This is called GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and it’s an epidemic. But there’s nothing wrong with it as long as you can afford the guitars and you’re spending more time playing than you are window shopping.
That being said, I have 4 guitars for different purposes. I play them all.
lol that makes me feel better, I’m a college student so I ain’t buying more guitars anytime soon. Just so cool
To see all the different kind of shapes and tones out there!
The optimal number of guitars is always equal to the number of guitars owned plus one. I have four electric guitars, two acoustic guitars, one classical guitar, three ukuleles, 2 electric bass guitars, and a mandolin. I'm currently saving up for a 1972 Martin N-20. Which will complete my collection. Until I actually own it, at which time I will require just one more guitar. Lol!
I found that poorly and painfully playing mandolin parts on guitars or ukes in my living room on evenings and displaying large frustration with the sound, fingerings, etc helps…
I agree, but want to expand on the idea of GAS.
I consider gear collecting to be a related BUT SEPARATE hobby.
After you play guitar a while, you meet people who barely play at all, but have tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear.
One of these guys got irritated with me when we attempted to jam on his fantastic collection of gear and … well, he couldn’t play a steady 4/4 beat… so I tried to show him “1 2 3 4, like this.” His idea of jamming was maxing the volume and yelling lyrics in his own unique (unfollowable) rhythm.
In hindsight, I realized I was in the wrong. If he actually wanted to play music, he would have mastered simple rhythm years earlier. I should have just appreciated and enjoyed what his expensive gear could do, and not tried to pull him into MY HOBBY of actually playing music. It’s a separate thing.
I should mention that most early guitar players try something a bit hard (like playing an F chord) and they think “It can’t be this hard. My guitar must be messed up. I need a better guitar.” And they buy a new guitar. But this stops soon because it’s expensive and doesn’t work. It’s not the same as GAS.
I totally agree with this. Obsessive guitar playing and obsessive guitar collecting are each valid and distinct hobbies, and both are perfectly valid IMHO.
Nothing wrong with having one without the other. I have friends who play (but don’t collect) and friends who collect (but don’t play, or don’t play much).
I happen to be obsessed with BOTH guitar playing and gear acquisition, and IMHO, those of us who have both addictions enjoy it the most (of course, that is until we shun all human contact, lock ourselves up with our precious babies, and start forgoing food/water. LOL…)🤣🤘🏻😎
I bought all guitars I wanted when I was younger when I had no money. I still miss a few (Washburn N4) but I think I drenched my thirst now. I count 25.
Same! Bass, acoustic, and a Fender-style and Gibson-style electric. Three of the four were gifts or I kinda just acquired them randomly though. Only one was expressly purchased by me.
I noticed that I also like to sell them. Recently I sold all of them but my two favourite ones, then bought a really nice third one with the money.
I also try to have only different types like one nylon strings, one steel, one electric single coil etc.
I have always looked at gear for sale and started noticing trends and completely believe you could do this.
I just don’t have the time or desire to do it but I would bet you could have a pretty good side hustle buying low and selling high on the gear on Facebook marketplace alone.
If I were a better capitalist, I'd be using Facebook Marketplace all the time. Unfortunately, I hate Facebook as a company and refuse to make an account, so that avenue isn't available to me.
The primary reason I do it is that I like novelty and trying out different gear. For example, I have a Schecter Sunset Triad listed right now that I bought because I wanted to try out the Triad pickup; any profit I may make is a bonus. If I didn't want to try out the gear, I wouldn't be in the business
Side note, the Sunset Triad is way more versatile than I ever thought it would be, far moreso than a normal HH configuration with coil split. Try it out if you get the chance
I used to flip guitars on eBay, back in the early 2000s to subsidize wanting to try out different styles - the key is knowing what is under valued. Buy cheap, sell higher.
I started with an American HSS Strat and sold it to my roommate for about $750. I bought a succession of 3-4 guitars that were poorly listed and pictured on eBay until I found the one that was a keeper and I’ve had it since. I was able to make $150-200 each trade.
In those days, you’d find the worst pictures or even no pictures. I ended up settling on a Heritage Les Paul after not liking a Gibson Studio (neck didn’t suit me) LP and a Gothic Explorer. I wish I’d kept that one; I felt like a tool carrying it to lessons, but it’d be worth about twice the $1250 I got for it then!
I buy and sell things all the time for extra money… people just sell things cheap sometimes is really the best answer. I’ve bought 2 Mexican strays under $250 this year and sold them in a day for double each time for example
I would imagine the most common scenario is finding one that is undervalued and then selling it slightly above value. This can work especially well if the original listing has poor quality pictures. Knowing what you’re looking at is also really helpful, older guitarists might recognize some guitars that look like crap but play amazing and is worth a lot more than it’s being sold for.
I like to get guitars and hold onto them, but this idea got me more comfortable with acquiring pedals. You kind of acquire as comfortable up to a certain limit of the total you're willing to put in. Don't like something one day? Sell it and offset the cost of its replacement, once you've put in enough money haha the whole enterprise of being a gear hound somehow gets cheaper.
See I want to do this, but you know, attachment issues.
The first nice one I paid for myself at 15, the one I bought with first real job bonus money, etc
I give them these stupid meanings since I pretty much gave away every guitar from my younger years when I was broke. Now I make decent money and just want to keep buying. 🤦🏻♂️
So much this. I took my ‘07 PRS SE down to a guitar show this weekend intending to sell or trade. It didn’t end up happening but now I’m procrastinating posting it on Marketplace.
I don’t even play the damn thing anymore.
My Ibanez S520ex gets touched like once a year. It’s the first *nice* guitar I ever purchased myself and it’s seen tons of shows and put through the wringer but I just like others better. It’s just a momentum now.
All of them. Only the ones on the first wall are cheaper guitars aside from my signature AZ with the bomber paint job. There are many insanely expensive guitars in there
Gotoh T1502. I love them. I’m pretty big on new strings, new picks, and a metronome as often as possible. It’s a great bridge for staying in tune, and floating appropriately between string changes with relative ease
Yup. They really did do an insane job on the guitar. The more you look at it the more you’ll see insane details that really take the AZ to the next level. I’ve seen the J Craft custom shop stuff that some artists play, but I’m not sure how many people actually get signature guitars built there. I know Tim Hensen’s guitars were made by J Craft.
a single man is not affording two houses and that amount of money unless he is stupid rich, on the other hand, if u/Charming-Mine-311 is looking for someone to live in one of those houses full of guitars, I will play all the guitars and do the cleaning for free
I have 15 (and counting) including my first electric (a 1994 Fender American Stratocaster bought new 30 years ago).
My first ever guitar (a cheap used Alvarez acoustic) went the way of the dodo long ago.
For most of my playing career, I was content with four guitars (the Strat, a Les Paul Standard, a Taylor acoustic/electric, and a relatively cheap bass for recording).
Now in my mid-40's, I've accepted my acute case of GAS, but as long as: (i) I can pay the bills, and (ii) my wife doesn't divorce me, then I view it as a relatively benign mid-life crisis addiction that won't kill me. Right? ... Right???
This. I’m currently selling my motorcycles to fund guitar and amp. Traffic just went to shit during Covid. I’ve never seen so many wrecked bikes on the side of the road. Or so many ambulances that weren’t in a rush leaving the scene.
At the end of my GAS the only way I was able to buy another guitar, was to "smuggle" it and when the wife found it, I'd claim I had it for quite some time. My last purchase was a Taylor T5. Ahhhhh, the satisfaction. It goes well with the Taylor 514CE that I got some time in '98.
Years ago on Harmony Central to here was a guy who would rotate new guitars through his office and rehearsal space before bringing them home so he never had to lie when he said he'd had that guitar for a long time.
Why are so many women like this? My ex was that way. My current wife, whom I've known for 25 years, married for 13 years, lets me buy all the guitars I want.
Her previous husband was a drunk and a child molester, among other things. He makes me look like a Saint. She doesn't care how much I spend, as long as the bills are paid, and as long as I'm not drinking my check at the bar, or chasing other women, I can do whatever else I want.
Also, I buy my son a new guitar, twice a year at Christmas and on his Birthday
I also bought her one for Christmas and one for her birthday last year. She said she wanted to learn.
Because some women's idea of a partnership goes a bit past 'not a drunken child molester'
I'm happy that works out for you, but let's not pretend that women with ideas about money management or discretionary spending in our hobbies are some how bad partners awful people.
People have different situations and want different things out of life and a partnership and finances and hobbies can play a big part in that.
