How many guitars and amps have you owned?

[Stringswinger]

I have seen threads about how many guitars or how many amps we own, but how many have you owned in total?

I sat down and composed a lost of every guitar and amp that I have owned since I started playing guitar back in 1968. I have owned 115 guitars (I currently have 20) and 51 amps (I currently have 5). The fact that there are some who own more guitars and/or more amps than I have ever owned makes me feel like less of a hoarder. I think that the ease of buying and selling on the web has contributed to the large number of instruments that has passed through my hands. There are a few guitars and amps that have increased in value so much that I regret letting them go (if only life came with a crystal ball) and there are a few that were so good that I miss them. But my needs are met and then some, so it is all good.

I am trying hard to hold the course and not buy or sell any more, but being on this forum makes that tough. One of my amps and a bunch of my guitars came from forum members and I have sold some amps and guitars to forum members.

Being true to one guitar (or amp) means being untrue to all the rest. How many have you owned?

[Greywolf]

my current collection has 48 instruments , the majority guitars . ( 2x5 string fiddles, 4x basses ,mandolin, conga's and keys)

[Gitterbug]

30 amps, 46 guitars, including a few banjos and basses. I tallied 44 guitars, looked around and found two more...

[jim777]

I've owned over 100 guitars easily since the late 70's, no idea how many. Far fewer amps though, maybe a 15? Right now I have 17 guitars, 2 bases, and 5 amps.

[hotpepper01]

A rough estimate on the guitars results in about 100, I still have 10 of them. I am not so sure about the amps. I guess about 20-30 and still have 2. Not counting the mandoline, banjo, bass, and ukes

[bluejaybill]

I've owned a few over 60 years of playing! 21 amplifiers and 15 guitars- surprisingly small list of guitars, I tended to find the ones I wanted to play, and then keep them until I wasn't using them any more!

Here are the amps:

1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe
1960 Fender Tweed Champ
1959 Fender Tweed Super (mint!)
1959 Fender Bassman
1960 Fender Bassman (completely mint!)
1959 Fender Tweed Pro
1962 Fender Deluxe (brown)
1962 Fender Concert (brown)
1964 Vox AC15
1965 Vox AC30
1965 Fender Super Reverb
1965 Fender Vibroverb
1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb
1967 Marshall JTM45
1967 Marshall JTM50 Bluesbreaker
1960’s Gibson tube amp (Skylark?)
1970’s Ampeg V4 with Acoustic 6x10 Cab
1980’s Jim Kelley FACS in maple
1990’s Victoria Low Power Tweed Twin
2020 Fat Jimmy Gigmaster 20
2023 DV Little Jazz

[Ob Com]

I've owned a few over 60 years of playing! 21 amplifiers and 15 guitars- surprisingly small list of guitars, I tended to find the ones I wanted to play, and then keep them until I wasn't using them any more!

Here are the amps:

1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe
1960 Fender Tweed Champ
1959 Fender Tweed Super (mint!)
1959 Fender Bassman
1960 Fender Bassman (completely mint!)
1959 Fender Tweed Pro
1962 Fender Deluxe (brown)
1962 Fender Concert (brown)
1964 Vox AC15
1965 Vox AC30
1965 Fender Super Reverb
1965 Fender Vibroverb
1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb
1967 Marshall JTM45
1967 Marshall JTM50 Bluesbreaker
1960’s Gibson tube amp (Skylark?)
1970’s Ampeg V4 with Acoustic 6x10 Cab
1980’s Jim Kelley FACS in maple
1990’s Victoria Low Power Tweed Twin
2020 Fat Jimmy Gigmaster 20
2023 DV Little Jazz

great amps there- which did you keep hold off?

[Skip Ellis]

Been playing since 1960 so I don't have a clue, plus, I used own a music store so - thousands. Personal stuff: a couple Super 400s, a Johnny Smith, an ES5, '56 175, '59 Les Paul Burst, '60 LP Jr, ES165, '36 Martin 0-17, '68 Tele. Too many to count and I don't have a clue even how many (mostly Teles) I've built. Been trying to downsize - now I have a '22 GB10, a couple homemade Teles, Martin 000-18, Brook Lyn custom, Evans RE200, and Quilter 101R with various cabinets. I may cut a few more soon.

[John A.]

