Author Topic: Guitar collectors - your opinion on them (Read 12315 times)

gwEm · « **Reply #30 on:** May 01, 2007, 02:02:14 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Quote from: Ratrod
Guitars are meant to be played. Just like cars are meant to be driven. Keeping a guitar in a case, even if it's in a conditioned environment, can actually ruin a guitar. Truss rods, moving parts etc. need to be checked every now and then. Rest rusts.

The finish of my '81 Hamer Special has somehow reacted with the furry lining of its case. It's not a pretty sight. I think I need to bin the case, wet-sand the whole guitar and polish it, but I never get round to it.

Worst thing is, that's what it looked like 2 or 3 years ago, and I haven't checked it since.... I might find the guitar and case have melted together into one big lump. :(

pics?!

Philly Q · « **Reply #31 on:** May 01, 2007, 02:16:05 PM »

I'd have to open the case to take pics, and I'm afraid. Very afraid.

It probably wouldn't show up very well on a pic, anyway. The back and sides of the guitar have acquired a strange textured matt appearance. I'm not sure if the lining has pressed into the finish or if it's slowly dissolving and sticking to the finish, it's hard to tell. :?

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #32 on:** May 01, 2007, 04:09:46 PM »

HMMM- very often it is partners /wives/girlfriends/parent who maybe dont play that cant understand why the need for many guitars

I have yet to meet many girls who have less than 6 pairs of shoes
A previous girlfriend had over 120 pairs and many were pretty expensive
(not Manolo Blahniks or Jimmy Choos - but expensive all the same)

I do feel it is a shame to have something and lock it away and not ge to derive pleasure from it on a regular basis.

I also feel bad about some of the worlds precious timbers that are used on very expensive guitars being locked away as an investment - but nowhere near as bad as those same timbers being cut down and BURNT just to make way for more cattle farming so Mcdonalds or whoever can have a cheaper burger

Johnny Mac · « **Reply #33 on:** May 01, 2007, 05:22:00 PM »

I think it's cool to have lots of guitars. I have 4 with a custom on the way.
I've known a few petrol heads over the years and the amount they spend on cars is amazing, especially the bloke i once knew who did drag racing!
What we spend on guitars over the years isn't that much, plus you have the advantage of them never really wearing out, unlike a car for example.
It's different guitars for different sounds/styles of music. I'd like a load more but space to put them is a problem. I know I'll still get some more though.
Tell you friends to mind their own if their criticising!

dave_mc · « **Reply #34 on:** May 01, 2007, 05:37:45 PM »

Quote from: FELINEGUITARS

I'm with you in many ways with that kind of collector
It's the same with people who go to art galleries and are more interested with what the art is worth or will be worth in a years time.

:drink:

lulusg · « **Reply #35 on:** May 01, 2007, 06:32:47 PM »

I find meself playing less but the kids more and more, so I know those gits will be taken good care of. :)

38thBeatle · « **Reply #36 on:** May 01, 2007, 07:37:33 PM »

It was funny reading what Jonathan said about ladies and their shoes.A certain lady I know (Mrs 38th) makes Imelda Marcos look like a shoeless waif from Victorian London which is handy if she ever gets to complaining about my pitiful array of 6 guitars. I think she was a centipede in a previous life. I have 2 Strats, a Tele, a Precision bass and two acoustics-I use them all a lot and over the years have earned enough out of music to easily say that they haven't cost me anything-not that that makes any difference-it juts makes me able to add a little sneer to my "justification".

WezV · « **Reply #37 on:** May 01, 2007, 08:48:21 PM »

I wanted to collect guitars but lack of money always got in the way - i did have around 16 cheap guitars before i started building the. It was mainly down to the sheer amount of maintenance that those guitars needed that i got into building & repair -infact most of them ended up as donors and guneui pigs to practice repair on.

Now i have a collection of guitar parts!!

I have one black limba (korina) and maple burl electric with BKPs, and one acoustic that i made a few years ago - they are my permanent guitars that wont be sold. Both of these sound and play fantastic but have a few too many cosmetic mistakes to let me sell them - at least thats what i am telling the missus!!

