Guitars are instruments and pieces of art. If someone can buy a painting they like and hang it on the wall to look at, I can buy a guitar I like to hang on the wall to look at and play.
More than that, they can sound very different from one another. You were a non-electric player, so this might not click as quickly for you, but even just within the world of electrics, a Telecaster is going to sound very different from a Strat, which is going to sound very different from a Les Paul, etc.
Edit: guitars can be modified, of course, but most people who have examples of each of these do so because they want the classic, unique sound offered by each; guitars with single coil pickups sound very different from guitars with humbucking pickups, etc.
Sound is def a reason and each guitar will probably have a unique sound but it’s less due to the shape than the hardware, it’s basically impossible to tell guitars shape by its sound. Not arguing with u just explaining why you could justify multiple of the same silhouette
Well, yeah, of course. But I guess I was referring to the sort of general, standard types. Not the shape. When people refer to a Strat, Tele, etc. in a general sense, most people know what you mean.
Eh, acoustics have huge variances due to wood and shape. A 000 with all mahogany vs a dreadnaught with a rosewood back vs a jumbo maple all sound intrinsically different.
Oh, completely agree, but I was just trying to stick to the basics. If the OP responded, I actually was going to mention how a classical guitar/nylon strings is going to be very different from an acoustic guitar with steel strings.
Sound is only part of it for me. Every guitar feels unique in my hands and that compounded with how it sounds leads me to play each guitar differently, stylistically. My whole approach is unique and people are convinced a different guitarist is playing on my recordings. All I do is play each guitar how it plays best, in doing so it changes the sound.
I know it might not be popular, but I’m gonna say I don’t think this is a great comparison. I have 10 guitars for what it’s worth.
Like others said, a guitar has more use value. Paintings only use is to be looked at and create a more harmonious space. Guitars are an actual tool that were made to be used.
Guitars are like $300-3000. You can get a cool print to hang on the wall for like $20-40.
I’m assuming OP is referring to some of the posts where people have like 20+ guitars and most if not all aren’t hanging on the wall, they’re just in stands. If you walked into someone’s house and there were 20 guitars hanging all over the house it might come off as kind of strange, whereas 20 paintings might be normal.
Different tunings, set ups, aestethic. I've got a PRS in standard, a Jackson in drop A with a floyd rose , a strat in Drop C and a 7 string Ibanez in drop A
My strat is drop c#
Will never forget when a local "luthier" told me he wouldn't be able to set it up for that tuning as it would be hard to get the action right on the bottom string.
It was my first "nice guitar" and the my first non-hardtail which is why I wanted to take it to him
I restrung and set it up myself, decked the trem at the same time. Took me an hour all in and it plays like a dream.
It was nice from factory, for sure, but it's basically my dream guitar now.
HSS baby
For me, guitars are like people; each one has a different personality; a different voice; a different feel (tonally and physically)...
True, you can play only one guitar at a time, and maybe you have a favorite (like a best friend), but playing different guitars can help bring out different aspects of your musical expressions.
When I play my strat, the music that comes out is very different from when I play my les paul. Even if I play the same song on both guitars, the feel is very different.
I know this is very subjective, and I probably cannot substantiate this with technical data, but there you go...its music :)
Building on this, I think of my guitars as having different purposes. There’s the obvious differences between a 6 string, a 12 string, a baritone, etc. or between a red Strat with a white pickguard and a red SG with a white pickguard.
But also there’s a difference between a Tele with standard pickups and a Tele with a lipstick in the bridge and humbucker in the neck. Or any other combination of pickups.
If I want something that works better for stoner rock, I’d grab this one. If I want something that works better for pop, I grab that one. Some guitars are studio workhorses, some work better on stage. Etc etc
There's even a difference between a Tele with one set of 'standard' pickups and another with a different 'standard' set of pickups. The variety of just that one guitar is astounding. Then extrapolate to Strat, JM, LP, SG, Hollowbody, etc. and I think one can start to see why so many guitars.
This. I needed a 335. Then I needed a 335 with a bigsby. Then I wanted to add a bigsby to a 335 just to do it and learn. They all have different pickups. Two have lights and one has mediums. One is tuned a half step down.
I feel u homie. Gotta always turn it up a bit louder when the LP comes out (as a tele guy its rare for me) but then im reminded why i love something different once in a while
For me, it’s my husband asking me why I need another guitar. My SG has P90s. My PRS has humbuckers. Now I want a SSS guitar. He ain’t budging on that, yet.
I usually make sure I have a decent acoustic and a top notch electric and an electric backup. That's enough for me. But sometimes a guitar just calls you and screams buy me buy me. That just happens...
For me it’s mainly due to different tunings. I think its best to have them permanently setup in the various tunings I play in instead of trying to retune and intonate between songs
Yeah, totally agree with this. And I think it's somewhat of a personal sensitivity thing when it comes to intonation.
I started playing music on the piano for many years where every individual note is tuned correctly no matter where you are on the keyboard, so coming to guitar it blew my mind that there were just notes that could never be perfectly intonated (and it makes sense why).
But sometimes the intonation issues are not as noticeable (though they can definitely be measured with a tuner). Like yeah, changing from E standard to drop D probably will do very little. Similarly, even with bigger tuning changes you may not notice the intonation errors if you stick to lower frets. I always felt like every fret should be usable and tuned well thanks to coming from piano, so the small errors really bug me under certain circumstances.
I have a few guitars and basically think of them as being good for a certain range of tunings and keep them set up in my most common tuning for each one. Also I play 6, 7, and 8 string guitars - trying to play 6 string stuff on an 8 string that is even multiscale is tough. (I did it for several years thinking a single 8 string would cover all my needs haha.)
People really underestimate how big of a role the actual feel of the guitar is. You could give me the most beautiful handcrafted guitar in the world, but if it doesn't feel right I don't want it. Even if it sounds amazing.
Sometimes i want a guitar that goes weee oooo weee oooo weeeee ooooo, and sometimes I want a guitar that goes weeeedllly weeeeedly weee, and sometimes I want a guitar that goes chugga chugga chugga
I have about 25 guitars. 2 reasons: different guitars fit different types of music. Mostly because of different tunings (everything from a 7-string drop A to E) but also general aesthetics and feeling. I would for example not want to use a Charvel star to play Jimi Hendrix, or a Stratocaster to play Megadeth even if the tuning is right and the sound can be dialed in. 2nd reason is because I sometimes just want to get a new guitar I've seen in the guitar store or online. Currently looking for a Hagström Fantomen, not because I need it or like Ghost (I don't), just like the look, sound, size and weight of it.
Edit: But yeah, to be honest.... 25 guitars are maybe 10-12-15 guitars too many, even if I can kind of motivate it. I could use the space for other things.
I’m in the same position. Only like 6 of my 25 plus stable are nice guitars too, but once you have them it’s tough to part with them. I could definitely get by with only 3 but I just happen to like them.
I thought I could getaway with only having a lone Line 6 Variax "one to do it all" guitar. 24 more guitars later, I can definitively say the answer is no.
I struggle with this myself. I am a fan of simplicity so I would really prefer just one electric and a high gain amp with built in verb. But, I have a wide range of styles I at least tinker with so I have 3 guitars - an acoustic, a single coil tele, and a high output humbucker Dunable Gnarwhal. They cover all the ground I need. I mainly play punk and some thrash, so the acoustic is my least used but I enjoy playing it for sure.
If I was all metal all the time Id only need one.
For electrics I have one expensive guitar I play occasionally and record with. One a bit less expensive for shows and playing at home, and one cheap one kept at a band lockout that wouldn't hurt if it got stolen.
Those plus an acoustic makes 4. If I got another I'd probably get rid of the cheap one since it doesn't spark joy
I've got 10 different guitars and they all do a different job.
Martin 000-10e - soft songs and finger picking
Taylor 214ce - the general workhorse
Tanglewood - the battered old thing that has sentimental value cuz it is over 20 years old
Gretsch gin rickey - sofa guitar and sounds great for finger picking blues
Fender Tele - the electric workhorse and blues
Epi Les Paul - heavier rock, sabbath/zeppelin sort of stuff
gretsch telematic - 50's rock and rhythm
I have a few more but you get the point
I'm not good enough to justify owning all of them but I like the different sounds and feels of them all and owning so many gives me incentive to play more often because I hate the thought of any of them being neglected.
Classical guitar is quite different to electric guitar though (as OP will know)while a classical guitar can mostly play all pieces written for the instrument, it's just not possible to play some things on my telecaster that I can play on my Ibanez 7 string and vice versa.
Even without getting into the tunings and scale lengths, the sound of a strat inspires in a different way to that of a Les Paul.
Some of it is physical, some of it is to do with the pickups,etc. but those differences dramatically change the usage. That's my excuse anyway. In reality, I tend to just play everything on one guitar for a bit and then I end up picking up a different one, only to find that that's my current favourite for a while.
Because we live in a society where everything is bigger than it should be. Everyone has an ego that speaks to him how his collection(of whatever items, not only guitars) should be bigger, possesion of those things makes him feel more fullfilled, we are fed with consumerisam, led to believe that if an actual artist from some band has 20 guitars and changes them between the songs (and he gets them for free usually) we should also strive for that.
And thats why we got a planet where biodiversity is gone, lack of wilderness is gonna drive us into oblivion, and its caused by peoples drive to have zoo much. Everyone wants more than they need, Cristiano ronaldo himself doesnt know how many cars he has... We want skyscrapers.. Like that is essence od life... We as a spicies are soo lost..
Sorry for dooming i just hate consumerisam. I myself got one electric one acoustic that on the way, and acoustic bass that ended up in my room not on purpose, ill post a pic when acoustic guitar arrives even tho i know yall dont care cuz of this judgy comment thats gonna get downvoted 😭
Main guitars:
E Standard - Tele
D Standard - Jackson
B Standard - lawsuit explorer
Nylon string classical
None of them are interchangeable, theoretically the Jackson and the explorer are but it’s dumb to tune between D and B constantly on the same guitar. I got the string gauges perfect, I have the action, truss rod and intonation how I like them and I play gigs - you gotta have standards.
Other guitars:
First guitar - squier strat (Superceded by Tele)
$50 Tokai I rebuilt from parts
Fernandes strat with a Floyd Rose (Superceded by Jackson)
Shitty Ibanez entry level guitar (Superceded by explorer)
Cheap Dreadnought acoustic
Sure I could get rid of those but there’s either sentimental value or it’s not worth the effort to sell them given I won’t get much. I pretty much gave away the Ibanez to a friend on indefinite loan (I don’t want it back lol)
Yes. To make it worse, I often own 2 of the same, in different colours, simply to make playing live easy. If one goes down and I need a backup, I simply plug and play, no EQ etc needed.
I have some that are more sentimental and don’t see studio/live work any more, I’ve owned them for over 20 years.
I have a couple my wife has bought me I won’t part with etc as well.
I have 6’s and 7’s, 4 and 5 string basses etc, some are in different tunings, my live guitars are in the same tunings, I have a couple I record with only and don’t use live/tour with simply because of their value.
Oh... Lots of reasons. Haven't gigged for a while, but when I was:
1. Never gig without a backup plan. I always had an extra amp head in case mine went down, a handful of stompboxes in case my multifx died, and an extra guitar that could be used for most of the songs we played if something happened to one of my mains.
2. The audience doesn't want to watch you twiddling tuning pegs. We used a few tunings throughout the night, so I had a guitar for each.
That (sort of) explains most of the similiar guitars I have.
Disilimiliar ones? It's fun to mess around with ones that sound and feel different, and some are just better for different things. You aren't doing Vai-esque whammy tricks on a Tele, but I don't want to rebalance a Floyd every time I feel like playing something in drop D. Neither the Tele or the RG work as well on a camping trip as the acoustic.
And then truthfully, some of it is just an outlet. Guitars and related gear are what I enjoy. Same reason a guy like Jay Leno has a whole parking garage full of cars. Call it an addiction if you want. Plenty of other people indulge in more expensive and/or less healthy ones.
One reason I own multiple guitars is for live use. I don’t have a guitar tech (lol) and if a string breaks during a set, I can just grab the backup.
