Anyone just gone all-in on one guitar model/type?

Jay100 · September 2023

So, as per the title - I’m interested if anyone just settled on one guitar type/model and that’s enough for them?

I have 2 Les Paul’s (an ebony Custom and 60s Standard) as well as an Am Pro 2 Strat and Tele.

These cover all core tonal bases but seldom do I pick up the Fenders. They play well, sound good, and have their respective characteristics, but they’ve never felt like ‘home’ to me.

I am a Les Paul player at heart and often think of selling the Fenders and picking up another LP with P90s. It wouldn’t cover the same tones or evoke the same styles of play, but the Fenders could go tomorrow and for my needs I don’t think I’d miss them too much.

It wouldn’t be selling for financial sake, more for simplicity with a focus on mastering the one type, rather than multiple.

Although I doubt I actually would, the one-guitar-for-me idea is quite romantic and it got me thinking. Could be said for a lot of the all-time greats too I suppose, at least for the most part?

So, anyone out there a one-and-done type, or is variety the spice of life?!

Kittyfrisk · September 2023

Six string for me.

Deadman · September 2023

Definitely.

Telecaster. US. Ash, light in weight. Covers all my bases. I play punk, rock, surf. Only at home. I’m a very happy man with what I’ve got.

Open_G · September 2023

I think I spent maybe 10 years settled on one guitar type. It was my Yamaha Pacifica 812W. Fantastic neck and great tones. It covered everything I needed and more and I was very happy with it as a jack of all trades, and possibly master of none. Part of me also loved the lack of attention it received from other players. Essentially looked at as a beginners guitar as visually it was the same to look at as the 012. Then a bout of GAS hit.

grungebob · September 2023

Ahem…..

Roland · September 2023

For me there are two different answers. In general variety is the spice of life. Being able to experience different types of guitar, different pickups, neck profiles, fretboard radii, materials etc is important. If I don’t then how do I know what I like, and that my tastes haven’t changed over time.

However, when it comes to performing I want to minimise the workload. I also want to minimise the risk of me doing something wrong, like selecting the wrong pickup in the heat of the moment. This means one guitar which can cover the whole setlist. I obviously take a backup in case of string breakage or other failure, but it will be similar to the first.

Jay100 · September 2023

grungebob said:

Ahem…..

Wow, even the same colour! Different picks up in them, or is that an A and B rig?

Paul_C · September 2023

abw1989 · September 2023

A Les Paul just is the guitar as far as I'm concerned...

I know it's a bit narrow minded but all the players I aspired to earlier in life played them and the music I enjoy is all Les Paul based. I have four in various guises.

I keep it fresh with a Midtown, but that is basically a hollow body Les Paul...

grungebob · September 2023

Jay100 said:

grungebob said:

Ahem…..

Wow, even the same colour! Different picks up in them, or is that an A and B rig?

Left one is stock pickups the right one will be getting a humbucker and filtertron mix.

I’ve been playing 29 years now and I’ve owned just over 200 guitars in that time , all makes and models (except a rickenbacker) at all price points. These SE silver skys are about as good as it gets for me. The tone, the weight, the playability I couldn’t ask for anything more perfect for me. This is my neck shape.

I should add I’m not a Mayer fan but green is my favourite colour

Pete.R · September 2023

Just one....................

.....colour

https://i.imgur.com/8pAvWEp.jpg

birtner · September 2023

Strat. It’s insufficient in so many ways and needs a leg up from pedals from time to time but it’s home to me.

Grampa · September 2023

Yes. Recently picked up a used Aurora BFGT. Very light, great build quality, extremely comfortable to play, quick change pickup system, not played anything else since it arrived.
https://i.imgur.com/KXraDtg.jpg

Sassafras · September 2023

Strat.
Does everything I need it to do.

Philly_Q · September 2023

^ @Grampa wow, I've never seen one of those before. Looks great. How does the pickup selection (as opposed to the pickup swapping system) work?

Philly_Q · September 2023

To answer the OP's question, I have a lot of mahogany, set-neck guitars with two pickups, I'd probably settle for that type, although I do have Strats and Teles too.

Stevepage · September 2023

I haven't but I have 3 superstrats and 4 strats. So if I was forced to narrow down to one guitar it would be a Strat with a humbucker in the bridge.

This would pretty much sum it up for me.

UnclePsychosis · September 2023

I only have one guitar these days.

I've been through far too many, but honestly within about twenty minutes of playing this one I knew it was the last guitar I'd ever buy. All the others have gone now.