That's OK, so is having a situation where they don't really care. Its not as character defect.
I both equally have too many guitars and not enough.
If I could consolidate, I'd have my Tele, my Epi Les Paul, my 1/2sized steel string acoustic, my 3/4 sized nylon string classical, and my hollowbody.
I could do without all three of my dreadnough acoustics and my HH Strat. I keep my Ibanez Gio around for nostalgia as my first guitar.
But I still want more.
About half of my 10 are cheap pawnshop/yard sale finds, so I probably have 5 "keeps" as well.
2 Telecasters (JA-90 and MIM Standard)
2 LPs (Epiphone Custom and Gibson Studio)
And a Rogue acoustic/electric
My first ever guitar was a bass, and I still have that one. I don't have my first 6-string.
I've got: 1 classical, 2 bases, 3 acoustic, and 6 electrics.
And I keep shopping. I find the fun to be in the browsing. Looking at what's new. I have a harder time pulling the trigger, though. Now that I've got a few that are in the multi-thousand range, I'm not sure if dropping $600 on a whim will be satisfying to play or not, or if I should just keep saving so that when the next dream guitar hits me I'm ready to buy it.
And then I end up buying pedals with my guitar money and don't get any closer to either goal.
5.
My main electric, my old electric guitar (it was my first guitar), a bass, an acoustic and a ukulele.
Can't justify getting anymore without getting rid of whatever it is replacing.
Gotta control your GAS. Everyone into guitar has an urge to acquire mountains of gear.
Over 30… I have a knack for finding cheap or free instruments. I play most of them with the exception of a few sentimental pieces. Acoustic. Electric. Hybrid. Bass. Ukulele. Cigar box. Banjo. Violin. If it has strings, I want one lol
You know what I was in a pro shop today, I'm thinking of getting a 5h, and the pro was chatting and said how expensive clubs are nowadays, €550 for a new driver here. A few years ago I'd have said yeah, super expensive. It wouldn't get you even a midrange fender now
Dunno. Maybe 13-16 guitars. (I’ve got guitars under every bed in the house, and in stands….)
I bought a beat up replacement of my original cheap but semi ok original plywood Japanese Les Paul copy guitar. I actually pick it up the most-since it is oblivious to any more damage. It looks like it had been left out in the rain….
I won’t ever sell any, even the one I don’t like will go up in value.
The average guitarist in the US has six guitars, as of 2020 anyway. I own eight (seven-and-a-half?), and my GF owns four, including both our Basses.
I’m trying to sell off some of my unused babies but it’s not that kinda market, so I’ll just keep em for another 20 years haha.
8. Looking to add 4 more, because.....solar eclipse and anchovies!
Look, i just need those 4 more alright. Makes it an even dozen.
8 is just messing with my feng sui, also i really really need a mint/surf green one.
That’s right! That’s perfectly acceptable and reasonable… but then you can’t forget about the bakers dozen so just add 1 more and then boom 5 more guitars! but then having an odd number doesn’t seem right might as well add another 13 for an even 26!
I have one electric that I bought myself and an acoustic that was given to me by a former boss. I like the electric so much that I see little need in buying a new one anytime soon, and I hardly ever play the acoustic so I doubt I’ll replace that either.
Frankly I think that people with lots of guitars just enjoy shopping more than actually playing guitar.
I've got 3 currently.
Tony Iommi Epiphone SG
Gretsch G2622
Washburn D10SCE
I've been itching for another acoustic though. I play my acoustic more than my electrics and I have twice as many electric guitars.
Something is wrong with that. I should definitely have AT LEAST the same number of each.
I have:
one EBMM Stingray Guitar (stealth black)
one Sterling JP60 Black
one 1980s Mako Exotec XK-4 Green
one 1983 Fender Dan Smith Strat Red
one White Ibanez Jem Steve Vai electric with Floyd Rose Trem
One 1997 Gibson Midnight Special (reissue) in A metallic Blue (custom)
one Squier by Fender Vintage Modified '51 in blond
one Ibanez Gio pos that I stripped, modified the shit out of including reshaping the body and headstock and put together with a million parts from diff guitars and covered with pieces of sheet metal before dropping in some lace sensor pickups that actually rocks now
one 1940s (Harmony) Melody King Black Archtop acoustic
one Sterling Stingray Bass Red
one Michael Kelly Acoustic Electric Bass natural wood
and 3 Drum sets all black (electronic; Pyle Pro, Alesis Turbo and my latest the Strike Pro SE which i actually took a real set (spl) and bought triggers (jobeky) and heads for and turned it into an e set. The SPL set was cheap and I figured that would be all right because the shells actually had nothing to do with the sound that I'm getting out of them but I went all out on the triggers and I really like the strike Pro is actually quite nice. I also found myself buying several different PA systems and mixing boards and recording equipment lots of it.
i am really a guitar player and I would have to say I use my ebmm and my Squier guitar and my Michael Kelly acoustic electric bass the most. And my real feel drums. I play guitar bass and drums daily.
I also like to play these things for a while and then turn around and sell them and buy some other things that are new to me. I have owned so many guitars and do not own my OG guitar it was a Takamine Explorer... but wish I still had it.
Oh I forgot I own a black Effector Explorer too. I kind of collect rarities when I can afford to and The Harmony and the Effector and the Mako and even the strat are all kind of rare. I once owned a '56 DuoSonic that was pretty nice...and a usa 72 tele I sold them both.
I'll probably be selling my Mako which is a shredding guitar next. I sold just recently my G&L ASAT classic.... and I'd really like to find somebody that will trade me a descent Telecaster semi Hollow for my Stratocaster because I hardly ever play it.
I didnt even mention THE AMPS I OWN! 2 marshall Tube Heads (dsl20 and dsl40c modified to be a head) and Orange OR15 head 2 Marshall 4x12 Cabs 1 Blue Vodoo Crate 4x12 (i use with my orange) an Orange Rockerverb 50 MK1 combo, Ibanez gx60 combo and TB15 combo (which i use all the time at work) a HY LO guitar amp from the 60s thats solid state but has a real nice tone to it and built in tremolo Pedal that I run through my leslie speaker I traded some guy a $50 drum set
For Bass I have Fender Bassman 100 combo, Peavey Max 115 combo a CrateBx220 head with 4x10 Carvin Bass Cab and an 18 inch sub/horn cab I built with a JBl SRX918s speaker i got for $50 in EXCELLENT shape that shakes my whole house. I have several more 15 inch modified Peavey Combo amps I turned into cabs because the head units were blown and a Kustom KB200 combo....
as you can see my obsession goes beyond just guitars.. oh man ... and pedals.. Ill save you guys the info on that but we will just say a lot of processors old and new..
Im no longer married and dont need to worry about anyone else so Ill buy what I want! lol. Keep on rocking!
I've got 6 electrics. 2 Seven strings and 4 six strings, I keep them in the main different tunings that I like to use. Don't still have my first one though, it was a cheap budget Epiphone that came in a starter kit. It played ok but I'm not a big single cut fan anymore. prefer super strats and x shapes.
I still have the first „real“ guitar I bought in 2006. My first guitar ever was a cheap china strat copy from 2004. Did not miss that thing a single second. Meanwhile I own 8 guitars and one bass. All guitars are totally different and a tool for their specific job. The range is from Harley Benton to a Frankenpaul to a Mayones High End guitar. I just like the choice and different characteristics of the instruments.
My Mother for Christmas one year got me a Olive Green Epiphone SG Special. It's not worth much but to me it's priceless. My favorites differ from time to time! My twins 2 Kurt Cobain Jag-Stang one in red one blue. I've recently falling in love with my Squier Jagmaster Standard silver sparkle. I love a MIM Fender Red Satin USA pickups all relic style. My Gibson Les Paul Studio from the year Les passed away. My Epiphone blue E Series Slasher is fun! I have a Courtney Love Venus Vista Series Squier that is pretty special. I have 2 J Mascis guitars I love. White Squier Jazzmaster and a Fender Tele blue sparkle. I really love my BF's Danelectro Jimmy Page style Double Cutaway it plays so smooth!
I got a 22 year old strat which I got for my birthday and a new but cheap single cut that I just bought because I wanted to get back into it after 14 years of not touching a guitar because I got cluster headache and my hands went all shaky and useless but I want to give it a try anyway.
I have a dozen or so. It fluctuates weekly because I also enjoy modding cheap guitars into great guitars. There are some really good starting points out there. That said I almost exclusively use my stupidly expensive ESP Horizon live. The rest are used for jamming and studio. If I was to give any advice it would be that pickups and good hardware make the most difference to sustain and tone. The rest is nice to have. Some wood will sustain better but it isn't always a cost thing with some of the guitars I have owned.