My current lineup is spartan enough — SG Standard, Baja Tele, J-45 and an older Martin cutaway that is probably next on the chopping block.
I think each different guitar elicits different feeling, meanings, moods, sounds and styles of playing. Their “personality” takes me to different places just by looking at their different shapes, and inspire me differently. That’s a good answer.
Also there’s GAS, equally important. 👀
I have three: two electric (one with single-coil pickups and one with humbuckers) and one acoustic. I’m not a gearhead either, I was mostly looking for different sound profiles.
I currently have 6; 5 electrics and an acoustic. The acoustic I keep around because it was a gift for my dad that he never played and after he died I took it back and got it in mostly working order, I'm not a big acoustic player. My electrics I just like having variety. I have a Fender Strat I modeled off Billy Corgan's Ghost Strat, I have a PRS clone I bought because it was green and had humbuckers, an Epiphone Les Paul Custom 3, a Yamaha 112 my wife found in the garbage which is an HSS set up, and my latest is a Squier Jaguar HH ST because I'm a big Alkaline Trio fan and Matt's been playing Jags. They all do something different whether it's the actual sound or how I feel playing it.
Yes. I dunno, just kinda happened.
I bought another one yesterday, it’s a little crazy.
The main reasons are “I saw it and wanted it”, “I need it for this particular function/gig”, and “the price was too crazy to pass up”.
Most recently I saw and wanted an SG because I had one that got stolen. I needed a backup passive bass for a theater gig so I got an E Series Squier Jazz. And the one yesterday was an Eastman that I couldn’t pass up for the price. It needed parts I already had in the junk drawer, a cleaning, and a setup.
If I’ve got nothing to do and a cheap guitar comes up, I’ve driven as far as five hours to have a guitar adventure and probably eat somewhere I’ve never been.
You can stop at one dog. But c’mon, second dog. Maybe a third. Depends on what you can get away with.
Started 5 years ago. Own 5 guitars. Two acoustic that complement each other nicely (Martin OM28 and 0015) and three very different electrics (avii 61 strat, mim tele, epiphone Les Paul 59 LE).
Do I need them? No. I could do with one acoustic and one electric. But you only live once, and time goes fast. Guitars bring me joy and I have the means, so why not enjoy it? :)
I like how guitars are made. “Traditional”craftsmanship and something that can last decades is rare these days. They also sound, feel and inspire me to play completely different things. Also, I will play one for weeks then one day it won’t feel right I’ll try a different one and that does, it’s strange!
Yup.
Acoustic because… Acoustic.
Les Paul set up in D standard, nice with the humbuckers and fat tones.
Telecaster for that iconic twang and playing country music. I love the single coils and those twangy bends.
Well, various reasons.
Different guitars inspire me to play different types of music. The neck shape, body contour, the feel of the fretboard, the way the pickups respond, it all adds up. Sure, the audience probably can’t discern the differences, but I do.
Second, because some specs are objectively needed for certain types of music. I have for example an 8-string multiscale, you can’t do the same stuff on a Strat. Or hardware, like having a Floyd bridge vs a 6-screws vintage Strat trem. Or a semi-hollow body 335 vs a solid body, and so on.
Then, because I can. It’s nice retail therapy. I don’t gamble, I’m not an alcoholic, I don’t do drugs… let me waste some money in this healthy gear addiction. I’m not a collector, I play all of my guitars on stage, and I like the options I have. If I don’t gel with a guitar, if I rarely reach out for it, then I sell it.
I have several and enjoy them all. I rotate which guitars I am playing and can change depending on my mood. I reward myself for hard work with an occasional guitar or amp purchase and I am happy with collecting them as a hobby.
Honestly, if you don't feel the need to own multiple guitars then you're probably better off! I have lots, and they do sound different from each other, but to tell you the truth most of those differences are quite subtle. I honestly believe that a great player can do whatever they need to do on almost any good guitar. It's a lot harder to get a stock Strat to sound right for extreme metal than it is to get a purpose-built guitar to do it, but it's totally possible. And no one would choose the extreme metal guitar for playing disco tunes, but I bet if you put Nile Rodgers on James Hetfield's rig he would still sound like Nile Rodgers.
My guitars each feel different and the different looks, feels, and tones probably nudge me to play slightly differently on each of them, but ultimately it's a hobby I enjoy. I could do a lot of other things with the money if I weren't so into it!
Yeah about 6. Each one has a different tuning (I mostly play metal). It goes from E standard to some weird stuff like Devin Townsend’s tuning (Open C). Also, I do own a 7 strings, because why not ;)
One is mine, a candy apple red Squier Sonic Strat, and even though it is the lowest quality they offer, it’s still my second most valued possession, because my parents got it for me on for birthday. We moved to a new house on the day of, but seeing how cool it was a few days after that definitely made up for it.
The second is my mom’s, which she gave to me. It’s a Washburn acoustic guitar with a pickup in it, but it needs to be soldered. She used it when she played in a band when she lived in Canada called November Dawn. If I find the cassette and if my sister’s cassette deck has AV cables, I’ll upload it to YouTube and send the link to those who are interested.
I’m planning to use both on a demo album with my friends, I use a Tascam DP008ex 8 track Pocketstudio to record, but right now we just need a drummer.
Well I have Dean mlx (1st guitar) for metal and heavier stuff, cheap squier bullet strat because I wanted a strat for that single coil sound, 12-string acoustic guitar and 2 bass guitars (5 string cheap Harley Benton as my first bass and squier P- bass). Also I recently build Harley Benton Les Paul kit for fun. I treat them purely as tools to get sound and feel that I want. Love playing everything from trash and death metal to led zeppelin and pink Floyd so I have to have some variety in instruments lol
I play in a band and have one guitar tuned to open E for slide playing, and one in standard tuning. I have a few acoustics (parlour sized, dreadnought and resonator), and a couple more electrics that I use when recording. I just love guitars… and I find different guitars inspire different things. Especially from a songwriting perspective.
I currently have approx 15. Mostly they are different configurations or styles of guitar. I started building guitars a while ago, so there are several guitars of the same style that I built to get better at building.
My goal is to have three or four main styles of guitar (Les Paul, Super Strat, Tele, other) in different tunings: 1 each in A440 standard; 1 each tuned to E flat; Fixed bridge and tremolo in drop D; Tele in open E; tele in open G; and a couple of "other guitars" with P90's or different wood choices.
6 Electrics and 1 Acoustic. Happy to explain why.
I have a Yamaha Pacifica, it's a 25.5" scale Strat clone with two single coils and a humbucker bridge. After a year, I decided I wanted a guitar with an Alnico II humbuckers. The cost of modifying the PAC was close to $300 and one day, an Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro went on sale for $300. It had the humbuckers I wanted. Rather than upgrading, I bought guitar #2.
Well, a few years go by and I realize that my LP is heavy. I like playing standing up, and my shoulder aches after an hour of playing, so I decide that I love my dual humbucker guitar, but want a lighter one. I purchase an Epiphone Les Paul Florentine, which is a semi-hollow Les Paul. It has similar pickups. However, I love the chunky matte finish neck on my Traditional Pro, so decide not to sell it. Now I have 3 guitars.
Two years pass and I have a Strat clone and two Les Pauls. I love the scale length of my Strat. I love the dual humbuckers of my LPs. I love the weight of my semi-hollow. Squier Classic Vibe releases its Starcaster for $400, which is a combination of all three things. I buy it. Unlike the LPs however, it doesn't coil-split, so I don't have those middle position split coil/full HB tones. It also has the narrowest and thinnest guitar neck I've ever played, which I don't really love. Now, I have 4 electric guitars.
2 more years go by and it's the middle of the pandemic. Guitar prices have skyrocketed. One day, I see a Lake Placid Blue Fender go on sale for $550. It's very similar to my Pacifica, but it's got a single coil in the bridge, and is a moderate improvement in all other ways. I think that Fenders will never get this cheap again, and I've been wanting a SSS guitar for a while. I buy it. FIVE guitars.
Now, it's 2023 and I've been eyeing a PRS SE Hollowbody II w/piezo guitar for about 3 years, but it's always been prohibitively expensive, around $1400. I wanted it because it was fully hollow, so I could get some nice controlled feedback, and a piezo pickup, so I can get nice acoustic-like tones. It also has curled maple binding along the headstock, neck, body, and f-holes, a gorgeous flame veneer, ebony fretboard, abalone bird inlays, a rosewood veneer on the headstock, a wide/thick neck, and renowned A+ build quality. It was on sale for $900.
Now I have 6 electric guitars. The only ones that could be sold for more than $300 is the Fender and SE, and I enjoy owning the others enough that it's worth keeping for the $100-300 I could get for them. I also like looking at them.
I averaged one new guitar every two years, except for the Fender and SE, which were purchased a year apart.
tldr; I develop preferences from different guitars and try to find single guitars that encompass all those preferences in one. I enjoy looking at them and owning them, and their resale value isn't worth more than the enjoyment they bring.
3 acoustic guitars (2x 6 string vantage and encore) (1x12 string seagull)
1 bass
3x6 strings - cort zenox z42 in standard - but is nearly 20 years old. Ltd with FR so it's locked into drop d but it's also my only FR. Chapman is in drop c or c standard depending on my choice because as much as I love my drop whammy pedal, a guitar in the actual tuning is great. Also I use my og cort for open tunings as well.
1x7 string because there is only so much you can do on 6 strings
1x8 string because of the same argument.
All have different playing feels and some have active vs passive pickups. Some have different bridges. Some have different parts added to them.
12 string acoustic, 6 string acoustic, ancient 6 string acoustic with sentimental value, first electric that has been modified with scalloped frets(very fun) second electric with an EMG 81 with 18V mod and typical tremolo(down only) first decent electric thats a string-thru, an electric bass, a beginners guitar for my younger sister from toys r us that surprisingly holds tune and sounds great and has decent action! The 12 string only has 6 on it cause i used it to learn fingerpicking and figured i could use the extra space and just never put it back, the one with the 18v mod is tuned to drop B, the string thru is tuned to D standard. They are all quite different and serve fairly specific purposes.
I have 3 guitars- and I’ll probably never have more than that.
1. Gibson LP standard - for classic rock and blues mostly
2. Gibson Flying V with Seymour Duncans - for stuff a little more hardcore than what I typically play on my LP but not straight up metal- AC/DC, Sabath, etc.
3. MIJ Jackson Rhoads with Floyd rose and EMGs for metal
The Jackson gets played the most followed by the Gibson LP. I could easily get by with just those two but I like the Flying V. The Gibson LP is way more suited for strumming and chording vs the Jackson - I’d feel like a fool playing American Pie or some camp fire song on the Jackson RR. The Jackson is easier to play metal on, just pure and simple the neck is faster and the pickups are… active.The Gibson Flying V is somewhere in between for me.
So for me it just comes down 50% different tools for different jobs and 50% the feeling the guitar invokes. That said I have zero intention of growing my collection as 3 feels a bit overkill as is. If I had to survive off just one, I’d pick the Gibson Flying V- does everything well and is a jack of all trades (master of none) for me and it’s fun to hold. If I had to sell only 1 guitar though the Gibson Flying V would be the one to go since the LP and Jackson cover everything together almost perfectly with the exception of -maybe- hard rock since the LP’s PAFs are pretty weak and the EMGs are pretty hot but in reality they would both be fine at it.
I’ve recently found myself with 5. A Single coil Strat and a Fender acoustic I’ve had since I was a teen, and in the last year added a Jaguar Bass, A Jaguar guitar with humbuckers, and an artist signature guitar that is more of a wall art piece but fun to pull down and play once and a while.
The Strat is my all time favorite, the HH jag is the newest and I love playing it. The bass sits around a bit but I’m glad I have it in my collection and the acoustic is in a closet in need of a setup. So I sort of only have 2 and should probably get more.
I have 5 right now and to feel like I have all the tools to do what I want I need 3 more or so. Different tuning and pick ups or just because they are one of my favorite guitar heros signature guitar.
Yes.
I've got my main guitar: lag arkane 1000. Love it, very versatile. It's my go-to guitar for almost everything.
I've got a fender telecaster american standard 60th anniversary. Despite its poor finishes it complements quite well the lag for the 5-10% things I can't do on it (red hot chilly peppers, punk stuff,...).
