One amazing guitar or a few mid-range? Where do you allocate your spending?

[SamBooka]

realistically? I am down to two. Fender lead I (modified) and es 165.

used to think i needed a jazzmaster, a tele, a les paul, a strat and just got sick of them..
I have a tele I dont play but am keeping because it is amazing. An es 125 I dont play but am waiting for the right time to sell it, and an Emp Reg because it isnt worth much but is pretty good. It sits in the living room and I will pull it out while my wife is finishing supper or will sit with it outside.

Someday I will clear out the amp collection too... lol

[Insufferable_Rhythm]

Ed Bickert as at least two different tele's, he played one with a single-coil pickup in the neck before the humbucker one.

It's the same (but modified) guitar.

[cosmic gumbo]

I think the more time you spend on one guitar, especially if it really "resonates" with you, whether it is the sound, playability, or even the the looks, if you stick with it, you will be amazed at the different sounds you will coax out of it.

Even if I owned an expensive guitar, which I don't, I would probably still want to own a few different cheaper models of various types, which I do. I find it the norm for guitarists to consider guitars as objects of desire and own more than one. What I don't understand is the guy who owns a half dozen expensive archtops that all sound the same.

[Soco]

It's the same (but modified) guitar.

I didn't know that-thanks for the info!

[aniss1001]

Not true about Scofield. The AS200 is still his main guitar, but last time I saw him I played a custom shop strat(with Robben Ford ford) and I know he has been playing that guitar quite a bit lately. I have also seen him with a Custom Shop telecaster, a Gibson 335 and even a Gibson Howard roberts(I think). Ed Bickert as at least two different tele's, he played one with a single-coil pickup in the neck before the humbucker one. Certain players get associated with just one guitar, but in most cases they have many.
I think it is good to have a main instrument and have other guitars to provide other sounds to switch things up a bit.

Not sure about Scofield either. But every single live clip I've seen with him he is using his Ibanez. I saw one clip where he is in some instrument shop playing a blues (NOT jazz blues) on a tele. But that's it.

Bickert I'm pretty sure though. He simply changed the neck pup on his old tele to a humbucker at some point but never changed guitar.

Either way I know I'm a weirdo in that sense. Just don't see the point in having several guitars even if they are different. I prefer to have ONE that is like an extension of me That was how I viewed my old Japanese Squier Strat back in the days. Absolutely loathed playing any other guitar even if they were way better than mine. Felt like I was trying to move something with someone elses limbs...

Can't say I feel the same way about my current guitar though because I never really liked it...

[Soco]

Here he is on a strat that he bought from Sam Ash on 48th street.

[Soco]

Here he is on a Gibson 335.

[aniss1001]

@Soco

Coooool ... Sco on a strat

[Spook410]

I love guitars. I like Washburns so I can replace all their electronics and end up with something that sounds good and plays well. I like Tokai's because I'm not going to pay for a 62 Strat. I like Heritages because mine come from when they used to be cheap. I don't think this equation applies to acoustics. It's very hard to get to the sound of a Brazilian Martin or a nice Goodall without making the investment. But in electrics, there are some good and fun guitars in the 'bang for the buck' category.

[kris]

I dream about one guitar that has all sounds I like and more...it is comfortable to play....no possible!

[life_with_a_song]

I think the more time you spend on one guitar, especially if it really "resonates" with you, whether it is the sound, playability, or even the the looks, if you stick with it, you will be amazed at the different sounds you will coax out of it.

Well said.

I go back and forth, but have landed in the camp of a few mid-range guitars--but ones that have truly spoken to me (after having gone through many).

The other thing that has factored into this decision is gigging. I play with a group where I use one solid body and one acoustic--and then I like to record at home with the acoustic. So my Godin and my Seagull fill the bill. I DID decide to have a nice archtop built, and while I am waiting, I traded a Japanese Fender straight across for an old Ventura ES-175-style guitar (V-1009), thinking that it would fill the bill acceptably. Well, it turns out that while I have been doing some serious deep woodshedding with this guitar over the past three months, and am finding that I have really bonded with it. And now I wonder what life is going to be like when the custom guitar arrives!

