when i was a teenager i paid wayyy too much money for a really nice schecter with the money from my fast food job. i was scared to tell my parents i spent that much money so i told them i only paid a couple of hundred for it. one night me and my step dad were fist fighting because he was an abusive alcoholic and he grabbed my guitar and broke it over my CRT television, i was heart broken. a few days later he said he was going to buy me another one and i had to come clean that i paid nearly 1000 dollars for it, and he said if i would have told him that from the beginning he wouldnt have broke it because at the time he thought he would just buy me another one and he couldnt afford to replace a 1000 dollar guitar. it was 2008 and the dude was loosing everything his job, our house, but still gas lighting me into thinking it was my fault that he broke my guitar is just something that dude would do. all he could afford to get me was a 1970's harmony electric that was better suited as fire wood
Sorry to hear your young life was so poisoned by a vile person. Hopefully you have avoided such mistakes in your own life and will continue to do so. As a kid in the 60's I worked all summer and bought a Framus acoustic 12 string. It was all I could get for my $75 saved washing dishes all summer at 50 cents and hour. I grew up an Army Brat with 3 siblings, parents could not afford to buy me one. But it got me started on my guitar journey and a few years later bought my first Gibson, a J-50 in 1971 for $245. I still own it 53 years later and play daily. Many other guitars have come and gone since, but it your and my love of the music that matters. Don't forget that is what it is about and continue to grow and learn. Always work to make tomorrow better than today for yourself and those around you. Best wishes.
Man this broke my heart. I have a very similar story and it really sucks. I hope you have kept playing and didn't let that kill your joy for music and playing.
When I was a kid I couldn't afford an electric guitar but somehow I could afford the parts anyways me and my grandpa built My homemade electric guitar the one on my profile picture when I was 11 years old in his garage with hand tools no heavy machinery we made the pick up its surface mount so it's completely flat and it sounds really nice I'm 21 now and still use it it's my main guitar I named my guitar Hoss
If you ever want to get an inexpensive Schecter gem, look for a 2008-9 Schecter Devil custom. The necks are amazing, tuning is rock solid. Yeah, the spine graphic is really 00’s, but the blood red bird’s eye maple model is gorgeous. All it needs is a nut replacement, and it will make for a great recording and touring beast
We all love small, independently owned guitar shops. The huge irony is they can't exist without most of these guys. When I was young, I frequented one such guitar shop ... I was one of those kids that would hang out, paw the nice guitars while chewing the fat, and then buy a pack of strings or some picks every once in a while. During one such visit, I asked him how business was and he told me if it wasn't for 3 guys that didn't even play guitar, he'd be done. A doctor, a lawyer and an aeronautical engineer were his three best customers. None of them actually played, but they all collected and traded high end and vintage guitars. And their buying is what kept the shop afloat. So while WE should't become one of these guys, someone sure better.
@@chasbee Yup. Super boring after a few episodes too. I tune in from time to time but it gets repetitive fast. But he seems to be very popular with all these morons that think they can impress their friends with such a nice walllhanger.
@@EbonyPope Trogly drives me a little batty. While I don’t subscribe to his channel I do watch many. My favorite though is the Mod Collection. Otherwise, he reminds me of a used car salesman trying extremely hard to convince you this is a model for you! Especially when he talks about prices. Or he hypes the most hideous colors. He seems to be trying way too hard to convince you of the provenance of said Gibson.
@@SirSneakerPimp I just wished he would play more. He doesn't really evolve as a player. He isn't horrible but it is clear to me that he has potential he doesn't use because he is way too caught up in collecting the guitars instead of playing them. It's sad to see people only seeing the material side of things collecting more and more thinking that is going to make them happy. All he does is collecting. He has impressive knowledge but in the end I don't care about the guitars. What counts is what you make with them. They are just tools for your expression.
What makes me happy is the sound that each guitar gives me and the inspiration it provides me. They all get played just like a painter with a pallet of colours. ❤ I love them all.
All through the 1980s my dad had a squier strat he'd gotten while in the military. I watched my whole life as near about every guitarist I ever seen made a negative comment about it. He never cared , he knew. He was a musician. I've since played guitar for over 20 years now, and have yet to play a strat that rivals his MIJ E series. Players know a good instrument, no matter the name or cost. That's all that really matters,everything else is fashion.
I don’t play guitar, any instruments for that matter but i do enjoy watching the guitar videos, it’s a new world. The one thing that stands out about this video is it applies almost identically to the motorcycle world. Every type of guitar guy you mentioned has the motorcycle counterpart haha
I’ve done it enough times that I should know better by now. I just can’t get away from the idea that I don’t want to mess them up. Eventually I’ve sold every guitar I have like this because like Keith says, they should be tools. Here’s to the next beautiful/expensive guitar! 😅
lol not I. I’m more into the weird old stuff that I have to work with for months to figure out what tuning and string gauge wakes it up and makes it playable. Then I play the crap out of it. But, like I said…. I don’t feel represented here and need to be put in my box. 😂
Maybe a bit. Vintage is never been my thing. I also will not spend 5k on a guitar. I believe that is for people that will play the hell out of that and really can hear the difference. More of a professional or gigging person. I am not... I do have a 27 year old G&L Legacy that I bought new in 1997. But that's not considered "Vintage" at 30 years I guess it is a relic according to the internet. But a vintage from 1997? Naw... 60's and below for that.
@@ryangunwitch-black, I posted a similar comment elsewhere here before reading yours. It can be interesting, perhaps fun and perhaps frustrating, to try to fix the basic flaws with an offbrand, misfit, cheap guitar to see if you can get it sufficiently playable that it will deliver some unusual tones and sounds that you won't get from a Fender or Gibson. Whether you succeed or fail at improving a specific instrument, you are bound to learn something about guitars, and yourself, in the process. Think of how less colorful and less interesting the world of music would be without oddballs like David Lindley and Ry Cooder taking all these pawn shop guitars and figuring out how to get music out of them.
Number 10: the ADHD Guy With a Sweetwater Credit Line. This season he wants a Gretsch, because he saw Brian Setzer live and now he’s ‘feeling Rockabilly!’ No, wait, now he wants a Pia, because he’s always loved Vai! Hold on-there’s 48-month financing AND a sale on SE Silver Skies?? Can’t have enough S-types! But wait-Eddie is why he picked up the guitar in the first place, and look at that new ‘Bumblebee’ striped Wolfgang! Boy, do I pity THAT sad sap! Whoever and wherever he might be!
