New Anderson

[ck00g]

About three weeks ago I picked up a used Hollow Cobra S in Tigers Eye burst. Pickups are H01- H0+. It is absolutely beautiful to look at and play. This is my first Anderson and probably not the last. It is a great guitar.

However, I have not immediately bonded to it sonically speaking. I’ve been playing LP’s and Strats until this point. I have become very comfortable and at home with their tones. That is not to say I love all the sounds they give me but only that I feel at home with them. But, the Anderson has been an adjustment. I feel I have to get used to it a bit. Please understand that I’m definitely not expecting a LP or Strat sound from this guitar and this is definitely NOT a negative commentary on the Anderson’s tone. This guitar has great tone that I actually really like. It just feels foreign to me at this point.

To be specific, I would point to its articulation, and snappiness(?). These are great attributes, although not what I’m accustomed to. Ironically, down the road, these will probably become what I love about it.

How many of you went through something similar with your first Anderson?

[Stan Malinowski]

My first Anderson was a Hollow Drop Top with SA pickups in the neck/middle and a H2+ in the bridge. At the time I was big into PRS and just starting to transition to a preference for single coil tones. I can associate with your feelings that even though the tone was great, it was a bit unfamilar. As it turns out I sold the HDT and went to a Classic with VA pickups which is obviously a very familar tone. I then bought a Hollow Cobra S with the same pickup combo as yours. I don't feel the sound was that unfamiliar to me, it was almost like a cross between my PRS and my Les Paul. As I ventured more off of my tonal base I picked up another HDT. This time I was not expecting a "typical" Strat/LP tone but something a bit unique, it now fits in perfectly.

Hope this Anderson "life-story" helps you solve some of the puzzle!

[BFC]

Originally posted by ck00g
To be specific, I would point to its articulation, and snappiness(?). These are great attributes, although not what I’m accustomed to. Ironically, down the road, these will probably become what I love about it.

How many of you went through something similar with your first Anderson?

I was exactly where you are right now at one point a few years ago. You hit the nail right on the head. Down the road, those attributes will absolutely be what you love about your Andersons. What I finally came to realize about these guitars is that the clarity they have is not at the expense of any other aspect of great tone. It's in addition to all the other aspects of great tone. It's very unique and part of the Anderson sound.

Brian

[velcro-fly]

I think that the sparkle and articulation you're hearing has alot to do with the hollow body. My Hollow Drop Top Classic Strat is the most "alive" guitar I've ever owned or played - at first it was almost too alive....I sold my hardtail Classic, it was much darker in tone than the HDTC - but it was a different animal....

Also just sold a Historic Reissue Les Paul and bought a yet to be delivered Cobra after having the LP and a different Cobra side by side - there's no comparison how much more defined and articulate the Cobra is vs. the LP. The hollow versions of TA guitars are a different animal - and an awesome animal at that. Give your hollow Cobra some time and i bet it will become your favorite guitar....:D

Steve E

[ck00g]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I want everyone to understand that I really enjoy the tone of the guitar. I always reach for it first. I think it will be a good fit for me and a lifelong friend (although I always maintain an open mind when it comes to my guitars). I just didn't expect there to be an adjustment period during what most refer to as the "honeymoon". I think part of it, which was pointed out, is that I underestimate the Hollow-ness. I think the inherent clarity of Andersons and the fact that is a hollow model create and interesting tonal experience.

I feel fortunate and privileged to play such a nice instrument.

[guitarzan]

I remember driving up to the shop to pick mine (a HDTC) up a few years ago. I'd heard so much ABOUT Andersons but had never really had the chance to test drive one. On an impulse, I ordered one and waited for its creation. The day that I got there and opened it in the shop, I was completely underwhelmed. I thought the paint was not what I'd expected and I thought that it felt "buzzy" (to use a high-brow technical term). I tucked it back in the case, paid my bill, and drove back down to Orange County with the guitar in my lap. I rounded a corner in L.A. where the freeway gets a little squirrely and the sun hit the body... and at that moment, I think I became a Christian all over again. The sun displayed what a beautiful guitar was there before me and I felt like a brat for not being thankful for it a half-hour earlier. Once I got home and plugged it in, I realized immediately that I had purchased a guitar that was in a totally different league than anything I'd played before, and I'd been playing $1k-and-up guitars for a while. There was some adjustment in the beginning, but my friend, Brian, told me that I needed to carry the guitar with me everywhere I went- even when I wasn't gigging so I could "get to know it". I don't want to overly romanticize what happened between a consumer and a product, but I began to appreciate what the folks at Anderson do. I do believe that there was an "introductory" period, but it was at that time that I was finding some gem in the playability of the guitar on a daily basis.

Don't sweat the "honeymoon" jitters. You're playing a one-of-a-kind guitar, so be confident in the quality of the instrument. However, it may be a really, really expensive and well-made shoe when you feel more comfortable in slippers, so don't put too much pressure on yourself to fall in love with it either. You have a guitar to be a musician- you're not a musician because you own an Anderson.

...okay, guys, I think I'm finished here. That whole tirade sounded kinda like a Deep Thought from Jack Handy...

[tmihm]

It's happened to me before with other guitars...but not with my Hollow T. I had never played an Andy in my 25 years of playing (oh...the humanity...). Quite obviously, I did not know what I was missing. Bonded IMMEDIATELY. Loved the sound...and yes...similar to other single coils, yet different. Much more sparkle than any of my others. The feel - I could not believe it...like a broken-in pair of jeans.

It is now, and has been since the day I got it, my number 1.

My guess is that your honeymoon will be very blissful. Start looking toward your anniversaries. :)

Congrats, and enjoy!

Terry