How much, do you play, now?

[charlie brown]

How much do you all play, now? Per day, week, month, etc.

 

I've managed, over the course of 40 some years,

to amass a fair amount of guitars...not as many as

some folks here, but a lot more than I can play,

with any regularity. Thinking about that, I wondered

if one has a tendency to actulally play more, with fewer guitars?

Not just more often, but for longer periods. It seems

(to me), that "I" played a lot more, for a lot longer

time, when I had just 3 guitars...my old '64 Strat, '68 Les Paul Custom,

and my first (also a '68) Rickenbacker 12-string. And, felt like

anyway, that I "knew" what those guitars could really do...(they were

totally "stock," by the way).

 

I know there was once a feeling, that playing one guitar allowed you to

really "know" that guitar, and explore ALL the possibilities, it

had to offer. I'm not saying I want to "thin the herd"...not at

all. But, I wonder if we can really (totally) know an instrument,

when we have a tendency to go back and forth, or all over our

various collections?

 

Anyway...just curious, if any of you have similar thoughts, or

wonders?

 

CB

[wiggy]

Depends if you mean playing as in practicing, general widdling, idle strumming, and the odd jam here and there. If so then I guess I average a couple of hours a day over the month but then I've only got five (as of yesterday) guitars.

[RSDx]

Good points ...... beings as I only have the LP and the AJ, I spend a fair amount of time on each, and I agree with your idea of really "knowing" a particular guitar. Of course, I still want to adopt another (am thinkin' Wildkat, or somethin' of that ilk .... ).

[Steven Lister]

Play? Oh yeah. Been so captivated by the TEN REASONS threads....

 

3.5 hrs. per day - longer if performing. 2 guitars until 2003 -- that's when my beloved Epi Elite LP found me and my playing time bumped from about 1 up to 3 hours. Thanks again EPI!

 

Agree with trying to "master" one or two instead of spread so thin. Even with my 3 (one acoustic) I spend so much time with my LP that there is something of a memory lapse that I have to overcome each time I pick up the Strat or acoustic. You guys with 5, 10, 20 or 30...WOW.

 

About 13 years into playing..., and playing time has definitely increased, as has the joy.

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

[charlie brown]

Yeah, playing (at home) time suffers a bit, because of all the time I spend

on this (fun) forum. I took a 30+ year hiatus, from playing...and so only

got back into it, about 5 years ago. So, collectively, I guess I have about

10 years where I've played guitar with ANY regularity. But I remember

back then, that either because there wasn't the absolute "Glut" of guitars

available, and/or you didn't have that much cash, to be buying guitars

all the time...you "Made do!" You played "Strat" songs on a LP or vice

versa, etc. I love all my guitars, and am really fortunate to have them,

but I often wonder (in weak moments) WHY, I think I need so many?...

not being a "collector," really. It IS nice, to be able to go to a guitar

for a particular sound...but, is it "critical?" I don't think so...more a luxury,

IMHO.

 

Yeah, I know...."I'm thinking too much, again!" LOL!

 

CB

[taxman]

Stop! You're 100% correct and that is depressing me.

 

- Yes, when I just had my first three guitars for years and years - a Strat, the 12-string Ric, and an Ovation acoustic - I played them more often and knew them backwards and frontwards.

 

- Yes, I "made do" with what I had. My Ovation became a Martin, the Strat was an SG, the Ric 12....well that could be nothing but a Ric 12, but I did "make do" with the others

 

- Yes, now that I have seven guitars - certainly not a lot - I do find I jump around too much and perhaps don't have CRITICAL need for some of them (that's a sad realization).

 

I'm glad I have them all (the new ones I bought were not outrageously expensive). The one bright side for me is that I really do not desire any other guitar. I have exactly what I wanted. Done, finished, over.

[Notes_Norton]

I have 4 guitars. My Epi flat-top and my ESP/LTD gather dust on the stands :-(

 

They are extremely jealous of my Epi Casino and Gibson ES-330, as one of those two guitars gets played almost every day. There are rare exceptions when I cannot spend time on either of those two beauties.

 

I try to put an hour or more a day of practice, except on gig days, when I practice 3 or 4 hours (the duration of the gig). After all, if you can't practice on stage, where CAN you practice? ;-)

 

Leilani's Parker gets played on gigs, and she practices on either my Casino or ES-330. She also spends some time on an Alverez Classical nylon string, but her Ovation gathers dust with the Epi Flat Top and ESP/LTD.

