The One's Enough Club

[Buc McMaster]

Though guilty in the past, I no longer understand the logic in stockpiling guitars........unless perhaps you're a professional touring musician, and even that might be a questionable criteria. Two hands, one guitar. Sure, their are differences in tone woods.......rosewood v. mahogany v. walnut v. koa and whatever else you might name.......but even the most attentive ear is often hard pressed to pick one from the other in a blind test. One's got a skinny nut width, another's got a big fat baseball bat neck, this one's long scale, that one short.....but I'd bet most (if not all) of you have a favorite in the herd......the one you'd grab if the house caught fire.

 

Seems that time as a player sharpens ones' skill at identifying what works in a guitar, from ones' own unique perception. And, it seems, such focus should eventually bring the player to that one instrument that fits the bill. Oh yes, it's only by sampling what's out there that we can arrive at the guitar that is everything we need from an acoustic instrument, and at the end of years of learning and listening it's only logical to me that one particular set of features would win out and everything else fall by the wayside, all those just "books" we read to learn what we were really after.

 

Yes, some guitars are just pretty to look at, works of art with varying levels of bling that might please the eye but do nothing for the playability nor the sound of the instrument.......and if you're collecting art that might carry some weight.....but in the grand scheme of guitars it's meaningless baubles and just adds to the price. Now if all that pretty stuff happens to be on that particular guitar that works for you above all others, terrific, but I'd guess that a lot of folks that have blinged out guitars have them just for the bling, not because they are "the one".

 

Certainly the sound of a big maple J-200 and a round shouldered J-45 are different, no argument there. But in lieu of owning both, I'd reckon a player would be just as happy banging out Pinball Wizard on his/her J-45.......same chords, same words, same melody.......works just fine. So from that perspective, the truthful reason for owning multiple guitars is simply "because I can." Yes? And I suppose that's valid enough for a lot of folks, but logic says it's just extra stuff laying around for the sake of having it. GAS in all it's glory. Sometimes GAS is viewed as an investment strategy, gathering up what are considered vintage, valuable instruments with an eye to the future. But that's not being a player......that's being an investor, a speculator on guitar values.......not to mention being a hoarder.

 

None of this is meant to imply that owners of multiple instruments are in any way wrong, defective, inferior or any other derogatory term you can come up with.......it's simply a logical look at what playing guitar means to me. A guitar is a tool, used to produce music. In the end we all have but two hands, and it takes both of them to play one guitar. Logic says we need but one guitar to be a player, whatever our level of competence with the instrument. Indeed, buy one of everything you can afford as you learn what makes guitars sound and work as they do, but at the end of the learning curve realize that there is one set of particulars that are right for the player in you and everything else is just fluff.

 

Okay........fire up your flame throwers and chap my *** good..........

[MissouriPicker]

Logical question. Nothing offensive about it. My wife has mentioned many times that I can only play one-at-time and that's certainly true. And, in all honesty they all sound like guitars aside from what most would say are minor, even subtle differences. Even the $99 ones sound like guitars. I own more than one guitar because I like them, feel a personal connection to what they represent to me, and I can afford them. That's about all the reason I have or need.

[kelly campbell]

Logical question. Nothing offensive about it. My wife has mentioned many times that I can only play one-at-time and that's certainly true. And, in all honesty they all sound like guitars aside from what most would say are minor, even subtle differences. Even the $99 ones sound like guitars. I own more than one guitar because I like them, feel a personal connection to what they represent to me, and I can afford them. That's about all the reason I have or need.

 

Pretty much agree although I would add that with me some of it is just because I am still finding my way with them since I am new to the guitar world.

[OldCowboy]

It's all good to me. I don't expect anyone to justify their guitar-owning tendencies to me, and I sure as hell don't intend to justify mine to anyone else.

[58 Relic]

Good thread , Now for my perspective, at the age of 59 I have over the last 50 years owned , sold and traded at least 40 guitars always seeking the perfect tone with pedals amps processors .Ok at the time I was gigging and they were tools for a trade . Now for the change , over the last three or so years the electric guitars have been kissed goodnight and stored in their cases and now I play 100% acoustic ( and electro acoustic) . Ok I now own a J45 a GSMini and a Yamaha NTX Nylon string guitar but these guitars do get played regularly my Yamaha SLG200s gets used daily and during church worship as do all the other guitars sometimes weekly . Last month I planned a trip to my local dealer to purchase a long anticipated Hummingbird Standard or J200 , i was looking forward to the trip and tried 3 new Hummingbirds and a J200 although they were really nice guitars and sounded great , did they sound £2,700 better than my J45 ? i just couldn't justify owning another . Here's the thing , my dear wife actually wanted me to buy the J200 . A month on , do I regret it , no I now have all the guitars I need and play them regularly. If my Grandson takes up the guitar , well he will well equipped to learn ( my electrics are waiting ) . But no offence to anybody that loves collecting guitars it's a lovely passion and they are all beautiful, some people collect wine or watches etc the list goes on

[stein]

You're a high class guy and a gifted and wise musician. Kinda hard to take the flame thrower to you.

