By Ronny North

Every now and then I get in a Playing rut, and if nothing else seems to snap me out of it, I’ll switch guitars. Sometimes I even grab one out of storage that I haven’t played forever. More often than not, the different feel and sound will make me play differently and inevitably start sparking new ideas, licks, and riffs.

You will be surprised how this works. I used to have a friend who would tell me that there are songs in new guitars, and I used to laugh at him. Well, I can definitely tell you that sometimes it actually happens. Obviously, you have to have access to a few guitars. If you don’t have access to a second or third guitar, you may need to borrow one from a friend. After all, you’re just using it for a while, to snap you out of your rut.

I actually just did this last week when I got stuck. I pulled out my Ernie Ball Luke guitar. It is one of a few guitars that I keep cased in my studio and use primarily for recording and outside sessions. I hadn’t touched the guitar in over a year, so it was a good choice. The guitar has a completely different set up than my normal stage guitars and has a completely different neck (it’s way smaller). Sure enough, after only playing it for a few minutes, I was thinking up all kinds of new ideas, mostly because the guitar feels so different. I didn’t even have to plug it in. I still have the Luke out now in my studio. As a matter of fact, if it was green like all my stage guitars, I’d start playing it at shows.

You’ve just got to love playing guitar and its challenges. It’s a never ending adventure for sure, with all the ups and downs. Switching it up is just another tool to get those creative juices flowing. Now go out there and try it, and I am sure you’ll be surprised what happens.