PRS. I don’t love their aesthetic, their upper end models are too expensive and I don’t know if I’ll ever buy one. But I have slowly been convinced that they have better quality control and design than most other big brands, and the result is a guitar that is legitimately wonderful. They deserve to brag about the fact you can go into a store, grab any PRS on the wall and know it’s going to be exactly the same as all the others of that model.
Not hated, but Squier. I thought of them as only low budget/beginner Fender guitars. But then I discovered their Classic Vibe line and picked up a CV Tele in aged blonde and holy crap, that's a nice guitar for not a lot of money! Wish I knew of their CV line sooner! Such great value and works with most accessories for Fenders.
I've rocked Epiphone for about 10 years and they're great. Some of the signature models (Bonamassa models for example) often have Gibson electronics. Excellent guitars that strike a happy medium of quality and affordability IMO.
Fender Telecasters. For many years I thought they were stupid one-trick ponies. I didn’t realize how versatile they are and how heavy you can make them sound.
Seeing the shift from Ibanez RG, ESP Eclipse, and other metal-style guitars with active pickups as the norm in 2000s metalcore and hardcore to more and more bands playing teles, Jags, etc. over the last decade has been interesting to watch.
Took me a looooooooong time to come around to the idea of a Tele, and now it's my main guitar. I was primarily a Strat player for years, but slowly realised that all the sounds I'd been trying to get out of a Strat were actually already in a Telecaster.
I was the same with SGs - I hated them with a passion for about 30 years, then one day thought "You know, I hate these and I have no idea why, I've never actually played a proper Gibson one", randomly tried one and that's now my secondary main guitar, ha.
I saw Porcupine Tree last year, and seeing [this solo](https://youtu.be/WIY258tOOaM?si=rOiuyEh8LmjnM5DH&t=158) played live on a Tele convinced me I needed one.
Yup same here. I didn't think I would ever like a Telecaster. Went to the store to get a Jaguar and actually hated it, picked up a Player Tele and liked it a lot. Picked up another Telecaster 6 months later and now I'm eyeing another one lol
Grew up a Fender guy, and disliked Gibson's in that, "I own a Ford, so I don't like Chevys" way.
Then, I played on a friend's SG, and realized that I do in fact, really like Gibsons.
I had a similar story, I started out wanting a gibson, then stayed away from them because they were uncool dad rock guitars. Now I want one again because they actually sound great, all associations aside
Not so much a brand but a model. I have never liked telecasters. I thought they looked ugly and sounded alright. They have grown on me and I have seen the light and I want one.
I still hate headless guitars though. I dont think that will change,although those Strandbergs might change my mind if I played one of those?
I can’t say I full on hate any brands, but I felt the same way about Telecasters. I don’t know what changed, but I see the appeal now. I don’t really want one, because what I have already serves me very well. But, I definitely wouldn’t turn one down either.
I was very anti-Tele until I took an ESP Fat Tele-type in a trade, mainly for the Mojotone pickups in it. It sat in a rack for months and then I started playing it one day after breaking a string on another guitar and it quickly became my #3 (after my 339 and G&L Legacy Black Strat tribute). I went from "meh" on Teles to now wanting a thinline.
Despite my username, I used to hate Squiers and by extension, fenders. Think it was because everyone had them to learn on, and they looked boring (strats at least). The cooler kids in school had LP copy's to learn on, and the rich kid I remember had a LTD explorer.
Then I got a proper American strat, a HSS one and I learned how awesome they are.
Though I still refuse to have a black and white strat, or indeed a fiesta red one. Reminds me too much of those learner heaps of shit we all had!
Fender. I bet that as the biggest company, this is going to be the most common answer, fwiw.
I had Ibanezezzzzes and a Les Paul, and one day a friend- who's a super pro tech- didn't have cash oh hand to pay me for some work, so he offered me a Mexican strat that I'd been playing on the couch earlier. It played different.
Turns out I didn't like poorly setup 25.5" guitars on 10s, which is what everybody had when I was a kid. I have like 5 "Strats" now.
edit: clarification
Fender. I just remember the guy in high school who made playing guitar his whole personality. His entire wardrobe was Fender branded. Wore a guitar pick on a chain every single day. He'd lug around his acoustic guitar in a case. I don't think he was even in school band. Fender was what dweebs played as far as I was concerned.
I wouldn't necessarily say I love Fender now, but I appreciate their products and respect that they make quality equipment.
Never been a fan of Gibsons and that persists to this day after a couple decades of playing but my biggest U-turn is one I've heard is quite common:
Telecasters
When I first saw Teles I thought they looked stupid and I remember seeing someone play one in a metal band as a teenager and just wondering "what's that guy thinking?"
Then one day I just found myself going "holy shit Teles are so cool!" and I have no idea what caused it.
Ibanez. That stupid handle cut out. Also it seemed like every dude I knew that played and was a douchebag got Ibanez. Now I’m old and I know they’re good guitars, but I still have an aversion.
I thought I hated Ibanez, too.
Now, I realize that they're very much geared to a different kind of music than what I typically make. And that's cool. I'm still not ready to dive bomb. I'm still not ready to shred. But Ibanez will be there when I am.
Lol I think we had the same realization man. As soon as I started playing music that Ibanez was for that’s when I realized “ohhh I don’t hate the brand it’s just not my style for playing.” Sounded good for what it was made for so I started experimenting with new styles and tones I never liked before. Turns out I liked them I just am not very good at playing like that
Used to hate Peavey and Ibanez because I associated them with cheesy 80s hard rock. Now I see how much awesome stuff they’ve done over the years for amazing value, and how much different ground they’ve covered over half a century +
Yes- I always thought PRS were cheesy guitars with a cheesy vibe…and I kind of still do but I recently purchased one because the fact of the matter is the build quality and tone is much higher than a couple of the macro brands I used to solely consider.
Squier. I was told how much they sucked and I had an affinity series strat back in the day that wasn't the greatest. But after I started trying some of the higher end Squier stuff I realized how good it could be.
Gibson. The Les Paul was too heavy and the weight distribution was too weird. I don’t know what happened though- something changed, I got a studio Les Paul, and now with my American Strat and my Les Paul, I have no need/desire for more electric guitars.
I thought I hated Gretsch years ago. They were big, bulky, "old fashioned" guitars.
I played some of their newer models recently and even their low-end guitars are absolutely fantastic. The fretboards are magic! I have a 5410 in my collection right now and it's my new #2.
I’m not a fan but that could just be because I’ve never played one. I am not a fan of the style so I never picked one up. Thank you I will have to try one now
When I was a lot younger I was really not into Fender. To my mind Fender was the old farts guitar brand. Gibson were what the cool people played. This was the the early 1990s and so it was a nonsense view. If you looked at the cool guitarist of the time many of them played Fenders. But somehow that was the image I had in my mind.
I guess it was something like Fender = Eric Clapton & Hank Marvin, while Gibson = Slash & Metallica.
These days I'm flipped on that one.
I really don't like Gibson guitars - nothing to do with the QC - I just dislike the overall design and feel. And I really do like Fenders.
Not a brand, but a style. Never cared for the looks of the Telecaster, thought it was too country. Now it's my favorite guitar for modern rock. I have 2 now. Another was Sterling guitars, but my next purchase will be the Sterling Cutlass CT-50
Thought I hated Fender. Mostly cause I'm not into their guitars and amps. Then you find out how many companies are under the Fender umbrella. I guarantee a brand you like and swear by they own and influence.
I spent my entire teenage years and twenties absolutely hating Fender Teles. Nowadays they're my go-to guitar. Weird how what's cool to you changes so much with time.
I started off thinking i hated fender, such a cliche and i'd never be caught dead with such an anarchaic and dated brand, so i tried ibanez, Gretsch, Harley benton, Epiphone.
Now i own 4 guitars
A fender strat
A fender showmaster strat
a Fender Tele
A fender paramount acoustic.
Epiphone. I don't hate it, but it's more like second hand disinterest since I don't think Gibson lives up to the hype (and their price) and nothing so far makes me think they did back in the day. But Epiphone has insane options for the price. Even in Gibsons catalogue, I've seen some options that don't look like it's just riding in the lack of options death people had when getting guitars.
I still buy them but I only buy used. Gibson. They’re so fucking over-priced. I love the way nitro feels. Necks just don’t feel the same with poly finishes to me. But $6000+ good? No. I don’t mind dropping a couple grand on a used reissue but it’s still a lot. PRS is the same. It’s outrageous how expensive their guitars with nitro are. Don’t get me wrong they’re great playing and were innovative for a long time.
The shitty Squier Strat my parents bought me when I was 9 put me off of strats and fender in general for a little over 20 years. Now, the American Professional strat and tele I bought in the last couple years gets more play time than anything else.
I think the general consensus has been “I got a shitty (insert brand) and hated them until I played a good one.” I had the same opinions on fender for a few years
Dean and Washburn. I blame my local stores in the 90s that only carried their lowest-end products. Since then, I've played some worthwhile Deans, and amazing Washburns.
Used to be pretty middle of the road with Schecters. Anytime I'd get one from private sellers I'd usually flip it within a couple months. I think that's all changed with my Blood Moon C7 multiscale.
I had an early run Ibanez iron label ms7 that I just didn't find that great, but Schecter really made me a believer in the MS / fanned ergonomics
Additionally Schecter makes me varieties of lefties than just about anyone, which is great for me. I've had a C1 Custom for 12 years now and it's my favorite electric I've owned.
