Can we talk about owning many guitars?

[AlexR]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I know what guitars I have......but mine is getting WAY more on what I've built more than completed guitars I've bought. So there is a greater degree of ownership I feel for them than ones just bought.

But in any case I have very little overlap of 'the same thing'. I might have a few strats or Tele's, but they will have different pickups, woods, etc. After playing so many I can see the ones which are more alike than others.....and ones that are less alike - and funnily enough its not necessarily how you would have divided them on paper.
My builds now focus on pickups or construction I have not tried yet - the downside of left-handedness is no guitars to try in shops.

As to how I play them.......I tend to have phases in playing.....one week might be a p90 guitar week......another might be "tele week", or "strat week". In those times I will rotate my various guitars and play my own stuff or play some covers. I have found through trial and error which one of my guitars suit each band/genre best.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

As to how I play them.......I tend to have phases in playing.....one week might be a p90 guitar week......another might be "tele week", or "strat week". In those times I will rotate my various guitars and play my own stuff or play some covers. I have found through trial and error which one of my guitars suit each band/genre best.

This is how mine are
I modified all of mine
They end up similar but different

My Rg2 and Ehdwuld both have JB/Jazz with Triple shot rings
They sound similar but vastly different
Or more, I play them different
The RG2 has more options on the five way super switch
And vastly more tones, when I want a Tele sound I can get it there as well as shred tones
The Ehdwuld, even though it is chambered, is heavier

The Gibson is slated for a hotrodded humbucker set without the triple shot rings

The Ehdwuld and the Epiphone Florentine, and the Dean Shire are F holed LP size
The Dean has piezoelectric and is also slated for the hotrodded humbucker set without the triple shot rings
The Florentine has the Probuckers and sounds smooth and sweet. Excellent jazzy axe.
The Ehdwuld howls close to the amp that is so cool
They are all different and as I rotate thru I can help but smile as I rediscover a sweet secret

I'll try that lick I played last week not the Epiphone on the Ehdwuld and it sounds different
On the Dean it's different still

On the Gibson it feels more stripped down and immediate
If you know what I mean

Like BoogieBill would say, they may speak the same language but have different voices or personalities

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Case storage is turning into a problem at my house as well. I typically take only 2-3 guitars to a gig so I’ve been considering NOT getting cases for my new arrivals unless I don’t already have something that will fit.

Man I'm with you on that. Last year I got a AmStd Strat in trade and it came with a non original generic case. First thing I did when I got it home was put the case up for sale and flipped it for 50 bucks. I have my guitars on the wall and the closet under my stairs is full of empty cases.

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[GuitarDoc]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Some really good thoughts expressed in this thread.

You guys are GREAT!

No wonder I love this forum.

 

[shupe13]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I personally don’t believe there such thing as too many. I don’t believe you can have too many of the same guitars. I don’t believe in lack of diversity or too much diversity. Whatever your thing is, is your thing.



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[BTMN]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

That’s great that you can display them!

Here’s what I’d like to do:

If you take one of these and use half of it and two shelves you can stand 7 rectangle cases, "V" and "Explorer" style, vertically and have shelving space under for other things. I have two racks split and do that in one area giving me 28 cases stored and other things underneath.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

From the man that would know....

 

[justFred]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

it seems to be always one guitar away from having covered all the bases.

 

[vmbarrera]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I own 14 electrics and one bass guitar. 5 amps and 3 cabs. Sometimes I feel bad for owning so much gear since I don't gig much less being a pro musician.

I guess having access to online shopping helps or makes this habit much easier to get out of hand.

And I'm still gassing for gear. It's never ending.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

If you use excel or keep some sort of list what info do you track?

My spreadsheet list -
Make
Model
Year
Serial number
String Gauge
Case
Mods
Work needed
Factory
Purchase date
Cost

 

[some_dude]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

1. How do you keep track of what you have?

Memory.


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?

I have a $5000 Les Paul. When I walk into a store and see the wall of Gibsons I have zero interest in them since I know there's nothing on that wall that's any better than what I already have.

That said, other guitars/brands are different. I own a couple of Mexican Fenders because for my purposes they did a better job than the current MIAs... but, I also own a couple of MIAs because for another purpose they were better than the MIMs.


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.

First off, I think it's entirely possible to be both a collector and a player simultaneously. That said...

I don't consider myself a collector because I don't form an emotional attachment to my stuff. To me, it's all just a tool, and it either does the job or it doesn't. I've learned that I'm pretty fickle when it comes to gear; I either like it or I don't, and once I stop liking something it's unlikely I'm ever going to start liking it again.

On that note, I have no problem selling my former #1 guitar once I've found something I like better. I accept that I'm probably never going to use it again and have no issues with turning it over so I can afford something else.


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)?

No. I have guitars that haven't come out of their cases in a decade. I focus on the guitars that do what I need them to do and tend to ignore/forget everything else.


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.

I feel connected to my #1 because I play it 90% of the time. I have another 4 guitars that are really good at something specific, and I pull them out when my #1 isn't cutting it.

The rest I'm indifferent towards.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

Ya know, this thread has caused me to think

If I just had one of the Ibanez 6 string crossover basses
I could a/b it into a guitar amp and a bass amp
Put a piezo bridge on and sell all my other axes

Oh then I'd need a backup , .......

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

One other thing that I would like to chime in on...

I do have a large collection, but in my defense, this is my only real hobby. I don't ski, own a boat or hot car, collect Hummel figurines or antique firearms. I don't travel to exotic locales. I don't fish or hunt. I don't gamble, or have a climate-controlled and fully-stocked wine cellar. I don't have a Harley dressed in chrome. And...