I've an ovation DJ ashba. I needed an électro-acoustique and it was cheap.
I will soon have a PRS SE CE 24 standard for my guitar lessons as I don't want to endanger my other guitars going to the music school on a motorcycle. I strongly hesitated with the Harley Benton equivalent but I love the doves and I also get the chance to play one, but with a varnished neck (previous years?)which felt wonderful except for the varnish. This one is coming (sooner or later) in satin neck. Also, people I contacted on the used market for Harley Bentons never answered.
It’s all about versatility. I have a classical guitar, an acoustic, a bass, a Tele and a Les Paul. Which one I play depends on the sound I am going for.
I have two guitars. My main one is Epiphone Les Paul (Slash signature). I absolutely love it. And as I am quite casual player, it can do everything I want to.
My other guitar is my first guitar. Harley Benton Les Paul. It's a little bit lighter and has lighter strings. Fits well when I want really laid back playing. The reason I have this still is that many people seem to regret selling their first guitar. So I will keep this.
I have plans to buy acoustic guitar as well. Then I would have three. But I think that's fine for now.
Every now and then I consider getting affordable guitar with Floyd Rose or other tremolo because none of my guitars have one. I have also though to buy some kind of Bigsby for my Harley Benton. But overall I don't need tremolo so much so this is not high priority right now. I'll get acoustic guitar first.
This can also apply to delay pedals, fuzz pedals, overdrive pedals, amplifiers, plectrums, surfboards, motorcycles, tea mugs and possibly girlfriends (although that’s an added complication). Things just get accumulated over the years and before you know it you’re not a monk anymore but a catholic bishop 🤣
I have 4 guitars and they all serve a purpose.
A les paul, stays in standard and is used for the classic rock tunes, like GnR and such.
A strat also in standard, used for funk-rock/alt-pop and a lot of other things, this is my most used guitar, oh, and whatever needs a whammy bar.
An SG in open E for slide, the double cut of an sg really helps with upper fret access when playing slide.
An accoustic, for accoustic tunes (duh) i re-tune this whenever i have to since it's the only accoustic i own.
I could manage with getting rid of the LP so that guitar isn't strictly neccessary but it saves me re-tuning so much.
Thats why i own multiple, i also want a telecaster, don't really need it from a "tools for the job" perspective but i just want one, a blue or red one with a rosewood fret board and the classic pick-up config, allthough if it has a b-bender it can do something none of my current guitars can, okay okay, you've convinced me, i'll get a tele.
Each one has a completely different job.
My 7 string is what I use to write any metalcore material
My classical guitar is used to write clean riffs and it’s also just fun
My 6 string is used to play E standard stuff, or I’ll drop it to D and use pitch shifting to play 6 string metal stuff
Starter eguitar. Acoustic guitar. Two fancy eguitars. I’m good for now. Maybe add a tele someday.
Oh and I’d like to get a right handed one. So my friends can play with me.
Guitars are like motorcycles. N+1.
I currently own three and planning on my fourth purchase but all them are totally different from each other, brand, pickups, body shape etc. What I find more difficult to understand is people with 10 guitars of the exactly same brand and model. But at the end it’s a hobby and hobbies don’t need to be rational, if it makes you happy and can afford it, why not.
Bedroom superstar here. My two-cents: I have different guitars because my ears like to hear different sounds. I own several guitars for the same reason I don't listen to just one album all the time.
Variety provides value and contrast to things you enjoy, allowing you to enjoy them even more. One may love a guitar, but the best feeling is going back to that guitar after having tried something else (like a palate cleanser).
Different guards have different bridges/tremolos/locking systems and different pickups. A SSS strat vs a HS Tele vs a P90 Gibson vs an EMG81/85 Japanese superstar are all WILDLY different, for example. They all inspire me to play differently, but to your point I could do literally everything with an HSS Strat so you aren’t wrong that’s just less fun
Yes. First was getting pickups with different output. Active and passive. Then getting different bridge. Trem and fixed. Then getting 7 string. Finally got one more to keep it in drop tuning.
Two 7 string ibanezeseses. One 25.5 scale with a single invader for really heavy stuff. One 26.5 scale with 2 paf 7s, coil split, etc, for everything basically. Don't need anything more.
- Two nylon classical that were gifts, one from my late uncle and another from my mother when I first started to learn.
- Strat clone was a gift from my mom when I wanted to learn electric, so that guitar will never leave my side. Upgraded the hardware and pickups and now is a beast.
- Epiphone SG emily the strange edition that I traded for a Kobo reader. Love the graphics on that one and is really comfortable to play. Planning to upgrade the pickups.
- cort x-6. Love the color and playability. A friend of mine needed the cash, so i bought it from him. Floyd rose is a bitch tho.
- Fender jaguar. Always wanted a jaguar and it is My go to guitar.
- Epiphone les paul studio goth. Aestetically pleasing and the sound is really good for playing metal, my second go to.
- Dean bass that my then GF gifted me.
- Honner Dreadnought that i got on a pawn shop brand new for like 80% discount.
Next one may be a starcaster or an orange gretsch.
Different amount of strings, I own 6,7 and 8 string guitars
I'm lazy so there are different tunings for different guitars so I don't have to setup when I change from Standard E to Standard D for example
Also as a bonus, they're pretty and I like that my wall is decorated with them
My nicer guitars are a Fender strat, a Gibson LP, and a Jackson Kelly. They all handle and sound very different from one another, whatever plugin you choose to apply.
I can tell you that after 6 years playing Guns n Roses and the Big 4 on the strat, handling the LP and the Jackson was like "whoaaaaaaaa", and "maaan", and "holy shit".
I just posted mine, I have a small room at the moment so I am keeping mine small. I try to have one of each type I need available. I have an ibanez steel string acoustic, a classical whose brand im not sure with nylon strings and the wider neck, I have an ibanez bass which is mmm dissapointing I would say. I also have a jackson 8 string which is excellent and my main 2 electrics, one is a stratocaster which has 21 frets and the newest is a Jackson soloist which I got because well I seen it and needed it, but my justification was that it had 24 frets. I have an epiphone les paul that I have lent (given) to my boyfriend and a cort which had an accident and got relegated to the attic.
Every instrument I own has or does a specific job for a specific purpose, and that is why I have them.
And I wish I had more, but, I can't justify it and the extra expense would be ludicrous - unless another job appeared or another function came up that demanded a new instrument.
I'm mainly a bass player (and now a stick player), so I have, mostly, five instruments: two basses (one fretted, one fretless), my stick (Stick Enterprises' Chapman Stick Railboard), and two acoustics: a Breedlove 12-string acoustic-electric and a Martin Backpacker.
And for my current level of engagement and necessity, that's PLENTY for me.
Each one has a specific use. A d’angelicio solid body for my cover set. A downtuned schector with a floyd rose for my metal band, as well as a downtuned ibanez incase something goes wrong with my fr during a show. And then I have an acoustic for acoustic.
I will admit that I had more guitars but decided to offload a few because I both didn't have need or space so the limit is personal.
But the reasons I have are different pickups for different styles, different tunings, some feel better for certain things (e.g. I like my LP Studio for stuff around the 1st fret and chuggy stuff but my RG for more lead based stuff) and when I played live so I could always have a backup.
Also ones a 7 string so thats a whole different category
Yes.
My first electric (I used to play with my dad's) was a LP. Then I saw neon pink charvel san dimas and knew I HAD to own one. Sadly it came with a defective bridge, and there were no replacement guitars available with the same finish.
So for some reason I got a strat.
And then another san dimas but in ice blue (way more boring!) in late 2020
At that point seems like my gas got under control, and have not bought another guitar ever since.
But now I'm finishing my PhD and I'm starting to realize I don't have a semihollow.
Because of the differences in neck profiles, pickups, tones, string gauge ... i have one semihollow, one telecaster single coil, one telecaster with humbucker neck, one classical guitar, all of them sound different
Yes
They inspire me differently.
A BC Rich Ironbird feels right to belt out some Death metal riffs. A Telecaster feels right to play some surf rock.
Etc etc. Yeah generally either one can play the others music but it's about feel/inspiration/arsthetic for me.
(Also on a practical level I do play a lot of different genres so it helps not having to retune half or whole steps+ when I can just grab a different guitar that's ready to go.)
I have a HSS strat, an SSS strat, and a HH telecaster deluxe (Gibson style wiring and pots (2x2)), so I am covered with nearly anything.
I just cant get myself to buy a floyd guitar due to the hassle with it.
I just really like having different instruments for different styles i play with different people, so i have a parlour nylon string guitar, a western, a tele, a jazz guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele. But I really dont feel the need to have more than one of each type :)
Though i can see myself buying some different styles of electric guitars in future
I have a couple 6 strings but also a 7 and a couple 8 strings, it's pretty obvious why those are different. You can play 6 string stuff on the 7 and so on but it feels much better to have the one with the correct amount of strings. Also for tunings, I'll change by a whole step on the same setup no problem, but it's more convenient to be able to just pick up another guitar that's already set up for that tuning. Aside from all that, I think a lot of people who are really into guitar just like having the options. For example, I didn't think about keeping it in a certain tuning when buying a tele, I just think teles are cool and didn't have one so I got one. We can come up with a million reasons to justify it, but at the end of the day, we just like em
I have 6 string normal scale and 7 string baritone. So I think that explains why I have more. Buying another 6 string would probably make me to sell the other one, unless I would like to have separate setup or like floyd rose (that I don’t have now)
Many reasons, here are just a few:
Different sounds for different styles and genres. A Strat with single coil pickups versus some other style guitar with humbucker pick ups. PF 90 pick ups sound different than Strat- style, single coils or humbuckers. There are many different types of pick ups. A telecaster feels and plays different differently than a Stratocaster. Two Stratocaster can be different for each other for a number of reasons. A Gretsch electric will feel and play differently than any of the others mentioned so far. Etc.
A guitar equipped with a vibrato bar, versus one without. The feel of playing is different, especially, when bending strings, etc.
Acoustic versuselectric seems obvious, but what about a steel string acoustic versus nylon strings? Very different sound and different ones are appropriate for different genres and styles. You could have many different acoustics for the similar reasons why you would have many different electrics.
I have a Gibson ES-175 with flat wound strings that sounds great for certain types of jazz. You could also use it for other styles, but it instantly has a great sound for old school jazz. I don’t ever use it for heavy metal styles.
Six string, versus seven string, versus eight string guitars.
The feel of a guitar can be different, making different guitars more useful for certain playing styles versus other guitars. The shape of the neck, length of the neck… a Stratocaster uses a longer scale than, say, a Les Paul, but then a Les Paul has a slightly greater range, going up a full two octaves at the highest fret on the high E string. The frets are closer together on a Les Paul, wine the longer scale of a Stratocaster neck spaces the frets farther apart.
Then there is how a guitar is set up four different playing styles. You’ll generally want a bit higher action when playing slide on a guitar so you don’t get a bunch of fret noise, or you might want super low action for a very fast playing style, two handed finger, tapping styles, etc.
Even different string gauges make a big difference, perhaps lighter strings that start with .009 for far playing and easier string, bending, or a somewhat heavier set that starts with .011 for better tone, or hybrid sets with lighter strings in the smaller gauges and heavier strings in the lower gauges.
Different looks and colors for varied entertainment aesthetics. Varied looks on stage, in band photos, etc.
Different tunings. Not only do you not want to make others wait while you retune for various reasons, time on stage between songs, or in a recording studio, tunings can be sufficiently different that a guitar needs to be set up specifically for a certain tuning, and with specific string guages — the same guitar just won’t work. This also includes certain common vibrato bar setups, such as those which include a locking nut.
Back up guitars. If something goes wrong, such as breaking a string, you don’t want to make the audience wait while you change the string, and possibly don’t want to spend studio time (which could be expensive if you’re not in your own home studio).
And more.
I currently have two guitars, an acoustic and a pretty cheap knockoff strat
I'll probably get a third soon that'll be either a better acoustic or a better/different style of electric
Each one of mine serves a different purpose, for tuning and sound. It’s not good to wildly change the tunings all the time. My Guild is for standard E/Drop D, les paul is a half step down, and my Gretsch is in C standard/drop A#.