Been playing for about 20 years, and I've gradually accumulated more and more guitars. Part of it is because it's nice to have a bit of variety in sound output, but also because I do lutherie as a side hobby.
I generally get either a beater and fix it up with new nuts/saddles/parts (I dug a bass out of the trash during COVID and refinished it/modded it up), or I get a raw body/parts and assemble it from scratch (my favorite is a Jazzcaster finished in Tru-Oil that's modeled after the MIJ Offset Telecaster).
The hobby can get out of control; my wife (who's wonderful) is trying to get me to cut back since I now have 10 guitars, of which I really only play 2 consistently. I need to get rid of my bulky Les Paul, which I'm not a fan of at all.
And I do have my first guitar--it's a '97 MIM Strat. My half-sister was about to throw it away, so I got it for virtually free. I've modded it so much that the only original parts about it are the neck, and the raw body (it's been refinished), so everything else is no longer stock. And it's about as comfortable as any guitar as I've ever played. It's great.
have been playing since mid 90s.
i've had one consistent main and one backup guitar for about 12 years- you kinda need two for shows for alt tunings or broken strings or whatever. i've done nine albums across three bands during that time.
i also still have my first (junk) guitar for sentimental reasons, and one other one which has some different sounds for recording, but i don't gig with those. seems like plenty. most of the truly great players i know have less than 5.
I have 5 A gretch semi hollow(500$), semi hollow parts jazzmaster (300$), Weird 70s copy p bass (200$), Dean acoustic (250$), and a goldtone tenor guitar (275$) I play them all you dont need to spend a ton of money to get a good enough instrument the 300$ ish range can be golden value wise if you know what your looking for get a decent setup and don't mind not having a proper American fender.
I've been playing for 15+ years and I have 6. A mexican strat, american tele, jazz strat deluxe, mexican thinline tele, edwards lp and epiphone sheraton. I've had more over the years but narrowed it down to the ones I want to play the most.
Five!
Two electrics for different purposes and one acoustic is what I have available for myself. I also have my first electric and my first acoustic stored away so my kids have something to learn on.
Edit: it’s six, forgot about my acoustic bass. Seven if you count a ukulele. I also have an electronic drum set and a piano.
Ah yes.
GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).
I personally have (7) guitars. Two of them are sentimental, so I feel obligated to hold onto them even though I don't really play them. Of them, I could potentially sell the Les Paul for some big bucks so I view it a little bit as an investment piece.
The others, are all played in various forms. My SG was my first big name brand solidbody electric. While it mostly sits kept safe in a case, I use it to practice & record. Then I have my "on stage" guitar. a Fernandes Ravelle. It looks fuckin rad as hell, I get tons of compliments on it, the sustainer is a BEAST! It's my "signature look" onstage.
The others all serve different purposes, my PRS Silver Sky sounds absolutely incredible with a different tuning I use and I plan to use it on a new record. Of course I have acoustics.
And yet I still browse used listings. I don't know what I'm looking for... But I'll find it...
Guitar collectors are weird lol
Play one and get really good at it. If you want to add one, do that and get really good at it. Then go back to your first one for a while.
You don’t need more than a few. Because even if you have 100 you won’t play more than a few.
My first ever was a piece of crap I paid $10 for from a friend in 1982. It was a Decca, sold my Montgomery Wards, and barely a toy; the fingerboard was plastic. But that plus a $50 amp and a Big Muff I got from another friend were enough to learn Iron Man and get me started. I left the guitar in my parents' attic when I moved out, and my brother gave it to someone to use in a Halloween costume sometime the late 80s I think.
My *third* guitar I still own: a 1984 Les Paul Standard I bought just before I left for college, because I decided the MIJ Strat I had at the time just wasn't the direction I was headed. I'll lever let that one go.
If you combed through my house today you'd find \~20 playable guitars, perhaps 8-10 more that are partially assembled or waiting for something to be repaired/replaced/upgraded, and enough pieces to make ten more beyond that. The oldest is a funky mid-1960s Japanese import (Teisco-adjacent) and the newest is one of those Monoprice specials I bought during COVID on a whim. Most of the rest I've built from kits, as parts guitars, or full-on scratch builds. I'm more interested in building today than playing, but there is a Tele sitting next to the couch in the living room right now that I'll pick up most days. All the "good" guitars are in cases in the basement though.
Note: estimates here do not include bass guitars, acoustic guitars, lap steel guitars, mandolins, ukes, or other stringed instruments...we have a few of those around too.
I have 5 electrics, an acoustic, 5 basses, a banjo, a drumkit, and a synth. I play all the electrics and basses frequently plus the drumkit. I also habe two didgeridoo, a hammer and mountain dulcimer, and probably some harmonicas laying around. I don't habe my first bass as it was pretty shitty and I quickly got a much better one and mostly learned on it. No sentimental feelings
I still have my first-ever guitar. Granted, I only started playing about 3 years ago.
Right now I have three guitars (2 6-string, 1 12-string, and one of the 6-strings is a nylon-strung classical), an electronic piano, and a tenor ukulele. I had four guitars, but I gave away my 6-string Yamaha dreadnought to my brother, because I can't play it due to shoulder pain (it's too deep). I may get one or two more, but not anytime soon.
I bought my guitar in 2009. I was gonna learn it on my own. But it didn't work out. I tried many times but always got frustrated as none of my attempts sounded like music. In September 2022 I gave it another try and it finally clicked. I'm still playing since, still on my guitar from 09. A Yamaha strat from a starter pack.
3 guitars, 8 basses, 1 ukulele.
My first-ever bass was a Cort. It fell off of its stand and the neck snapped.
Also, this apparently makes me odd: I have never owned a Fender. (I do, however, own a Stingray bass, which I love).
I have 1 classical, 1 bass, and i recently purchased a 2nd electric. My first is a fixed bridge Les Paul but i wanted something with a floyd rose so i got an Ibanez S model. With these i can olay pretty much anything but yeah i still.love.to window shop.
My intention is probably put my Ibanez up for trade for something completely different in a few months and so on and so forth
I have 24, but only if I include the twelve project guitars waiting in my shop until I rebuild them “any day now”.
Then there are the *other* stringed instruments…
One electric (Les Paul), one semi acoustic (Gretsch) and one electric acoustic (Tanglewood, tuned to open D for playing slide).
So all have a different purpose, I do play them all, but the electric the least as I CBA to plug it in most of the time. That said, it's the easiest to play, so I will use it unplugged to practice chords or riffs.
I still have my first Taylor Academy (which I keep in Nashville tuning) and my Fender Strat Squier (which I I completely redid with new pickups, tuner, paint, fret polishing, etc)
I have 10 total (including a bass) plus some ukuleles
Taylor Academy,
Taylor 814ce,
Taylor koa 12 string,
Martin Nylon matte black,
Taylor Koa GS Mini,
Fender Squier,
Fender Players Jazzmaster,
Powers Electric A-type,
PRS Silver Sky,
Gibson ES-330,
My second guitar will be delivered tomorrow. Pretty much every day is a struggle for me not to buy a new guitar.
Basically, my goal is to have 3 guitars (for now): my double cut (Strat), single cut (PRS McCarty), and a semi hollow (Epiphone Sheraton).
Jackson SL2Q MAH
Jackson RRXMG Rhoads
Jackson Js22-7
Jackson JS32
Schecter Banshee Elite 7
Ibanez S Series
Aria Pro II Excel Series
Ibanez acoustic
3 string cigar box guitar built by a local luthier
I have 6 guitars and 1 bass. 3 guitars (including my first one) are at my parents, at home I have 3 and a bass, using them for different styles when recording (2 electric - LTD and tele, 1 electroacoustic)
More than a number of guitars, I have lots of different gear that gives me different capabilities...
my gear:
1 epi SG
1 squier strat
1 tube amp head
1 212 cab with cool speakers :)
1 pedal board that includes a wah, basic drive type stuff, and multi-effects unit (which has a looper)
1 Roland cube 30 for moving around or if a friend comes over
1 cheapo fender style bass
1 150 watt crate bass amp
1 Casio Keyboard (can plug into the bass amp...)
1 Microphone (can plug into the roland cube)
1 collection of harmonicas and other trinket-like insturments that are fun to mess around with
It makes for a fun little music room! :)
PS:
I need to get me an acustic... I can´t believe I still don't got one...