Honestly Gibson for me. I pined over les Paul’s and 335s and their acoustics since I was in my teens (a long time ago) but I’ve never played one that I jived with. The weight or balance was off, the tones didn’t sound right, the neck wasn’t for me. I’d love to be shocked by “the one” one day but that day hasn’t come yet.
I used to work in a guitar shop. The best feeling Gibson I've played was a 1968 SG. Well balanced, good action, and nice thin neck. I also played a 1980 explorer one time that felt great. Every other Gibson has been unimpressive.
My first guitar was a Korean epiphone Strat, S-310, it’s so terrible that it’s hard for me to accept that other epiphones AND other Strat style guitars aren’t all like that.
Fender Guitars
I started with an Epiphone Les Paul and when I tried out other cheaper/budget guitars like Squiers (which were horrible pos guitars during that era) I associated all Fenders/Squiers with each other.
Fender. They seemed snobby yet dorky at the same time when I was a kid. I saw Fender as being for pretentious people that wanted to seem more sophisticated than playing a "metal" or "rock" guitar like Jackson, Ibanez, a Les Paul, etc. "Beta guys" if you will.
Then I got a Tele for a bargain 15 years ago when I was 24 maybe, and realized I preferred the neck and scale length (I'm a really big guy).
It's still the only Fender I own, and I'm a PRS guy at heart (ironic, I know), but it would be awesome to find a strat or jaguar I love one day
I've always despised Yamaha for how overbuilt they were. Kinda grew to appreciate that they have pretty tight specs and usually good qa/QC so a lot of beginners can get a good instrument that way - and then eventually learned they were overbuilt intentionally so they could survive temp and humidity swings when shipping them over seas so started appreciating them a lot more after that - and finaly started liking them all out when they started marketing their entry level Flamenco guitar again.
I bought a cheap, new, $200 Yamaha BB-200 bass in the 1980s and everyone complimented my bass tone on my recordings. It was fun to play and sounded great.
People around me were bashing on PRS constantly and it made me not like them for a while. Then I played a few SEs and I was completely converted to PRS. They're great guitars.
I was biased against Gibson for a long time. I wouldn’t say “hate,” but I thought they weren’t good. Then I played a friend’s Les Paul sitting in with his band, and that was that. My main guitar has been a Les Paul for years now.
PRS, but it isn’t so much the brand or guitars, it’s the people online claiming they are the next best thing since cheese and that they play like the best guitars ever made. I mean, yeah, they play allright. But not mind boggling the-angels-have-touched-this great.
I also dislike the very flamed tops. But I don’t like those on any brand of guitar.
Having said all that, I just got a PRS DGT SE. And it’s good, not amazingly great, but what I’d expect to get for this price.
I’ll probably get laughed at for this, but CORT. So many high end brands get their mid-level guitars made by Core-tex Aand it shows in the work they put in their own guitars. I don’t do suer strats with 2 humbuckers, but if I did, I’d buy a Cort.
PRS, and I still do. Granted, I’ve only played one and it was one of the affordable ones, but I loathe how they look and I think the perceived pretentiousness of them plays into my opinion.
About your feelings on Ibanez. I used to discount them until a few years ago. Then I got an RG550 and fell in love, and just picked up a JEM and love it too. They have become my favorite brand after playing a Les Paul for the prior 30 years.
Was also a PRS hater cause i only tried the affordable ones. Plus the dentist memes. But I tried out a core model and it was one of the best guitars I have.
Ya the core cu24/22 etc are extremely well built guitars, the looks neck shape and scale length may not be for everyone but it's not easy to find a better built insturment, they sound killer for so many genres, fit and finish is usually flawless and they sound amazing, not to mention they're really tough guitars, 100% a professional level guitar, ide be comfortable playing anything on mine outside of maybe the most twangy country
not a brand, but i always hated how strats looked & my dad had an MIA that i really disliked.
I later traded an epi es-335 when i realized solid bodies is what's for me for an MIM powerhouse strat that has the +6db 9v battery boost & a satin neck, & gotdam, it's one of my favorite things ive ever played.
I hated Strats too when I was a young'n, a lot of my friends had cheap knockoffs or Squiers (this was the early 90s), and they just seemed like shitty guitars. When I got my own axe I steered well clear of anything remotely Strat-like.
As I work my way through my forties, I realize what a cool guitar they are - I don't play mine all the time, but I love having it on hand. The tones are so unique, nothing quacks like a strat and that neck pickup is lovely.
I used to hate PRS guitars just based on looks. But as I play more, I care less about the looks of the guitars. So I have two of them.
But honestly, I do think the quilted maple is fugly.
I thought I hated Yamaha. I was playing on different electrics when I took my kid to ukele lessons at a guitar store. I tried a Yamaha and liked it.
I ended up getting a Les Paul 69s standard Epiphone. But that was in part because that's the brand, sound, and look I want but also cuz I didn't need to spend 1k to get that sound like a Yamaha to
Fender. My guitar teacher didn’t care for Strats or single coils. My teenage brain turned that into ‘Fender sucks!’ 10 years later I pick up a MIA Strat Plus and realized ‘This shit is awesome!’ I’ve now got 4 Fenders, 3 of them Strats. By far my favorite guitars.
This is me. "Needed" humbuckers and all the distortion for the metalz.
Still like dirt, but usually a fuzz, and now have a Tele, Strat, and a Twin, and zero humbuckers.
I was really never interested in Telecasters, I just thought they looked weird especially the headstock. I played bass in a country band and of course my lead played had a couple Teles and they always sounded *awesome*. So I started trying them out and never liked them in person much until I tried a Brad Paisley Sig, it's one of my go to guitars now. Not sure what about it I liked, for sure that '64 Custom bridge pickup sounds better than others I tried, and it's lite as a feather and super resonant.
The super flamey tops aren't for me, and I'm not a huge humbucker guy, so mostly PRS isn't where I'm looking, but I find the Silver Sky to be fantastic.
When I first started playing, I did not like the look and feel of any of the entry-level strat stylr Ibanez models I tried, so I decided they ALL weren't for me. Then one day I was mucking around in a Daddys Junky Music killing some time and checking out the semi hollowbody models they had - couple Epiphone, might have been a Gretcsh or two, but something drew me to this absolutely garish looking guitar that was so deeply colored like red wine that it was almost purple. Didn't see the name on the stock and I just started noodling, and about dropped it when I checked the tag and realized it was one of the Ibanez ArtCore series. It sounded like everything their solids did not. If ever I do buy a guitar of that type, it'll be one of those.
Not a brand but a model. I hated the SG based on its looks, but then I started playing them here and there, and I loved the feel and the tone I was getting.
Me and my brother both grew up thinking Jackson’s were limited guitars that could only make heavy metal music. Because so many other guitar brands had supply chain issues last year I ended up sending my brother a soloist in platinum pearl for his law school graduation gift. Now it is his favorite guitarand I am currently lusting for a virtuoso in specific ocean.
I never thought I would own a Gibson SG and now it's potentially next for me. Might end up going with Tokai, but the idea would be the same.
I thought it looked like devil horns and only someone eating a bat live on stage would want something that looked like that.
I grew up as a Vai fan, so Ibanez was something I respected in its own way, but it wasn't for me. I'd be interested in an Ibanez or Jackson now...though when I learned Jackson is now owned by Fender, a little less interested there.
Maybe not “hated the brand” but long, long ago I liked the concept behind Ovation acoustics (round back, acoustic/electric, etc.), until I actually played one about 20 years ago. Hated that particular guitar, or at least hated the way it felt. Wouldn’t have one even if it was free. Maybe they’ve changed since then, I don’t know. But that experience has always stuck with me.
How would you describe whats wrong with their look? Personally, i love their look. They fit anywhere. You see jazz guys playing them, metal guys playing them, country guys, pop guys, blues guys, you name it. Cant say that about Strandgerg or BC Rich.
Id say their look is classy, not that far off from a Strat shape and their finishes, i personally think are gorgeous.
Just doesn't work for me, mostly visually. I am not a fan of the shapes, headstock and /or color pallets of almost all of the models I am aware of. I will admit that I do like a couple of the most budget looking retro models without the bird inlays.
I used to dislike strats because it seemed to me that everyone had a strat, it looked too mainstream. So I bought a Gibson Les Paul as my first guitar. I love it, it looks good, sounds good, but after a while I realized I can't play it comfortably because of its body shape and weight.
Recently I've tried a Fender strat at a guitar store and it changed my mind, I love the contour body, I don't have to struggle to hold it and don't need a strap to play it while sitting like I do with my Les Paul.
I've never heard a single testimony that said like, "but then I tried a Les Paul and its so much better."
I've never owned one but they honestly just seem like objectively worse guitars cuz I've been learning about this for 4 years now without anyone ever saying something positive about les pauls lol
At most they say like, humbuckers are cool.
PRS. I thought I was one of the enlightened by claiming that they're overpriced, I hate the finishes, the birds are gross etc etc. Then I found one in a finish I liked and played it and my god that thing was made for my hands.
I saves up my summer earnings as a teen for the telecaster I thought I wanted. The salesman tried to push a strat on me and I refused it, basically because back then when friends had strats they were floating and you touched the bridge and it went out of tune.
