Gear minimalism as a thought process...

[Unicorn Warrior]

cash in for higher quality (but fewer) things.

This is what I've been actively doing. The number has gone down but the quality up.

I eventually will do this again. I’ve done it a few times in my 10-11 years of playing guitar. I have a friend who basically traded most of what he owned for an early 60s strat.

[JamesSGBrown]

I'm going to sell the spare Jag, the Tele and the Pro Reverb. Hold out for a Vibrolux then try and zip it all up for a while - see if it works

PM’d re Tele

[Larry Mal]

I might do something similar. Maybe I'll have an ES-175 sent out, and sell off a few other guitars.

[cestlamort]

This is a natural thought process. And I think that most of us here (as self-selected participants in a guitar board/community) can relate.

I also wish that I'd landed on my one-and-only guitar, as that seems like such a noble thing somehow. Instead, I've gone through countless guitars over the years. The secondary person-to-person market means that you can essentially try out any guitar for a period without really losing any money.

And I like shopping for guitars. Maybe more than having guitars.

From my own experience, I was always into older effects and they have a tendency to be less reliable (I'm looking at you, vintage clone theory that crapped out in rehearsal last night!) so there was always a good reason for a backup / redundancy. And I like shopping for guitar effects, too. Plus, sometimes you have to buy the guitar/amp/pedal when you see it, because it may be difficult (or way more expensive) to track down later if needed.

I've always approached guitars and effects as a means to create sound(s), rather than as a vessel for anything approaching virtuosic musical expressions on my part. Basically, a way to explore what sounds running X through Y produces (yes, it's admittedly a somewhat dilettante approach). So, trying out various guitars makes sense in that context. (I had a similar approach back when I was a skater; maybe my proudest competitive moment was coming in dead last in a contest in Munich where I essentially rode the street course in the wrong direction. I also fell in both runs, so that probably factored into it too, but I tell myself that they just didn't understand my "skate and deconstruct" style ).

Additionally, years of incremental guitar upgrades led to having a collection (albeit a small one) of nicer guitars, which in turn means that all are nice to play and could theoretically replace any of the others for function and feel, but some do some things better than others. And having a couple older guitars (and ones with sentimental value) meant that I needed to have something else for touring / playing out, etc.

I've found that my mental sweet spot has been maybe 4 electrics and 1 acoustic. (ideally: Guild SFIII – my first guitar, needs new frets – , Rickenbacker 6 string + 12 string, and a jaguar or jazzmaster; my mom's Martin). I'll probably scale back to that fairly soon, if only to create some headroom to try something later. The whole goal is to have things that inspire you in whatever way or provide enjoyment. That could be bathing in the _____ of ______ guitar, or discovering new sounds with a new guitar before moving on to something else.

Amps have been a different matter, however, as I've pretty much stuck with the same handful (Super Reverb and JC77) for the last 10-15 years, with dalliances with a Twin in there (which I wish I still had). I may be one of the few who didn't get along with a Vibrolux. The one I had sounded good (especially when played by other people) but it was maybe not lighter than my Super reverb (late 60s vs late 70s construction) and didn't sound as 3D. I'd maybe try your Pro Reverb with 2x10 to see if that does it for you, but I'd personally live with the Pro for a while before chasing after a vibrolux. (That said, I realized that I only have amps with 10" speakers currently, so take it with a grain of salt).

[sal paradise]

Three guitars is perfect*

*Assuming we’re working on the usual assumption that the perfect number of guitars = your current number + 1.

[pscates]

I've never owned two, let alone five or more, or the same type of guitar (Tele, Strat, Jazzmaster, etc.) and I never would. That's just not me at all.

I don't want the clutter, upkeep, overhead and logistical/financial hassle of buying multiple Staytrems, strings, pots and all the rest.

I've mostly owned just one guitar/amp at any given time. I don't do the collecting/hoarding/GAS thing. They're just tools, not things I want to collect/pile up.

[zhivago]

I've been on both sides of the argument.

For the first 40 years of my life, I hardly ever owned more than two guitars at the time, and one was always an acoustic guitar. I went for years and years with only the same one electric guitar....god, the fret wear I put on it!

