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Post subject: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 1:51 am
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Roadie
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I'm a little staggered by the amount of guitars some guys here have, especially if they are essentially the same model. (I'm thinking of the Gretsch thread where someone posted a picture of like 20 guitars which seemed to differ only in color.)

I on the other hand have four guitars: A Strat, a Les Paul clone, an ES-335 clone and an acoustic western guitar, which are all different types. (I don't like the looks of a Telecaster, so I don't have one.)
If I ever bought an original Les Paul and it played better for me, why would I keep the clone? If I'm happy with my Strat, why would be buy another one ("upgrades" aside, I get those)?

Is it just a result of terminal GAS to have a collection as big as possible, or do you actually and regularly play all the guitars you own? If the latter, what makes you choose one Strat model one time and a different one another time for playing?

Please enlighten me :)


Last edited by ChrisH1 on Mon Feb 23, 2015 2:41 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 2:31 am
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I'm kind of with you on this. I used to have quite a collection of guitars, but now I'm down to my Les Paul, Strat, ES-335, and Martin Acoustic. For me, I got frustrated having guitars laying around that didn't get played very often. I figured it was better for the guitar to be in the hands of someone who would really use it and appreciate it than for it to sit around and deteriorate.

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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 4:09 am
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I think that having 20 or so guitars, can be a bit excessive. I'm down to 3 right now, having sold one of my Acoustics several weeks ago. I have my Fender CD60CE , Epiphone LP Gold top 56 Re-issue , and my 2002 Squier Affinity Strat. I think that's enough for me for now.


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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 4:41 am
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Aspiring Musician
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I have six, I love them all for various reasons, some practical, some sentimental. I currently am working toward buying a Vintage reissue 59 strat with rosewood fret board. Do I NEED it, no, but I want it. something about it speaks to me, so I am saving to buy one. I have never sold a guitar, it would be like selling one of my children. Some may think this is silly, but, I don't care.

I understand the practical arguments, and I encourage you to do what makes you happy, and I will do what makes me happy. :D

8)

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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 5:03 am
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Thanks for the replies so far. Of course, I don't want to tell anyone what to do, I'm just curious.

If I may compare it to cars: I get why people have, say, a SUV and a small city car and a two-seater sports car. They all do different things. And I understand completely if a new model of their favorite sports car comes out, they buy that and sell the old one or give it to their wive.
But I don't get people who have a black 3 series BMW with 150 BHP and go out and buy another gray 3 series with 180 BHP and leather seats. And keep the black one in the garage for sentimental value.


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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 5:39 am
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I'm one of the guys with 20 guitars that you ask about!

:lol:

I've been playing guitar for 50 years now, I rarely sell anything as when I do make a purchase, it's usually to fill a niche, scratch some itch.. so over time, yea,, the numbers grow...

I do have doubles of a few things, like 2 Les Paul Standards, one is a 95 standard all stock the other is an 02 with a different neck profile, and different pickups. One does what the other can't, and the difference in the necks is significant to me, yet I am accustomed to and like both.

2 SGs, one is a standard, the other, a Classic loaded with Gibson P90s, the are completely different from one another in sound and feel.

another Gibson I have had for many years now, is an ES-135 with a Bigsby and classic 57s pickups, (this is a tone machine that works great for rock, jazz and blues.)

2 strats, one w/rosewood, (mid 90s) one w/maple fretboard (picked up in 2014) and a tele that I've had for many years now.

I have a few Epi archtops, (regent, broadway) an Elitst Chet Atkins, and a Swingster...

I've got 4 acoustics, 2 taylors, (a 314CE and a GS jumbo),, they are two entirely different beasts..

a nylon string MR A Cut, and a 1978 Alvarez DY74 that I've had for many years, I just can't sell it, it's fantastic. (it's a dead ringer for a Martin D25)

I also have a Epi small scale bass that I picked up for 75 bucks, a pawn shop acoustic that lives at my in-laws in Florida, and an Olympia student nylon string that someone was throwing way.. it's on a hanger in my studio. hmm, maybe I should add my grandson's squire strat that is in my stuido too.. he just doesn't seem too interested right now.

can I justfiy this? absolutely not! Do I care? NOPE! This is really all I do, I'm not into anything other than music as a part time passion, I play for an hour or two every day,.. and thru the course of a week or two, they all get used.

as the saying goes,, what ever floats yer boat, and for me, it's things with strings....