@@DM-qd6bv Maybe you, but NOT ME! *Definitely* NOT ME! I have COMPLETE and ABSOLUTE control of my Swee-I mean general online-music purchases! I am VERY FOCUSED. I am VERY DISCIPLINED. Only ONE GUITAR this year! I can DO THIS!!
Typically those are the GAS types as well, letting the excitement of the new product hype train override the critical thinking of “Is this actually a purchase that makes sense for me?”
Yeah, i miss all my old EH pearls from the early 80’s. I had a fuzz pi, and one of those boat oar mistress pedals with a 8 foot power cord. Timeless classics!
I think the Internet has changed the hobby in ways none of us anticipated. I remember the days when every time I visited a new city the first thing I would do is find the nearest guitar store to see what undiscovered treasure I could find. Now, the whole world is at your fingertips and, for me, it’s taken some of the fun out of the “hunt.” Kind of like what social media has done to dating.
I can see that. But on the other end I think things like FB marketplace help with finding a guitar you want near you, also opposed to paying for a brand new one. Especially if you live in a more rural area, and the nearest music store is an hour away. Still important to check the instrument and play it before you buy it, but I think it can go both ways.
It all depends on how you choose to live, sir. I will always enjoy waking into a music store or a pawn shop and finding some treasure. But I have also purchased guitars I’d never have found where I live, online, sight unseen with no regrets.
you don't have to look on the internet, you know. I never look at marketplace or any other site. I just go to the stores and look around. A few times I've called or emailed if I live far off.
Hunting in stores that had a good selection of used gear was always fun. Hunting online… depends what you want, or what price you are willing to pay. I’ve spent years chasing down guitars that are tough to find.
I’m a collector who couldn’t play more than a handful of licks when I bought my 1st guitar. I’m working on being a player who collects, instead of a collector who can’t really play. It’s always “this next guitar will be the one that inspires me to practice”. But I acquire a new guitar more often than I learn something new. I say that I will sell or trade my rarely used guitars, but I’ve only ever sold 2 and they still kind of haunt me. 🤷♂️ that’s me. A guitar hoarder… I mean collector.
My best advice is this: Take your time to consciously look at the stuff that you *REALLY* like in a guitar (more precisely, specs related to playability: neck shape, fretboard radius, fret size, nut width, body contours, the way your hand sits at the bridge when you palm mute, etc), order yourself a nice quality partscaster (a Warmoth for example) with those specs, and finish the assembly yourself. You'll probably be more excited of picking up a guitar with specs that you like, as opposed to a bunch of guitars with specs that don't really fit you all that well. Also, you assembled your guitar, you saw it come to life, that will have more sentimental value than "Yeah, I bought it because it caught my eye, but I don’t play it that much".
Don't beat yourself up, selling gear is a pain in the axe. People don't show up, they expect to low-ball you and try and say what you have is junk to try and get you to sell cheap. Just be firm from the start or high-ball them so they think they've won when you drop the price to what you really will accept.
I think you missed one type. Before my wife died (leukemia), we talked about guitars, acoustic mostly. She said I there was no problem with me getting or ordering one for my birthday, Christmas, or our anniversary, and have it come from her. Play it, and give it as an heirloom to one of the children or grandchildren (about 21 right now) so they have a guitar Grandpa played. I'm currently playing and singing for others as a volunteer for 20+ hours a week. Having them played is not a problem. Figuring out what a child / grandchildren might like is a challenge. So heirloom or wife's promise collector? Prices range from $200 to $11k, and all sound good with my voice and are easy to play.
I understand. My wife and I had similar conversations before she passed. Our eldest grandchild has already been gifted my wife’s GS Mini. I’m still playing and enjoying the rest of the herd, but will have to make some necessary provisions for the remaining guitars and how to distribute them. Enjoy your family!
@@charliejaffe8712 I have a hammer my grandpa used over 75 years ago. I don’t even know the brand. It doesn’t matter. It is a connection when I use it with an important part of who he was. I encourage you not to overthink it and obstruct that future possible connection.
@iancurrie8844 yes, I really didn't want to be without a wife, kids /Grandkids without a mom. Also, having a few guitars means guitar lessons with Grandpa when they come over.
When i was 12 years old, my parents told me if i learned a specific Chet Atkins song, they’d buy me a Les Paul. I learned it as well as a 12 year old could learn it, but alas, life got in the way, and i never got that guitar. At 53, i finally traded a guy for a Les Paul tribute. It was like a dream come true. A REAL Gibson Les Paul after decades of looking at the greener grass, playing with guys who owned multiple models, custom shops, etc, while i tooled away on my Schecter Devil custom- a 700.00 guitar when my wife got it as a Christmas gift. Once i had that LP in my hands, i just stared at it. Reveled at its beauty. Simple, plain maple top, just enough bells and whistles. Put my hands on it; and hated it. Well, not “hated”, but rather was so supremely disappointed. The neck profile wasn’t for me. I put it down to just being used to flatter necks, “metal” guitars, and perhaps i just wasn’t refined enough to play a classic instrument. A couple months ago, however, i had an opportunity to purchase the brand of electric my parents DID buy me- a 1980’s Hondo Les Paul ‘lawsuit’ electric. Made in Korea, by Sammick, out of plywood, and questionable electronics. Tuners that were so sensitive, it took forever to tune up. Heavy as a chunk of concrete. It shipped to me, and i was instantly in love. Plays like a dream. I hear guitarists always saying a guitar isn’t any good unless you have to fight it a little. Me, i prefer my guitars to just play. My battle is in getting a great mix, writing a good hook. Not fighting a guitar. A straight neck, electronics that work, shiny frets, new strings. I’m a simple guy… And the lesson i learned, the classic instrument isn’t everything. I play that 300.00 guitar more than my Modshop strat, made to my specs, the Les Paul, the Wolfgang, which is an 80s beast, and sometimes, even more than my beloved Schecter devil custom. Because it’s just fun to play. It inspires me. It inspired my last single, aptly named “hondo”. I’ve always been the guy who only owns what is needed. Nothing more. Would i love a few others, for different genres, yes. But they have to feel right, inspire, have a certain something, or they don’t work for me. Probably going to sell the LP.
