Explaining to Someone Why I Have So Many Guitars

Dutchman

Dutchman

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To a non player someone that has many guitars seems excessive. This was expressed to me that I was a guitar hoarder. I explained to them I am not. First I let them know that I've been playing guitar for over 60 years. So some of them are sentimental, like my Bruno Conquerer that I played my first gig with at 12 years old doing my best to sound like Jimmy Hendrix. On a hollow body Bruno and a Monkey Wards Tube amp. Then I continued that I had probly owned 100's of guitars and these that I have had something special. Be it the tone the way they played, they where just better than the others that got moved along. Then came the "Why do you need a $5000.00 Dollar Guitar" I explained that I wanted to try it too see what all the fuss was about(Novo Miris J). Well it's gonna stay and Now I'm going to buy a Novo Serrus J. Why??? Because I can! 

My daughter inlaw just shook her head and left. She'll really never understand. But she gets that I'm not getting rid of any. Just adding! 

Any one else get the Why do you need so many Question?

 
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Ask your daughter in law how many shoes she has

why are there 31+ flavors of ice cream?

why do you need a $5,000+ car?  There's plenty of < $2k cars that work just fine

I've explained recently: been playing buy/selling for X years, add 1 guitar per year = Y

always know someone who has more, and mention them, I recently met a guy with 200

they're really fun, relatively low maintenance and not taxed to own (compare to car collecting), well chosen guitars hold or increase their value, and are relatively easy to sell

 
I compare how much I've spent on guitars (which has been surprisingly small given the return on the ones I've sold) and it is *far* less than a speedboat, a vintage muscle car, or even the car I'm currently driving would cost new.  Hell, my buddy has spent more on his snowmobiles than I have in guitars.  These are all fair things to spend money on.

If you earn a living, you should have some say in what the "living" part means.

 
an HFC brother once told me he wanted to have one guitar for each year he's on the planet; I agree but I might have a rather optimistic expectation of my lifespan lol.

some guitars are like postcards from a prior era in my life; every time I pick up a Jem it takes me back to the DLR days with Vai and Sheehan (I still can't hang with the tunes, but I think I'm getting a little closer). When I pick up a Standard (usually Shishkov) I can't help but play some Cheap Trick. 

Sometimes a guitar calls your name, and I end up losing myself jamming along with the stereo.  It changes from day to day, and I like having a few choices (of course there's the day the Epiphone Casino went from Sgt Pepper then into the Heaven and Hell album; mrs stonge was just shaking her head when I told her which guitar I was using). Random Access Ed as I say...

 
Its fun, thats why. I go thru a few guitars every year, I evaluate and enjoy them for awhile then move 'em on. I never have more than 5 at a time. They are all temporary, except my Ibby AS50, that a keeper.

20260728_065100.jpg

 
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One day someone is going to ask me to play some rock-a-billy.  There needs to be a Gretsch in my arsenal.  

One day I will master flamenco guitar, which requires a guitar made for flamenco rather than just a nylon string classical style that is necessary for playing baroque parts in prog rock songs.  

There are times that a seven string guitar with a locking tremolo bridge is required.  One must be ready for that at all times.  

Only a Telecaster will play those classic country licks.  

The reason for multiple Les Pauls is that with different pickups in each of them you can get the tones of far more famous guitar players, and everyone notices that.  

One needs an OM or 000 sized guitar because the volume of a Dreadnaught is not always necessary.  

A Stratocaster is a must for half of the classic rock I play.  

A 335 is different from a 355, and you really have to have both to play Allman Brothers and Rush music.  

You cannot expect me to play gypsy jazz on a guitar with a scale length less than 26 inches.  

A dozen Hamer guitars barely establishes the wide range of musical applications they were made for.  

 
I like ice cream, pretty much all flavors. I can't image only eating one flavor for the rest of my life (unless it was orange pineapple - maybe).

Teles are orange pineapple to me, but I still enjoy Hamers, Les Pauls, Strats, and even basses lol.

of course, if you are lactose-intolerant then this analogy probably doesn't work for you.

 
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