Realizing I have too many guitars...

Have reached the point wher it is a struggle to get in the room;

 

My wife had a very reasonable view. She said she was fine with whatever guitar stuff I wanted, as long as we could afford it and it fit in the closet.

I fit 18 guitars, 9 amps, 41 pedals, and a Fender Reverb Unit in that little closet.

 

18 guitars + 9 amps+ 41 pedals +1 reverb unit = "little closet"? I'm not buying it. I'm going to need the dimensions of that closet, Fibber McGee. Or better yet, "Pics, or it didn't happen."

 

took most clothes out of my closet, put dedicated computer and steinberg interface and JBL studio monitors in there, built shelves for pedals and hung up guitars and made a shelf for collecting Whiskey. A mic is on a Vintage in marshall 4x12 right out side the closet door with 2 Marshall heads on it to record with the flip of a few switches and 2 more heads are in the closet and a 4x12 is out in the hall for quick dif flavor and then..out back the band room 12x 24 heated insulated, AC and a killer workbench that used to be the track plan/dispatch drafting table from the PRR in Harrisburg PA, built in 1925 with a shuffleboard quality oak finished drafting top.just counted 7 guitars hanging in closet 4 on stands, my closet is 4 x 5

 

I can’t get photos because we moved. But the closet was less than 4’ x 5’. The bottom layer was amps, single- and double-stacked (Champ to Deluxe Reverb in size), guitars lined up vertically on top of the amps, pedals on shelves.

Fibber McGee’s closet is an apt description.

 

I was going to start a new thread, but this was timely so I will ask here. Has anyone legitimately studied GAS? It has to be a form of OCD for some of us, right? Do drummers have an acquisition syndrome? What about horn players? Maybe they do and I don't know about it. If they don't what is it about guitars?

It seems to hit me hard about once a year. Maybe it's the weather. In the last 2 weeks I've purchased a Gibson Les Paul Special, and a MIM Fender Telecaster. Both used, and both on the inexpensive side even when new. (my definition of "inexpensive" has also changed quite a bit over the years) The problem being that they are guitar numbers 16 and 17 (I think).

For whatever reason I have a thing for inexpensive guitars and modding them. I was researching mods for the MIM tele before it even arrived. I've put quite a bit of time and research into $100 guitars. They now play and sound fantastic, but are worth a lot less than what I have into them. I would be a lot better player if I would have instead put that time into actually playing.

I have 2 (very inexpensive) electrics I've never plugged into amps. That's a problem. I just emailed my local guitars4vets to see if they will take a few as dontations.

 

The man knows how to pack.

 

I don't think GAS is any different than other mostly-man-hobbies in the first world. Photography, boats, bikes, you name it, guys go gear crazy and geek out about stuff and spend way too much money. It's how we're wired, and OCD is just more-extreme versions of it. The internet and sites like this encourage it. I do remember a while back there were a bunch of posts like guys trying to construct a pedalboard out of all-green pedals, all-mini pedals, whatever. That's OCD for sure. My bass player has owned two basses in her life, and one is an upright. She sometimes feels like she is "supposed" to buy another bass (because everybody else is always buying stuff) but can't for the life of her figure out why, or what she'd do with it. She just practices constantly and shows up to rehearsals knowing the tunes....

 

I also realize I own a few guitars.

Here's my guitar collection.

Electric Guitars:

'63 Gibson ES-330 TDC w/ Bigsby
'70 Gibson Cherry ES-335
'72 Fender Tele Custom
'75 Fender Mocha Strat
'76 Electra MPC X-310 Black LP copy
'77 Gibson Wine Les Paul Deluxe
'78 Fender Tele Tobacco Sunburst
'79 Fender Antigua Strat
'80 Gibson "Jimmy Wallace" '58RI Quilted Sunburst Les Paul Standard
'80 Gibson Cream Explorer
'83 Gibson Dot Cherry ES-335
'86 Fender MIJ '69RI Pink Paisley Tele
'87 Fender Strat Tobacco Sunburst
'88 Paul Reed Smith Goltop "Special"
'89 Gibson Heritage Cherry Sunburst LP Standard
'89 Fender Old CAR Strat
'90 Fender Strat Plus Pewter
'90 Fender Strat Plus Black (E9)
'90 Fender Strat Plus Ebony Frost (N9)
'90 Fender 50's RI Strat "Blackie"
'91 Fender 50's RI Tele Candy Apple
'99 Tom Anderson Hollow Drop Top Classic Cajun Red Quilt
'00 Epiphone G-400 LE Korina SG
'01 Gibson Les Paul DC Amber Quilt
'01 Gibson LP Black LP Junior
'03 Tom Anderson Tiger Eye Hollow T Drop Top
'03 Epiphone Elite Black LP Custom
'07 Fender '57 AVRI Surf Green Strat
'07 Fender FSR "Reverse Headstock Strat
'08 Gibson Wine Red Les Paul Standard Plus
'09 Fender LTD. ED. Am. Std. Daphne Blue Strat
'09 PRS DGT 10-Top Sunburst
'10 Fender Olympic White Am. Standard
'12 Fender Candy Cola Am. Standard
'13 Reverend Oceanside Green Jetstream 390
'15 Fender Sea Foam Green Mag 7 Tele
'15 Suhr Sherwood Metallic Green Classic Pro Strat
'17 Moniker Custom