At 63, I still have my beautiful early 80's Hondo II "The Paul" that came with DiMarzio pickups (Japan)....that will probably get passed down to a younger brother when the time is right. Glad to have hung onto it after all these years.
@@jimlange2858 this is a 737- mine was older than this, but it’s still the same tobacco sunburst plywood model, so I’m pretty sure mine wasn’t Japanese either. This one does have humbuckers in it, it’s possible mine did not. Some of the early Koran models had single coil pickups with humbucker routes to look like gibsons. I remember putting a super distortion in mine when i was a kid. I gave it to a friend who didn’t have a guitar. Even though it was a lefty, he played it upside down for a couple years before he sold it off and traded up for a proper righty… this one plays really nice. It’s as close as I’ll ever get to my original guitar
Great! Yeah I'm more than one of these. I have decide which to question and which to embrace. I was walking down the street here in Mississippi and saw a guy with an Orioles shirt. We're rare here so I stopped and talked to him. We had an Orioles moment and then he saw my 5 Watt World tshirt and said "And your a 5 Watt World fan too!" So we had a brief guitar addict conversation that included some of the identity phrases you shared here. Life is about connections and these kind of connections in unlikely places and times is a real joy. Thanks for building an opportunity to belong.
My bandmate is a Trader/Flipper. Whenever he brings a new (but always used) guitar to rehearsal, we always say “nice knowing you” to his new guitar. Sure enough, two to three weeks later, it’s gone. What’s funny is he ALWAYS says “this is the one, I’m never selling this one”. Lol
I'm a combination of number two and number four. I have all the major high trim archetypes of basses, precision, jazz, musicman stingray, and Rickenbacker, mostly for recording not for live. The only difference with the number four category is that I actually know how to repair guitars, so those cheap terrible playing instruments will play awesome after I'm done with them. 😊 Great video Keith!
I was at work and heard a guy listening to a how to “guitar video” I commented I loved guitar and have played since I was 14. He stated “I’ve only been playing a year and a half, but I have 8 guitars!” He showed me pictures. All his guitars were over $1000 with one custom costing almost $5000. I have a Harley Benton SG and a Boss Katana. Both combined were less than $700. I can do anything with that setup (I also have a squire Tele) 😂
I am a collector, I just love the all the different types of guitars. The woods, look, electronics, how the sound and play. Just the best thing to pick one up play it and go wow, very cool. Nothing better.
I‘m in the minimalist camp here. When I‘m interested in a guitar model I think about it back and forth to justify the purchase. This process usually takes 6 moths until I buy the instrument. At the time I have two electric ones and two acoustic guitars.
I do the same. Granted, I have compressed the six months into six days (quite the nonstop mental rollercoaster!) and the ‘Buy it!’ devil on my shoulder almost always wins, but otherwise….
I am in the minimalist camp too. I own three guitars. One was save form the trash. though I thinking about selling to get an electric acoustic for recording. advantage of being minimalist that most of guitars get played.
That's me. I'm a mediocre player with a modest income, so I have a budgetary limit that aligns with my talent level. I'm just not good enough in my mind to justify owning a $3000 (or even $1000) guitar. I switch out and play a LOT of different styles for my own enjoyment right now. Maybe I'll get with a group again if I'm able to retire young enough. Two guitars live on my wall right now. I have a Jackson Dinky JS22 for the super heavy stuff and a CV50s Tele for everything else. Couldn't be happier.
Yep, I started playing 40 years ago. I went from a serious student to a sort of professional to barely playing to an enthusiastic hobbyist. In forty years I’ve bought six guitars and rescued one. None those purchases were spontaneous.
I would love to have a 70’s Jaguar as opposed to my beloved CV Squire 70’s Jaguar. Please deposit $8500 into this RUclips comment because if I spent $8500 on a guitar, I would starve in a house with no lights or water🤑
There is "The DIY Luthier" that decided it would be cool to build a cheap DIY kit and have the satisfaction of playing it afterwords, but gotten obsessed with how different guitar wiring/pickups ergonomics and constantly pursues a new body type to build but guitar playing skills are hobbiest at best. Their built collection displayed like model kits and is hard headed on never buying a premade guitar, only waiting for a kit to come out. Man writing this with a mirror really helped for some reason.
I think there’s also a subset of people under the Flipper category who just search for great deals with no true intent on trading up or selling for profit. You don’t have to search hard for a good deal on typical stuff and sometimes it just lands in your face. Then you say how can you pass up that good of a deal.
Type 10: The Florence Nightingale collector. These collectors have taken road worn to the extreme. Their beloved collection of guitars have Gibsons with broken headstocks, PRS’s with hazed out finishes, and Fenders that are so worn that even Mr. Sayce would suggest retiring it. These people love the deal that can be had with broken guitars OR that worn feel OR are allergic to animal dander and therefore cannot adopt that adorable abandoned puppy from the pound. For whatever the reason, they collect the broken, the battered, and the forgotten guitars and nurse them back to health. Creating a stockpile (sry…”collection”) of somewhat lower valued guitars that are priceless to them.
When I was just starting to play electric at the tender age of 43, I went to a friend's house to jam. I was right at the stage of thinking that all I needed was better gear in order to fit in. My friend had invited a pal from a big city who played in bar bands and got paid! I was excited to see what kind of guitar a guy who was in the big time (to me, anyway) played. He opened his guitar case and grabbed out a dusty, beat up, inexpensive Yamaha with strings way past their Best Before date. He plugged in and said, "lets go!" That was a real eye opener for me. It's a tool, first and foremost!
Great episode Keith. I only bought one new guitar in my life. It was a 79 strat that I bought back in 1979. I still have it. Now I buy guitars that have been played. I love seeing the scratches and cracks. Imaging what and who played it.
I’m now a minimalist like you, Keith. I’ve owned dozens of guitars over the years, but am finally down to just five. About twenty years ago I started selling them off one by one. Owning so many guitars felt like the proverbial albatross around my neck. Now down to just three great Martins, a Guild X-170, and a Squier Thinline partscaster. Very, very happy. So much less stress, and they all get played regularly.
I currently owe twelve myself, three acoustics and nine electrics. Each guitar sounds and plays different. I used to troll through all the pawn shops where I live, find really nice electrics, swap out the pickups, switches and give them out to kids who couldn't afford one. Guitars were made to play and love them all!!!
