"Thinning the Herd"

[greuvin]

What is this? Why does it seem that everyone is "thinning the herd"? I've been seeing this a LOT lately. Anyone know?

Maybe I'm going against the trend, but there seems to be a lot of great deals out there so I'm "fattening" the herd :-)

[alanbass1]

Generally means someone cutting down on the number of guitars/amps/effects they own. I did this once when I had a bunch of gear that just sat around in cases not seeing the light of day and not serving as 'investments', so I sold them off.

[Guitar Josh]

When you have TWO pedalboards and still have 20 pedals sitting around, it's time to thin the heard :D

[Jon Silberman]

Some people, for some strange reason given all the rest of the talk around here, seem to find that term exceptionally annoying. To me, it's meaning is clear and that's why it's used: it's saying, "Every [insert gear type] I own is personally selected and excellent but I've just got too much of it, so that's why I'm selling this particular piece." Is it always true? Of course not but it's just background.

[Atomic Punk]

ONLY if I NEED the money.

[Mike T]

I wish I had the discipline to thein the herd..............

[Jarrett]

I personally don't like the materialistic aspect of owning more stuff than I need. Not sure why, but it bothers me a bit to have a room full of amps and guitars sitting around. This used to be common place for me as you can see in my gear pics below, but nowadays it really bothers me for some reason. I try to only have as much gear as I need for a given gig and that's it. And if I find something that does the job better, I replace my old gear with the new.

[Zelmo]

When you've got 6 sea kayaks, you need to sell off part of the fleet.

[Tone_Terrific]

What is this? Why does it seem that everyone is "thinning the herd"? I've been seeing this a LOT lately. Anyone know?

Maybe I'm going against the trend, but there seems to be a lot of great deals out there so I'm "fattening" the herd :-)

This 'why' could be indicative of saturation of the market in this group.

I suspect a trend towards fewer and better, and a decline in the purchase of vintage investments as the purchase price increases making the investment potential less in a market with a lower demand for high dollar 'pieces.'

Just observing, not a participant in the high-end trend YMMV

[prsflame]

I just finished thinning out my herd. I went through a major life changing event in April 2006. This event caused me to re-evaluate my life, and my priorities. I wanted to simplify everything,(not just my gear situation) and really evaluate my "wants vs needs". Long story short, I owned 32 guitars, 6 amps, and 4 cabs. I now own 9 guitars, 2 amps, 1 cab, a modest pedalboard, and 1 acoustic. I use the 9 remaining guitars in my collection on a regular basis, and I have cut out the excess. It's a nice feeling, as odd as it may seem. Although I continue to enjoy checking out gear, and keeping up with the latest and greatest, I have not had any real GAS pains in over a year.

[big brekfest]

i don't care why people do it. i've been enjoying the sweet deals. I'm just getting back to playing the electric guitar and appreciate not having to go deeper into debt to get some nice gear. :P

[blues]

I dont have a herd. Two guitars,two amps, and two pedals. If I had the extra cash I most likely may have a herd. Ive been buying and selling gear for about 30 years. The only thing I would do different,I would make sure my wife and son would get the toys they like first.

[rastus]

I dont have a herd. Two guitars,two amps, and two pedals. If I had the extra cash I most likely may have a herd. Ive been buying and selling gear for about 30 years. The only thing I would do different,I would make sure my wife and son would get the toys they like first.


Very wise! This is a piece of hindsight I think we gear hounds all should keep in mind. Thanks for sharing it with us! :AOK

[buddastrat]

Damn, I should return this new Fender relic I got for my wife for Xmas, even though she doesn't play? It's the thought that counts right?

[twferrill]

I wouldn't say that I've been thinning the herd, but I have been turning over my gear. I don't anticipate owning any less guitars, but I am upgrading to more Custom Shop and boutique level guitars.

[GAT]

Some people, for some strange reason given all the rest of the talk around here, seem to find that term exceptionally annoying. To me, it's meaning is clear and that's why it's used: it's saying, "Every [insert gear type] I own is personally selected and excellent but I've just got too much of it, so that's why I'm selling this particular piece." Is it always true? Of course not but it's just background.