For many, many years I have said that the magic number in my book is three. This way you can keep the guitars being played instead of gathering dust. And for me, one of the three is always an acoustic....makes for tough choices.

Nowadays, in my 40s, I currently own 9 guitars. One of them an acoustic.


I still believe the magic number is three...the problem is that as I became older I came across a few guitars that are magical to me, so they have to be added to the small bunch of instruments I have, and I can't bring myself to sell them.

I have been toying with the idea of selling three of my current guitars (one of my SGs (the vintage one), my Esquire clone and my ES345) to get something really cool from the Fender 50s....and I may end up doing it later this year. Even in that case I'd still be at more than my magic number...rules are meant to be broken, I guess!

[hulakatt]

I gotta strip it back to 2 JM's, a strat, a tele and my LP. I play the LP the least but it was an engagement present from Mrs. Katt. I have a half finished Mosrite project that I'll hold onto as well.

That leaves me with getting rid of an acoustic, an MIJ Jaguar, an LP Jr and an SG Standard.

I don't want to get rid of any amps but that doesn't mean I don't have too many

I seriously need to start getting rid of pedals. I had way too many before the pandemic and went a bit nuts in the last 2 years. Found some really, really cool ones and some others that I love but I just have way, way too many still.

[JSett]

For many, many years I have said that the magic number in my book is three. This way you can keep the guitars being played instead of gathering dust. And for me, one of the three is always an acoustic....makes for tough choices.

I don't think I could count my acoustic, or bass, as part of my 'magic three'. They just don't see enough play time to warrant counting for that much in my life.

The spare Jaguar has already sold. The Tele shouldn't take long I expect. That will leave me with said magic number. We'll see how long that lasts. I'll be a feat in itself to resist some things (that IBM Coronado on Reverb right now, for example).

[Surfysonic]

My cup runneth over at this point. What got me here are a few factors: interest in new gear/impulse purchases, modding enjoyment (fun and educational), and eventual plans to demo new and modded gear on YT. Lately, I've been doing my best to whittle the gear down.

in 2007, I renewed my passion for playing guitar after a 10 - 15 year absence. I was single and had disposable income. It was a costly education, but I eventually determined what I liked and didn't like. Along the way, I got much smarter than the early days of this rediscovery on findiing deals and selling gear to break even or possibly make a little more on the deal. Sure, in some cases, losses were had, too.

At one point, I had amassed 36 guitars (including 2 bass guitars and an acoustic). Taking a hard look at myself, I realized I was bored in life and I didn't have a partner in my life to keep me a bit more grounded since I couldn't do it on my own. Eventually, I sold a lot off to whittle myself back down to about 10 guitars. Some of those I regret letting go, but not many. I was in a few bands along the way and I got the gigging itch scratched.

Years later and now happily married going on 6 years, I enjoy playing at home and tinkering with mods and such. Somehow, I've amassed about 35 guitars, 1 acoustic, and 4 bass guitars. I've recently put a lot up for sale (guitars and amps). With all the new tax stuff involved with selling on Reverb & eBay, I've decided I'm only going to sell gear via message boards and locally for now. If all goes well with my taxes and 1099 from Reverb to sort out, I may be fine selling stuff back on Reverb again. However, I'm not thrilled with the new hassle, though.

While I have a number of inexpensive/now modded gear, I am fortunate to have traded up to some higher quality gear that I consider keepers until I reach the age where I can't play any more. I consider this gear my little retirement nest eggs to sell off as needed and hopefully, their value will continue to increase. The gear inflation bubble may burst at some point, but not likely any time soon. The bad/good news with all this gear inflation is more and more dream guitars are now out of my reach to buy so I've really been appreciating what I have currently.

As a gear addict, it's a struggle to refrain from impulse purchases. Due to the current bloated inflation, though, it's a bit easier to manage the impulse buying. Lately, I'm at least I'm focused on buying parts for partsbuilds.

In any case and most importantly, I promised my wife that I'd move all the gear on at some point down the road so that I don't put the burden on her to sell it all off if I ever pass unexpectedly in the (hopefully) far future.

[hexes]

given my age (still young, but past time for being in a band that matters), career (no weekends off. ever. live audio tech.), and uncertainty in live performances, I'm ready to shed everything that is off-the-shelf. my harvester was the beginning of that process. I have no use for any of my music making devices in my townhouse if I don't make music.