My reaction to your video is “You keep doing you and I’ll keep doing me” I love researching my guitar purchases. It brings me so much joy. For me I enjoy the journey & the destination. I do look at them as art & yes I play them. I randomly walk past them, open the case and admire their beauty & craftsmanship. I can often be heard talking to myself/them saying “You are beautiful”. They are my babies and each one is unique. I am working towards glass display cabinets to have them easily viewable for me to admire. Funny you sound so judgmental over what other people find enjoyable. I was hoping your video title was click bait but unfortunately you doubled down. Oh well! It takes all types & I guess that’s the point.
I Adore You! RESPECT! You left out Luthiers, Educators, and Hoarders!! I am old, retired biophysicist from a "family legacy" known for cutting up perfectly good guitars to make them "Better". For the simple Love of MUSIC, and the Pre-Internet" school of " You Can't throw that away" I have accumulated, inherited, hoarded... or destroyed... many masterpiece instruments. I let 5th graders play my family's 1642 Paolo Maggini/ Bresica violin, as well as learning the science within my HEAVILY PLAYED, 69 low impedance Personal, Professional, Recording LP's and '72 L-5s that was used as an ashtray! The kids learned how to color-match the Gibson cherry red burst using chemistry from beets and purple cabbage, then lacquer over-spray ANYWAY, THANK YOU, As Always, this video made me laugh very hard as... I am all of the above..All Your Base Are Belong to Us! (Huge Smile) RESPECT!
I'm not a collector but I do have eight guitars! I've played in classic rock / blues / pop rock cover bands for decades so I'm often called on to recreate guitar parts that have been played on one of the "big three" guitars: Strat, Tele, Les Paul. Probably I could get the sounds I need with one coil-spitting instrument, but it is called a "show" and the look of the thing is important too! And the feel of course. So I have a decent Fender Strat, a Fender Tele and a Gibson Les Paul Tribute for well-managed bars /small venues where I feel safe and a couple of Classic Vibe Squiers and a LP knockoff for the sorts of dive-bars that we sometimes play! They're all very well set up and I'm pretty sure our audience (and his dog) can't really tell the difference between the more or less expensive instruments. I've got a couple of mid-price electro-acoustics too. The guitar I like to play the most if the CV Squier Strat (which is the most recent addition) though, so now I have a bit of a dilemma don't I?
Just found your channel today, love your insightful perspectives, and * subscribed *. When I was younger, all I could afford was one cheap clone guitar, and a lousy used amp. When I finally got into a line of work that gave me a decent salary, I went a little crazy buying guitars I had always lusted after. The store owner, who was also a gigging musician, was always happy to sell me something new, but I couldn't help but feel he was quietly pitying me at the very least, or viewed me with disdain, because I couldn't play to save my life. Finally, I realized that I was just soothing my inability to play well with gear, and sold everything, but a friend of mine, a gigging musician, suggested I try e-bass, and I did, and started with one bass guitar, then another, and a third, and realized I was backsliding into old bad habits. So, I sold 2 out 3 bass guitars, but during the pandemic, got an itch to play guitar again, so I bought a Player Tele HH. I still get the itch, every now and then, to buy a 2nd guitar, but this time, I think I'll just actually try and become somewhat proficient in Blues so that I can use that as a bridge to start learning Jazz theory. I have a 10 watt, and 25 watt guitar amp, and that's enough.
I’ve never thought of myself as a guitar collector. I just always wanted to play didn’t buy a guitar until I was 30. While playing that first guitar I learned that other guitars do things differently. This process repeated itself over the next 35 years. Now I have 13 guitars with none on the horizon, and no intention of selling any of them. Like children, they are all my favorite.🤙😎
Here's another category: The guitar rescuer. I used to buy inexpensive used guitars that had something I liked in the way of character. I'd take them apart, clean them up, and replace all of the electronics. Then I'd give them to a grandnephew or grandniece (usually with an equally rescued amp.)
This video really helped me. I bought a 1950s spec Gibson Les Paul Standard. My dream guitar. I have loved it and played it and enjoyed it, but it still had the factory strings and set-up on it. Silly as it sounds, this video encouraged me to put my favorite strings and my set-up on it.... all I can say is.... a great guitar is even better now! Thanks for the kick in the pants!
Being a lefty in the UK I’ve always been an impulse buyer of the rare lefties I want- I know there are certain guitars I’ve bought I would never have seen again if I didn’t buy them when I did (Lefty Bo Diddley, Gibson V, EVH USA Wolfgang for example). I also have never sold a guitar. I’ve been modding my early clunker guitars so I can get more use out of them. Yes, I have a lot of guitars (and use them all), but I don’t drink, smoke, take drugs, gamble, and buy expensive clothes, holidays or cars. Being a guitarist, songwriter and producer is my thing. And experiencing all the different types of guitars is part of the fun. Saying that, I think the collection is done- at least the electrics….
Great video! Not a collector myself, I will never judge any collector. I happened to acquire my only 2 “valuable “ guitars when 20, with a little money from army service. (I’m 58 now). For rehearsal or occasional gig I keep 2 T style partscasters. Keep the great vids coming 🤩
As a drummer........i don't have a guitar collecting problem. I can live vicariously through people like Keith. "So....i got that going for me....which is nice." - Carl Spackler
@@DSCRAPRE - I only own what i play in my regular gig set up. I have 2 rides i rotate depending on the gig, and same with hi hats. My wallet tells me i can't afford to collect cymbals.
I don't consider my self as a collector....yet, over the last 50 years of playing and building guitars, I have "accumulated" a collection. Trying to build a guitar better than the last one, at least in some aspect, succeeding, and moving on to the next idea, the next project. For me I don't view them as tools so much, I view them for what they are, an instrument in the truest sense of the word, on par with any scientific instrument. Finely crafted to a specific goal. When I smile a genuine smile, it is when playing or even admiring these. They all get plenty of regular play time, and have natural beauty marks to show it.
