Am I odd for being a 1-guitar man?

[Roobubba]

Obviously I'm odd in other ways, but I was wondering why so many people on here, and guitarists I know personally, seem to hanker after so many different guitars.

Am I strange for being someone who's happy with one good guitar?

I'm currently looking into the custom route - but as and when that guitar materialises, it will be my "one" guitar, and my current ibanez will be used exclusively as a gigging backup guitar.

Enlighten me!

Roo

[Philly Q]

Am I strange for being someone who's happy with one good guitar?

No, but you're strange for not liking Telecasters.   :P

[Kilby]

Nope just fortunate (despite your tele issues)

[ToneMonkey]

Well I only need one of each type of guitar so I'm not as bad as others.

[Philly Q]

To give a serious answer, are you mostly interested in playing guitar, so the guitar itself is just a means to an end?

I'll never be a good player but I've always been fascinated with guitars.  I just like them, the way other people like cars or designer clothes.   The last time I only had one guitar was 1986.

[WezV]

yes!!!  i will never understand you people, i would have 1 of everything if i could - not quite like twinfan who needs two

[dave_mc]

Well I only need one of each type of guitar so I'm not as bad as others.

nice save! i'm gonna go with that one too. :lol:

[AndyR]

No, I don't think you're odd at all (apart from the tele thing!!)

For years I was a "one guitar" man - a strat. But because I was front man of the band, I definitely needed two guitars for when a string broke. Ideally it should've been another strat, because plugging a different guitar in always produced a completely different sound out of my amp which was very off-putting and would always throw me for a few songs until I'd got used to it. But unfortunately all I had was my first decent electric as a spare (a Westone Thunder - destroyed pubs when plugged into a valve amp set for a strat!).

Then in a later band, a strat wasn't quite right for the job I was doing, so I experimented and started getting into other guitars.

Now, I don't play live, but I've got money. I don't feel any need for a really expensive guitar, or indeed a custom guitar built specially for me (really sorry Wez, Jonathan, any other makers...) What I do want is a little stable of the "classic" rock and roll guitars to amuse myself, that produce the "old" sounds that I know them for. I'm not unduly bothered whether they're "real" ones either.

I think I've almost got there, just about, and now they've all got BKPs in as well. And because I don't play live, I don't need two of each really, although I was nearly sucked into getting over excited about these Classic Vibe Squiers that are on their way in mid August, but I'm over that (I hope!).

The only thing I'm really missing now is a decent semi, but I think that might prove expensive (especially as it might mean in reality a 335 type, a Birdland type, and some sort of rock n roll Gretsch beast) so I'm not going to worry too much for the moment...

They all do different jobs, and one day you might find you want guitars to do different jobs... I reckon it's as simple as that. There is the "I love all guitars" thing that Philly and Wez touch on - you're possibly slightly different from many of us that you don't seem to have that, but probably it's more of a blessing than a cause for wondering "am I normal?" :lol:

[_tom_]

I'm sort of like that. I dont feel as though I need any more guitars than my Epiphone, it does everything I want. My pearl is good for p90 tones now but I still use it way less than the mule'd epi! I was gassing for loads of stuff a while ago but right now I'd rather stop worrying about guitars and just play the stuff :P That being said the Ibanez RGA121 in dark violin finish does look REALLY appealing, I just dont think I'd get on with the neck... (its that kind of thing that I hate about buying new guitars, wondering whether I'd like it, wondering if it'd be as good as my others etc :lol: )

[indysmith]

I doubt you'll be happy with one guitar for long. When I first got my Ibanez I was completely happy with it for about a year and didn't desire anything else - I'd been craving it for ages, and I'd read all about it and it was the object of all my desires. When I finally went and got it, it lived up to all expectations; it felt great, sounded great, looked great. I could get humbucker growl and single coil quack in the same guitar!
As time goes on though you might just sort of 'see' other guitars you'd like to play, and then one day you might play one, and then you might feel that it does something another guitar doesn't do quite so well, or you might just fancy a change of feel/vibe etc., your tastes could change and you'll end up wanting lots of different guitars.
If you're anything like me that is... (and tbh I don't know how alike we are; so maybe you're right, maybe you will stick with one guitar! Good luck!)
It'd be great to be a one-guitar man for a lot of reasons; the savings of money, the simplicity, the relationship you build with an instrument, the romance of it all (a lot of big guitar heroes all seem to have stuck with one guitar throughout their career, or at least had a "no.1" they use the majority of the time).
I hope that one day I'll play one and it'll just click.

