Guitar addiction...Why ?

**MacGringo** · 07-30-2017, 08:50 AM

So true. Although I play almost daily, I'm a hobbiest - my band days are past. I'm fortunate to have a decent amount of disposable income and I'm about to acquire my 7th guitar. But my collection is diverse in the sense that I have Fenders and Gibsons with various pickup config (single coils, noiseless, P-90s, humbuckers etc...). I don't own a Les Paul but have 3 Gibsons. But back to the original post...do I need 7 guitars? Probably not. As someone mentioned, it's the thrill of the purchase, thinking this may be the one, as well as some sort of 1st world hoarder mentality. I do take precautions as every purchase is justified by it's resale value. Sometimes I think I should unload and keep my 2 best guitars. But I know I'd just start acquiring all over again. Maybe I need help?

**GNAPPI** · 07-30-2017, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by vinnyv1k

Why do guitar players have such a addiction for so many guitars ? Look at people like George Benson, Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, Scott Chinery, BigMike, Me....the list is endless.

Big Mike aren't you just delighted you're in the same league as those players? :-)

My take on why "other" instruments are not generally (the exception being that guy in Asia whose wife destroyed them) collected.

"Most" stringed instruments are just plain, well plain if not downright ugly. I mean who plays a violin that another player says WOW when they see it? Or is motivated to own / play one like it after seeing it? Or can even identify the model / brand from 50' away? OK if they knew it was a Stradavarius they'd WOW, but they're STILL plain.

**BigMikeinNJ** · 07-30-2017, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by GNAPPI

Big Mike aren't you just delighted you're in the same league as those players? :-)

My take on why "other" instruments are not generally (the exception being that guy in Asia whose wife destroyed them) collected.

"Most" stringed instruments are just plain, well plain if not downright ugly. I mean who plays a violin that another player says WOW when they see it? Or is motivated to own / play one like it after seeing it? Or can even identify the model / brand from 50' away? OK if they knew it was a Stradavarius they'd WOW, but they're STILL plain.

?Well fellas, I'm 65 Days without buying a new guitar or other gear. I got a friend, we joke about it - he calls me ragging on me that I've been too quiet, what did I buy "I thought I was your damn sponsor Mike"...

65 Days clean and sober (off gear)

**viccortes285** · 07-30-2017, 01:57 PM

I need to thin the heard myself. I am almost 68 and band days are over. I do play daily but have 6 guitar, 2 Amps, and 3 effects boards. This year I will trim it done to 3 guitars and one effects unit.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**TKO** · 07-31-2017, 05:00 AM

I've been on a selling binge lately. Mainly because I'm making room for some selected aquisitions... acoustic and electric.

**DanielleOM** · 07-31-2017, 12:51 PM

I sometimes wonder why we do it. It seems every guitar I buy has some little issue or annoyance that takes my time away from actually playing.

**Rhythmisking** · 07-31-2017, 01:42 PM

I have a lot of guitars; 2 dozen give or take. They're all distinct, with different voices. I've always felt I'm a player, not a collector, but at this number, well, it seems like a collection. I just posted a 'family photo' in another thread. I keep them out because I don't want to have a guitar that I'm not going to play regularly, and if there's one that I just never reach for, it gets sold (currently that poor guy is a Godin Flat Five X), but I've reached the point where I'm actually embarrassed about how many guitars I have when someone comes over, because it looks...somewhat pathological...and maybe it is.

But I love guitars! Each one has it's own way about it, and I love exploring their idiosyncrasies. I also love to tinker, so I'm endlessly fiddling with setups, pickups and pickup heights, different strings etc. to try to bring out the soul of each one. So part of this nonsense is that process of refining the sound and playability of each one, and once it's 'there'; perfect in my mind, it becomes almost impossible to then sell. I don't have any really expensive 'collectable' guitars in my 'collection' but I have many that are WAY better instruments than what they're worth in dollars, and I'm very attached to those.

But I'm also a sax player, and as someone mentioned earlier in this thread I don't have dozens of horns (I do have my main horn and a backup for soprano, alto and tenor) and don't want anymore.

**Papawooly** · 07-31-2017, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by BigMikeinNJ

65 Days clean and sober (off gear)

119 Days for me... I'm not counting the Squire Dumble pedal I just got...
I ordered it in December!

**JazzNote** · 08-01-2017, 04:57 AM

Originally Posted by Rhythmisking

But I'm also a sax player, and as someone mentioned earlier in this thread I don't have dozens of horns (I do have my main horn and a backup for soprano, alto and tenor) and don't want anymore.

Could it be that with guitar the sound is shaped more by the instrument than the player, while with saxophone it's shaped more by the player. Just wondering .....

