So here's where I'm at with guitar: you can't just pick up a guitar and strum and pluck and have it really sing. You need to 'put something back into it' to get the instrument to move. Like when you pluck a note and it decays naturally, but if you add a little vibrato it will sustain longer. You have to return energy emotionally and spiritually to the guitar in order for it to feel alive when you play it. Have you ever noticed that some days you are on and other days you are off? That plays into it too, but what is more is the requirement to commune with the guitar in a deeper way than just manipulating it and pushing things around on the physical level.
Johnny Coltrane said something along the lines of "every time you pick up your instrument, don't put it down until you really PLAY it" and I think I understand what he meant.
What are you guys playing today?