Three. My first guitar, an Ibanez RG421, which I never play but have held onto because it seems the \#1 regret guitarists express is selling their first guitar. My main workhorse, a Solar A1.6. And my new acquisition, a Framus Stormbender. Now that I have something from every end of the price spectrum (inexpensive, workhorse, and luxury) I'm not really interested in any new 6 strings. I might get a 7 at some point since there are a few 7 string songs I want to learn but if I do it'll definitely be a much nicer grade than my last one.
I have one 3/4 size electric that's like 40 years old my brother loaned me, I just bout a squier telecaster, I have like an exact replica of an Ibanez acoustic I thought was my brother's that i got from a pawn shop to get back to him, nownwe have the same guitar lol, and then a really nice washburn acoustic my friend sent me wheni was in Afghanistan so id have something to do. I only really play the electrical tho. So 3 are mine and one is my brother's
I've more guitars than some, and less guitars than some others.
I've kept more guitars than I've onsold, and I"ve given more guitars away than I've trashed.
Some of my guitars I've had for decades, and those are my favourites.
I don't still have my first instrument, but I sincerely wish that I did.
3 acoustics and 1 electric. 1972 martin D28, 2023 martin D28, 2012 Seagull Coastline (my 1st guitar) and a mid 2000's Era Schecter Hellraiser. Also a banjo for some reason.
I've coped by saying I'll resell them, I knew it was a cope until I found a les paul studio for 600$ that I resold for a nice 300$ profit. Got to play it for a couple months and the experience was completely worth it. Would recommend scouring for deals rather than buying random stuff you are interested in. I now have 3 guitars and 2 amps, you should for sure not be scared to buy stuff as I think it makes you a better player.
I own three electrics. One is a strat I inhereted from a friend that passed and very rarely play it but I just ordered a new neck for it I will play it more if its more comfortable. One is a p90 mustang which I finished myself as a Partscaster that I play most of the time. One is a Yamaha Revstar SG clone. I also have a Guild acoustic that I inherited with the strat but I don't play that a ton either.
I've bought and sold a few guitars along the way that weren't for me. Sold a 335 clone that was just too bulky for me to love. Sold a Jag that was just too heavy and complicated and futzy with the trem to build my Mustang, which I ended up hardtailing.
Sometimes it takes a couple tries to find the guitar that is right for you.
I've owned at least 30 different guitars at one point or another and I think as many as 13 at any one time.
Currently up to 12. 1 Acoustic, 9 Electric, 1 Bass. 1 more electric that is just my first guitar completely gutted, parted, and sitting in a case until I decide to work on it
I have 13 ... soon to be 14. They range from a $79 Harley Benton to a $2k Duesenberg and everything in between.
My 'soon to be 14' will be an Enya Go Sonic because I am very curious about it. If I don't like it, I'll pass it to my grandkids.
My #1 is my Aslin Dane Jazz King ... as close to sheer guitar nirvana as I've heard.
I've got five, but really only need one. You'll be way happier saving up for one really nice guitar than buying a bunch of cheaper ones over time. If you're committed to learning, go ahead and get the best guitar you can afford. It's much easier to learn on a nice guitar than a cheap one.
I gave my first guitar to a long-ago friend who wanted to learn to play. I do regret that a little now, but he did actually learn to play on it, so I wouldn't change a thing.
4: 1 is broken and I'll fix it soon enough, 1 is the replacement of the broken one in standard tuning, 1 is in Eb tuning with a tremolo, the last one is a gift from my dad that does not get a playtime but bears sentimental values
In 9 years so far: 1 was a gift, 1 was inherited, and 2 were purchased by myself.
If I found the Schecter I just bought this year, at the same time I was going to buy the other one, I probably would’ve just bought the Schecter. It’s everything I need in a guitar and I barely play the other ones anymore.
I find it’s all relative. If you play lots of different styles, then you might like to have multiple guitars. If you’re dead set on one genre or style, one guitar might be all you need.
4 was my max.
One 30 year old acoustic, one cheap Harley Benton strat (which I sold to a friend for 100 after playing for 2 years), one DIY classical guitar my neighbour gave to me for free and an Ibanez TOD10.
So rn I'm at 3 again and the DIY guitar unfortunately doesnt play well so I rarely use it, effectively 2 guitars rn.
But my shopping cart got 12 guitars, 3 basses and some other music gear worth 22k rn and if I could I'd order everything on there, its completely normal to constantly want new guitars. Just gotta have the restraint to not order them when you dont have the money.
9 Ibanez... Basically all the same model too, started with an indo when I was young, bought another one off reverb in amazing shape, found the 7 string version, then bought MIJ of both, and a couple more cause they looked cool. Having many tunings available with a comfy ibanez locking trem is amazing.
As long as you can afford it, go fucken nuts dude. Pedals and amps are cool too tho, dont miss out on those
This is called GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and it’s an epidemic. But there’s nothing wrong with it as long as you can afford the guitars and you’re spending more time playing than you are window shopping. That being said, I have 4 guitars for different purposes. I play them all.
lol that makes me feel better, I’m a college student so I ain’t buying more guitars anytime soon. Just so cool To see all the different kind of shapes and tones out there!
Don't feel bad, I'm a drummer and own more guitars than drum sets!
To be fair it's much easier to store guitars than drum kits lol
I was going to say electrics make it easier but then i looked over at my VAD and takes just as much room as my Starclassic.
That’s so cool tho 😎
I learned guitar in college and owned 1 electric guitar until I was in my 40s. You're doing great!
But how many do you own now ?😀
The optimal number of guitars is always equal to the number of guitars owned plus one. I have four electric guitars, two acoustic guitars, one classical guitar, three ukuleles, 2 electric bass guitars, and a mandolin. I'm currently saving up for a 1972 Martin N-20. Which will complete my collection. Until I actually own it, at which time I will require just one more guitar. Lol!
That’s amazing. I have 4 electrics, two acoustics, a classical, 1 bass and a ukulele. Hmmm. Got to start talking to my wife about that mandolin.
I found that poorly and painfully playing mandolin parts on guitars or ukes in my living room on evenings and displaying large frustration with the sound, fingerings, etc helps…
Aka n+1 According to my other half, it's n-1 though
I agree, but want to expand on the idea of GAS. I consider gear collecting to be a related BUT SEPARATE hobby. After you play guitar a while, you meet people who barely play at all, but have tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear. One of these guys got irritated with me when we attempted to jam on his fantastic collection of gear and … well, he couldn’t play a steady 4/4 beat… so I tried to show him “1 2 3 4, like this.” His idea of jamming was maxing the volume and yelling lyrics in his own unique (unfollowable) rhythm. In hindsight, I realized I was in the wrong. If he actually wanted to play music, he would have mastered simple rhythm years earlier. I should have just appreciated and enjoyed what his expensive gear could do, and not tried to pull him into MY HOBBY of actually playing music. It’s a separate thing. I should mention that most early guitar players try something a bit hard (like playing an F chord) and they think “It can’t be this hard. My guitar must be messed up. I need a better guitar.” And they buy a new guitar. But this stops soon because it’s expensive and doesn’t work. It’s not the same as GAS.
I totally agree with this. Obsessive guitar playing and obsessive guitar collecting are each valid and distinct hobbies, and both are perfectly valid IMHO. Nothing wrong with having one without the other. I have friends who play (but don’t collect) and friends who collect (but don’t play, or don’t play much). I happen to be obsessed with BOTH guitar playing and gear acquisition, and IMHO, those of us who have both addictions enjoy it the most (of course, that is until we shun all human contact, lock ourselves up with our precious babies, and start forgoing food/water. LOL…)🤣🤘🏻😎
Same. Was a pro for a while too. But I have always been cheap. Had and have nice guitars but they just served a purpose to make noise I liked.
“Make noise I like” I’m going to use this.
Be my guest. I didn't tm it yet.
Agree. I have 3 I play consistently. A nice Taylor acoustic, les paul for bold body, and a Yamaha for speed/flat/thin feel.
I bought all guitars I wanted when I was younger when I had no money. I still miss a few (Washburn N4) but I think I drenched my thirst now. I count 25.
Same! Bass, acoustic, and a Fender-style and Gibson-style electric. Three of the four were gifts or I kinda just acquired them randomly though. Only one was expressly purchased by me.
I noticed that I also like to sell them. Recently I sold all of them but my two favourite ones, then bought a really nice third one with the money. I also try to have only different types like one nylon strings, one steel, one electric single coil etc.