**docsteve** · 08-01-2017, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by JazzNote

Could it be that with guitar the sound is shaped more by the instrument than the player, while with saxophone it's shaped more by the player. Just wondering .....

Not in my case... once I realised that I have one sound to go for, regardless of the kind of instrument. My Tele, Martin, and Classical all sound alike when I play them. Of course, they are different instruments, but I like a certain tone and I know how to get it. The rest are just nuances.

BTW I've played the sax for ages and never wanted more than one Tenor and one Soprano. (Horn players can talk all night about reeds and mouthpieces, though.)

So here are my two cents: "classical" instruments like pianos, violins etc. are built according to a certain sound ideal that has developed over the centuries. Builders don't really look for their own sound but to come close to the ideal. This ideal, BTW, is developing over time, too.

In contrast, most electric guitar sounds that we've come to love and cherish come from the 50's and 60's, when the instrument was very much in its infancy. That time is still within living memory. Lots of the instruments are still around, and the association of a certain player with a certain guitar is also, still, quite strong. (Which kind of violin did Paganini play? Does anyone know what he sounded like at all? Can you still buy that particular brand of violin?)

When most of the original instruments are gone, when players care less about getting the particular sound of one player / record / brand, guitars may enter a stage of standardisation. We had that to an extend in the 80's when people went for superstrats that seemed to have it all.

**ThatRhythmMan** · 08-01-2017, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by docsteve

Not in my case... once I realised that I have one sound to go for, regardless of the kind of instrument. My Tele, Martin, and Classical all sound alike when I play them. Of course, they are different instruments, but I like a certain tone and I know how to get it. The rest are just nuances.

BTW I've played the sax for ages and never wanted more than one Tenor and one Soprano. (Horn players can talk all night about reeds and mouthpieces, though.)

So here are my two cents: "classical" instruments like pianos, violins etc. are built according to a certain sound ideal that has developed over the centuries. Builders don't really look for their own sound but to come close to the ideal. This ideal, BTW, is developing over time, too.

In contrast, most electric guitar sounds that we've come to love and cherish come from the 50's and 60's, when the instrument was very much in its infancy. That time is still within living memory. Lots of the instruments are still around, and the association of a certain player with a certain guitar is also, still, quite strong. (Which kind of violin did Paganini play? Does anyone know what he sounded like at all? Can you still buy that particular brand of violin?)

When most of the original instruments are gone, when players care less about getting the particular sound of one player / record / brand, guitars may enter a stage of standardisation. We had that to an extend in the 80's when people went for superstrats that seemed to have it all.

In fact, we do know what violin Paganini played. It's a very famous Guarneri. Hillary Hahn plays a copy made in the 1800s. He had an Amati before that.

Il Cannone Guarnerius - Wikipedia

**vinnyv1k** · 08-01-2017, 11:34 AM

Yes I have way too many guitars. I am 63 and have 12 high end Gibson archtops. I want to get down to 5-6.
Anyone looking for a really nice Gibson Archtop may want to PM me. I also want to get down to 3 amps. I currently have 6. I have finally got to the reverse mode age. Kind of a bummer but those GAS days were a blast. There is a time and a season for everything. My Harley days are coming to a close soon too. Life is a fast ride so do enjoy today and don't think too much about tomorrow. Today is your only guarantee.

**Stringswinger** · 08-01-2017, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by vinnyv1k

Yes I have way too many guitars. I am 63 and have 12 high end Gibson archtops. I want to get down to 5-6.
Anyone looking for a really nice Gibson Archtop may want to PM me. I also want to get down to 3 amps. I currently have 6. I have finally got to the reverse mode age. Kind of a bummer but those GAS days were a blast. There is a time and a season for everything. My Harley days are coming to a close soon too. Life is a fast ride so do enjoy today and don't think too much about tomorrow. Today is your only guarantee.

I am 59 and have too many guitars as well. Most of my life, I had 2 or 3 guitars and one amp. In my mid 40's, I realized that I could have as many as I wanted and started to play out regularly and used that as a justification to let my GAS run wild. At my peak I was up to 22 guitars and 6 amps. I am down to 18 guitars and 5 amps and plan on thinning the herd even more (4 of my guitars are going to go in the near future). When I retire from public performance (2 or 3 years from now) I want to get down to about 8 or 9 guitars and 2 or 3 amps.

And I can see a day when my Harley days will end as well, though I think that day will be the day of my funeral.

**Bluedawg** · 08-01-2017, 04:54 PM

I'm up to about 40 guitars and basses ... and one 6 string banjo ...

Trying to reduce the numbers and raise money to pay off my latest big purchase .... and recover from some heavy veterinary bills

I've had some nibbles on Craigslist, but its probably time to move on to Reverb and see what it can do for me ...

