Have you considered paring back to just one or 2 guitars?

Voxman

Philly_Q said:

There's a fundamental difference in mindset here, isn't there?

Some say "I've got a good Strat here which I'm really happy with, so that's covered."

I think "I've got a good Strat here which I'm really happy with, so I'd like another one."

Speaking personally, I'm in the first camp and not really from the second school. I have only one Tele, LP, SG, PRS, Etc. Only exception are my 3 strats but not quite as it seems. My first, a 69 hardtail that I've owned for over 40 yrs, is now too valuable to gig so I've retired it to home use only and bought a 2010 USA Standard with 22 frets, trem and Delta tone that is my gigging Strat. My other Strat is a proper USA 50th anniversary Deluxe that I bought for investment and is pure mint unplayed with stickers still on, and unopened case candy. 

So I haven't really gone down the road of buying 'more of the same'.  I am going to treat myself to a 72 Tele Thinline reissue, but that's a very different guitar to my 1988 USA Standard Tele, as it's semi hollow with 2 humbucker pickups.  

noisepolluter

TimmyO said:

This has been on my mind recently. 

I, like a great many people, own far too many guitars. 
I liked the idea of having different types, and each of them is either a) great in its own way or b) something I built or had made and therefore won't recoup much outlay. 

Yet for some reason I have this urge to get shot of most of them - or rather to be someone who only has 1 or 2 guitars as having them around feels like a waste.

Maybe it's some sort of gear-focussed mid-life-crisis or something - has it happened to you? 

There is an insane amount of guitars in the house, of which I own a sensible amount . Even if I were to sell all of mine, there would still be a generous sprinkling.  

daveyh

There’s a reason why the great guitarists are usually associated with one guitar.

Voxman

daveyh said:

There’s a reason why the great guitarists are usually associated with one guitar.

There are several reasons for that.

First, a lot of players who are associated with one guitar couldnt originally afford more than one guitar until they started to do well.  Jimmy Page couldnt afford a guitar, and it was Jeff Beck that gave him the now legendary Dragon Tele with which he recorded all of Led Zep one and nearly all of Led Zep II.   

Second, perception...taking Jimmy Page again most folk will equate him to his 58 and 59 Les Pauls but arguably you could equally equate him to his Tele or his red Gibson twin neck.  

Third, if you only have the need for one main sound, then one type of guitar is all you need. SRV with his Strats and Angus Young with his SGs are a case in point.  

But if you are e.g. an amateur player in a covers band, chances are you'll probably need a few different guitars to cover a range of tones...typically as a minimum you'll need humbucker and single coil options, and possibly a trem.  So it's likely you'll need a LP or SG and a Strat or Tele 'type' options. 

menamestom

I've got 3 electrics (Strat, Tele and Midtown) and 2 acoustics (Steel and nylon).

4 of the 5 get gigged or used regularly so I'll probably keep them all.
I do have another Telecaster body and neck, when that guitar appears it may tip the balance.

trolley

TimmyO said:

This has been on my mind recently. 

I, like a great many people, own far too many guitars. 
I liked the idea of having different types, and each of them is either a) great in its own way or b) something I built or had made and therefore won't recoup much outlay. 

Yet for some reason I have this urge to get shot of most of them - or rather to be someone who only has 1 or 2 guitars as having them around feels like a waste.

Maybe it's some sort of gear-focussed mid-life-crisis or something - has it happened to you? 

No. Not in 48 years of playing

daveyh

Voxman said:

daveyh said:

There’s a reason why the great guitarists are usually associated with one guitar.

There are several reasons for that.

First, a lot of players who are associated with one guitar couldnt originally afford more than one guitar until they started to do well.  Jimmy Page couldnt afford a guitar, and it was Jeff Beck that gave him the now legendary Dragon Tele with which he recorded all of Led Zep one and nearly all of Led Zep II.   

Second, perception...taking Jimmy Page again most folk will equate him to his 58 and 59 Les Pauls but arguably you could equally equate him to his Tele or his red Gibson twin neck.  

Third, if you only have the need for one main sound, then one type of guitar is all you need. SRV with his Strats and Angus Young with his SGs are a case in point.  

But if you are e.g. an amateur player in a covers band, chances are you'll probably need a few different guitars to cover a range of tones...typically as a minimum you'll need humbucker and single coil options, and possibly a trem.  So it's likely you'll need a LP or SG and a Strat or Tele 'type' options. 

Lol you justifying having lots of guitars?
Amateur players in covers bands’ half the time don’t seem to know what sound they want anyway. (Which doesn’t equate to great)
Jimmy Page couldn’t afford a guitar? Never heard that before. How does that work with him having been a session musician for years before he joined the Yardbirds?

