Can we talk about owning many guitars?

[Mincer]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I have a spreadsheet for mine, as it is insured through ASCAP insurance, which insures them wherever they are at.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

^^ Interesting. I might have to make one since I'll be picking up renters insurance for my guitars. Do you keep invoices or receipts?

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No receipts (especially since much of it has been acquired on the used market). But I do keep detailed photos on a cloud drive folder along with the spreadsheet. So I can show exactly what I have.

Basically if there were a fire and my house was destroyed I could prove I had these things. Or if I got robbed then I would have a detailed inventory for the police so if they recovered stolen property it would be flagged in their system or if someone tried to pawn anything it would be on the police list.

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[KeeperOS]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I "only" own 8 and I already feel I own "a lot". I feel 6 would be a better number for me, considering how little playing time 5 of them get (i.e. I have 3 I will regularly rotate among and that triplet will change from time to time).

Problem is, I have a very valid (in my mind) point about why I couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't part with any one of them, meaning thankfully that the connection is still there.

I can tell you I still GAS both for cheap and expensive guitars and I will regularly browse my country's equivalent of reverb, adding tens of guitars in my wishlist at a time, however I never actually feel the need to go through with the purchase of any one of them.

I also have 10 or so guitars I'd love to own but at this point it is more of a wishlist rather than an actual plan with the desire to go through with.

[Securb]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I have around 20 guitars. Some are high-end others budget priced. I would consider them all players. Price is not a driver for me when purchasing a guitar. I was looking at a $250 80's Ibanez Roadstar this weekend. As far as "collecting" goes all of my guitars get played, I will say my Ovation 12 string Deacon is played the least and is the most collectible. However, none of my guitars are beneath glass.

I have a spreadsheet with all of my serial numbers and photos attached to the spreadsheet. I leave the original receipts in the case and have scanned copies of the receipts also attached to the spreadsheet. Adding to my crazy paranoia the spreadsheet is backed up to the cloud in case of fire.

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I don't own a lot of guitars; try to keep it at 6-7 guitars and 2 amps as I don't honestly feel that I can actually rotate through and play/enjoy more than those 6-7 quantity. Anything above that and I feel like I am hoarding/collecting (nothing wrong w/either) and I notice which ones are collecting dust and they're soon gone.

Having said that; I do pretty constantly buy, sell and upgrade my guitars - either parts or keeping a nice one and selling another out of my 6-7. As someone said above..."a bargain is a bargain".

[Ratchet]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I have a little notebook where I started logging all the specs for each guitar, because I was always forgetting specifics and having to look them up again.

I've been writing down all the serial numbers, dates of production, types of wood, string-gauges that came from the factory, what pickups and pots they have, what the nuts are made of, nut width, other specific details, MSRP, MAP, price paid, and the dates of purchase.

I just did this, because I am currently GAS'ing hard, and want to get something that fits into my current lineup, and obsessing over the minor details.

A couple years ago I went nuts and acquired 13 guitars at once. That didn't last long, because I quickly got rid of the ones that didn't jive with my soul, paring it down to the 4 I have now. I learned that I bond much better with BRAND NEW guitars, as I flipped all the ones I bought USED. I tend to take meticulous care of my guitars, so buying brand new lets me stay confident they've never been abused.

I still have spaces for 13 guitars with my Hercules guitar stands. Two "christmas tree" stands that hold 6 guitars each, and one solo stand. Since I haven't gotten rid of any of my stands, I take that as a sign that I am supposed to fill the holes with instruments ASAP. I need to quickly obtain 9 more guitars to fill this void.

When I ponder "The ONE" it's undoubtedly the 2013 Gibson ES-339 Studio, with no f-holes and single bridge Dirty Fingers Plus pickup, because it PLAYS (and sounds) the best. The other guitars need some minor fret-levelling before they can compete. If I could only have one, it'd be it, but I can't bring myself to sell off the others - they each have a firm grasp on my hoarder tendencies, and now I want MORE.

I'll compromise (with myself), and sell one of the "X-mas tree" stands to stay with a more reasonable goal of 7 guitars total. That leaves me wanting 3 more to complete my "collection".

I WISH I could just be happy with two guitars. I quickly grow too attached to some and can't seem to break that bond enough to sell any more.

I recently read a profound post about the "Two Electrics Rule" by "jwebsmall" and it was his ONLY post, then he never posted anything ever again. He said:

originally posted by "jwebsmall"

"I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't multiply guitars but rather flip them. If you have more than 2 electrics you are going to divide your playing time between them. If you want to master your instrument you have to live with it without distractions. Look around at famous guitarists. They are connected to that ONE guitar. You are going to have to go through multiple guitars as your tastes mature however. If you live by the "2 ELECTRICS" rule, then you aren't going to let GAS empty your bank account. Until you like one more than the 2 you've got, you won't flip one to make room for the next one until you are sure. You will save a lot of money this way.

[SNIP...]

