Cutting down...?

knuckleberryfinn

@ICBM I would be very nervous about buying from the US, unless I went over there to get one, which would eat up all my funds.  But Es-225s just don't come up for sale in the UK.  There's a very nice looking one at David J Pym at the moment, but no idea what he is expecting to sell it for - I suppose I will call him tomorrow.  Here's the link: http://www.davidjpym.com/page342.html

I'll message @ESchap - hopefully he won't mind that I didn't buy his Country Gentleman!

@Skarloey Getting rid of the cheap detritus is one of my main reasons for doing this.  But also there's no way I can afford even a cheap guitar without selling something, so why the hell not sell almost all of it and get something special.

@Lexie1 This is exactly what I hope for!

p90fool

I've pretty well replaced everything with one great Les Paul. The only downside is that 18 months later I'm already looking at an imminent refret, which I never had to do in decades of multi-guitar ownership.

digitalscream

I dropped down from 9 or 10 a few years ago, and I've never been happier with my situation. I have three guitars in the house now - Jaden Rose S2, Washburn N4 and my Squier Strat (my first real guitar, which never really gets played). A mate of mine has my Washburn NX3, but that's just because I couldn't sell it at a reasonable price and I figured it's better going to somebody who'll use it. Can't see ever needing it, mind.

On top of that, I have my Jet City rig and the Eleven Rack. I may buy another Jet City amp, but that's probably about it.

What I've found is that rather than constantly being on the lookout for the greener grass I'm getting to know my main two guitars and rig much better than I ever did before, and my playing's improved a hell of a lot as a result - it's removed that distraction of "What if...".

knuckleberryfinn

You're all selling me on this one.  Suppose I'd better get the old camera out and get some posts up in the Classifieds...

ICBM

knuckleberryfinn said:

There's a very nice looking one at David J Pym at the moment, but no idea what he is expecting to sell it for - I suppose I will call him tomorrow.  Here's the link: http://www.davidjpym.com/page342.html

lol - "Rare stand-alone bridge version" )

I would take a bet it's had the original combination tailpiece replaced, as many - maybe even most - were, partly for the reason I mentioned above and partly because they're difficult to intonate accurately. I suppose it's just possible, although I'd want to look under the rosewood bridge for the imprints of the original round metal feet, or take the tailpiece off and check there are no other screw holes before I was sure.

As long as the price reflects this and you're a player not a collector, it's an improvement really. Or you could put a Bigsby on it - I did on my original '57 blonde single-pickup one which had been changed already when I got it.

And the pickup selector switch is fitted incorrectly, although that's easy enough to fix...

Looks nice, I'd buy it if I was looking for one and the price isn't silly.

knuckleberryfinn

ICBM said:

Looks nice, I'd buy it if I was looking for one and the price isn't silly.

Yes, I thought they all came with the single piece bridge.  Maybe a bartering point, as I am certainly not a collector.

At what figure do you think sensible and silly meet?

ICBM

knuckleberryfinn said:

Yes, I thought they all came with the single piece bridge.  Maybe a bartering point, as I am certainly not a collector.

No, but give the impression you are! If you let on that you like the replaced bridge it gives less bargaining power .

knuckleberryfinn said:

At what figure do you think sensible and silly meet?

Not sure - I haven't followed the prices really. My friend sold his two or three years ago I think for £1,750 - with the original tailpiece but changed tuners and non-original case. It wasn't in as good condition as that one either.

Check some US prices, and add 50% for shipping, duty and rarity in this country and that should give you an upper limit.

Or more if you really like it .

Blueingreen

I really should cut down. I have 6 guitars and 3 basses and I never pick up a bass.  I have 2 Stratalikes (Suhr), 2 LP alikes (DGT/LP  Axcess) and 2 small semi hollows Gibsons (339/336) so there's a fair bit of doubling up.  I really ought to sell 2 or 3 of the guitars and 2 or 3 of the basses.  I also have 3 combos (MusicMan/Rivera/ZT) covering similar territory and should get rid of one or two.

My main reason for not doing it isn't hoarding it's the hassle of selling.  Most of these are not mainstream enough to be an easy sell locally, I'm not keen to get into packaging and shipping and trade-in offers I've been made are pretty derisory.  It's easy to think "I've got gear worth £x" but turning it into cash isn't always easy even if you're willing to take a bit less than MV for a quick sale.

guitargeek62

I like keeping my collection to the bare essentials. If it's not been played in a month or two, then it's probably going to be on the chopping board soon enough. As it stands, I've got two electrics, one (broken) acoustic, one amp, and a few pedals.

