Question to people who own lots of guitars. How do you justify to your family and yourself on buying more guitars? - I used to own 20 guitars all in standard E tuning ...of which i woke up one morning and realize i basically only played the same 2 out of the 20 guitars- conclusion sold all of them and now own 3 custom guitars in different tunings - 1 in Standard E/ Drop D, 1 in Eb/ drop C#, 1 in D standard/drop C ---each guitar has a purpose and gets used equally because of the tuning- trying to convince the misses on buying one more guitar? but she asks why? I have been dealing with gear acquisition syndrome all my life, it got better after i had kids but now it's BACK!!HELP!
Your reason/justification for owning more guitars? Help!
- Thread starter vejichan
- Start date
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Winspear
Winspear/Noisemother
Yes, different tunings, styles, and inspirations that come with. You can attempt to explain these things. But as long as you are financially sound, the justification that most people spend a certain amount of money on things they enjoy on a regular basis, should be enough
I like the fact that there are a lot of different guitars out there. They all feel different, sound different, look different, cost different. Having a pool of guitars to choose from give me joy in my hobby. No single guitar in the world could replace the feeling of having several different, for me. I also buy most of my guitars used, and the resale value is often the same with no loss, sometimes even higher.
I have an 8 string with a dropped low E, a 7 string in standard, my two main 6 strings (one in E standard and one in Drop C), an old mistake of 6 string I'm trying to get rid of locally, and my first electric guitar.
The 8 string was the last one I could sanely justify. Anything from here on out would have to be a replacement to what I already have, just because I don't have the space for this many guitar cases. My partner also has 3 guitars of her own, with an additional one planned.
With that said, I'm fortunate in that my family has always been pretty supportive of my passions and hobbies and, while they will question my purchases, if they see that it's something I really want and that can I get something out of, they easily understand. Finances have not been an issue so far, except for my last guitar purchase, where I had to willingly and consciously set some funds aside, but that's gone well and paid everything off on the spot.
The 8 string was the last one I could sanely justify. Anything from here on out would have to be a replacement to what I already have, just because I don't have the space for this many guitar cases. My partner also has 3 guitars of her own, with an additional one planned.
With that said, I'm fortunate in that my family has always been pretty supportive of my passions and hobbies and, while they will question my purchases, if they see that it's something I really want and that can I get something out of, they easily understand. Finances have not been an issue so far, except for my last guitar purchase, where I had to willingly and consciously set some funds aside, but that's gone well and paid everything off on the spot.
aesthyrian
Well-Known Member
If I want it and I can afford it, then it's justified. That's how it works with most non-essential purchases in my life. Also, no family = more guitars.
mmr007
(anti)Social Influencer
Its not about justification. Its about controlling the narrative. You sit her down when there’s a news story on about a wife and kids that have gone missing. You use that as an opportunity to remind her that for everything we do in life there are consequences. Asking why there are so many guitars in the next room for example, has consequences. You politely thank her for attentiveness during the conversation and point her back in the direction of the kitchen if its close to any meal time.
jaxadam
Well-Known Member
This sums it up for me.
I also have a lot of tennis racquets, and it's the same thing. They look different, they play different, they feel different, and they give different inspirations.
Money isnt an issue because i basically save 5% of what i make on a new guitar. 95% goes to my family. I dont drink, no coffee, no videogames, dont smoke or buy new clothes or shoes and j eat pizza and drink water for lunch at work...even though the misses strongly urges me to buy some new threads because i have been wearing the same clothes and shoes for over 10 years now. So i save 25$ a week which is 100$ a month, which is 1,200$ a year , which is 4,600$ in 4 years which is New guitar day every 4 years or so. I tell my family dont you dare get me anything for my birthday or christmas.
I have 25 and as long as they fit in my music room, it's not a problem with my wife. Each guitar is different with different specs and feel, so I don't feel like I'm wasting money while avoiding duplicates of the same guitar. I have a wife and a kid and as long as the bills are paid and money is saved up, a new guitar every year or so isn't a big deal. Out of the last 10 guitars I've purchased, half have been new, half used. The used ones are easier to justify if price is an issue.
Some new or used clothing would be okay every once in awhile! It doesn't have to be designer clothes, but staying fresh doesn't hurt either.
Buying one guitar every 4 years is commendable if you are supporting your family with the majority of your income. That's good self control in my opinion.
Buying one guitar every 4 years is commendable if you are supporting your family with the majority of your income. That's good self control in my opinion.
In these threads people usually say how they are able to save, and invest. Its inspiring! For me, I had many guitars - none were really super expensive. They were all in the same tuning, essentially. Then I sold those, bought others, and set them up in all different tunings. I wasn't using them as much as I thought I would. My goal was to do a bunch of covers. Then I sold those.. and now I have a variax, and the rest of the guitars are all in standard. I also have a helix (pitch shift isn't good for me with distortion) and a drop pedal. So I guess to get the most out of my collection, Standard tuning, but I have accessories that help me get the most out of each guitar. That way I can play what makes me happy. My gas comes and goes though. So I feel your pain.
sleewell
Well-Known Member
i think about buying guitars more when i am not in a band. when we are writing, recording and playing shows i tend to lock in my rig and worry about buying guitars less.
but yeah bills are paid, saving for retirement, taking vacations, providing for my family, etc so it doesn't really matter where the disposable income goes.
but yeah bills are paid, saving for retirement, taking vacations, providing for my family, etc so it doesn't really matter where the disposable income goes.
For me: Differing tunings, plus one fretless guitar, plus at least one cheap secondhand guitar for experiments and setup practice.
It is very common for people to only own guitars they value highly, i did this at first too, they forget to own cheap secondhand guitars they do not care much about, which are just as important to own.
Here is a very good reason for a 4th and 5th (one fixed bridge, one double locking trem): Cheap second hand guitars are extremely useful to practice setups on, because there is no fear of harming the instrument. Then with the experience and confidence you can then setup your expensive guitars precisely to your personal needs (and therefore do better setups than any guitar tech), save lots of money, and be able to setup as often as you want which accelerates experimentation and your own progress.
It is very common for people to only own guitars they value highly, i did this at first too, they forget to own cheap secondhand guitars they do not care much about, which are just as important to own.
I have an acoustic, an electric bass and 10 electric guitars. The electrics are all different enough to keep, some are in different tunings and so on. I have sometimes considered selling a few but I don't have a need for the money or space. I don't think I will buy a new guitar anymore but would like to build a Telecaster sounding guitar that does not look like one.
I try to avoid having lots of things that just collect dust and I don't want to be a collector. I vary between which guitars I play more but those change month to month.
I try to avoid having lots of things that just collect dust and I don't want to be a collector. I vary between which guitars I play more but those change month to month.
Thanks i want to custom order this
20 guitars. Too many? That’s adorable.
Have your wife talk to my wife.
she did talk to somebody's wife because thats why I own only 3 now.. LOL
I tried to list my Jackson USA KV2T to fund something else and she was like “which one are you selling?” So I showed her and she told me I couldnt sell it lol.
jaxadam
Well-Known Member
God that is a good wife. Is she single?
