# Cork Sniffer



## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

Hi Everyone, 

I've been doing a lot of reading here and have frequently seen the term *Cork Sniffer*

A new term for me I looked it up. This is what I found.



> Source: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cork sniffer
> 
> *cork sniffer*
> 
> ...


This doesn't seem to line up with the impression I got from reading here. Is there a different definition that better describes what people mean when they use the term here?


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

I thought that a "cork sniffer" referred to a wine aficionado who knows a good bottle of wine. He knows wine so intimately that by "sniffing the cork" he could rate how good it was. Someone that will only drink the finest wine.

In the context of this forum a "cork sniffer" is one who only likes the best gear that is available and anything considered "budget gear" is shite.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I don't see the term "cork sniffer" used here very often. 

IIRC, sometimes members will label themselves as cork sniffers (being honest about it, but also being able to laugh at their own tendencies, beliefs, etc). If someone calls another member a cork sniffer, it usually seems to be in a joking but somewhat polite and respectful manner (typically Canadian...LOL). That is my take on it.

Cheers

Dave


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

If someone called me a cork sniffer (in regards to gear), I wouldn't be overly offended. 

Because it's kinda true. (by that I mean, I like good stuff)


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

I really haven't seen that phrase used very often at GC. It's an American Forum kind of thing.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

well I don't think it's a truly insulting term, it may have been at one point but now it is just a joke ppl jab at each other

IMO


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

Hey everyone, 

I'm sorry - I just found this: cork sniffers (old thread).

Here's a post I read earlier today. 



Roryfan said:


> ...
> +1 on threads getting derailed. God forbid that a builder, small or large, be able to make a profit & remain viable. If you don't agree w/ what Gibson or Fender or PRS is doing, don't buy their products. If the only thing they have going for them is dishonest marketing, they will fail. If you can't hear the difference & don't want to spend the extra $ on a guitar, so be it. *But please stop insulting those of us who can hear one & don't mind paying more by insinuating that we are idiots who were simply fooled by marketing. This attitude has really hurt the quality of the gear porn around here. I know several members who have incredible instruments but no longer post NGDs b/c they are tired of being labelled cork-sniffers. A guitar forum is the last place someone should get grief over owning an expensive guitar, that's what wives do.*
> Original Post


I started this thread in hopes of getting some clarification: Is a cork sniffer 
 The person who dissects every aspect of the guitar, drills down into cost, margins, marketing

and/or

 The person who sees something s/he likes and just buys it

and/or 

 The person who spends more than $1000 (you pick a number) on a guitar

and/or
 Something else


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

-ST- said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I'm sorry - I just found this: cork sniffers (old thread).
> 
> ...


A gear snob??


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## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

I thought a cork sniffer was a person who is forever shopping, but never buying, a.k.a a "tire kicker"


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Gear snob, that's how I perceived it being used.


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## Fader (Mar 10, 2009)

Sorry to go Sheldon Cooper on everybody, but you might like to know that the wine aficionado is actually pressing the cork to his lips to check that it has not dried out from the bottle being stored in an upright position. 

A wine snob told me so. And there's a cork soaker joke here somewhere...


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Fader said:


> Sorry to go Sheldon Cooper on everybody, but you might like to know that the wine aficionado is actually pressing the cork to his lips to check that it has not dried out from the bottle being stored in an upright position.
> 
> A wine snob told me so. And there's a cork soaker joke here somewhere...


I was just about to say the same thing. 

Strictly speaking, a "cork sniffer" is some one who sniffs the cork trying to look like they know what they are doing, when, in fact, they should be putting the cork to their lips - which looks a lot like sniffing it, but is worlds away in terms of what you can determine from it.

In guitar terms, it might be someone who gets caught up in brand names, or place of manufacture, or other factors which don't truly have a quantifiable effect on the actual quality of an individual instrument.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

As a former wine lover, I was told by several "experts" including a sommelier in Bordeaux France, that anyone who actually "sniffs" a cork, is showing that he or she knows little about wine.

You examine the cork to ensure it is moist. You smell the wine.

In the context of guitarists, I take it to mean someone like Eric Johnson who thinks that even the elastic band he has wrapped around his Fuzz face has an impact on tone.

It's a mildly derogatory description.Some would call it envy on the part of those using the term.