This is true for me, I have great gear and anything that I would sell would be stellar at this point. For instance, I want to go from 4 strats to two. I would sell a Chapin Stratahoula and a Koll/Skyway bridge guitar, two guitars that are incredible.

[c-dub]

The beauty of the internet is that guitars are now almost liquid assets. Buying used allows one to try a number of great guitars without losing too much if you decide to move in a different direction.

[Robert1950]

It's Christmas.

[rivaeast]

sometimes you have to thin the herd to make room for new stock..... I'm doing that right now selectively selling off the pieces I don't love and looking for a couple of new members to the family.

[davess23]

Yep, "thinning the herd" is just a seller's euphemism for

"I'm not selling it because it's no good or there's something wrong with it...honest,"...or,

"They aren't threatening to repossess Ma's iron lung again. I ain't desperate, so don't lowball me,"...or maybe

"my wife found out what this thing costs so I'm getting rid of it."

Whatever, it's not a problem. I don't mind the phrase "thinning the herd" at all. There are far more obnoxious expressions making the rounds out there at any given moment. Just don't tase me, bro.

[Pietro]

I just sold two guitars I was not really using at all, because although I thought they were way cool when I bought them, they didn't suit me as well as I thought they would.

I sold them for a decent price to two different people who were DELIGHTED to get them for a fair price and in awesome condition... NOTHING wrong with them, and the ones who bought them would tell you the same thing.

and...

It allowed me to buy something that seemed like it would be more me, my new PRS Standard 24. And guess what... this guitar is ME!

I went from 6 electric guitars down to 5. I'm delighted. And I am still ahead, with the remainder of the money I got from the sale burning a hole in my pocket in a big old way...

[scottlr]

I have no intention of selling any of my Gibson or Fenders. But every now and then, I get the urge to sell my 2 Gretsches. There's absolutely nothing wrong with either of them. I just don't play them much. I have a 57 RI Silver Jet that is cool, and plays well, but for some reason, I almost never grab it. I have a Setzer Sig 6120 that is a lovely instrument, plays and sounds fantastic, but just for sitting around the house playing, it's just too damn big. At a jam or a gig, it's fine. Same with my ES347, too big for TV playing comfort. Standing with a strap, and it's fine. NONE of my amps are going anywhere as long as I live, aside from a major financial situation. Like many, I have so many regrets for selling/trading gear in the past, nothing leaves me if I have any kind of bond with it. So, I am mostly a thickening, or at least maintaining the herd kind of guy. I have several guitars in mind I'd like to add. As soon as funds are available, I'll work on them. That damn ES125 thread has me going, though. :)

[twoheadedboy]

The "herd" analogy can get pretty tired, but the meaning seems clear enough to me. I reserve a certain amount of physical space in my home for gear. Since I don't like to spend more than a certain amount for a guitar or amp, I usually sell things because of physical crowding. In my case, I suppose it's more a matter of freeing up floor space than thinning of a herd. When I was gigging more, it was really annoying having to choose which gear to take, so I tended to keep just one guitar and one amp with maybe a backup guitar and that was it.

[MartinPiana]

When you have TWO pedalboards and still have 20 pedals sitting around, it's time to thin the heard :D

or thin the unheard

[Jon Silberman]

Need to thin the heard: my LP for your Strat.

(Don't PM, it's just a joke. ;) )

[8Painting]

I got rid of 3 of mine in the last month.

They werent seeing a lot of playing time.

I find it rather metaphorical of the American psyche as far as make more money, and own as much stuff as you can. In a nation of gluttons, Id try and take an alternate route.

Don't get me wrong, I like having a guitar that suits a lot of situations/songs. Thats why I've still got a few, but by no means do I need 8.

[GreaserMatt]

I've always been sort of a collector at heart. I thinned the heard once & regreted it.

