Gear minimalism as a thought process...

[Jaguar018]

At this point I have gear that does have sentimental attachment. What I have tried to do is reduce that to the bare minimum. If that hypothetical worst-case scenario happens I could get rid of 80% of my stuff. I could easily go down to one electric, one acoustic, an amp and a few pedals. [And if my house burns to the ground I would probably replace everything with that more minimal setup]

The rest of the stuff is just a bunch of stuff that sits around. Every so often, like a specialized tool that you just need for a certain job, you reach for that guitar or pedal that gives you the sound you need and you totally appreciate having that piece of gear. When you have the luxury of space and a decent income it is really easy to live this way.

[Daitong II]

I recently got back into playing after a few years of not picking up a guitar. I kinda went crazy on getting stuff I've always wanted, mostly in the parts guitar variety, although I did pick up a Gibson j-45 as well. I was always a telecaster kind of guy but I've fully transitioned over to offsets. My recent Jaguar build has me over the moon. I don't think anything tops that in my arsenal at the moment. If I had to purge them all, that's the one I'd keep.

I am pretty limited in how much I get though as I share a one bedroom apartment in NYC with my wife. Only so much room to put stuff. Hopefully we upgrade very soon, but I'm thinking of unloading a Japanese '81 Epiphone Riviera and my VO telecaster custom to make space for other crap coming.

[luau]

When you have the luxury of space and a decent income it is really easy to live this way.

Exactly this. Guitars make me happy, I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford things I like, have space to store them, and soon I'll be dead. It's not any more complicated than that. It's the short story and the long story. When one or more of those things change then I'll make adjustments that reflect that reality.

[sal paradise]

I’ve the too many jackpot… 9 guitars and 2 basses is too many.



1 x ‘91 Les Paul
1 x AVRI 52 Telecaster
1 x MIJ Mustang
1 x Tele Deluxe parts build
1 x ‘76 Strat
1 x ‘73 Strat
1 x squier cv Tele
1 x squier JM XII
1 x Martin 000-15M

1 x ‘76 Precision
1 x Squier jazz bass

1x JCM 800 2205
1x 65 PRRI
1 x cab

2 x pedalboard
+ Other pedals

[marqueemoon]

I actually sold a guitar yesterday! My bandmate bought it to give to his 10 year old niece for her birthday.

I think a lot of my problem with letting stuff go is the transaction feels icky.

I’m also planning to get a few things repaired this year and deal with some annoying setup-related issues that are bugging me about a few guitars I have that I otherwise really like.

I don’t need more guitar crap. I just need what I have to be stuff I’m excited about, and the more gear I have the more I can put things off.

[seenoevil II]

I love how this thread is evergreen.

The Burning Building Scenario

I have a ton of guitars still, even though I tend only to play three of them. However, if my house were on fire (or more realistically there was a tornado warning) and I could only grab one guitar from the group, I have no idea what I would grab.

Kind of illustrates the subtle difference between abundant minimalism and enforced minimalism.

The following dialog would play out in my head as the tornado bore down upon my neighborhood:

I love my Guild Mark I classical, and it's very special to me for a number of reasons, but it's only worth less than $350 (it's in rough but playable shape) and classicals can't do it all.

If I go by pure value, then it's my Es-335 I should save. But, that's not even my favorite Gibson, let alone electric, let alone guitar (god I'm spoiled now). Although the potential for versatility of an Es-335 is enormous.

Ok, so grab the Firebird. Hmm, yes, ok. Amongst a collection of guitars that covers all the major bases, grab the most exotic and niche instrument that's also the most temperamental and fragile (it can't even be leaned against an amp). Plus the case is bigger than a bass's.

Longest owned guitar?
The cheap, broken Squier Strat.
Most sentimental?
The worthless and dysfunctional Squier Tele.
The most played?
My similarly worthless Jazzmaster or Yamaha acoustic.
Best one instrument to have in many contexts?
Why that's a good dreadnought acoustic and my Guild D-25 (once I finish repairing it) would be great. Except it's far from the most valuable, and I struggle to play my compositions on tough steel strung acoustics.
Then, a big electric jazz box would be best as it can project enough acoustically to get by and be plugged in at other times.
Again, not worth very much and also kind of niche.

As I danced back and forth on my tip toes, wiggling my fingers rapidly in agitated indecision saying " I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," the cyclone would uproot my house and I along with my guitarsenal would be flung into the air. We will have become truly inseparable after all. Quite literally as a mingled mass of rosewood, phosfphor-bronze and viscera.

[windmill]

I love how this thread is evergreen.

The Burning Building Scenario

As I danced back and forth on my tip toes, wiggling my fingers rapidly in agitated indecision saying " I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," the cyclone would uproot my house and I along with my guitarsenal would be flung into the air. We will have become truly inseparable after all. Quite literally as a mingled mass of rosewood, phosfphor-bronze and viscera.

I know which one I would grab, but...

Also know the order of the next few and I would burn while trying to juggle 3-4 guitars.