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## b-nads (Apr 9, 2010)

Absolutely right, Milkman - sniffing the cork is pointless...all it shows is that someone is trying to put on a show that they're in the know, when they now nothing.

Typically, it refers to people who buy high end gear only, turn their noses down at anything non-boutique as being inferior and unworthy of their consideration as only the best will do. It isn't the rule, but such people are typically nowhere near talented enough to get the most out of what they have...or the "inferior" equipment for that matter. Boutique builders love these guys...they're like amateur golfers who justify the retarded endorsement contracts pros get by buying everything Tiger swings because it's the best. I must admit to episodes of it, although playing with Rob MacDonald last night and hearing what he was doing with a Silvertone guitar, a Reissue Fender amp, and his volume knob, any cork sniffing tendencies I had are cured.


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

I usually see it as a put down for PRS guitars or the people that buy them, from people that don't. No different than the guy without the sports car suggesting the guy who does is "compensating" for something.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Frankly, gentlemen, none of those are the way to tell if the wine is a good wine or not. The cork will be wet no matter which way the wine was lying because the waiter will have likely got the cork wet when he picked up the bottle.

In order to really taste the wine properly, you need put your nose in the wine glass to smell the bouquet, have a small sip. then swirl the wine in the glass. Put your nose in the wine glass again and this time you should notice a marked difference in the bouquet (smell) of the wine. Take another small mouthful and allowed the wine to swish around in all the areas of your mouth, especially the back of the tongue. The mouth and sensory buds in your mouth and tongue have now been prepared and you will now get the true taste of the wine. 

This information was obtained from one of the tour guides at a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. And it truly works.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Steadfastly said:


> Frankly, gentlemen, none of those are the way to tell if the wine is a good wine or not. The cork will be wet no matter which way the wine was lying because the waiter will have likely got the cork wet when he picked up the bottle.
> 
> In order to really taste the wine properly, you need put your nose in the wine glass to smell the bouquet, have a small sip. then swirl the wine in the glass. Put your nose in the wine glass again and this time you should notice a marked difference in the bouquet (smell) of the wine. Take another small mouthful and allowed the wine to swish around in all the areas of your mouth, especially the back of the tongue. The mouth and sensory buds in your mouth and tongue have now been prepared and you will now get the true taste of the wine.
> 
> This information was obtained from one of the tour guides at a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. And it truly works.



You use a glass for your wine????? I just take it straight from the plastic spigot on the box!!! largetongue


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> Frankly, gentlemen, none of those are the way to tell if the wine is a good wine or not. The cork will be wet no matter which way the wine was lying because the waiter will have likely got the cork wet when he picked up the bottle.
> 
> In order to really taste the wine properly, you need put your nose in the wine glass to smell the bouquet, have a small sip. then swirl the wine in the glass. Put your nose in the wine glass again and this time you should notice a marked difference in the bouquet (smell) of the wine. Take another small mouthful and allowed the wine to swish around in all the areas of your mouth, especially the back of the tongue. The mouth and sensory buds in your mouth and tongue have now been prepared and you will now get the true taste of the wine.
> 
> This information was obtained from one of the tour guides at a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. And it truly works.


Mine was obtained from a tour guide / sommelier in Bordeaux France. They do examine the cork. Moist for a few seconds while being carried to your table is not he same as a bottle being properly stored on its side and rotated periodically.

That IS detectable at a glance.

But yes any flavour or aroma analysis is done in the glass.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Jim DaddyO said:


> You use a glass for your wine????? I just take it straight from the plastic spigot on the box!!! largetongue


Using this approach, you can NEVER be accused of being cork sniffer !!

Cheers

Dave


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

A cask sniffer.


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## Solaceguitars (May 3, 2010)

I feel the term Cork Sniffer is a fantastic way of describing lots of online Affictionados! 
When I see people sniffing a cork in a restaurant, I can't help but giggle. 
Not to make fun of them mind you, but it is the idea that they want to fit into a society that they don't have a firm knowledge of first hand.
Something we see on all the other forums :smilie_flagge17:


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## lchender (Dec 6, 2011)

I guess I don't really know what the official definition is. The way I have always perceived it was that it describes a someone who has very little skill on their instrument, but insists on having the hottest, latest, most 'fabled to be incredible' gear that is hotly debated on forums by other similarly minded people. However, extremely limited instrumental ability ensures that this person probably can't even appreciate what the gear is capable of sounding like. 