Classical and Acoustic Guitars:

'49 Martin A Style Mandolin
'78 Gibson Gospel
'80 Sigma DM-3
'83 Yamaha G-231 II Classical
'98 Baby Taylor
'03 Yamaha CG171SF Classical Flamenco
'03 Taylor Jumbo Custom Acoustic/Electric
'04 Ramirez 1-E Classical
'09 Breedlove Roots OM/SR acoustic/electric



Basses:
'74 Fender Jazz Bass Sunburst/Maple Neck
'78 Fender Natural Precision Bass
'90 Fender MIJ '57 RI Vintage White Precision Bass
'94 Fender Jazz V Plus Bass

 

I was recently told if one comes in, one goes out. "That's fair" i stated as she pointed at the wall..........she hasn't looked under the bed in awhile thou.....

 

I also have too many guitars I have 8 now, but would like to trim down to 5 or 6, mainly to avoid duplication (I used to only play Strats so have 3), and also as I never play them all.

I’ve had two Strats for sale for the last month, for cheap, they they haven’t shifted.

Also have a Vox Ac10c1 for sale, but again, no takers as yet.

:/

 

I work away during the week, and leave all my gear at my work apartment apart from an old beater guitar. Although, my wife has seen the collection on Instagram and is ‘supportive’, she knew I played guitar, and also have an ocd streak now and again.

She’s not seen all my bikes though...

 

Well I timmed it all the way down...
1985 Ibanez Roadstar II and my 2011 Seagull Cameo Artist acoustic, got another Ibanez Roadstar body....
I want a Tele style guitar again, but is in no hurry.
3 amps, some pedals and such....I do not really miss anything and do not have the need to buy stuff really.

Sometimes I trade in a few pedals and get something different, or make some.....mod a few of the existing ones...
But after 20+ years of repairing and setting up guitars/basses/and so on....I had it with many guitars, I like playing them...not using that much time keeping them in shape instead.
Freedom is what it is to me!

 

I think that it is akin to "retail therapy", or possibly how some people have so many shoes, or cars, or cats.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to sound preachy. I have a rather solid collection of 25 going right now myself. We, as guitar enthusiasts, can see the benefits of having a Strat with every available pickup configuration, adding $200 in parts to a $100 guitar to make it worth $50, or can understand purchasing a $100 guitar when we already have a $1,000 guitar either because it's on sale or you feel an urge to "rescue" it. In many cases, it probably isn't much different than having 25 cats, or 25 pairs of shoes, etc.

It's a fun hobby, and certainly a much healthier outlet than alcohol, drugs, or prostitutes. Although we have a funny name for our condition (GAS), it's still an obsession that, left unchecked, can get out of control and cause all sorts of problems.

Sorry for the buzz kill. I'm standing by to get beat up a little bit now...

 

This part hits home with me.

 

Looks like my place, I've got over 50 at last count, it's ridiculous and some of these gotta go

 

My turn up to the podium.

I'm currently at 22 guitars and 8 amps... PA, drum kit, misc stuff. Yeah, it's a lot, but not to some of you!. Guess it's all relative. But there is no financial hardship owning them and plenty of room to expand (I own a 2200 sq ft 4 bedroom home, it's only me and my daughter occupying it, and she'll likely be moving out in another couple years) but there won't be much expanding the stash anymore... maybe. I've given my son 3 so far, but he just dabbles so it's not worth giving him more right now since he'll inherit the entire herd someday anyway. I keep assembling partscasters because it gives me something to do and I like to see how they'll turn out, but that's gotta stop soon. I have no spouse or significant other, and the likelihood of ever having one again is slim to none, so there will never be anyone competing for my time and attention (other than a dog ). Those guitars are about the only thing I've got left in life - playing them, tinkering with them and maintaining them, so stay try will. Fortunately I still get gigs to play, but who knows how long that'll those will dry up in time, too.

 

Horns are also a lot more expensive. For a decent sax, clarinet, or trumpet, you typically have to drop a solid grand. For something that is "concert quality", you have to spend even more. Yamaha is probably the best bargain in the world of horns. Whether it be guitars, motorcycles, outboard motors, or orchestral instruments, it is very hard to beat Yamaha in terms of quality, reliability, and ergonomics at any given price point.

One of the unique aspects of GAS for guitar players is that you can find/justify a purchase at an incredibly wide range of price points. Someone might get that excited/slightly guilty/breathless feeling by purchasing a $4k custom shop offering. Someone else might get that same feeling by buying a $40 knockoff pedal.

 

There are a lot of musicians who invest all their gear money in two places: 1) a single very, very nice instrument and 2) years and years of lessons and education. In fact I know an active member of the NY Phil, one of the top orchestras in the world. He owns TWO instruments (Bassoon). What we're doing with 87 guitars is a sideshow from making music, it can be fun in itself. And no, guitars don't necessarily differ more in their tone than other instruments. It's just that it's mostly guitarists who feel like they've got to own every possible "tone" out there as opposed to having just one great one.