I started playing in high school (ca. 1977-8), after having had some beginner and classical lessons here and there earlier and then stopping. Since then, I've had 11 amps and 14 guitars. I currently have 4 guitars and 3 amps. Looking at it in aggregate, it seems like a lot of churn, but it has mainly been about figuring out what I can actually use and keeping that, and not keeping stuff I don't use. One of my guitars I've had for 35 years, another for 13, and the more recent ones (4 years, 2 years) are not going anywhere. Under my self-imposed 1-in-1-out rule, I've got one slot I can fill; not sure whether I will.

[2bornot2bop]

Over 100 guitars in 7 years, all archtop’s. But I was more a custodian than owner. 5 amps, all large tube amps. No puny amps for me!

[pcjazz]

Far too many.

[omphalopsychos]

My numbers are up there. And I only started digging gear in 2015.

[jads57]

Since 1968 and onward over 500 guitars for sure! Including manyi vintage Fenders, Gibsons.
Highlights include …two 1958 Gold Tops with PAF’s,
1960 Les Paul Custom with Bigsby, 1958 ES-355 Mono with Bigsby.
1964&69 Byrdlands, Original Citation repaired, 1974 L-5CES
1953 Fender Esquire, 1960 Telecaster Custom, 1954 ,65&67 Fender Stratocasters, Gibson CS Johnny A, Pat Martino, R7,R8 Les Paul Historics, 335,345, etc
Hamers, Benedetto Bambino, Carvin,Kiesel,and so on…..Lol!

[bluejaybill]

great amps there- which did you keep hold off?

Vintage: JTM45, AC15, and the Deluxe Reverb.

Fat Jimmy and DV Mark among the modern amps.

I let some nice ones get away! Especially miss the tweed Bassmen.

But I've only kept the ones I was using, mostly for recording etc.

[wintermoon]

Not enough bandwidth
There's still a couple guitars on my bucket list but they've been there forever and barring a miracle will likely stay there considering their rarity and today's prices.
Those aside my buying days are pretty much over at this point.

[ccroft]

I'm a lightweight: 13 guitars and six amps. When music was my bread and butter there was almost no turnover. Probably mostly due to poverty, but I did have great gear. 1970 to 1990 was covered with 2 amps and 4 guitars. Things picked up a lot when I got back to playing more and started hanging here. And had a steady job.

[Litterick]

Three guitars, three amps.

[deacon Mark]

I don't want to sit down and go through a list but less than 50 guitars. I tend to keep them so the majority of my now 13 guitars I have had for over 25 years. I am always on the lookout for something if the price is right. Right now, I would like to have one of these.....D'angelico Excel ( real one), Super 400c, Wes L5, nothing else really quite hits me like these particular models.

Amps I have not had some many. My first amp was a small Fender Champ in 1973. Then I got my dad's old Vox and added a Polytone Mini Brute VI. I then bought a Peavey Sterio classic 130. My son still uses this amp today and it works. Finally, what have now, a Clarus R2 and Rich Reazer's Twin 8 and a small Polytone baby Tarus. Amps to me are an afterthought for sure and I love a nice Fender Deluxe Reverb, but they are too heavy for me to haul around.

[Stringswinger]

I don't want to sit down and go through a list but less than 50 guitars. I tend to keep them so the majority of my now 13 guitars I have had for over 25 years. I am always on the lookout for something if the price is right. Right now, I would like to have one of these.....D'angelico Excel ( real one), Super 400c, Wes L5, nothing else really quite hits me like these particular models.

Amps I have not had some many. My first amp was a small Fender Champ in 1973. Then I got my dad's old Vox and added a Polytone Mini Brute VI. I then bought a Peavey Sterio classic 130. My son still uses this amp today and it works. Finally, what have now, a Clarus R2 and Rich Reazer's Twin 8 and a small Polytone baby Tarus. Amps to me are an afterthought for sure and I love a nice Fender Deluxe Reverb, but they are too heavy for me to haul around.

Do you think that a Super 400C would be much different than your Heritage built New Yorker replica? I have played a late 1960's Super 400C and to my ears, it sounded a LOT like my Heritage built New Yorker replica. As it should, I suppose, seeing as they were both built in the same factory by the same luthiers (JP Moats, Aaron Cowles and Marv Lamb).