I totally relate to this list. I've seen each of those types come through my guitar building shop. I my case I have both "Factory Guitars" - 13 of them, and instruments I've built, and a few "Project guitars - restorations" kicking around. But my favorite story is of a 7-string Washburn WG-587 I saved from the junk bin. I was at the local music shop and saw a particular 7-string electric in the used guitar rack - a Washburn, made in China. I have an interest in 7-string guitars since I had already built a 7-string acoustic for myself. The Washburn has a black body, with a Maple scarf-jointed bolt-on Neck that also shows some light Flame Figure, and with a really nice Indian Rosewood fret board, and 18:1 Grover Machines. But the instrument was a basket case; DNA and goop everywhere, a back bow such that the high E and B strings were buzzing on the frets, the jack plate hanging off the guitar with striped screw holes. As I looked it over, I realized I could correct all of those issues. I wanted to hear what this guitar's Pickups sounds like. I plugged into an Amp similar to the one I own, and was blown away by how good it sounded. The prices was a hundred bucks. At that time, I was also half way complete in a 7-string tele build. Ok; I could take this, fix it up, and practice my 7-string chops till I finish my own guitar, then resell the Washburn. I went to the clerk and first ask if someone switched the price tag. He laughed "nope - that's the actual price". I told him that in this case, I have to take this guitar - but with one condition.... If the truss rod does not work, then I get my money back. He agreed. I got home and found the correct size Allen Key, tried it, and the truss rod operated perfectly. Ok then. I totally dismantled the instrument. It took Glue-be-gone and steel wool to clean the fret board, a tooth brush and solvent to clean all the hardware. Did a full fret leveling and dressing. Power buffed the finish to remove almost all the scratches. Installed a $30 graphite nut (on a $100 instrument). Added a treble bleed circuit. I also increased the gauge of the strings ( .011 E to .060 for the low B). With the added tension, this guitar's intonation was able to be adjusted perfectly despite people in various forums and news groups complaining that the model would not intonate and sounded like shit (they all played with strings that are too light). In the end; this guitar sounds and plays as good as any of my high end instrument in my collection, and I still own it. It's my worthless Chinese 7-string! I love this guitar.
I totally agree with you. I own two guitars. My first was a japanese Strat. However, since Eddie was the one that got me into guitars, i needed a EVH striped series. After 1 year of playing i bought it. But after i took it out of the box i realized that just the guitar will not make me play like Eddie. Now after 2 more years i finally can use the things it offers, like the Floyd Rose or the 22. fret. After buying the EVH, i found myself searching for a Les Paul. But then i realized i really dont need it. If i would buy it, it wont make me a better guitarist. I am glad i learned this lesson. For me these 2 guitars offer a variety of tones i just start to explore
Keep in mind that when a manufacturer builds a "BLINGED OUT" guitar I REALLY DO NOT THINK they actually think that that guitar is going to see any appreciable amount of playtime.
Several years ago a friend and I compared notes on our collections. He collects and restores guitars and amps. For me it was cars. Over the years I've owned a '71 Datsun, three Alfa Romeos, a '67 Ferrari (back when they were almost affordable) and a '64 Maserati that's on jack stands at the moment. (All my cars needed a lot of love - that's why I could afford them.) We laughed that I needed a garage for my collection while his fit in a spare bed room. What's really funny is that he bought a semi-vintage Porsche a few years ago and I am now a guitar owner. It's a lower level Ibanez S series. Nothing special but it means a lot to me. Thanks for the great video!
Very nice! I've been a couple of these collectors, but seem to have morphed into a montage of a few of them. My collection contains two electric guitars, two straight acoustic guitars, and one electro'coustic. None of them was expensive, all of them have been set up by me, for me. They all have hard-shell cases, some of which cost more than the guitar inside. I'm obsessed with cleaning my axes every time I play them, and only play with clean hands and soft clothes that won't scratch the guitars. All of my guitars get played, but there is one that gets played the most. I also collect bicycles: that collection gets similar treatment: always clean, always perfectly adjusted, always protected from scratchy-bangers, and there's one that gets ridden the most. I love to talk about my collections (Duh, look at this long-winded comment!), and am always looking for other people who appreciate these things. I feel fortunate to have found the Five Watt World, which is full of people who love all things guitar, and who love to share their passion. Thanks Keith, you're awesome!😁
Being an acoustic player, (Lowden, Martin, Alvarez) I struggled to find an electric guitar that I bonded with. I knew I liked strats, so I went with a silver sky when they first came out. I had it for about two years and sold it. Then on a whim I bought a Squier gold edition strat and I absolutely love it. Makes me smile every time I plug into my JC40 amp!
Number 9 reminds me of a comment I saw from a Subaru Outback Wilderness owner. He lamented that he had only owned the car a short while, and already had a small scratch on it. It's a light off road vehicle. It's _supposed_ to get scratched! 😀
I really am starting to rain it in. I’m a sophomore college student and a part time working musician and my main axes include a gretsch pro jet which I have lovingly upgraded over the years and a strat with hotrails and a guild acoustic. I just sold a few pedals and grabbed an hx stomp for versatility. I constantly swat the hand and wallet because I realize that I would be completely fine even if I never bought another guitar. It is a mental battle at times but seeing people like Keith and many others who highlight the most music from the least gear idea is really refreshing!
I grew up from the 50's through the 60's. I played and owned a lot of guitars from those eras. I also owned models from the 70's to the present. Over the past 50 years I realized what mattered most to me was how comfortable they were to play. I found the right guitar for me wasn't one with the right logo. The one that was the most comfortable to play and hold needed to be the right size, weight and balance. Then have the neck profile and fretboard radius that fit my hands. The electronics and hardware were secondary. They can easily be replaced at very little cost if needed. The funny thing is the one that fulfilled all the requirements turned out to be one that only cost $350.00 new. I can play anything I want as long as I want without getting tired or stressed from using it. It sounds and looks great to me too. It the one in my profile photo.
I've had a related experience: I've longed to be a guitar player since the '60's, have had 'good intentions' guitars since the '70's, actually started playing in the 20'teens. Now knocking on 70 years old, I found an Alvarez electro'coustic that fits me like a glove. Not an expensive guitar, but one that feels right and sounds right when I play it. Have fun, thanks for sharing 😁
For me it was always about the right guitar fitting the right vocals. Acoustic or electric? Well, 1st, what's the song about. Ultimately, what guitar will make the song a win-win. Great one Keith..