Last edited by KidBlast on Mon Feb 23, 2015 7:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 7:00 am
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For me no 2 guitars are alike. They my look alike but if I buy another one its because something has drawn me to that one. You can have 2 of the same but they sound and feel different.


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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 7:23 am
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Aspiring Musician
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I'm close to 70yrs old. Have close to 50 guitars and six amps. Still add a couple guitars a year, but now seldom play. I admire and collect. Can't justify it other then one can spend money on worse things. Also have several motorcycles and the guitars are less costly to own and can be enjoyed in any weather. Everyone's different, thank god.


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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:18 am
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Yea, I'm another one of those 20+ guitar guys. I'm not even sure why to be honest. It did make things a bit fun in the studio. I took 6-guitars and 3-amps. Pretty much any sound we wanted, we could do.

I like having a lot of sound options. Each one is different with their pickups, string gauges, neck sizes, fret sizes, bridge designs.

I have 3-identical Schecter Tempest Customs, but one has EMG actives, another has Duncan Slash vintage style hums, another has high output passive Duncans. Each one sounds completely different.

I'll be recording a demo at home this year. It's going to be nice having so many different sound options. Strat, Tele, LP, Semi-hollow, chambered, single coil, Hum, P-90, Bigsby, Floyd, vintage, modern, high output, etc.

For my demo, I'll be playing every instrument. Guitar, Bass, Drums, keys, and vocals. It's going to be quite an interesting project.

On the guitar side, probably 10 guitars and 5 amps. For effects, all analog no plugins.

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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:26 am
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tbazzone wrote:
For me no 2 guitars are alike. They my look alike but if I buy another one its because something has drawn me to that one. You can have 2 of the same but they sound and feel different.


Perfectly said.

I have four Strats that kinda look the same but are all different enough to produce a variety of sound.
One, for example, might sound better with light strings (my HSS) and the other sound better with heavy strings (my HH).
Some songs I've written just sound better on one guitar than on another because of the "sentiment" that a certain guitar uniquely produces.
In the case of strats, it's kinda like having a road bike, a trail bike, and a puppy-in-a-basket bike.

If I had the bread, I'd collect 'em all.


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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:29 am
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blackstratacat wrote:
If I had the bread, I'd collect 'em all.

This pretty much sums it up for me. Image

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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:44 am
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People have lots of guitars for a lot of different reasons. I used to have two split coil P basses. One strung with flats, one with rounds. Same basses for the most part, but with different strings. I needed to be able to switch between sounds at gigs. Now I have a single coil and split coil P bass. Both strung with flats. Either bass could make the gig. I just like having the option of both tones.

There are tons of different specs, configurations, ect. So even though guitars may look similar they might be very different. Also, what if they are the same instrument and the only difference is the color. Some bands have very dedicated color schemes. Down to the actual color of the instruments, and amps, ect. (ZZ Top comes to mind). How many Precision Basses do you think Dusty Hill owns? How many are basically the same instrument with a different finish on it? Does it matter?

As long as people are happy who cares what they own?

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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:51 am
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Why so many guitars?

Because we can?

I'ma go with that.

Image


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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:03 am
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Why so many guitars?

Because we can?



Egggsacktly!

Nice collection!


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Post subject: Re: Why so many guitars?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:42 am
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Brian Krashpad wrote:
Why so many guitars?

Because we can?

I'ma go with that.


Brian; yours all look pretty different and I'm sure they play and sound different. I see guys on the Les Paul forums with 12 or more LP's that all look the same. That's the reason Gibson can charge $7k for a guitar that's virtually the same as their $2k models. Blind lust it is. :lol:

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