Ever play your guitar out of guilt?

[GrandpaBill]

Do you have an expensive guitar in your collection that you play just because you paid a lot of money for it even if your favorite is a much cheaper one.
I recently bought an Ultra Telecaster because I thought it would be the best playing the best sounding guitar I would ever own.
But it isn't , it's just a really nice telecaster , I do like it a lot but it just isn't the magic I thought it would be.
Now when I play it , I feel like I am forcing myself to pick it up first to justify all the money I spent on it. Thus making it even more of a guilt trip if your favorite telecaster cost 4 times less.
Just Curious.

 

[boris bubbanov]

Bill, I admit it, I do play one or another of the guitars, sometimes, out of a sense that I do not deserve them all if I don't play them. But once I pick one up, then all that is usually forgotten and the fun starts (usually).

But there are some I just cannot easily get to. Stored off-site, or it would take 45 minutes of rearranging to get to it. Since guitars seem to be appreciating in value and I can only play one at a time, if some remain pristine - that's fine.

 

[uriah1]

Yea or I think they are getting lonely and need to be played.

 

[swervinbob]

I would just replace the pickups in that Ultra. I’m not big on noiseless pickups. others may like them, but not me.

 

[Jupiter]

If I had a REALLY expensive guitar that didn’t thrill me, instead of forcing myself to play it I think I would move it down the road and try something else.

 

[loopfinding]

Sort of, but because of the bond/miles and not the price.

I have a les Paul I don’t play, I never really bonded with it, have had it for years but haven’t been able to dump it easily. I don’t feel bad, just encumbered by it.

I pretty much exclusively played my 335 for like a decade. I feel bad it doesn’t get as much attention as my tele or my archtop these days. It’s a great guitar and I still love it, but not what I reach for first.

 

[DekeDog]

That is one small reason why I play. But like Boris, once I start playing, it takes me far away from guilt. For all of the many years I took lessons, there were lots of times I didn't feel like practicing, but once I started, I was transported somewhere else. Something about being in the now.

I have an inexpensive Ibanez that I rarely play, and often think of getting rid of it. But when I do play it, I love it.

That is not to say that I haven't gotten rid of a ton of guitars I couldn't bond with, and I do have my preferences. I guess I'm saying I'm happy with what I have, now, and play them all.

 

[teletail]

Nope. Life it too short and practice time is too precious to waste it on guitars I don't LOVE. I have some guitars that I just like to own and I'm OK with that.

 

[Mr Swisher]

Do you have an expensive guitar in your collection that you play just because you paid a lot of money for it even if your favorite is a much cheaper one.
I recently bought an Ultra Telecaster because I thought it would be the best playing the best sounding guitar I would ever own.
But it isn't , it's just a really nice telecaster , I do like it a lot but it just isn't the magic I thought it would be.
Now when I play it , I feel like I am forcing myself to pick it up first to justify all the money I spent on it. Thus making it even more of a guilt trip if your favorite telecaster cost 4 times less.
Just Curious.

This is exactly how I felt about about my Ultra Tele'. A great guitar for someone, but for me it just wasn't special. The bond wasn't there. I moved it on and got a Jazzmaster.

 

[Kandinskyesque]

I've played a few of my expensive purchases more out of giving them another chance to impress.
A couple of them were bought on more or less speculation and I've bonded well with them to the extent that they've influenced how I play. The Godin Multiacs have done that for me.

However, like an expensive player in any team, I'm head coach and ultimately un-sackable, they may have been signed on their reputation and they'll get a full season to impress, but if they ain't cutting it then they go back on the transfer market.
There's a few expensive guitars out there I would like to have but I've only got finite financial resources, two hands and 24 hours in a day.

 

[stnmtthw]

Nah, I only keep the ones I like. My collection is a mix of MIM Fenders, MIA Fenders, Gibsons, Epiphones, and one Martin.

If I don't like it, I sell it to someone who hopefully will.

I will say, if I'm planning to buy a more expensive guitar (like my HD-28) I make damn sure to put hands on it and spend some time to make sure it's the one I want. I'm more willing to take a shot on an Epiphone or something like that sight unseen cause I know I can flip those pretty quickly- much faster than a high end guitar.

 

[Chester P Squier]

I bought a Fender Telecaster back toward the end of January this year. It's nice. Now I see why everyone loves Fender Telecasters.

At one point in April, I played my other two electrics, my Gretsch Electromatic 5120 and my Squier Affinity Strat for the first time since getting the Tele. Yeah, deep down, it might have been guilt. But I am a better guitarist on my Tele.

 

[darkwaters]

Nope. I’m not the sentimental type.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I've never had the money for anything expensive, but back in the late '90's did buy some guitars and amps that I bought on impulse, but did not bond with and did not get played.
Kind of ironic is I could probably have purchased the guitar or amp of my dreams then ( saving up $$) instead of a bunch of lesser quality cheap items

So lots of stuff got sold in the early 2000's, usually at a bit of a loss (including items I really did like and play, but needed the $$, as I had spent too much on the other 'toneless' gear)

Being broke can wake you up!

So my rule now is 'don't buy anything that you don't play on gigs (or apartment home).

I also have a 'no duplicates' rule ( 1 Strat, 1 Tele, acoustic sizes, etc.)

Everything gets played, 'everyone' is happy!

 

[Thoughtfree]

If you're playing your guitar out of guilt, at least you're playing your guitar.

Use guilt as a tool, I say.

 

[985plowboy]

Not necessarily guilt from having paid a lot for an unused guitar, but guilt from owning a bunch of guitars that I never played.
So yeah, money tied up in unused equipment.
So…I sold all but my Telecaster and three acoustics.
My guitar world is in equilibrium.

YMMV.

 

[That Cal Webway]

Only fresh out of Compton

.

 

[mark64]

I had a Gibson ES339 that I bought online. It was a great guitar but I never bonded with it. Funny how that works. So I shipped it out to California to my brother as a surprise retirement present. Now its getting played every day so its all good!

 

[kuch]

Nope, not due to guilt.... I do wish I had more time to play all of my guitars though....
Retirement is a lot of work ....

 

[HaWE]

I like to play all of my guitars- I always rotate from day to day so I use each guitar regular.