 

As it is, a great post set up for a great discussion, even a debate, but not an argument of sorts.

 

Where I am, I don't even play anymore. I could easily get rid of all but 1 or 2, and only because those may have sentimental value but aren't worth anything to anyone else. Might add that I am also kinda in a spot I just don't feel I need stuff, and what little I got now is only because I'm too lazy to get rid of it, but when I go to the dump. As for the guitars, too lazy to sell, but the next kid or musician that has a use for one gets one.

 

Where we part ways on this, is there are different kind of musicians. As for what I WAS, I was a GUITAR PLAYER, nothing more. Not a singer, or a singer/songwriter, or a band leader. I might be the guy that is hired by a guy like you to play your music. The main part about my craft and music was to play the best guitar I could, dictated by who I would be playing with and what best served their music or our music. Saying "This is me and this is the guitar I play" as a take-it-or-leave proposition would be in a sense, arrogant.

 

I think I have bought 2, maybe 3 guitars to facilitate a gig or a band, the perfect guitars for it. The other 18 or so were in HOPES of a gig...lol. So to spite what I wrote above, a lot of it for me was the hobby of searching and learning about "tone", which along with my audiophile hobby, was much centered around speaker and tube swaps, pickups swaps, and restoring. And if I had the money, I would have had a LOT of really, REALLY nice stuff.

 

But really, as a "guitar player", and nothing really more, it wasn't just buying guitars to have them, it was very much about learning to play them, play the best guitars to get the best sounds out of them, both having the best tools for the job having learned, and also about learning to use the tools as well, much like a craftsman would. Most got played.

[BluesKing777]

Buc may have been in the sun too long....

 

 

Time for some sense in this thread with a link to the Guitar Chart again:

 

 

http://www.musicademy.com/2012/03/flow-chart-do-you-have-too-many-guitars/

 

 

 

Another spanner in the ointment of mixed mettas - I play slide but while it is possible on a low set up guitar, it is better on a higher set to stop the slide rattling on frets, but I sure don't want to play bar chords on the same guitar that is good for slide! Youch. I prefer the Nationals for slide but also like slide on my LG1.....which is always in Open D or my LG-0 which is always in Open G, while I have vintage Nationals and new Nationals - vintage not leaving the house while the new ones have pickups, which gets to acoustic guitars plain old Gibson or Martin but pickup or no pickup.....................................

 

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[EuroAussie]

Thats like trying to explain to my wife she only needs one pair of shoes or sunglasses.

[jedzep]

Won't say I'd argue with you Bucky, but will ya' go to 2 guitars? Those of you who have had a guitar end up in long residency at their luthier shop understand this, especially when 50+ yr old instruments are your thing. I'm down to 4, from a one time high number of 14, and don't expect to add.

 

To add to BK's humor and sense of the absurd...

 

http://www.robwesley.com/guitars/

 

http://www.robwesley.com/

 

Ol' Rob's had 'the guitar life'.

[MorrisrownSal]

I have five. I could deal with two. If it had to be one, it would be a Gibby slope... My J50.

 

Yes GAS is silly.

 

Sometimes GAS is not about the guitars, but the whole chase, research, and distraction they may provide that provides release/escape from other parts of "life".

 

[Murph]

I have one acoustic guitar. It's a J-45 Rosewood / ebony.

 

I have several electrics from the gigging days, but actually, one is a wore out 61 Melody Maker, and the SG belongs to my oldest son, leaving me just the ES339, a Les Paul Studio for a backup, and a Tele for the Country stuff.

 

I'm clean.....

[BluesKing777]

No need for being inconsiderate to the many better halves, friends, relatives, employers, workmates et al.....

 

 

We could give them a stroke! The shock could do them in.

 

 

I mean ...One Guitar!

In the middle of the music room?

Spartan minimilism?

Do we get a chair? Or do we have sit on the floor crosslegged?

 

 

Better be a real nice guitar then! [biggrin]

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[kidblast]

For many years, I only had a single electric and acoustic plus what was needed to gig, and for about 20 years, I made a good amount of cash with a very small investment. A growing family has it's needs and buying guitars and gear was way down on the list.

 

Turn the clock ahead 20+ years, ... I am guilty of having way more stuff than required. I could pair down if I wanted or needed to, but at the moment, I'm definitely on the "excess" side of things. I kind of admire the guys that are happy with a minimal amount of instruments and gear even though they could easily afford any thing they desired.