There's more that I'd like to buy, but it just has to really justify it's use before I'm willing to put any money down these days.

This is, of course, a complete reversal of my thought process from about 4 years ago where I'd willingly buy anything if I liked the look or price of it.

dindude

I restle with this too, I like to keep things as trim as possible but when I achieve that I want more variety, then it blows my mind all over again that I have too many, etc etc.

I've found some piece and harmony by the following approach:

I have my two "main" guitars, invariably a Strat followed by a Gibbo type semi. Then I have two wild cards, ones that will never compete with the two mains but have a very different character, so currently it's a single pickup La Cabronita, and a lairy Charvel superstrat.

I could never bring myself to own, say, three different versions of the same guitar.

monquixote

I've got 4 guitars. 

DGT and Standard Strat which are the gig machines. 

Old strat which is the one with sentimental value and hardly ever gets played. 

Gretsch which is the something different. I love it dearly, but don't use it all that much as it's a bit fragile to gig.

I have no desire to own loads of guitars and it baffles me when people own 20 mid range guitars or10 Les Pauls etc.

Kebabkid

I'm the same as monquixote. A couple of guitars that all get used regularly.

I have a customised MIM Strat that was my main workhorse until I got my PRS EGII (HSH) and a Taylor acoustic and Ibanez bass. Even though I normally have to sell something to fund a new, significant purchase, I just can't abide having things I don't play and whilst a decent Tele is probably the only thing missing from the above, I wonder do I really need it?

UnclePsychosis

Over the last few years I've massively cut down on how much gear I have. Now I'm down to the basics---a main bass, a backup bass (I'm a gigging bassist), one electric guitar and one acoustic. I've also sold *loads* of pedals and other musical gear that have just been sitting gathering dust (when you're keeping something because "might be handy one day" and you literally haven't plugged it in for three years, and they're easy to come by anyway, then its time to move it on). 

I'm much happier with my gear now than I have been in years. I don't like having stuff sitting around unused!! 

I did just have an absolutely massive attack of GAS for the first time in ages, but that will be resolved with a "one in, one out" policy that I'm applying to myself. 

TTony

I've got food in the fridge that I don't eat everyday.  But will do, someday.

I've got channels on the TV that I don't watch everyday.  But might do, someday.  (OK, that's unlikely for some of them).

I've got clothes in my wardrobe that I don't wear everyday.  But did do, before I became "rounded", and live in hope ...

I've got rooms in the house that I don't go into everyday.  But do use, somedays.

I've got cars on the driveway that I don't drive everyday.  But do drive, somedays.

And yes, I've got guitars that I don't play everyday too.

DrJazzTap

When I was gigging I just had one amp and one guitar. I now have three electrics, one semi, one electro acoustic and a standard acoustic.

I figure that if I start gigging then it'll be the DGT or the Tokai. I've never needed a backup guitar before.. I am curious to own say a Les Paul or a Tele, but then I don't need them. And perhaps something like one of those Line6 variaxe things would quench those odd needs.

Neil

I have three guitars (LP, Jr, Strat) that fulfil all my needs as a hobbyist player.

 I would like to buy more but that means the others would get played less and there would be more junk around the house. 

mike_l

octatonic said:

Now go to your room and smack yourself in the face with a PRS catalogue until you come to your senses.

Is he planning on being a Dentist too?

Evilmags

As one gets older one has to cut down (or stop altogether) fags, booze, drug, extreme sports, going out, staying up all night ect ect ect.

So bugger cutting down on guitars as well...

DavidRees

couldn't agree more Evilmags ...

PVO_Dave

Every now and again I think that maybe it's time for a change around / trim the amount of guitars, haven't sold any for a while, but since buying my Kemper, I've really noticed the 'shortfalls' (that's probably not the right word for this) in some of the guitars and have put some up for sale, I'll then replace the two MIM Strats (both with Roland gubbins, one RR one G-5) with one USA Strat.

I probably should sell my Les Paul Standard as it rarely gets played since I bought my custom, but just can't bring myself to do it, my first 'proper' guitar