Thinking About Buying More Guitar Than I Need

[Mandobart]

I've never owned a guitar smaller than an OM. I've never played a Collings I didn't really like. Last night at our old time jam I played friend's Collings 00 something - spruce and mahogany. I was backing up a banjo and two fiddles.

We passed the guitar around taking turns playing backup. The Collings did that job perfectly. I figure it could do any job I asked of it.

I'm pretty sure I'll own a small Collings guitar some day.

[donlyn]

Originally Posted by antbar

I'm going to ask what may be a really dumb question. It barely even qualifies as a question, but more like a conversation prompt. Here goes.

If you find a guitar and truly love it, but the type of guitar is intended for something other than what you historically like to do, should you keep searching until you find the Cinderella guitar, or just buy the dadblasted thing and let your love for what it is shape your playing?

(It's a Collings 002H.)

Hey antbar,

What guitar are you considering?

Only two things to ponder.

You've already got a taste for that one. And you've been thinking about it for a while. Obviously it feels good to you to play it. If you can afford it, why not get it?

The other side of the coin is there will always be another.


I prefer large body guitars of the Jumbo variety. That said, I play anything I want on any one of them, 6 or 12 string. Most often it's about the player, not the guitar, no matter what song you play.

My most valuable guitar though is my short scale smallish (to me) Taylor 412e-R Grand Concert. The reason is that my left (fretting) hand gives out every now and then, and I find the only one that I can play for a little while is this short scale. Currently dealing with that now, and it has been a life saver again. In baseball terms, it is not a power hitter, but it's always on base and lives in the on-deck circle, ready for the next at-bat. Doesn't hurt that it sounds great as long as I don't overdrive it.

So go play your potentially next guitar again, and see how you feel on a different day. Find out what the return policy is, and see how it sounds at another venue, like home. Whatever it is, it has something you like about it.

Be well,
Don
.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Deliberate1

If it feels good, and sounds good and you can swing it, buy it.
David

Works for me.....

Originally Posted by caperrob

I own a guitar that is waaaay more than I ever needed. But I don't regret buying it one bit. I absolutely LOVE it.

Me too........

[Jeff Mc]

A contrarian view - I bought a Collings 00 a few years ago. I had never owned a guitar smaller than an OM before that. I loved it when I bought it, but after a year or two decided that I like the bigger body and sound and sold it to a member of the old Collings Forum. I was in a local guitar store about a year later and there it was hanging on the wall.

[caperrob]

I own a guitar that is waaaay more than I ever needed. But I don't regret buying it one bit. I absolutely LOVE it.

[Dotneck]

I like a 00 and love my Collings so I think a 002H would great. But I would not buy it to play in a Metallica tribute band…

[srick]

Antbar -

You'll never know until you try. That happened with me and a Martin D35. It was (and is) a lovely guitar. It sounded spectacular. But for fingerstyle blues and ragtime, it wasn't optimal. Plus, I didn't have the chops at that time to make it sound as good as I could have.

Fast forward maybe a year or so and I am trying out guitars at The Music Emporium. I was handed a Bourgeois 00 Country Boy and it was love at first strum. I played for about a half hour while my wife sat patiently. She looked at me and said, "You really like that. If you want to, buy it, and sell your Martin."

And I did. I sold the Martin to a good friend and made sure that I retained visitation rights! Nothing will improve your playing more than playing an instrument that you love. And if it's not perfect, that's ok too - find a friend who covets it so that you can visit every once in awhile .

best,

Rick

[catndahats]

Disclaimer:
No one here is going to talk you out of buying a new guitar.

I've done what you are talking about a million times. And cannot even begin to discourage you, in fact I would be one to say get it if it inspires you.

Originally Posted by antbar

I'm going to ask what may be a really dumb question. It barely even qualifies as a question, but more like a conversation prompt. Here goes.

If you find a guitar and truly love it, but the type of guitar is intended for something other than what you historically like to do, should you keep searching until you find the Cinderella guitar, or just buy the dadblasted thing and let your love for what it is shape your playing?

(It's a Collings 002H.)

[EverettWilliams]

Originally Posted by antbar

I'm going to ask what may be a really dumb question. It barely even qualifies as a question, but more like a conversation prompt. Here goes.

If you find a guitar and truly love it, but the type of guitar is intended for something other than what you historically like to do, should you keep searching until you find the Cinderella guitar, or just buy the dadblasted thing and let your love for what it is shape your playing?

(It's a Collings 002H.)

Personal question depending on allocation of resources. I've got super diverse tastes (I collect everything from vintage to boutique to hand built, electric and acoustic, and all sizes) -- there are things I don't have because I don't particularly care for them, but I've never said "I like this, but it's not me" - "me" is an ever evolving concept and it's a reaction to my experience. Sometimes I pick up a guitar and am really pleasantly surprised. I'm never thrown off by something not matching my perception of what I play, I keep an open mind. I've never encountered, for example, a Taylor or a Paul Reed Smith or a Bourgeois that I wanted to own, but if one fell in my lap and confounded me, I wouldn't let the name on the paddle dissuade me from pulling out my card (uh, maybe the PRS...). Same deal with guitar sizes. I used to think I was an OM guy, but as time has gone on, I have found that Dreadnoughts and 12 fret instruments are often better suited to me. My number 1 used to be a OOO, but a D found me that changed everything.

An open mind without preconception is the best way to approach a guitar store. I usually go with a list in mind of things I want to check out and I do, but I leave plenty of time to explore and play things I wouldn't normally play and I'm no longer surprised when the thing I like best isn't what I was expecting.

In your particular case, you're talking about a Collings (big fanboy here). Collings have a robust used market and hold value well, especially if you buy used. Further, Collings' price increases have driven up the used market prices. Though there are no guarantees, if you buy used at a good price, keep it in good shape, and hold it for an appropriate period, you will likely come out okay if you decide to sell it. In your position, if I love the guitar, I'm not worried about the fact that it's not "me," I'm excited that I've learned something new about who I am.

[ewalling]

It's all about wanting, not needing!

Seriously, though, one thing I've occasionally had success with when suddenly lusting after something I really don't need is to to just leave it a day or two. What seemed to be a 'must have' can turn into a 'nah, maybe not.'

[zmf]

Originally Posted by antbar

If you find a guitar and truly love it.....

True love? There's a loaded phrase. But if that's the case... well.....true love for the price of a Collings seems like a heck of a deal.

[Mr. Paul]

My eagerness to try things that didn't really "fit my style" led to a lifer 00 all mahogany. I also visited a few 00 guitars that didn't work for me quite as well.

[TedBPhx]

I always buy more guitar than I can play and strive to become the player the guitar deserves. “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp” is the old aphorism I follow.

[GoPappy]

If you've truly found "the one," then my advice is to buy it immediately. About 10 - 12 years ago, I found a used Martin 00-18 (I think) that felt like it was custom made for me, and it was at a great price. But I needed another guitar like I needed to be axed in the head, so I left it there. By the time I came to my senses, it was gone. I still regret not buying that guitar.

In my experience, you never know when you will find that "special" or "magic" guitar (for you) again. If you have the funds, and IF it truly is the one, buy it. But make sure it is true love rather than just lust for a particular brand or a certain look. The attraction of brand names and good looks will soon fade.

[tadol]

Isn’t it true with all things? You find yourself attracted to, and fantasizing about something you’ve never really tried, or spent much time with, and you wonder about whether it’ll work out. The only way you find out is to try - and since you probably won’t end up with an unpleasant rash or a couple cheap tattoos you’ll have to live with forever, it seems like a pretty simple and reasonable experience to buy the guitar - who knows what you’ll learn?