Greg

[mangotango]

Interesting.

I have guitars that do different things. When I don't have a need for a guitar to do that kind of thing any more, it goes. (On several occasions, this has turned out to be a mistake).

My main is a Vestax D'Angelico NYL-5. Paid as much for it 2nd hand as I would ever pay for a guitar, given my meagre capabilities. When I'm Kenny Burrell, I'll trade up.

My beginning archtop was an Epi Joe Pass. Still have it, have used it for the kind of gigs I wouldn't take my mainsqueeze to. Just had it done up - squiffy neck fixed, frets dressed, new tailpiece added, electrics upgraded - and P90's to replace the humbuckers. Totally different guitar now, love playing it. I just need to sort out the pickguard and tuners.

I have recently sold a Strat that was once the love of my life, because I hadn;t played it in well over a year. Recently played on a country-ish rock demo. Took along my Squier Tele (Cheap, cheerful - £80 secondhand! - ridiculously punchy pickups) and nailed the requisite sound straight away. Killer guitar. People smile when they see it. Things change when they hear it. Haven't missed the Strat yet, except that it was well pretty. By comparison the Tele is an abandoned dog, but soundwise it blew the Strat away.

Also going up for sale - 1967 SG/Melody Maker. Again, pickup is now a P90. Nice little rock'n'roll guitar, perfect for slide as well.

Other than that; my workhorse Epi electro-acoustic; a Washburn non-electro dreadnaught - again, cheap, cheerful and LOUD!; an Ibanez semi that will shortly receive the Gibson pickups that I had installed in the JP; a very cheap resonator for when I feel the need to describe how I woke up this morning; Yamaha Silent guitar for not annoying the neighbours; Valencia Classical; No-name lap steel; Squier Bronco bass.

Like I say, they all do different things. For the music that I mostly play, I have one very good guitar. The others scratch certain itches that I occasionally have - without any of them breaking the bank.

So, neither fish nor fowl as far as answers go, really. Sorry.

[Silentwiz]

This is a great older thread I was re-reading.

Instead of brands, I'll state ranges of price... heh.

In terms of electrics, I waffle between 5 and 10.

My priciest a few k and my least around $200.

Probably average around $1k or so per.

The ones I've kept the longest -- the nostalgic ones are at both ends. A cheapy from school days and a pricey that was an artist's original guitar (not sure if this counts as a player -- it mostly sits as a collectible in a closet). My other pricey is up on ebay -- go figure. I'm a fickle SOB when it comes to the pricey.

My most played are between $500 and $1000 through a $900 amp. Depending on how I feel, I can almost always waffle around with something in that range from my collection.

In terms of redundancy, there are unquestionably too many Fender designs -- but I started building guitars recently and they seem to be my preference from a build stand point (it's a whole different world to build set necks or archtops).

OK -- this is way too much time on gear-thoughts for the day. I feel guilty.

To add a bit of value here:

Best bang for buck guitars I've ever played are the G&L Tribute Series, the Squier Classic Vibe Series and the Eastman AR371. If you can dig 'em, Ibanez does it right too.

Almost everything works better with a Duncan pickup and Thomastik strings

[calgarc]

I prefer having few great instruments rather then many cheap ones... yes it looks cool to have 2 dozen guitars hanging on your wall, but i just don't need them. I need to capture a specific sound and 2 guitars is more then enough...

[fumblefingers]

I don't think that too many players would regret owning a great guitar.

now, as for the not so great guitars...

[feet]

if i only did one thing, i'd only need one guitar. but i don't.

the best compromise for me has been used upper mid range guitars- discontinued, broken or otherwise unwanted guitars. then i swap parts out and tailor them to my needs. they are all pretty different so while there is some overlap, i can kinda justify all of them. the rule: only buy things that are worth owning. i don't rack up cheapies because i can. its hard to turn a way from a good deal, sometimes.

while i do wish i had "better" guitars, in that general "i want that", window shopping sort of way, the truth is i'd still mod those, too, and what i have is more than sufficient for any stage or studio on earth.

