Guitar buying........an addiction??

[tonemonster]

OK, I have been playing guitar for about 22 yrs now.....and been buying guitars for just as long. over the years I have put together a nice collection of stuff. none of really collectable, unless you consider an early Jackson san dimas or a very early Jackson Rhoads collectables. but most of them are USA jacksons, really nice stuff. but the question is.... WHEN is enough enough?? I am bad. I want to buy a new guitar all the time!!! I would like to get one a year if I can. but the reality of life always sets in. I find myself needing a new refridgerator, or new carpeting, things like that...... and put guitars on the back burner. now....here is the deal, I truly have more gutiars than I will never need.....but I enjoy the hell out of collecting, owning, maintaining, and playing guitars. they are my hobby. but there does come a point where I will have a stupid amount of money invested into them. is it practical? hell no. where does one draw the line??

Please discuss.

[DeathThrashAttack]

I think there comes a point in collecting where you need to take a step back and analyze where you might have...lets say, bought a guitar instead of paying for your kids clothes/buy a new fridge/etc. Thats when it is a problem that you need to evaluate. As long as it makes you happy and its not harmful to family/friend time. I look at is as an expensive hobby like collecting vintage cars.

[wilkinsi]

I get a sense of satisfaction knowing I've got what I need, and even better when I've bought an FX processor that gives me a ton of different sounds n' stuff. But recently, I've found that it takes another guitar with different pickups to get another sound I want, because I still wanna keep the sound of the other guitar. But then I want ANOTHER tone. And since changing pickups on a regular basis isn't practical, I need another guitar to make that happen. Likewise, some FX respond better to certain pickups than others. That's all before you consider what I think LOOKS good too, which only adds to the excuses to want another guitar.

[Matt_B]

I too have bouts of GAS and they often cause me much disconcertion. The most guitars I ever owned at once was 13 and at some point I realized that I had too many. Maintaining them all was a chore and playing them all on a regular basis was difficult. I am a firm believer in guitars should be played and enjoyed.

Over the years I have trimmed that number down to 10 and even then I felt slightly overburdened though I love each of them. I spend a lot time thinking about why I want a specific guitar and what need it will fulfill (as far as sound goes). As it is I've got doubles now at least as far as basic sound/pickup configuration goes. I do like that, to some degree, because it means if I feel like playing a certain type of guitar (e.g. a Les Paul) I can always have one ready to go in case one needs a string change.

I do make it point now to almost never sell a guitar because after a while I usually regret doing so but I have never regretted not selling a guitar.

I see folks that own 30, 40, 50+ guitars and I think that's totally cool but I would never want that for myself.

Over the years I've owned just about every type of guitar that ever interested me including Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, a double neck acoustic, a 7 string, guitars with Kahlers, guitars with OFRs, hollow bodies, etc. I worked in a music store for 12 years so I had a great opportunity to play anything you can imagine but now I know what I like and what I will keep. At some point, my buying will end because there will be nothing left I want. I'm getting really close to that point and might even be there right now.

[straycat]

I buy some guitars to sell and some to keep its the fun of the hunt for me.
I have about 40 right now and do play them all,just go thru phases as to what I like to play at the time.
I love to find guitars that need some TLC buy them cheap get them back into playing condition.
I don't think you can have too many.
Some of mine are investments too.I'm waiting for the market to turn around.

[Gartron]

yup in the same boat..I currently have 5 electrics, however I know I'm going to add an Ibanez and an ESP at some point..thrn I'll br happy..until I decide I want a Kramer....or a single hum with a maple board..or a san dimas...or a strat!!

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I don't understand people who have piles of guitars sitting around in cases. I don't fault them, it's none of my business, but, it's not for me.

My approach to this is, I like to have a good variety which covers my wants, without being a pain in the ass, and without being more than I can regularly play. That works out to "10 or less" it seems.

I do like to buy old ones and clean them up/fix them up a little, but I rarely make money on them (usually barely break even) so it's just for fun and doesn't make much sense to do very often.

[fordsho90]

[QUOTE=MakeAJazzNoiseHere;1308449]I don't understand people who have piles of guitars sitting around in cases. I don't fault them, it's none of my business, but, it's not for me.

My approach to this is, I like to have a good variety which covers my wants, without being a pain in the ass, and without being more than I can regularly play. That works out to "10 or less" it seems.

+1

[Musician78]

I can't ever see myselft not buying or wanting another guitar. I have 12 right now, and most of them I don't play. I still want more though. Really weird.

[nhspike]

Guitars = Crack Cocaine

[Musician78]

Pretty much.

[Axewielder]

As a musician, I can't think of a believable story for needing more than a half dozen or so. As an investor, its an even worse situation! Even the fixer-uppers I get for cheap cost me an arm and a leg. Terrible investments, these guitars are!

[6string40]

If I had the money to buy CS guitars regularly, I would. Right now, I find myself buying parts and building mutts at a fairly regular pace. It's fun. You still get the excitement of the hunt, but also the added pleasure of customizing the way you want it and the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

But yeah...it's an addiction for sure!

[RacerX]

It doesn't help if you are a regular on the JCF either!

[ulijdavid]

I have a bunch of guitars and play all of them. I don't have any that sit unplayed. I am always hunting for more even though I don't need them. I would never put guitars before family needs and also realize that they are probably the first to go if times get tough. However...................I work my ass off everyday and if I want to reward myself with 8 billion guitars then you bet your ass I will.