I appreciated your presentation. It was fun evaluating my own motives relative to the 9 types of collector that you described. I have collector genes, but I limit my expenditure to bottom feeder price levels. I knew I could never afford the big American brands so I turned to finding 1960's Made in Japan electrics, (Teisco, Kawai, Guyatone, Sakai , Matsumoku, Aria, Ibanez, etc) which are still quite rare in my country (South Africa). Every one has a charm of its own, and I appreciate my small collection, which is also a pickup collection. Some are ubiquitous, and some are, by luck, exceptionally rare. I have also started collecting Yamaha classical guitars. I am a solitary muso. My best and worst collector's piece is a WRECKED 1933 Regal Parlor guitar with visible serial number and perfect tuners etc including an original scratch plate. The rosewood sides have split all around the bottom bout up to the shoulders, the top is cracked and warped, and the saddle has lifted. Its restoration is going to be a pilgrimage, starting this year.
That 1933 Regal will be a worthy project. It sounds like a lot of work, I did a similar restoration on a 1963 USA made Epiphone Cabellero a few years back. Found with missing tuners, broken bridge, loose braces and a bunch of cracks at kerfing and on back and front center seams. All mahogany guitar. Back held together with a big vinyl Mickey Mouse sticker. She gets to go out and play at open mics occasionally now and has been named 'Angel". You will love her when done and she will deserve a name at that point. Guitars are living things!. Good luck.
I have a healthy guitar count, of 6. My most expensive is a LP special. But that 6th guitar, is $80 from Amazon. I’ve used it to learn how to “tech” a bit. I’ve cleaned it up and feel just as close with it, and feel it rocks just as much as any other guitar. My fondness for it outsizes it’s value at this point
This might be the right crowd to ask: I prefer a soft guitar case with backpack straps like Reunion Blues, or Mono. What the heck do you do with the hard cases that came with the guitar? I have 6 and they take up too much room. Of course, I'd like to keep them if I were to sell or move cross country again. But I'm looking for a creative solution to the bulk. Thanks!
I played a $200 Hohner acoustic for 15 years. Recently tripped over it and smashed the back in but that was one of the best acoustics I've played. Collecting is for nerds. The instrument is only worth the sweat and tears (and sometimes blood) you put into it
I just bought one of those a few months ago after shopping for a higher end acoustic, I picked it up on a whim and was shocked at how much I just instantly took to the guitar. It's a great guitar and the first acoustic I've owned that I really feel excited to play and will just grab it every time I walk by and just pluck a few notes. It just goes to show that a great guitar can come from anywhere!
Oh, I'm a minimalist definitely. Own 3 guitars, 2 sound exactly the same and I treat them as #1 and a spare for gigging, the 3rd one is different and is only used for recording at home to provide more tonal variation. I still want one more guitar (don't we all), specifically to have a guitar with Filtertrons.
I would like to get a guitar with P90’s and one with regular PAF’s but the only way that is happening is if I sell one of my acoustic guitars and I really don’t want to give up anything that I have right now.
To anyone recognising themselves in this , and feeling bad... (I DID) Don't. It's a good set of points - but whatever brought you to the hobby, or profession if thats you, you're welcome here and you are part of the whole overall "guitar" organism and it's mechanisms. Keep doing what you do, and enjoy it!
I wish I would have seen this video 3 years ago when I first started playing guitar. I'm 65 years old and at 62 I decided to fulfill this lifelong dream of owning and playing an electric guitar. I fell into at least two or three of the categories. To begin with, I started buying only USA made and then relicked guitars. At first I thought it was ridiculous for anyone to pay $5K to $10K for a relicted guitar that looked like it had been dragged behind a truck. But then I fell in love with them. The other thing was, I stupidly figured, the more guitars I owned the better I would play. Because I spent between $65K and $68K in 21 months, and my credit was great, I would buy one and already have another one in mind. If I bought a Signature Tony Iomi I would sound like him, if I bought a Signature Angus Young SG I would sund like him, if I bought a limited Hendrick Signature I would sound like him. Eventually I looked at 8 credit card bills coming in the mail and said "stop right now--this is insane." Thank goodness I paid them all off in 2 years without any interest. I stupidly bought 20 guitars in 21 months until one day I woke up, and realized what I was doing was ridiculous (talk about OCD). I WAS GETTING THIS RUSH EVERY TIME I BOUGHT ANOTHER GUITAR. In my defense, I can say I've practiced hard and I've been playing Open Mic for well over a year. I can solo (not fast) to any backing track in any key because I really concented on Pentatonic and Diatonic modes and shapes. But like he says in the video, when you're out shopping for and buying guitars, you're not practicing and playing which is the most important thing. I can play those scales forwards, backwards and upside down. The worst part is, if I go to sell them I only get half the value. I recommend this video to any young players or anyone who has too manguitars like me. Like this gentleman says, it's about playing and learning and not owning. Like he says, find the guitar you really like and play the hell out of it. Don't waste time and money buying guitars you don't need.
I did the same thing. I'm a guitar-aholic for sure. Fueled by a lot of unexpected income during COVID (when I unretired as a physician), I have bought a total of 51 guitars. I started selling some in 2020, so I maxed out at 40. After buying none for a solid year, I'm down to 22 that I love and play every 2-3 days, now that I'm re-retired. At least I've played most of them a lot, and I've gotten a lot better during 20 years playing in a church band I founded with some choir mates. I also play in 3 different "pickin' party" groups, which has been great fun.
@@lamontprospect9974 Some of both. I have kept most of the nicest ones (all acoustic-electric, bought new), including a Martin HD-28 (my best), Maton Tommy Emmanuel (Australian), Alvarez Yairi Masterworks Folk, Martin OMC-18 Laurence Juber Custom, Martin OMC-16, Zager 900, Fender American Original 60's Strat, Fender American Professional II Tele, Gibson J-45, Epiphone Excellente, Breedlove Amazon Jeff Bridges Signature (granadillo back & sides), and Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin P90. I've also kept nice less expensive ones, including a Fender Newporter, PRS Silver Sky, Art & Luthierre Tennessee Red Legacy parlor (Canadian), Epiphone Studio Limited 12-string, Gretsch Streamliner hollow body electric, Gretsch Boxcar resonator, Alvarez baritione, and Epiphone Dove Pro (damned nice for the money), Kala U-Bass, and Epiphone Les Paul. I sold a Taylor 326, 224, & GS-Mini, Martin OMC Cherry, Martin SC-13, Martin D-10, Seagull Artist, Cordoba Classical, PRS Angelus Blue Matteo, Martin Road Series, 3 Martin X-Series (including the Woodstock commemorative), Washburn Bella Tona Allure, Alvarez parlor, Epiphone Hummingbird, Little Martin, Mexican Strat & Mexican Tele, Harley Benton Electric and miniature Ibanez electric. My collection is much more manageable and playable now. I miss several of the ones I sold, but my seller's regret is minimal most of the time. Thanks for asking.
