now be honest with yourself

[Gibson CS]

its 4:25 in the morning right now (pacific time) on april 26th.

ive been playing with my favorite backing track CD since i got home from work around 11

 

Tonight was one of thoose nights when i really wanted to sleep, but i was too excited and too restless, and wanted to play guitar. I never get bored of playing because there is always so much to practise, to arrange, to write. just when i think im tired of playing i get a second and 3rd wind and i end up playing, then going to school, then going to work, then coming home and doing it again

 

what about you guys, i post this question

 

do you like to collect guitars, or do you like to PLAY guitars

 

 

 

and i realize not everyone has the time, and has other commitments, and that jazz

[sycephant]

I always prefer to play. If I had the $$$($$$) I would collect more than I do but never anything I couldn't play. Good luck getting through the day but I know how it goes when you're on a roll. You get the sound you want and everything falls together.

[TAC]

I play play play, it just so happens that in the end , i end up with a collection of guitars tho, he he

[Mark]

I go through times were I like to go look at guitars or get on this forum, but I

want to play everyday. The wierd thing is that I like to play at odd times, like

right before leaving for work. I just don't have the $$$$ or space to collect

to many, Right now I am concidering trading in my Casino and PRS for a

Block 335. I have a feeling I'll still be a few grand short.

[Tim Plains]

Maybe I'm wrong, but when I think "collector," I think of a person that buys guitars just to display them...like art. If that's the case, I'm not a collector. I didn't buy them so I could just look at them. That's what 1:18 scale model cars are for.

 

OK, I was mesmerized by my silverburst at first...I'll admit that much. I still am, but I don't treat it as fine art. It's a musical instrument that is meant to be played...it just happens to be a very fine looking musical instrument. (Thundergod...here's an opportunity for me to insert a picture but I won't.)

 

I'm not gonna lie here, I'm not the greatest guitar player in the world, far from it actually. Based on my skill level, I shouldn't have any of the guitars that I do...I should be playing that ugly yellow flower guitar that's been hanging on the back wall of the music store since the day before forever.

 

...fortunately, I don't like that flower guitar, I like Gibson Les Pauls, SGs & 335s.

 

All I do in my spare time is pick up a guitar and play it. The reason I have the number of guitars that I do is because I like having selection. It's like my own mini-music store. If you had an entire music store to yourself for a week, you wouldn't play the same guitar every time, would you?

 

When I'm at work everyday, I look forward to going home and picking up a guitar. It's really all I want to do. If I could bring a guitar to work, I would.

 

I guess the bottom line is I play for two reasons - sounds great and it's fun...that's it. It just so happens that Gibsons are my weapon of choice.

 

...I wish I could ad chicks as a third reason to play, but my fiance would kill me.

[daveinspain]

I love to play but since I am a newbee player my playing is a lot of exercises, scales, practicing, going from one chord to the next basically making brain paths... I try to get in a couple of hours everyday, sometimes more, not often less... I love it! Relaxes the hell out of me. After my regular round of drills I start to through different chords together and play with ideas and have fun. Now the collecting part... I love to collect! Each guitar I own is way different from the others and inspires me in different ways. Each one has a personality... They all get along great though :-)

[Thundergod]

i like to play them... i also like to collect but right now only one of my guitars is a gibson so i wouldnt call it a collection!

[phil_104]

I am a strait up player. Any guitar I have is for playability, not collection, and anything I have I would gig with. All my guitars get played on a regular basis, or they get sold.

[flyingarmadillo]

I buy them to play not to collect. And while I try to take care of them, they've all got scratches from being played and I don't get (too) upset if one of them gets a ding or two. I play at all times and will admit to having stayed up all night trying to work something out, then called in sick to work so I could get some sleep. I usually grab one of them on the way out the door and play a few bars before I leave in the morning. And while one guitar and multiple girlfriends might be more fun, multiple guitars and one girlfriend is ultimately cheaper!

[led floyd9]

I only play my guitars. Sure, I like to stare at my Gibson for a couple of minutes before playing it, but who doesn't?