Building your own guitar from parts is a pricey mistake too because you are going to flip it and take a beating on price when you do. [SNIP...] A lot of market research goes into design the stock models. Fender runs the numbers against the price points. You aren't going to beat their sales team. Likewise if you mod a guitar you are going to take a hit. If you want to save money on a guitar look for the used that have been modified with upgraded pickups. Those poor guys are going to take a real hit."


Original post found here: https://forums.fender.com/viewtopic....9ca89#p1082028

[Mincer]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Well, I think if you work smart, you don't just go buy everything you immediately like. I don't own many guitars for a pro guitarist (5 electrics, 3 acoustics) and I am *not* of the idea that I *need* a Tele because I don't have one or an LP because it sounds a certain way. Some I got as artist endorsement deals, some I built because I always wanted to (Warmoth), and my #1 wasn't terribly expensive. The way I figure it, I don't drink or do drugs or gamble, and I don't like collecting 'stuff' for the sake of it (I am a minimalist at heart). So I buy what I need but don't deny myself if I really really want something.

[Ratchet]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Well, I think if you work smart, you don't just go buy everything you immediately like. I don't own many guitars for a pro guitarist (5 electrics, 3 acoustics) and I am *not* of the idea that I *need* a Tele because I don't have one or an LP because it sounds a certain way. Some I got as artist endorsement deals, some I built because I always wanted to (Warmoth), and my #1 wasn't terribly expensive. The way I figure it, I don't drink or do drugs or gamble, and I don't like collecting 'stuff' for the sake of it (I am a minimalist at heart). So I buy what I need but don't deny myself if I really really want something.

Without gambling, smoking, drinking, or drugs, is there any reason every guitarist shouldn't have "11 + n" amount of guitars in a roadcase guitar-vault (with lights and drawers)? You know, like the ones their guitar techs work from, backstage.

[Mincer]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Without gambling, smoking, drinking, or drugs, is there any reason every guitarist shouldn't have "11 + n" amount of guitars in a roadcase guitar-vault (with lights and drawers)? You know, like the ones their guitar techs work from, backstage.

I guess...but that kinda stuff was never important to me.

[Adieu]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

First, I know the definition of "many" will vary depending on each person's own perception. For the sake of this thread let's say more than 10 guitars is many.

I own a total of 11 stringed instruments. Nine electric guitars, one acoustic, and one bass. At one time I owned only two electrics (a primary and a back up) and it seemed unfathomable to me that I would ever have close to a dozen. I find at this point that my GAS has seriously curbed and when it does surface all I need to do is remind myself how many things I've already got. There's a few pieces I'd really like still but overall I've got all the bases pretty covered.

Now for those of you who own a LOT of guitars, I'm curious about a few things. This isn't a bash or dig on the subject, I'm genuinely asking out of a curiosity.

1. How do you keep track of what you have? I sometimes have trouble remembering if I've got 5 Telecasters or 6 on the wall. When you've got 30 guitars, how does it not become a blur? How do you manage your collection?

2. When you GAS for new stuff does the cheaper stuff still turn you on? Like if you've already got a $5000 Les Paul, does buying a new Indonesian Epi still turn your crank?

3. At what point do you become a collector moreso than a player? Let's be honest, we all could probably get by with one or two guitars if all we were interested in was playing. I'm guilty of it myself. I recently divested myself of some amps because it was getting silly.

4. Do you play them all? When you could play a different guitar every week and not touch the same guitar twice for 6 months or even a year, how do you keep them all fresh in your mind (or hands)?

5. Something I have found as my collection grew is that I don't feel nearly as intimately connected with all of them. Back when I played mostly the same guitar for years, that guitar was like a part of me. I knew it like the back of my hand. Nowadays I don't have that connection with most of my guitars simply because there's so many and I play a different one all the time. I'm curious how those who have even larger collections feel about this.

Discuss!

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I have 5 japanese, a japomexican-american partscaster, and 2 koreans (well, one may or may not be japanese...and the other one is a fretless bass with bartolinis I got for $90)... as well as a couple partscaster's worth of not-in-service parts.

1) keeping track of guitars, easy... keeping track of parts not used, somewhat harder.

2) nothing Indonesian could ever attract me. At least not anything yet made. Not happening.

3) the fretless bass is a bit of a for-the-collection purchase... I haven't actually played it. It's a lefty I bought out of curiosity because it was like 5x cheaper than the cheapest rightie fretless Ive seen. but I need to at least get around to putting some lines and fret markers on it somehow, unlined unmarked and side dots on the wrong side too is a bit too much for me

4) 5 in active service, 2 need work done, fretless - not there yet

5) I cycle through mine in sequence, I like them all

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I have 5 japanese, a japomexican-american partscaster, and 2 koreans (well, one may or may not be japanese...and the other one is a fretless bass with bartolinis I got for $90)... as well as a couple partscaster's worth of not-in-service parts.

1) keeping track of guitars, easy... keeping track of parts not used, somewhat harder.

