How many guitars do you have? How many is too many?

[GT3]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and recently getting back into playing guitar after playing off and on for the past 40 years. I currently have about 20 guitars - 2 acoustic, 1 nylon-string electric (Gibson Chet Atkins), and the rest electric. Despite having so many guitars, I still find myself hankering to get a few more, not as a collector, but to have variety in guitars to play. This forum may not provide a representative sample, but I'm wondering, how many guitars do you all have? Is 20 a lot? Do many people have a lot more than 20?

 

[Chic-Pop]

Something with P-90s in semi-hollow might (emphasis on "might") complete the package...

 

[Sustainium]

 

[adamfox]

I'm trying to do the opposite. After some time off, I would like to downsize to 2-3 guitars (electrics) that do it all, and get intimately familiar with them. I got 2 new ones, but still need to sell 2 of the remaining old ones. I do also have 4 basses, 1 steel string and 1 nylon string acoustic though. Maybe I could move a few of those too.

 

[David Garner]

I have 5 total, not including ones I gave to my kids. 2 LPs, a Strat and a Telecaster, plus an Epiphone Masterbilt acoustic.

I'd like more, but I could get by with less. Really a Strat, an LP and an acoustic would set me up fine. I don't think there's any such thing as "too many." Even if you own them and don't play them, that's a personal choice. If there's a reason you aren't selling them, that's good enough for me.

 

[GT3]

I'm trying to do the opposite. After some time off, I would like to downsize to 2-3 guitars (electrics) that do it all, and get intimately familiar with them. I got 2 new ones, but still need to sell 2 of the remaining old ones. I do also have 4 basses, 1 steel string and 1 nylon string acoustic though. Maybe I could move a few of those too.

Actually, I too want to sell some to make space for new ones. But the number will probably go up before it starts to go down.

 

[singlecutarmy]

I would have more if I had the money or space. IDK if preferring sub $1000 guitars helps or hurts, because more guitars feel 'attainable' to me.

Things I want I would actually play / consider getting in the future:

I want a tele but I'm really picky about them, like 90% of them are fugly to me. I'm keeping an eye on the Slicks to see if they go in stock.

I want a white epi LP custom.

I want a LP style guitar with a floyd. Maybe a harley benton, they make a cool one.

I want a natural top mockingbird and bich.

I want one of the relicced 10s brand Les Pauls.

I want some kind of SG.

I want a PRS SE 245 and custom 24.

And as far as expensive, I'd like to try a Duesenberg one day to see if I'd like those.

It's only too many if you don't have the space, money, or time to play them.

 

[GAD]

I have 79 guitars. Honestly 10 is probably too many.

 

[neastguy]

too many is when you dont play them all... I think Im right at the sweet spot with 6 elec and 2 accoustic

 

[Borealis]

Unless you're a collector I'd say more than 20 guitars is a lot. I cannot imagine any practical need for more than 10 guitars either.
Nothing wrong about owning lots of guitars, but if you have more than 20 you might consider calling yourself a collector.

 

[Chicago Slim]

I now own 12 guitars. When I was a working musician, I owned around 6 and actually used them all.

 

[fjblair]

I have around fifteen, which is at least seven or eight too many. My goal is to get to five or six.

 

[Fenderbaum]

2 Strats and 1 acoustic. Welcoming my first Tele next year that will be assembled.

 

[cap10kirk]

I have 3 total, one acoustic and two electric. And sometimes I feel like I have too many. I only ever use one of them (my Junior) for rehearsals, gigs, etc. And it's the only one I play at home 95% of the time. The other one I built mostly just because I wanted a project. And I rarely play the acoustic, but it was my first guitar so I keep it more for sentimental reasons than anything.

 

[MagRick]

Had 11, then down to 6 and again up to 8 now,
so basically I have a Sinusoidal relationship with guitars , almost

 

[stormin1155]

I have 40 or so. I don't consider myself a collector, I just like having them. Some I've built myself, some are gifts or have some sentimental value, none are highly valuable except to me. My three teles, a couple of strats, and four or five of my acoustics get most of my play time, some of the others I'll pull out occasionally, the rest I just like to look at.

 

[bigmac53]

At this point I've got three electrics; a strat, a LP, and a 335, plus one acoustic. I've tried other models (tele's and jr's) and I just didn't bond with them. I'm at a spot now where I really love the three electrics that I have and I play them all regularly. I'd be lying if I said I never check the emporium or various vintage sites or that I never consider getting another; but all in all I'm at a happy place right now and if anything I could see myself selling another before adding a new one; or waiting a while and buying something really special & vintage, something that I really have to have.

I think "too many" is very subjective; if you feel like you're playing them all enough, there is no such thing as too many; however, if you're only going to grab the same few every time you play, then I think at that point you've got an issue. But again, it's all individual - I know that I don't like owning stuff I don't use, but that doesn't mean that mentality is applicable to everyone.

 

[slamigo]

I like having a variety. Right now I have:

Gibson Classic Goldtop with P90s
Gibson Billy Joe Armstrong LP JR
Eric Johnson Thinline Strat
Fender Am Perf Tele (this gets played the most)
Peavey USA made tele from the 90s
Peavey USA made strat from the 90s
Gretsch 5420TG
Fender 60th anniversary Jazzmaster Triple
Gibson ES-335 Traditional (on layaway - pick it up after Christmas)

I also have an old Simon and Patrick acoustic. I try to have a broad range of guitars so that there's a small justification for getting a new one.

Eventually, I'd like to add:

Gibson Firebird
Fender Jaguar
Gibson LP Standard

Then maybe finally get a nice FCS Tele.

 

[Jayyj]

To many is if you like traveling light and somehow you've with more than you use so some are surplus to requirements, or when owning them negatively impacts your life - if you're spending money you can't afford, or if you're getting into boarding territory (the difference between hoarding and collecting being significant from a psychological perspective). Otherwise it's entirely down to personal judgement - if someone has 100 guitars and can justify them to himself, even if that justification doesn't make sense to others, I don't think it matters.

I'm on 40 or so which is about my top end, but I've actually just pulled out a couple I haven't played for a while this week to see if I'm actually going to ever get use out of them or if they're surplus to requirements, but I'm enjoying them quite a bit so if I don't actually need the money I don't really see the point selling them just for the sake of it. I would imagine eventually something special will come up where I need to sell other stuff to take a run at it, so that's the point they'll end up being moved on but until then they're fine as occasional players.

 

[zeffbeff]

20 guitars is too much for me. I have three electric guitars, and each is my number one. Meaning, each of my three electric guitars is so perfectly dialed in for me and my style.

I’d rather have a handful of guitars which I use exclusively, instead of dozens of guitars sitting in cases gathering dust most of the time.