MYTHBUSTING: too many guitars

Tannin · August 2023

If I had a pound for every poster who has said something like "If you spent half the money you spend on new guitars on lessons, you'd be a better player", well, I could afford a new guitar. (Or, of course, a lot of lessons.)

We are told over and over: "Don't spend money on gear, get lessons, and practice more often". "Don't waste all that time trawling round the shops looking for a better Les Paul, learn how to play the one you've got." And so on.

And you know what? It's bullshit.

i'll put my hand up as having more guitars than I need, and as having better instruments than my ability to play them justifies. Many, maybe most of us here are the same.

OK, so suppose I stop buying guitars and buy lessons instead. How many extra lessons would I get? Answer: none. None at all. I am already absorbing new information about making music as fast as I can go. Like most of us here, I am already at or close to my learning limit. There is only so much one can take in at a time. And that's an ideal case: I'm retired and don't have to work or do anything else much I don't feel like doing. Few of us here have that luxury.

Many here could learn faster in theory, but have commitments to earning a living, being part of a family, caring for elderly parents, volunteering for a local cause. The practical reality is that most of us can't sensibly put a lot more time into our craft than we already do, not without becoming complete arseholes and neglecting our families, welshing on our responsibilities, ignoring our friends. Screw that.

Buying guitars isn't something we here do instead of playing and practicing and learning. It is something we do as well as playing and practicing and learning

So look here you lot. Stop telling me not to buy guitars and "put the money towards lessons and the time towards practice". Any time you feel like telling me (and every other poor bugger) something like that, don't. Just send me a pound instead.

If enough of you do that, I'll not only thank you, I'll buy yet another lovely new guitar I don't need and post a picture here in yet another NGD thread. Deal?

drofluf · August 2023

Of course if you put the time you spent writing that post into practicing who knows where you’d be

But for the record I agree, I don’t have time to commit to lessons, plus, if I’m honest, I’m scared of the teacher’s reaction to all my self taught bad habits.

Tannin · August 2023

drofluf said:

Of course if you put the time you spent writing that post into practicing who knows where you’d be

I'd be stale and browned off.

There are only so many hours a day on can practice for and still stay fresh and in love with music.

Gassage · August 2023

On the flip side, having fewer instruments of the highest quality you can afford allows you to bond and become better by association.

Plus, by having fewer they always tend to be in tip top setup and working order.

theatreanchor · August 2023

I don't understand the desire to buy many guitars. I don't have the money or space for it! It's none of my business what anyone else does.

susbemol · August 2023

It is very unlikely that one person can decide what is best for everyone. People are hopefully able to eventually come to some sort of conclusion themselves.

In the end, it probably comes down to what people's ultimate goals are (and how serious they take them), the stage of life they are in, etc.

In summary: do whatever floats your boat and be happy. Life is too short!

beed84 · August 2023

You make a fair point. Buying and collecting guitars, however well you play, is part of the enjoyment and a hobby in its own right. Have has many guitars as you want. You’re not harming anyone.

nacnudnai · August 2023

Yeah I agree - the act of learning guitar and buying guitars are separate. Learning guitar is tied to a combination of your natural ability (if you believe such a thing exists), drive to learn, and ultimately what your playing goals are. If you want to bash out Oasis tunes and do nothing else, cool. If you want to learn every Paul Gilbert song, cool.

Buying guitars is just down to whether you have a collector personality, how much money you have/how good you are at trading guitars, and your preferences. If you enjoy owning more than one guitar, there's no reason to own several unless you're ending up bankrupt over it. In the same way millionaires/billionaires own lots of cars - because they like having them.

The one I hear almost weekly is "yeah, but can you play all of them at the same time? No, so what's the point?"

No, but I can play them all one after the other, can't I lol? But trying to explain to a non-player that each of them sounds different, and lends themselves to different genres etc., is basically a waste of your time.

You don't wear all your clothes at once (unless you're Joey from Friends, in which case you wear all of Chandler's clothes in one go). You can't drive multiple cars at once, you don't eat all of your food at once (for the most part), and so on.

Final point is: it just isn't anyone else's business.

Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

Offset · August 2023

theatreanchor said:

I don't understand the desire to buy many guitars. I don't have the money or space for it! It's none of my business what anyone else does.

But let's say you won a large dollop on the lottery, bought a new house with lots of space and had more money than you knew what to do with.

Would you then splash out on lots of nice new guitars?

LordBucketHead · August 2023

It's the modern world of 'too many'. Too many shoes, books, kitchen gadgets, tools in the garage, clothes, golf eqpt, devices, bla. As desirable as guitars are, they inevitably form into collections.

darthed1981 · August 2023

There are two, separate but linked, hobbies that we discuss here, well, on topic anyhow.

1. Playing guitar.
2. Collecting gear.

Really, your mileage will vary depending on how much you are into one or the other.

The other aspect is of course global over production is destroying the planet, so we all need less stuff, but that's almost a side issue on this topic.

Svartmetall · August 2023

All down to personal priorities; it's only 'too many' guitars if you consider there to be too many of them. I'll freely admit to being a collector, but most if not all of mine do get used; on the ambient project I've just finished I used 13 different guitars and basses IIRC.

OilCityPickups · August 2023

People are free to spend their money in any way they want ... if it makes you happy and nobody is suffering by it ... then have as many guitars as you want!
People may well say that more time practising is better than more money spent on hardware ... I say it depends on what your aims are for your own music and your own pleasure/leisure time.
Up until owning a guitar shop in the 80s I had a couple of guitars only, a gigging guitar and a backup, as that's all anybody much had at that time (unless you were a superstar). Up until that time I was gigging and recording with a Tele and a Les Paul Special through a Marshall ... and that was pretty much it.
Guitars are just a tool ... but then I collect old woodworking planes ... so I'd be daft to judge :-)

DavidR · August 2023

You can be a collector or a player or both. Most of us are a bit of both I suspect. Those with a preference for collecting don't need so many lessons.

As has been said.

Simples!

:-)

Play Guitar. Drink beer.

SpoonMan · August 2023

Offset said:

theatreanchor said:

I don't understand the desire to buy many guitars. I don't have the money or space for it! It's none of my business what anyone else does.

But let's say you won a large dollop on the lottery, bought a new house with lots of space and had more money than you knew what to do with.

Would you then splash out on lots of nice new guitars?

No.

It does bug me when people tell you how to do your hobby. It's weird!

People also say things like if you're not in a band playing in front of people regularly you're not a proper guitar player.
For most of us it's a hobby, whether you're in a band or not. I just prefer not to shove my hobby down everyone's earholes

Cookiemonster · August 2023

DavidR said:

You can be a collector or a player or both. Most of us are a bit of both I suspect. Those with a preference for collecting don't need so many lessons.

As has been said.

Simples!

:-)

Play Guitar. Drink beer.

I’m pretty sure Bonamassa is a collector and knows his stuff. So you can definitely be both.

LionAquaLooper · August 2023

I'd rather spend my money on pedals than guitars. Less space, cheaper (99% of the time), easier to sell, and more fun to look at.

OilCityPickups · August 2023

I think sociologically the whole guitar buying thing has shifted over the years. 'Hobby' guitarists were mostly acoustic players. Pianos and home organs were the thing bought by people who had perhaps more disposable income as they hit retirement age.This of course was because those older generations had been brought up often in houses with 'pianos in the parlour' and where guitar was practically unknown in 'pop music'. Those of us in our sixties and seventies tend not to dress the way our parents did when they hit 'senior' years, and we were brought up with the sounds of guitar ringing in our ears. I earned money as a teen guitarist in the 70s, between rock gigs playing the St Bernard's Waltz, the Valita and the Gay Gordons with a 'dance band' for SAGA grannies on holiday. Now I'm not much younger than some of those grannies ... and I would prefer Metallica covers to 'Show Me The Way to go Home'.Generations pass and we all want the comfort of the familiar - be it Levi jeans or guitars and the music we grew up with. .

Lewy · August 2023

People should and must do whatever they want, but ..... I do think there's something to be said for being aware of what you're about. Are you buying gear because you like buying gear, or are you on a quest for something, the fulfillment of which may well lie in your hands or your head.