I play my guitar for about an hour and a half each day, unless it's really late, because I might wake up my family.

 

 

I noticed that I really like to play my guitar before I go to bed. Does anybody else do that?

[LPDEN]

Both. But like Tim, none of my guitars are wall art. They are played, they go to jams and even the occasional local gig. I recently posted about some of my older guitars that have been with me for years that I just don't play as much any longer due to their values mainly becuase I want to limit the exposure to damage in light of the value.

 

I am also one who takes the utmost of care of All of my guitars in and out of the home. You can say I handle all of my guitars like they are collectibles.

[AXE®]

Play , and play em hard . they are tools of the trade, depending upon what I feel like building decides the specific tool .

I only have the one that stays cased most of the time , only because it's not replacable ..

 

They are cared for though , crappy tools make for crappy work ...

[GuitarGod319]

its 4:25 in the morning right now (pacific time) on april 26th.

ive been playing with my favorite backing track CD since i got home from work around 11

 

Tonight was one of thoose nights when i really wanted to sleep' date=' but i was too excited and too restless, and wanted to play guitar. I never get bored of playing because there is always so much to practise, to arrange, to write. just when i think im tired of playing i get a second and 3rd wind and i end up playing, then going to school, then going to work, then coming home and doing it again

 

what about you guys, i post this question

 

do you like to collect guitars, or do you like to PLAY guitars

 

 

 

and i realize not everyone has the time, and has other commitments, and that jazz[/quote']

 

of course you dont get tired of playing.look at all those awesome guitars you got.

[cvansickle]

I'm a player, not a collector. I happen to have a lot of guitars, but they are made to be played, not looked at.

[ChanMan]

I get to do both, actually.

 

For me, guitar has been a "calling" since I was in grade school. I play- I have no choice. Every guitar I own was bought based on tone and playability. It can be the most beautiful guitar in the world... if it sounds like crap it won't be mine. Honestly... and you can tell by my sig- I am not a "Brand Whore". Mostly, I don't care who made it, I only care about the tone and playability.

 

 

My wife, on the other hand, is a collector of beautiful things. She is the one who walks up to the 3 pickup Black Beauty/w Bigsby at the Gibson Showcase and says "THIS one is pretty... why don't you play this one?". She is the one who asked me to pull my guitars into the living room and put them out on stands to display. She is the one currently rearranging our wall decor so we can hang all of my instruments on the wall. SHE is the one GASsing for the first run Robot LP (LOVES the Blue Silverburst).....

 

 

.... so, contrary to what you might have read in another thread, and with all due respect....

 

 

I win.

[AXE®]

I get to do both' date=' actually.

 

For me, guitar has been a "calling" since I was in grade school. I play- I have no choice. Every guitar I own was bought based on tone and playability. [i']It can be the most beautiful guitar in the world... if it sounds like crap it won't be mine.[/i] I only care about the tone and playability

 

Bonus points +10

[schizophrenica]

Definitely to play. Not just for my own pleasure, but to perform for others as well. Maybe its just me but it just feels good when you're on stage and people sing along and get into the groove down below. Before this I've always performed using a borrowed guitar, or sponsored instruments from my university. Its great to want to collect and all but as long as I'm playing I'm happy.

[rjay777]

I don't have the greens to keep much of a collection anymore, but having a lot of guitars is kinda ridiculous in my book anyway. Stick to the ones you love, and play the hell outta them.

[phil47uk]

I

 

She is the one who asked me to pull my guitars into the living room and put them out on stands to display. She is the one currently rearranging our wall decor so we can hang all of my instruments on the wall. SHE is the one GASsing for the first run Robot LP (LOVES the Blue Silverburst).....

 

How long have you been married?

[ChanMan]

 

How long have you been married?

 

 

I have likely posted this elswhere, but May will mark our 20th wedding anniversary. We've been a "couple", though for 25. I was actually a guitar player when we met... doing the whole menial-day-job-to-support-the-band-at-night trip. She was a friend of my cousin who was the keyboard player (and a damn fine guitartist in her own right!!)....