As a singer-songwriter who’s played, gigged, and recorded for over thirty years, I never understood this mindset. I’ve owned very few guitars (2 electric and 3 acoustic) over those years, but only because I identified what worked for my styles, my gigging needs, and my hands (smallish). Once I did, I simply stuck with that. What could be better? IMO, the best cure-all to any sort of guitar elitism is Hound Dog Taylor. Incredible, transcendent sound, perfect for his music. And Squier or Epiphone? Try Teisco 😂 I do think a distinction should be made between pure collectors and player-collectors. The first group are just like any other collectors, but since I think at least some guitars have souls, they sometimes make me sad for the many wonderful, untouched guitars in their dens, music rooms, and finished basements (despite the high-end humidifiers in the cases). Since the player-collectors often get distracted from playing, I sometimes feel sad for *them*, not their guitars. But in the end, to each his own. Rock on!
@@southernpride2003 Yeah all he does is Les Paul videos with occasional Fenders sprinkled it. Probably one of the saddest things I could imagine is buying guitars just to look at them for the most part or obsess over their specs. In the end nobody cares. What counts is what you make with it. I don't really care what you fancy drill can do I want to acutally see you using the tool to create new things.
This is a great video. I can see myself in a few spots, and know others in some of those spots as well. At the end of the day, I just want to pick up one guitar and play it as well as I can...something that excites me, inspires me - and if it stays in tune, that's a bonus. I really liked the comment "if it stayed under the bed, did you really need it?" That is a great wake-up call.
Reminds me of a lawyer friend of mine, he showed me his latest acquisition, a 60s SG and asked if I wanted to try it out. I jumped at the opportunity and did some dorian noodling on it and he picked up a Squier tele to lay down a little i IV shuffle with. It was neat but I felt like a doofus because it was his guitar and I never saw him play anything on it.
@@baileywatts1304 Lol I bet he thought that you were going to feel privileged for holding that guitar for a few minutes. That's funny that you should tell this story. I am sitting next to my 69 SG that I inherited from my friend that died. I'm getting ready for a gig in a few weeks I'm going to be playing it at the gig. I have inexpensive guitars but I'm going to play this guitar because it's going to honor him, honor the guitar and bless me at the same time. This guitar wants to be played not left at home.
I currently own 12 guitars. I started off slowly, only having one acoustic for over twenty years. And then I bought my first Tele, about ten years ago. After that I have probably bought and sold over more than20 different guitars of all styles and from different brands and even some individual custom built guitars. I did this to find the "perfect" guitar for me. By the end of this year, I will sell or give away most of them and get down to my favorite 5. But to be honest, if I woke up tomorrow and only had that one acoustic and the first Tele back, I'd be happy.
I own 21 guitars. My collection includes Gibson LP standard, SG standard, American pro 2 strat/teles, etc. But my hands down favorite is a 2004 Mik Fender strat. That guitar is a dream come true. I would rather lose the other 20, then that 1.
I took in a couple of okay-ish, well-used USA Fenders with ash bodies. Then I found out Fender doesn't make guitars from ash anymore. Now I keep those two in tip-top playing condition. The Tele gets played a LOT.
If you are one of the few lucky ones who have enough extra cash to "collect" a number of guitars, and your children are sheltered and fed, and your bills are paid, then you should do it any way you like.
Great video Keith. GAS is a sickness yet many musicians wear it as a badge of honor. Personally, I like mid priced guitars. Most of these require fret work out of the box...so I end up giving them a thorough fret job. I put them in perfect playing condition....then I play them...all of them. Any guitar that does not get played, gets sold. I once had 35 guitars but I honestly could not maintain them and was not playing them. Now I am down to around 16, which is comfortable for me. All the guitars I now own get played regularly in rotation.
Keith, we have enjoyed a friendly banter over time, But you have pointed out all my collector faults, (except number 3) all on one video. That is just meddling! 😁 Keep up the good work, always enjoy it.
I was wondering if I (if my type was going to be called out)…The double checker or The Searcher/tinkerer. I have a guitar for every genre of interest that I dabble in. Each guitar is a reference to another. Big frets, little frets, fat necks, skinny necks, various radiuses, some tuned to 1/2 step flat. Some concert. A strat for funky stuff, a couple strats for shred. A pop/rock strat. An Ibanez Artcore for jazzy stuff. Another Artcore for blues. An archtop for couch noodling. My first ever guitar, a Torch 335 copy. A short scale PRS because it’s easy to play. A 12 string. Each guitar represents a style I’d love to be good at. Some choices are inspired by my favourite guitarists. Some I buy, just so I can do them up with pick ups, scratch plates, pots, tuners etc. Get a bog standard strat and do it up like a Charvel Pro-mod. It’s a fun hobby. Some I want to modify, make them truly my own. I find it hard to sell guitars. As a result, I have quite a few.
My advice these days (I'm 70) is "never sell anything." If I had all the cool stuff I once owned but sold off and then bought something else, I'd have an amazing collection. mostly amps - not so much guitars. but some of each. and the real tragedy is what I was willing to sell that stuff for 50 or 55 years ago.
Guilty as charged minimalist reporting in. I've settled on two great examples of what I need to achieve whatever it is I'm going for: A Fender American Pro II HSS Strat and a Prestige Ibanez RGD 7 string. I'm in a place where I enjoy learning about and nerding out over gear, but... I don't actually want any of it... I just think they're neat :) (Not discussed: The 6 other guitars it took to figure out what I liked so I could get the number down to 2). I'll add a bass one day, but only after having done crazy amounts of research and can afford whatever ends up being "the one", such that that'll be the only bass I ever need.
I love everyone of my guitars equally (except maybe that blue one). Not a collector but have a collection. Each one has a story with it. My first was a Kay Galaxie that I bought from Mel Bay in 1968..the other 11 or so are just as important to me! One I first made money with, another was gift from my family, one from the time I was broke and busking in San Fransisco and a few I miss that were sold in those days too. 12 seems to be the number Ive settled into for the last decade. Just love them and play them all as much as you can...life is so short.