RichAC · August 2023

Generally I try to avoid imparting advice unless it’s asked for. If someone told me they wanted to get better at playing the guitar and asked me what they should do, I’d advise some sort of training, which might be lessons, books, YouTube, whatever - coupled with regular disciplined practice.

If someone told me they wanted a new guitar, I wouldn’t tell them to practice more.

OilCityPickups · August 2023

RichAC said:

Generally I try to avoid imparting advice unless it’s asked for. If someone told me they wanted to get better at playing the guitar and asked me what they should do, I’d advise some sort of training, which might be lessons, books, YouTube, whatever - coupled with regular disciplined practice.

If someone told me they wanted a new guitar, I wouldn’t tell them to practice more.

You tend to get both opinion and advice in equal amounts on internet forums whatever you ask for ... it's the nature of the beast. This Forum is miles better than most for 'help provided' ratio to 'opinion expressed'
We are all wasting time we could spend collecting guitars or playing them by sitting at computer keyboards or on our phones posting here :-)
I'm lucky in that my computer is in my workshop and I can file sitting here posting between winding pickups with 'talking to customers and potential customers'.

slacker · August 2023

Some people confuse opinion with absolute truth. Then there's the worked for me so it's got to work for you theory. Then there's professional. A pro teacher earns money at it don't mean they are a good teacher.

My advice buy what you want and if you want to improve learn some songs. I can't play fast but every month or so have a bash at thunderstruck. Getting faster.

Svartmetall · August 2023

One thing - I do find I'm one of those guitarists who plays differently depending on which specific instrument I'm on - like if I pick up a Tele I don't play anything like the same stuff I'll play on a big jazz box, or a 7/8/9 -string or whatever...I always liked players like Lifeson and Howe who played a lot of different guitars and got lots of different sounds, textures and moods by doing so, and I think that's kind of rubbed off on me.

rze99 · August 2023

There's something else about having a bunch of guitars.

Creative inspiration.

When you bring something out of its case and haven't played it for a while, once it's tuned and warmed up to hands, it'll inspire playing and coming up with ideas or simply playing stuff that the guitar suggests.

Teflon · August 2023

theatreanchor said:

I don't understand the desire to buy many guitars. I don't have the money or space for it! It's none of my business what anyone else does.

I don't understand it either - it's bonkers. Still do it though. 7 electrics, all pretty much the same, that I can't really justify. I love them all though, and I dare say there'll be more at some point. I do think about lessons, as I'm sure it would help me, but I think I may need just one more guitar before I take the plunge

Cliff

Funkfingers · August 2023

Tannin said:

"If you spent half the money you spend on new guitars on lessons, you'd be a better player."

That sounds like a variation on the Vivian Stanshall character, Sir Henry Rawlinson, who once boozily opined, "if I had all the money I've [ever] spent on drink, I'd spend it on drink!"

LionAquaLooper · August 2023

Teflon said:

theatreanchor said:

I don't understand the desire to buy many guitars. I don't have the money or space for it! It's none of my business what anyone else does.

I don't understand it either - it's bonkers. Still do it though. 7 electrics, all pretty much the same, that I can't really justify. I love them all though, and I dare say there'll be more at some point. I do think about lessons, as I'm sure it would help me, but I think I may need just one more guitar before I take the plunge...

....off the nearest Cliff

Fixed that for you

OilCityPickups · August 2023

The nearest Cliff?

Image: https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b21c79eeec10f85e07e9e7a55f06f11cc788e565/0_102_3500_2100/master/3500.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&s=26c50e59f1c29ac200b3a6cf451dc744

roberty · August 2023

LionAquaLooper said:

I'd rather spend my money on pedals than guitars. Less space, cheaper (99% of the time), easier to sell, and more fun to look at.

Easier to build as well

monquixote · August 2023

It's just a round about way of saying don't expect buying new stuff is going to make you sound any better once you've got some decent gear.

Gear collecting is a hobby in itself and there is nothing wrong with that.

Offset · August 2023

OilCityPickups said:

The nearest Cliff?

I think this just escaped from the 'Ageing, kinder to some people than others' thread.

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MYTHBUSTING: too many guitars

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