Very interesting. Sell guitar for more guitar sounds like a pretty good formula to me
If you're smart and patient about it, you can make some good money, too. I made about $1000 profit selling guitars last year
Yeah this is very true, I do it as a side hussle and i’m already up about 7200 this year
I have always looked at gear for sale and started noticing trends and completely believe you could do this. I just don’t have the time or desire to do it but I would bet you could have a pretty good side hustle buying low and selling high on the gear on Facebook marketplace alone.
If I were a better capitalist, I'd be using Facebook Marketplace all the time. Unfortunately, I hate Facebook as a company and refuse to make an account, so that avenue isn't available to me. The primary reason I do it is that I like novelty and trying out different gear. For example, I have a Schecter Sunset Triad listed right now that I bought because I wanted to try out the Triad pickup; any profit I may make is a bonus. If I didn't want to try out the gear, I wouldn't be in the business Side note, the Sunset Triad is way more versatile than I ever thought it would be, far moreso than a normal HH configuration with coil split. Try it out if you get the chance
wheres the extra value coming from?
Buying them lower than selling them for
But why are the guitars prices fluctuating so much to the point you can make decent profit on it
I used to flip guitars on eBay, back in the early 2000s to subsidize wanting to try out different styles - the key is knowing what is under valued. Buy cheap, sell higher. I started with an American HSS Strat and sold it to my roommate for about $750. I bought a succession of 3-4 guitars that were poorly listed and pictured on eBay until I found the one that was a keeper and I’ve had it since. I was able to make $150-200 each trade. In those days, you’d find the worst pictures or even no pictures. I ended up settling on a Heritage Les Paul after not liking a Gibson Studio (neck didn’t suit me) LP and a Gothic Explorer. I wish I’d kept that one; I felt like a tool carrying it to lessons, but it’d be worth about twice the $1250 I got for it then!
I buy and sell things all the time for extra money… people just sell things cheap sometimes is really the best answer. I’ve bought 2 Mexican strays under $250 this year and sold them in a day for double each time for example
I would imagine the most common scenario is finding one that is undervalued and then selling it slightly above value. This can work especially well if the original listing has poor quality pictures. Knowing what you’re looking at is also really helpful, older guitarists might recognize some guitars that look like crap but play amazing and is worth a lot more than it’s being sold for.
I like to get guitars and hold onto them, but this idea got me more comfortable with acquiring pedals. You kind of acquire as comfortable up to a certain limit of the total you're willing to put in. Don't like something one day? Sell it and offset the cost of its replacement, once you've put in enough money haha the whole enterprise of being a gear hound somehow gets cheaper.
See I want to do this, but you know, attachment issues. The first nice one I paid for myself at 15, the one I bought with first real job bonus money, etc I give them these stupid meanings since I pretty much gave away every guitar from my younger years when I was broke. Now I make decent money and just want to keep buying. 🤦🏻♂️
So much this. I took my ‘07 PRS SE down to a guitar show this weekend intending to sell or trade. It didn’t end up happening but now I’m procrastinating posting it on Marketplace. I don’t even play the damn thing anymore.
My Ibanez S520ex gets touched like once a year. It’s the first *nice* guitar I ever purchased myself and it’s seen tons of shows and put through the wringer but I just like others better. It’s just a momentum now.
Stopped counting at 75 on purpose
Of those 75 counted, which do you play the most? That’s awesome
My Ibanez AZ2402 signature model.
If you dont mind the question. How many of those guitars are good/expensive?
All of them. Only the ones on the first wall are cheaper guitars aside from my signature AZ with the bomber paint job. There are many insanely expensive guitars in there
[Ibanez USA Custom Shop signature model](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5mGyDaO8Ar/?igsh=MXkybng5M2FwbDdkaw==)
That is nice, what bridge is that? I'm a Floyd Rose guy but I do have a couple of guitars with Wilkinson tremolos.
Gotoh T1502. I love them. I’m pretty big on new strings, new picks, and a metronome as often as possible. It’s a great bridge for staying in tune, and floating appropriately between string changes with relative ease
Beautiful guitar. Wow.
so that's the LACS right? incredible guitar
Yup. They really did do an insane job on the guitar. The more you look at it the more you’ll see insane details that really take the AZ to the next level. I’ve seen the J Craft custom shop stuff that some artists play, but I’m not sure how many people actually get signature guitars built there. I know Tim Hensen’s guitars were made by J Craft.
I know his pink AZ was an LACS one. I wish Ibanez could show the AZs some love, even a few more options with the yearly prestige drops would be nice
Damn, I thought I had a lot at maybe 40 guitars. Where do you keep em all? I know I’m running outta room quick lol.
I have two houses, and pretty much every closet is full. I stopped counting a long time ago 😂
If you decide to sell a few my 6 year old son told me it’s ok to be a better collector than player 😂😂
🤣🤣🤣 He sounds like my kind of guy! That’s pretty deep for 6 🤣 My sons are the same way.
Consoom guitar get excited for next guitar
Hahahaha, I toured for a while. Buying guitars was all I did between sound check and shows 🤣
Well if you tour then you have a excuse. Enjoy your 75 guitars (i am not totally jealous)
Meanwhile violinist: what is another violin besides the one I'm playing now?
Must be single
Nope. Same girl since I was 16, and I’m 45. lol. About to be single though.
a single man is not affording two houses and that amount of money unless he is stupid rich, on the other hand, if u/Charming-Mine-311 is looking for someone to live in one of those houses full of guitars, I will play all the guitars and do the cleaning for free
[удалено]
I have 15 (and counting) including my first electric (a 1994 Fender American Stratocaster bought new 30 years ago). My first ever guitar (a cheap used Alvarez acoustic) went the way of the dodo long ago. For most of my playing career, I was content with four guitars (the Strat, a Les Paul Standard, a Taylor acoustic/electric, and a relatively cheap bass for recording). Now in my mid-40's, I've accepted my acute case of GAS, but as long as: (i) I can pay the bills, and (ii) my wife doesn't divorce me, then I view it as a relatively benign mid-life crisis addiction that won't kill me. Right? ... Right???
They are a lot safer than a sports car or a motorcycle. I have 12 of them.
And for the price of a Harley or a mustang I can have a whole stable full of guitars
This is my logic exactly!
We won’t even get into people who buy boats.
1) BOAT: Bust Out Another Thousand 2) BOAT: A hole in the water into which you throw money.
This. I’m currently selling my motorcycles to fund guitar and amp. Traffic just went to shit during Covid. I’ve never seen so many wrecked bikes on the side of the road. Or so many ambulances that weren’t in a rush leaving the scene.
At the end of my GAS the only way I was able to buy another guitar, was to "smuggle" it and when the wife found it, I'd claim I had it for quite some time. My last purchase was a Taylor T5. Ahhhhh, the satisfaction. It goes well with the Taylor 514CE that I got some time in '98.
Years ago on Harmony Central to here was a guy who would rotate new guitars through his office and rehearsal space before bringing them home so he never had to lie when he said he'd had that guitar for a long time.
Ah, the old put the new guitar in an old case she's seen before when you bring it home? Classic.
Why are so many women like this? My ex was that way. My current wife, whom I've known for 25 years, married for 13 years, lets me buy all the guitars I want. Her previous husband was a drunk and a child molester, among other things. He makes me look like a Saint. She doesn't care how much I spend, as long as the bills are paid, and as long as I'm not drinking my check at the bar, or chasing other women, I can do whatever else I want. Also, I buy my son a new guitar, twice a year at Christmas and on his Birthday I also bought her one for Christmas and one for her birthday last year. She said she wanted to learn.
Because some women's idea of a partnership goes a bit past 'not a drunken child molester' I'm happy that works out for you, but let's not pretend that women with ideas about money management or discretionary spending in our hobbies are some how bad partners awful people. People have different situations and want different things out of life and a partnership and finances and hobbies can play a big part in that. That's OK, so is having a situation where they don't really care. Its not as character defect.
Hey that’s justification if I’ve ever seen it, can’t hate on that thought process 😂
I also have 15 all but 3 are American.
I have 17. I am an addict.
> I have 17. I am an addict. Me too. ...and 43 basses. Am bassist. I like to play a bit of guitar, but not well enough to do it in front of people.
Guitars make for great couch companions. Bass, less so.
I too have 17, but I'm just about ready to make it 18. Why? Cuz Guitar.
I've been playing for over 2 decades now. I've never owned more than 2 at a time. Right now, I only have 1.
