# Guitar playing wanker **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764 "2010-04-20T16:52:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/21 "2010-04-22T16:52:04Z")
> [@Walmarticus](#): > > OK, someone tell me a non-douchey instrument I can start playing. And it can’t be so undouchey that I would appear douchmental by caring too much . It must be cheapish or easily stolen. While I enjoyed and empathized with your OP, you know you need to find a balance between your anti-douchebag stance and actually making music you like, right? Any instrument can be cool and any instrument can be douchey - they’re just instruments; the douche factor is an operator issue. Saxophones are some of the coolest wind instruments - but don’t tell that to Kenny G. Keith Richards is a cool guitar player; Yngwie, while technically far superior - meh, not so much. So - what kind of music do you want to make? Do you want to play a chording instrument, single-note or both? Do you want to sing and play accompaniment? Douche-humor aside… ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/22 "2010-04-22T17:21:44Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Any instrument can be cool and any instrument can be douchey - they’re just instruments; the douche factor is an operator issue. Saxophones are some of the coolest wind instruments - but don’t tell that to Kenny G. Keith Richards is a cool guitar player; Yngwie, while technically far superior - meh, not so much. Douche-humor aside… I disagree, to an extent. The doucheness of an instrument is socially defined. I feel the John Mayers of the world actually do diminish the authenticity of the Tom Morellos. At first, you have the early adopters of an instrument, or style. Lame musicians see their profit of coolness. The guitar is an instrument with low barriers to entry in the first place. The wanks will keep entering until there is nothing special about guitar anymore. Doucheness ensues. I just use Tom Morello and John Mayer 'cause they’re who I’m listening and not listening to at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/23 "2010-04-22T17:23:56Z")
> [@Walmarticus](#): > > OK, someone tell me a non-douchey instrument I can start playing. And it can’t be so undouchey that I would appear douchmental by caring too much . It must be cheapish or easily stolen. I’ve got you covered. It’s cheap and easy and totally kick-ass. The xylophone. > **[Robot or human?](https://www.walmart.com/blocked?url=L2lwL2VkdXNoYXBlLUNyb2NvZ2xvY2stTXVzaWNhbC1Ub3ktWHlsb3Bob25lLzE0MDA2MzI5P3NvdXJjZWlkPTE1MDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDMyNjA0MjAmY2lfc3JjPTE0MTEwOTQ0JmNpX3NrdT0xNDAwNjMyOQ==&uuid=3957fdaa-dc20-11f0-9f50-c0093ba063c1&vid=&g=b)** ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/24 "2010-04-22T17:38:32Z")
sexy instruments? anyone who knows how a harmonica is played, loves harmonica players. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/25 "2010-04-22T17:51:20Z")
> [@Walmarticus](#): > > I disagree, to an extent. The doucheness of an instrument is socially defined. I feel the John Mayers of the world actually do diminish the authenticity of the Tom Morellos. At first, you have the early adopters of an instrument, or style. Lame musicians see their profit of coolness. The guitar is an instrument with low barriers to entry in the first place. The wanks will keep entering until there is nothing special about guitar anymore. Doucheness ensues. > > I just use Tom Morello and John Mayer 'cause they’re who I’m listening and not listening to at this point. “The douchiness of an instrument is socially defined?” Whatever. :rolleyes: Go see Derek Trucks, a modern guitar player, and tell me the “authenticity” of the guitar has been diminished. Dude, get out of your own way - one defines their own authenticity. You don’t dig John Mayer - cool; don’t play like him. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/26 "2010-04-22T18:32:57Z")
> [@pope\_hentai](#): > > sexy instruments? anyone who knows how a harmonica is played, loves harmonica players. Harmonicas squick me out. I just imagine them being full of spit and germs. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/27 "2010-04-22T18:33:26Z")
> [@Walmarticus](#): > > OK, someone tell me a non-douchey instrument I can start playing. And it can’t be so undouchey that I would appear douchmental by caring too much . It must be cheapish or easily stolen. Get a theremin kit and put it together yourself… ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/28 "2010-04-22T18:37:44Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Get a theremin kit and put it together yourself… Read that as ‘thermite’ the first time and got a little confused… ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/29 "2010-04-22T18:47:07Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Read that as ‘thermite’ the first time and got a little confused… I got a bang out of that idea… ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/30 "2010-04-23T00:21:48Z")
My Dad plays several different types of guitar, banjo, accordion and played around a bit with a fiddle. Where does this put him? ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764/31 "2010-04-23T00:41:29Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > My Dad plays several different types of guitar, banjo, accordion and played around a bit with a fiddle. Where does this put him? Banjo + 3 Fiddle +8 Accordion + 10 Guitar - 8 Never having to store his wife’s clothes in his already packed closet- priceless [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing-wanker/536764.md?page=1)