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?
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.
