Can we talk about owning many guitars?

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

If I had the space, I'd have 5 guitars and a bass: a Les Paul, a strat, a super strat, a hollowbody, and an acoustic. That'd more than cover the range I'd ever want.

Right now I only have a Les Paul, a bass and a Telecaster that's hardly been out of the case in the last year. I don't like having things and not using them so I doubt I'll ever get to 6.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk

[beaubrummels]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Never had an issue with the wife/gf here. I am in her band.

And that’s the way you do it, gents.
/thread

[Adieu]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

1. I keep track in my head. It isn't that hard, because they all mean something to me in some way, and the collection was built gradually over a period of decades.

2. Cheaper stuff is less and less interesting to me as the years move on. I've been playing since 1988, and buying and selling instruments (mostly buying – not much selling, really) since about 1995. I didn't really get into it until probably 2001 or 2002. Since then, and especially in the past five years or so, my collection has morphed into being primarily U.S.A. made stuff (not that this means high end U.S.A. made stuff). And most of the import stuff that is there is far from being import stuff of the total crap variety.

The import stuff I still have is: 1) two Mexican Strats, neither of which are going anywhere. I am the original owner of both (bought one in 2005 and one in 2012), and have modded them to suit me over the years. 2) three Japanese Fenders (two Strats and a Tele), none of which are going anywhere either. I'm the original owner of one of them (bought in 2004), and my late father was the original owner of the other (bought in 1994). The other (the '85 MIJ I mentioned above) was my first guitar, aside from being excellent, so it's staying for good too. All are excellent guitars, as well as being very sentimental to me. 3) A Chinese made G&L Tribute Jerry Cantrell signature model. This is one of the best guitars I've ever played. It's not going anywhere. 4) Two Indonesian made guitars – a G&L Tribute Ascari GTS and a Dean ML 35th Anniversary). The Indonesian ones are the ones that are not set in stone in my collection. They are the worst quality, so they get played the least, pending mods. But they are also the lowest priority to mod, so they largely sit. If anything gets sold, it will be these two. I got the G&L because I generally liked the way it looked, I don't have any guitar like it (Les Paul-esque construction with Strat-esque form), it's a somewhat "historic" instrument, being G&L's first set neck, and thought it would make a decent modding platform. I got the Dean for looks, and it also happens to be a very good sounding guitar, bone stock. It just has the usual cheap-o import issues (bad fret work, bad nut, bad bridge, bad tuners, etc.).

The answer the question more directly, I don't really have much desire to get a cheap Squier, MIM Fender, or Epiphone and soup it up. Now I have a decent, steady job, so I can save up for a nicer guitar a lot quicker than I used to be able to, and I know how to make my own bodies and finish them at home. I'd usually rather buy a nice guitar outright, or take my time and design my own build from the ground up...or buy a lacquer finished guitar that is easy to strip and refin, and give it a refinish and maybe a few mods. I'm generally not into anything with a poly finish any more. I just don't like the plasticky look and they way they age less than gracefully. So, for the most part, I'm pretty done with most lower end guitars. (I still want to get one of those Yamaha Pacificas with the single P-Rails, though.)

3. I would consider myself a collector if I insisted on keeping everything in mint condition, cased up and untouched, and/or did weird crap like buying a new line of guitars in every available color, just to have them all. I consider myself a hobbyist, which is halfway between being a pure player and a pure collector.

4. I can play them all, with no qualms. That is, nothing is there just to sit. It's either ready to be grabbed and played any time I want, or it's in some state of disrepair, waiting to be fixed so that it can be. Do I get to all of them equally all the time? No. That's largely because I don't play nearly as much as I'd like in general. Lots of work hours, and when I am off, I try to decompress. Logistically, living among other people, that can't be via music all the time. I play a few [unplugged] notes on bass every day, but getting to all the guitars is hard.

5. I have no problem "connecting" with any of my guitars, even if they've literally sat for years.

Here's a harmful piece of advice that MAY end your Fender/G&L addiction for good, but might also set off a shopping spree/rampage... but IS sure to cure you of Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, and possibly American guitar cravings for a loooong time



Psssst: ESP Vintage Plus



Dont ask about their new strat shaped models, I dont know yet...and it's probably best left that way

[dystrust]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Here's a harmful piece of advice that MAY end your Fender/G&L addiction for good, but might also set off a shopping spree/rampage... but IS sure to cure you of Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, and possibly American guitar cravings for a loooong time

Psssst: ESP Vintage Plus

Dont ask about their new strat shaped models, I dont know yet...and it's probably best left that way

Had one, wasn't impressed, and I doubt ItsaBass would be into them. The jumbo frets are nice, but the fingerboard radii are far flatter than they need to be and I don't care for the super skinny neck.

[Wattage]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

^^ Truth.

It took me until wife number three to find the one who would be willing to put up with my guitar addiction.

Yeah but more importantly how many guitars did it take to find wife number 3?

Luckily I am in the “one wife, many guitars” group.

I love guitars, I don’t have too many....I swear. I’ve been playing 41(!) years and I am stll obsessed with them, not likely to change anytime soon. If they don’t get played they leave it’s not a big deal.

[greekdude]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Too many guitars IMHO means some not played ones and some unmaintained ones.

[PierceOkken]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Amount of guitars I can feasibly use = amount I am willing to have/maintain

That being said I have 9 and am building a 10th ....