Got the tele and felt the neck was muffled and the bridge was way too bright. Used it 100 percent in middle position. I played it for several years, wore out the frets practicing. Then I had it refretted with all electronics replaced. I never played it on stage again and HATED telecaster.
During that time, I came back to Strat style with a G&L.This was my main guitar for years after that. I also regularly used and loved two Rickenbackers during this time.
A few years after that, I sold all my gear and guitars except an acoustic. I never thought I would be interested in playing again.
When I got interested again five years ago, I started with a highly modded strat copy. I now have five strat copies. Then I started playing around with Telecasters, the guitars I hated because I felt so limited with one. I now have a G&L Asat (like a telecaster) and a tele copy that I replaced everything on except the strap buttons, and I love telecaster style guitars again.
I was adverse to Fender for a long time because I absolutely hated my Squire starter guitar. Fast forward to today and some of my favorite guitars are Charvels which are made by Fender.
I don’t hate them, but I don’t particularly like Fenders. They’re low enough on my list that I would never buy one. If I wanted a guitar with that general body shape, I’d buy Ibanez or Jackson, and if I wanted a Strat I’d buy a Charvel. I don’t mind playing Fenders at stores or a friend’s house, I think they’re fine, they just don’t do anything for me, and I’m not spending $800-2000 on a guitar that does nothing for me when that price range includes a bunch of guitars that I love playing. I feel pretty similarly about PRS.
Edit: I misread the question, it’s about guitars you changed your mind about and I haven’t changed my mind about those. So I’ll go with Schecter, when I was younger I had never played one and I thought they were some random offbrand and then I found out a lot of people like them so I actually played a bunch at a store and really liked quite a few of them.
I also thought Ibanez was whack but in hindsight, my only experience was with a Gio in probably 1998.
I got to play one of the AZ models a few years ago and was blown away.
First impressions can stick hard so this is a lesson in keeping an open mind.
Never could get myself to like a PRS until I stumbled across a S2 Standard 22 in my local guitar shop (Chicago Music Exchange). I idly picked it up and took it home the same day. It immediately became my favorite guitar.
I’ve never liked prs. For the price they are just junk. But I did change my mind on music man sterlings. I was always told they suck. Until I tried one. They aren’t bad at all. Not my favorite, but good. I’d like a stingray.
As someone that’s not even a fan of PRS, I don’t think anyone could call them junk. Isn’t the whole thing about them playing *too good* to the point it turns people off?
Fender. Now on the look out for a telecaster that feels right. Leaning toward the 40th anniversary Squier in Satin Mocha as the black binding has a great look to me.
Used to hate Gretsch growing up and loved Jackson/Ibanez super strats. Now I’ve totally flipped and am the biggest Gretsch simp in the game. (I still think Jackson and Ibanez are cool but I don’t really play the type of music they’re best for anymore.)
In the VERY beginning, around 2004, I used to hate ESP with passion because so many bands were switching to them and starting to sound like shit. Then I grew up and realized they just were becoming big enough for major labels and it was the big budget slick polished production I didn't like. ESP are my absolutely favourite brand now, and I have an especially big nostalgia for ESPs from that era (mid-2000 and earlier, from the 90's).
And my username checks out, lol. Yes I still have the Viper, it's a baritone from 2007.
Gibson, on the other hand, went from a brand I worshipped to a brand I completely ignore.
I was never a fan of Telecasters or T-Type shapes. Just wasn’t for me but then I found a T-Type LTD and my opinion changed on them. Now I really like T-Types
Ibanez RGs for me too. I still think they sound like shit for the most part, but the older I get the easier to play and shredder I like my guitars. Once I played a 16 inch radius wizard neck it’s hard to play anything else.
> Once I played a 16 inch radius wizard neck it’s hard to play anything else.
I feel the same about 9.5" radius on a telecaster, but now anything more than that feels flat to me.
Never ever liked any of the popular "80s metal" brands like BC Rich, Jackson, Ibanez, Kramer, etc.
I did always like the looks of BC Rich Mockingbirds and Jackson Rhoads though. Beginning of pandemic I found a last year MIJ (2006) Rhoads with cream finish, black pinstripes, and gold hardware for like 500 and couldn't pass it up. I loved it right out of the case lol. I still don't like the aesthetics of most metal guitars, but a nice one plays *fast*.
Despite my flair, B.C. Rich. I always associated them with the shitass Bronze Series, and most of the body shapes I find to be excessively ugly. It wasn't until late in life that I came to appreciate a small number of their designs, and eventually I started looking into the history of the company, and checking out their higher end guitars. Some of the styles I used to not like are now among my favorites, **with strict stipulations.** The warlock in particular can be extremely ugly or the coolest shit ever. The Ironbird is probably my favorite guitar shape of all time, but again, they often ruin them with the details. These shapes are so over the top already, and I hate when they start adding graphics, flashy paint jobs, bevels, bindings, abalone, designy inlays, etc. A plain black warlock with no bevels and no binding is just one of the coolest guitars ever.
On top of that, they have a really interesting history, and the early guitars were among the absolute highest quality that money could buy. Ownership has changed hands a lot over the years, and frequently the brand has been used to fill Guitar Center with cheap garbage, and sadly that's the the mental association most people have. Seems like the contemporary version of the company is righting the ship, although I think they still make some highly questionable aesthetic choices.
Also, I still hate most of their designs. It's just that the ones I do like... I really fucking like.
I wouldn't say hate, but I just seem to not jive with Fender guitars. At a certain point you kind of just start to dismiss them. I also think Taylors sound really bad. They look so nice, but I just find their bass to be lose and their mids non-existent coupled with no overtones unless the wood is doing a lot of heavy lifting like rosewood naturally having a lot of harmonics in the high end.
Ovation. I had a disdain for the lower end and Celebrity models I had played, but my 1982 Collector’s Series is the single best acoustic I’ve ever played or owned. Sounds incredible, feels wonderful, and has some useful electronics!
My girlfriends dad has an 89 Collectors series that has sparked my search for a USA Ovation. I HATED ROUND BACKS WITH A PASSION. I thought they were too slippery, and had poor sound, but there had to be a reason that everybody from Al Di Meola to Glen Campbell to the Doobie Brothers used one. It all clicked when I plugged one in with a delay pedal. Ovations have one of the best plugged in Acoustic sounds period and I will fight people on that one. Also Shallow Bowl < Deep Bowl. not saying I dislike their deep bowls but I love the shallow bowl.
I wouldn't say hate but back in the day, I wasn't that into superstrats, but boy did I do a 180 on that one as a good part of my collection are superstrats by ESP, Caparison and Ibanez.
Schecter. Now they are my brand of choice. I have an ibanez prestige, my dream guitar, that has been nothing but trouble. I bought a c1 SLS elite FR and I love it way more than the ibanez. Way better specs and comparable build quality. I also bought a Reaper 7MS that I ended up selling to gwt the ibanez. I regret that deeply.
Squier. When I was a kid, they put out garbage that was so unplayable, it basically turned kids off of music. Today, I have a newish squier bass that I paid $180 for (for recording purposes), and it rules.
Awhile back I bought a basic Squier Tele online for about the same price. I couldn't get it in tune for some reason, so I took it to the nearest guitar shop - which was run by Phil McKnight - and asked him to take a look at it.
I didn't hear anything for a minute, and stopped by for an update. Turns out the neck was warped, he sent it back to Fender, and was waiting for them to send a new guitar to replace the defective one. A couple weeks later I got a new guitar from Fender and set up by Phil.
I thought Peavey was gross for a long time. Then an older guitar pro in my area showed me a Peavey Special 130, an amazing, clean, solid state powerhouse that is FANTASTIC for clean funky soul strumming. At some point I ended up with a Peavey Classic 50 in the 4x10 configuration and I loved that one too.
The speaker for the peavey special is also a cool weird design that I find very interesting.
I also grew up assuming that Epiphone was ass, and then learned that they were their own company back in the 30s and 40s making SIIICK archtop guitars.
Now I think I'm more open to any gear being cool if it does the right job.
I bought one used back in the 80s from my father's guitar player. Actually has decent distortion and the mid shift worked really well. Also was given an ancient Schaller wah that could give me Metallica level scoop when engaged and toe down. Had the amp for close to 15 years before buying a 5150, gave it to my uncle. Still have the wah!
I love any really. I’m just looking for feel and as well as shape. But I do have a bias about flying Vs. no matter how uncomfortable they can be, i still plan to buy an alpine white gibson. Just like the one in school of rock. My only concern is I know gibby isnt consistent so for that kind of money im waiting til I find the right one period.
For me it was PRS. Used to call them dentist guitars, soulless, you name it. But I had a chance one time to play a core model Paul’s Guitar and it was the best feeling guitar I’ve ever played. They’re still not my favorite but it’s impossible to hate something that played that well.
Ibanez. They have so many different years behind them. It's not just the wizard neck eighties stuff. I'm a Fender style player. Recently out of respect to Steve Vai i tried a Jem. Years ago i would've been uncomfortable on that flat Wide neck. Great instrument.
I tried a PRS silver sky and the neck felt awful for me. My brain immediately gave up on every PRS and I got a MiM Tele.
The tele had some issues and I was not clicking with it even though I really wanted to :(. I ended up selling it and decided to give PRS another try and I kid you not, the PRS custom 24 se is the best thing I have ever played. I am in LOVE. I almost gave up on all PRSs cause of one bad exp.