For example: Imagine someone with boatloads of cash who can barely play the intro to Smoke on the Water and refuses to play anything but $3000+ handwired, boutique amps and private stock PRS guitars. Said dude then complains that his latest amp acquisition doesn't have enough "bloom" and sounds "sterile" and complains that his private stock PRS should have utilized Brazilian rosewood for the headstock veneer to improve sustain. He then decides to sell the rig and start again because it doesn't meet his tone standards. LOL


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## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

Fader said:


> Sorry to go Sheldon Cooper on everybody, but you might like to know that the wine aficionado is actually pressing the cork to his lips to check that it has not dried out from the bottle being stored in an upright position.
> 
> A wine snob told me so. And there's a cork soaker joke here somewhere...


It was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the start of this thread. Can't help thinking about the SNL skit with Janet Jackson. I'm dimented in my thinking sometimes, but it was very funny! Damn Cork soakers! [video=youtube_share;Fuj1aKxET8Y]http://youtu.be/Fuj1aKxET8Y[/video]


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I equate the term with a term that is used mainly on another forum (The Les Paul forum), AVH or 'Anal Vintage Homos'. They call _themselves_ this, though I suspect at first it was intended to be somewhat derogatory (and may be offensive to some of you, I'm just reporting here don't kill the messenger). It really has nothing to do with playing ability - there are a lot of MONSTER players over on the LPF - but is all about details, details, details, and getting them right. There are lots of 'discussions' (arguments) about what's right and wrong in terms of making either an old guitar that's been modified or a new reissue 'right' in terms of original vintage spec. This spills over or crosses over to non-reissue gear, on many other forums (and on many other topics besides guitar gear) where the 'discussions' can get wrapped up in the details details details (cork sniffery), as opposed to the school of 'Shuttup and play yer guitar!'.

btw, I'm not saying the concept originated at the LPF, just drawing a parallel. 

I suppose some intend the term cork sniffer with condescension, but I don't think that it's universally an insult or that it applies strictly to untalented overwealthy/overgeared players.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

To me, a cork sniffer is someone who insists that only the best is good enough for them, but can't truly tell the difference in a real world situation. This is usually a friendly place and I personally haven't seen anyone use the term "cork sniffer" towards anyone else. I've seen disagreements, but outright insults are relatively rare, which is good. There'll always be people who insist on sniffing corks and others who'll happily drink whatever is put in front of them. To each their own.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

lchender said:


> I guess I don't really know what the official definition is. The way I have always perceived it was that it describes a someone who has very little skill on their instrument, but insists on having the hottest, latest, most 'fabled to be incredible' gear


in cycling they call those guys "freds". 
the guy you see on his $5000 bianchi, yellow jersey, $250 bike helmet, clipless pedals, etc, annoyed with all the stroller moms on the bike path at woodbine beach? that guy is a fred. when those people fly past me on the bike trails i say "hey lance, you trainin' for the tour?"


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## notjoeaverage (Oct 6, 2008)

Cork sniffer in my experience usually refers to someone who is more concerned with the label on the headstock or that it was built in the US, than the quality and playability of the guitar. If it's not from Company A, B or C, or made in the US then it's not worth playing let alone owning.


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## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

lchender said:


> I guess I don't really know what the official definition is. The way I have always perceived it was that it describes a someone who has very little skill on their instrument, but insists on having the hottest, latest, most 'fabled to be incredible' gear that is hotly debated on forums by other similarly minded people. However, extremely limited instrumental ability ensures that this person probably can't even appreciate what the gear is capable of sounding like.
> 
> For example: Imagine someone with boatloads of cash who can barely play the intro to Smoke on the Water and refuses to play anything but $3000+ handwired, boutique amps and private stock PRS guitars. Said dude then complains that his latest amp acquisition doesn't have enough "bloom" and sounds "sterile" and complains that his private stock PRS should have utilized Brazilian rosewood for the headstock veneer to improve sustain. He then decides to sell the rig and start again because it doesn't meet his tone standards. LOL


OK,OK, our imaginations are running wild with this thread. Reality is more likely: more than Smoke on the Water, less than $3K amps, and no Brazilian rosewood. The underlying legitimacy however, is valid.
Cyclists have been included already, and I can add golfers, tennis players, marksmen, etc.etc.
When I was a kid, there were a few young guys who came into the pool hall carrying cases with their personal, two-piece cues.

