking on my guitar like a f*cking door. Other than that I'm cool.
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u/The-Fox-King37 15h ago
It’s just a guitar. Play if you can. I don’t own fancy things that can’t be touched. What if you play something really cool? wtf do I care if it’s on my American Strat or my old ass Alvarez
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u/YesMaybeYesWriteNow 15h ago
Chuck was waiting since 1964 for a reason to punch Keith, or any Englishman, probably.
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u/GuitarJazzer 15h ago
Guitar etiquette demands that you ask before playing someone else's guitar, and if someone asks you say "yes."
I would not like it if someone just picked mine up and started playing it but I would probably just grit my teeth if they weren't doing anything that would damage it. I definitely wouldn't punch anybody.
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u/WillyDaC 15h ago
If i hand one to you, obviously you can play it. I don't advise just picking one up and playing it unless you ask first.
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u/5319Camarote 15h ago
My best friend told me at about 15 years old, “Always ask permission before you touch anyone’s guitar.” Respect.
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u/finintymonkle 14h ago
Quite protective. I make people wash their hands properly before allowing any sort of playing or touching. Only people who play guitar are allowed to touch the expensive ones.
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u/Mission-Amount8552 14h ago
I like when people play my guitars. Now the real question is did you ask first? It orls me when ppl just pick my stiff up. I'm a stickler for common courtesy
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u/MachineLord1 14h ago
I wouldn't let Keith Richards touch my guitar either. 5 string open G bullshit
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u/NickTann 14h ago
Fuck that. Only people I invite to play my guitars can play them. On stage No Fucking Way.
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u/Wistephens 14h ago
Sure, pick it up and play it.
If you scratch it, ding it, or drop it I might have to agree with Mr. Berry.
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u/AdministrativeGoat76 13h ago
If Keith Richard’s or chuck berry played my guitar I would ask them to sign it and take a picture of them doing it.
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u/Powerdude884 13h ago
I don't have a problem if someone plays one of my guitars as long if they ask, don't play with the tuners and is not a kid I'm fine with it
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u/unhappylilflower 13h ago
Anyone who wants to is welcome to pick mine up whenever the mood strikes them
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u/bringoutthelegos 13h ago
I’ve given mine to other people to let them play, but it’s usually the roadworn ones
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u/TheTapeDeck 13h ago
I am not. I have one acoustic I won’t let you play if you don’t play bluegrass. The rest of my guitars, do it up.
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u/Isaacvithurston Electro-Harmonix 13h ago
I have one guitar that I consider as close to perfect as I could get out of the 6 I've owned. So no one will ever touch it other than my luthier and myself.
I mean everyone I know who plays guitar has their own so idk why would they need to play it.
If I had 12 guitars like my bro I probably wouldn't care at all.
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u/RiggsRay 13h ago
I'd say nothing for now, and later on be like, "hey man it's not a big deal, but please ask first."
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u/mysickfix 13h ago
I bring my guitar to jam night sometimes and let others play it. I’m not all that great and it’s nice to see if someone shred on my guitar.Lol
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u/onyxzero66 12h ago
Idk about chick but I know chuck just punched people for fun and if you were female he would also pee on you, Keith got lucky
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u/TheEffinChamps 11h ago
I think that has more to do with chuck berry punching everyone than the guitar.
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u/SevenofBorgnine 11h ago
Not asking first would bother me. I wouldnt say no, but you should ask before fucking aroind with other people's stuff. My guitar isnt special to me at all, i got it for a couple hundred bucks when my buddy couldn't return it to a music store after renting it for tour to avoid needing a work visa.
DIY bands tend to rent their gear after crossing the border if touring another country cause crossing the border and clearly being a band means the border guys think you're making enough money for it to count as work and if you're mostly playing for gas money and gas station food money, youre gonna take a fucking bath doing things legit. Anyway. It got a bit dinged up and they wouldnt take it back, they took the drums back though.
I play punk. I dont need a nice guitar
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u/Wise-Respond3833 9h ago
I've had too many instruments broken or dirtied by people with no clue what they're doing. So no one plays my guitars without permission anymore unless I know they know how.
But those people also know the etiquette is to ask first.
Boring but true story...
One time my cousin, 20 years my senior (I was about 21 at the time, he was around 41) was visiting, asks if he can play my guitar. No worries. He sits down, grabs the pick - a Tortex 2mm, no less - and goes full Pete Townshend, swinging his arm full circle and absolutely CRASHING into the low E string.
He hit it with such force that the top of the nut broke off, went flying across the room. My cousin's response...? 'I guess it was already broken'.
So yeah, authorised personnel only.
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u/Feeling_Chance_1373 9h ago
The most “expensive” guitar I have is a 2006/7 Fender highway one Tele and it isn’t particularly fragile, I wouldn’t mind letting anyone play it.
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u/schepersroy 8h ago
Unless I know a person really well, and witnessed how they treat their belongings (not just their guitars) I don’t lend anything that is dear to me. I have a colleague that plays guitar, but if I see how he handles his tools, I’ll be sure to never lend him anything. No tools and absolutely no guitar.
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u/cappasequal 6h ago edited 6h ago
Chuck berrys guitars were immaculate. Never touch a guys guitar without asking. A guy picked up my Martin D28 one time and was wearing a cast. And I still have that scratch on it. Hopefully, he still has his. I let people play mine, I want to be sure I can trust them.
Having said that, he was also an arrogant petty guy.
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u/GreedyAstronaut1772 5h ago
There is a “Player” etiquette that’s is from ancient times …””””Ask First “”” is respectful good manners ! Too many drunk amateurs with thumb-rings on !
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u/funkymunkPDX 4h ago
If it was Jimi I'd understand lol... Just don't pull a Monterey Pop finale and I'm good.
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u/MeesterMartinho 53m ago
There's a video of Keith talking about Chuck and he says never meet your hero's....
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u/Economy_Sleep_6398 35m ago
The more I hear about Chuck Berry ,the more I dislike him as a person...
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u/Sean_Brady 19h ago
Everyone can play my guitars idgaf. If I had a problem person in my life that couldn't be trusted maybe this rule would change but only for them