-N

All of them.....and then some. They are family, each different. Some play amazing, some not so much. But each is special.

Bare minimum, 2 electrics (need backup for live gigs), an acoustic-electric, an electric bass, and (since the OP included mandolins) an acoustic-electric mando. I play in several bands (rock bands and a church band) and play those instruments in them.

But really it should be more than just 2 electrics. LP (w/HB's), Strat, Tele, something w/P-90's, and something with a Bigsby. Since I have an Epi WildKat that has both P-90's and a Bigsby, the ideal minimum number of electrics (versus bare minimum) for me would be 4. But still, were leaving out 12-strings, Gretsches, Rics...

Right now I have five guitars ...Epiphone special 11 bought for $50bucks. A yamaha pacifica $100 bucks, squire tele affinity. and a mexican strat. I do own a classical guitar. Hey, the more the better. The point being..Some guitars........... Say buy me!.

I like Zontar's take on this issue. As enthusiasts of any kind of activity whether it be guitars, bikes, muscle cars, fly tying or high end gaming computers, we often delude ourselves into "needing" something when in truth it's not need, it's just simple plain old envy or lust or whatever word applies in the guitar world. GAS, I guess.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Hey, if you can afford the guitar and aren't taking food off the table or having trouble paying rent or the mortgage--and you find a guitar you want--go for it.

But it makes no sense to go into debt for a guitar.

Realize it is want, not need.

And above all else--play them, and enjoy them.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

I am fully aware of the difference beetween want and need.
But in my defense...lol ( not that I have to explain myself to anyone)
I have been collecting these since I started playing at age 12.
Not a status thing. Just a love.
Ok, obsession. Just me....

Needs such as food and water blah blah...I don't think was the intended question. JMHO.
I think possibly the question was more geared towards the types of guitars needed?
12 strings? Fretless? Acoustic.......Then yes you need certain guitars to obtain certain sounds.
Let me go furter as the devils' advocate......
Why not pick up a MOOG, Midi equipped, or a Variax.....then the answer would be one?

Just a few thoughts to mull around-N

Speaking of 12strings how well do those play?

True about the getting into debt over one. Been there, done that and I have a rather nifty t-shirt collection to boot - not good.

Some of us however NEED guitars to put the food on the table and pay the rent though. Myself included.

CC

[EDIT]: Spelling.

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Fender Stratocaster (parts build)
Fender Telecaster 72 Custom RI
Fender Telecoustic Deluxe
Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Gibson ES-135
Zenith Type-17
Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5

Just one and it can be a one strand or a cigar box guitar, makes no difference.

memory a solid body electric guitar to write on a solid body electric bass for gigs a classical acoustic for the string ensemble a twelve string for fun thanks cool thread

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Three. Solid body electric, a semi hollow body electric and an acoustic.

OZZY RULES!!!

Let's strip this down to the fundamentals:) I think there are some unchangeable Universal Laws of Guitar Need that apply to all guitarists. As follows;

1. You need your number one. This is the guitar that inspires you to play, that gives you the main sound you need to play the music you love, the one you pick up first, the one you would always take to a gig. Your dream guitar. You probably had a picture on your wall of your favourite player wielding one of these.

2. You need a number two, too! If you're playing live you must have a backup to your main guitar - one that you'd be happy playing the same songs on if your number one was out of action. It doesn't have to be the same model or even the same configuration as long as you'd be happy using it. I often take my Gibson or Silvertone as a backup to my Jazzmaster, even though they don't have a trem.

3. You need a decent acoustic, whatever style of music you play, even if you don't use one live. Playing an acoustic is fundamental to guitar technique, and what most of us end up writing songs on. For some players an acoustic is their number one guitar. You need a nice acoustic during the courting stage of any good romance too.

4. Other than those you need as many guitars as it takes to get the musical sounds you want to play. For some of us that's gonna be just a Strat and a Tele, for others that's gonna be a dozen guitars, a mandolin, a dobro, pedal steel, and an upright bass...

5. Last but not least - You ALL need a campfire guitar too! A guitar that cost less than a hundred bucks, doesn't hurt your hands, is loud enough, and it wouldn't matter if you fell alseep on the beach and left it in the sun. Every guitarist needs a traveller like that. A guitar anyone's kids can play, and bump and spill food on...

Any scientific mind will understand that these are like the laws of physics, we can't change them and they act on all of us the same.

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"...Compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees, I am an Apeman."