Point is, this cork sniffer phenomenon has always prevailed in all areas of interest. The underlying psychology of it (I think) is, that no one wants to think that the pursuit of their skill level is being at all hampered by the quality of their gear. They wish to be unencumbered, left only to their own talent and determination. The irony here is - think of Albert King, Robert Johnson, and all those famous players who used hand-me-down flat tops, reverse-handed guitars, etc., and yet they still made their mark.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Some think of cork sniffers as guys who worry far too much about gear and in some cases mystical properties that may or may not me real or discernible.

Some think of them as people who will go to great lengths to improve every detail of their tone.


You may or may not like his music, but the poster boy for cork sniffers could be Eric Johnson. Anyone going to tell me he can't play or doesn't have nice tone?


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

This thread has been educational! I have misinterpreted "cork sniffer" up until now.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

J-75 said:


> OK,OK, our imaginations are running wild with this thread.
> When I was a kid, there were* a few young guys who came into the pool hall carrying cases with their personal, two-piece cues.
> *


That's because where I played, it was hard to find a cue in the right weight and wasn't warped.


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## jimsz (Apr 17, 2009)

I don't drink wine ever since I found out that beer saved the world, but I was under the impression that smelling the cork was to find out if the wine had gone bad. After some research, I found there were a number of reasons for smelling the cork and now see how that is relevant to the term, 'cork sniffer' when applied to other things such as guitars and amps. Pretty funny, actually.

Oh, and the saving of the world by beer? It's true. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdwYjFnFoJU


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## Jimmy_D (Jul 4, 2009)

You know, I could write a pretty accurate two paragraph profile of a "guitar forum corksniffer", actually I did and I was going to post it... but then I realized you don't need to go far from home for the high grade stuff, so why bother trying to describe it, allow me to quote something that clearly and concisely defines what it is to be a guitar forum corksniffer extraordinaire, so few words yet so defining;

_"I don't use anything but hot hide for fretboards. I've changed tons of fretboards. But I only work on oldies. That's why I only use hide glue"_


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

Hi Jimmy_D,



Jimmy_D said:


> You know, I could write a pretty accurate two paragraph profile of a "guitar forum corksniffer", actually I did and I was going to post it... but then I realized you don't need to go far from home for the high grade stuff, so why bother trying to describe it, allow me to quote something that clearly and concisely defines what it is to be a guitar forum corksniffer extraordinaire, so few words yet so defining;
> 
> *"I don't use anything but hot hide for fretboards. I've changed tons of fretboards. But I only work on oldies. That's why I only use hide glue"*


I think that providing the entire quote provides a better picture of the poster's intent.



YJMUJRSRV said:


> I bet you'll change your mind on this. I don't allow stainless in the shop anymore. Not only will they kill diamond files but they sound like someone is crinkling aluminum foil in the background as the guitar is played.
> 
> *I don't use anything but hot hide for fretboards. I've changed tons of fretboards. But I only work on oldies. That's why I only use hide glue. **You can reverse it later just like on the oldies. I have some across 70's Gibsons with Urea bonded boards and that's a problem. I had a 59 LP Custom that Gibson had renecked in '74. They used urea (and shimmed every face) to set the new neck and I had to chisel it out. The old (74 replacement) neck was toast anyway as the 3 piece joints had all failed. They used yellow glue for that*.


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

Corksniffers...

[video=youtube;itHhhYxqSSE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itHhhYxqSSE[/video]


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## Jimmy_D (Jul 4, 2009)

-ST- said:


> Hi Jimmy_D,
> 
> 
> 
> I think that providing the entire quote provides a better picture of the poster's intent.


Well I don't, I think it clutters the page with material that goes further to make the point anyway... so fail there...did you really think I was trying to hide where it came from??? that's funny, how many id's do you have here anyway?


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## davewrites (Oct 22, 2013)

I think the definition in the OP is correct. All the elements are there, but it's a painstaking read that requires some distillation. 

I'd define cork sniffer like this...

Cork Sniffer: A guitar snob who pre-judges a model based on brand name, place of origin and/or specifications without actually playing/tasting the guitar.

The image of someone sniffing a wine cork also implies the "guitar sniffer" is being unnecessarily dramatic or flamboyant because there's an audience, which adds the subtext "look how much I know about guitars." 

