Are all of your guitars 100%?

[Top-L]

For the first ten years of playing, I only owned one guitar. Which meant that if that guitar needed work, I did that work (or paid to have someone do it) or else I wouldn't be able to play.

The luxury of multiple guitars did not enter my life until the late 90s, but it also introduced a problem. I would typically play my "best" guitar until the frets were worn down or something broke, then I would move on to another guitar.

The problem is that now I had guitar(s) in my possession that weren't 100%. There might be a scratchy pot or electrical problem. A neck screw may have stripped out and it lost tuning stability. Maybe the whammy bar worked itself loose. Or even just a broken string. Most of the time I had just played it so much that the frets were worn down, buzzing and not sounding good. Rather than spend for a level or refret, it was easier to just move to the next. At one point, my collection didn't have any playable guitars, so I bought a cheap Chinese superstrat to keep me playing.

Because I'm sentimental, I wouldn't sell these guitars so I ended up with a stable of "junk" guitars. Buying most of my guitars used from ebay didn't help because they all came into my possession in various states of repair. This problem was made worse by a busy work schedule and free time being used to play instead of repair guitars.

Over the past few years, I've gained better control of my guitar collection. This started by selling off a few guitars that I was not "in love" with, and buying some new retail guitars. But also learning how to level and crown frets let me get a worn guitar back in service.

I'm looking at my small collection and for the first time, I have a set of guitars that I can grab any of them and make music. This past week was devoted to fixing them up. If I had paid a tech for this work, it would probably be up around 1K-1.5K. There is still one guitar that I'd like to do a full crown/level to get a little better action, but not sure if worth it.

I am amazed when I see people with huge collections. How do you maintain them? Are they all 100% playable (with great fretwork, no scratchy pots, no stability issues), or are most of them just eye candy in various states of repair?

 

[Mincer]

Actually, that first guitar is in need of a refret. I have been putting it off, diverting that $ into a new build, but I will get around to it. It is a 1 piece maple neck 1982 Strat, and it will have to be resprayed afterwards...and I want to use SS frets, so it will be on the more expensive side. But other than that, every other guitar is ready for a gig or recording session.

 

[Top-L]

Actually, that first guitar is in need of a refret. I have been putting it off, diverting that $ into a new build, but I will get around to it. It is a 1 piece maple neck 1982 Strat, and it will have to be resprayed afterwards...and I want to use SS frets, so it will be on the more expensive side. But other than that, every other guitar is ready for a gig or recording session.

Have you thought about doing the refret yourself? That chinese superstrat I bought has had a couple levels and is at the point I don't want to go any lower. It could use a refret and I'm going to attempt it myself. If I mess it up, I can just buy it a new neck.

I guess a 1982 strat is not a good guitar to practice your first refret.

 

[Hsb]

Two of the three I have are in 100% condition, my Iceman which Ive had since new in 95 needs some fret work, think a good level and crown should do it but been putting it off even though this is my favorite guitar I have.

 

[Bogner]

All of mine are 100% aside from one I am putting a nut on at the moment.

 

[beaubrummels]

Part of the reason I bought multiple was to have a spare in case something went wrong I could continue to work and buy some time to deal with repairs later. Eventually I get to the repairs as I don't want to go too long without a spare.

 

[GuitarStv]

When I had just one guitar, I played it until it wasn't possible to get the frets dressed any more because of the wear. Since I only had the one guitar I was always putting off maintenance because I'd be without a guitar . . . so it was consistently around 70 - 80%. But I was used to the weirdness. I knew which frets would buzz and would actually choose to play things differently because of it.

These days I've got four guitars. Three of them are outstanding to play and one needs fret work. I love being able to take my time and fix a guitar up perfectly over a few months rather than always paying someone to do it and losing the guitar for a few weeks, or being rushed and doing a half assed job of things.

 

[Artie]

My "collection" isn't too bad. Maybe a half dozen of 30-something are in need of work. I have a dual-humbucker BC Rich Warlock that has 6 control holes. 3 are pot sized and 3 are mini-switch sized. Not sure what to do with it. I also have an old Vantage VP795 with 7 control holes. 3 pots, 3 mini-switches and a 3-way toggle. Not sure what to do with it either.

And then there's my Kurt Cobain Epiphone ET-270 that needs a complete restoration. (I didn't get it because of Kurt. It was just a cool old guitar that was given to me.)

 

[ErikH]

All my regular players are 100%. I really need to get a fret level on one of them but it's completely playable otherwise. The only one not playable is the one I'm building. Once I get better at using the spray gun I'll be taking the next steps.

 

[Ascension]

I have one old Carvin that really needs a refret but is still playable and still gets played regularly. Will at some point refret the old girl in Stainless as she will never be sold as long as I am able to play. Otherwise all my guitars are 100% USA built on the higher end and in great shape. I currently own 10 and have a new Kiesel build in the works.
Here is my old 93 DC 127 in solid KOA. This is the best neck on a guitar I have ever had in my hands and need to get her fretted as some point with stainless!
The old beast in action live
https://youtu.be/bNb17_MtCxg

 

[SlyFoxx]

Eight guitars, one bass and one uke. All are good to go save a bit of dust.

