A reality check

shaunm

As today is my birthday I have the day booked off and with no kids in the house and my wife at work I have been sat playing through all my guitars. I get that it may not seem like much of a treat but believe me, its a rare thing to get a few hours of playing in.

This is my collection of guitars https://imgur.com/gallery/EQbvZZr

Over the last few months i have been buying and selling quite a few guitars, amps and pedals on a mission to find the best bits of gear i could. 
I have been lucky and found some great gear. 

This morning has been a huge reality check though. I have never sat and played each of my guitars back to back, one after the other. Today i have, all through the same amp - a Fender Tweed Champ as its as good of an amp to hear exactly what each guitar aounda like as i could think of. 

Head and shoulders above all of the guitars is my old Sheraton, the guitar ive played for 13 years. Its had a few modifications such as Bareknuckle Missippisspi Queens in it but its still a cheap guitar. 

I am now sat here questioning why i need the rest of the guitars i have (other than one back up of course). I cant see me putting the Sheraton to the back of the pack again as i have for the last month as i know it sounds better, feels better and i play better on it than indo any of the others. Ive owned loads of sheratons and played 100’s so i know its better than all of the others ive played so ive got lucky with this one.

Perhaps this is the realisation that spending a lot of money does not mean you are getting a better guitar and that a great guitar is a great guitar regardless of price. 

Has anyone else ever had a moment where youve gone back to an old favourite and wondered why youve spent so much money?

digitalscream

Almost all my playable guitars are fairly pricey - three by Jaden, a Washburn N4 and one I built myself which probably racked up costs in the £800-£1k range by the time I'd finished - and they're all excellent, but the one I've found myself playing the most over the last week or two is the self-built one.

Not necessarily because it's a better guitar - it has some fundamental flaws that can't be fixed within a reasonable price - but just because it's the most fun at the moment.

That'll probably change in a week or two.

HAL9000

You’re right. You don’t need to spend a huge amount of money to have a great guitar. Right now my go-to is a MIM Std Strat with a set of OilCity StoneTones. More comfy and just feels more ‘right’ than anything else I own.

shaunm

digitalscream said:

Almost all my playable guitars are fairly pricey - three by Jaden, a Washburn N4 and one I built myself which probably racked up costs in the £800-£1k range by the time I'd finished - and they're all excellent, but the one I've found myself playing the most over the last week or two is the self-built one.

Not necessarily because it's a better guitar - it has some fundamental flaws that can't be fixed within a reasonable price - but just because it's the most fun at the moment.

That'll probably change in a week or two.

There is that, I’ve not played the Sheraton whilst I’ve been buying over the last three months. When I did today it was the tone I’ve been chasing through the 8 guitars I’ve bought in those months. I already had the tone I wanted!

p90fool

Your ears are craving the beef of a semi hollow with the string definition of single coils that's all. 

It's a heady combination, and when you're in that mood your other guitars will seem lifeless in comparison, no matter what quality they are. 

randella

My old Japanese '68 reissue Strat is objectively not a stellar guitar; they're well thought of, I know that, but mine's bean beaten to crap over the years.

Still the best guitar in my collection though, it fits and nothing else has that bite.  The pickups have mellowed but the guitar's got more resonant, and it's head and shoulders above my late 90's USA Standard in terms of tone.

Maybe we could all learn a lesson here, that we don't need more and better guitars.

Hahahahaha, April Fool's came early this year.

shaunm

p90fool said:

Your ears are craving the beef of a semi hollow with the string definition of single coils that's all. 

It's a heady combination, and when you're in that mood your other guitars will seem lifeless in comparison, no matter what quality they are. 

I was waiting for the line “there’s almost nothing a good semi can’t do” 

its pretty true true what you say. It’s the definition and the crunch combined that is such a winner.

mort

Anyone who has a collection of anything will have a ‘favourite’.

Doesn’t mean the rest of the collection has to go......

munckee

Three is the magic number of electrics for me as any less is not enough and any more will cause divorce and me sitting in a draughty bedsit not able to play them because of the noise police.

I always gravitate to my MIJ strat and self assembled tele as I am more single coil than humbucker - however whenever I play my 100 quid harley benton semi hollow which is modded to death I can't help but grin as it sounds and plays fantastic regardless of its more modest price.

Oh yeah, happy birthday Shaun by the way : )

shaunm

@munckee thank you mate

Sassafras

Yeah, but what did you pick up in the Black Friday deals?

57Deluxe

yeah this happens to me too - inasmuch as I have a rare moment to lavish time without interruption with a few guitars at once. BUT contrary to your supposition; one or two lesser played guitars will shine out and remind you of why they still reside in the collection, but I do not want to throw everything else out! Moreso, I feel all fuzzy and warm that they are in a collection where each can be called upon at any time to give me some lurve...

shaunm

Sassafras said:

Yeah, but what did you pick up in the Black Friday deals?

Erm thought about a custom shop Strat 

agibbo

I had a similar moment a while ago, when, as you did I got all my guitars out and played them back to back with each other.

My friend was also round, and listening to him play the same guitars made me realise that my two best sounding guitars were my old Yamaha SA1000, and Jap 60's reissue strat (with JB jnr, and Texas Special pickups). Nothing came close to the sound of those two guitars and made me wonder why I needed the other 8........to this day i still can't sell them, lol!

rico

Happy Birthday mate, looks like great collection there. Really like the look of that white SG!

It's a good point and I have bought and sold more guitars in the last year than the last 10 years combined and keep coming back to my number one LP Standard. It just sounds huge and puts most similar SG/LP to shame which is actually a bit frustrating as i'm on the hunt for a spare but unless I get lucky I know it won't be anywhere near as good...

CountryDave

I think we all go through the cycle every now and then.
If I’m honest I could get along fine with my telecaster +1 and be more than happy. As it stands I’ve 2 teles, 2 strats an EBMM Albert Lee and a Gretsch electromatic. Also just bought a LPJr body/neck to build up over time.
I’m sure some of them will go over the next year or so, but I’m also sure I’ll probably start the cycle again.