How many times have you changed your mind?

[Mandobart]

In over 50 years of playing stringed instruments, I've only sold two.

In 1983 I bought an Ibanez Musician electric guitar. It was physically stunning - all natural figured wood, neck through the body. Three magnetic pickups and active piezo's too. It was the first electric guitar I bought; I'd been an acoustic player for 8 years at that point and I wasn't used to the ultralight strings and jumbo frets. It required a much lighter touch than I was used to.

I came to see that I'm not really an electric guitar player, so probably 10 years ago or so I sold it to someone who really wanted it. I haven't missed it since.

I sold my first beginner level mandolin to a friend who was interested in learning. I have several better quality mandolins so I don't miss it at all.

I currently have a Michael Kelly Octave mandolin on consignment at a friend's shop. I haven't played it since I got a much better one from Tom Jessen.

Unlike the majority of those who post here, I've never been bound by any rules governing my instrument purchases or sales. But aside from impulse purchases early in life, I now only buy after some thought, research and test drives. I'm very happy enjoying what I have right now.

[LAPlayer]

Never. Like MBroady I'm one in, one out due to not wanting to accumulate instruments. I have enough/too many. When I find a "got to have" instrument, I buy it. Then, I decide which one goes. If I can't decide on one, I put two or three for sale and sell the first one that sells. However, I don't change my mind - it's one in / one out - period.

[tinnitus]

Sadie-f mentions "churning," which I suppose I've done with gusto at various times since 1972. Easily 100+, mostly electric planks. Plus acoustics, amps, PA gear, etc. Always looking to upgrade my keepers and sluff off the rest on Craigslist, I've managed to end up owning guitars today that are (essentially) free. I was up to 16 guitars at one point, just more than I needed to keep on hand, so I simply sold more than I bought. Current "arsenal" includes 4 nicely set-up acoustics, a home-built custom Stratocaster, a bass, a 4-channel PA and a mildly customized combo tube amp.

Never changed my mind about anything once it was up for sale. I pondered potential sales long enough first to avoid any second-guessing.

Spent 15+ years trying to adjust to a fine Larrivée (best quality/sounding guitar I ever owned) with a too-flat radius and too-narrow spacing. But there was no changing my mind once I put it out there. It just struck me one day that it stays on the wall because I play better, more intricate stuff on my other guitars with fewer mistakes. Sold, it moved on and never looked back.

Do I wish I still had my first electric guitar, a Supro Belmont? Yeah, I traded that one away over 50 years ago. I think I'm finally over it. Maybe.

[EZYPIKINS]

I'm not crazy about the Dreadnaught shape. Not the most comfortable for me. That said I have two. A 2003 Hummindbird, and a 2023 HD-28e.

I have made up my mind to sell the HD-28e a few times. But I would take it out and tune it up. Strumming and hearing the guitar. This thing sounds too nice to sell.

I once decided to trade it in on a Taylor. Boy I'm glad I changed my mind on that one.

Was talking to my dad on the phone. At 86 years old, thinking about buying a new guitar. Never owned a Martin.

You guessed it. I boxed up the HD-28e and shipped it to him. His reply was. This is the nicest sounding/playing guitar I've ever had in my hands,

Everything happens for a reason.

[jmagill]

How many times have you changed your mind?

Twice. No, wait. Three times.
.

[Glennwillow]

I don't sell many instruments, but when I do, I don't change my mind. If I decide to sell a guitar, it's because I have recognized that I have made a mistake in purchasing this particular guitar.

- Glenn

[jaymarsch]

I’ve waffled a few times over the past 2 decades concerning guitars. I went back and forth for months on selling my Kenny Hill Crossover but ultimately didn’t regret selling it as I really prefer the sound of steel strings.
I went back and forth over an all mahogany Santa Cruz OM that was available at Gryphon’s and played it a couple of times over a few months. Eventually, I decided not to get it and, again, no regrets.
Balancing all of the pros and cons are just part of exploring the vast world of available guitars.
Best,
Jayne

[PineMarten]

I've been through the thought process a few times with my Kalamazoo archtop - a lot of what I play points more towards a flat-top, and I don't have the space or income to get something good without moving another on. But that guitar does have something cool going on, and doesn't quite amount to a trade value that would reliably buy a flat-top which would really wow me.