 

I have severe GAS for a lot of other guitars, but I'd probably not play them as much as the Casino or 330.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[Just Strum]

Depends if you mean playing as in practicing' date=' general widdling, idle strumming, and the odd jam here and there. If so then I guess I average a couple of hours a day over the month but then I've only got five (as of yesterday) guitars.[/quote']

 

Based on the above, I probably average 45 to 60 minutes per day during the week and maybe 3 to 5 hours each day of the weekend. A bit undisciplined and because of that, I still suck.

[pohatu771]

Very little, unfortunately. I seem to have eliminated most of my free time in college, so I'd estimate that I'm down to an hour a week.

 

I generally have my Martin acoustic and either my Fender Strat or Casino at school with me, and I'll play either one of them.

 

I'm home for Thanksgiving, now, though, and I love playing. I'm finally getting a few recording sessions in. I spent most of the day with my Martin, and now I'm on the Strat.

 

I'll probably pull out the keyboard later tonight to record some bass (since I still don't have one) and strings.

 

Now, if we get into "need," I'm the first to admit, I don't need anything beyond my Squier Strat and Fullerton/Rogue/Aria dreadnought. I'm nowhere near good enough to justify the Fender, Martin, or Epiphone... or the Gibson (forgot about that one for minute).

[flyingfrets]

Now that my son's football season is over, we're averaging about a 1/2 hour of screwing around (tuning up etc.), maybe an hour - hour and a 1/2 actually playing and another half hour noodling around on them till we put 'em away.

 

He probably plays a bit more than I do now (especially since I gave him my old transamber Epi LP at the end of last school year for making Dean's List all 4 quarters).

 

Charlie, I think you're onto something with that "fewer guitars/more playing" theory. Back in the late 70's - early 80's, I had pared it down to just my trusty ol' Tele. I used it for performing, practice and recording. It took about 10 years, but I literally played her finish off. Haven't seen the ol' girl in 20+ years, but I remember every scratch, pit, nick and ding like she was still in my hands. Can't say the same of probably half my current collection and I see them at least once every couple of months (I find I play 1 guitar almost exclusively for awhile and then I move on to another one in the herd...just so the wife can't say"Why do you have all these guitars? You don't even play THAT one anymore! LOL!!!)

[Beans]

Cool thread and some interesting points made, as always with you lot. I play an hour a day on average and usually have a day off at some point in the week, as I do a fair amount of riff writing (if there is such a thing) I can get a little tense and angry when the tap runs dry.

 

I have 3 guitars and a bass, and play them all. I hope to own a few more than what I have one day and I hope I still play every single one of them. My brother has four guitars and plays one of them. "Whats the point in that?" I ask him. "Dunno" he replies. Do you guys play all of yours?

[wardog]

about 4-7 hrs a week when i started. but, i do see how adding to what i had, dot and traveler speedster, that with 3 more addtions ---ele/acoustic montage from ibanez, epi coronet(not the 65 version-dang) and the p-93 riveria. i cut that time and thus- as posted in another thread- have grown impatience with my current rate of advancement in learning how to play.

 

once i try my first mod project (eager to really learn what makes a guitar work. putting one together is the only way to do it for me) on the coronet- i'm done adding and back to spending more time to learn and play what i have. I must resist the gas effect until my playing has become good enough to sponsor my gas problems.

[charlie brown]

I'm actually starting to make a point of playing a different guitar, every day...or at least

TRY to. It seems silly, not to, given what I'm blessed with, in that regard. And, it keeps

me more flexible to neck shapes, tone qualities, and the wonderful reminder of why I

bought them all, over the years, in the first place. Plus, as some of them are quite different,

tone wise, it often suggests playing a music style, that I may have not visited, for awhile.

THAT is always good! In fact, I need to do more of THAT, anyway...just to keep up with it,

you know?

 

CB

[wardog]

way to go C Brown. I just picked up the cornet and iwill be working on strumming for at least half hour and i will go back to practicing chord changes.

[Dietrich]

I have two Juniors (Epi LP and Epi SG) but I also have the EB-O bass. I try to play the bass most of all, because that's my main thing.

 

But the guitars: Such a difference in feeling and sound, even between these two cheapies! The necks are different, the pickups sound very different (P-90 in the older LP Junior, stock humbucker in the SG) and each time I play one of them, I think that it feels the best. Until I pick up the other one....

 

I DO feel that any more guitars would take away from my playing experience with these two, however. There is something about knowing every quirk, every nick, every sweet spot on a guitar. If I had too many and tried to play them all equally, I bet something would be lost.

