[Rick Lee]

I don't think a lot of pros go to a shop the day they get some money and then buy their main battle axe. Guitars are not really that expensive and, if you're playing for a living, sort of like a mechanic having Snap-On tools, you probably have a decent guitar already, probably several.

I've heard Keith Richards hands a new guitar off to a roadie to break in for him over a few mos. And I heard when EVH designed his Ernie Ball signature guitar, they used a laser to measure his old Frankenstrat's neck so the new guitars had necks that felt already broken in and worn. Ed says he got invited to play with Black Sabbath while all his gear was still in air freight en route to England and so Ed went to a local music store to borrow a guitar. He said the new in box Ernie Ball guitar felt identical to his personal main one. Who knows? The technology today is amazing and you really get a great bang for the buck.