The classic guitar/cork sniffer comment is that guitars made in America are the best guitars. Sometimes this is fueled by patriotism, sometimes it's a need to defend a $2,000 price tag. Granted, sometimes they're right... but to declare that unilaterally and without questions riles many forum posters (like me).

...and don't get me started on people who replace their pickups on Day 1. There's a reason those pickups were chosen for that guitar. Give them a least week before deciding they're not good enough. 

[sigh] 

Maybe this post just proves my inability to afford high standards.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

davewrites said:


> ...and don't get me started on people who replace their pickups on Day 1. There's a reason those pickups were chosen for that guitar. Give them a least week before deciding they're not good enough.
> .


here i disagree. 
sometimes the reason you mention is purely $$$. in those cases, the pickups need to go

sometimes a person wants a guitar in a configuration not available stock. try buying an epi anything with decent pups in it. those people might get as close as they can, then tweak to get the rest.

then there are others who just flat out know what they like and what they dont like. for example, i'm not a fan of the 496/498 pups that gibby puts in everything these days. i know what burstbuckers sound like and i know what 57's sound like. if i prefer them over the others, why should i wait to change them? it makes no sense for me to wait.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

davewrites said:


> There's a reason those pickups were chosen for that guitar.


'Cause they were cheap to manufacture.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

On another board we use the term cork sniffer to poke fun at those of us with expensive instruments (jackson custom shop, suhr, prs, etc). We take it light but i take it to mean "you use the expensive stuff" when it comes
to guitar forums. I personally don't find it offensive.


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## Jive (Sep 11, 2013)

Budda said:


> On another board we use the term cork sniffer to poke fun at those of us with expensive instruments (jackson custom shop, suhr, prs, etc). We take it light but i take it to mean "you use the expensive stuff" when it comes
> to guitar forums. I personally don't find it offensive.


I have never held or played an instrument that felt so right before I tried my first 'burst from Gibson. The way the body resonated against me, the feel of the neck, the way it sits against my body, it just fit. it belonged. And the tone, i found it inspiring, the bite when you attack, but the jazzy smooth way it can ring when soften your touch and just roll the gain back a touch. I've spent more hours with it on my lap than i have pants!

If someone wants to call me a 'cork sniffer' because I found the style of guitar that just resonates with me personally (which is all that matters) well what you think of me is really none of my business. Your welcome to share, but if it's not said in true jest your saying a whole lot more about who YOU are rather than me!


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## elliottmoose (Aug 20, 2012)

Jive; said:


> Your welcome to share, but if it's not said in true jest your saying a whole lot more about who YOU are rather than me!


This is what I feel as well. Nothing wrong with teasing a buddy about his treasure but if it's said out of spite, it's no longer fun. 

My general rule is I get to call myself a cork sniffer, but others have to 'earn the right.' Context matters a lot for this. It's like comedy roasts: funny to roast Charlie Sheen, not funny to roast the guy that smells funny on the bus. If it's a forum oldie busting another veteran's nuts, it can be all fun -- switch it to a newcomer proud of his new prized possession that he saved for months to get, the game loses its appeal. 

I guess if you can dish it? I haven't seen much name-calling on GC; in fact, it's generally a great site that I probably frequent the most when I'm looking for info or new ideas for gear and shows to take in. Thing can get fairly heated (for icy Canada) but I like that I can walk away with some kind of opinion, not feeling like I just read the transcript of a glorified slap-fight (see any YouTube video comments for reference). 

I digress. 

Corksniffer: can do damage if not used appropriately, therefore I avoid using it altogether.


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## davewrites (Oct 22, 2013)

Personally, I wouldn't think of anyone as a "cork sniffer" because they like nice things and/or own more expensive guitars than me. "Cork sniffer" is typically slapped on the backs of those who believe that only the high-end and/or expensive models are worthy. It's the belief that quality and price are directly proportional, even across brands.

I don't use the expression "you get what you pay for" as much as I used to. It's more common to hear me comment on "bang for the buck."

I've played a Squier Classic Vibe. I've A-B'd it in a store with MIA Telecasters. The Fender isn't even on my radar anymore. I'd buy 3 CVs before the MIA (and probably could at their respective price points). All opinions are subjective, but it would be hard for me to accept someone's claim that the Fender Tele is the "better" guitar.

But if you like the Fender and you can afford it, then by all means--go for it! (Just don't speak ill of the Squier.)


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