 

Who knows, some day I may have to once again, dump stuff and just get down to the basics. Other than family and work, music is about the only thing I do for enjoyment and help pass idle hours. But, that said, I certainly do not need all of what I have today. some guys have boats, harleys, snowmobiles,

 

for me, it's guitars...

 

yes, when it comes to this, I'm weak.

[Buc McMaster]

Point taken on the slide guitar, BK.........this makes sense, certainly. And as for shoes and sunglasses, those are fashion accessories.......and I do suppose some see guitars in that light.

 

Within a year of taking up the ukulele I had acquired seven instruments. The first was a concert size, believing the larger size would better serve the transition from guitar. But as it turned out the soprano had that "real" ukulele sound and I went that way. And after spending the time to listen to them, to play them and feel them I've come down to just two: a koa soprano and a mahogany tenor........and the tenor I keep just for what it is, an old '30s Gretsch beater that's just so warm and smooth. The rest of them have been sold and three are still out on consignment for sale........can't say I miss them at all. So there was a learning curve there......what works for me as a player, what strikes my ear the right way.

 

I'm very happy to see you all are taking this in the manner it's intended, just a conversation.

[Boyd]

My 1965 J-50 is the only guitar I have played for over a year, I could be content with it alone. But I keep my 1974 J-50 because I bought it new and it's come too far with me to get rid of now. My 2008 J-50 really doesn't interest me any more. I took it out a few weeks ago to see if I could get back into it. Played it twice, then it sat on the stand for a month so it went back in the case in the closet. I would sell it, but it has some pretty significant cosmetic damage that would really limit what I can get, and I just don't like selling stuff to strangers. If I had a close friend who needed a guitar, I'd just give it to them. The good thing is that the 2008 J-50 pretty much cured my GAS for new Gibsons. I just don't like the necks.

 

I also had a Martin D-15m that I got when I started practicing seriously about 5 years ago. Played it a lot back then but ultimately decided it just wasn't for me. Gave it to my son in law as a Christmas present a few years ago, he loves it. I gave him a telecaster modern player I never played the year before. I have another telecaster but have not played it for several years. I would get rid of it, but seems like I should have one electric guitar in the closet, just in case.

 

My only other guitar is a telecoustic. Basically, it's a POS but I got it cheap. Should probably get rid of it, can't even remember the last time I played it. But doesn't seem worth the trouble for the few bucks I could get.

 

So I like the "one's enough" idea. I like the way the 65 j-50 feels, the neck is perfect for me, and I also like the sound. I have an old DeArmond pickup if I want to plug it in. At this point, I'm more interested in practicing and improving my technique. Having more guitars is just a distraction and frankly I can find better uses for the money.

[Hall]

"Buc may have been in the sun too long.... " -------------------------

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Naw! I think maybe Buc believes we've all been in the sun too long!:wacko:

[MissouriPicker]

Hell, Buc. I really doubt that anyone here is going to be offended by this topic. Especially with you bringing it up. You were still part of this family/pack/clan/tribe/gang/neighborood (pick your poison) when you had a brain fart and switched totally to ukes (which ain't bad at all). This thread kind of illustrates the commonalities we have as humans. One of them is that we tend to collect things we like. Some folks collect and spend money on fixing old cars, model trains, quilts, coins they'll never spend, stamps, Halloween masks, etc. and of course musical instruments. My wife laughs and says there are worse habits and since I don't spend money on smoking, hitting the bars, and chasing women that I could have worse habits than guitars. I tell her that "guitars are like women. You can't have too many." Good discussion and may I suggest that somewhere along the line you'll get another guitar---it's the natural thing to do.

.

[BigKahune]

... Logic says we need but one guitar to be a player, whatever our level of competence with the instrument. Indeed, buy one of everything you can afford as you learn what makes guitars sound and work as they do, but at the end of the learning curve realize that there is one set of particulars that are right for the player in you and everything else is just fluff. ....

 

Some folks just don't fit into to the fold there - "the player in you". Some folks play more than one type/style of music - meaning there's more than one player in them. Seems to me, the "monogamy" philosophy tends to disregard the different sound of tone woods and that there are many combinations of tone woods. What is generally considered the best choice of tone woods for some certain styles of playing can be very exacting. A person sensitive to this, that plays more than one type/style of music, might rightly own more than one guitar to have a particular combination tone woods available to play. I wouldn't call that fluff - I'd say serious player. I won't get into shapes, sizes, body depth, scale lengths, standard frets, fan frets, neck joint fret number (12 or 14), single saddle, split saddle, individual saddles, or fretboard and bridge woods - I'll just say that at end of that learning curve, if you can pick one guitar and stick with it, you are Saint Monogamus.

 

OTOH, I do have more instruments than I need - 25 guitars, a coupla harmonicas, a bunch of pedals, a keyboard, a 120 base accordion, 2 saxophones and a trumpet. But I've played solo, in combos, bands, big bands, and orchestras and I generally keep my instruments. There were a coupla instruments I sold off but didn't replace - a banjo, and a ukulele. I used to turn my guitars over until about 15 years ago when they started to accumulate. . . B)

 

 

.