[ecbluesman54]

I think there is thinning the herd from say 4 Strats in order to pay for one. I came to the conclsuion that it was important for me to have quantity over quality. Some people are gatherers though. I personally would prefer to sell the american Strat for one custom shop strat. That being said I should sell some Les Pauls to pay for a custom historic Gibson.

[OlAndrew]

if I stick to one guitar for awhile, I get really good on that one, if I shift to another that I used to play, I've lost a little of the touch on that one. I've got 3 acoustics, each very different, and 2 lectrics, but mostly play 1 electric, and the old Guild 12. Don't wanna sell any of them ,but if I got another, say a 330 to replace the Japanese knockoff, then the ko would go. Just can't use em all.

[mad dog]

Doesn't much matter what you call it. My curiosity far outweighs my willingness to hoard stuff. So I buy to try, and sell to try again.

[Vibrolucky]

Comes down to needs vs. wants. I cannot maintain 20 guitars or 30 amps, so I try and keep the number managable from a practical sense.

Always will keep a Strat, Tele, Archtop, Solid Body Electric, Bass and an Acoustic.

Always will keep the Tweed, Blackface Fender & Marshall.

I have a hard time turning down a good deal, thus needing to "thin my herd" every other year or so.

[guitarfish]

I have no problem finding room for my guitars.
It's those darn cases that are the problem!!

[Izy]

My reason for thinning the herd is because i cannot bear to see guitars just lying around unused.

I usual go back to the same guitars everytime. But nowadays i try to play everything i can justify keeping everything.

Also i thin the herd to upgrade to better guitars and better gear.

[Alainlafrance]

Generally means someone cutting down on the number of guitars/amps/effects they own. I did this once when I had a bunch of gear that just sat around in cases not seeing the light of day and not serving as 'investments', so I sold them off.

Yes that's what I'm doing too right now.
But I'm starting at about 100 so there is room for that :rolleyes:

[strat6866]

6-8 electrics for me is manageable. whenever i creap beyond that i feel like i "should" thin the herd a little even though i dont "need" to thin it.
i usually have 8-10 nice guitars at any given time but what i dont understand is why some people have 10 or 20 brand new cheapies, like $100 or $200 guitars.
maybe its just me but i dont see the logic.

[8Painting]

Comes down to needs vs. wants. I cannot maintain 20 guitars or 30 amps, so I try and keep the number managable from a practical sense.

Always will keep a Strat, Tele, Archtop, Solid Body Electric, Bass and an Acoustic.

Always will keep the Tweed, Blackface Fender & Marshall.


That's a reasonable amount.

Cover all your bases.

[Amplite]

I can't afford another guitar stand!!

[greuvin]

Damn, I should return this new Fender relic I got for my wife for Xmas, even though she doesn't play? It's the thought that counts right?

Ha, ha..that's great, budda. Yes, it's the thought that counts.:BEER

[greuvin]

6-8 electrics for me is manageable. whenever i creap beyond that i feel like i "should" thin the herd a little even though i dont "need" to thin it.
i usually have 8-10 nice guitars at any given time but what i dont understand is why some people have 10 or 20 brand new cheapies, like $100 or $200 guitars.
maybe its just me but i dont see the logic.

Yeah, I don't get that, either. I'd rather have one quality axe instead of numerous cheapies.

[greuvin]

Yeah, I love to buy axes. i just can't help myself when it comes to making new discoveries. Of course, every one has it's own story. There are so many cool guitfiddles around these days.

Sometimes I get in the "lawsuit" mood, and then there's the "335" tear, and then the Historic Lesters and 70's SGs. LOL! Too many segments and sub-segments to mention. Man, this hobby is the BEST! No matter what mood I happen to be in, I can't ever resist an unbroken, totally original vintage guitar that is available at a decent price.

I have space set aside for this. I actually only play 5 of the "herd", but I just like having the others around. I love the comings and goings, too. It's like Christmas when that big box arrives. The UPS, FedEx and DHL drivers all know what is going on and they take extra care of my stuff, it seems.