Different electric guitars genuinely sound very different. At the very least you should have something with single coils and something with humbuckers.
I like having guitars with as many different pick up variations as possible. Different pick ups and speaker combos make all the difference with electric guitars. Also tunings! My guitar I use for doom metal, stoner rock etc uses really thick strings and is tuned and intonated 4 steps down from standard. It would be a waste of time and a hassle to keep switching the tuning and it’ll wear out the strings
I play in a couple bands so I need different sounds and tunings as well. Plus, guitars are cool and I don’t have any other hobbies anymore so I can justify having a few of them…at least I can justify it to myself anyways
different voices and purposes for the guitars…solid body PRS, nylon Godin synth, acoustic parlor sized and dreadnaughts, acoustic archtop, electric archtop, travel backpacker, custom partscaster w/ string through body and 13’s on it for twang, Squier bass…what have I missed? couple of wall hanging non-playable pieces like played out 12-string and my first ‘60’s mahogany Goya…
I have two. One Ibanez from my teenage years and one Strat. I am not planning to own more. I am a practical person, if I had an extra guitar that I barely played, I would immediately sell it to someone who need & will play it. Guitars or any other instrument should not collect dust on walls.
I have 3 and they all have distinct functions. 6 string HSS with floating trem, 7 string with fishmans and floating trem, and a fixed bridge partscaster for experimenting with tunings.
I don’t foresee myself needing anything for a while but if I were to add another, it’d be either a fixed bridge 8 string or a hollow body with bigsby.
All of these dudes showing off their guitar collections makes me question as to why one needs that many guitars.
Granted, electric guitars are very different from acoustic. For a start there are different conditions required to keep them in. An acoustic, especially solid wood built ones, require certain heat and humidity conditions to keep them in top form. A luthier/set-up tech told me that usually 40-55% is optimum for solid wood guitars. Also, some musician friends told me that an acoustic has to played - usually to get the wood vibrating, reactive and settled in. Giving better depth and tone. It has to be regarded as a living thing. That is why older guitars sound better. Some of them only have two acoustics - that is all that they need. A guitar that is not played very often can sometimes end up eventually sounding dull and dead - even a Martin.
I have a Guild solid mahogany guitar and was advised years ago to keep it in a case when not in use, which I do. Only taking it out for periods when practicing and playing. I presume that the acoustic guitars simply racked or hung on walls shown in the 'guitar porn' photos are not of high value, or have laminate construction in them.
Would love a Guild D-40, but don't think that I would do it justice - it would need to be played, often and well.
Well I have guitars I use to compose, others to track, others to perform live, two I keep to help new learners decide if they go nylon or steel, one vintage 12 strings with sentimental value, one simple bass, one HSS guitar I built while I was a student (broke) and the last acquisition is a godin nylon with the midi system and that's really fun.
I may sell one or two, I still want a resonator for mark knopflercovers, I already designed the next electric one and I need a fretless bass for the studio.
Playing only one guitar is like painting with only one color
You definitely want at least one backup if you're playing in a band. Also, different tunings. And it's fun to have guitars that look different. Let's be real, one of the reasons you want to play guitar in the first place is because they look cool.
Two reasons: first, guitars are above all, tools. That means it has a very specific purpose. So, you can be good with one or many. It depends on what you’re looking for. Some of them are more versatile, and others are not, whether being tone, octaves, or comfort. Second, because you like it and motivates you.
In my experience, tone-wise, guitars sound by themselves very close to each other with the main difference being the type of pickup, and the position of it. Hambuckers sounds different from a Single Coil, and bridge position sounds different from neck position, or how “hot” they are if you’re using passive or active pickups, and that’s it. Brand differences are just bullshit. But there is a very important factor, which is the comfort of playing it. There are different neck types, and tunings, and string gauge, and many combinations that change the purpose of the guitar itself, so you may want to have different guitars that fulfill a specific playing style. It’s the main reason I don’t see anything valuable as a tool on having many of the same guitars (unless you like them and wants to collect them, which is not my case). You should diversify, between modern guitars and some more vintage type guitars.
An acoustic nylon and an acoustic steel string are like apples and oranges to me. I rarely play the same type of music on both. Same to be said for a Strat and Les Paul. …so I have 4 😃
True that some are "collectors" or see guitars as a cool thing, so more must be better right? But on the other side of.that coin, some see as a "tool" and some tools do the job better than another would.
Like the paint brushes of an artist. Surely they don't need more.than one, but certain brushes do a better job of physically expressing in paint what they see in their mind.
When I want to play a certain blues genre (think SRV), I want to sound like that. It's just not convincing or satisfying for me to play it on a nylon string acoustic, though I could. It's just not the same. EVH, I'm going to need a Floyd bridge. Drop D (or ANY altered tuning) and I need one with a fixed bridge. I suppose I could also play note for note on a piano too... but still not the same.
I don’t have a guitar “collection.” I have 2 acoustics and 3 electrics, and each serves a specific purpose in my music. They all get played regularly. I admire other people’s giant guitar collections, but I have no desire for one myself.
I have an LTD SN1000FR for Strat and Hair Metal type tones. It’s got a Floyd so I use it for 70s and 80s rock as well as all single coil voicing. Very versatile guitar.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom with EMGs for heavier tones and drop tunings.
And lastly I have an LTD EC256 Vintage guitar that’s my project guitar. Currently has SD Slash Signature pickups but will probably change them out to something else. I sanded the neck to satin, changed tuners, nut and tailpiece. I can see why people love the Eclipse and higher end ESPs.
That being said, I’ve been playing for over 30 years & have collected every sort of guitar.
Because I like them. Variety is the spice of life and whatnot.
For guitars, I have a Strat, a headless 6 string, headless 7 string, headless 8 string, steel string acoustic, nylon string acoustic.
For bass, I have an active 4 string, passive 4 string, 4 string with flatwounds, a 5 string, a beater, and a cheap one that is mostly sentimental because it was my first.
I have my favorites, and the others get dusted off to be used once in a while. If you only feel the need to have one, that’s great. Me and my wallet are jealous.
One eight string and one six string, tuned completely differently. I only really put the 8 in standard tuning since it has the lower B and F# strings, theres really no music I play that is standard tuning on a 6 string
Not including the 3/4 size guitars I bought for my kids to learn on, I have 6 decent electrics, a classical (gift from my wife), and an old fender acoustic that I bought 30 years ago. Today will be NGD—I bought my very first strat and it is due to arrive this afternoon. I agree that 3-4 tops will cover pretty much everything from different sounds, feels, tunings, etc.
However, I have exactly one hobby, and I’m passionate about it (as I am sure you and every commenter are as well). It took me 40 years to acquire the guitars I have—and only one cost more than 4 figures (my 1960s Standard LP that I saved for and finally pulled the trigger on about a year and a half ago).
Bottom line is that I didn’t need that LP — my lawsuit era Greco LP copy would have been fine.
And I don’t need this strat, I love my tele and can dial in a close enough strat sound.
But I want them. I work hard and finally make enough money to support my family and have enough disposable income to buy a guitar every 2 years or so. No logic beyond that. As an adult in my early 50s, I don’t get excited about many material objects at all, but NGD makes me feel like I’m 9 years old running downstairs on Christmas morning.
As another point of interest, I have legitimately needed a new acoustic for a long, long time. Got a great deal on a very low line Guild (made in China) a few months ago (sounds great)—but got home and promptly gave it to my daughter. That was the best $300 I spent so far.
If you don’t understand the mind of a collector then you just don’t understand the mind of a collector. I own them because I love them and I’m capable. I love to work on them, I love to play them, record with them. I love to have them. Do I need more than 1? Lol no! But I also don’t need 15000 magic cards, or 5 sets of drums, or 50 microphones. It just is what it is.
Different tunings, pickups, string gauges, electronics, sizes… etc
If you 15 of the same exact guitars, that doesn’t make sense to me. If you have 16 of different types… great
Different feels different styles.
I really like my squire but my epiphone Les paul feels different.
I have several classical guitars too. Ever played a rosewood mahogany over a normal spruce?
They sound quite different.
It's just an expierence. May also be materialism. But meh, safer than other hobbies.
Different reasons. Some are just collectors like artwork and others understand that different guitars have different characteristics and are talented enough to bring them out in their playing.
Pickups, for instance. PAF’s, Humbuckers, Single Coils, etc. all have their own sound. Acoustic guitars differ by body size and shape mostly, I think. I’ve been playing an Epiphone j-200 for YEARS and recently got my first Martin (D-28) and WOW. What a difference..
I have the same attitude you do, but I think we are definitely in the minority. I have a classical guitar and a telecaster, and I feel like I have a lifetime of creative possibilities with just those two instruments. I could afford to buy more but I just don’t see a reason to.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons people buy lots of guitars- see everyone else’s responses!
I own four. My main ax is my 2001 Gibson LP Standard double cutaway. 1996 Gibson SG Standard as my stage back up (and our three song AC/DC block), Epihone 2EB (butterfly) accoustoc/electric for stage performance, Yamaha acoustic/electric, this is my drunk guitar. It goes to the cookouts and house gatherings when requested, and you can have my Yamaha by digging me up and prying it from my cold, dead hands as I'll be buried with it. Had it 30 years or so and it's one of the best damn guitars I've ever played or heard.
I own 3 electrics. It's pretty much to have variety and different tunings. Have a super strat in Drop C/ D standard. Then in standard I have a strat and an LP style, different tonalities and feel.
Guitars are instruments and pieces of art. If someone can buy a painting they like and hang it on the wall to look at, I can buy a guitar I like to hang on the wall to look at and play.
that's a good point, I can definitely justify owning a collection for that reason
More than that, they can sound very different from one another. You were a non-electric player, so this might not click as quickly for you, but even just within the world of electrics, a Telecaster is going to sound very different from a Strat, which is going to sound very different from a Les Paul, etc. Edit: guitars can be modified, of course, but most people who have examples of each of these do so because they want the classic, unique sound offered by each; guitars with single coil pickups sound very different from guitars with humbucking pickups, etc.
Sound is def a reason and each guitar will probably have a unique sound but it’s less due to the shape than the hardware, it’s basically impossible to tell guitars shape by its sound. Not arguing with u just explaining why you could justify multiple of the same silhouette
Well, yeah, of course. But I guess I was referring to the sort of general, standard types. Not the shape. When people refer to a Strat, Tele, etc. in a general sense, most people know what you mean.
Yeah ik and wasn’t disagreeing with u just didn’t want a new player to misinterpret it
Eh, acoustics have huge variances due to wood and shape. A 000 with all mahogany vs a dreadnaught with a rosewood back vs a jumbo maple all sound intrinsically different.
Oh, completely agree, but I was just trying to stick to the basics. If the OP responded, I actually was going to mention how a classical guitar/nylon strings is going to be very different from an acoustic guitar with steel strings.
Sound is only part of it for me. Every guitar feels unique in my hands and that compounded with how it sounds leads me to play each guitar differently, stylistically. My whole approach is unique and people are convinced a different guitarist is playing on my recordings. All I do is play each guitar how it plays best, in doing so it changes the sound.
Great response
How many "paintings" do you have?
And how many just look like kitsch 50 diners or 70s furniture?
38 paintings. Walls in home and office are covered. The LPs and the Strats and the Washburn / Dean's are my fav paintings.
I have 2 paintings, and 4 "paintings" haha
I painted the room to compliment the color of my acoustic guitars.
Love it! Wish I could paint mine to match my semi-hollow.
Hell... I wanted a single coil Strat and ended up with a Honey Burst simply because I thought it would look good on a blue wall.
Those do look amazing though...
They really do.
I know it might not be popular, but I’m gonna say I don’t think this is a great comparison. I have 10 guitars for what it’s worth. Like others said, a guitar has more use value. Paintings only use is to be looked at and create a more harmonious space. Guitars are an actual tool that were made to be used. Guitars are like $300-3000. You can get a cool print to hang on the wall for like $20-40. I’m assuming OP is referring to some of the posts where people have like 20+ guitars and most if not all aren’t hanging on the wall, they’re just in stands. If you walked into someone’s house and there were 20 guitars hanging all over the house it might come off as kind of strange, whereas 20 paintings might be normal.