Grampa · September 2023

Philly_Q said:

^ @Grampa wow, I've never seen one of those before. Looks great. How does the pickup selection (as opposed to the pickup swapping system) work?

Hi @Philly_Q ; No switching between pickups as such, just volume controls for bridge and neck together with a single tone control. Took a little while to get used to but works extremely well and soon becomes second nature.

carlos · September 2023

After 10+ years of playing, buying, and trading guitars, there are a few specs that seem a pre-requisite for me to enjoy a guitar. 24 big frets, flat radius (16" minimum), both bridge and neck pickup whatever type, and a bridge that has individual string adjustments so no TOM's, no Floyd's. That doesn't leave a lot to choose from.

Kittyfrisk · September 2023

Philly_Q said:

^ @Grampa wow, I've never seen one of those before. Looks great. How does the pickup selection (as opposed to the pickup swapping system) work?

New one on me too. Very Hamer-escue.
https://www.creamtcustomshop.com/collections/aurora-bfgt-1

Voxman · September 2023

Roland said:

For me there are two different answers. In general variety is the spice of life. Being able to experience different types of guitar, different pickups, neck profiles, fretboard radii, materials etc is important. If I don’t then how do I know what I like, and that my tastes haven’t changed over time.

However, when it comes to performing I want to minimise the workload. I also want to minimise the risk of me doing something wrong, like selecting the wrong pickup in the heat of the moment. This means one guitar which can cover the whole setlist. I obviously take a backup in case of string breakage or other failure, but it will be similar to the first.

I'm exactly the same. For gigging my do it all guitar is my 2002 PRS Cu24 and my back up is my Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro.

Teyeplayer · September 2023

Got close when on a Gretsch spree a while back. However, quickly realised that it is the variation of sounds and feels that inspires me. That said, when I was younger, skint and gigging three times a week in an originals band I had just one guitar (a tele) and a back up (Gibson melody maker). I barely ever played the back up. Less may therefore be more, as I was definitely more productive as a writer back then.

Manxmusicman · September 2023

I’ve burnt through many a guitar to find one that covers the most ground and while I have a couple of other guitars that are cool to play but the one that sonically does it for me is my PRS DGT, it’s just got a bit of everything

stickyfiddle · September 2023

I love having multiple different guitars that push me in different directions. That can be hugely inspiring. Switching between 2 different Strats/Teles can be useful if they sound quite different, but I've never understood those who end up with 6+ Strats or Teles and nothing else - what's the point?

ScreamingDave · September 2023

I've been using SGs exclusively since about 2006. I do have a couple of other guitars, a Minarik Inferno that gets an outing on high days and holidays and a Squier Bullet Mustang that I use for practice at the office, but I’d be quite happy if all I had were the SGs

Neil · September 2023

When I'm playing my Les Paul I think, "this is it, cannot be bettered. It's my number one".

Then I pick up a Strat and within ten minutes think the same thing about that. LOL

I guess variety is the spice of life for me.

timmypix · September 2023

I love Les Pauls, and they always feel like home, even if other designs are technically more ergonomic.

But they can't do everything - they'll never do a Strat sound, sometimes I want 24 frets, sometimes I want a wiggle stick, sometimes I want an extra string. But 90% of what I want to do, I'm happiest on an LP.

CountryDave · September 2023

Almost.
I have a few teles, a couple of strats, a Les Paul Jr and a recently bought PRS. However, when I go out to gig I almost always take a couple of teles.
A recent build has given me a Nashville style tele that can cover any strat sounds I use with the band.
99% of all my playing is done on one or two of the teles. The others are just nice to have.

Offset · September 2023

I like to cover all bases. So bolt-ons, set and straight thru necks; single coils, humbuckers, mini humbuckers, P90s; single and double cuts, blah blah blah. What I feel like playing used to vary from week to week but for the first time in years, I'm only picking up one particular guitar. It isn't 'the one' - or is it?! Not my usual style of go-to either.

ICBM · September 2023

Yes. HSH with a slightly slimmed-down Strat-style body, bolt-on maple neck, maple fingerboard, vibrato, master volume and tone.

One Aria, one PRS. They look a bit different and have different switching, but are otherwise interchangeable and give me all the solidbody electric guitar sounds I want.

I could have just one of them, but I have both for different sentimental reasons.

UnclePsychosis said:

I only have one guitar these days.

I've been through far too many, but honestly within about twenty minutes of playing this one I knew it was the last guitar I'd ever buy. All the others have gone now.

Out of interest, what is it?

I know it’s not the 381

.

At one point I did consider that as my only guitar, but it doesn’t have a vibrato…

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Anyone just gone all-in on one guitar model/type?

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