MYTHBUSTING: too many guitars

darthed1981

stickyfiddle said:

Something something "brown sound" something...

He's lucky he doesn't like the Boss Katana

"I'm just not getting the sounds I need from my brown channel..."

HarrySeven

mo6020 said:

At what point do you think you become a collector rather than just a player? I have 10 guitars atm and am in the process of building a partscaster, but I don't consider myself a collector.
 

At over 300 guitars, I'm definitely a collector - and my playing hasn't really moved on since about 1990...

Svartmetall

HarrySeven said: 

At over 300 guitars, I'm definitely a collector - and my playing hasn't really moved on since about 1990...

Bloody hell...I thought I was doing well on 50-something guitars and basses...

OilCityPickups

Svartmetall said:

HarrySeven said: 

At over 300 guitars, I'm definitely a collector - and my playing hasn't really moved on since about 1990...

Bloody hell...I thought I was doing well on 50-something guitars and basses...

At my most prolific I had fourteen ... now it's just my two gigging guitars and the pickup demo guitars for Oil City (five guitars and two basses currently) they are not really 'mine' though ... they are business assets. 

Sporky

I gave my next-door-neighbour about ten when we moved out.

He seemed surprised but grateful. 

I should probably point out that he was a guitar teacher. 

Basher

I have quite a few guitars. Probably too many but no "twicers" - in the sense that I only have one strat-type, one tele-type etc. Lots of tonal overlap though, I admit. 
I agree that spending money on lessons will probably make you a better player than buying another guitar would. However, it comes with the proviso that lessons are useless if you can't/won't practice.
I'm a bloody terrible player and would love to get lessons with someone like Alex Farran (@smogfalls on here) whose playing I find both beautiful and inspirational. Trouble is that I know I'd waste the time wanting to talk about gear rather than addressing the fact that I can't play to a click without turning the beat around (all the 2s and 4s become 1s and 3s within 3 bars!), have the musical vocabulary of a slug and would take 30 minutes to name the notes in an Em7b5 chord (if that's a thing).
Am currently trying to not buy a cheap Streamliner/Electromatic Gretsch of some sort. Absolutely no doubt that it will advance my playing skills by 0% (and that's starting from a very low bar) but struggling to resist as they look so cool (unlike me).

ewal

I don't like having guitars that don't get to do what they are made for. Even though they're nice to look at, they're musical instruments not ornaments. They should be played, ideally in a performance setting. A guitar that doesn't get played is like a song that doesn't get heard. I feel as if I am holding my guitars captive and one day I'll have to set them free. Might keep one of them which will eventually get released in to the wild when I pop off.

darthed1981

Sporky said:

I gave my next-door-neighbour about ten when we moved out.

He seemed surprised but grateful. 

I should probably point out that he was a guitar teacher. 

Was just thinking before I read the last line...

"Here have some guitars..."

"But... I don't play!"

"Well fucking learn chum!"

darthed1981

ewal said:

I don't like having guitars that don't get to do what they are made for. Even though they're nice to look at, they're musical instruments not ornaments. They should be played, ideally in a performance setting. A guitar that doesn't get played is like a song that doesn't get heard. I feel as if I am holding my guitars captive and one day I'll have to set them free. Might keep one of them which will eventually get released in to the wild when I pop off.

Just remember the Born Free woman was killed by a Lion in the end.

Don't want to see you mauled by a guitar.

guitarjack66

darthed1981 said:

ewal said:

I don't like having guitars that don't get to do what they are made for. Even though they're nice to look at, they're musical instruments not ornaments. They should be played, ideally in a performance setting. A guitar that doesn't get played is like a song that doesn't get heard. I feel as if I am holding my guitars captive and one day I'll have to set them free. Might keep one of them which will eventually get released in to the wild when I pop off.

Just remember the Born Free woman was killed by a Lion in the end.

Don't want to see you mauled by a guitar.

Joy Adamson 'Born Free Woman' was not killed by a Lion despite attempts to make it look like that. She was murdered.

ScreamingDave

guitarjack66 said:

darthed1981 said:

ewal said:

I don't like having guitars that don't get to do what they are made for. Even though they're nice to look at, they're musical instruments not ornaments. They should be played, ideally in a performance setting. A guitar that doesn't get played is like a song that doesn't get heard. I feel as if I am holding my guitars captive and one day I'll have to set them free. Might keep one of them which will eventually get released in to the wild when I pop off.

Just remember the Born Free woman was killed by a Lion in the end.

Don't want to see you mauled by a guitar.

Joy Adamson 'Born Free Woman' was not killed by a Lion despite attempts to make it look like that. She was murdered.

