Would love some thoughts on my mix of electrics & potential changes

[Mike CT]

First off, I hope this doesn’t come off as snobby because I am fortunate enough to have 4 Gibson electrics when many people would be lucky to have one….especially with my skill level (ha!).  I am a basement player only and I just love trying to play lots of songs and I really appreciate the craftsmanship of these guitars.  Second, what I’ll ask is like asking about choosing a guitar pick in terms of completely being subjective, but hearing peoples views and rationales are always helpful for me.    So thx in advance!!

Currently I have 4 for electrics:

1) 2017 Les Paul Standard (heritage cherry) that I put in 59/JB pickups and had the stock squared-off frets professionally replaced with something with a tad more bulk and a significantly better crown (they’re perfect IMO).

2) 2019 SG Standard (white binding one with super thin .86 thick neck at 12th fret not the new era of Gibsons that started in 2019) with Thrash Factor pickups (think a tighter JB) and the same new fret job to get rid of 2019’s terrible (IMO) low-profile stock frets.

3) 2000 Ebony Explorer (zero dings/rash) that has recently crowded frets and I replaced those pickups with a 59/Custom set.   It sounds massive.

4) 1997 white Flying V that has Suhar Aldrich pickups in it and an upgraded bone nut.  This is now my favorite guitar.  Incredible vintage vibe with the various checking and dings but super clean where you want it to be.   This aged-yellow/white guitar is stunning.

My dilemma is that I absolutely just want to grab that V all the time first and have been toying with get another white V (with same ebony board) from the 2005-2009 era that is super clean and has been case-kept for ages.  This one has the stock pickups that I didn’t like in my explorer, but I’d give another shot here (I like rock, classic metal, and metal).   Five electrics for me is just going to be overkill I think (even putting aside my wife thinking that 2 guitars are overkill), and what I’m struggling with is it better to have 4 great guitars that are different models, or sell one of the other 3 to get a second V because it is just incredible.   I play sitting down 90% of the time and it’s crazy comfy sitting around my right leg with not strap.  And I just seem to play that one better.

I’m not sure if I’d regret not having one of each down the road, and If I should sell one I struggle with which one.   The Explorer sounds like a beast and I think is pretty unique compared to the SG and LP,  but is not the easiest to navigate for a quick play.   The SG sounds killer and plays great, but the the dive kind of drives me nuts now and then and it’s always a strap on.    The LP is maybe the least comfy of the bunch to play given the body dynamics, but it just sounds killer and my guitar tech thinks its would be incredibly dumb to sell that one.  

Any thoughts on keeping one of each and/or swapping one out for a V?

Thanks again for time and thoughts on kind of a stupid question!!!

Mike

 

 

Edited March 12 by Mike CT
Typo

[Larsongs]

4 isn’t overkill if you talk to guys here with 20, 30, 40 or more… What’s right for you is all that matters. Life is short.. We should be happy.. As long as it isn’t hurting anyone.. Another Guitar might get you the Sound you’ve been seeking.. If it does, that’s a good thing..

 

[sparquelito]

Mike,

It sounds like the SG is the one guitar you won't be heartbroken to let go of.

And I can understand.
I have owned a few Gibson SG's, and in the end, never bonded with them.

My advice would be to trade the SG in for the Flying V that you crave.
It would be best though to play it in person, and put your hands on it first.
To make sure it's worth the swap-out.

🫠

[Sheepdog1969]

18 hours ago, Mike CT said:

Any thoughts on keeping one of each and/or swapping one out for a V?

Here's my 2 cents.

1. You don't have to look very hard here to find posts detailing how much a member regretted letting a good playing guitar go, for any reason. It is just as easy to find posts about folks searching for a particular year/style Gibson, to replace the "one" they let go years ago, (because they now realize they never should have parted with it.). Even within Gibson's top tier guitar lines, for what ever reason, some guitars just play better than their siblings, (and/or some simply play better for you). Owning a guitar that you really vibe with is quite special, so make sure you vibe with what ever you may replace it with, before you let a good guitar go.

2. You mentioned that your V tends to be your "go to" guitar. Are you trying to acquire another guitar that will do even more for you than your V currently does, (better tone, better playability, etc.)? Or, are you looking to find something that has specific capabilities relating to a particular style/type of music, that your current stable of guitars is lacking?  Like Sparq mentioned, if the SG doesn't do the things you wanted it to do, (or as well as your other guitars do), especially if you feel it isn't as playable for you than the others, then it may be meant for someone else. Many players begin to play additional styles of music, as they get older, so be mindful of the capabilities of your current guitars, and what they could do for you in the future, before you let one go.

3. Each of the guitars in my collection tend to fill different rolls. Each of them do some things better than others. I consider my 1983 Gibson Custom Shop Edition Korina Explorer to be my favorite. It is extremely versatile and is the best/easiest playing guitar that I own. Yet, it cannot do some things my SSS strat can do. My '87 SG Special does some things better than my Explorer does, and my '96 G&L HSS Legacy (strat) can do some things that none of my other guitars can do. The same goes for my ES-335, which (with it's dual coil splits and massive tonal range), is by far my most versatile guitar. But, despite this, I only use the 335 for the applications it performs better at, compared to my other guitars. Think about buying a new guitar because it will expand your sonic capabilities, instead of it just doing the same things your current collection already does, (especially if it doesn't exceed the playability of what you currently own.).

Just my thoughts, Mike. Regardless, I wish you good luck and hours of exciting playing, what ever you may choose to do!

Here is my current electric collection.