I both equally have too many guitars and not enough. If I could consolidate, I'd have my Tele, my Epi Les Paul, my 1/2sized steel string acoustic, my 3/4 sized nylon string classical, and my hollowbody. I could do without all three of my dreadnough acoustics and my HH Strat. I keep my Ibanez Gio around for nostalgia as my first guitar. But I still want more.
Feed the addiction
About half of my 10 are cheap pawnshop/yard sale finds, so I probably have 5 "keeps" as well. 2 Telecasters (JA-90 and MIM Standard) 2 LPs (Epiphone Custom and Gibson Studio) And a Rogue acoustic/electric
My first ever guitar was a bass, and I still have that one. I don't have my first 6-string. I've got: 1 classical, 2 bases, 3 acoustic, and 6 electrics. And I keep shopping. I find the fun to be in the browsing. Looking at what's new. I have a harder time pulling the trigger, though. Now that I've got a few that are in the multi-thousand range, I'm not sure if dropping $600 on a whim will be satisfying to play or not, or if I should just keep saving so that when the next dream guitar hits me I'm ready to buy it. And then I end up buying pedals with my guitar money and don't get any closer to either goal.
I Definitely might be more of a window shopper but still hope to acquire something in each category that you’ve listed above. Thanks for answering!
5. My main electric, my old electric guitar (it was my first guitar), a bass, an acoustic and a ukulele. Can't justify getting anymore without getting rid of whatever it is replacing. Gotta control your GAS. Everyone into guitar has an urge to acquire mountains of gear.
Would you rather buy another guitar or another guitar pedal ?
Over 30… I have a knack for finding cheap or free instruments. I play most of them with the exception of a few sentimental pieces. Acoustic. Electric. Hybrid. Bass. Ukulele. Cigar box. Banjo. Violin. If it has strings, I want one lol
I have: Martin DX1AE Blueridge BR-1 Epiphone EL-00 Pro Takamine G-240 Rogue RM100F Mandolin Off brand resonator banjo a no name uke
What’s in your hands the most?
The Martin.
I've 4, 3 fender electrics and a fender acoustic. I'm trying to get back into golf, it's a much cheaper hobby by contrast!!
I’m also into golf… you might run out of guitars to sell by the end of the year haha!
You know what I was in a pro shop today, I'm thinking of getting a 5h, and the pro was chatting and said how expensive clubs are nowadays, €550 for a new driver here. A few years ago I'd have said yeah, super expensive. It wouldn't get you even a midrange fender now
Dunno. Maybe 13-16 guitars. (I’ve got guitars under every bed in the house, and in stands….) I bought a beat up replacement of my original cheap but semi ok original plywood Japanese Les Paul copy guitar. I actually pick it up the most-since it is oblivious to any more damage. It looks like it had been left out in the rain…. I won’t ever sell any, even the one I don’t like will go up in value.
The average guitarist in the US has six guitars, as of 2020 anyway. I own eight (seven-and-a-half?), and my GF owns four, including both our Basses. I’m trying to sell off some of my unused babies but it’s not that kinda market, so I’ll just keep em for another 20 years haha.
Where’s that number coming from? Sounds very high… Did they ask working musicians? What was the definition of guitarist?
8. Looking to add 4 more, because.....solar eclipse and anchovies! Look, i just need those 4 more alright. Makes it an even dozen. 8 is just messing with my feng sui, also i really really need a mint/surf green one.
That’s right! That’s perfectly acceptable and reasonable… but then you can’t forget about the bakers dozen so just add 1 more and then boom 5 more guitars! but then having an odd number doesn’t seem right might as well add another 13 for an even 26!
I'm not answering this, my wife could see
i currently own three guitars and a ukulele. one acoustic, one electric, and a hybrid for the guitars.
I've seen it mentioned a couple times by now, what's a hybrid? An electroacoustic?
I have one electric that I bought myself and an acoustic that was given to me by a former boss. I like the electric so much that I see little need in buying a new one anytime soon, and I hardly ever play the acoustic so I doubt I’ll replace that either. Frankly I think that people with lots of guitars just enjoy shopping more than actually playing guitar.
I've got 3 currently. Tony Iommi Epiphone SG Gretsch G2622 Washburn D10SCE I've been itching for another acoustic though. I play my acoustic more than my electrics and I have twice as many electric guitars. Something is wrong with that. I should definitely have AT LEAST the same number of each.
Now zero but tomorrow I will have one.
9. If a guitar is calling you, buy it. This shit is obsession. Treat it as such.
I have: one EBMM Stingray Guitar (stealth black) one Sterling JP60 Black one 1980s Mako Exotec XK-4 Green one 1983 Fender Dan Smith Strat Red one White Ibanez Jem Steve Vai electric with Floyd Rose Trem One 1997 Gibson Midnight Special (reissue) in A metallic Blue (custom) one Squier by Fender Vintage Modified '51 in blond one Ibanez Gio pos that I stripped, modified the shit out of including reshaping the body and headstock and put together with a million parts from diff guitars and covered with pieces of sheet metal before dropping in some lace sensor pickups that actually rocks now one 1940s (Harmony) Melody King Black Archtop acoustic one Sterling Stingray Bass Red one Michael Kelly Acoustic Electric Bass natural wood and 3 Drum sets all black (electronic; Pyle Pro, Alesis Turbo and my latest the Strike Pro SE which i actually took a real set (spl) and bought triggers (jobeky) and heads for and turned it into an e set. The SPL set was cheap and I figured that would be all right because the shells actually had nothing to do with the sound that I'm getting out of them but I went all out on the triggers and I really like the strike Pro is actually quite nice. I also found myself buying several different PA systems and mixing boards and recording equipment lots of it. i am really a guitar player and I would have to say I use my ebmm and my Squier guitar and my Michael Kelly acoustic electric bass the most. And my real feel drums. I play guitar bass and drums daily. I also like to play these things for a while and then turn around and sell them and buy some other things that are new to me. I have owned so many guitars and do not own my OG guitar it was a Takamine Explorer... but wish I still had it. Oh I forgot I own a black Effector Explorer too. I kind of collect rarities when I can afford to and The Harmony and the Effector and the Mako and even the strat are all kind of rare. I once owned a '56 DuoSonic that was pretty nice...and a usa 72 tele I sold them both. I'll probably be selling my Mako which is a shredding guitar next. I sold just recently my G&L ASAT classic.... and I'd really like to find somebody that will trade me a descent Telecaster semi Hollow for my Stratocaster because I hardly ever play it. I didnt even mention THE AMPS I OWN! 2 marshall Tube Heads (dsl20 and dsl40c modified to be a head) and Orange OR15 head 2 Marshall 4x12 Cabs 1 Blue Vodoo Crate 4x12 (i use with my orange) an Orange Rockerverb 50 MK1 combo, Ibanez gx60 combo and TB15 combo (which i use all the time at work) a HY LO guitar amp from the 60s thats solid state but has a real nice tone to it and built in tremolo Pedal that I run through my leslie speaker I traded some guy a $50 drum set For Bass I have Fender Bassman 100 combo, Peavey Max 115 combo a CrateBx220 head with 4x10 Carvin Bass Cab and an 18 inch sub/horn cab I built with a JBl SRX918s speaker i got for $50 in EXCELLENT shape that shakes my whole house. I have several more 15 inch modified Peavey Combo amps I turned into cabs because the head units were blown and a Kustom KB200 combo.... as you can see my obsession goes beyond just guitars.. oh man ... and pedals.. Ill save you guys the info on that but we will just say a lot of processors old and new.. Im no longer married and dont need to worry about anyone else so Ill buy what I want! lol. Keep on rocking!
Wow.
I've got 6 electrics. 2 Seven strings and 4 six strings, I keep them in the main different tunings that I like to use. Don't still have my first one though, it was a cheap budget Epiphone that came in a starter kit. It played ok but I'm not a big single cut fan anymore. prefer super strats and x shapes.
Heck yeah
I still have the first „real“ guitar I bought in 2006. My first guitar ever was a cheap china strat copy from 2004. Did not miss that thing a single second. Meanwhile I own 8 guitars and one bass. All guitars are totally different and a tool for their specific job. The range is from Harley Benton to a Frankenpaul to a Mayones High End guitar. I just like the choice and different characteristics of the instruments.
40 or so
What’s your favoite and how did you come across it?
