Are you a “one guitar” or “more guitars” guy?

[PastaPizzaMammamia]

Around you can see photos of rooms full of gear: some have 8 les paul, others a guitar of each brand, others dozens of amps.

What kind are you? One guitar with which to play everything (maybe with humbuckers splittable in single coils?) or one for each genre you play? And why?

Since I’ve read dozens of conflicting opinions around, I thought I would propose it as a poll.

 

[lkft]

I'm a quality over quantity guy personally and I've trimmed my guitars down to 4, 3 electrics and one acoustic. Amps are a different story and if I had room I'd have more than I have now but for now I have four amps, two are at two different practice spaces and the other two at home. As far as guitars go I find that I need a LP for that sound and the others are S style guitars in HSS config. Between those and the type of music I play I don't feel I have the need for anything else.

 

[MKB]

I've got tons of electrics of all types, as I am sort of obsessed with them and their intricacies. But acoustic guitars, bass, and other instruments like mandolin are different; I just have the bare minimum of each to do the job I need to do with them.

With electrics I'm obsessed with brand, wood type, frets, scale length, etc. But all the rest I don't care about most of that; what tool makes musical sense?

I do wish I felt the same way about electrics that I do about the other instruments. Much less expensive, and less wasted space.

 

[Jim85IROC]

Definitely in the "more" camp for me. I love trying out different guitars and experiencing what they have to offer. I also enjoy the thrill of finding and buying the next one. My house has become a revolving door of guitars going in and out, and I find it to be a ton of fun. I have so many guitars going in and out that I've found that most of my "keepers" haven't had a string change in over a year because they don't get played often enough to need it. I've had the opportunity to own, play & sell probably 20 guitars in the last year.

 

[PatrickE_FenderADV]

Four electrics, one acoustic. I will always have a minimum of three total... two electrics and one acoustic is my “need” for life. LOL

 

[misterg71]

I’m an “A few” guitars guy.

 

[scott58]

More is better.

 

[C-4]

Early on and for the past 64 years, I carried at least four guitars to sessions and live work, which included a Tele, Strat, LP, and 3X5 type.

I've had a nice assortment of various guitars, but slowing down now, I sold off a very large part of my guitars. I am now down to four: a Les Paul, 355, the guitar at left in my avatar, and a Yamaha Silent Guitar.

I am happy with what I now play, but it took me almost all of my playing life to realize what I preferred to play.

 

[DutchBluesLawyer]

One more, a few times per year

 

[Oldschool59]

Many guitars, all different from one another. Not two are of the same model or with similar characteristics.

 

[HAL 9000]

1 single coil (Strat), 1 hb (Les Paul), 1 acoustic (Gibby Sheryl Crow).

I would like a 12 string at some point, either elec or acoustic.

 

[TL;DR]

When I was gigging, I was a “one guitar” guy. I was never good enough to have roadies, and I always thought dudes playing in a bar band who brought out a different guitar for each song looked a bit douchey. I’m sure the dude was like “the audience will be thrilled that I’m using the same guitar that’s on all the original recordings”, and the patrons were thinking “I wish this band was quieter.”
Now that I just make ****** recordings, I use several guitars, but truth be told, it’s frequently hard to identify which guitar I was using if I didn’t document it somewhere

 

[Strummerfan]

I don't have dozens, but I have a bunch. It's just really enjoyable to pick up something different from time to time, even if #1 will do everything I need it to do. Playing different guitars makes you get used to different neck profiles, different scale lengths, different radii, body shapes, pickups. The more different guitars you play, the better you adapt.

 

[sunking101]

I've been doing the 'one in, one out' thing over the past 12 -18 months and slowly upgrading my collection to the point now that each new addition costs a bomb so sadly my NGD occasions are less frequent.

I'm favouring quality over quantity and currently have six electrics & one acoustic. I may even drop to five electrics in the future in order to part-fund my next purchase. After that I'll be in the position where all my guitars are keepers.

 

[VJF]

Before I joined TGP I only had one electric and one acoustic but I also did not gig or record.

Being exposed to what was available and how they differed made me want to own more but I prefer to keep the number down so I can play them all regularly.

 

[Strummerfan]

When I was gigging, I was a “one guitar” guy. I was never good enough to have roadies, and I always thought dudes playing in a bar band who brought out a different guitar for each song looked a bit douchey. I’m sure the dude was like “the audience will be thrilled that I’m using the same guitar that’s on all the original recordings”, and the patrons were thinking “I wish this band was quieter.”
Now that I just make ****** recordings, I use several guitars, but truth be told, it’s frequently hard to identify which guitar I was using if I didn’t document it somewhere

You need at least two to gig with, sometimes s**t breaks, like strings, input jacks, god forbid, headstocks. You don't want to hold up a gig to change a string, and not many of us bring a soldering iron to a gig.

 

[thornie]

I like having one each "thing". LP, Strat, HSS Superstrat, Tele, offset, 335 type, and a p90 guitar. That's 7 MINIMUM.

 

[Nizzle]

One guitar. One amp. And I am starting to lean more and more to keeping it that way. I play 1-2 hours a day. It's a hobby. I have spend 1000 euro on it (fender player strat + yamaha thr10ii). A new guitar is between the 600 - 1700 euro. A new amp too. I am almost 40. I don't see the logic in spending that much money to create a different "tone" while I am only playing in house.

And even if I end up gigging with friends 1-2 or twice a month. Or perform live (????)... Do i really need more guitars? Perhaps a stronger amp then.

I don't see the logic.

What might happen at some point is me getting an good acoustic and mostly playing that. However, I still dislike the loudness of an acoustic often, especially with strumming.

 

[guitargeek6298]

I'm closer to a one guitar guy. I have three electrics that I play, and an acoustic that mainly sits in its case. Two superstrats and a HSS strat.

At times I consider making the strat all singles again, but then I remember that I never played it then. I really think I've just figured out what I like and I'm sticking with it.

 

[Tiboy]

I guess I’m a more guy with 7 electric and 1 acoustic. I want to get down to 4 electric: LP, Strat, PRS 594 and Tele Deluxe Troublemaker. That would mean moving the SG, Tele and Gretsch. Emotionally I’m ready to move those three. I’m just too lazy to do it. On the other hand I have rotating GAS for a P90 LP Goldtop, Silver Sky and an ES335.