 

[Adieu]

Some of my stuff has iffy switches and the like

 

[jeremy]

all but one electric are fully playable, an old mij squier is waiting on a full rewire. the rest are all gigable but almost all of them could use a little love in one way or another. some actually need work others just have a pup swap coming sometime in the future for curiosity reasons for the most part

 

[Securb]

Since I have been home everything is at 99.9%. I have one pot on my Ovation that needs to be replaced. It doesn't stop me from playing the guitar. The only other maintenance needed is my Fender Quad Reverb. It needs to be cleaned (pots, plugs) inside and out.

 

[formula73]

Not even close. Most are functional but my V90s headstock is held together with hopes and prayers.

 

[alex1fly]

This is what keeps me from amassing a collection. I love instruments - shopping, demoing, refurbishing, setting up, comparing - but I have a strong desire to have my instruments at at least 95%, so the more instruments I have, the more time I spend keeping them at 100%, the less time I spend playing and making music. And countless times I've wanted to swap parts between guitars, which means that two instruments are out of commission for however long. Lately I've made a concerted effort to focus all my project/tinkering onto one instrument, and simply keep my others in performing condition (once they're there... this process does take several weeks at least for new instruments. And small, intentional mods are still okay).

And buying new stuff has certainly saved me time in refurbishing. I do have to remind myself that the goal is to PLAY first.

One electric guitar needs fretboard oil and will need a nut at some point.
One electric guitar needs contact cleaner in the pots.
One electric guitar will never be finished.
My basses, acoustic guitars, keyboards, drums, and horns are fine.

I get it though. In building out my 'stable' I've acquired some fantastic instruments that unfortunately just take up space in my house and in my brain. They're all destined for someone else's hands when I get around to it. I can't even allow them in the music room because they're a distraction - "Play me! Sell me! Keep me for those future scenarios you've pictured where you would want the unique tone that I produce even though you're not a professional musician that would need such niche tones on demand!"

 

[jeremy]

to be perfectly honest, there are probably five guitars i own that when i put them into the case last, they were in good shape, but that is over a year ago so who knows. nothing a little love couldnt fix but it is what it is. i really dont need that mustang but its already mine so...

 

[Top-L]

This is what keeps me from amassing a collection. I love instruments - shopping, demoing, refurbishing, setting up, comparing - but I have a strong desire to have my instruments at at least 95%, so the more instruments I have, the more time I spend keeping them at 100%, the less time I spend playing and making music. And countless times I've wanted to swap parts between guitars, which means that two instruments are out of commission for however long. Lately I've made a concerted effort to focus all my project/tinkering onto one instrument, and simply keep my others in performing condition (once they're there... this process does take several weeks at least for new instruments. And small, intentional mods are still okay).

And buying new stuff has certainly saved me time in refurbishing. I do have to remind myself that the goal is to PLAY first.

One electric guitar needs fretboard oil and will need a nut at some point.
One electric guitar needs contact cleaner in the pots.
One electric guitar will never be finished.
My basses, acoustic guitars, keyboards, drums, and horns are fine.

I get it though. In building out my 'stable' I've acquired some fantastic instruments that unfortunately just take up space in my house and in my brain. They're all destined for someone else's hands when I get around to it. I can't even allow them in the music room because they're a distraction - "Play me! Sell me! Keep me for those future scenarios you've pictured where you would want the unique tone that I produce even though you're not a professional musician that would need such niche tones on demand!"

I am similar. I currently have five electrics, an acoustic, and a bass. I would love to get more, but they take up space in my head. Five electrics might already be too many, but they either have sentimental value or little resale value so I keep them.

I need to keep a very organized workspace and house in order to stay productive. A guitar that has problems, a guitar with less than ideal action, or a scratchy pot, or needing a truss rod adjustment messes with my OCD and drags me down.

For me, its like juggling. How many balls can you keep in the air at once? I know from experience that just hanging on the wall, changes in wood, oxidation, etc will sometimes require maintenance. If I had (say) ten guitars, I'm sure I would drop some balls. And I'd be constantly fiddling with truss rods/ action adjustments, and fret polishing.

Five seems to be a manageable number of electrics.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

All of my frontline guitars are combat ready (though one favorite PRS, while still playable after 34 years, could use a fret dress).
Numerous others are in playing condition but have mods planned - rewiring, pickup changes, cosmetic tweaks.

Two are out of action pending neck swaps. One Strat played fine, I just want a different profile on it. And one bass came back with a broken truss rod after I loaned it to someone. Third neck since '72 for the old warbird; the original got shattered in a 1989 car wreck after a show at the Trocadero in Philly. This time I'm going period-correct for a replacement.

Also have few cheapos that won't ever be great players but which have been set up as well as was practical - this is as good as they'll get.
Plus a couple of parts projects in various stages of incompletion.
(To say,"stages of completion" would imply a degree of progress that doesn't yet apply.)

 

[Lucius Paisley]

I have a single humbucker strat that needs desperate fret cleaning before I can put strings on, and I'm waiting on new tuners for another guitar. I have three others to play, but I've just been reaching for the one on top of the "pile"... the other two are in cases that I keep locked all the time and can't be bothered with all those latches.