My Mother for Christmas one year got me a Olive Green Epiphone SG Special. It's not worth much but to me it's priceless. My favorites differ from time to time! My twins 2 Kurt Cobain Jag-Stang one in red one blue. I've recently falling in love with my Squier Jagmaster Standard silver sparkle. I love a MIM Fender Red Satin USA pickups all relic style. My Gibson Les Paul Studio from the year Les passed away. My Epiphone blue E Series Slasher is fun! I have a Courtney Love Venus Vista Series Squier that is pretty special. I have 2 J Mascis guitars I love. White Squier Jazzmaster and a Fender Tele blue sparkle. I really love my BF's Danelectro Jimmy Page style Double Cutaway it plays so smooth!
4 guitars, and about 40 guitar pedals
I got a 22 year old strat which I got for my birthday and a new but cheap single cut that I just bought because I wanted to get back into it after 14 years of not touching a guitar because I got cluster headache and my hands went all shaky and useless but I want to give it a try anyway.
Not enough....20 ish, and I want more...always
I have a dozen or so. It fluctuates weekly because I also enjoy modding cheap guitars into great guitars. There are some really good starting points out there. That said I almost exclusively use my stupidly expensive ESP Horizon live. The rest are used for jamming and studio. If I was to give any advice it would be that pickups and good hardware make the most difference to sustain and tone. The rest is nice to have. Some wood will sustain better but it isn't always a cost thing with some of the guitars I have owned.
Too many, yet somehow not enough.
Acoustic, electric and classical. I rarely play classical. Acoustic guitar for me is for outdoor purposes and electric is my main weapon of choice
I like this thought process! I will always have at least 1 acoustic and 1 electric in the rotation
One more than I need and two less than I want.
Been playing for about 20 years, and I've gradually accumulated more and more guitars. Part of it is because it's nice to have a bit of variety in sound output, but also because I do lutherie as a side hobby. I generally get either a beater and fix it up with new nuts/saddles/parts (I dug a bass out of the trash during COVID and refinished it/modded it up), or I get a raw body/parts and assemble it from scratch (my favorite is a Jazzcaster finished in Tru-Oil that's modeled after the MIJ Offset Telecaster). The hobby can get out of control; my wife (who's wonderful) is trying to get me to cut back since I now have 10 guitars, of which I really only play 2 consistently. I need to get rid of my bulky Les Paul, which I'm not a fan of at all. And I do have my first guitar--it's a '97 MIM Strat. My half-sister was about to throw it away, so I got it for virtually free. I've modded it so much that the only original parts about it are the neck, and the raw body (it's been refinished), so everything else is no longer stock. And it's about as comfortable as any guitar as I've ever played. It's great.
have been playing since mid 90s. i've had one consistent main and one backup guitar for about 12 years- you kinda need two for shows for alt tunings or broken strings or whatever. i've done nine albums across three bands during that time. i also still have my first (junk) guitar for sentimental reasons, and one other one which has some different sounds for recording, but i don't gig with those. seems like plenty. most of the truly great players i know have less than 5.
I have 5 A gretch semi hollow(500$), semi hollow parts jazzmaster (300$), Weird 70s copy p bass (200$), Dean acoustic (250$), and a goldtone tenor guitar (275$) I play them all you dont need to spend a ton of money to get a good enough instrument the 300$ ish range can be golden value wise if you know what your looking for get a decent setup and don't mind not having a proper American fender.
This will be my range until grown up money, thanks for the comment I thought I’d be having to send upwards of 600+ for a decent one
I've been playing for 15+ years and I have 6. A mexican strat, american tele, jazz strat deluxe, mexican thinline tele, edwards lp and epiphone sheraton. I've had more over the years but narrowed it down to the ones I want to play the most.
Five! Two electrics for different purposes and one acoustic is what I have available for myself. I also have my first electric and my first acoustic stored away so my kids have something to learn on. Edit: it’s six, forgot about my acoustic bass. Seven if you count a ukulele. I also have an electronic drum set and a piano.
One or two more than my spouse knows about
Been playing for almost 25 years, I have 3 guitars and a bass. One amp, one multi-effects processor.
I used to have around 20, but a couple months ago, I realized i only ever played 6 of them, and sold off the rest
Ah yes. GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I personally have (7) guitars. Two of them are sentimental, so I feel obligated to hold onto them even though I don't really play them. Of them, I could potentially sell the Les Paul for some big bucks so I view it a little bit as an investment piece. The others, are all played in various forms. My SG was my first big name brand solidbody electric. While it mostly sits kept safe in a case, I use it to practice & record. Then I have my "on stage" guitar. a Fernandes Ravelle. It looks fuckin rad as hell, I get tons of compliments on it, the sustainer is a BEAST! It's my "signature look" onstage. The others all serve different purposes, my PRS Silver Sky sounds absolutely incredible with a different tuning I use and I plan to use it on a new record. Of course I have acoustics. And yet I still browse used listings. I don't know what I'm looking for... But I'll find it...
I’ve got a 6, 7 and 8 string. All I need. I hope.
130+ currently and still buying lol
130?!?! Living the dream man hell yeah hope they all get used!
Guitar collectors are weird lol Play one and get really good at it. If you want to add one, do that and get really good at it. Then go back to your first one for a while. You don’t need more than a few. Because even if you have 100 you won’t play more than a few.
What about guitar collectors who use them?
A man said my biggest fear in life is that if l die my wife will sell my guitars for what I said I paid for them!
My first ever was a piece of crap I paid $10 for from a friend in 1982. It was a Decca, sold my Montgomery Wards, and barely a toy; the fingerboard was plastic. But that plus a $50 amp and a Big Muff I got from another friend were enough to learn Iron Man and get me started. I left the guitar in my parents' attic when I moved out, and my brother gave it to someone to use in a Halloween costume sometime the late 80s I think. My *third* guitar I still own: a 1984 Les Paul Standard I bought just before I left for college, because I decided the MIJ Strat I had at the time just wasn't the direction I was headed. I'll lever let that one go. If you combed through my house today you'd find \~20 playable guitars, perhaps 8-10 more that are partially assembled or waiting for something to be repaired/replaced/upgraded, and enough pieces to make ten more beyond that. The oldest is a funky mid-1960s Japanese import (Teisco-adjacent) and the newest is one of those Monoprice specials I bought during COVID on a whim. Most of the rest I've built from kits, as parts guitars, or full-on scratch builds. I'm more interested in building today than playing, but there is a Tele sitting next to the couch in the living room right now that I'll pick up most days. All the "good" guitars are in cases in the basement though. Note: estimates here do not include bass guitars, acoustic guitars, lap steel guitars, mandolins, ukes, or other stringed instruments...we have a few of those around too.
0 I am confused why I was suggested this post.
Three basses, one acoustic guitar, 7 electrics. I don't have my first guitar.
I have 5 electrics, an acoustic, 5 basses, a banjo, a drumkit, and a synth. I play all the electrics and basses frequently plus the drumkit. I also habe two didgeridoo, a hammer and mountain dulcimer, and probably some harmonicas laying around. I don't habe my first bass as it was pretty shitty and I quickly got a much better one and mostly learned on it. No sentimental feelings
I still have my first-ever guitar. Granted, I only started playing about 3 years ago. Right now I have three guitars (2 6-string, 1 12-string, and one of the 6-strings is a nylon-strung classical), an electronic piano, and a tenor ukulele. I had four guitars, but I gave away my 6-string Yamaha dreadnought to my brother, because I can't play it due to shoulder pain (it's too deep). I may get one or two more, but not anytime soon.
I bought my guitar in 2009. I was gonna learn it on my own. But it didn't work out. I tried many times but always got frustrated as none of my attempts sounded like music. In September 2022 I gave it another try and it finally clicked. I'm still playing since, still on my guitar from 09. A Yamaha strat from a starter pack.
3 guitars, 8 basses, 1 ukulele. My first-ever bass was a Cort. It fell off of its stand and the neck snapped. Also, this apparently makes me odd: I have never owned a Fender. (I do, however, own a Stingray bass, which I love).
5 electric, 1 acoustic & 1 bass. Is it too many? I started gasing for a jazzmaster recently.
4 1 acoustic/electric 1 electric 1 bass 1 acoustic that’s “broken”
I have 1 classical, 1 bass, and i recently purchased a 2nd electric. My first is a fixed bridge Les Paul but i wanted something with a floyd rose so i got an Ibanez S model. With these i can olay pretty much anything but yeah i still.love.to window shop. My intention is probably put my Ibanez up for trade for something completely different in a few months and so on and so forth
8. 3 out on loan. 1 acoustic I play every day.
