That's a lot of guitars!

[thefsb]

Originally Posted by JackC1

I think, to non-players, any number > 1 means a collector.

That sounds about right. Or maybe one electric and one acoustic is acceptable. When you need to explain the difference between the nylon string acoustic and the steel, you're a collector.

[Saxonbowman]

I used to walk around the neighborhood and see all of the boats languishing in people's driveways and think, 'at least guitars are cheaper than boats!' Of course there's no telling how many guitars languish in people's closets.

For a couple of years I was buying about a guitar a year. I have three electrics and two good acoustics. That doesn't count the garage guitar, a good sounding but mostly unplayable "Epi" from the 80s. There's also an inexpensive Ibanez tenor guitar that's a lot of fun. Add in a couple of mandolins and four-string banjos, plus a uke.

I play none of these particularly well, but I'm concentrating on the 000-18 lately to try to improve my fingerstyle skills.

[$ongWriter]

31 for me...that's the perfect number...some are vintage and amazing and some are new and really good to great....I play them all...from time to time...always have 3 or 4 in and out. If I find a good deal on one that looks interesting I'll buy it...keep in a month or two and move it on...if it's not a keeper....and yes...they are all insured...along with my amps....

[rllink]

Originally Posted by Saxonbowman

I used to walk around the neighborhood and see all of the boats languishing in people's driveways and think, 'at least guitars are cheaper than boats!' Of course there's no telling how many guitars languish in people's closets.

I always like that, "it might be bad, but it's not as bad as that," rationalization. I use it a lot myself.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by turtlejimmy

...So, how many do you have? How do you take care of all those guitars? And how many do you play every day?

Turtle

I have 13 acoustic guitars, and even with some buy/sell planned, that number will probably hold. They're on three Hercules 5-guitar stands (along with my daughter's two acoustic guitars). I keep optimal RH in the house, and I usually change strings on one guitar every weekend, where I also inspect the guitar, give it a little polish, clean the fretboard, etc. (as needed).

I try to play a little each evening. It's my way to unwind and unplug from being connected and stressed all day. 20-45 minutes, 2-3 guitars, a few songs on each. I try not to repeat guitars on consecutive nights, and every guitar gets played at least once per week. If a guitar stops getting played, then it should move on to someone who will play it.

A lot of ground has already been covered. I suppose I'm a collector, in the sense that I have some redundancy, but all of my current acoustic guitars have been purchased in the last 5-6 years, and my tastes change often. Most are dreads, but I have OM/000, Jumbo, GA, and my daughter has a 12-fret 00... and with a variety of wood combinations, some torrified, etc.

I only have two electric guitars, and I can't justify more b/c they rarely get played, mostly b/c I don't want to rock out the house or sit with headphones on (and I enjoy the analog, woody vibe from my acoustic guitars in the evening).

[thefsb]

At what point does a collection become a hoard?

And save the rationalizations about how you need and/or play all your guitars because what we really care about here is how others judge the difference between a normal person, a collector, and a hoarder.

LRB has a new article about this that discusses the attempts to objectively measure these differences. https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n17/jon-day/diary

[rllink]

Originally Posted by thefsb

At what point does a collection become a hoard?

And save the rationalizations about how you need and/or play all your guitars because what we really care about here is how others judge the difference between a normal person, a collector, and a hoarder.

LRB has a new article about this that discusses the attempts to objectively measure these differences. https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n17/jon-day/diary

Very interesting article. I think the thing that prevents me from accumulating more guitars is that my wife, and myself by association, are very tidy. Not implying that people with lots of guitars aren't tidy, they can be, I'm just saying that in our case guitars, or anything else random, are not considered room decorations no matter how pleasing they are to the eye. Our home is not particularly large and there is a bar in the basement that has a roadhouse theme going on with a dance floor at one end. There is about enough room for a couple acoustic guitars, an electric guitar, my wife's electric bass, a couple of amps, a couple music stands and a mic stand all shoved into a corner and that's about it. No more room. And that's where it all belongs, not scattered all around the house. That's a famous saying around our house, "company's coming, can you put your stuff where it belongs."

I'm not saying that the guitars never come upstairs to the living room, the dining room, even the kitchen. They go out on the front porch and out on the patio, but they always go back down to the bar and to the corner of the dance floor where they belong when we are done with them. Anything in our house that doesn't have a place or reason belongs out in the shed. If I buy any more guitars, that's where they would have to go because a couple acoustic guitars, an electric guitar, my wife's electric bass, a couple of amps, a couple music stands and a mic stand fills out the look that we are shooting for down there. Either that or I build a new house with a bigger roadhouse bar and I'm not there right now.

[Jim Sliff]

Roughly 70 if you include squareneck resonators, lap/console steels, pedal steels, electric sitar (with standard neck) - but not including electric, upright and acoustic bass guitars(10+), ukes (about 40), banjo (one '26 RB-3 conversion), a tiple, and a few other unusual oddities.

I used to gig 3-4 times/week but am unable to now due to chronic pain and abdominal issues. However, I live alone, my house is set up like a 3 room (one a dual-booth) studio, and I do some studio stuff via the internet and host jams.

While I AM selling off less-used/less-collectable pieces, about 75% gets used at least weekly - and I loan a few things out to professional friends.

Most have been acquired over the years via trades or internet purchases (those at low prices because I invested the money and time to educate myself.). I've truly only purchased a couple of "duds" - and they were new imports that were copies of vintage pieces I was buying for special one-time uses. Just parted them out and broke even.

About half are investment quality - those I'll keep for my kids to deal with! Half of the balance are superb "players" I'm keeping - and about 25% of the total will be sold off bit by bit. I've done tech work on the side since 1972 (including some finish work) have thousands of $$ in proper tools and have been well-trained - so everything is in good shape, set up properly etc.

My (now ex...but not because if music issues)wife never had a problem with my gigging, rehearsals, studio time etc - because I had a good paying management job with an IRA, always took time to watch - or coach - my kids' baseball, softball, soccer and surf contests and practices...and half my gig money went to a home fund; half to my music fund.

HOWEVER - one rule I learned early on was virtually every time I left the house I was carrying a large, universal guitar case. An *empty* one.

And it didn't always return to my downstairs studio that way....

[thefsb]

Originally Posted by rllink

Very interesting article.

The LRB publishes a podcast of conversations with article authors. It featured there.

Originally Posted by rllink

Either that or I build a new house with a bigger roadhouse bar and I'm not there right now.

I think it's time you got yourself a real roadhouse.

[ricfreak]

Space is the main issue when collecting guitars..... hence, I am now 'Downsizing'