I don't have kids going without shoes or toys or food or dental care. My "wife" isn't driving a crap car on its last legs.

I've known a couple of guys who live like this...in total selfishness. Their multitude of hobbies come first, while their family suffers.

If this is you...you probably have too many guitars.

/rant

Bill

 

[YeRedHouseOverYonder]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I own 7 guitars and 2 basses at the moment.

1. Memory.

2. I GAS for all kinds of guitars. Cheap, middle, and expensive. I swore off building partscasters, but yet still hunger for projects. I even bought some old growth white pine for an Esquire build lol. When I use to play bass, I gigged with my MIM p bass (70s dimarzios) more than my MIA J bass. I just redid a Chibson for my nephew and it looks/sounds good. Feels different for sure, but it can get the GAS.

3. I think with us being on a pickup forum, if we stop tinkering or worst not play something meant to ring notes, you have become a collector. I sometimes buy pieces to flip, but I play them and try something new for a bit. That's how I have managed to get the majority of guitars I'll be keeping. I'm winding down on flipping for sure.

4. Yes. Maybe not all in one week on a given month. I do go into phases as some have mentioned. Whether it's a PAF guitar week, single coils, semi hollows, LP, and etc. Same goes for genres or artists. Do I want to play Led Zep with a Tele, LP, or strat? I'm starting to have my guitars set to different tunings. This actually forces me to play them if I'm in a particular mood. On occasion, I play about 3-4 guitars in one session.

5. I feel connected with all my gear because I have grinded and flipped a lot to own what I have. Each piece speaks differently to me. Some do call out stronger than the other. In particular, my KS 336 is my prized guitar. I had to wait 10 years to not only track one down, but actually have the funds to purchase.

Funny thing about the cases/storage. The struggle is real in a studio lol! Luckily my GF let me have dibs on a small closet. I'm going to fit in a Morgan 1x12 and a couple small amps in here too.

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[Clint 55]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I'm addicted to Warmoth and the quality. I want more.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

They have personalities, so mine get names. It wasn't always that way for me- I used to think naming guitars was corny, even kind of conceited. And I think if I'd never had more than a couple of guitars I probably wouldn't ever have started doing it. But one very special guitar turned me around, and by now they each have a name that suits them. Every case has a strip of masking tape with the name on it. It makes them easy to find, but some that are more towards the back I have to sort of dig out. The less-used ones sort of get rotated: when I play one that hasn't been out in a while, it winds up in the front. Names make it easier to keep them straight in my mind, though I keep a master list too. And all but a very few have individual files with their particulars.

I don't much concern myself with value/collectibility. If I find one that fills a gap in my stable, or plays really nicely and speaks to me (or is just really cool), having plenty of guitars already won't stop me from buying. Some of the nice ones I want are out of reach financially. Many of mine are not particularly high priced, though others are. And some of the classics I bought many years ago are pretty valuable now.

I don't gig much anymore, my touring years are long behind me. Some might call me a collector now, I guess. But I spent decades playing for a living, as a working musician and/or studio rat. So I identify as a player and I always will. I've earned it, I think.

Do I play them all? Some don't get played very often, to be honest. There are maybe a dozen or so that I haven't picked up up in more than a year, especially a few of the acoustics. (I have to be remember to be conscientious about keeping 'em humidified when they sit unplayed for long periods; I don't have the luxury of climate controlled storage space.) Others get more regular attention, especially my favorites of each type. They tend to be on top of the stacks or in the front of the bunch. And there's one set of six or eight cases standing up like a row of books, so I can pull any of those out without having to move others out of the way first. Plus I always have one out in a stand right next to my workspace, within arm's reach in case inspiration strikes.

I still feel a real connection to the guitars I've played hundreds (or thousand) of sets on. When I pick up one of my heavily gigged axes, I'm right at home again. It feels like putting on a comfortable old shirt. Among newly acquired ones, for many it can take several dozen hours of play time to really get a feel for their individual character and how we work best together. There are exceptions- with some I've felt a genuine rapport right away. Others I never really quite bonded with and those ones usually get passed along- sold or given away.

I will admit that there are a special few that I seldom play but which I hang on to anyway, just to know I have them. So one part of me must have a collector's mindset after all. But I remain a player at heart.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

If you use excel or keep some sort of list what info do you track?

My spreadsheet list -
Make
Model
Year
Serial number
String Gauge
Case
Mods
Work needed
Factory
Purchase date
Cost

I use a pretty big Excel file for tracking all things guitar related.

One sheet has the basics… make, model, name, color, serial number, purchase date, year of manufacture, purchase price, list price, and comments.

There’s another sheet for planned mods and/or repairs.

Another sheet has detailed plans for builds/projects in the making.

Yet another sheet has a “wish list.“

And finally there is a sheet that tracks individual string changes on each guitar. Don’t laugh… It makes it easier to recognize when you have developed a burr or are having a problem with a particular saddle or something. When you have several guitars you start losing track of how long it’s been since you changed strings.

Of course, each guitar has a dedicated file folder on my computer as well containing pics, diagrams, etc.




Yes… I’m a f***ing nerd!

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

If you take one of these and use half of it and two shelves you can stand 7 rectangle cases, "V" and "Explorer" style, vertically and have shelving space under for other things. I have two racks split and do that in one area giving me 28 cases stored and other things underneath.

I think I understand, but do you have an image?

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Can we talk about owning many guitars?

I do keep a spreadsheet of all my gear but it's for insurance purposes rather than keeping track of my stuff. For everything I have:
Make, model, serial #, colour, replacement cost, and notes on any distinguishing characteristics or modifications.

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[YeRedHouseOverYonder]

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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