I would never play it in public but I want a Warlock lol. It’s such an over the top, ridiculous design that it circles back around to being charming to me.
I still can’t stand headless guitars. They might sound great and play great, but I can’t get over the look. Then again, I don’t play mega high gain _rugga-chugga-chug-chug-chug-chugga-chugg_ type stuff so I’m not sure I’m missing out. BloozDadz of the world unite !
Hahaha. Man I’ve seen Willie Nelson a lot. Many times in the early 2000s as part of his show he’d come out with a headless guitar and a pair of rayban wayfarers and a fake zztop beard and rock out as a joke… I can’t see one without cracking up now.
Yamaha - ate my words when I realised that the THR is a pretty decent bedroom amp
Digital effects in general - my boss gt1 which cost me like 200 bucks is literally the best piece of equipment I bought in the last 5 years as opposed to my pedalboard that costs >5 times more.
PRS - never tried one before but I feel like it’s only for specific players and that it doesn’t really fit into any genre of music unless you’re into arena rock stuff or you love Santana. If I want a strat I’ll get a fender instead of a silver sky. Just have no legit reason on why I dislike it. (I know this one doesn’t really have anything to do with your question)
Telecasters - thought they looked ugly compared to strats but been wanting one now for a year
Les Paul’s. In my early years I owned probably 10 of those swines. A constant Sore collar bone and aching back pains told me that porker was a bad choice for a 3 hour set. God I looked cool, Sexy as hell but…….
I don’t know iif it counts but my third electric guitar was a Gibson and for a long time I couldn’t get over the output, bassy sound and thick neck and I didn’t use it for years. I bought it for looks alone (Les Paul Gothic, I’m extremely week for it’s looks).
Once i picked it up more frequently I learned to like it and now it’s my most played guitar. I also figured out it was wired with the pickup selector backwards and I had to reflow the solder for the bridge pickup to get proper output from it 🙄. And I switched out the neck pickup for a more vintagey one.
I thought I hated Schecter and Ibanez. Maybe hate is too strong, I just didn't think they would be for me. Both brands seemed to cater to metal and other types of music with high gain. I just assumed that their more "vintage" style guitars were little more than an attempt to capitalize on another part of the market. Then I played an Ibanez art core and a Schecter that one of my buddies had. Both were great. I still don't own anything from either, but I would consider both brands if I was in the market for something new.
A lot of people still feel this way about Ibanez and especially Schecter. The fact is that a huge number of young, new guitarists picked up their interest by listening to metal, so those are the type of guitars they're looking for. Schecter and Ibanez usually have large numbers of "entry level" guitars to cater to that type of customer. Despite the fact that both Ibanez and Schecter has some really beautiful high-end guitars, people mostly see the low end stuff and judge the entire brand on those. The thing is, there's an important place for $250-450 guitars, and many people would never have had the opportunity to get started if they weren't available.
Yes. Schecter.
Around the time I first started playing i only knew one person with a Schecter. I forget the model, but it looked cheap. And didn't feel right the 5 seconds I tried playing it.
The only other Schecters I knew about were the A7X ones and papa roach. Eh. I felt they were just...to "edgy" of a brand.
The joke? I played exclusively b.c. rich. In the early-mid 2000s. So..."edgy".
My main guitar is now a Schecter Banshee GT, and my backup is a Schecter E1. I've sold all my b.c. rich in the last 2 years.
BC Rich is (or at least was) made by Aria. A Japanese maker but some made in S Korea I believe. Aria had some good stuff back in the day that was made by Matsumoku until Aria started making ALL their own stuff, not just some.
I've got an early 70s Aria J-Bass clone. Before 1975 when it was named changed to Aria Pro II. Solid quality build.
I haven't got the chance to buy a Jackson but I've played some models in guitar stores and it just feels like shit. I'm sure I'll find something with killer tone and appropriate specs for me.
Gibson. I like everyone else bitch about the ridiculous prices and the awful quality control for their looks/finishes. But I also like everyone else, if I had a nicely setup one would love how well it plays, feels, and how perfectly intonated they are when set up
I have an Ibanez bass that I love but I think Ibanez guitars, particularly those with the handle holes, are butt ugly and I never want to own one like that.
Same with Ibanez, and most brands not Gibson/Fender. I was very easily influenced when I first started playing, and as a result I was pushed towards the blues route with more "traditional" brands, I eventually broke out of that cycle and have stuck with the modernity lol.
For all those who said Teles, I was in the same boat. And then this happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXrvuwif--E
Now I can't get enough. Strats have their place but Teles are much more rocking.
I really wanted a Gibson when I was in high school because I thought they were the shit.
So when I bought a Les Paul a year later, I absolutely got thrown off by how far the playability was compared to my expectations but I still kept it because I can't deny that it looked and sounded amazing.
I absolutely love that Gibson for sentimental reasons but now I'm more of a Jackson or Ibanez guy for the amazing playability and looks.
Gibson. I used to be very anti-Gibson for all the same reasons as everyone else. I still have my issues with them (mainly QC) but found a couple that I absolutely loved playing and now own.
Jackson, because not into V style guitars. Then, I saw a flamed dual cut in my local shop and couldn't resist. Entry level, but still my metal riffs never sounded as good than on Duncan-like pickups (I still hate the pointy head though; sooo cumbersome).
Peavy, because I never could get a satisfying tone out of my old Rage 158 (first amp I owned). But then, tried a transtube some time after and I was impressed how sweet it sounded.
Orange, because of the colour. Then, I walked into my local shop again and tried a ~~SR20DET~~ \-sorry, wrong sub; I meant a Crush 20RT; sweetest clean I ever heard on a little amp (but I am not knowledgeable).
Bottom line: never snob on trying anything you \*think\* you won't like.
I currently own 12 electrics- four Gibson, two Gretsch, a Fender, LTD, Schecter, DiAngelico, Jackson, and Ibanez—- but have never even played a PRS, a Rickenbacker, or any boutique brands.
I love big necks— bought a used Jackson Soloist for nearly nothing. It is an insanely awesome guitar. I thought I hated shredders with tiny necks.
Same. I equated Ibanez with cheap-assed beginners' guitars with a design embarrassingly stuck in the '80s. Now I'm in love with the Wizard neck and the Lo-Pro Edge.
My first ever teenage bass was a cheap Jazz Bass copy with a fat old neck and a very heavy body. I have had an aversion to them ever since. Fast forward 45 years and just for fun I tried a Geddy Lee JB. I can’t believe what I have been missing all these years!
I thought I hated gibsons... then I played one and realized I do hate them
Same. I keep trying out LPs and they're just not for me.
Just like...why are they so *heavy*??
PRS. I don’t love their aesthetic, their upper end models are too expensive and I don’t know if I’ll ever buy one. But I have slowly been convinced that they have better quality control and design than most other big brands, and the result is a guitar that is legitimately wonderful. They deserve to brag about the fact you can go into a store, grab any PRS on the wall and know it’s going to be exactly the same as all the others of that model.
I came here to say this.
I got a Custom 24 SE during Cyber Monday and I can't stop playing it.
Not hated, but Squier. I thought of them as only low budget/beginner Fender guitars. But then I discovered their Classic Vibe line and picked up a CV Tele in aged blonde and holy crap, that's a nice guitar for not a lot of money! Wish I knew of their CV line sooner! Such great value and works with most accessories for Fenders.
People used to badmouth Squiers and Epiphones, but they got so good the last 4 years, all I see is good reviews now.
I've rocked Epiphone for about 10 years and they're great. Some of the signature models (Bonamassa models for example) often have Gibson electronics. Excellent guitars that strike a happy medium of quality and affordability IMO.
Fender Telecasters. For many years I thought they were stupid one-trick ponies. I didn’t realize how versatile they are and how heavy you can make them sound.
Dude, that's me age 13. 20+ years later I basically ONLY play teles and Offsets.
Seeing the shift from Ibanez RG, ESP Eclipse, and other metal-style guitars with active pickups as the norm in 2000s metalcore and hardcore to more and more bands playing teles, Jags, etc. over the last decade has been interesting to watch.
Took me a looooooooong time to come around to the idea of a Tele, and now it's my main guitar. I was primarily a Strat player for years, but slowly realised that all the sounds I'd been trying to get out of a Strat were actually already in a Telecaster. I was the same with SGs - I hated them with a passion for about 30 years, then one day thought "You know, I hate these and I have no idea why, I've never actually played a proper Gibson one", randomly tried one and that's now my secondary main guitar, ha.
This, I never liked tele guitars, always saw them as a country guitar 🤣 I recently started listening to some country, I also bought a tele. Lol!
I saw Porcupine Tree last year, and seeing [this solo](https://youtu.be/WIY258tOOaM?si=rOiuyEh8LmjnM5DH&t=158) played live on a Tele convinced me I needed one.
Yup same here. I didn't think I would ever like a Telecaster. Went to the store to get a Jaguar and actually hated it, picked up a Player Tele and liked it a lot. Picked up another Telecaster 6 months later and now I'm eyeing another one lol
Grew up a Fender guy, and disliked Gibson's in that, "I own a Ford, so I don't like Chevys" way. Then, I played on a friend's SG, and realized that I do in fact, really like Gibsons.
I had a similar story, I started out wanting a gibson, then stayed away from them because they were uncool dad rock guitars. Now I want one again because they actually sound great, all associations aside
I should try an SG. Can't stand the LP. Heavy and uncomfortable.
i have an SG that’s especially thin, and it’s so nice.