TimmyO

daveyh said:

There’s a reason why the great guitarists are usually associated with one guitar.

Clapton and his Strat! And Les Paul. And 335. And SG. And OM28. 

monquixote

I think for some people planning how they are going to simplify their rig is another distraction activity. If you want to play more just play more.

TimmyO

monquixote said:

I think for some people planning how they are going to simplify their rig is another distraction activity. If you want to play more just play more.

not really a factor 

thegummy

daveyh said:

Voxman said:

daveyh said:

There’s a reason why the great guitarists are usually associated with one guitar.

There are several reasons for that.

First, a lot of players who are associated with one guitar couldnt originally afford more than one guitar until they started to do well.  Jimmy Page couldnt afford a guitar, and it was Jeff Beck that gave him the now legendary Dragon Tele with which he recorded all of Led Zep one and nearly all of Led Zep II.   

Second, perception...taking Jimmy Page again most folk will equate him to his 58 and 59 Les Pauls but arguably you could equally equate him to his Tele or his red Gibson twin neck.  

Third, if you only have the need for one main sound, then one type of guitar is all you need. SRV with his Strats and Angus Young with his SGs are a case in point.  

But if you are e.g. an amateur player in a covers band, chances are you'll probably need a few different guitars to cover a range of tones...typically as a minimum you'll need humbucker and single coil options, and possibly a trem.  So it's likely you'll need a LP or SG and a Strat or Tele 'type' options. 

Lol you justifying having lots of guitars?
Amateur players in covers bands’ half the time don’t seem to know what sound they want anyway. (Which doesn’t equate to great)
Jimmy Page couldn’t afford a guitar? Never heard that before. How does that work with him having been a session musician for years before he joined the Yardbirds?

How much was he earning as a session musician and how much were guitars back then?

monquixote

TimmyO said:

monquixote said:

I think for some people planning how they are going to simplify their rig is another distraction activity. If you want to play more just play more.

not really a factor 

Might not be in your case but there are definitely people on here who seem to be in a constant cycle of building up and cutting down.

TimmyO

aye I suppose.

For me, I don't anything will make me finally knuckle down and play more - I'm done kidding myself lol 

monquixote

I actually find buying stuff makes me play more although it's dicking about with sounds rather than learning songs.

Philly_Q

daveyh said:

There’s a reason why the great guitarists are usually associated with one guitar.

Yep, all the greats.  Francis Rossi. 

I was going to say Rick Parfitt too but he was occasionally seen with an SG Junior.

midlifecrisis

I have six electrics and admittedly I do waste proper practice time by playing then deciding to try the same thing on a different guitar, hoping it will be magically better

thegummy

While it might be true that a lot of famous great players stuck to one type of guitar, they also tend to stick to one specific style and sound that they're known for.

I'd imagine very few of the top session players in the industry stick to one, they'd more likely have a varied array to play various different styles.

tony99

daveyh said:

Voxman said:

daveyh said:

There’s a reason why the great guitarists are usually associated with one guitar.

There are several reasons for that.

First, a lot of players who are associated with one guitar couldnt originally afford more than one guitar until they started to do well.  Jimmy Page couldnt afford a guitar, and it was Jeff Beck that gave him the now legendary Dragon Tele with which he recorded all of Led Zep one and nearly all of Led Zep II.   

Second, perception...taking Jimmy Page again most folk will equate him to his 58 and 59 Les Pauls but arguably you could equally equate him to his Tele or his red Gibson twin neck.  

Third, if you only have the need for one main sound, then one type of guitar is all you need. SRV with his Strats and Angus Young with his SGs are a case in point.  

But if you are e.g. an amateur player in a covers band, chances are you'll probably need a few different guitars to cover a range of tones...typically as a minimum you'll need humbucker and single coil options, and possibly a trem.  So it's likely you'll need a LP or SG and a Strat or Tele 'type' options. 

Lol you justifying having lots of guitars?
Amateur players in covers bands’ half the time don’t seem to know what sound they want anyway. (Which doesn’t equate to great)
Jimmy Page couldn’t afford a guitar? Never heard that before. How does that work with him having been a session musician for years before he joined the Yardbirds?

he used to just turn up with a kazoo and hope for the best

Kittyfrisk

Sassafras said:

ICBM said:

Sassafras said:

I can only play one at a time.
In contrast, I own about 10 banjos.

Since you can only play one of those at a time too, I admire your public spiritedness in keeping the other nine.

They're investments for when the banjo makes its inevitable comeback.

Dominic

He who dies with the most guitars wins !