Gear minimalism as a thought process...

[sal paradise]

My pedal purge has continued in earnest. I’ve made some effort on the guitar & amp front, too.

Currently 5 guitars, 1 amp & 35 pedals. Which still feels too much, and I’ve got a 2nd amp arriving this week.

The SG has been up for sale but can’t seem to give it away, so I get to play with a P90 for longer

1991 Les Paul Standard
2011 SG Junior
1967 Telecaster
2024 partscaster tele deluxe
+ 2012 Squier CV Telecaster (not pictured)

Oh, and my Martin 000-15m & 1976 Precision. But they don’t count.

What I'm reading here is zero offsets.

Needs must for the time being. You’ve given me a plan though: P90s in a JM might be a good fix.

[Jaguar018]

I have three of my guitars off getting some basic work done and the luthier is taking FOREVER. I have been without my #1 Jaguar and the two others for like eight months. The only single coil electric I have had the whole time has been my Mustang.

It has been fine. I've been enjoying the Mustang and fiddling with the pickup switches more than I ever have previously, but the truth for me is that I like to have three or four guitars to choose from depending on my mood.

The other somewhat strange thing is that I sold off my second pedal board and gave a 'min board' to a friend last year figuring that I don't need all those extra pedals for my basement playing existence. Since then I have been slowly accumulating more pedals and a new board and power supply. So I guess I do need to have two pedalboards.

[muffonrat]

..the truth for me is that I like to have three or four guitars to choose from depending on my mood.

This is exactly what I have been thinking lately.
I have also noticed that each guitar inspires me on its own way and somehow guides my playing accordingly. I am at 5 guitars plus a Mustang bass right now.

[Whiny Minotaur]

You know what, for me it seems that I naturally gravitate towards playing only one guitar even if I own several, despite me liking the idea of having multiple guitars.

For a time, I owned up to something like 6 guitars but only really played one. I'd start playing on a different guitar for a few minutes, think that was fun and go back to my preferred one.

Currently, I own 3 guitars (Fujigen Mustang copy, parts Jag, CV Jag with JM pickup) but the only one that I feel naturally inclined to pick up and play is the last one. The Mustang has been languishing in the closet for a few months at this point (and will be put up for sale as soon as I get the time), and the parts Jag, my former number one, I only use for very specific things.

I had the two Jags in different tunings (CG#CGCD on the CV, standard tuning on the Jag) to get myself to play the parts Jag more, but I played in the tuning I made up for so long that I actually forgot how to play a lot of things on standard tuning. I'd force myself to play the parts Jag and halfheartedly struggle with standard tuning for a bit before going back to the CV, which would feel like a relief more than anything. Evidently, I'm not completely braindead yet because I eventually began to realize about how pointless and stupid this masochistic little process of mine is, when I could just spend my time enjoying the CV and spend that time writing a song, practicing technique or learning something.

I think I kind of latched on to the romantic idea of the rockstar having different guitars, tied to certain songs and justifying their existence through different usage, but apparently in practice, I find the minor hassle of switching up guitars between songs to be more annoying than it's worth. Also I never play out anyway so it's not like I'll ever be able to fulfill that juvenile fantasy of mine anyway lol.

There are definitely things that the parts Jag does better than the CV, and a few recordings I made needed that particular brand of scratchy noise that you can only get from a stock Jag, so it'll stay. But I don't see myself buying any more guitars from hereon. I guess I'll try to fill in that gaping materialistic hole of desiring surplus guitars with writing more songs and getting better technique, but we'll see if it actually holds.

[JSett]

Well, I'm down to my lowest guitar count for about easily 10 years now, maybe 15. Quite happy with the bases covered here (actual bass I have not pictured, however):



You might notice there's a spare gap in the rack. That is destined for whatever guitar I buy in Japan next month to go in. Once that's done I'm going to try and take a decent break from Reverb/eBay/etc to attempt to avert temptation.

[garyptaszek]

Well, I'm down to my lowest guitar count for about easily 10 years now, maybe 15. Quite happy with the bases covered here (actual bass I have not pictured, however):



You might notice there's a spare gap in the rack. That is destined for whatever guitar I buy in Japan next month to go in. Once that's done I'm going to try and take a decent break from Reverb/eBay/etc to attempt to avert temptation.

Quality over quantity… just missing an 80s shredder with a Floyd

[sal paradise]

I had one of those “whatever I said yesterday was bollcks” type revelations & have decided that it’s totally ok to have guitars for specific fun.

