If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

[backporchpicker]

This is a sort of real life dilemma for me right now I have seven and they are spread out all over the house mostly in corners and my wife is really pushing me to reduce the inventory. It's not really as bad as I can only have one but she thinks that three is a reasonable number.
To answer my own question I am thinking the James Tyler Variax and see if it is possible to swap out the pickups.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

Toss 40% of her shoes...

 

[Demanic]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

Sorry, can't help because I just can't wrap my head around a spouse dictating to their counterpart how many of anything they should have. Unless there are financial reasons, like you put the household into excessive debt to purchase them in the first place, or the kids are going without food or something, it just doesn't make any sense.

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[jeremy]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

if space is tight, i can understand it. if she is just being controlling then thats not good. i have 20+ guitars and that takes up a lot of room in a small house.

 

[AlexR]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

Maybe a plan for tackling the issue could be found by some info on why this particular request is being made.

I certainly don't want to jump the gun with rash assumptions, but the 'controlling' alternative as a cause would be a divorce paper scenario for me.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

Sorry, can't help because I just can't wrap my head around a spouse dictating to their counterpart how many of anything they should have. Unless there are financial reasons, like you put the household into excessive debt to purchase them in the first place, or the kids are going without food or something, it just doesn't make any sense.

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THIS.

That said; maybe you clean out the corners and throw a few guitars into their cases then put them away in closets or under the bed so they're out of the way. You can always rotate what you're playing in out of the areas. Use guitar stands or hangers and keep 2 or 3 guitars out in one space dedicated as a practice or playing area. Just a thought or two.

 

[baritone]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

I've owned 10 different guitars & 8 amps (and lotsa pedals ) since I started playing; my peak was 7 axes at one time. As a single guy, it's a balance between obsession w/ music & gear and having a presentable home. A woman's idea of "presentable" is way different from mine, so I would be mindful of that (esp. since I'm a hobbyist).

Guitar of choice: honestly, any electric I've owned could be my 1 & only. An acoustic is not satisfying enough for me. Any electric guitar with a hot bridge pickup & a mild neck pickup would keep me happy. So either my Squies Strat or Epi LP plus my Peavey Bandit plus footswitch and a couple pedals will be fine if I ever decide to get married.

 

[voggin]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

I'd either get an HSS strat or a semi hollow of some kind.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

For me, it would be an Ibanez AM-153

 

[backporchpicker]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

Thanks, we have a relatively large house in a little town Montecito and I have the guitars spread out in corners of several rooms I refuse to keep them in the garage for obvious reasons. The defendant thinks the guitars are eye sores and she is embarrassed that a grown man would have "toys" spread all over the house and I can understand where she is coming from and don't think it is an unreasonable request except that we have lived with this arrangement for years and all of a sudden it is a problem. It might be the 7th guitar a black Variax that I put in the back reading room but whatever I need to deal with it and really think the idea of reducing the overall number by storing some in cases under a bed and rotating a couple at a time out in the open is a great idea I feel like an idiot not thinking of such an obvious solution my self. Thank you for your time.

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

The answer to the problem is to get guitars with "pretty" tops (ie flame, quilt, spalt, etc) or get some in colors she finds beautiful (ie purple, cherryburst, etc). Seriously, I have a bass my wife will not let me sell because she thinks it's amazing. Honestly, I'm a little less flashy, but since I know she appreciates looking at them, I keep a healthy balance of fancy and understated guitars around.

But that said, I do understand the predicament. I have more guitars than I need (7) and some that rarely see the light of day. If I was honest with myself, there are two that get played all the time (Gibson Nighthawk & Warrior doublecut). I could & should only have those guitars, but my wife isn't pressing me to sell them and actually really likes seeing the others, so they continue to stay.

 

[Demanic]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

I've owned 10 different guitars & 8 amps (and lotsa pedals ) since I started playing; my peak was 7 axes at one time. As a single guy, it's a balance between obsession w/ music & gear and having a presentable home. A woman's idea of "presentable" is way different from mine, so I would be mindful of that (esp. since I'm a hobbyist).

