Finding "the one"

[Zissou Intern]

I was happily down to just my GE for awhile, but then the opportunity to buy the Burkett was too hard to pass up. If that JB45 hadn't come along, and if my family hadn't bought me the LSV, I'd be content with "the one" being my only one. But the Burkett is not easily replaceable. James is retired from building.

[HillTone]

I want every one…my lady disagrees and would say all should go but the d18. I wrote more songs when I only had one good acoustic. Decision fatigue is a bigger problem every year in so many parts of life.

[tinnitus]

As a serial trader, 99+ electric guitars have come and gone through my hands starting in 1970. I still have a custom Stratocaster that I built and continually modded with select components over the decades. Played it in various bar bands since last century so as planks go, that's my "One."

No longer playing electric guitars in loud rock bands (note the username), I own 5 acoustics now and will gift one on Christmas morning. It's a nicely set-up spruce-top Yamaha that does everything well. It would be a thoughtless disservice to give someone a first guitar that comes up short in any department.

My remaining 4 keepers are unique in specific ways and not going anywhere anytime soon.

[Charlie Bernstein]

My The One is a nicely hotrodded* '76 Guild D-35. The finish is nothing to brag about, and the action could be slightly improved (that'll happen in '24). And it's not a valuable guitar. But it sounds, feels, and looks just right. So I call it Baby Bear.

I've had Gibsons and Martins that I liked, but this old Westerly Guild has the mojo. It's not my most expensive guitar. But it's my little always-ready-for-action buddy.

It took me about forty-five years to find it, going through a few Martins and Gibsons along the way. So be patient. Chances are there's a forever guitar in your future.

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*Hee hee: Neck heel strap button, K&K pickup, Gotoh tuners, four bone and two rosewood bridge pins, Hipshot drop-D lever. A player!

[raysachs]

I’ve always played both acoustic and electric and so never truly ONE, but for a long time, it was just one of each. But in terms of acoustics, now I think I’ve got “the two”.

Took some buying, trying, and selling (or in a couple cases, returning). When I came back to playing seven years ago, I quickly figured out I wasn’t a dread guy anymore - just not comfortable playing them like I was as a kid. So I’ve played any number of 00, 000, and OM guitars and within the last few years, found the one mahogany (CEO-7) and the one rosewood (000-28 CAA) that leave me wanting nothing else. The CEO-7 I bought about four years ago, tried some much more expensive mahogany guitars and never found one I liked near as much, so finally realized this is just a perfect mahogany guitar for my ears and my hands and no longer even thinking about finding anything “better”.

Took me a while to warm back up to rosewood - I was a D28 player in my youth, and the BRW D28 I had for 25 years seemed like “the one” and was for all those years. Although I was more of an electric player in those days. But when I started up again my ears just preferred the more fundamental sound of mahogany and I really didn’t like the rosewood guitars I played. But then about three years ago I started liking the rosewood sound again, played a few, and bought an 000-28EC, which I liked, but it was never in danger of reaching parity with the CEO-7. Then, less than a year ago, I tried an 000-28 1937 CAA and I was absolutely floored by it - didn’t like the slimmer Mod-V quite as much as the beefier Mod-V on the EC, but my goodness the SOUND of that guitar just knocked me over. So it replace the EC and most days it’s my #1 now, with the CEO-7 a close second but I tend to reach for the 000-28 CAA somewhat more now. Although I could be perfectly happy with either the CAA or the CEO-7 as an only acoustic, I love having both voices available, some days I’m just in the mood for one over the other and many days I play both. I honestly can’t see ever selling either or looking for anything “better”. I’m just totally satisfied with both. And don’t have any other “sound in my head” that I’m looking for a guitar to match. These two are more than enough…

I’d love to find a carbon fiber I like as much as either of them - I own a Sable which is the best sounding carbon fiber (to MY ears, obviously) I’ve ever played, but it’s still a far distant third to the two Martins. I really only play it when humidity issues just get out of hand where we spend winters in North Carolina. At home in Oregon with a very guitar friendly climate, I don’t seem to need or want a carbon fiber guitar.

-Ray

[jaymarsch]

I have 3 guitars that I consider keepers.
BTW - your title isn’t as dramatic as past threads that ask hypothetically if your house was on fire and your loved ones and pets were safe, which guitar would you grab if you had only enough time to grab one. I guess, in my case of multiple keepers, the one closest to the door.
I own and play 5 and 3 are keepers. As others have said, they each bring something specific that makes me want to play and improve as a player.
Best,
Jayne

[Jdogblues]

My new Murphy Lab L-00 I believe can do just about anything I need it to. If I need something lighter I have a Waterloo WL-K and a J-35 Historic thats also pretty versatile.

[Creek]

Originally Posted by BlueBowman

…. Maybe P90s are the answer

P90s are almost always the answer…

I love looking at NGD posts, etc but don’t experience GAS. I have traded off guitars over the years and I am pretty much down to one acoustic and one electric. I could afford “better” guitars but I am satisfied I have found ones that are right for me.

The electric I would consider “the one” and I see or feel no need to trade up my acoustic, I don’t know that it’s “the one” but may be the only one I have until I wear it out. Although I may add a Gibson slope shoulder/short scale to keep it company, but I really like the simplicity of just having one of each.

Electric - 2001 MIM Telecaster, maple neck, fat/overwound bridge PU (sounds P90-ish), P90 neck PU, and a 4-way switch - so some might say it really isn’t a Tele, but that’s a different thread. This is a special guitar to me.

Acoustic - 2022 Yamaha FG830. I know it’s a relatively cheap guitar and some consider it a starter, but I really love it.

[Mbroady]

There all keepers…until I play something that does what “It” does better then “It”
Some might be on the chopping block soon


MB

[Coler]

I have a dread and an OM made by McNally guitars thar I do not believe I will ever let go of. Unless to one of my kids should they take up guitar.