I've never been attached to gear, with three exceptions: a good ampeg v4/vt-22, an old deluxe memory man, and a fender reverb unit. The latter of which I have built twice for myself.

my problem is most of my guitars are dinged up or are parts guitars, so they're not worth much. The amps I've been building are mostly clones and are also "valueless" without being an established builder. It's hard getting rid of something I've made with bare hands for myself, though.

Without prospects of ever playing live again, it's kind of a bummer... but my time for gear monkdom is nigh.

Time to shed all the excess weight.

[hexes]

My cup runneth over at this point. What got me here are a few factors: interest in new gear/impulse purchases, modding enjoyment (fun and educational), and eventual plans to demo new and modded gear on YT. Lately, I've been doing my best to whittle the gear down.

surfy, you're one of the people between here and SG101 that I always look forward to reading posts from. How did I not know you're on YouTube?!

[hexes]

I'm going to sell the spare Jag, the Tele and the Pro Reverb. Hold out for a Vibrolux then try and zip it all up for a while - see if it works

a Vibrolux is one of the few real fenders that seems still possible for me to own. just all around good and fully giggable.

[seenoevil II]

The search function on this site is a bit junky, but I do remember an excellent thread once where a very veteran member stripped down his collection to a single guitar. It was a vintage Telecaster deluxe or custom that he bought from the original guitarist of Blondie. I feel like it was pink for some reason.

He liked the experience but eventually caved in because he didn't like the idea of potentially losing the guitar and not being able to replace it. It was an excellent thread that hit this topic directly on the nose and I really wish I could find it again. I'll keep looking.

Typing words I feel I may have already typed in a past life:

There is definitely something super appealing about gear monogamy. We really love the Jonny Greenwoods and the Steve Howells and the Brian Mays and (of course) the Willie Nelsons of the world. It's really romantic. I gotta say that guitars I get the most enjoyment from playing are the ones I've messed up the most.

I think with guitars (as with partners) the specialness of monogamy comes from exclusivity. Trying a million guitars (or partners) hoping to find a super special one that will make you forsake all others is a fool's errand. Rather, the greatness of your relationship comes from time spent. I won't claim that tone is 100% in the fingers because it isn't, but I will claim that most gear is far more versatile than we give it credit for. Doubly so once you've put in the 10,000 hours to learn every last idiosyncrasy of a rig. Trey Anastasio plays the same amp rig he's always played and has a similar quote about really deeply knowing your gear.

I think my favorite people however are gear monogamous because they simply don't give a shit. These are my favorite folks to watch the rig rundowns because they know like three things about their super special, one of a kind instrument then the conversation is just sort of shut down. Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeahs is my favorite example of this. He just has one MIJ Strat from the 80's that he's played since he was 14 and could honestly give a shit about any other gear.

I say this as the Caligula of cheap, shitty gear. I have guitars that I've been trying to get around to selling for 10+ years. I've never spent more than $600 on a guitar (that I've kept).

A weird dilemma that's come up is that good gear not being able to replace cheap but sentimental gear. Like I got a real-deal, awesome, pro-quality, vintage guild acoustic recently that is every damn thing I've ever wanted in an acoustic. Like, with acoustics, I've beaten the game and I consider the file closed. Though, I honestly like playing my Yamaha more. Not least because I don't have to be careful with it. While some unknown stranger put all the wear and mojo into that Guild, I put every last swirl, dent, scratch and tan line into that Yamaha (not to mention the 10,000+ hours of playing into that top that's blossumed beautifully and honestly sounds better than some newer all solids I've heard).

I can see going down to one guitar for sure though. Like after moving country, or a natural disaster or something. I have some mods planned for my Guild jazz box, and if they make it sound the way I hope they will, I can see going down to just that one guitar. It's loud enough acoustically to be a couch companion too.

I'd describe my journey with guitars as a serial monogamist, hoping to find "the one." But after breaking up, all my exes just sort of sit around my house watching TV all day for the rest of my life and maybe once a decade I get drunk and fuck them. But then they go right back into the spare room for 7 more years.

[seenoevil II]

https://offsetguitars.com/forums/viewto ... it=Blondie
Found it!

It was Antigua not pink.