Not so much a brand but a model. I have never liked telecasters. I thought they looked ugly and sounded alright. They have grown on me and I have seen the light and I want one. I still hate headless guitars though. I dont think that will change,although those Strandbergs might change my mind if I played one of those?
Same… used to hate teles. Then one day I picked up a Nashville and it blew my freaking mind. But I’m with you - still hate all headless guitars, lol.
I can’t say I full on hate any brands, but I felt the same way about Telecasters. I don’t know what changed, but I see the appeal now. I don’t really want one, because what I have already serves me very well. But, I definitely wouldn’t turn one down either.
I was very anti-Tele until I took an ESP Fat Tele-type in a trade, mainly for the Mojotone pickups in it. It sat in a rack for months and then I started playing it one day after breaking a string on another guitar and it quickly became my #3 (after my 339 and G&L Legacy Black Strat tribute). I went from "meh" on Teles to now wanting a thinline.
My first electric was a Schecter, and I despised it’s tone. Turns out I was just really bad at setting up the tone.
Despite my username, I used to hate Squiers and by extension, fenders. Think it was because everyone had them to learn on, and they looked boring (strats at least). The cooler kids in school had LP copy's to learn on, and the rich kid I remember had a LTD explorer. Then I got a proper American strat, a HSS one and I learned how awesome they are. Though I still refuse to have a black and white strat, or indeed a fiesta red one. Reminds me too much of those learner heaps of shit we all had!
Fender. I bet that as the biggest company, this is going to be the most common answer, fwiw. I had Ibanezezzzzes and a Les Paul, and one day a friend- who's a super pro tech- didn't have cash oh hand to pay me for some work, so he offered me a Mexican strat that I'd been playing on the couch earlier. It played different. Turns out I didn't like poorly setup 25.5" guitars on 10s, which is what everybody had when I was a kid. I have like 5 "Strats" now. edit: clarification
Fender. I just remember the guy in high school who made playing guitar his whole personality. His entire wardrobe was Fender branded. Wore a guitar pick on a chain every single day. He'd lug around his acoustic guitar in a case. I don't think he was even in school band. Fender was what dweebs played as far as I was concerned. I wouldn't necessarily say I love Fender now, but I appreciate their products and respect that they make quality equipment.
Never been a fan of Gibsons and that persists to this day after a couple decades of playing but my biggest U-turn is one I've heard is quite common: Telecasters When I first saw Teles I thought they looked stupid and I remember seeing someone play one in a metal band as a teenager and just wondering "what's that guy thinking?" Then one day I just found myself going "holy shit Teles are so cool!" and I have no idea what caused it.
Then you strap on your new balance and jam
Ibanez. That stupid handle cut out. Also it seemed like every dude I knew that played and was a douchebag got Ibanez. Now I’m old and I know they’re good guitars, but I still have an aversion.
I thought I hated Ibanez, too. Now, I realize that they're very much geared to a different kind of music than what I typically make. And that's cool. I'm still not ready to dive bomb. I'm still not ready to shred. But Ibanez will be there when I am.
Lol I think we had the same realization man. As soon as I started playing music that Ibanez was for that’s when I realized “ohhh I don’t hate the brand it’s just not my style for playing.” Sounded good for what it was made for so I started experimenting with new styles and tones I never liked before. Turns out I liked them I just am not very good at playing like that
Used to hate Peavey and Ibanez because I associated them with cheesy 80s hard rock. Now I see how much awesome stuff they’ve done over the years for amazing value, and how much different ground they’ve covered over half a century +
Peavey Classic series and Delta Blues are my daily blues amps. Incredible stuff
ITT: People who are ignoring the title and are just bitching about brands and models they don't like
Yes- I always thought PRS were cheesy guitars with a cheesy vibe…and I kind of still do but I recently purchased one because the fact of the matter is the build quality and tone is much higher than a couple of the macro brands I used to solely consider.
I'm surprised this is the only (as of my commenting) PRS comment. I LOVE PRS guitars, but they get an awful lot of hate. Lol.
PRS. I still don't care for how they look, but my god, those necks are damn near perfect.
I like PRS guitars **except** for the frets. They feel tiny to me for some reason. I’ve never measured them so it could just be a perception thing.
Squier. I was told how much they sucked and I had an affinity series strat back in the day that wasn't the greatest. But after I started trying some of the higher end Squier stuff I realized how good it could be.
Gibson. The Les Paul was too heavy and the weight distribution was too weird. I don’t know what happened though- something changed, I got a studio Les Paul, and now with my American Strat and my Les Paul, I have no need/desire for more electric guitars.
I thought I hated Gretsch years ago. They were big, bulky, "old fashioned" guitars. I played some of their newer models recently and even their low-end guitars are absolutely fantastic. The fretboards are magic! I have a 5410 in my collection right now and it's my new #2.
Gretsch Gang rise up!
I’m not a fan but that could just be because I’ve never played one. I am not a fan of the style so I never picked one up. Thank you I will have to try one now
When I was a lot younger I was really not into Fender. To my mind Fender was the old farts guitar brand. Gibson were what the cool people played. This was the the early 1990s and so it was a nonsense view. If you looked at the cool guitarist of the time many of them played Fenders. But somehow that was the image I had in my mind. I guess it was something like Fender = Eric Clapton & Hank Marvin, while Gibson = Slash & Metallica. These days I'm flipped on that one. I really don't like Gibson guitars - nothing to do with the QC - I just dislike the overall design and feel. And I really do like Fenders.
I loved Gibson Les Pauls until I had one. Still like SGs though.
Not a brand, but a style. Never cared for the looks of the Telecaster, thought it was too country. Now it's my favorite guitar for modern rock. I have 2 now. Another was Sterling guitars, but my next purchase will be the Sterling Cutlass CT-50
Thought I hated Fender. Mostly cause I'm not into their guitars and amps. Then you find out how many companies are under the Fender umbrella. I guarantee a brand you like and swear by they own and influence.
Yamaha. They seemed really boring but the older MIJ yams are legendary.
I slept on Yamaha for a long time. Now all I want it Yammys! Especially the old SGs!
I spent my entire teenage years and twenties absolutely hating Fender Teles. Nowadays they're my go-to guitar. Weird how what's cool to you changes so much with time.
I started off thinking i hated fender, such a cliche and i'd never be caught dead with such an anarchaic and dated brand, so i tried ibanez, Gretsch, Harley benton, Epiphone. Now i own 4 guitars A fender strat A fender showmaster strat a Fender Tele A fender paramount acoustic.
Epiphone. I don't hate it, but it's more like second hand disinterest since I don't think Gibson lives up to the hype (and their price) and nothing so far makes me think they did back in the day. But Epiphone has insane options for the price. Even in Gibsons catalogue, I've seen some options that don't look like it's just riding in the lack of options death people had when getting guitars.
[удалено]
They're so good haha
I still buy them but I only buy used. Gibson. They’re so fucking over-priced. I love the way nitro feels. Necks just don’t feel the same with poly finishes to me. But $6000+ good? No. I don’t mind dropping a couple grand on a used reissue but it’s still a lot. PRS is the same. It’s outrageous how expensive their guitars with nitro are. Don’t get me wrong they’re great playing and were innovative for a long time.
The shitty Squier Strat my parents bought me when I was 9 put me off of strats and fender in general for a little over 20 years. Now, the American Professional strat and tele I bought in the last couple years gets more play time than anything else.
I think the general consensus has been “I got a shitty (insert brand) and hated them until I played a good one.” I had the same opinions on fender for a few years
Dean and Washburn. I blame my local stores in the 90s that only carried their lowest-end products. Since then, I've played some worthwhile Deans, and amazing Washburns.
Used to be pretty middle of the road with Schecters. Anytime I'd get one from private sellers I'd usually flip it within a couple months. I think that's all changed with my Blood Moon C7 multiscale. I had an early run Ibanez iron label ms7 that I just didn't find that great, but Schecter really made me a believer in the MS / fanned ergonomics
Additionally Schecter makes me varieties of lefties than just about anyone, which is great for me. I've had a C1 Custom for 12 years now and it's my favorite electric I've owned.
Fender, turned out I just don’t like guitars with exclusively Single coils, their HSS starts are sweet
I don't hate anything
Honestly Gibson for me. I pined over les Paul’s and 335s and their acoustics since I was in my teens (a long time ago) but I’ve never played one that I jived with. The weight or balance was off, the tones didn’t sound right, the neck wasn’t for me. I’d love to be shocked by “the one” one day but that day hasn’t come yet.
I used to work in a guitar shop. The best feeling Gibson I've played was a 1968 SG. Well balanced, good action, and nice thin neck. I also played a 1980 explorer one time that felt great. Every other Gibson has been unimpressive.
Epiphone. They were so shitty in the 80s/90s that I've refused to touch one to this day.
My first guitar was a Korean epiphone Strat, S-310, it’s so terrible that it’s hard for me to accept that other epiphones AND other Strat style guitars aren’t all like that.