Guitar of choice: honestly, any electric I've owned could be my 1 & only. An acoustic is not satisfying enough for me. Any electric guitar with a hot bridge pickup & a mild neck pickup would keep me happy. So either my Squies Strat or Epi LP plus my Peavey Bandit plus footswitch and a couple pedals will be fine if I ever decide to get married.

The secret is to find a woman who's idea of "presentable" is very similar to your own. In fact, one who's core values are very similar to your own. It cut down remarkably on stress.

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[ErikH]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

I have 4 electrics and an acoustic. None of them get left out anywhere. Why? Because we have children and pets. I take out whatever one I want to play at that time and when done, I put it away, or wait until the next day if it is late because I store then in our big walk-in closet on a high shelf. If our finances were better, it wouldn't be much of a problem getting another one, or two, but I make do with what I have. All but 1 of the electrics I built myself so they are not going anywhere. The one I didn't is one my wife won't let me sell ever.

However, if I had to have just one, it would be my Frankenstrat, no question. I've had that one in my possession the longest and it is my best sounding guitar. The acoustic is non-negotiable and would stay as well.

That all being said, my wife has never pushed me to sell, except once when I owned 2 of the same and I wasn't really playing it anyway. I have sold all others on my own. I need to keep what I have being in a band. Gotta have some backups.

 

[Scatabrain]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

HSS Strat for me.

Isn't the idea of the Variax that you sound like many guitars?

I would get wall hangers and find a nice place to hang them. It sounds like the issue is they are getting in the way and seem like you are not using or caring for them equally.

 

[baritone]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

The secret is to find a woman who's idea of "presentable" is very similar to your own. In fact, one who's core values are very similar to your own. It cut down remarkably on stress.

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I have never dated a girl who shared my interest in music. With all my DJing gear, home theater, home audio, guitars, amps, effects, & my CD collection, all my girlfriends have always thought it's cute that I "like to play with toys". I'm glad none of them have ever wanted to interfere with or restrict my hobbies.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

(Please show your wife this post. Prepare to catch her when she faints!)

I just bought guitar #60 in my current collection. That's right...I currently own SIXTY guitars. And a bunch of amps.

Yes it is crazy. Yes, there are guitars all over the house.

It's my only vice, really. I don't ski, golf, fish, hunt or take expensive vacations. Don't drive a hot car or own a boat. No kids. Don't hang out in bars, only an occasional drink; don't smoke; don't gamble. I do buy with an eye toward investment potential, but I gig with them all.

And I have a really loving and supportive partner...she's great.

Bill

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

Now as to the one guitar...

First, I don't believe that one guitar can do it all. Not even the Variax.

For an electric guitar, a G&L Legacy Strat is my Number One, and I wouldn't want to gig without one. But I also love using a 2HB. I have many Les Pauls, but these days I find myself using a 335 more and more.

I also use an acoustic guitar, and would never want to be without one. I like Martin dreadnoughts. I have never regretted buying my D-18 and my D-28.

Cutting it down to one is very difficult. But for me and my situation, I think I would choose a Martin acoustic-electric dread. I could use it to do live gigs with a band, busk in the streets, or sing love songs to my honey. So I would choose either my HD-28E Retro or my DC AURA. The Retro has the biggest tone; the AURA has neck like an electric guitar.

Bill

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

Jackson Soloist, HSS, Floyd.

Fortunately that describes my SL3.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

My wife and I are "separated, but working on it" right now, but she never minded me having my guitars out... as long as they were displayed neatly. In fact, she thought they were kind of cool. Now the time I spent playing with them, that's another story...

Here's the current way the living room in my apartment is decorated:

 

[AlexR]

Re: If you could only have one guitar, what would you choose

The mere fact that she refers to a musical instrument as a 'toy' is a bit disturbing. Maybe you can ask her why she feels the need to pass snide remarks on someone elses interests. Because the meaning behind the use of the word 'toys' is simply to try and pass your interest off as something less important or less relevant than all the other things that would otherwise occupy the room.