Could you survive with one guitar...

Cookiemonster

Live I used to use a stat.never even touched a back up guitar. So yeah I could. I would be happy with it as well. 

usedtobe

I did for many years, with a Westone thunder 1a.
 I could manage with one again, but I don't have to, so I don't.. Not sure which guitar I'd go with, though. I only like solid bodies, and I can't play strats..

tbm

Yes. My US standard Telecaster from 1988. If fact I'm inching, and I mean inching, towards deciding to sell everything else. 

Strangefan

U til I got an old epi sheraton last week I had one electric and one acoustic.... And was totally content, it's nice having two electrics but for me pretty pointless especially as I play bass live,  but one if each is certainly doable 

riffpowers

I can and do . 1990 gibson les paul custom. I've had to borrow a guitar so I can get it fixed

Micky2112

My PRS 2008 CE24 because it's very versatile, having a trem and coil taps, plus it hardly ever goes out of tune, balances well, looks great, it's got it all. So why have I even got half a dozen other guitars?

Rox

frictionfraction said:

Ive been getting interested In this minimalist thing (http://www.theminimalists.com/minimalism/) if I could only have one guitar what would it be?  After deciding this it would then be an amp and pedal(s). Anyway - only one guitar, what would it be?  Just got a fano jm6 with two humbuckers which is looking favourite but maybe be an hss strat... 

If they're true minimalists, why are they selling multiple books?

I bet they're not fans of minimalist bank accounts... 

Neil

I know I could keep just one guitar.

It would probably be the les Paul but one of the Strats would do equally well.

A Les Paul Special would probably be the ideal - but I don't have one.

At the end of the day, to me, it's just what you get used to.

IvanMC

Never given this a thought... have only three and it feels like a lot... to think that lots of players have more than five in their wardrobes... I'd keep my 7 string one if I had to go minimal... made by my brother, a luthier. Definitely. By far and large.

Dave_Vader

I seem to be saying this a lot recently, I can do pretty much all the guitaring I need to with just my ancient Black Jap Strat Copy I've had since 1989, a rat clone and my WEM Dominator.

I don't want to though.


Mostly cos i make more money playing Bass these days.

BigKev

If I had to then yes, it would be my Ruby Red Vigier Excalibur Ultra, that's the EMG pups one !!!

robgilmo

I like to play one in my hands and strum another two with my toes as rhythm and bass, one simply could not survive with only one guitar.

Barney

Yeah my overwater..it does everything and the one i use the most when playing live..

Creed_Clicks

I could. If I was gigging regularly, maybe not. But I only have a Gibson midtown with me where I'm living currently, and it could suit me for everything if needed.

Voxman

To be honest, there are anyone of five of my guitars that I could get by with just on their own.  My PRS Cu24 because it has both HB and single-coil tones, lockable machine-heads enabling fast string changes, plus it has a pop-in whammy bar should I need it. Alternatively, my Gibson SG Standard or LP Custom with my quasi-tap pedal (whereby I can kick in single-coil tones).  Finally, either my Telecaster (real workhorse) or Stratocaster (iconic, versatile, whammy bar, plus mine has Delta tone).

In truth, if I needed to and with a decent amp and pedal board/MFX unit I could do a whole gig with just one of the above and I suspect most of us here are in a similar position, but just like to have some options and variety.

crunchman

I'd need 2 electrics and 2 acoustics.  If you only play electric then 2 electrics.

I use both electric and acoustic live, so I'd use one of each, but the reason you need two is that sooner or later you will have a guitar out of service while some work is done on it.  You don't want to not have a guitar when you take it in for a refret.  Or even if you do work on it yourself, you might need to order a part that could take a while to arrive, or wait for some glue to properly set/cure.

The spare guitar doesn't have to be a world beater - just something that's usable.  Something Mexican or far Eastern would be fine.  If you are going to have 2 you might as well get something that will give you a bit of variety though.  If your main guitar is a Strat then get a Tele or a semi as the spare.

Kade1301

Easily with my Faith Mercury.

normula1

My ESP 400 series Tele from the mid-late 80s. I'd need to refit the Strat pickup to the middle though.

ESBlonde

For Gigging it would probably be my strat, but the 335 does give it a run for it's money and I'd miss having a tele for it's unique sounds.

But when I expect to have to really concentrate on my playing I take the Aria because it's versatile and effortless.

Grumpyrocker

I only had  one guitar for nearly 20 years so I reckon I could like that again.

Much as  I love the Les Paul my wife gave me it's a bit heavy for my ageing shoulders. So  if I had just one guitar I'd have my Ibanez S521. Though I'd probably put some hotter pickups in it, they are a bit weedy.