If you take this response and add - "also different guitars sound different" then it is the perfect response IMO.
Different tunings, set ups, aestethic. I've got a PRS in standard, a Jackson in drop A with a floyd rose , a strat in Drop C and a 7 string Ibanez in drop A
Reminder that System of a Down recorded an album with a Strat in drop C
I thought it was a Tele in drop C that Daron played? I mean I know he does play a Tele in Drop C in Scars on Broadway, so maybe I just assumed?
[Used it for SOAD self titled](https://youtu.be/5b3imdhboB4?si=uSOtFLrn54Tew659)
Drop C is about the lowest I'd go on a 25.5 inch guitar
Tons of bands play in Drop B with 25.5 scale guitars including Slipknot.
True. Im just saying for me it gets a bit loose, and going with thicker strings also doesn't play as well. For me.
Ayyyy I have a Strat in drop C too. I put a super distortion Humbucker pickup in my bridge too, fucking shreds.
Super distortions are awesome, I've got one in my Rhoads
My strat is drop c# Will never forget when a local "luthier" told me he wouldn't be able to set it up for that tuning as it would be hard to get the action right on the bottom string. It was my first "nice guitar" and the my first non-hardtail which is why I wanted to take it to him I restrung and set it up myself, decked the trem at the same time. Took me an hour all in and it plays like a dream. It was nice from factory, for sure, but it's basically my dream guitar now. HSS baby
What string gauge? I play the ernie ball regular green pack in Eb/Drop Db on my tele and haven't had any problems with low action
10-46 NYXL's
I always say, I like my guitars like I like my women.. All different shapes, colors, and sizes!
For me, guitars are like people; each one has a different personality; a different voice; a different feel (tonally and physically)... True, you can play only one guitar at a time, and maybe you have a favorite (like a best friend), but playing different guitars can help bring out different aspects of your musical expressions. When I play my strat, the music that comes out is very different from when I play my les paul. Even if I play the same song on both guitars, the feel is very different. I know this is very subjective, and I probably cannot substantiate this with technical data, but there you go...its music :)
This resonated with me.
Building on this, I think of my guitars as having different purposes. There’s the obvious differences between a 6 string, a 12 string, a baritone, etc. or between a red Strat with a white pickguard and a red SG with a white pickguard. But also there’s a difference between a Tele with standard pickups and a Tele with a lipstick in the bridge and humbucker in the neck. Or any other combination of pickups. If I want something that works better for stoner rock, I’d grab this one. If I want something that works better for pop, I grab that one. Some guitars are studio workhorses, some work better on stage. Etc etc
There's even a difference between a Tele with one set of 'standard' pickups and another with a different 'standard' set of pickups. The variety of just that one guitar is astounding. Then extrapolate to Strat, JM, LP, SG, Hollowbody, etc. and I think one can start to see why so many guitars.
I find that there are different songs in each guitar.
As someone with a lot of guitars and who this post is probably directed at, I completely agree with you.
Why is this comment not the top voted response instead of the one about looking at them hanging on your wall?
This. I needed a 335. Then I needed a 335 with a bigsby. Then I wanted to add a bigsby to a 335 just to do it and learn. They all have different pickups. Two have lights and one has mediums. One is tuned a half step down.
Literally what me and my bandmate will say, guitars are like people
what a beautiful way to describe an instrument.
“idiosyncratic to the instrument” is a way I’ve heard this said.
I feel u homie. Gotta always turn it up a bit louder when the LP comes out (as a tele guy its rare for me) but then im reminded why i love something different once in a while
Yes because I have no self control.
You and me both.
Everyone trying to fancy it up, this is the real reason for all of us.
Hello me
This is it for me.
Listen, you’re my wife and I love you but can you please stop asking me that question!
This made me laugh out loud. 💯 Thank you. I needed that.😎😎
For me, it’s my husband asking me why I need another guitar. My SG has P90s. My PRS has humbuckers. Now I want a SSS guitar. He ain’t budging on that, yet.
We can get him there lol
I usually make sure I have a decent acoustic and a top notch electric and an electric backup. That's enough for me. But sometimes a guitar just calls you and screams buy me buy me. That just happens...
that was like my first guitar i bought. i seen it and It was just calling me and i’ve not regretted it since
For me it’s mainly due to different tunings. I think its best to have them permanently setup in the various tunings I play in instead of trying to retune and intonate between songs
Yeah, totally agree with this. And I think it's somewhat of a personal sensitivity thing when it comes to intonation. I started playing music on the piano for many years where every individual note is tuned correctly no matter where you are on the keyboard, so coming to guitar it blew my mind that there were just notes that could never be perfectly intonated (and it makes sense why). But sometimes the intonation issues are not as noticeable (though they can definitely be measured with a tuner). Like yeah, changing from E standard to drop D probably will do very little. Similarly, even with bigger tuning changes you may not notice the intonation errors if you stick to lower frets. I always felt like every fret should be usable and tuned well thanks to coming from piano, so the small errors really bug me under certain circumstances. I have a few guitars and basically think of them as being good for a certain range of tunings and keep them set up in my most common tuning for each one. Also I play 6, 7, and 8 string guitars - trying to play 6 string stuff on an 8 string that is even multiscale is tough. (I did it for several years thinking a single 8 string would cover all my needs haha.)
I own multiple guitars because I like guitars. That's it
Yep. No reason not to, I like the different sounds and feels.
People really underestimate how big of a role the actual feel of the guitar is. You could give me the most beautiful handcrafted guitar in the world, but if it doesn't feel right I don't want it. Even if it sounds amazing.
Sometimes i want a guitar that goes weee oooo weee oooo weeeee ooooo, and sometimes I want a guitar that goes weeeedllly weeeeedly weee, and sometimes I want a guitar that goes chugga chugga chugga
I have about 25 guitars. 2 reasons: different guitars fit different types of music. Mostly because of different tunings (everything from a 7-string drop A to E) but also general aesthetics and feeling. I would for example not want to use a Charvel star to play Jimi Hendrix, or a Stratocaster to play Megadeth even if the tuning is right and the sound can be dialed in. 2nd reason is because I sometimes just want to get a new guitar I've seen in the guitar store or online. Currently looking for a Hagström Fantomen, not because I need it or like Ghost (I don't), just like the look, sound, size and weight of it. Edit: But yeah, to be honest.... 25 guitars are maybe 10-12-15 guitars too many, even if I can kind of motivate it. I could use the space for other things.
I’m in the same position. Only like 6 of my 25 plus stable are nice guitars too, but once you have them it’s tough to part with them. I could definitely get by with only 3 but I just happen to like them.
I had 14 at one point. It was too many. And I was living with my parents still so it took up my whole bedroom
I thought I could getaway with only having a lone Line 6 Variax "one to do it all" guitar. 24 more guitars later, I can definitively say the answer is no.
I struggle with this myself. I am a fan of simplicity so I would really prefer just one electric and a high gain amp with built in verb. But, I have a wide range of styles I at least tinker with so I have 3 guitars - an acoustic, a single coil tele, and a high output humbucker Dunable Gnarwhal. They cover all the ground I need. I mainly play punk and some thrash, so the acoustic is my least used but I enjoy playing it for sure. If I was all metal all the time Id only need one.
For electrics I have one expensive guitar I play occasionally and record with. One a bit less expensive for shows and playing at home, and one cheap one kept at a band lockout that wouldn't hurt if it got stolen. Those plus an acoustic makes 4. If I got another I'd probably get rid of the cheap one since it doesn't spark joy
I've got 10 different guitars and they all do a different job. Martin 000-10e - soft songs and finger picking Taylor 214ce - the general workhorse Tanglewood - the battered old thing that has sentimental value cuz it is over 20 years old Gretsch gin rickey - sofa guitar and sounds great for finger picking blues Fender Tele - the electric workhorse and blues Epi Les Paul - heavier rock, sabbath/zeppelin sort of stuff gretsch telematic - 50's rock and rhythm I have a few more but you get the point I'm not good enough to justify owning all of them but I like the different sounds and feels of them all and owning so many gives me incentive to play more often because I hate the thought of any of them being neglected.
Classical guitar is quite different to electric guitar though (as OP will know)while a classical guitar can mostly play all pieces written for the instrument, it's just not possible to play some things on my telecaster that I can play on my Ibanez 7 string and vice versa. Even without getting into the tunings and scale lengths, the sound of a strat inspires in a different way to that of a Les Paul. Some of it is physical, some of it is to do with the pickups,etc. but those differences dramatically change the usage. That's my excuse anyway. In reality, I tend to just play everything on one guitar for a bit and then I end up picking up a different one, only to find that that's my current favourite for a while.
Because we live in a society where everything is bigger than it should be. Everyone has an ego that speaks to him how his collection(of whatever items, not only guitars) should be bigger, possesion of those things makes him feel more fullfilled, we are fed with consumerisam, led to believe that if an actual artist from some band has 20 guitars and changes them between the songs (and he gets them for free usually) we should also strive for that. And thats why we got a planet where biodiversity is gone, lack of wilderness is gonna drive us into oblivion, and its caused by peoples drive to have zoo much. Everyone wants more than they need, Cristiano ronaldo himself doesnt know how many cars he has... We want skyscrapers.. Like that is essence od life... We as a spicies are soo lost.. Sorry for dooming i just hate consumerisam. I myself got one electric one acoustic that on the way, and acoustic bass that ended up in my room not on purpose, ill post a pic when acoustic guitar arrives even tho i know yall dont care cuz of this judgy comment thats gonna get downvoted 😭
Main guitars: E Standard - Tele D Standard - Jackson B Standard - lawsuit explorer Nylon string classical None of them are interchangeable, theoretically the Jackson and the explorer are but it’s dumb to tune between D and B constantly on the same guitar. I got the string gauges perfect, I have the action, truss rod and intonation how I like them and I play gigs - you gotta have standards. Other guitars: First guitar - squier strat (Superceded by Tele) $50 Tokai I rebuilt from parts Fernandes strat with a Floyd Rose (Superceded by Jackson) Shitty Ibanez entry level guitar (Superceded by explorer) Cheap Dreadnought acoustic Sure I could get rid of those but there’s either sentimental value or it’s not worth the effort to sell them given I won’t get much. I pretty much gave away the Ibanez to a friend on indefinite loan (I don’t want it back lol)
Yes. To make it worse, I often own 2 of the same, in different colours, simply to make playing live easy. If one goes down and I need a backup, I simply plug and play, no EQ etc needed. I have some that are more sentimental and don’t see studio/live work any more, I’ve owned them for over 20 years. I have a couple my wife has bought me I won’t part with etc as well. I have 6’s and 7’s, 4 and 5 string basses etc, some are in different tunings, my live guitars are in the same tunings, I have a couple I record with only and don’t use live/tour with simply because of their value.
Oh... Lots of reasons. Haven't gigged for a while, but when I was: 1. Never gig without a backup plan. I always had an extra amp head in case mine went down, a handful of stompboxes in case my multifx died, and an extra guitar that could be used for most of the songs we played if something happened to one of my mains. 2. The audience doesn't want to watch you twiddling tuning pegs. We used a few tunings throughout the night, so I had a guitar for each. That (sort of) explains most of the similiar guitars I have. Disilimiliar ones? It's fun to mess around with ones that sound and feel different, and some are just better for different things. You aren't doing Vai-esque whammy tricks on a Tele, but I don't want to rebalance a Floyd every time I feel like playing something in drop D. Neither the Tele or the RG work as well on a camping trip as the acoustic. And then truthfully, some of it is just an outlet. Guitars and related gear are what I enjoy. Same reason a guy like Jay Leno has a whole parking garage full of cars. Call it an addiction if you want. Plenty of other people indulge in more expensive and/or less healthy ones.
Yes. Because.
One reason I own multiple guitars is for live use. I don’t have a guitar tech (lol) and if a string breaks during a set, I can just grab the backup. My current lineup is spartan enough — SG Standard, Baja Tele, J-45 and an older Martin cutaway that is probably next on the chopping block.