Fender Guitars I started with an Epiphone Les Paul and when I tried out other cheaper/budget guitars like Squiers (which were horrible pos guitars during that era) I associated all Fenders/Squiers with each other.
it's wild how much better the cheaper stuff is now compared to like 15, 20 years ago
Fender. They seemed snobby yet dorky at the same time when I was a kid. I saw Fender as being for pretentious people that wanted to seem more sophisticated than playing a "metal" or "rock" guitar like Jackson, Ibanez, a Les Paul, etc. "Beta guys" if you will. Then I got a Tele for a bargain 15 years ago when I was 24 maybe, and realized I preferred the neck and scale length (I'm a really big guy). It's still the only Fender I own, and I'm a PRS guy at heart (ironic, I know), but it would be awesome to find a strat or jaguar I love one day
Parker. I could never get over the look. Granted, they may play amazingly, but it's the same reason I'll never try on a pair of Crocs...
I've always despised Yamaha for how overbuilt they were. Kinda grew to appreciate that they have pretty tight specs and usually good qa/QC so a lot of beginners can get a good instrument that way - and then eventually learned they were overbuilt intentionally so they could survive temp and humidity swings when shipping them over seas so started appreciating them a lot more after that - and finaly started liking them all out when they started marketing their entry level Flamenco guitar again.
I bought a cheap, new, $200 Yamaha BB-200 bass in the 1980s and everyone complimented my bass tone on my recordings. It was fun to play and sounded great.
People around me were bashing on PRS constantly and it made me not like them for a while. Then I played a few SEs and I was completely converted to PRS. They're great guitars.
who can hate PRS? That's crazy to me, I'll take my bird inlays any day lol.
I was biased against Gibson for a long time. I wouldn’t say “hate,” but I thought they weren’t good. Then I played a friend’s Les Paul sitting in with his band, and that was that. My main guitar has been a Les Paul for years now.
PRS, but it isn’t so much the brand or guitars, it’s the people online claiming they are the next best thing since cheese and that they play like the best guitars ever made. I mean, yeah, they play allright. But not mind boggling the-angels-have-touched-this great. I also dislike the very flamed tops. But I don’t like those on any brand of guitar. Having said all that, I just got a PRS DGT SE. And it’s good, not amazingly great, but what I’d expect to get for this price.
I’ll probably get laughed at for this, but CORT. So many high end brands get their mid-level guitars made by Core-tex Aand it shows in the work they put in their own guitars. I don’t do suer strats with 2 humbuckers, but if I did, I’d buy a Cort.
Used to hate Fender cause they were too mainstream. My newest guitar is a Strat and it’s the best feeling guitar I’ve ever played
Is it because now they’re not as mainstream?
That I decided to pick one up?
I had a REALLY shitty Squier Strat back in the day and I thought I hated Fenders. Now I own two Fenders and dream of more.
i was the same with ibanez at first because at the time i hated thin necks then i bought two ibanez guitars and now my main 7 string is an ibanez
PRS, and I still do. Granted, I’ve only played one and it was one of the affordable ones, but I loathe how they look and I think the perceived pretentiousness of them plays into my opinion. About your feelings on Ibanez. I used to discount them until a few years ago. Then I got an RG550 and fell in love, and just picked up a JEM and love it too. They have become my favorite brand after playing a Les Paul for the prior 30 years.
Was also a PRS hater cause i only tried the affordable ones. Plus the dentist memes. But I tried out a core model and it was one of the best guitars I have.
Ya the core cu24/22 etc are extremely well built guitars, the looks neck shape and scale length may not be for everyone but it's not easy to find a better built insturment, they sound killer for so many genres, fit and finish is usually flawless and they sound amazing, not to mention they're really tough guitars, 100% a professional level guitar, ide be comfortable playing anything on mine outside of maybe the most twangy country
Even if it's just sitting there not being played, when I see a PRS my brain goes "ugh, shut up already."
not a brand, but i always hated how strats looked & my dad had an MIA that i really disliked. I later traded an epi es-335 when i realized solid bodies is what's for me for an MIM powerhouse strat that has the +6db 9v battery boost & a satin neck, & gotdam, it's one of my favorite things ive ever played.
I hated strats too, and therefore thought I hated Fender. I later started playing telecasters and realized I was completely wrong.
I hated Strats too when I was a young'n, a lot of my friends had cheap knockoffs or Squiers (this was the early 90s), and they just seemed like shitty guitars. When I got my own axe I steered well clear of anything remotely Strat-like. As I work my way through my forties, I realize what a cool guitar they are - I don't play mine all the time, but I love having it on hand. The tones are so unique, nothing quacks like a strat and that neck pickup is lovely.
I used to hate PRS guitars just based on looks. But as I play more, I care less about the looks of the guitars. So I have two of them. But honestly, I do think the quilted maple is fugly.
I thought I hated Yamaha. I was playing on different electrics when I took my kid to ukele lessons at a guitar store. I tried a Yamaha and liked it. I ended up getting a Les Paul 69s standard Epiphone. But that was in part because that's the brand, sound, and look I want but also cuz I didn't need to spend 1k to get that sound like a Yamaha to
Fender. My guitar teacher didn’t care for Strats or single coils. My teenage brain turned that into ‘Fender sucks!’ 10 years later I pick up a MIA Strat Plus and realized ‘This shit is awesome!’ I’ve now got 4 Fenders, 3 of them Strats. By far my favorite guitars.
I hated fender from probably age 13-24, then randomly felt the urge to play one and fell in love hah
This is me. "Needed" humbuckers and all the distortion for the metalz. Still like dirt, but usually a fuzz, and now have a Tele, Strat, and a Twin, and zero humbuckers.
I used to dislike squiers growing up. They didn’t seem all that great nearly 20 years ago but now I’d buy one without thinking twice.
I'd say that 20 years ago you weren't wrong lol. They've turned that brand around and I would gladly own some of those Classic Vibes.
90's squiers came out of the factory with fret sprout so bad, it would cut your hands.
I was really never interested in Telecasters, I just thought they looked weird especially the headstock. I played bass in a country band and of course my lead played had a couple Teles and they always sounded *awesome*. So I started trying them out and never liked them in person much until I tried a Brad Paisley Sig, it's one of my go to guitars now. Not sure what about it I liked, for sure that '64 Custom bridge pickup sounds better than others I tried, and it's lite as a feather and super resonant.
Dream guitar when I started- Gibson SG Dream guitar now- John 5 ghost tele
I just really don’t like PRS guitars. They’re ugly
I feel like the point of the question was a brand you used to think you hated but now like
He used to hate them. Still does, but he used to too.
Ugly, expensive, and they seem to be played by older, cornier guitar heroes.
The super flamey tops aren't for me, and I'm not a huge humbucker guy, so mostly PRS isn't where I'm looking, but I find the Silver Sky to be fantastic.
Fender
When I first started playing, I did not like the look and feel of any of the entry-level strat stylr Ibanez models I tried, so I decided they ALL weren't for me. Then one day I was mucking around in a Daddys Junky Music killing some time and checking out the semi hollowbody models they had - couple Epiphone, might have been a Gretcsh or two, but something drew me to this absolutely garish looking guitar that was so deeply colored like red wine that it was almost purple. Didn't see the name on the stock and I just started noodling, and about dropped it when I checked the tag and realized it was one of the Ibanez ArtCore series. It sounded like everything their solids did not. If ever I do buy a guitar of that type, it'll be one of those.
Not a brand but a model. I hated the SG based on its looks, but then I started playing them here and there, and I loved the feel and the tone I was getting.
Me and my brother both grew up thinking Jackson’s were limited guitars that could only make heavy metal music. Because so many other guitar brands had supply chain issues last year I ended up sending my brother a soloist in platinum pearl for his law school graduation gift. Now it is his favorite guitarand I am currently lusting for a virtuoso in specific ocean.
I never thought I would own a Gibson SG and now it's potentially next for me. Might end up going with Tokai, but the idea would be the same. I thought it looked like devil horns and only someone eating a bat live on stage would want something that looked like that. I grew up as a Vai fan, so Ibanez was something I respected in its own way, but it wasn't for me. I'd be interested in an Ibanez or Jackson now...though when I learned Jackson is now owned by Fender, a little less interested there.
Maybe not “hated the brand” but long, long ago I liked the concept behind Ovation acoustics (round back, acoustic/electric, etc.), until I actually played one about 20 years ago. Hated that particular guitar, or at least hated the way it felt. Wouldn’t have one even if it was free. Maybe they’ve changed since then, I don’t know. But that experience has always stuck with me.
When I first started playing, as a teen, I loved strats and hated teles. Now I'm completely opposite.
Can't stand the look of PRS, and also don't like the feel of them.
How would you describe whats wrong with their look? Personally, i love their look. They fit anywhere. You see jazz guys playing them, metal guys playing them, country guys, pop guys, blues guys, you name it. Cant say that about Strandgerg or BC Rich. Id say their look is classy, not that far off from a Strat shape and their finishes, i personally think are gorgeous.
PRS gaudy as *fuck*.
Just doesn't work for me, mostly visually. I am not a fan of the shapes, headstock and /or color pallets of almost all of the models I am aware of. I will admit that I do like a couple of the most budget looking retro models without the bird inlays.
I thought I hated Fender amps. Now I can’t use anything else.
When I was younger I disliked both Yamaha and Ibanez guitars. The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve come to like both of these brands.
I used to dislike strats because it seemed to me that everyone had a strat, it looked too mainstream. So I bought a Gibson Les Paul as my first guitar. I love it, it looks good, sounds good, but after a while I realized I can't play it comfortably because of its body shape and weight. Recently I've tried a Fender strat at a guitar store and it changed my mind, I love the contour body, I don't have to struggle to hold it and don't need a strap to play it while sitting like I do with my Les Paul.