[Twinfan]

...They all do different jobs

That's the way I see them.  You wouldn't use a Ferrari on a muddy field would you?  Sometimes you just need a Tele for the right tones etc

I just like them, the way other people like cars or designer clothes.

Me too.  I'm like a walking encyclopedia when it comes to guitars.

i would have 1 of everything if i could - not quite like twinfan who needs two

I just like to have a spare, that's all!  :lol:

[il˙ti]

If one guitar covered all my needs, I would just play one guitar. But sadly it isn't so.

Is your Hardcore band the only band/project you play in? If so I wouldn't say it's odd you only want one guitar. I don't mean that to descriminate the genre or anything, but if I only played one musical style, one guitar would be plenty for me aswell. My Les Paul fulfills my needs in a 6-string electric so at the moment I don't want another 6-string electric. I supose to some extend I'm in the same boat as you then. :)

[hamfist]

  I've been playing for over 20 years and, much like you Roo, have never felt the need to ever have more than one main guitar, and one cheaper back-up guitar.
  I have changed my main guitar a few times, but have always sold the old one, when I bought a new one.

  For me, I think a lot of being (vaguely) slick on the fretboard, has to do with the familiarity of the guitar. Every time I change guitar or try a different one, I suddenly feel a bit more clumsy again. Once I've been using the same guitar for a few weeks, my brain seems to adjust to it, and I can't adjust quickly to a new guitar at all.

[_tom_]

It'd be great to be a one-guitar man for a lot of reasons; the savings of money, the simplicity, the relationship you build with an instrument, the romance of it all (a lot of big guitar heroes all seem to have stuck with one guitar throughout their career, or at least had a "no.1" they use the majority of the time).
I hope that one day I'll play one and it'll just click.

Thats sort of what I'm like with my Epi, probably because it was my only good guitar for most of my time I was learning the basics. Just feels right. Other people have played it and hated it but it feels perfect to me :lol: I almost dont dare get a setup done in case it comes back and doesnt feel right any more. I also feel guilty if I play any other guitars for long periods of time, like I'm "cheating" on the epiphone :oops: :P

[Roobubba]

I doubt you'll be happy with one guitar for long. When I first got my Ibanez I was completely happy with it for about a year and didn't desire anything else - I'd been craving it for ages, and I'd read all about it and it was the object of all my desires. When I finally went and got it, it lived up to all expectations; it felt great, sounded great, looked great. I could get humbucker growl and single coil quack in the same guitar!
As time goes on though you might just sort of 'see' other guitars you'd like to play, and then one day you might play one, and then you might feel that it does something another guitar doesn't do quite so well, or you might just fancy a change of feel/vibe etc., your tastes could change and you'll end up wanting lots of different guitars.
If you're anything like me that is... (and tbh I don't know how alike we are; so maybe you're right, maybe you will stick with one guitar! Good luck!)
It'd be great to be a one-guitar man for a lot of reasons; the savings of money, the simplicity, the relationship you build with an instrument, the romance of it all (a lot of big guitar heroes all seem to have stuck with one guitar throughout their career, or at least had a "no.1" they use the majority of the time).
I hope that one day I'll play one and it'll just click.

I guess we might not be that alike, then - I've had the same Ibanez (which I got broken and cheap off a guy at college something like 10 years ago!), and I've been very happy with that for the poppy/rock uni band right through to the current hardcore band (although it's been BKP'd in that time, and paired with a brutal amp, of course!).

Interesting to hear other people's takes on this, and thanks hamfist for making me feel a tad more normal :)

I'll let the tele comments slide this once - you all know I'm right though ;)

Roo