I’ve got a special offset treat in the making, so my squier tele will get relegated back to the bedroom & will still have a full rack of guitars.

My only fear about this approach is it means a 2nd acoustic is absolutely important. AndI I still really want something with P90s. And an ebony les paul.

[JSett]

Quality over quantity… just missing an 80s shredder with a Floyd

I can't shred though Love the look, hate the neck profiles.

I had one of those “whatever I said yesterday was bollcks” type revelations & have decided that it’s totally ok to have guitars for specific fun.

I’ve got a special offset treat in the making, so my squier tele will get relegated back to the bedroom & will still have a full rack of guitars.

My only fear about this approach is it means a 2nd acoustic is absolutely important. AndI I still really want something with P90s. And an ebony les paul.

[s_mcsleazy]

well i sold off 2 guitars and now i'm kinda thinking there's a few more that could go on the chopping block.

[B.T.]

Yeah, sold another last week. Two more for sure to hit the road.

[Downsman]

The problem with downsizing right now is it's a brutal market for selling. I've had my 60th Anniversary JM, Fiesta Red nitro, on FB marketplace and The Fretboard, for a couple of months. The same price I bought it for used just a couple of years ago. The most views/clicks I've had on an ad, and listing saves, and not a single offer. Not even a lowball one. I'm seeing the same great guitars at good prices sitting unsold for months on all the platforms. If you don't need the cash then it seems to make more sense to hang on to what you have until after this current economic madness has settled down.

[BoringPostcards]

The problem with downsizing right now is it's a brutal market for selling. I've had my 60th Anniversary JM, Fiesta Red nitro, on FB marketplace and The Fretboard, for a couple of months. The same price I bought it for used just a couple of years ago. The most views/clicks I've had on an ad, and listing saves, and not a single offer. Not even a lowball one. I'm seeing the same great guitars at good prices sitting unsold for months on all the platforms. If you don't need the cash then it seems to make more sense to hang on to what you have until after this current economic madness has settled down.

Have you tried to sell the Jazzmaster on OSG? I don’t recall seeing one in the for sale.
It’s slow there sometimes, but certain things go really quickly.

[Downsman]

[
Have you tried to sell the Jazzmaster on OSG? I don’t recall seeing one in the for sale.
It’s slow there sometimes, but certain things go really quickly.

Despite being here for 10 years, I never noticed there's a for sale section. I probably never looked for one as figured most members are in the US and not the UK. I'll post it in there later.

Looking at how long some of those guitars have been in there, it kind of fits with my point. Not a good time to be selling stuff.

[seenoevil II]

The problem with downsizing right now is it's a brutal market for selling. I've had my 60th Anniversary JM, Fiesta Red nitro, on FB marketplace and The Fretboard, for a couple of months. The same price I bought it for used just a couple of years ago. The most views/clicks I've had on an ad, and listing saves, and not a single offer. Not even a lowball one. I'm seeing the same great guitars at good prices sitting unsold for months on all the platforms. If you don't need the cash then it seems to make more sense to hang on to what you have until after this current economic madness has settled down.

This is my logic currently. I have a Guild D4 that's totally extraneous to me. But I see them listed for $400 sometimes and they still don't sell. A 31 year old, solid wood, American made dreadnought shouldn't go for less than the current Chinese imports do. So, I'm holding on to it. Sometimes I think going prices are more about inertia than intrinsic value.

The only cost to me is opportunity cost of having that money tied up and not having that space in my locker freed up.

Sadly though, I've got a few guitars I'm clinging to just avoid taking the bath. If I hold, then, maybe just maybe I can recoup.

Yes, I also disapprove of everything I just typed.

Also though, selling gear just sucks. You get low balled. You either have to ship or meet some rando somewhere odd.

But, taking stock, I'd really like to cut it down to just my nice MIA gear. It covers all my sonic bases and I'd have so much free space- physically and mentally.

[Wucan]

I've been slowly shedding guitars, latest one got to the buyer last week. A MIJ Trad Jag, an ESP LTD M series and a Gibson Victory.

Haven't had problems selling. Normally I set the price at the high end of what I think is the market rate, then I'll only discount if I think I'm too out of whack with comparables.

This helps a lot with not wasting time, lowballers don't try, tire kickers bother someone else and only the really interested make an offer. The guitars sat in the market for a solid 4-6 months but I only had to deal with three offers for three sales.

It feels good to free up real estate at home, hoping to sell at least two other guitars in the next while.