[mountainpicker]

As I've gotten older I've come to believe that coming to grips with desire and with waste are a personal trial and a collective trial for Americans. What more can one say about 4% of the world's population consuming 25% of the world's resources? I live in a place where some people own four or five houses and are looking to build yet another "small" five thousand square foot one. I enjoy all the guitars I own and they are my only concession to excess as I live rather small and too I figure that the day is coming, rather soon, where I won't be physically capable of playing them anymore (if past experience with losing the ability to do other things is any indication). Soon I will have to begin divesting myself of most everything I own in preparation for the big journey, at which time my ability to decide what goes will be out of my hands. Up to now I've taken my cue from the behavior of Capt. Orr in Catch-22. Practice. But, I think if you love to play guitar and you play a lot, you need two guitars so you have one to play in case the other is being worked on or is injured in some way.

[jdd707]

 

 

No flame throwers here and the perfect topic for this forum. All, well most, of what you say makes sense. I would argue for 2 guitars, one being a backup .... even a cheapo or a beater. Just for those times when the "good" one was in the shop. For about 15 years I had only one and it was stolen in a burglary. If I had several I'd have lost all. Then I replaced it with only one and several years later bought the AJ which was for 19 or 20 years "the one". I must say I was perfectly happy Then, after retirement and getting the daughter out of grad school, I had some time and money so I did what Sal noted about GAS .... and I quote

 

"Sometimes GAS is not about the guitars, but the whole chase, research, and distraction they may provide that provides release/escape from other parts of "life".

 

That's where I've been for about 5 years. Indeed this board is an important part of that research and release.. If it were not for that expanded part of the guitar/music hobby, I'd be researching old cars or shotguns or whatever. Guitars are much less expensive than old cars ..... to the point where I do limit myself to one old car only.

 

So now I/'m at the point where I have found the one .... and several that would serve nicely as the backup. I almost reached the saturation point where I can't maintain or store more and could, using Buc's wise logic, sell off most of my herd. I've thought about it but can't quite bring myself to place the adds yet. Guess I still have some pride of ownership here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dave F]

Buck,

Although I agree with you I am not adhering to that creed. For the first 50+ years of my life, I survived with one or two guitars. Lately I think I may have been over compensating for when I could not afford them. My goal is to get down to two or three, not counting a couple sentimental or novelty ones I have. Life is much simpler with just a couple.

[kidblast]

Some folks just don't fit into to the fold there - "the player in you". Some folks play more than one type/style of music - meaning there's more than one player in them. Seems to me, the "monogamy" philosophy tends to disregard the different sound of tone woods and that there are many combinations of tone woods. What is generally considered the best choice of tone woods for some certain styles of playing can be very exacting. A person sensitive to this, that plays more than on type/style of music, might rightly own more than one guitar to have a particular combination tone woods available to play.

 

 

this is exactly what I "should" have replied with.

[duluthdan]

Buc. You are right of course, but I will never admit that to my wife, or my mother-in-law. Its the "want" versus "need". conundrum I suppose. This past spring I played the same song on 3 different Gibsons for my mother-in-law who asked me straight-out why I had so many guitars. I was taking the long way back to Colorado from the Gibson Homecoming in Montana, and just happened to have all 3 of my Gibby's with me. They are all slopes, and as a matter of fact they are all iterations of spruce over hog J-45s. She said she could not tell the difference in the guitars, but that the song sounded different each time. Same song, same words, same lousy cadence and sloppy playing style, but each song sounded different to her. I nodded my head and said "See?"

 

As whacko as it may seem, even though my 3 Gibsons are virtually the same model, they all play and sound just different enough that they actually present differently. Heck, I am so dialed in to those Gibsons that playing my old Neil Young repertoire on them didn't sound at all right to me, so I went and bought the Rosewood Martin D-35 specifically because it drove me nuts not to be able to coax out the Martin roar and perform old songs I had written originally on a Martin Dred.

 

Could I get by with just one? Nope.

 

I'll put it to you this way. How many fishing rods do you have?

[Buc McMaster]

I'll put it to you this way. How many fishing rods do you have?

 

Two. One casting rod, one spinning rod. Different animals for different jobs.

[fortyearspickn]

No rods here. But, two cents, as always.

Pros and collectors can justify more than one because it's how they make a living.

The rest of the unwashed masses can only justify it based on 'enjoyment'.

You certainly get significantly more enjoyment out of having only one, than you would on your tenth, if you were to have 10.

The question is - does someone with 10 get more TOTAL enjoyment?

Assuming he can afford the ten - i would submit "yes".

Therefore, he can justify it. At least to other guitarists, and not necessarily many others.