[bass2man]

This is a great older thread and timely as I was just contemplating what my next victim will be....

i started with cheapo guitars probably like most and over the years have come to the place where I don't mind spending the money for nice guitars or basses. You definitely get what you pay for but if you are patient you can really find some good deals on guitars.

I spent a lot of money on lower priced guitars over the years and was always ending up selling and buying better guitars....and now have 15 of them after buying and selling 25 over time...probably would have saved a lot of money over the years if i had just started out with a better guitar.

i do appreciate the vibe and workmanship, although I can't say I play any better on the better guitars. A good friend of mine is a great guitarist who does not care what he plays...he can get a killer tone out of a $100 Jap strat copy.

The bottom line is get that guitar (or guitars) that makes you want to pick it up and play.....

[Rmcali2]

Glad you guys resurrected my old thread on my birthday of all days! Thanks for commenting. Everyone's viewpoint has been helpful -

-Robert

[calgarc]

Glad you guys resurrected my old thread on my birthday of all days! Thanks for commenting. Everyone's viewpoint has been helpful -

-Robert

High Five

[pubylakeg]

Would you be happy to take your high end instrument to any old gig? Is there really enough time to learn to play many different styles well? Do you not find it difficult to switch between different necks/scale lengths, body sizes etc.? Can the audience tell the difference?
All subjective issues.
Personally I think GAS is a distraction. A well set up modestly priced guitar can compete with high end instruments. Second hand is good. Not all guitars are musical instruments.

[rpguitar]

Not all guitars are musical instruments.

I was with you until that odd assertion. Huh?

Anyway, as challenging, diverse, and all-consuming as jazz can be, it is not everything. A great flattop acoustic, or (especially) a proper classical / flamenco guitar is a world unto itself. You haven't experienced bossa nova until you've played it like Joao Gilberto. He's not a Gibson electric player!

I happily coexist with numerous instruments, but if we restrict things just to traditional jazz, I could get away with three guitars: A very fine acoustic archtop, a very fine electric archtop, and a high quality budget solid or semi.

[ES125er]

If you asked me to start again from scratch and with a fixed budget, I would probably elect to buy a single amazing (and reasonably versatile) guitar.

But this is rarely how things happen in real life. In real life, I started with a single crappy guitar, and now I own a few amazing and a few mid-range guitars. Between the two, about 30 years of playing and buying/upgrading. One guitar every few years on average, depending on my disposable income of the moment.

Could I go back to a single mid-range guitar? Undoubtedly. But I am in a stage of my life where I finally can afford to own more/better, and to experiment a little, so I am enjoying it for now.

It does make it harder to decide what guitar to grab for the next practice session, rehearsal or gig, though...

[pubylakeg]

Sorry, I should have put "musical" in italics

[lpdeluxe]

I boasted of owning one electric guitar last year on this thread...


...and now I have two!



My excuse is that this one has a Bigsby.

I agree with es125er: so far I have owned about 35 instruments, and I would have been happier longer had I been able to start with what I have now. On the other hand, I learned everything I know about changing out pickups, rewiring, routing, inlaying, instrument set up and repair and so on on a succession of mongrels and mutts, beginning with the acoustic Ventura guitar I bought for $35 in 1971.

And full disclosure requires that I confess to two flat tops, two resonators, and five bass guitars. Not for versatility (I could write several paragraphs about that issue, centering around the concept of the earlier post that said you should buy an instrument you bond with) but because, every so often, I find an instrument that leaps into my arms. So I have a single-coil precision, two split-coil Precisions, a five-string fretless, and a five-string MusicMan StingRay.

I said, "leaps into my arms" because it has been a long time since I went looking for a guitar. I let them find me, and in my opinion, that's a very efficient way to get the right instrument.

[Jazz_175]

I am going for all super nice guitars!
One collings, .....

I had not realized this was an old thread until I read this one.