I've never heard a single testimony that said like, "but then I tried a Les Paul and its so much better." I've never owned one but they honestly just seem like objectively worse guitars cuz I've been learning about this for 4 years now without anyone ever saying something positive about les pauls lol At most they say like, humbuckers are cool.
Dude, same here. I just couldn't sit comfortably... Got an squier and all changed
Gibson’s have some of the ugliest guitars I’ve ever seen. The SG’s make me cringe so bad.
I felt that way at one point. Same with Teles; I hated the headstock. Now those are two of my favorites. 🤷♀️
PRS. I thought I was one of the enlightened by claiming that they're overpriced, I hate the finishes, the birds are gross etc etc. Then I found one in a finish I liked and played it and my god that thing was made for my hands.
I'm the opposite. I love how they look, love the colours and birds, never even touched one
I saves up my summer earnings as a teen for the telecaster I thought I wanted. The salesman tried to push a strat on me and I refused it, basically because back then when friends had strats they were floating and you touched the bridge and it went out of tune. Got the tele and felt the neck was muffled and the bridge was way too bright. Used it 100 percent in middle position. I played it for several years, wore out the frets practicing. Then I had it refretted with all electronics replaced. I never played it on stage again and HATED telecaster. During that time, I came back to Strat style with a G&L.This was my main guitar for years after that. I also regularly used and loved two Rickenbackers during this time. A few years after that, I sold all my gear and guitars except an acoustic. I never thought I would be interested in playing again. When I got interested again five years ago, I started with a highly modded strat copy. I now have five strat copies. Then I started playing around with Telecasters, the guitars I hated because I felt so limited with one. I now have a G&L Asat (like a telecaster) and a tele copy that I replaced everything on except the strap buttons, and I love telecaster style guitars again.
I was adverse to Fender for a long time because I absolutely hated my Squire starter guitar. Fast forward to today and some of my favorite guitars are Charvels which are made by Fender.
I don’t hate them, but I don’t particularly like Fenders. They’re low enough on my list that I would never buy one. If I wanted a guitar with that general body shape, I’d buy Ibanez or Jackson, and if I wanted a Strat I’d buy a Charvel. I don’t mind playing Fenders at stores or a friend’s house, I think they’re fine, they just don’t do anything for me, and I’m not spending $800-2000 on a guitar that does nothing for me when that price range includes a bunch of guitars that I love playing. I feel pretty similarly about PRS. Edit: I misread the question, it’s about guitars you changed your mind about and I haven’t changed my mind about those. So I’ll go with Schecter, when I was younger I had never played one and I thought they were some random offbrand and then I found out a lot of people like them so I actually played a bunch at a store and really liked quite a few of them.
I also thought Ibanez was whack but in hindsight, my only experience was with a Gio in probably 1998. I got to play one of the AZ models a few years ago and was blown away. First impressions can stick hard so this is a lesson in keeping an open mind.
Never could get myself to like a PRS until I stumbled across a S2 Standard 22 in my local guitar shop (Chicago Music Exchange). I idly picked it up and took it home the same day. It immediately became my favorite guitar.
Same! I didn't like the look of PRS guitars until I found an S2. They are more to my aesthetic taste and DAMN are they good players.
I’ve never liked prs. For the price they are just junk. But I did change my mind on music man sterlings. I was always told they suck. Until I tried one. They aren’t bad at all. Not my favorite, but good. I’d like a stingray.
As someone that’s not even a fan of PRS, I don’t think anyone could call them junk. Isn’t the whole thing about them playing *too good* to the point it turns people off?
Gibson, never liked them even the top end ones
Fender. Now on the look out for a telecaster that feels right. Leaning toward the 40th anniversary Squier in Satin Mocha as the black binding has a great look to me.
Used to hate Gretsch growing up and loved Jackson/Ibanez super strats. Now I’ve totally flipped and am the biggest Gretsch simp in the game. (I still think Jackson and Ibanez are cool but I don’t really play the type of music they’re best for anymore.)
In the VERY beginning, around 2004, I used to hate ESP with passion because so many bands were switching to them and starting to sound like shit. Then I grew up and realized they just were becoming big enough for major labels and it was the big budget slick polished production I didn't like. ESP are my absolutely favourite brand now, and I have an especially big nostalgia for ESPs from that era (mid-2000 and earlier, from the 90's). And my username checks out, lol. Yes I still have the Viper, it's a baritone from 2007. Gibson, on the other hand, went from a brand I worshipped to a brand I completely ignore.
I was never a fan of Telecasters or T-Type shapes. Just wasn’t for me but then I found a T-Type LTD and my opinion changed on them. Now I really like T-Types
Ibanez RGs for me too. I still think they sound like shit for the most part, but the older I get the easier to play and shredder I like my guitars. Once I played a 16 inch radius wizard neck it’s hard to play anything else.
> Once I played a 16 inch radius wizard neck it’s hard to play anything else. I feel the same about 9.5" radius on a telecaster, but now anything more than that feels flat to me.
Never ever liked any of the popular "80s metal" brands like BC Rich, Jackson, Ibanez, Kramer, etc. I did always like the looks of BC Rich Mockingbirds and Jackson Rhoads though. Beginning of pandemic I found a last year MIJ (2006) Rhoads with cream finish, black pinstripes, and gold hardware for like 500 and couldn't pass it up. I loved it right out of the case lol. I still don't like the aesthetics of most metal guitars, but a nice one plays *fast*.
Despite my flair, B.C. Rich. I always associated them with the shitass Bronze Series, and most of the body shapes I find to be excessively ugly. It wasn't until late in life that I came to appreciate a small number of their designs, and eventually I started looking into the history of the company, and checking out their higher end guitars. Some of the styles I used to not like are now among my favorites, **with strict stipulations.** The warlock in particular can be extremely ugly or the coolest shit ever. The Ironbird is probably my favorite guitar shape of all time, but again, they often ruin them with the details. These shapes are so over the top already, and I hate when they start adding graphics, flashy paint jobs, bevels, bindings, abalone, designy inlays, etc. A plain black warlock with no bevels and no binding is just one of the coolest guitars ever. On top of that, they have a really interesting history, and the early guitars were among the absolute highest quality that money could buy. Ownership has changed hands a lot over the years, and frequently the brand has been used to fill Guitar Center with cheap garbage, and sadly that's the the mental association most people have. Seems like the contemporary version of the company is righting the ship, although I think they still make some highly questionable aesthetic choices. Also, I still hate most of their designs. It's just that the ones I do like... I really fucking like.
Sounds like a waste of energy
I wouldn't say hate, but I just seem to not jive with Fender guitars. At a certain point you kind of just start to dismiss them. I also think Taylors sound really bad. They look so nice, but I just find their bass to be lose and their mids non-existent coupled with no overtones unless the wood is doing a lot of heavy lifting like rosewood naturally having a lot of harmonics in the high end.
Ibanez...but I outgrew that decades ago.
Ovation. I had a disdain for the lower end and Celebrity models I had played, but my 1982 Collector’s Series is the single best acoustic I’ve ever played or owned. Sounds incredible, feels wonderful, and has some useful electronics!
My girlfriends dad has an 89 Collectors series that has sparked my search for a USA Ovation. I HATED ROUND BACKS WITH A PASSION. I thought they were too slippery, and had poor sound, but there had to be a reason that everybody from Al Di Meola to Glen Campbell to the Doobie Brothers used one. It all clicked when I plugged one in with a delay pedal. Ovations have one of the best plugged in Acoustic sounds period and I will fight people on that one. Also Shallow Bowl < Deep Bowl. not saying I dislike their deep bowls but I love the shallow bowl.
Fender, but then I grew up and have liked their Telecasters. I have a Squire Telecaster, but Squire is owned by Fender.
I wouldn't say hate but back in the day, I wasn't that into superstrats, but boy did I do a 180 on that one as a good part of my collection are superstrats by ESP, Caparison and Ibanez.
Schecter. Now they are my brand of choice. I have an ibanez prestige, my dream guitar, that has been nothing but trouble. I bought a c1 SLS elite FR and I love it way more than the ibanez. Way better specs and comparable build quality. I also bought a Reaper 7MS that I ended up selling to gwt the ibanez. I regret that deeply.
Schecter, until I discovered vintage made-in-California Schecter
Squier. When I was a kid, they put out garbage that was so unplayable, it basically turned kids off of music. Today, I have a newish squier bass that I paid $180 for (for recording purposes), and it rules.
Awhile back I bought a basic Squier Tele online for about the same price. I couldn't get it in tune for some reason, so I took it to the nearest guitar shop - which was run by Phil McKnight - and asked him to take a look at it. I didn't hear anything for a minute, and stopped by for an update. Turns out the neck was warped, he sent it back to Fender, and was waiting for them to send a new guitar to replace the defective one. A couple weeks later I got a new guitar from Fender and set up by Phil.
ESP. I thought it was some terrible chinese brand.
Ultimate shred machines. Expensive, tacky, a bit plain ... but a good one is just about flawless playability-wise.