OK. Don’t want to see him get murdered by a guitar … 

Philly_Q

Svartmetall said:

HarrySeven said: 

At over 300 guitars, I'm definitely a collector - and my playing hasn't really moved on since about 1990...

Bloody hell...I thought I was doing well on 50-something guitars and basses...

Similar.  But I think you can play yours, so mine are a lot more superfluous.

darthed1981

guitarjack66 said:

darthed1981 said:

ewal said:

I don't like having guitars that don't get to do what they are made for. Even though they're nice to look at, they're musical instruments not ornaments. They should be played, ideally in a performance setting. A guitar that doesn't get played is like a song that doesn't get heard. I feel as if I am holding my guitars captive and one day I'll have to set them free. Might keep one of them which will eventually get released in to the wild when I pop off.

Just remember the Born Free woman was killed by a Lion in the end.

Don't want to see you mauled by a guitar.

Joy Adamson 'Born Free Woman' was not killed by a Lion despite attempts to make it look like that. She was murdered.

Thanks for the correction (sorry that sounds sarcastic, genuine thanks).

I recall the full story now you mention it.

DrJazzTap

Do what makes you happy.  My thoughts are no point in me having 15 low end guitars. Mainly due to space but also they don't float my boat. 
A new guitar does inspire me. I try not to be too rabbit hole with it. That's why I tend to steer away from pickup replacements. 
If you get joy from flipping guitars then do that. If you want to thunder through arpeggios do that. I used to be quite elitist about all of this "don't buy a flash les Paul, learn how to play first". Somebody pointed out to me that 90% of people just want to play Layla in front of the mirror. 
Basically try not to judge others as they'll judge you. Unless they are racist, transphobic or homophobic.

Offset

DrJazzTap said:

Do what makes you happy.  My thoughts are no point in me having 15 low end guitars. Mainly due to space but also they don't float my boat.

Yes, absolutely this.  Whilst my guitars aren't super-duper high end, I generally buy second-hand so I get stuff I want for which I'd be unwilling to cough up when new.

I like noodling. I like having my guitars out, visible and within reach in my study.  I like having stuff I couldn't afford when I was younger which traverse a number of bases and genres.

Will I ever play in a band again?  Probably not.  Am I happy?  Definitely.  Sure, I still see stuff on here I'd love but at this point in time at least, my GAS is fleeting and I don't wake up at night wrestling with my conscience.

Do what you want to do - other people's opinions on how few or how many guitars you have, what they are and what you do with them really don't matter.

ScreamingDave

I freely admit that I have too many guitars (although at a grand total of eight, I'm feeling a bit immasculated by those of you numbering 50 or even more) and amps and pedals ....

One of my SGs literally sits in its case for months on end, apart from getting put on a stand at the back of the stage during gigs as my back-up guitar.  I'd say that quite honestly I don't need it.  Number one has never let me down.  Not once.  But I do love owning it!  I feel the same way about my guitars as the NRA do about their guns.  Basically, if you try to take them from me, expect violence!

guitarjack66

ScreamingDave said:

guitarjack66 said:

darthed1981 said:

ewal said:

I don't like having guitars that don't get to do what they are made for. Even though they're nice to look at, they're musical instruments not ornaments. They should be played, ideally in a performance setting. A guitar that doesn't get played is like a song that doesn't get heard. I feel as if I am holding my guitars captive and one day I'll have to set them free. Might keep one of them which will eventually get released in to the wild when I pop off.

Just remember the Born Free woman was killed by a Lion in the end.

Don't want to see you mauled by a guitar.

Joy Adamson 'Born Free Woman' was not killed by a Lion despite attempts to make it look like that. She was murdered.

OK. Don’t want to see him get murdered by a guitar … 

When I play it sounds like I am murdering mine.

57Deluxe

Sporky said:

I gave my next-door-neighbour about ten when we moved out.

He seemed surprised but grateful. 

I should probably point out that he was a guitar teacher. 

I give my neighbours the benefit of the sound of ten guitars but with the added bonus that they don't have the issue of storing them!

hotpickups

If it gives one joy then it’s up to the individual what they spend their money on. The only problem I have is when they post how brilliant, vintage / organic sounding and incredible something is. It then gets all bullshit for me and move on. 

Kit today is soo good. I haven’t played a guitar that was ever unplayable or had a pedal that has sounded awful. It’s all subjective anyway. Plus it depends on so many other variables like which amp etc. It is commonly known though that I do love a demo and also like to see the awesome photos of gear that gets posted sometimes  

By the way. I only have three guitars and one of them I’m currently selling. Do you wanna buy it  

EDIT: Actually I have played an unplayable guitar tbh. It was an original 1955 telecaster worth around £50k I think. An absolute dog of an instrument that a cheap fender bullet/squire would’ve put to shame. Take that as you will lol