Unfortunately someone has abused my name and address with UPS either by accident or by fraud ... hopefully that won't hurt me if I need to ship with UPS

**Thumpalumpacus** · 08-01-2017, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by vinnyv1k

Yes I have way too many guitars. I am 63 and have 12 high end Gibson archtops. I want to get down to 5-6.
Anyone looking for a really nice Gibson Archtop may want to PM me.

I'll be happy to help you, my friend. Send me those twelve, I'll play them all and figure out which six are best, and return the rest.

**Max405** · 08-01-2017, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus

I'll be happy to help you, my friend. Send me those twelve, I'll play them all and figure out which six are best, and return the rest.

Thump,
Trust me, Vinny has already cherry picked these. He knows a great guitar. If he sent you 12, you wouldn't return any of them. They are ALL perfection.
Joe D

**Thumpalumpacus** · 08-02-2017, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by Max405

Thump,
Trust me, Vinny has already cherry picked these. He knows a great guitar. If he sent you 12, you wouldn't return any of them. They are ALL perfection.
Joe D

That works for me.

**vinnyv1k** · 08-02-2017, 10:46 AM

Well I reevaluated. I need at least 7. 1 for each day of the week. :-) Of course all it will take is for Gibson to offer a new Archtop model and I am off to the races again. I am still pondering a custom 1 pu Tal with gold hardware in bourbon burst.

**Max405** · 08-02-2017, 04:00 PM

Then we can call you Vinny Bourberino..

**silverfoxx** · 08-02-2017, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

I am 59 and have too many guitars as well. Most of my life, I had 2 or 3 guitars and one amp.

And I can see a day when my Harley days will end as well, though I think that day will be the day of my funeral.

Marco , what's going on., have you lost the plot? at 59 you're at your peak.
I was forced to quit 10 years since due to circumstances beyond my
control, otherwise, I'd be at it boring the pants off the audience ,
Get a grip of yourself, we've just had Vinny almost derailed but
after some stern talk he's back in line. We want more clips of
you and the band playing .

Best SF

**Stringswinger** · 08-02-2017, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by silverfoxx

Marco , what's going on., have you lost the plot? at 59 you're at your peak.
I was forced to quit 10 years since due to circumstances beyond my
control, otherwise, I'd be at it boring the pants off the audience ,
Get a grip of yourself, we've just had Vinny almost derailed but
after some stern talk he's back in line. We want more clips of
you and the band playing .

Best SF

Alan,

Thanks for the encouragement!

I certainly am playing better than ever, but the gigs are paying less and less, there are scores of jazz musicians always approaching the venue owners of my gigs (often asking if they can have the gig for no pay) and the younger audiences are less appreciating each passing year (louder conversation right up at the bandstand combined with declining amounts in the tip jar combined with low pay from the venue makes for a discouraging event).

My philosophy of life (which has always served me well in the casinos) is "quit while you are ahead". I will play jazz guitar all the rest of my days, but at some point will do it (like Johnny Smith did) in my living room as opposed to noisy restaurants and bars where my psyche gets bombarded with negative vibes. Like Vinny said, there is a time and place for everything. I will turn 60 this year and am still out 3-4 nights a week, making the changes and swinging hard. At some point it will be time to move on.

Cheers,

Marco

**Stringswinger** · 08-02-2017, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Max405

Then we can call you Vinny Bourberino..

In the new TV show "Welcome back Kowter" (with John Travolta playing Vinny )?

**silverfoxx** · 08-02-2017, 05:31 PM

Marco,
Thanks for your reply, in the U.K. we are ignorant of
the declining state of affairs in Calif. with regard to
the Jazz scene. Now fully understood , sad to say but
Nuff said.

Best,
Alan

**vinnyv1k** · 08-02-2017, 07:14 PM

Alan,

Jazz has been in trouble for many years on this side of the pond. It seems to still be very healthy in Europe. Very sad as jazz was born in the U.S. Americans have become very musically ignorant IMO. Rap music confirms my opinion at least in my eyes.
Intelligent people listen to jazz music. Hard to find people these days in Calif. that wear their baseball cap on straight or their pants above their underwear.

**2bornot2bop** · 08-02-2017, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by vinnyv1k

Yes I have way too many guitars. I am 63 and have 12 high end Gibson archtops. I want to get down to 5-6.
Anyone looking for a really nice Gibson Archtop may want to PM me. I also want to get down to 3 amps. I currently have 6. I have finally got to the reverse mode age. Kind of a bummer but those GAS days were a blast. There is a time and a season for everything. My Harley days are coming to a close soon too. Life is a fast ride so do enjoy today and don't think too much about tomorrow. Today is your only guarantee.

You're just like me, a few years too young to have hung with the crowd at Haight-Ashbury. And years later you took out your frustration by buying guitars.