[JSett]

Just about to list another guitar which should take me down to 5 electrics, a bass and an acoustic. That's about the lowest I can go now as all of the remainder have definite jobs

Inca JM - my forever guitar
BMM Tele - my main gigging guitar
Guild S-60 - backup gigging guitar
Ric 360 - solo stuff guitar
56 LPC - for the joy of owning it
*

Acoustic - obvious reasons
Jag Bass - gotta have one lying around really

Pedals im actually down to about 25-30 now, which has been a long-term chip away over the last 2 years. Amps I'm making a dent in:

Balls 50 - gigging amp
Victory V30 - backup gigging amp
VibroChamp - home amp
Ad-5 - recording amps
Cube 40 - solo stuff amp

Fluff: Cube 60 bass, DIY Modulus amps thing that's been in the attic since I finished it. I sold my HRD and an Orange Super Crush. And I found a silverface twin in the garage ( ) I forgot about. That went quick and easy to a friend with a stronger back than me.

*the astute among you might notice what's missing here and might be able to work out what will be up for sale today/tomorrow

[zhivago]

I've resumed my guitar selling after a brief pause...three-four more will go over the coming months.

I put the first one on ebay a couple of days ago, once that goes I'll move on with the rest.

[JSett]

I've started another clear-out. Trying to act on what is now a +2yr realisation/thought process.

I just sold my Rickenbacker. It was lovely but got very little use. Thinking of selling the Guild but on the fence as they're rare and it's really quite cool. Plus they're just not worth much money so the financial reward for letting it go will be minimal but the loss of a relatively unique instrument might outweigh that. We'll see.

I don't ever count the Hello Kitty Strat, or the weird 80s budget 'Rockster' superstrat that I have both of hanging up in the front room more as decoration than anything. So, current arsenal would look like:

4x main electrics:

2019 AO60's Telecaster, BMM - my current main squeeze and gigging guitar.
2008 66BB MIJ Jazzmaster, Inca Silver - my forever guitar.
1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom, Black - currently still tentatively for sale, but very much not putting much effort in.
1979 Guild S-60, Tobacco Burst - gigs pretty well, and super light, which is good for bad-back days.

Asides:

2023 Yamaha FSX-5 Acoustic - because you have to have at least 1 acoustic.
2008 Fender Jaguar Bass, MIJ, Black - because you should really own a bass too.
A couple of Ukuleles - for when I'm feeling tropical.
200? Esquire partscaster as a gigging backup, Black - because, well, backup is good. I don't count this one for some reason.

I don't think that's a bad cutback as things go, considering I had well over 20 'main' electrics a few of years back. I'm certainly spending less on strings! There's also a bit more space in the attic now there's way less hardcases.

I've also treated myself to a lovely handmade walnut 5x guitar rack that should arrive in a few weeks. I'm going to take down most of the guitar hangers when this arrives so as to remove temptation. I'll likely keep the bass, acoustic, spare Tele and Ukes on one wall then my actual guitar rotation on the rack. This would leave 1 spot for something else, and I'm toying with finally buying a nice Gretsch Penguin to fill it. Maybe.

[s_mcsleazy]

so i'm trying something interesting at the moment. i've been looking over all my guitars and thinking of which i'd want to keep no matter what and the rest are going into the storage locker or loaned out for a bit. i told my friend luke about this and he was just like "your silver jagmaster, is that one of the ones that might be getting furloughed?" so he's borrowing that one.

[SeymourG]

I had started collecting lots of different guitars based on value and potential resale. But then i started realizing that it wasn’t really for fun/enjoyment anymore. So, now I only buy/collect something that I know I’m going to actually play, which at the moment is 62 or 65 reissue Jaguars. It’s fun trying to find a color you don’t have.

[JSett]

So, a very fast update. If the sale goes through for the Gibson then it'll actually look more like this:

3x main electrics:

2019 AO60's Esquire, BMM - my current main squeeze and gigging guitar.
2008 66BB MIJ Jazzmaster, Inca Silver - my forever guitar.
1979 Guild S-60, Tobacco Burst - gigs pretty well, and super light, which is good for bad-back days.

Asides:

2023 Yamaha FSX-5 Acoustic - because you have to have at least 1 acoustic and it's one of my main writing tools.
2008 Fender Jaguar Bass, MIJ, Black - because you should really own a bass too.
200? Esquire partscaster as a gigging backup, Black - because, well, backup is good. I don't count this one for some reason.
A couple of Ukuleles - for when I'm feeling tropical.

Just having 3 main/good electrics will be weird but maybe I'll finally find that inner calm I've been seeking.
I'm going to keep just my Esquire, Jazzmaster, Guild and acoustic on the 5-space rack. This leaves 1 spot open for a rotating option - I can't see me not buying and selling anymore as that's a hobby all in itself and I like the journey. But if I just use 1 spot and try and be strict about a 1-in-1-out policy then it shouldn't get out of hand again.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Just having 3 main/good electrics will be weird but maybe I'll finally find that inner calm I've been seeking.

An Esquire, a Jazzmaster, and a hollow-/semi-hollow-body seems like a decent distillation of what you'd want/need from electric guitars. The only obvious duplication is two being 25.5" scale Fenders.

TV Yellow LP Jr. gets my vote, just so I can live vicariously through your purchases.

[JSett]

An Esquire, a Jazzmaster, and a hollow-/semi-hollow-body seems like a decent distillation of what you'd want/need from electric guitars. The only obvious duplication is two being 25.5" scale Fenders.

TV Yellow LP Jr. gets my vote, just so I can live vicariously through your purchases.

I'm not entirely sold on a hollowbody as a 1/3 of the arsenal thing. I never played my Ric all that much and my Coronado, although cool as all hell, got even less. I might have one come in on that rotation spot at some point I guess. We'll see