[ghostnote]

I don’t change my mind about guitars anymore. I have all the guitars I could ever want, and when I say that, I don’t mean that they’re fabulous. There are lots of better guitars out there, but I’m really just enjoying the ones I have so much that there’s little room for indecision about them, or GAS in general. I think age has something to do with it, too. I’ve been through all the gear lust and “what if” scenarios many times, and I can now see it coming, so I go into “ignore” mode. Who knows how long it’ll last, but for now it’s nice to be free of it.

[Silly Moustache]

If memory serves (and at my age, that's unlikely) in 1999.
I had my lovely new Collings (twice the price I'd ever paid before. My handmade 0028 (from my wife - 50th birthday gift),
My Dobro and my mandolin.
A Daion L-999 Legacy and a Daion 12 string.

I retired in 2007 (age 59) and took some tax free cash out of my private pension to fund the gap until I got my state pension (social security in the US ?) in 2013.
However my calculations were overly cautious and I found that I was accumulating cash, so started buying.

2005 : Collings 0002h
2006: Harmony Monterey.
2007 - Weissenborn
2007 - Lebeda F5 Mandolin
2007 - Eastman AR805e
2008 - Huss & Dalton DS12
2008 - Larrivee SD-50
2009 - Dobro (from a departed friend's widow).
2010 - Collings DS1
2010 - Hofner octave mandolin
2010 - John Evans L-1
2011 - Gibson L4/7,
2011 - Martin D12-20,
2011 - Collings Ds2h
2012 - Collings Ds1 ASB
2014 - Santa Cruz RS
2015 - National Estralita
2016 - Waterloo WL12
2016 - Recording King Banjo (gift from wifey)
2017 - Harmony 12 string
2018 - Eastman AR805
2019 - Eastman E20-P
2020 - Eastman E40-00
2023 - Collings 002h.

23 instruments

Sold -

2011 - Hofner octave mandolin (conversion)
2012 - Loar LH700
2012 - Reliance Archtop
2013 - Martin D35-S
2014 - Del'Arte Leadbelly 12 string
2015 - National Style "0" Deluxe
2015 - Daion L-999
2016 - Eastman AR805e
2016 - Larrivee SD50,
2016 - Daion 12 string
2018 - John Evans L-1
2019 - Collings Ds2h

12 instruments sold.

Purchase "mistakes" :

* Eastman AR805e (fine guitar but too red and looked electric)
* Hofner Octave mando - great fun experiment - but ...
* Loar LH-700 Eugh!
* Del Arte Leadbelly - impossible!
* Huss & Dalton DS12 - a totally awful guitar - unplayable.

I'm not sure when "being equipped" changed to "collecting."

I have three lovely Collings dreads, and don't "need" them - but .... what child do you choose to kill?

[rstaight]

I have been married 42 years. My mind gets changed for me on a regular basis.

[KevWind]

I never do, except for when I do do ..well actually I always don't , yet often do .... well except for when I don't ....actually I often do, but many times I don't ...then again I usually do and don't at the same time ...

[Br1ck]

I don't make resolutions. Eventually they get broken. But I do have guidelines I tend to stick to, like not playing what I'm inclined to never buy, and not playing above 20% of my max budget. This has served me well, and these days 20% is a cool $1000. But last year I played a guitar that was $1200 over and it came home with me. It would be foolish to find the one and let some self made rule dictate my happiness. I also have learned many lessons over a lifetime. Moderation is one. Some will say $5000 is not moderation, some won't consider any guitar that is less.

Don't become a junkie. $5k is a fix that will last me three years at least.

[Rumblefish]

My problem is that I don’t want to sell any of the guitars that I have, and I don’t have enough time to dedicate to the instruments I already own. And still, I want more. More!!

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

I don't make resolutions.....It would be foolish to find the one and let some self made rule dictate my happiness. I also have learned many lessons over a lifetime. Moderation is one.

I appreciate hearing another person on this forum with a similar point of view as myself.