[MelodyMaker1]

I practice about 2 hours a day, 7 days a week. But, maybe I shoudn't say practice. I tend to noodle around, and play what I know. And when I do try to learn something different I get frustrated, and go back to what I know. So it takes me longer to get something right. And with 11 guitars now, I usually just play the newest one for a while and then start a weekly rotation.

[custer]

I play at least an hour a day. I like to take turns using my different guitars. I think that helps me to be able to "feel at home" on any guitar I play.

[djroge1]

I play at least an hour a day. I like to take turns using my different guitars. I think that helps me to be able to "feel at home" on any guitar I play.

 

+1

 

I try to get a least an hour a day in.

 

I have 12 guitars (2 of them are bass guitars), but I mostly play 3 or 4. However, I like having multiple guitars because they all sound different. So when I write and record, I like having a multi-color palet to paint.

 

My brother is one of those who have only one guitar and only want one guitar. He told me that when he played other guitars (let alone owned others) it felt like he was cheating. I just don't get it.

[Dennis G]

I practice about 2 hours a day' date=' 7 days a week. But, maybe I shoudn't say practice. I tend to noodle around, and play what I know. And when I do try to learn something different I get frustrated, and go back to what I know. So it takes me longer to get something right. And with 11 guitars now, I usually just play the newest one for a while and then start a weekly rotation.[/quote']

 

Sounds pretty familiar, although I'm more of a 60 - 90 minute a day guy, and usually will take one day off, more or less for various reasons (other distractions, etc.). And while I tend to noodle, and play what I know a lot, I'm also learning new stuff through some DVD and on line lessons, so I try to put in the time on those as well, especially the theory stuff. I have multiple guitars, all bought for specific reasons, and I try to play them all with some regularity, although I will admit to a few favorites getting more playing time than others.

 

Having parted ways with various guitars over the years, not knowing how much I'd regret a couple of those decisions later in life, I don't believe in getting rid of what I already have, and will probably continue to add to the "collection". In fact, #10 is due in a couple of weeks, but it's my Christmas present to myself. See, how easy it is to justify things.

[andy59]

Hi. New to the forum. Just bought the electric after a thirty year break from (sort-of) playing as a kid on a cheap acoustic. I try for an hour a day or until the blisters start.

[bobbyswamp]

Hey, CB, great topic. Parenthood, a day job and marriage tie up most of my time these days. But I get out to the woodshed about an hour each day with my gear. And on weekends, my band will usually book a 3-hour session on Saturday. I think I'm just about the same "vintage" as you, and I've managed to build up a little bit of a guitar collection, too. Much to my wife's befuddlement. But I love having the different axes to play. I just posted a thread with my current new addition, an Epi Firebird VII. She is my all-consuming new fave...

[AyushPresley]

I first picked up a guitar when I was about 14 years old.I used to play a lot. At home or jam with friends it would be round 40 odd hours a week but then college and stuffs really set me back a bit. I guess when you are a student or a working musician you really don't get the time to play as much.

I had a Strat Copy to start with and I played that a lot but some how even though I knew Strat Style Guitars I felt that Les Paul's were more comfortable. the first time I held a Paul in my hands honestly speaking I thought I was playing more better than I used to play in a Strat. I bought a Strat(Mexican) but didn't like it as much as a Les Paul.

well I do have some time but I guess I use my fingers more on the keyboard than the fretboard. :D

[charlie brown]

Welcome, Andy59 and AyushPresley...thanks, for your posts! Stick around, this is a fun

and sometimes "whacky" place! But, full of good information and good, helpful people too!

Playing guitar, for me, has always been very rewarding, and in many ways, "healing," from

the pains and cares of life. Even an "escape," now and then. I swear, I think playing guitar,

was in some ways, the only way I got through adolescence, 40 years ago. (Although, some of my friends

and family might say I've NEVER finished going through that!...LOL!) But...when I look around at

what the "grown ups" have done to the world....I don't feel too bad! (End of Editorial) ;>)

Anyway, welcome..again, and have FUN, here!

 

CB

[Mugatu]

I'm probably the laziest player on here. :D

 

I play about 3 times a week, for about 30-50 minutes at a time, and I have a one hour session with a tutor on a Monday.

I mainly play the acoustic (because I'm too lazy to drag the amp and leads out every time!) but the Epi gets a run out about once a week.

 

To answer Charlie's question... I really want a casino with bigsby, for the sound and look, but if I had more guitars I'd just end up playing each one even less.

[altair]

I try to get an hour each day at least, and more on weekends, but with family and work and other commitments this is sometimes tough.