Do you have a particular "Brand" of guitar that you like most, or do you play all sorts of different brands for different reasons?

Why is it that every time I hear, see, or watch something that “unlocks” the fret board, I end up more confused and angry? What are we, or me actually, supposed to know or understand? Could it be that I’m really missing something key because I have never been good at just straight memorization? I love the guitar but it is also one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever done. So many days, I’m so stuck with what to do or where I’m going that I end up doing nothing.

Does anyone have a preference on strings? I've used Earnie Ball Super Slinky and D'Addario Xts.

What to say? Well, my journey with the guitar has been a real love hate type of thing. I tried to learn 45 years ago and had a real crappy teacher. I have always loved music, especially the guitar and wanted to be part of it. Probably 20 years ago, I purchased an acoustic from my daughters teacher and began trying to learn. Since then I've acquired many electrics, become a decent luthier, and struggle with playing so bad I've been upset enough to consider selling everything many times. Steve's lessons have helped the most, but I still feel lost like a ball in tall grass. I want to play so bad I can taste it, and I haven't quit, but I'm constantly frustrated.

Right now, you live in a time where you have unlimited access to practically all the world’s knowledge. You can learn how to do virtually anything you want for free. Including how to play songs, read tab, play chords, licks, riffs, solos, music theory, whatever. And if that’s not enough, you can buy online courses, join memberships like GuitarZoom and get access to thousands of step-by-step videos. You download apps that show you exactly where to place your fingers on the fretboard. You can download chord charts, scales, and entire books for free. Right now, you have access to more information about how to play guitar than any other time in history. So, let me ask you a simple question… Do you currently play guitar at the level you want? Do you feel like you have reached your full potential? Have you defined your goals and do you have a clear path to accomplish them? Can you honestly say that you are a significantly better player today than you were a year ago? If you answered, “No” to any of those questions, don’t feel bad because… It’s NOT your fault. You see, the majority of aspiring guitar players that I talk to are suffering from information overload, which causes confusion, which leads to being stuck because you have too many options, which leads to frustration and feeling completely overwhelmed. And what’s worse, is hard-working folks like you think the answer is to “do more.” So, you jump on your phone or computer and you start searching for answers. You learn another riff or lick, another “tip or trick”. But in the end, you just don’t feel satisfied because deep down, you know you don’t have a structured plan to get from where you are now, to where you want to go. You are alone. And being alone is horrible. Because we aren’t wired to be alone. We’re creative, social beings who prosper when we are in community working together and learning from each other. And when you’re trying to learn guitar alone, it’s really hard. Because it’s so easy to fall into the, “Knowledge Death Spiral.”