A very good acquaintance had purchased for me last summer ('05) a beautiful quilt top Dolphin, with trem, 4+2 headstock, set neck, IRW fretboard.
It is truly a stunning guitar, but in a very subdued manner, and he had purchased "sound unheard" so to speak.
He added it to his modest group if Fenders and Gibsons, he took it to stores to show it off with pride and joy (and I am very grateful to him for this).
But the guitar to him was a pain in the ass.
Why?
Because it gave him "too much freedom of movement" and it didn't "impose" it's own sound / limitation, like any "normal" guitar would do.
It could do the Telecaster, the LP, the Strat, the jazzy run, the metal scream, the alt-rock grind. To my friend this was just too much.
He gave it back, telling me "it's gonna drive me crazy".
I played her for about one hour last night.
My friend is right.
A guitar with so many sonic facets can drive you crazy... it reveals all the shades of your playing style, it bares your soul to everybody .... but especially to yourself.
IMHO this is what a superior class instrument should be all about.
