How Many Guitars Do You Own?

**GNAPPI** · 10-30-2016, 12:17 PM

Well, I've never seen one here so it's a place to "AA" or "out" your guitar addiction anonymously.Be honest, it's a L-O-N-G road to a cure if you believe in such things.

**GNAPPI** · 10-30-2016, 12:36 PM

I may not answer this one. My "problem" (one of many) is I can't say no to a good deal. There's ALWAYS a svelte tele or strat configured in a "such n such" way, ANOTHER semi that just has such a sweet tone and action, yet one more archtop that just fits like a glove and sounds like a dream.

Also I do not mind guitars with personality. A bit of buckle / road rash, head dings, maybe even a double (or triple) of a model I already have in yet another color of course looking for subtleties the elude my GF :-)

Add to all of that I have the good (or bad depending on POV) fortune to be able to afford my compulsive behavior. I don't even want to START on amps. I fix them and so many wind up here permanently because owners thought it would cost $25 to fix.

l

**NSJ** · 10-30-2016, 12:52 PM

Category 2-5. I don't play all of them all of the time, but I do play them all once in a while throughout the year . I haven't bought a new guitar in years, once you find really nice stuff that you bond with, what's the point of buying especially cheap run-of-the-mill inferior products ? My number one guitar, I'll be hard-pressed to find a better one anywhere at any price.

I do have an 18 inch on order, but as we know here, the Wu's are a special category unto themselves

**mr. beaumont** · 10-30-2016, 01:04 PM

I have 9. THEY all serve different purposes, so it's ok, right?

Right?

**feet** · 10-30-2016, 01:16 PM

counting acoustics and basses, i'm just barely into double digits, i think. but everything is highly specific and there aren't any redundancies. i couldn't even tell you what my two most similar guitars are... maybe the casino and the 6118? the six and twelve string oms? i also tend to mod them to give them more leeway from one another. i've never been a "one in every color" kind of guy. i also don't buy things just for the sake of buying them, either.

i'd like to squeeze in one or two more, but that's mainly because i'm a smart shopper and i like pretty things. i can get by as is.

**Stringswinger** · 10-30-2016, 01:17 PM

For most of my life 2-3 guitars were all I needed (or could afford, or had room to store). When interest rates made money in the bank a losing proposition, I decided to indulge by becoming a guitar collector (the thought being that well purchased guitars hold value better than money in a savings account these days). In the early days of Ebay, selling costs were so cheap that one could buy a guitar right, demo it for a few months and pass it on, sometimes even making a profit. Those days have passed.

This year I hit a high of 22 guitars. That for me was too many. I found that even with rotating them, my bond was being lost (too much time since I played that guitar) and I was spending a lot of time taking care of them (string changes, fret polishing etc.). Also I am not sure of the long term value of fine guitars to Gen Y buyers, who seem OK with cheap Asian made guitars. I have slimmed my collection down to 18 guitars and am holding steady. My bond with the guitars is back using my rotation sequence and I like having all of them, so I am standing pat. But if I think prices will be seriously be heading south, I will reduce my inventory.

One thing is for certain. A new guitar will not improve your playing. Only hard work and dedication (obsession?) will do that.

**nopedals** · 10-30-2016, 01:18 PM

Interesting that nobody has one guitar. Years ago that was the norm. I played for decades before buying a spare guitar. Anybody else remember the 60s 70s differently? You just owned the best guitar you could afford.

**hotpepper01** · 10-30-2016, 01:42 PM

Some years ago when we moved to our current home I promised my girl that there will never be more than 10 guitars. And I keep that promise. Selling, swapping, upgrading is all allowed. My better half recognizes the guitars by their color. Thus no cheeting for me. And no need to as well. I am happy with what I have. I am more interested in learning to play better than buying another guitar.

**Guitarbean25** · 10-30-2016, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by nopedals

Interesting that nobody has one guitar. Years ago that was the norm. I played for decades before buying a spare guitar. Anybody else remember the 60s 70s differently? You just owned the best guitar you could afford.

1 guitar? You're a sick, sick, man.

**hot ford coupe** · 10-30-2016, 02:14 PM

I have 5 not including the 5 basses I still have. I am prevented from buying more by lack of suitable disposable income.

**Thumpalumpacus** · 10-30-2016, 02:26 PM

B -- 2-5:

**Max405** · 10-30-2016, 02:39 PM

Oh, we are supposed to include non archtops?
7.

**Jabberwocky** · 10-30-2016, 02:39 PM

Nobody has more than 50?

**Stringswinger** · 10-30-2016, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

Nobody has more than 50?

When I was researching one of my guitars, one of the prior owners told me that he has about 350 guitars. Some guys are hoarders. I had a business partner in the 80's who had about 300 cars. He owned three warehouses that he used to store them. While I think anyone with 50+ guitars is a hoarder, the same could be said about any of us with more than 5.

**omphalopsychos** · 10-30-2016, 03:06 PM

No wife, no kids. Well, six kids if you count the guitars.

**LtKojak** · 10-30-2016, 03:16 PM

I have ten, but I don't need more than four.

HTH,

**marcwhy** · 10-30-2016, 03:56 PM

One guitar is just risky for "real" players (who may have gigs, lessons, etc.); if the guitar needs some work, or worse -- something goes wrong with it! -- then you have nothing! I have a list of guitars I'd love to have, and it's a big list, but my budget doesn't allow it. The "2-5" range is good for me.

Marc

**GNAPPI** · 10-30-2016, 03:59 PM

I met an older guy in GC a few years ago that had hundreds of gits, not your average 335, or 175, the RARE stuff from mostly Gibson. He had EVERY model imaginable is his home that was setup like a fort / bank vault. He was in there buying an original D'Angelico and 50's 175. The Gibson IIRC was to add to a sequential year thing he had for some models from the 50's and 60's. He was VERY shy about talking about them, they were valued in the millions of dollars.

The funniest thing is he couldn't play a note!

**GNAPPI** · 10-30-2016, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by wyndham

I have three, unless you count travel guitars. I don't because it's been sitting in the closet for years, unplayed. It's not big enough to call a 'closet queen', it's more like a closet gnome.

Come to think of it, I don't play my acoustic much either, maybe I only have two!

Denial is to be expected... don't count travel, closet queens, dust catchers, wall gits, I understand, truly I do. :-)

**Herbie** · 10-30-2016, 04:10 PM

I counted only those that I play, one hollowbody and four solid bodies.

Cheap flat top didn't got counted, nor cheap classical nor cheap resonator. And that Mustang clone partscater is not in home but in the rehearsal room in another town.

That's creative guitar mathematics!

**vinnyv1k** · 10-30-2016, 04:31 PM

9....all Gibson archtops. As stated above 4 too many.

**silverfoxx** · 10-30-2016, 04:42 PM

5 , all Gibson archtops ( pared down recently from 10)

**grahambop** · 10-30-2016, 04:56 PM

5: An arch top, a solid body, a classical, a dreadnought acoustic, a 'silent' classical practice guitar.

And a 5-string banjo.

**djelley** · 10-30-2016, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

Nobody has more than 50?

Ummmm - I have BARELY that many, so its okay... right?

**JazzNote** · 10-30-2016, 05:37 PM

12 altogether. Three i use for teaching, one is up for sale, two strats are waiting for their "sentence" (haven't used them in more than five years), one archtop is a backup for a second archtop and therefore rarely played, two of the archtops i love and regularly play @ home (haven't taken them out to a gig yet), the other three i take out to gigs regularly. This is now, i'm planning some changes.