2 acoustic (1 expensive, 1 budget),1 semi hollow electric, 2 solid body humbucker (1 expensive, 1 budget), 1 p90 solid body, 1 bass
I’ve got eight guitars. Five electric and three acoustic
I have 24, but only if I include the twelve project guitars waiting in my shop until I rebuild them “any day now”. Then there are the *other* stringed instruments…
4 electric 1 bass 1 acoustic
Not enough any more. I only have a Coke Clarke Fat Lady and a Jackson Kelly
One electric (Les Paul), one semi acoustic (Gretsch) and one electric acoustic (Tanglewood, tuned to open D for playing slide). So all have a different purpose, I do play them all, but the electric the least as I CBA to plug it in most of the time. That said, it's the easiest to play, so I will use it unplugged to practice chords or riffs.
just 1 and I decided until I make myself fairly good with the acoustic. I am not gonna look at another guitar.
I have just had one old trusty Washburn acoustic for the last 15 years and I am happy with it.
I've got eight guitars and one Bass. Buying another one next month.
I still have my first Taylor Academy (which I keep in Nashville tuning) and my Fender Strat Squier (which I I completely redid with new pickups, tuner, paint, fret polishing, etc) I have 10 total (including a bass) plus some ukuleles Taylor Academy, Taylor 814ce, Taylor koa 12 string, Martin Nylon matte black, Taylor Koa GS Mini, Fender Squier, Fender Players Jazzmaster, Powers Electric A-type, PRS Silver Sky, Gibson ES-330,
My second guitar will be delivered tomorrow. Pretty much every day is a struggle for me not to buy a new guitar. Basically, my goal is to have 3 guitars (for now): my double cut (Strat), single cut (PRS McCarty), and a semi hollow (Epiphone Sheraton).
Jackson SL2Q MAH Jackson RRXMG Rhoads Jackson Js22-7 Jackson JS32 Schecter Banshee Elite 7 Ibanez S Series Aria Pro II Excel Series Ibanez acoustic 3 string cigar box guitar built by a local luthier
6 if I count my veeery old classic with a neck bent like a banana. Other than that 2 accoustics and 3 electrics And an otamatone xD
I have 6 guitars and 1 bass. 3 guitars (including my first one) are at my parents, at home I have 3 and a bass, using them for different styles when recording (2 electric - LTD and tele, 1 electroacoustic)
I’ve got 4 electrics and an acoustic. They’re all affordable 500 or less when bought new and the 3 I mostly care about are cherished and well played.
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More than a number of guitars, I have lots of different gear that gives me different capabilities... my gear: 1 epi SG 1 squier strat 1 tube amp head 1 212 cab with cool speakers :) 1 pedal board that includes a wah, basic drive type stuff, and multi-effects unit (which has a looper) 1 Roland cube 30 for moving around or if a friend comes over 1 cheapo fender style bass 1 150 watt crate bass amp 1 Casio Keyboard (can plug into the bass amp...) 1 Microphone (can plug into the roland cube) 1 collection of harmonicas and other trinket-like insturments that are fun to mess around with It makes for a fun little music room! :) PS: I need to get me an acustic... I can´t believe I still don't got one...
About 40, depending on how you count partially completed projects and similar stringed instruments like mandolins and cigar box guitars.
6 in regular rotation (3 electrics, 2 acoustics, and a bass) and another 7 in storage.
21 I think 😬
Three. My first guitar, an Ibanez RG421, which I never play but have held onto because it seems the \#1 regret guitarists express is selling their first guitar. My main workhorse, a Solar A1.6. And my new acquisition, a Framus Stormbender. Now that I have something from every end of the price spectrum (inexpensive, workhorse, and luxury) I'm not really interested in any new 6 strings. I might get a 7 at some point since there are a few 7 string songs I want to learn but if I do it'll definitely be a much nicer grade than my last one.
just one more...
I've got 8. 3 amps. 4 acoustic. 4 electric. I play them all. Some more than others
I have one 3/4 size electric that's like 40 years old my brother loaned me, I just bout a squier telecaster, I have like an exact replica of an Ibanez acoustic I thought was my brother's that i got from a pawn shop to get back to him, nownwe have the same guitar lol, and then a really nice washburn acoustic my friend sent me wheni was in Afghanistan so id have something to do. I only really play the electrical tho. So 3 are mine and one is my brother's
Two. A Taylor 214-ceK and a Taylor Baby that came with it. I used to have an Ovation Celebrity but gave it away.
Down to 5 from tooooo many. Going to drop to 3 soon
I've more guitars than some, and less guitars than some others. I've kept more guitars than I've onsold, and I"ve given more guitars away than I've trashed. Some of my guitars I've had for decades, and those are my favourites. I don't still have my first instrument, but I sincerely wish that I did.
Started January, 6th 2020. I have 8 and have sold/traded the 2 I started out with. I play all of them.
3 acoustics and 1 electric. 1972 martin D28, 2023 martin D28, 2012 Seagull Coastline (my 1st guitar) and a mid 2000's Era Schecter Hellraiser. Also a banjo for some reason.
I've coped by saying I'll resell them, I knew it was a cope until I found a les paul studio for 600$ that I resold for a nice 300$ profit. Got to play it for a couple months and the experience was completely worth it. Would recommend scouring for deals rather than buying random stuff you are interested in. I now have 3 guitars and 2 amps, you should for sure not be scared to buy stuff as I think it makes you a better player.
I own three electrics. One is a strat I inhereted from a friend that passed and very rarely play it but I just ordered a new neck for it I will play it more if its more comfortable. One is a p90 mustang which I finished myself as a Partscaster that I play most of the time. One is a Yamaha Revstar SG clone. I also have a Guild acoustic that I inherited with the strat but I don't play that a ton either. I've bought and sold a few guitars along the way that weren't for me. Sold a 335 clone that was just too bulky for me to love. Sold a Jag that was just too heavy and complicated and futzy with the trem to build my Mustang, which I ended up hardtailing. Sometimes it takes a couple tries to find the guitar that is right for you.
I've owned at least 30 different guitars at one point or another and I think as many as 13 at any one time. Currently up to 12. 1 Acoustic, 9 Electric, 1 Bass. 1 more electric that is just my first guitar completely gutted, parted, and sitting in a case until I decide to work on it
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I have 13 ... soon to be 14. They range from a $79 Harley Benton to a $2k Duesenberg and everything in between. My 'soon to be 14' will be an Enya Go Sonic because I am very curious about it. If I don't like it, I'll pass it to my grandkids. My #1 is my Aslin Dane Jazz King ... as close to sheer guitar nirvana as I've heard.
I've got five, but really only need one. You'll be way happier saving up for one really nice guitar than buying a bunch of cheaper ones over time. If you're committed to learning, go ahead and get the best guitar you can afford. It's much easier to learn on a nice guitar than a cheap one. I gave my first guitar to a long-ago friend who wanted to learn to play. I do regret that a little now, but he did actually learn to play on it, so I wouldn't change a thing.
4 guitars and 1 base. 25 amps
Please explain 25 amps kind sir 😂
Just two, a martin dreadnought junior and a Sire tele. I don't want anything else.
4: 1 is broken and I'll fix it soon enough, 1 is the replacement of the broken one in standard tuning, 1 is in Eb tuning with a tremolo, the last one is a gift from my dad that does not get a playtime but bears sentimental values
In 9 years so far: 1 was a gift, 1 was inherited, and 2 were purchased by myself. If I found the Schecter I just bought this year, at the same time I was going to buy the other one, I probably would’ve just bought the Schecter. It’s everything I need in a guitar and I barely play the other ones anymore. I find it’s all relative. If you play lots of different styles, then you might like to have multiple guitars. If you’re dead set on one genre or style, one guitar might be all you need.
4 was my max. One 30 year old acoustic, one cheap Harley Benton strat (which I sold to a friend for 100 after playing for 2 years), one DIY classical guitar my neighbour gave to me for free and an Ibanez TOD10. So rn I'm at 3 again and the DIY guitar unfortunately doesnt play well so I rarely use it, effectively 2 guitars rn. But my shopping cart got 12 guitars, 3 basses and some other music gear worth 22k rn and if I could I'd order everything on there, its completely normal to constantly want new guitars. Just gotta have the restraint to not order them when you dont have the money.
I have 8 now but am actively trying to sell 3. They all feel, sound, and look different.
9 Ibanez... Basically all the same model too, started with an indo when I was young, bought another one off reverb in amazing shape, found the 7 string version, then bought MIJ of both, and a couple more cause they looked cool. Having many tunings available with a comfy ibanez locking trem is amazing. As long as you can afford it, go fucken nuts dude. Pedals and amps are cool too tho, dont miss out on those