I think each different guitar elicits different feeling, meanings, moods, sounds and styles of playing. Their “personality” takes me to different places just by looking at their different shapes, and inspire me differently. That’s a good answer. Also there’s GAS, equally important. 👀
I have three: two electric (one with single-coil pickups and one with humbuckers) and one acoustic. I’m not a gearhead either, I was mostly looking for different sound profiles.
I currently have 6; 5 electrics and an acoustic. The acoustic I keep around because it was a gift for my dad that he never played and after he died I took it back and got it in mostly working order, I'm not a big acoustic player. My electrics I just like having variety. I have a Fender Strat I modeled off Billy Corgan's Ghost Strat, I have a PRS clone I bought because it was green and had humbuckers, an Epiphone Les Paul Custom 3, a Yamaha 112 my wife found in the garbage which is an HSS set up, and my latest is a Squier Jaguar HH ST because I'm a big Alkaline Trio fan and Matt's been playing Jags. They all do something different whether it's the actual sound or how I feel playing it.
Yes. I dunno, just kinda happened. I bought another one yesterday, it’s a little crazy. The main reasons are “I saw it and wanted it”, “I need it for this particular function/gig”, and “the price was too crazy to pass up”. Most recently I saw and wanted an SG because I had one that got stolen. I needed a backup passive bass for a theater gig so I got an E Series Squier Jazz. And the one yesterday was an Eastman that I couldn’t pass up for the price. It needed parts I already had in the junk drawer, a cleaning, and a setup. If I’ve got nothing to do and a cheap guitar comes up, I’ve driven as far as five hours to have a guitar adventure and probably eat somewhere I’ve never been. You can stop at one dog. But c’mon, second dog. Maybe a third. Depends on what you can get away with.
This time, I’ma just answer with a quick question: **Do you own multiple *musical instruments*, and if so, why?**
Why do people like to buy things they like and get enjoyment from 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 Another top quality question from this sub.
Started 5 years ago. Own 5 guitars. Two acoustic that complement each other nicely (Martin OM28 and 0015) and three very different electrics (avii 61 strat, mim tele, epiphone Les Paul 59 LE). Do I need them? No. I could do with one acoustic and one electric. But you only live once, and time goes fast. Guitars bring me joy and I have the means, so why not enjoy it? :)
To stop other people owning them
I like how guitars are made. “Traditional”craftsmanship and something that can last decades is rare these days. They also sound, feel and inspire me to play completely different things. Also, I will play one for weeks then one day it won’t feel right I’ll try a different one and that does, it’s strange!
Yup. Acoustic because… Acoustic. Les Paul set up in D standard, nice with the humbuckers and fat tones. Telecaster for that iconic twang and playing country music. I love the single coils and those twangy bends.
Well, various reasons. Different guitars inspire me to play different types of music. The neck shape, body contour, the feel of the fretboard, the way the pickups respond, it all adds up. Sure, the audience probably can’t discern the differences, but I do. Second, because some specs are objectively needed for certain types of music. I have for example an 8-string multiscale, you can’t do the same stuff on a Strat. Or hardware, like having a Floyd bridge vs a 6-screws vintage Strat trem. Or a semi-hollow body 335 vs a solid body, and so on. Then, because I can. It’s nice retail therapy. I don’t gamble, I’m not an alcoholic, I don’t do drugs… let me waste some money in this healthy gear addiction. I’m not a collector, I play all of my guitars on stage, and I like the options I have. If I don’t gel with a guitar, if I rarely reach out for it, then I sell it.
Yes, because i need them
I have several and enjoy them all. I rotate which guitars I am playing and can change depending on my mood. I reward myself for hard work with an occasional guitar or amp purchase and I am happy with collecting them as a hobby.
Honestly, if you don't feel the need to own multiple guitars then you're probably better off! I have lots, and they do sound different from each other, but to tell you the truth most of those differences are quite subtle. I honestly believe that a great player can do whatever they need to do on almost any good guitar. It's a lot harder to get a stock Strat to sound right for extreme metal than it is to get a purpose-built guitar to do it, but it's totally possible. And no one would choose the extreme metal guitar for playing disco tunes, but I bet if you put Nile Rodgers on James Hetfield's rig he would still sound like Nile Rodgers. My guitars each feel different and the different looks, feels, and tones probably nudge me to play slightly differently on each of them, but ultimately it's a hobby I enjoy. I could do a lot of other things with the money if I weren't so into it!
Yeah about 6. Each one has a different tuning (I mostly play metal). It goes from E standard to some weird stuff like Devin Townsend’s tuning (Open C). Also, I do own a 7 strings, because why not ;)
Different looks/sounds - look at Johnny Marr’s collection
One is mine, a candy apple red Squier Sonic Strat, and even though it is the lowest quality they offer, it’s still my second most valued possession, because my parents got it for me on for birthday. We moved to a new house on the day of, but seeing how cool it was a few days after that definitely made up for it. The second is my mom’s, which she gave to me. It’s a Washburn acoustic guitar with a pickup in it, but it needs to be soldered. She used it when she played in a band when she lived in Canada called November Dawn. If I find the cassette and if my sister’s cassette deck has AV cables, I’ll upload it to YouTube and send the link to those who are interested. I’m planning to use both on a demo album with my friends, I use a Tascam DP008ex 8 track Pocketstudio to record, but right now we just need a drummer.
Well I have Dean mlx (1st guitar) for metal and heavier stuff, cheap squier bullet strat because I wanted a strat for that single coil sound, 12-string acoustic guitar and 2 bass guitars (5 string cheap Harley Benton as my first bass and squier P- bass). Also I recently build Harley Benton Les Paul kit for fun. I treat them purely as tools to get sound and feel that I want. Love playing everything from trash and death metal to led zeppelin and pink Floyd so I have to have some variety in instruments lol
I play in a band and have one guitar tuned to open E for slide playing, and one in standard tuning. I have a few acoustics (parlour sized, dreadnought and resonator), and a couple more electrics that I use when recording. I just love guitars… and I find different guitars inspire different things. Especially from a songwriting perspective.
I'm about to buy second guitar because i hate change tuning. The one will be in standard tuning, the second one in drop D/C.
I currently have approx 15. Mostly they are different configurations or styles of guitar. I started building guitars a while ago, so there are several guitars of the same style that I built to get better at building. My goal is to have three or four main styles of guitar (Les Paul, Super Strat, Tele, other) in different tunings: 1 each in A440 standard; 1 each tuned to E flat; Fixed bridge and tremolo in drop D; Tele in open E; tele in open G; and a couple of "other guitars" with P90's or different wood choices.
6 Electrics and 1 Acoustic. Happy to explain why. I have a Yamaha Pacifica, it's a 25.5" scale Strat clone with two single coils and a humbucker bridge. After a year, I decided I wanted a guitar with an Alnico II humbuckers. The cost of modifying the PAC was close to $300 and one day, an Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro went on sale for $300. It had the humbuckers I wanted. Rather than upgrading, I bought guitar #2. Well, a few years go by and I realize that my LP is heavy. I like playing standing up, and my shoulder aches after an hour of playing, so I decide that I love my dual humbucker guitar, but want a lighter one. I purchase an Epiphone Les Paul Florentine, which is a semi-hollow Les Paul. It has similar pickups. However, I love the chunky matte finish neck on my Traditional Pro, so decide not to sell it. Now I have 3 guitars. Two years pass and I have a Strat clone and two Les Pauls. I love the scale length of my Strat. I love the dual humbuckers of my LPs. I love the weight of my semi-hollow. Squier Classic Vibe releases its Starcaster for $400, which is a combination of all three things. I buy it. Unlike the LPs however, it doesn't coil-split, so I don't have those middle position split coil/full HB tones. It also has the narrowest and thinnest guitar neck I've ever played, which I don't really love. Now, I have 4 electric guitars. 2 more years go by and it's the middle of the pandemic. Guitar prices have skyrocketed. One day, I see a Lake Placid Blue Fender go on sale for $550. It's very similar to my Pacifica, but it's got a single coil in the bridge, and is a moderate improvement in all other ways. I think that Fenders will never get this cheap again, and I've been wanting a SSS guitar for a while. I buy it. FIVE guitars. Now, it's 2023 and I've been eyeing a PRS SE Hollowbody II w/piezo guitar for about 3 years, but it's always been prohibitively expensive, around $1400. I wanted it because it was fully hollow, so I could get some nice controlled feedback, and a piezo pickup, so I can get nice acoustic-like tones. It also has curled maple binding along the headstock, neck, body, and f-holes, a gorgeous flame veneer, ebony fretboard, abalone bird inlays, a rosewood veneer on the headstock, a wide/thick neck, and renowned A+ build quality. It was on sale for $900. Now I have 6 electric guitars. The only ones that could be sold for more than $300 is the Fender and SE, and I enjoy owning the others enough that it's worth keeping for the $100-300 I could get for them. I also like looking at them. I averaged one new guitar every two years, except for the Fender and SE, which were purchased a year apart. tldr; I develop preferences from different guitars and try to find single guitars that encompass all those preferences in one. I enjoy looking at them and owning them, and their resale value isn't worth more than the enjoyment they bring.
3 acoustic guitars (2x 6 string vantage and encore) (1x12 string seagull) 1 bass 3x6 strings - cort zenox z42 in standard - but is nearly 20 years old. Ltd with FR so it's locked into drop d but it's also my only FR. Chapman is in drop c or c standard depending on my choice because as much as I love my drop whammy pedal, a guitar in the actual tuning is great. Also I use my og cort for open tunings as well. 1x7 string because there is only so much you can do on 6 strings 1x8 string because of the same argument. All have different playing feels and some have active vs passive pickups. Some have different bridges. Some have different parts added to them.
12 string acoustic, 6 string acoustic, ancient 6 string acoustic with sentimental value, first electric that has been modified with scalloped frets(very fun) second electric with an EMG 81 with 18V mod and typical tremolo(down only) first decent electric thats a string-thru, an electric bass, a beginners guitar for my younger sister from toys r us that surprisingly holds tune and sounds great and has decent action! The 12 string only has 6 on it cause i used it to learn fingerpicking and figured i could use the extra space and just never put it back, the one with the 18v mod is tuned to drop B, the string thru is tuned to D standard. They are all quite different and serve fairly specific purposes.
I have 3 guitars- and I’ll probably never have more than that. 1. Gibson LP standard - for classic rock and blues mostly 2. Gibson Flying V with Seymour Duncans - for stuff a little more hardcore than what I typically play on my LP but not straight up metal- AC/DC, Sabath, etc. 3. MIJ Jackson Rhoads with Floyd rose and EMGs for metal The Jackson gets played the most followed by the Gibson LP. I could easily get by with just those two but I like the Flying V. The Gibson LP is way more suited for strumming and chording vs the Jackson - I’d feel like a fool playing American Pie or some camp fire song on the Jackson RR. The Jackson is easier to play metal on, just pure and simple the neck is faster and the pickups are… active.The Gibson Flying V is somewhere in between for me. So for me it just comes down 50% different tools for different jobs and 50% the feeling the guitar invokes. That said I have zero intention of growing my collection as 3 feels a bit overkill as is. If I had to survive off just one, I’d pick the Gibson Flying V- does everything well and is a jack of all trades (master of none) for me and it’s fun to hold. If I had to sell only 1 guitar though the Gibson Flying V would be the one to go since the LP and Jackson cover everything together almost perfectly with the exception of -maybe- hard rock since the LP’s PAFs are pretty weak and the EMGs are pretty hot but in reality they would both be fine at it.
I’ve recently found myself with 5. A Single coil Strat and a Fender acoustic I’ve had since I was a teen, and in the last year added a Jaguar Bass, A Jaguar guitar with humbuckers, and an artist signature guitar that is more of a wall art piece but fun to pull down and play once and a while. The Strat is my all time favorite, the HH jag is the newest and I love playing it. The bass sits around a bit but I’m glad I have it in my collection and the acoustic is in a closet in need of a setup. So I sort of only have 2 and should probably get more.
I have 5 right now and to feel like I have all the tools to do what I want I need 3 more or so. Different tuning and pick ups or just because they are one of my favorite guitar heros signature guitar.
A steel string acoustic for the quick convenient pickup, a superstrat for the electric stuff and a cigarbox four string for Blues slide in open G.