Finally, I especially like the feeling one gets when a satisfied buyer sends me an enthusiastic email regarding a successful deal. That is the intangible reward.

Anyway, I won't be "thinning the herd" anytime soon. I'm enjoying this too much. :BEER

[greuvin]

or thin the unheard

Prophetic!

[Dana Olsen]

or thin the unheardThat's where I'm at too. I own 3 Strats, and I've played exactly two gigs this year on a Strat.

Begs the question, why do I need three Strats? One is a MIM maple neck w/ Fralin Vintage HOts, one's a CIJ rosewood neck w/ Fralin Blues Specials, the other's a 1995 Custom Shop John Page/ Vince Cunetto. They all sound real good, and I fight all of 'em when I play 'em - I don't really get along with Strats that well.

I own a Reverend w/ P-90's, but since I got it I've also got a real LP Junior and a real LP Special - so why do I still need the Reverend?

Seriously, I own 15 guitars, and I could easliy make do with 6-7. Well, maybe 8 or 9... (GRIN).

I just need to 'cut some of the dead wood' out so someone else out there can burn on it.

Dana O.

[KRosser]

That's where I'm at too. I own 3 Strats, and I've played exactly two gigs this year on a Strat.

Begs the question, why do I need three Strats? One is a MIM maple neck w/ Fralin Vintage HOts, one's a CIJ rosewood neck w/ Fralin Blues Specials, the other's a 1995 Custom Shop John Page/ Vince Cunetto. They all sound real good, and I fight all of 'em when I play 'em - I don't really get along with Strats that well.

I own a Reverend w/ P-90's, but since I got it I've also got a real LP Junior and a real LP Special - so why do I still need the Reverend?

Seriously, I own 15 guitars, and I could easliy make do with 6-7. Well, maybe 8 or 9... (GRIN).

I just need to 'cut some of the dead wood' out so someone else out there can burn on it.

Dana O.

Yeah - I'm probably divesting myself of a few guitars in '08 that aren't getting gigged with too much, and a whole slew of pedals/processors.

Since I'm not a collector, I look at this as keeping the business 'lean and mean'...there's no need for me to own 'cool things' that aren't being used.

[TieDyedDevil]

I have a "rule" to sell off any gear that goes unused for a year. Sometimes I make bad decisions at purchase and I flip the gear sooner. Sometimes it take a long time to move a piece at a price that I'm willing to accept.

I've been in the situation of "allowing the herd to grow" and it's not a good thing. Not for me, anyhow. Storage space is an issue. More important though is the compulsion to give everything "equal" time, which leads to comparisons. That becomes a huge time sink. I'd rather spend the time playing.

[Uncle Pat]

I've been a cheap guitar guy for a long time, but I'm at that point in my life where I can afford a few nice pieces so why the hell not.
I've recently sold three nice imports to make room for a really nice custom shop Les Paul. I didn't really need to sell them, but I know they wouldn't get played and having them lay around like that would be a sin.
Anything in my stable is going to gigged heavily with, too....no show ponies among five electrics and four amps of varying wattages for different gig needs.

[rastus]

I am thinning the herd bigtime lately. I am selling about a dozen higher end vintage pieces out of my collection in order to purchase a new home. I am keeping the old house and will rent it out til my son is an adult. Then it will be deeded to him. So, that is a geart reason to thin the herd.

I am also in the process of selling off 5 stage guitars that I no longer use, as that band has been defunct for a few years. I never really play them at all anymore, they are excellent utility guitars, but all have issues, modifivcations, and wear and tear that make them strictly "players" I am selling them off to players that I know that need good gigging axes at good prices. I have a core of 11 instruments that I can't do without.

As far as vintage collectible guitars, I unload them to get better examples, or I may sell off a model I'm not fond of (a 63 Astro-Jet I sold comes to mind) to try out one I'm curious about. It's a great hobby, I love it. Even better I love meeting other players and collectors. Just a lot of fun!