The "I thought I had to have" thread

[Sparquelito2]

* I thought I had to have a 12 string guitar.
(acoustic, electric, whatever)
I have owned more than a few.
I always sold them in the end.
Even a lovely Martin.

Turns out that tuning a 12 string doesn't take twice as long as a 6 string.
It takes longer, for some reason.

* I thought I HAD to have that single-pickup guitar with stripped-down controls.
(solid body, hollow body, whatever)
I have owned more than a few.
I always sold them in the end.
Even a lovely Gibson Les Paul Sully Erna Signature.

Turns out that you end up wanting more than a sonically one-trick pony.

How about you?

What is the item (or items) that you just had to have, but always ended up selling  later?

🤫

[kidblast]

A big Jazz Box, (like an Emperor Regent)

turns out,  not for me..

the rest,  pretty much stuck

[jdgm]

I recently sold my nice Guild 12. 

I love the sound; Leo Kottke and Ralph Towner make incredible music on a 12. 

Beautiful but big. Took up a lot of space and you have to put in the time.  I haven't got so much time now and 6 strings is enough for me.

 

[Larsongs]

Regarding 12 Strings… I have a Martin D12-16GTE, a 50th Anniv. 1964 Phantom 12 String & Ric 360-12 String..

None of them take long to tune.. The Martin & the Ric are almost always in tune..  Might need a minor tune.. 

That said, I don’t play them enough..

Most of my Guitars are ones I dreamed of when I was a kid growing up & couldn’t afford any of them.. Now I’m fortunate enough to have many of,y dream Guitars.. Some I play all the time.. Others not as much.. But, I love them all & am so attached to them I can’t let them go… I guess I’m still that little at Heart..

[gearbasher]

Thought I needed some electrics. Had two ES-175s, an ES-165. An ES-335, a Tele and two Pauls.

All are gone.

BTW: If your wondering why I bought so many if they weren't for me? Well, I kept thinking I'd find the right one. 

If you're talking acoustics. I thought I needed a hog J-45. I hated it. I had a rosewood J-45 (sold when the neck cracked at the headstock) and I still have a maple one. I adored both of them.

Edited November 26, 2022 by gearbasher

[Murph]

Back when I was gigging electric (full band) I lusted for an ES-335 for quite a while. Like, decades.

Gibson came out with the ES-339, which was a bit smaller, and I bought the first model year from Musicians Friend. It instantly became my #1 guitar, and it was until I went full on acoustic. I kept if for a long time, but eventually swapped it for my J-15, which was promptly discontinued.

I never owned a 335, and probably won't now.

[fortyearspickn]

A Classical Guitar.  Twice.   Couldn't bond with the fingerboard. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Whatever guitars I bought and no longer have.

[badbluesplayer]

A high gain, Dumble style amp.  I've had a few and went back to Fenders.

[Murph]

32 minutes ago, badbluesplayer said:

A high gain, Dumble style amp.  I've had a few and went back to Fenders.

 

I have a (Fender) Prosonic.

Designed by Bruce Zinky. It's a 2;10 combo with Celestions. Dual gain channel, and a clean channel. Killer amp.

They were pricey and Fender purist wouldn't bite.

[merciful-evans]

I had to have a Fender Strat. After 25 years I changed my mind and traded it in.

I had to have a Fylde Oberon. I still have it but no longer use it. Should sell it really.

I had to have a Jackson Soloist. After 18 years I changed my mind and sold it.

 

So for me these things are transitional. Its not a question of getting it wrong. All these choices were right at the time.

 

I will almost certainly never have another Fender or Jackson.

 

 

[DanvillRob]

I have what I have..... good, bad or indifferent....and I play what I have.

There are guitars I'd like to have owned..... J-45. Standard Hummingbird, and guitars I'd like to have back, 1964 Fender Jaguar and 1965 Fender Jazz Bass....but I don't have long before I will no longer be able to play.....so no use to obtain anything I don't already have.

Regarding a 12-String.... I had an Ovation 12-String...HATED it.... gave it to my luthier, who robbed the electronics out of it, kept the case and trashed the guitar.   Leslie sold me her 2010 Hummingbird 12-String, (She said it was the ONLY Hummingbird 12-String Gibson made in 2010 for a right hander)....and I've used it for over 100 videos....I simply LOVE it!   Plays and sounds better than anyone could expect.   It was and will be the last guitar I ever buy for myself, (the J-50 was a gift upon my retirement).