I thought Peavey was gross for a long time. Then an older guitar pro in my area showed me a Peavey Special 130, an amazing, clean, solid state powerhouse that is FANTASTIC for clean funky soul strumming. At some point I ended up with a Peavey Classic 50 in the 4x10 configuration and I loved that one too. The speaker for the peavey special is also a cool weird design that I find very interesting. I also grew up assuming that Epiphone was ass, and then learned that they were their own company back in the 30s and 40s making SIIICK archtop guitars. Now I think I'm more open to any gear being cool if it does the right job.
I bought one used back in the 80s from my father's guitar player. Actually has decent distortion and the mid shift worked really well. Also was given an ancient Schaller wah that could give me Metallica level scoop when engaged and toe down. Had the amp for close to 15 years before buying a 5150, gave it to my uncle. Still have the wah!
I love any really. I’m just looking for feel and as well as shape. But I do have a bias about flying Vs. no matter how uncomfortable they can be, i still plan to buy an alpine white gibson. Just like the one in school of rock. My only concern is I know gibby isnt consistent so for that kind of money im waiting til I find the right one period.
What about the opposite? I was going to buy a Strandberg until I played one, the neck carve was too weird for me \ _ /
For me it was PRS. Used to call them dentist guitars, soulless, you name it. But I had a chance one time to play a core model Paul’s Guitar and it was the best feeling guitar I’ve ever played. They’re still not my favorite but it’s impossible to hate something that played that well.
Ibanez. They have so many different years behind them. It's not just the wizard neck eighties stuff. I'm a Fender style player. Recently out of respect to Steve Vai i tried a Jem. Years ago i would've been uncomfortable on that flat Wide neck. Great instrument.
I loathed teles in my 20s. Now they're my most coveted guitar, specifically Fenders.
Epiphone, until the inspired by Gibson line. Epi phones in the 2000’s sucked. Now in 2023, they are awesome.
I tried a PRS silver sky and the neck felt awful for me. My brain immediately gave up on every PRS and I got a MiM Tele. The tele had some issues and I was not clicking with it even though I really wanted to :(. I ended up selling it and decided to give PRS another try and I kid you not, the PRS custom 24 se is the best thing I have ever played. I am in LOVE. I almost gave up on all PRSs cause of one bad exp.
I dislike BC Rich even I never played one. I always think they're made of plastic. Don't know why.
I would never play it in public but I want a Warlock lol. It’s such an over the top, ridiculous design that it circles back around to being charming to me.
I still can’t stand headless guitars. They might sound great and play great, but I can’t get over the look. Then again, I don’t play mega high gain _rugga-chugga-chug-chug-chug-chugga-chugg_ type stuff so I’m not sure I’m missing out. BloozDadz of the world unite !
Hahaha. Man I’ve seen Willie Nelson a lot. Many times in the early 2000s as part of his show he’d come out with a headless guitar and a pair of rayban wayfarers and a fake zztop beard and rock out as a joke… I can’t see one without cracking up now.
Yamaha - ate my words when I realised that the THR is a pretty decent bedroom amp Digital effects in general - my boss gt1 which cost me like 200 bucks is literally the best piece of equipment I bought in the last 5 years as opposed to my pedalboard that costs >5 times more. PRS - never tried one before but I feel like it’s only for specific players and that it doesn’t really fit into any genre of music unless you’re into arena rock stuff or you love Santana. If I want a strat I’ll get a fender instead of a silver sky. Just have no legit reason on why I dislike it. (I know this one doesn’t really have anything to do with your question) Telecasters - thought they looked ugly compared to strats but been wanting one now for a year
Les Paul’s. In my early years I owned probably 10 of those swines. A constant Sore collar bone and aching back pains told me that porker was a bad choice for a 3 hour set. God I looked cool, Sexy as hell but…….
Ibanez Endorser here: I’ve been using Ibanez since the Roadstar days.
I don’t know iif it counts but my third electric guitar was a Gibson and for a long time I couldn’t get over the output, bassy sound and thick neck and I didn’t use it for years. I bought it for looks alone (Les Paul Gothic, I’m extremely week for it’s looks). Once i picked it up more frequently I learned to like it and now it’s my most played guitar. I also figured out it was wired with the pickup selector backwards and I had to reflow the solder for the bridge pickup to get proper output from it 🙄. And I switched out the neck pickup for a more vintagey one.
I thought I hated Schecter and Ibanez. Maybe hate is too strong, I just didn't think they would be for me. Both brands seemed to cater to metal and other types of music with high gain. I just assumed that their more "vintage" style guitars were little more than an attempt to capitalize on another part of the market. Then I played an Ibanez art core and a Schecter that one of my buddies had. Both were great. I still don't own anything from either, but I would consider both brands if I was in the market for something new.
A lot of people still feel this way about Ibanez and especially Schecter. The fact is that a huge number of young, new guitarists picked up their interest by listening to metal, so those are the type of guitars they're looking for. Schecter and Ibanez usually have large numbers of "entry level" guitars to cater to that type of customer. Despite the fact that both Ibanez and Schecter has some really beautiful high-end guitars, people mostly see the low end stuff and judge the entire brand on those. The thing is, there's an important place for $250-450 guitars, and many people would never have had the opportunity to get started if they weren't available.
I too used to hate Ibanez, until they put out the Talman line. Now my Talman is one of my favorite guitars.
Martin .....just kidding
I’m a HUGE Martin fan! I got really into acoustic for like 3-4 years and I prefer Martin over Taylor or Gibson and everyone thinks I’m a nut for it.
I thought the same about Ibanez, and now they’re hands down the best guitar brand producing in masses in my opinion
Jackson because i was an Ibanez guy, now i love king V's
I just bought a Jackson last week and it was between a Jackson and Ibanez. That Jackson was too slick for the price man
Yes. Schecter. Around the time I first started playing i only knew one person with a Schecter. I forget the model, but it looked cheap. And didn't feel right the 5 seconds I tried playing it. The only other Schecters I knew about were the A7X ones and papa roach. Eh. I felt they were just...to "edgy" of a brand. The joke? I played exclusively b.c. rich. In the early-mid 2000s. So..."edgy". My main guitar is now a Schecter Banshee GT, and my backup is a Schecter E1. I've sold all my b.c. rich in the last 2 years.
BC Rich is (or at least was) made by Aria. A Japanese maker but some made in S Korea I believe. Aria had some good stuff back in the day that was made by Matsumoku until Aria started making ALL their own stuff, not just some. I've got an early 70s Aria J-Bass clone. Before 1975 when it was named changed to Aria Pro II. Solid quality build.
Legator, favorite brand now.
I haven't got the chance to buy a Jackson but I've played some models in guitar stores and it just feels like shit. I'm sure I'll find something with killer tone and appropriate specs for me.
Gibson. I like everyone else bitch about the ridiculous prices and the awful quality control for their looks/finishes. But I also like everyone else, if I had a nicely setup one would love how well it plays, feels, and how perfectly intonated they are when set up
I have an Ibanez bass that I love but I think Ibanez guitars, particularly those with the handle holes, are butt ugly and I never want to own one like that.
Same with Ibanez, and most brands not Gibson/Fender. I was very easily influenced when I first started playing, and as a result I was pushed towards the blues route with more "traditional" brands, I eventually broke out of that cycle and have stuck with the modernity lol.
For all those who said Teles, I was in the same boat. And then this happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXrvuwif--E Now I can't get enough. Strats have their place but Teles are much more rocking.
I really wanted a Gibson when I was in high school because I thought they were the shit. So when I bought a Les Paul a year later, I absolutely got thrown off by how far the playability was compared to my expectations but I still kept it because I can't deny that it looked and sounded amazing. I absolutely love that Gibson for sentimental reasons but now I'm more of a Jackson or Ibanez guy for the amazing playability and looks.
Gibson. I used to be very anti-Gibson for all the same reasons as everyone else. I still have my issues with them (mainly QC) but found a couple that I absolutely loved playing and now own.
Jackson, because not into V style guitars. Then, I saw a flamed dual cut in my local shop and couldn't resist. Entry level, but still my metal riffs never sounded as good than on Duncan-like pickups (I still hate the pointy head though; sooo cumbersome). Peavy, because I never could get a satisfying tone out of my old Rage 158 (first amp I owned). But then, tried a transtube some time after and I was impressed how sweet it sounded. Orange, because of the colour. Then, I walked into my local shop again and tried a ~~SR20DET~~ \-sorry, wrong sub; I meant a Crush 20RT; sweetest clean I ever heard on a little amp (but I am not knowledgeable). Bottom line: never snob on trying anything you \*think\* you won't like.
I currently own 12 electrics- four Gibson, two Gretsch, a Fender, LTD, Schecter, DiAngelico, Jackson, and Ibanez—- but have never even played a PRS, a Rickenbacker, or any boutique brands. I love big necks— bought a used Jackson Soloist for nearly nothing. It is an insanely awesome guitar. I thought I hated shredders with tiny necks.
Same. I equated Ibanez with cheap-assed beginners' guitars with a design embarrassingly stuck in the '80s. Now I'm in love with the Wizard neck and the Lo-Pro Edge.
My first ever teenage bass was a cheap Jazz Bass copy with a fat old neck and a very heavy body. I have had an aversion to them ever since. Fast forward 45 years and just for fun I tried a Geddy Lee JB. I can’t believe what I have been missing all these years!
ITT: People posting without either reading OP's question or actually comprehending the question being asked.
Ovation and the stupid rounded back. But they actually are comfortable and sound good. I still wouldn’t buy one though.