2) nothing Indonesian could ever attract me. At least not anything yet made. Not happening.

3) the fretless bass is a bit of a for-the-collection purchase... I haven't actually played it. It's a lefty I bought out of curiosity because it was like 5x cheaper than the cheapest rightie fretless Ive seen. but I need to at least get around to putting some lines and fret markers on it somehow, unlined unmarked and side dots on the wrong side too is a bit too much for me

4) 5 in active service, 2 need work done, fretless - not there yet

5) I cycle through mine in sequence, I like them all

That's certainly not even close to what I would consider "many". That's barely "a few" (can't even consider non-working "parts).
Let us know when you get over a dozen working/functioning/playable guitars.

[Old Guy]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I have 1 guitar right now. I'm waiting on the second, but never felt the need to have more than 2 electrics and 1 acoustic. Now I only have the 1 electric as I never played the acoustic. Just a home hobbyist/hack, though. I certainly understand the need for many if a professional.

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I recently read a profound post about the "Two Electrics Rule" by "jwebsmall" and it was his ONLY post, then he never posted anything ever again. He said:

originally posted by "jwebsmall"

"I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't multiply guitars but rather flip them. If you have more than 2 electrics you are going to divide your playing time between them. If you want to master your instrument you have to live with it without distractions. Look around at famous guitarists. They are connected to that ONE guitar. You are going to have to go through multiple guitars as your tastes mature however. If you live by the "2 ELECTRICS" rule, then you aren't going to let GAS empty your bank account. Until you like one more than the 2 you've got, you won't flip one to make room for the next one until you are sure. You will save a lot of money this way.

[SNIP...]

Building your own guitar from parts is a pricey mistake too because you are going to flip it and take a beating on price when you do. [SNIP...] A lot of market research goes into design the stock models. Fender runs the numbers against the price points. You aren't going to beat their sales team. Likewise if you mod a guitar you are going to take a hit. If you want to save money on a guitar look for the used that have been modified with upgraded pickups. Those poor guys are going to take a real hit."


Original post found here: https://forums.fender.com/viewtopic....9ca89#p1082028

I’d like to preface this post by saying that I am not taking issue with you, Ratchet, but rather with the guy whose post you quoted. If I cause offense to you, I apologize.

Okay, here we go...

While this guy’s opinion makes a certain amount of economic sense, I’m having a hard time thinking of it as “profound” or even as correct.

1) It seems to me that mastering one’s instrument has nothing to do with using only one or two instruments. In fact, it could be argued that doing so may pigeonhole yourself into only being effective with a certain set of conditions (scale length, neck shape, pickup type, number of frets, etc). Also, while many famous guitarists are ASSOCIATED with one guitar, I highly doubt that the vast majority are CONNECTED to only one.

2) The “2 Electrics Rule” is the part that makes good financial sense for someone who is trying to move forward with playing but wants to control their spending. I might even have considered adopting the idea if it weren’t for the fact that I enjoy the collecting and the variety.

3) “Building your own guitar from parts is a pricey mistake too because you are going to flip it and take a beating on price when you do.”

This is only true if you intend to flip it... and even then it’s not necessarily true if you’re patient and buy your parts well. It would be a mistake for HIM to build one, but some of us really enjoy it. I’ve built 5 now (with more to come), and while there are many people just on this forum whose building skills easily put mine to shame, it has become an extremely satisfying hobby for me that compliments my collecting hobby quite nicely. Also, as money is generally tight in my household (I’m the only income for a family of 7), building from parts gives me the ability to have a customized instrument for far less money than the quality would call for on the open market. The fact that the resale value is practically nonexistent doesn’t bother me in the least. Why worry about resale value on something you never intend to sell?

Okay... rant over! [emoji12]

[AxlOz]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Yeah I kinda disagree with the 2 guitars rule as well (as above, no disrespect to those with different opinions meant).. I can see some logic to it, but I see more merit in being able to pick up a guitar that you may have never touched before and make nice sounds with it. I enjoy playing different guitars for exactly that reason, and I find new inspirations from finding new sounds. So maybe its more the creative side of me that takes precedence; I'm not any sort of pro guitarist, and I sure as hell haven't mastered the instrument - but the exploration and journey is loads of fun!

[ehdwuld]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I have custom ordered guitars
Built guitars
Bought some used
Bought some new

Lost money on most that I have let go
But to be fair, I have given away more than I have sold

I have traded a few for guitars i really didn't want

I have bought guitars i didn't want, because it was a deal and I could swap them on what I did want

Each guitar I currently have meets a particular criteria that I want
I only have two guitars with vibratos , one Ibby with an Edge III and a strat with a two point trem

I have several LP variants , one solid body three semi hollow
Each semi has something unique
The Dean has a peizo, the Ehdwuld has stainless frets and Duncan pickups
The Epiphone ha the Probuckers and my favorite neck

My two Acoustics have different scales. And when company comes by to play
We each have one to play
Sometimes I teach guitar sometimes I'm the student