Just how many guitars does one need...

In fairness to Mark, he may have seen that I struggle with guitar and may have thought sticking to 1 guitar as my main guitar would help me. 

But I agree with you. Picking up something different now and again is part of the fun. 

You are right it’s all part of the fun. I’m not much of a player but I do enjoy working at it. 

ha ha

I thought I'd scratched the itch.

Well less than a year on I went and did it again.

Tried to trade in my laminate acoustic only to have the disappointment of a refusal. The solid top was showing signs of bowing so they wouldn't/couldn't take it. 

But the itch was too strong once your in the shop. Been watching the Alvarez youtube videos and Chris Miekle the CEO hails from my part of Northern England.  So Alvarez MF60OM now has a home.  Acoustic traded in at a Cash converter.  So with a price match for the Alvarez and the cash trade in I only put what I had originally intended in to the deal. So all round happiness .

So all wood Faith Parlour. very happy playing it, the Epiphone LP, probably played the least but fun through a Fender LT25 amp , Sigma solid top classical,  very nice sound and ticks the boxes for my classical learnings,  all wood Alvarez OM a definite step up in quality for me.  On a par with the Faith Naked Mercury parlour. 

So hopefully that's all bases covered and that itch is finally scratched.  Next step up would be a big step in guitar and budget and I don't see myself going there.

Are those the famous last words. Don't think so this time.

Dave L

Well, don't hold yourself to account if you get the bug again Dave 😉

The Alvarez looks like a beauty. I also bought another guitar since buying the Tele. But this time is was a MIM Strat. But now I am sure I am done...

I'm as guilty as anyone for acquiring too much equipment, especially given my current meager skill set. While it's fun to test and research and compare different equipment, the sad reality is that I simply haven't accumulated sufficient playing time to even be able to hear most effects unless I start turning pedal knobs from zero to infinity (save for distortion of course). I was watching a pedal effects tutorial by Anders where he was using (I think) a chorus pedal and isolating sounds by fiddling with the knobs. At one point he said that he didn't like to turn the intensity all the way up because it made him feel kind of seasick. Meanwhile, I was straining to discern even the faintest change in the sound as he worked.

It takes the brain a long time to start hearing things that it's been filtering out for a lifetime. In medical school, it took me a few hundred hours of listening to heart sounds before I finally started hearing all of the varied subtle sounds made by a diseased heart. Before that, listening to a heart through a stethoscope was akin to holding my head underwater just as a motor boat rumbled by. That's about where I am now with guitars, amps, and pedals.

This doesn't mean that I'm free from want for more gear, but now I'm committed to avoiding the acquisition of more gear until I can appreciate the sonic nuances of all the button/switch/knob riddled gear that I already have. That could take a long time.

Sascha

The most common answer seems to be, "One... or maybe two... more than I have."  😉

I only have three (plus an unused banger from 50+ years ago) but I have lust in my heart.

Hey michael@rockon (great handle, btw),

What you tend to deliver is not "worth[less]" opinions. You share your personal preferences with implicit invitations for others to challenge their own concepts of what is right and wrong, better or worse. That type of delivery usually serves to pique the interests of fellow guitarists (including me) much more than simple opinions. We could all use more of that in here. And that's my opinion on the matter 😉

Sascha

Hi yes Chris is probably right ... one more :)

Seriously though I started playing about 10 years ago then had to stop 4 years ago due to serious ear infection and losing significant amounts of hearing. That situation is now much better and I have most of my hearing back and started playing again.

I had 12 guitars at one time and kept chopping and changing and couldn't settle on anything permanent.

I now have 2 guitars, 1 very good classical and a very nice acoustic with pickup in it .... thats all.

Mate wants me to play a bit in his band but im still a bit nervous even though I think i'm probably more skilled than he is.

I really just want to do a full refresher course and get back into a formalised learning pattern as well as playing with mates.

My plan is to perform solo, write a few songs maybe re work a few popular songs to easy listening format.

I'm retired so I have plenty of time.

Cheers 

Good luck with the song writing!

Interesting topic... I've been playing on and off for the past 20 years but most of that playing was minimal at best but did play in a worship band for about 4 years. During that time, I did have up to 7 guitars and I too would show to my guitar teacher with a different one just about every lesson. Back then, I was seeking that elusive tone, but I was fooling myself thinking by changing guitars periodically, I would find it. Didn't happen....

Fast forward to today, I've been married 3 times, the first two couldn't care less or supported my desire to learn. I was guilty of hiding my guitars from them because of shame or the constant lack of encouragement, not that I needed it, but it does make difference in how you approach you're playing, knowing that your passion is being nurtured in a positive way.

I had a prized Heritage H535 that I had bought from a small musical shop back home and when I picked it up before leaving So Cal, the owner told me never ever get rid of it because she knew just how much I loved that guitar. Needless to say, my passion switched to photography since I had no self-encouragement much less from the wife at the time and wanted to buy a camera, the 2nd wife felt that I had too many excessive "unneeded" guitars and that I should sell some to fund my new passion.  I sold some guitars and now with my new passion going full stream, the now 2nd ex-wife hated my new passion because it took attention away from her. (I sold my prized Heritage 😣)

3rd time is a charm, my "final" wife is a professional opera singer and is beyond supportive in my combined passions and she willing to give me whatever I need to express myself in ways I could have never imagined. It brings her such joy to see me doing what I want without a reservation and judgment. 

It truly has been a work in progress getting used to being who I was truly meant to be. No more hiding gear, be open about what I would like to do and feeling encouraged to follow that path. 

Now, I am @ 5 guitars, 4 electrics and one acoustic working in my little makeshift DAW, set up how I wanted to be many years ago. My main guitar that is an extension of myself is Fender Tele Ultra "Texas Tea" What wonderful feeling guitar....

My Heritage H535....😩

That Tele is gorgeous. 

Yes, that Texas Tea color is quite beautiful....