Edited March 13 by Sheepdog1969
typo

['Scales]

Hi Mike - you'll get as many different answers as you get replies, so mine is entirely personal...

I'd sell all except the V, pick up a Mexican Strat or Tele so you have something inexpensive and different to amuse yourself with other styles of sound (or for when a friend drops by and wants to play), make your wife happy in the process and explain that you may still want another guitar in the future but are not jumping in until the right one comes along (such prudence and maturity!!)... Then when the magic "one" does come along you can buy it without any mental (or marital) gymnastics.

'swat I'd do. 

[Larsongs]

You’ve got some nice Guitars.. I wouldn’t get rid of any of them. I’d add a Hollow body like a Casino & a Semi hollow body like an ES-335.. Then you’d have 6!

I agree about selling off Guitars only to regret it.. Then chasing after that sound you let go & never finding it… Or in my case they’ve become so expensive I can’t afford one.. Mine was a mint condition Sunburst 1959 Gibson ES-345 with original 1959 PAF Humbuckers..  It was the best sounding Guitar I’ve ever heard.. 

As far as the SG I’d try to figure out what I don’t like about the Guitar.. Usually it’s the Pickups.. There are so many great Boutique Builders, Fralin, Duncan, Lollar, Thro-Bak etc.. That’s a relatively inexpensive upgrade to a Guitar that can turn a ho hum Guitar into a Killer Sound Machine!

Good luck on your quest…

[Mike CT]

Thanks everyone.  It seems like my time would be better spent just finding a hiding place for another guitar so my wife doesn’t see it rather than the brain damage of what to swap out for the next one - ha!

[merciful-evans]

I have twice bought guitars of the same model.

I added a Jackson (Elite) Soloist to an older Soloist I'd been using  for 15years. I no longer have either of them, but at the time. The original Soloist was my one and only gigging guitar.

Years on, I also bought a 2nd Rickenbacker 650. Like you, this is my favourite model. For some reason I wanted a 2nd one.

 

The 2nd Soloist was a mistake. It had active pickups that I grew to despise. I sold it and continued with just one guitar again.

The 2nd Ric 650 was quite different. Lighter body, easier feeling neck and an oiled finish instead of clearcoat. I have no plans to lose either of them. 

There are always variation between guitars, so try out other V's first. If you just cant stop thinking about it, then act I'd say. Even if you cant find a V that compares with yours, you've still learned something important. That you already have the better guitar.

 

BTW these are the 650s

[Phil OKeefe]

I used to buy and sell guitars all the time, depending on everything from my perceived musical needs to my mood. I have literally owned well over 100 guitars.

I currently own about 30. 

I don't know how much I've spent on guitars over the years, but it's been a lot. And I've had a few regrets—mainly things I sold that I later wished I had kept. So instead of losing money buying things new and later selling them to fund something else, or (worse, IMO) trading them in on something new or different, I now hang on to whatever I purchase. I make sure it's something I really want, look around for the "right one," and then hang on to it. If it means I have to save up for a bit to get what I really want, then so be it. I will no longer sell something I already have to get something else. 

I'm much happier, have a larger collection than ever, and am saving money in the long run.

I'd keep the Explorer if I was in your shoes, and save up for a second V. 

 

 

[bigtim]

Sell them all and get a tele 😆😆😆😆

[SteveFord]

Then sell the Telecaster and start over.

[sparquelito]

20 hours ago, Mike CT said:

Thanks everyone.  It seems like my time would be better spent just finding a hiding place for another guitar so my wife doesn’t see it rather than the brain damage of what to swap out for the next one - ha!

MikeCT,

No need to hide the new guitar.
Just tell her, "Look honey, I bought another electric guitar. It's no big deal. I'm the man of the house, and I set the rules around here anyway."

And then throw chocolate at her and run away.

😛

[Larsongs]

Don’t it always seem to go.. You don’t know what you got til it’s gone….

If you have a great Guitar keep it.. If you got a crap Guitar sell it & replace it with another great Guitar.. IMO you need something that adds a sound you don’t already have.. Like a Casino or an ES-335…

Edited March 14 by Larsongs

[Mike CT]

I hear you on the selling and regret - that has been my fear.  I’ve created multiple sale listings only to yank them down and put them back up and yank them down again.  I really do love that 90s V I’m so glad I found it and definitely  do want another to throw in the mix.  A stock would have immediately have different pickups and a different sound than my current one with the Suhrs.  That guitar is just perfect in my hands sitting/standing.

Cutting the explorer loose has always been off the table, so it’s been the SG or LP.  Since reading these replies I’ve tried to look at those from a different perspective of what makes me like them less.  What I keep running into is that I can’t imagine finding an SG or LP that I like more than those.  The fret work I’ve done on both is perfect, I’ve experimented with pickups and just love the pickups that are in each and I love the sound that each produces.

i have come to the conclusion though that between the SG and LP if I was forced to sell one it would be the LP over the SG.  It is so counterintuitive to me considering the LP is a lot more expensive and everyone who sees that one thinks that’s I’d be nuts to get rid of it.  For me, I just like playing the SG more even with the dive because it is just more comfortable.  The LP is just the least comfortable for me by a lot……I’m not sure why.  But if I didn’t have this LP and decided I wanted another, I can’t possibly imagine that I’d find one that I like better than what I have now.

i guess I really can’t swap out pieces of the pie, I just need a bigger pie with a 5th slice at some point.

The funny thing is I have 2 acoustics (stock J45 and Hummingbird) that I never even thought about selling for a second even though I play the electrics 10x more.  Love those as is.

Thanks everyone!

mike

Edited March 14 by Mike CT