Guitarist's overwhelming desire for more guitars

[chrisjedijane]

[Yep, I have two cello bows. My "gigging" bow was about £300, and my "good" bow was about £650. 

You have NO idea what my insurance premium for the cello is 

Ha! The bow I use for my guitar cost me £20

[mynameisjonas]

when i played drums regulary i used to get severe GAS for all those pretty 60s glitter kits, even though i had the best looking kit ever made; a 13" 18" 24" kit in this color:



never did have enough money to allow me to own more than one kit at a time though...

[zhivago]

I dunno guys...I don't buy the "need" arguement.

in order to play guitar, as in physicaly play guitar, you need one guitar (unless you can somehow play two guitars at the same time)

this is about variation...and it's not just down to instruments...it applies to everything in life....

of course the internet's made things worse...people tend to buy more out of boredom in the office or whatever (I was guilty of that a lot when I worked in an office myself)



I think people in general like having options, and that's very cool...but as far as needing loads of bows to play cello, or 20 mouthpieces to play the sax, I don't buy it...

only one is needed to make music.


I don't think anyone here (or anywhere) needs to justify why they own loads of the same thing/instrument...it's all cool, and thank god we're blessed to own them



one funny thing I have noticed online is that the people who buy all these relics are usually people with huge collections....and of course if you have 20 guitars it's pretty damn hard to wear them all down for that played-in feeling....these are also the people that keep going on about that played-in feel 


I'm currently only playing my '61 Jazzmaster...it goes everywhere with me and it's getting more and more worn every day....Nels Cline-style 

my 2p

[Naturality]

You make a very good point, I'll change the name of the thread now.... I didn't see it from that perspective at first.

[Orang Goreng]

only one is needed to make music.

Technically you're right of course, but how about back-ups? On about half the gigs I've played with this new band, I've snapped strings on stage. In a 30-minute gig, I just can't afford to pause for a re-string, so I basically "need" at least another guitar on stage with me. And preferably the same kind as I'm playing, otherwise the sound changes (in practise I've been using the jag as a back-up, but once I fix the '69JM, that one will take its place as it's much closer to the '64 in sound). Of course, if I also snap strings on my back-up, I'm screwed, so if it's a bigger gig I prefer to bring a third guitar, and again preferably one that's very similar to what I'm playing as first choice.

So I can certainly see the point of wnating to have, or "needing", multiple copies of the same guitar.

[jetset]

It may be completely irrational but it's definitely a need.

[berlinbetty]

  yep, it's a need! 

[StevenO]

I'm just still looking for that one guitar that says "I'm the guitar that was meant for you, Steven Osorio, pick me up, play me, love me, hold me" but none of the guitars I have boughten have said that to me as of yet, not even my JAZZMASTER, 

[RumorsOFsurF]

I'm just still looking for that one guitar that says "I'm the guitar that was meant for you, Steven Osorio, pick me up, play me, love me, hold me" but none of the guitars I have boughten have said that to me as of yet, not even my JAZZMASTER, 

I swear, the name Fender on the headstock (in my own language Nolan Crow-ese) translates directly to "pick me up, play me, love me, hold me,"  and don't forget "BUY ME!"

[idiotbear]

I'm just still looking for that one guitar that says "I'm the guitar that was meant for you, Steven Osorio, pick me up, play me, love me, hold me" but none of the guitars I have boughten have said that to me as of yet, not even my JAZZMASTER, 

Yeah, even my Jaguar and SG took some playing-in time. And I love those guitars.

They have this Gretsch White Falcon in Peter Cooks in Hanwell, W London, right now. I've got a horrible feeling that if I ever pick it up and play it, it'll just scream "buy me", and I'll end up getting divorced. 

[Sauerkraut]

I found this picture by accident...



and I think at least five of them are saying  "I'm the guitar that was meant for you, Michael Buter, pick me up, play me, love me, hold me" right there.

[Jay]

We'd have harems if we could get away with it.

I've been tying to arrange this (unsuccessfully) for years...  :-\

[1946dodge]

I think it is a personality trait that is or is not shared by guitarists.
Hi my name is Ed, and I have
23 guitars.....
I know I have a problem, but, I just can't help myself..

Seriously, some of you will sell guitars and get another one, and keep it a while and sell and buy again.
And some of us buy and never sell any guitar - it becomes part of us and we can't part with it, so we add and add and add.

I am one of the second breed.

I don't think it is necessarily good to be that way, although I have always been like that all my life - I find it hard to throw anything away or sell it.

Some of us will buy a guitar, in particular a CIJ jag, and them mod it - strip it, paint it, whore the shit out of it.

And those who do that are happy. Others hate this practice and will keep the original one as is and scrimp and save and get the modded version separately.

It is all a part of your personality to determine how many guitars you will have.

All of us lust after these beautiful guitars, but with some it becomes an obsession, myself included.

I gotta tell ya though, think of all those people out there who do not have this obsession - how boring and empty and shiftless is their life.

We have guitars and it makes us want to get up in the morning - everytime someone gives us shit, or we have some bad luck, we can always turn to our guitars and enjoy ourselves.
We are lucky to have found a reason to wake up another day and not give a shit about how bad things get because we are happy.

If something makes us that happy, we are damn lucky.

IMHO of course.
Ed

[JazzBlaster]

I have one guitar right now. I'd like to have another as a back up. It doesn't matter what guitar I buy I always wind up back at this one. Other guitars seem novel when I first get them but the novelty wears off. I have had the same Jazzmaster for about 14 years. I fall asleep with this guitar at night. I could buy another guitar but I think it would be a waste of my money right now.

David

[RumorsOFsurF]

I think it is a personality trait that is or is not shared by guitarists.
Hi my name is Ed, and I have
23 guitars.....
I know I have a problem, but, I just can't help myself..

Seriously, some of you will sell guitars and get another one, and keep it a while and sell and buy again.
And some of us buy and never sell any guitar - it becomes part of us and we can't part with it, so we add and add and add.

I am one of the second breed.

I don't think it is necessarily good to be that way, although I have always been like that all my life - I find it hard to throw anything away or sell it.

Some of us will buy a guitar, in particular a CIJ jag, and them mod it - strip it, paint it, whore the shit out of it.

And those who do that are happy. Others hate this practice and will keep the original one as is and scrimp and save and get the modded version separately.

It is all a part of your personality to determine how many guitars you will have.

All of us lust after these beautiful guitars, but with some it becomes an obsession, myself included.

I gotta tell ya though, think of all those people out there who do not have this obsession - how boring and empty and shiftless is their life.

We have guitars and it makes us want to get up in the morning - everytime someone gives us shit, or we have some bad luck, we can always turn to our guitars and enjoy ourselves.
We are lucky to have found a reason to wake up another day and not give a shit about how bad things get because we are happy.

If something makes us that happy, we are damn lucky.

IMHO of course.
Ed

+1  Very well said!  I am exactly like you in those respects.