I also usually have a few side projects and experiments lying around that i use till i need the parts for something else. currently i have a lap-steel that took about an hour to make and is really rough - but so much fun

i cant really justify spending lots of money on gear anymore because i have very little time to play them, i even find it hard to justify keeping one of my builds for myself unless it flawed and i dont build enough each year to keep much in 'stock' yet

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #38 on:** May 01, 2007, 10:26:00 PM »

Quote from: Antag

Then I realised that none of the guitars I wanted to sell were worth anything so I might as well keep them, then I realised that my 6 planned guitars didn't include a bass or a 12-string, then I decided I wanted a nice Les Paul, then I realised I didn't have anything with single coils etc etc etc...

Exactly how I hope to be eventually (when I have money.

ToneMonkey · « **Reply #39 on:** May 02, 2007, 08:50:17 AM »

Better stop playing on here and do some revision then

PhilKing · « **Reply #40 on:** May 02, 2007, 10:02:58 PM »

As someone who owns over 60 guitars and had a friend with about 80, I find no problem with people having a lot of guitars. One thing that I do know, when I had just 10, I could even justify it to my wife at the time because even she could hear the difference between an acoustic and a bass. As time has gone by and I have had some spare money, I have bought guitars that I always wanted but couldn't afford when I was playing professionally. Since I do most of my own tech work, I keep all of them playable and rotate the favourite ones. Some are valuable, but that is because of the time I have owned them, rather than what I payed for them. I don't really have collector grade guitars, because mine are all players.

I have no problem with the number of guitars I have, and there will be more in the future. If others do, I personally don't give a shite, they don't have to have so many. Everyone is diifferent. My friend Tom who passed away had the right idea, life is too short (in his case this was really true), so if you want something and you find it available, and can afford it, then get it, you will feel better for it!!!

Twinfan · « **Reply #41 on:** May 03, 2007, 08:56:10 AM »

I'm with you Phil. Life IS too short and you have to have fun while you're here. I spend too much money on guitars, but I enjoy having and playing them - no matter how little use they get.

Stuff 'em :twisted:

Kilby · « **Reply #42 on:** May 03, 2007, 09:18:39 AM »

Have to agree with that sentiment.

I have no problem with collectors as long as they actually like guitars.

It's the people who in reality are as interested in collecting guitars as much as matchbox labels that I tend to have issues over. My father collected stamps and was as usually more interested a common stamp (from an interesting place or time) as he was in an expensive one.

As long as the collector enjoys owning them I would never dream of having an issue. Paul Allen (ex of microsoft) is an example of this kind of rich but interested collector

Rob...

Simon D · « **Reply #43 on:** May 03, 2007, 04:07:29 PM »

I've certainly got no problem whatsoever with anyone having a large guitar collection. As Kilby says, if they enjoy owning the instruments, then great. I'm less keen on people who buy '59 Les Pauls and the like purely as 'investment pieces', and don't play them, even occasionally. With that said however, at least from a historical preservation point of view, buyers like that are looking after the guitars well.

I do think it's quite presumptuous of people to be telling you how to spend your money. I'm all for the idea of 'Do what you want, it's your money.'

I've currently got 7 guitars, and I also have a Warmoth Soloist on order. If I don't play a guitar at all, I will consider selling it, and to that end, the ESP will be replaced by a Fender US Strat at some point next week. I don't play any of my guitars as much as I would like, and I still largely suck as a player despite being at it for 13 years, but I get a massive kick out of owning all of them. Hopefully it will stay that way.

I really can't understand guitarists who get annoyed by other players with large collections of nice gear. I never have, and I sincerely hope I never do.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #44 on:** May 03, 2007, 04:50:42 PM »

Honestly I don't mind people who buy 59 les pauls and stick them in a safe.

Cos to be frank - If I had one, I'd do the exact same thing, cept I don't have a safe, so in my care it would get damaged.

Collector's guitars, are collector's guitars, while player's guitars are player's guitars.

A player wouldn't get a collector's guitar, or if he did, he wouldn't play it and would keep it in as good a condition as possible, while a collector wouldn't buy a player's guitar, due to them often not being guitarists.