[saturn]

I am definately in the player category. Although I'm not the greatest player, I probably enjoy it as much as any proffessional. Hell, maybe more, since to pro's it might seem more like a job than hobby.

 

I would still love to have more of a collection, but it would be for the purpose of having more guitars to play, not sit in a case. There's just so many varieties, even among the same style (like LPs), it always seems like you never have enough. I do love to look at them, but it just seems like such a waste to never play a pretty guitar because of fear of devaluing it. It might get the greatest tone in the world, but there's noone to hear it.

[Gibson CS]

Im a player. I enjoy every aspect of playing.

Now that im middle aged I can afford top shelf equipment.

I dont have the time or the $$$ to be a collector.

Its weird some of these millionaires.

They cant play a note, yet have 30 original Les Pauls in a vault.

[Tim Plains]

I get to do both' date=' actually.

 

For me, guitar has been a "calling" since I was in grade school. I play- I have no choice. Every guitar I own was bought based on tone and playability. It can be the most beautiful guitar in the world... if it sounds like crap it won't be mine. Honestly... and you can tell by my sig- I am not a "Brand Whore". Mostly, I don't care who made it, I only care about the tone and playability.

 

 

My wife, on the other hand, is a collector of beautiful things. She is the one who walks up to the 3 pickup Black Beauty/w Bigsby at the Gibson Showcase and says "THIS one is pretty... why don't you play this one?". She is the one who asked me to pull my guitars into the living room and put them out on stands to display. She is the one currently rearranging our wall decor so we can hang all of my instruments on the wall. SHE is the one GASsing for the first run Robot LP (LOVES the Blue Silverburst).....

 

 

.... so, contrary to what you might have read in another thread, and with all due respect....

 

 

I win.

Hey!

[retrosurfer1959]

I do both also, though it's been a while since I played for several hours just to practice or practice everyday even. I've been playing for going on 35 years or so I and have a pretty nice studio at home running Pro Tools and L have more guitars then anyone could ever need so I will go into my studio probably 30 minutes a day on average to keep it sharp for a gig or a practice. If I'm working on a new song or new playlist for something the hours go up and when recording I'll do the 10 hour days for a week to get it laid down the way it needs to be. It's been years since I gave up sleeping or eating to practice though.

 

As for collecting yeah it happens now and then I have some guitars I don't even try to play there collectors, sigs and custom stuff that will be sold to pay for the habit in the future I don't play things like the PRS Dragons or inlaid Martins there truly art but I play most of them and I even play some others might collect like a Zemaitis Metal Front and McPherson custom acoustic. So I fall into the crazy but not insane category

 

I also really go through phases on what I feel like playing and writing I'll focus on acoustic and then i'll move on to do country southern rock style or slide. this week I've been spending hours with a James Trussart Custom Steel DeVille. I have the attention span of a nat, so it's good to have choices next week who knows?

 

Although a National ResoRocket VS, is out of the case and just got a new set of strings so she's kinda in the on deck circle right now. teach me to hang out at Country Thunder last weekend looks like it might be Country and slide for a week or two.

[LPDEN]

Another side of this discussion is that there are a good deal of sour grapes out there who owned guitars and sold them that later became some of the top collecting instruments.

 

I am sure some of you here have heard their rants, or maybe even some here reading the mail are in that boat. I have a friend who I've known for over 35 years and we played in bands going back to mid 70's who can't understand why someone buys guitars just for collecting. I'll mention here he collects Model trains - go figure! But I think I've softened him up over the years. His main problem is his own regret that he owned at least 8 original strats from the 50's and early 60's all at one time, but sold them off to help finance an Olds 442 Hurst. He still talks about "his dumb decision" to this day. And what is worse is he doesn't have that 442 any longer either. He knows today that combined he'd be sitting on small treasure right now. Personally I think he'll bring that regret to his grave.

 

And I've also heard the argument that these collectors are taking great instruments out of the hands of real musicians. I don't buy that. I say you can buy a guitar that is equal or better to the real Vintages.