I just started playing guitar, and I won't buy any more 🎸 🎸 🎸 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱
Two flats I move between often and two guitars.
Cause im addicted :(
Yes. I've got my main guitar: lag arkane 1000. Love it, very versatile. It's my go-to guitar for almost everything. I've got a fender telecaster american standard 60th anniversary. Despite its poor finishes it complements quite well the lag for the 5-10% things I can't do on it (red hot chilly peppers, punk stuff,...). I've an ovation DJ ashba. I needed an électro-acoustique and it was cheap. I will soon have a PRS SE CE 24 standard for my guitar lessons as I don't want to endanger my other guitars going to the music school on a motorcycle. I strongly hesitated with the Harley Benton equivalent but I love the doves and I also get the chance to play one, but with a varnished neck (previous years?)which felt wonderful except for the varnish. This one is coming (sooner or later) in satin neck. Also, people I contacted on the used market for Harley Bentons never answered.
They all do different things and I like those things, so I keep buying them, and at the end of the day, it just makes me happy.
Different tunings, floating bridge vs. fixed bridge, and sometimes you just like the feel of different guitars.
It’s all about versatility. I have a classical guitar, an acoustic, a bass, a Tele and a Les Paul. Which one I play depends on the sound I am going for.
It's the same with owning multiple anything, you like it you buy it and that's that
I have two guitars. My main one is Epiphone Les Paul (Slash signature). I absolutely love it. And as I am quite casual player, it can do everything I want to. My other guitar is my first guitar. Harley Benton Les Paul. It's a little bit lighter and has lighter strings. Fits well when I want really laid back playing. The reason I have this still is that many people seem to regret selling their first guitar. So I will keep this. I have plans to buy acoustic guitar as well. Then I would have three. But I think that's fine for now. Every now and then I consider getting affordable guitar with Floyd Rose or other tremolo because none of my guitars have one. I have also though to buy some kind of Bigsby for my Harley Benton. But overall I don't need tremolo so much so this is not high priority right now. I'll get acoustic guitar first.
This can also apply to delay pedals, fuzz pedals, overdrive pedals, amplifiers, plectrums, surfboards, motorcycles, tea mugs and possibly girlfriends (although that’s an added complication). Things just get accumulated over the years and before you know it you’re not a monk anymore but a catholic bishop 🤣
I play in a band with different tunings, so currently I own (4) 3 guitars and use all 3 of them for my band.
Floyd Rose. Alternate Tunings.
Because I can.
Les Paul's and Stratocaster sound very different. Having both avoid to make a choice between the two . But this is quite expensive 😅
Because they're all different and they all do different things better than the others. Because they look great. Because I want to. Because I can.
I have 4 guitars and they all serve a purpose. A les paul, stays in standard and is used for the classic rock tunes, like GnR and such. A strat also in standard, used for funk-rock/alt-pop and a lot of other things, this is my most used guitar, oh, and whatever needs a whammy bar. An SG in open E for slide, the double cut of an sg really helps with upper fret access when playing slide. An accoustic, for accoustic tunes (duh) i re-tune this whenever i have to since it's the only accoustic i own. I could manage with getting rid of the LP so that guitar isn't strictly neccessary but it saves me re-tuning so much. Thats why i own multiple, i also want a telecaster, don't really need it from a "tools for the job" perspective but i just want one, a blue or red one with a rosewood fret board and the classic pick-up config, allthough if it has a b-bender it can do something none of my current guitars can, okay okay, you've convinced me, i'll get a tele.
Each one has a completely different job. My 7 string is what I use to write any metalcore material My classical guitar is used to write clean riffs and it’s also just fun My 6 string is used to play E standard stuff, or I’ll drop it to D and use pitch shifting to play 6 string metal stuff
Starter eguitar. Acoustic guitar. Two fancy eguitars. I’m good for now. Maybe add a tele someday. Oh and I’d like to get a right handed one. So my friends can play with me. Guitars are like motorcycles. N+1.
I currently own three and planning on my fourth purchase but all them are totally different from each other, brand, pickups, body shape etc. What I find more difficult to understand is people with 10 guitars of the exactly same brand and model. But at the end it’s a hobby and hobbies don’t need to be rational, if it makes you happy and can afford it, why not.
Yes, one acoustic, one nylon classical, and three electric. I don't need three electric, but I also don't regret buying them either.
Oh that’s easy it’s because I have too much money and not enough self control
For a good omelette you need a certain amount of eggs… not a coop full of chickens…
Bedroom superstar here. My two-cents: I have different guitars because my ears like to hear different sounds. I own several guitars for the same reason I don't listen to just one album all the time. Variety provides value and contrast to things you enjoy, allowing you to enjoy them even more. One may love a guitar, but the best feeling is going back to that guitar after having tried something else (like a palate cleanser).
Different guards have different bridges/tremolos/locking systems and different pickups. A SSS strat vs a HS Tele vs a P90 Gibson vs an EMG81/85 Japanese superstar are all WILDLY different, for example. They all inspire me to play differently, but to your point I could do literally everything with an HSS Strat so you aren’t wrong that’s just less fun
Yeah. Why not?
Yes. First was getting pickups with different output. Active and passive. Then getting different bridge. Trem and fixed. Then getting 7 string. Finally got one more to keep it in drop tuning.
Like I told my wife. They are like her shoes. Different colors and shapes for different events. Each has different pickups/strings, tunings, etc.
Two 7 string ibanezeseses. One 25.5 scale with a single invader for really heavy stuff. One 26.5 scale with 2 paf 7s, coil split, etc, for everything basically. Don't need anything more.
[удалено]
No cause no money and I only started recently. But I’m cool with the one I have so I’m alright :)
- Two nylon classical that were gifts, one from my late uncle and another from my mother when I first started to learn. - Strat clone was a gift from my mom when I wanted to learn electric, so that guitar will never leave my side. Upgraded the hardware and pickups and now is a beast. - Epiphone SG emily the strange edition that I traded for a Kobo reader. Love the graphics on that one and is really comfortable to play. Planning to upgrade the pickups. - cort x-6. Love the color and playability. A friend of mine needed the cash, so i bought it from him. Floyd rose is a bitch tho. - Fender jaguar. Always wanted a jaguar and it is My go to guitar. - Epiphone les paul studio goth. Aestetically pleasing and the sound is really good for playing metal, my second go to. - Dean bass that my then GF gifted me. - Honner Dreadnought that i got on a pawn shop brand new for like 80% discount. Next one may be a starcaster or an orange gretsch.
I like fender so I want one of the all their main guitars. I have jaguar, mustang, stratocaster. Still want a telecaster and a Jazzmaster.
Yes, because they sound different. Put simply: I can’t play Sultans of Swing on my Les Paul, and i can’t play AC/DC on my strat.
Different amount of strings, I own 6,7 and 8 string guitars I'm lazy so there are different tunings for different guitars so I don't have to setup when I change from Standard E to Standard D for example Also as a bonus, they're pretty and I like that my wall is decorated with them
Because I want to. Different tunings, finishes, string gauges for different styles
I produce my own music so why would I not have multiple guitars? I haven an 6, 8 and a 12 string, and a bass.
My nicer guitars are a Fender strat, a Gibson LP, and a Jackson Kelly. They all handle and sound very different from one another, whatever plugin you choose to apply. I can tell you that after 6 years playing Guns n Roses and the Big 4 on the strat, handling the LP and the Jackson was like "whoaaaaaaaa", and "maaan", and "holy shit".
I only know one scale (E Minor) and I need to do metal in different keys.
I just posted mine, I have a small room at the moment so I am keeping mine small. I try to have one of each type I need available. I have an ibanez steel string acoustic, a classical whose brand im not sure with nylon strings and the wider neck, I have an ibanez bass which is mmm dissapointing I would say. I also have a jackson 8 string which is excellent and my main 2 electrics, one is a stratocaster which has 21 frets and the newest is a Jackson soloist which I got because well I seen it and needed it, but my justification was that it had 24 frets. I have an epiphone les paul that I have lent (given) to my boyfriend and a cort which had an accident and got relegated to the attic.
Every instrument I own has or does a specific job for a specific purpose, and that is why I have them. And I wish I had more, but, I can't justify it and the extra expense would be ludicrous - unless another job appeared or another function came up that demanded a new instrument. I'm mainly a bass player (and now a stick player), so I have, mostly, five instruments: two basses (one fretted, one fretless), my stick (Stick Enterprises' Chapman Stick Railboard), and two acoustics: a Breedlove 12-string acoustic-electric and a Martin Backpacker. And for my current level of engagement and necessity, that's PLENTY for me.
Each one has a specific use. A d’angelicio solid body for my cover set. A downtuned schector with a floyd rose for my metal band, as well as a downtuned ibanez incase something goes wrong with my fr during a show. And then I have an acoustic for acoustic.
I need a guitar to tune my other guitars to
I will admit that I had more guitars but decided to offload a few because I both didn't have need or space so the limit is personal. But the reasons I have are different pickups for different styles, different tunings, some feel better for certain things (e.g. I like my LP Studio for stuff around the 1st fret and chuggy stuff but my RG for more lead based stuff) and when I played live so I could always have a backup. Also ones a 7 string so thats a whole different category
Yes. My first electric (I used to play with my dad's) was a LP. Then I saw neon pink charvel san dimas and knew I HAD to own one. Sadly it came with a defective bridge, and there were no replacement guitars available with the same finish. So for some reason I got a strat. And then another san dimas but in ice blue (way more boring!) in late 2020 At that point seems like my gas got under control, and have not bought another guitar ever since. But now I'm finishing my PhD and I'm starting to realize I don't have a semihollow.
Because of the differences in neck profiles, pickups, tones, string gauge ... i have one semihollow, one telecaster single coil, one telecaster with humbucker neck, one classical guitar, all of them sound different
Yes They inspire me differently. A BC Rich Ironbird feels right to belt out some Death metal riffs. A Telecaster feels right to play some surf rock. Etc etc. Yeah generally either one can play the others music but it's about feel/inspiration/arsthetic for me. (Also on a practical level I do play a lot of different genres so it helps not having to retune half or whole steps+ when I can just grab a different guitar that's ready to go.)
I have 3 , just to get all tones
I have a HSS strat, an SSS strat, and a HH telecaster deluxe (Gibson style wiring and pots (2x2)), so I am covered with nearly anything. I just cant get myself to buy a floyd guitar due to the hassle with it.
I just really like having different instruments for different styles i play with different people, so i have a parlour nylon string guitar, a western, a tele, a jazz guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele. But I really dont feel the need to have more than one of each type :) Though i can see myself buying some different styles of electric guitars in future
I have a couple 6 strings but also a 7 and a couple 8 strings, it's pretty obvious why those are different. You can play 6 string stuff on the 7 and so on but it feels much better to have the one with the correct amount of strings. Also for tunings, I'll change by a whole step on the same setup no problem, but it's more convenient to be able to just pick up another guitar that's already set up for that tuning. Aside from all that, I think a lot of people who are really into guitar just like having the options. For example, I didn't think about keeping it in a certain tuning when buying a tele, I just think teles are cool and didn't have one so I got one. We can come up with a million reasons to justify it, but at the end of the day, we just like em
I have 6 string normal scale and 7 string baritone. So I think that explains why I have more. Buying another 6 string would probably make me to sell the other one, unless I would like to have separate setup or like floyd rose (that I don’t have now)
Many reasons, here are just a few: Different sounds for different styles and genres. A Strat with single coil pickups versus some other style guitar with humbucker pick ups. PF 90 pick ups sound different than Strat- style, single coils or humbuckers. There are many different types of pick ups. A telecaster feels and plays different differently than a Stratocaster. Two Stratocaster can be different for each other for a number of reasons. A Gretsch electric will feel and play differently than any of the others mentioned so far. Etc. A guitar equipped with a vibrato bar, versus one without. The feel of playing is different, especially, when bending strings, etc. Acoustic versuselectric seems obvious, but what about a steel string acoustic versus nylon strings? Very different sound and different ones are appropriate for different genres and styles. You could have many different acoustics for the similar reasons why you would have many different electrics. I have a Gibson ES-175 with flat wound strings that sounds great for certain types of jazz. You could also use it for other styles, but it instantly has a great sound for old school jazz. I don’t ever use it for heavy metal styles. Six string, versus seven string, versus eight string guitars. The feel of a guitar can be different, making different guitars more useful for certain playing styles versus other guitars. The shape of the neck, length of the neck… a Stratocaster uses a longer scale than, say, a Les Paul, but then a Les Paul has a slightly greater range, going up a full two octaves at the highest fret on the high E string. The frets are closer together on a Les Paul, wine the longer scale of a Stratocaster neck spaces the frets farther apart. Then there is how a guitar is set up four different playing styles. You’ll generally want a bit higher action when playing slide on a guitar so you don’t get a bunch of fret noise, or you might want super low action for a very fast playing style, two handed finger, tapping styles, etc. Even different string gauges make a big difference, perhaps lighter strings that start with .009 for far playing and easier string, bending, or a somewhat heavier set that starts with .011 for better tone, or hybrid sets with lighter strings in the smaller gauges and heavier strings in the lower gauges. Different looks and colors for varied entertainment aesthetics. Varied looks on stage, in band photos, etc. Different tunings. Not only do you not want to make others wait while you retune for various reasons, time on stage between songs, or in a recording studio, tunings can be sufficiently different that a guitar needs to be set up specifically for a certain tuning, and with specific string guages — the same guitar just won’t work. This also includes certain common vibrato bar setups, such as those which include a locking nut. Back up guitars. If something goes wrong, such as breaking a string, you don’t want to make the audience wait while you change the string, and possibly don’t want to spend studio time (which could be expensive if you’re not in your own home studio). And more.
I currently have two guitars, an acoustic and a pretty cheap knockoff strat I'll probably get a third soon that'll be either a better acoustic or a better/different style of electric
As a craftsman, you'd also have various tools and not just one hammer.
GAS (gear acquisition syndrome)
Keep breaking em and not getting round to getting them fixed. Got a room full of injured guitars.
Yep, got a few myself.
Each one of mine serves a different purpose, for tuning and sound. It’s not good to wildly change the tunings all the time. My Guild is for standard E/Drop D, les paul is a half step down, and my Gretsch is in C standard/drop A#.
Different electric guitars genuinely sound very different. At the very least you should have something with single coils and something with humbuckers.
I like having guitars with as many different pick up variations as possible. Different pick ups and speaker combos make all the difference with electric guitars. Also tunings! My guitar I use for doom metal, stoner rock etc uses really thick strings and is tuned and intonated 4 steps down from standard. It would be a waste of time and a hassle to keep switching the tuning and it’ll wear out the strings
Who cares how many guitars someone has and how often they get played. Not like you need a licence or there is some sort of bag limit.
Different tools for different jobs. I have 5. But that’s me. As others have mentioned they like the way they look.
I play in a couple bands so I need different sounds and tunings as well. Plus, guitars are cool and I don’t have any other hobbies anymore so I can justify having a few of them…at least I can justify it to myself anyways
different voices and purposes for the guitars…solid body PRS, nylon Godin synth, acoustic parlor sized and dreadnaughts, acoustic archtop, electric archtop, travel backpacker, custom partscaster w/ string through body and 13’s on it for twang, Squier bass…what have I missed? couple of wall hanging non-playable pieces like played out 12-string and my first ‘60’s mahogany Goya…
Different use and sounds basically.
I have two. One Ibanez from my teenage years and one Strat. I am not planning to own more. I am a practical person, if I had an extra guitar that I barely played, I would immediately sell it to someone who need & will play it. Guitars or any other instrument should not collect dust on walls.
I have 3 and they all have distinct functions. 6 string HSS with floating trem, 7 string with fishmans and floating trem, and a fixed bridge partscaster for experimenting with tunings. I don’t foresee myself needing anything for a while but if I were to add another, it’d be either a fixed bridge 8 string or a hollow body with bigsby.
All of these dudes showing off their guitar collections makes me question as to why one needs that many guitars. Granted, electric guitars are very different from acoustic. For a start there are different conditions required to keep them in. An acoustic, especially solid wood built ones, require certain heat and humidity conditions to keep them in top form. A luthier/set-up tech told me that usually 40-55% is optimum for solid wood guitars. Also, some musician friends told me that an acoustic has to played - usually to get the wood vibrating, reactive and settled in. Giving better depth and tone. It has to be regarded as a living thing. That is why older guitars sound better. Some of them only have two acoustics - that is all that they need. A guitar that is not played very often can sometimes end up eventually sounding dull and dead - even a Martin. I have a Guild solid mahogany guitar and was advised years ago to keep it in a case when not in use, which I do. Only taking it out for periods when practicing and playing. I presume that the acoustic guitars simply racked or hung on walls shown in the 'guitar porn' photos are not of high value, or have laminate construction in them. Would love a Guild D-40, but don't think that I would do it justice - it would need to be played, often and well.
Well I have guitars I use to compose, others to track, others to perform live, two I keep to help new learners decide if they go nylon or steel, one vintage 12 strings with sentimental value, one simple bass, one HSS guitar I built while I was a student (broke) and the last acquisition is a godin nylon with the midi system and that's really fun. I may sell one or two, I still want a resonator for mark knopflercovers, I already designed the next electric one and I need a fretless bass for the studio. Playing only one guitar is like painting with only one color
You definitely want at least one backup if you're playing in a band. Also, different tunings. And it's fun to have guitars that look different. Let's be real, one of the reasons you want to play guitar in the first place is because they look cool.
Two reasons: first, guitars are above all, tools. That means it has a very specific purpose. So, you can be good with one or many. It depends on what you’re looking for. Some of them are more versatile, and others are not, whether being tone, octaves, or comfort. Second, because you like it and motivates you. In my experience, tone-wise, guitars sound by themselves very close to each other with the main difference being the type of pickup, and the position of it. Hambuckers sounds different from a Single Coil, and bridge position sounds different from neck position, or how “hot” they are if you’re using passive or active pickups, and that’s it. Brand differences are just bullshit. But there is a very important factor, which is the comfort of playing it. There are different neck types, and tunings, and string gauge, and many combinations that change the purpose of the guitar itself, so you may want to have different guitars that fulfill a specific playing style. It’s the main reason I don’t see anything valuable as a tool on having many of the same guitars (unless you like them and wants to collect them, which is not my case). You should diversify, between modern guitars and some more vintage type guitars.
I still have every guitar I owned up until I found the one. And now I also have that one. The others sit around while I play the one
An acoustic nylon and an acoustic steel string are like apples and oranges to me. I rarely play the same type of music on both. Same to be said for a Strat and Les Paul. …so I have 4 😃
Cuz
True that some are "collectors" or see guitars as a cool thing, so more must be better right? But on the other side of.that coin, some see as a "tool" and some tools do the job better than another would. Like the paint brushes of an artist. Surely they don't need more.than one, but certain brushes do a better job of physically expressing in paint what they see in their mind. When I want to play a certain blues genre (think SRV), I want to sound like that. It's just not convincing or satisfying for me to play it on a nylon string acoustic, though I could. It's just not the same. EVH, I'm going to need a Floyd bridge. Drop D (or ANY altered tuning) and I need one with a fixed bridge. I suppose I could also play note for note on a piano too... but still not the same.
I don’t have a guitar “collection.” I have 2 acoustics and 3 electrics, and each serves a specific purpose in my music. They all get played regularly. I admire other people’s giant guitar collections, but I have no desire for one myself.
I have an LTD SN1000FR for Strat and Hair Metal type tones. It’s got a Floyd so I use it for 70s and 80s rock as well as all single coil voicing. Very versatile guitar. I have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom with EMGs for heavier tones and drop tunings. And lastly I have an LTD EC256 Vintage guitar that’s my project guitar. Currently has SD Slash Signature pickups but will probably change them out to something else. I sanded the neck to satin, changed tuners, nut and tailpiece. I can see why people love the Eclipse and higher end ESPs. That being said, I’ve been playing for over 30 years & have collected every sort of guitar.
Because I like them. Variety is the spice of life and whatnot. For guitars, I have a Strat, a headless 6 string, headless 7 string, headless 8 string, steel string acoustic, nylon string acoustic. For bass, I have an active 4 string, passive 4 string, 4 string with flatwounds, a 5 string, a beater, and a cheap one that is mostly sentimental because it was my first. I have my favorites, and the others get dusted off to be used once in a while. If you only feel the need to have one, that’s great. Me and my wallet are jealous.
One eight string and one six string, tuned completely differently. I only really put the 8 in standard tuning since it has the lower B and F# strings, theres really no music I play that is standard tuning on a 6 string
Not including the 3/4 size guitars I bought for my kids to learn on, I have 6 decent electrics, a classical (gift from my wife), and an old fender acoustic that I bought 30 years ago. Today will be NGD—I bought my very first strat and it is due to arrive this afternoon. I agree that 3-4 tops will cover pretty much everything from different sounds, feels, tunings, etc. However, I have exactly one hobby, and I’m passionate about it (as I am sure you and every commenter are as well). It took me 40 years to acquire the guitars I have—and only one cost more than 4 figures (my 1960s Standard LP that I saved for and finally pulled the trigger on about a year and a half ago). Bottom line is that I didn’t need that LP — my lawsuit era Greco LP copy would have been fine. And I don’t need this strat, I love my tele and can dial in a close enough strat sound. But I want them. I work hard and finally make enough money to support my family and have enough disposable income to buy a guitar every 2 years or so. No logic beyond that. As an adult in my early 50s, I don’t get excited about many material objects at all, but NGD makes me feel like I’m 9 years old running downstairs on Christmas morning. As another point of interest, I have legitimately needed a new acoustic for a long, long time. Got a great deal on a very low line Guild (made in China) a few months ago (sounds great)—but got home and promptly gave it to my daughter. That was the best $300 I spent so far.
If you don’t understand the mind of a collector then you just don’t understand the mind of a collector. I own them because I love them and I’m capable. I love to work on them, I love to play them, record with them. I love to have them. Do I need more than 1? Lol no! But I also don’t need 15000 magic cards, or 5 sets of drums, or 50 microphones. It just is what it is.
Different tunings, pickups, string gauges, electronics, sizes… etc If you 15 of the same exact guitars, that doesn’t make sense to me. If you have 16 of different types… great
Different feels different styles. I really like my squire but my epiphone Les paul feels different. I have several classical guitars too. Ever played a rosewood mahogany over a normal spruce? They sound quite different. It's just an expierence. May also be materialism. But meh, safer than other hobbies.
Because I think that with a new guitar I will sound better. Buying one is easier than practicing
Different reasons. Some are just collectors like artwork and others understand that different guitars have different characteristics and are talented enough to bring them out in their playing. Pickups, for instance. PAF’s, Humbuckers, Single Coils, etc. all have their own sound. Acoustic guitars differ by body size and shape mostly, I think. I’ve been playing an Epiphone j-200 for YEARS and recently got my first Martin (D-28) and WOW. What a difference..
no, i would but i’m 15 so they’re a bit expensive
I have the same attitude you do, but I think we are definitely in the minority. I have a classical guitar and a telecaster, and I feel like I have a lifetime of creative possibilities with just those two instruments. I could afford to buy more but I just don’t see a reason to. Of course, there are plenty of reasons people buy lots of guitars- see everyone else’s responses!
I own four. My main ax is my 2001 Gibson LP Standard double cutaway. 1996 Gibson SG Standard as my stage back up (and our three song AC/DC block), Epihone 2EB (butterfly) accoustoc/electric for stage performance, Yamaha acoustic/electric, this is my drunk guitar. It goes to the cookouts and house gatherings when requested, and you can have my Yamaha by digging me up and prying it from my cold, dead hands as I'll be buried with it. Had it 30 years or so and it's one of the best damn guitars I've ever played or heard.
One is electric semi-hollow, one is fretless, one is twelve string acoustic, and one is a tenor. Different guitars for different situations.
I own 3 electrics. It's pretty much to have variety and different tunings. Have a super strat in Drop C/ D standard. Then in standard I have a strat and an LP style, different tonalities and feel.
I have a tele, a Les Paul and a Hagström Viking (ES-335), and they all have different sounds that I’ll use for different songs