I like the dingy dusty overlooked, unloved and orphaned guitars. I found a 2003 Tele Hwy 1 that was bargain basement, missing knobs, needing fretwork and cosmetic attention - now its my personal favorite. Last year I landed on a early 2000's Taylor 414 that was forgotten in the past owners closet for over 3 years, way, way in need of a neck reset and was beaten about the headstock due to I don't know what - I took all the steps to patch it up, make it easy to hold and sing beautifully again - its now my partner here at the computer desk and is used daily to get my "fix" for the day. I landed on a 2006 Squire fretless bass because the seller was bandmates with the original owner, who died of cancer. It needed to be loved and in a good home. Of course theres my 1975 Alvarez 5022 that's probably worthless to others, but it's priceless to me - it was my companion in the early days when I was out on my own, giving me hours of musical friendship. And for being a laminated acoustic, that 49 year old solid spruce top has gifted me a sonically full sounding guitar thats a treat to play and remember earlier times gone by. These are ones of a few more I have - just about all of them mean something to me. And when I play each one, they respond in warmth and thanks. (Of course, there's one - I snagged a pretty much mint Ebony LP Trad at a fire sale price - just because)....
I never thought about the subject of collecting? You have a great point of view Mr. Williams! I just love to practice and have my old SG that I play at home. A gift from my parents and which served me well from 1971 until a few years ago when little kids started to give it unnecessary beauty marks in my lesson studio. It took about 5 to 7 years to to get another SG as my work horse. It was a display guitar but I knew it was the one when I held her in my hands! And now I started my SG collection with a Burny that I purchased from Osaka. Great price, packaged well and it needs some fret work but I like it and will play it faithfully. BTW my original SG was nicked named The "Beast" by my friends who always asked, 'how is the beast playing' and the rest is history. Thanks again for your wonderful point of view it just never occurred to me in that fashion. Cheers!
How do you know which are the ones that work for you, without trying many of them? Usually the various main types sound & feel different. LP, Jazzmaster, Strat, Tele, hollow / semi-hollow, Mustang, Jaguar. Various scale lengths. Types of pickups, humbucker, single coil, P90, Jazzmaster, etc
No argument there. I’ve owned like 30 guitars in the last ten years, really trying to figure out which models work for me. I currently own 10. I was more saying in the long term, the idea that you have to have one of every major Fender and Gibson model just because. I’m definitely guilty of this.
When I was young, I only played Fender. Was really surprised when I started buying more guitars to find that I actually prefer Gibson. And that certain guitars that I think are cool I just don’t bond with (Gretsch, Rickenbacker). And that certain guitars I don’t think are cool, I actually love playing (PRS). There’s no way to know til you own them for a while.
The best kept secret by manufacturers of all guitar related gear is: 99.99% of your tone is in your skill. The other 0.01% is in your gear. Practice is free, and will dramatically improve the tone of any guitar. Liked and subscribed!
Warning: This is about a correlation to a certain venerated brand of saxophones. If you don't care about correlations, stop reading here. If #1 isn't about the Selmer MkVI it should be. I've played many Selmer MK VIs. Never owned one but everyone told me I ought to be playing them. Only two techs ever said otherwise. The first, a guy renowned in Milwaukee for his virtuosic repair and maintenance ability, asked me if anyone at the shows ever wondered what my horn was? "Ah, no?" "Then keep earning with whatcha got and let the guys with money to burn buy the sixes (and Super Twenties and whatever vintage models they grew up hearing). I was playing a Nogales Conn. A great sounding (punches above its weight-though I didn't know it) student horn in an indestructible case. I've always liked that horn because it could play three octaves up in pretty good pitch. You always fight Selmers to get them not to go way sharp. I've played with many Selmer guys who consistently play sharp and seem fine with it. Back in the nineties I played for Theresa and Paul Jennings (Grammy for jazz stuff he arranged, etc). Went to visit her brother in another state and was introduced to Yanagisawa. Never heard of the brand but finally got one in the early two thousands. Astounding horn. It's worn from playing and a joy for expression. Intuitive. Only cost me 2,600 used but lived in its case having been owned by a music professor who collected saxes (weird) Literally the golden dragon as you told it. I love your channel. Because you speak of musical growth being the fruit of connecting with the instrument in ways many haven't thought of. Harvey
I have some traits from each of those guys. I want to speak up for my kind of collector. Im the guy who cant afford much at any particular time, but i know so much about construction and set up that i can make ANYTHING play like new! WE LOVE GUITARS! But we cant afford Gibsons and Fenders, so we build a representative collection. A "Strat" or two, a "Tele", a "Les Paul", a "PRS", a "shred guitar", maybe a jazz box of some sort. None are REAL, none are expensive, but if were good at mods and set ups, they're all excellent instruments. Sure, i could sell a bunch of my collection to get one really nice guitar, but why would i? All of my guitars are really nice, i just had to make em that way. But the nice thing for guys like me is that yardsales and flea markets become music stores. And every once in a while we stumble across the Real McCoy and it feels extra special!
As a guitar collector, I was keen to watch this video to see what category I fall into... I think I have had phases where I might have momentarily been in one or more of the categories, but overall, I think I probably have had an entirely different (and possibly rounded) approach to guitar collecting. I never intended to be a guitar collector initially. But collecting stuff is in my DNA, so I guess it was inevitable. In the early 2000s, my personal financial situation changed to the point where I could afford to collect guitars. My main interest was Telecasters. I became fascinated with the huge variety of models that had been produced from Fender USA, Japan, Mexico and then of course, other brands T-style variants. Ultimately I ended up with over 200 different Telecasters. My holy grails were not Blackguards. Mine were Rosewoods and Pink Paisleys, both truly unique Telecasters. The collecting grew then into Gibsons, I collected at least one of every model. I dabbled in Strats. I loved 1970s Japanese "lawsuit" LPs. I essentially collected because I liked the appearance of guitars as an object of beauty. During this period however, I also started playing again for the first time since my teens (in the 70s) and I also have a collection of "playing" guitars which fulfill the role that Keith views for guitars - tools of the trade. There are about 6 or 7 guitars in this sub-set of the collection. Ultimately, my peak guitar number was 326. Now, nearly 20 years on, I have been downsizing. I have realised that it was nice to collect and some of that was the satisfaction of the chase. But once you are no longer acquiring, there's not a lot of point in owning so many guitars. My collection now stands at 62. Sure it's getting harder to sell some favourites from the collection, but I also enjoy passing on these wonderful objects to new, happy buyers, seeing them get the satisfaction of find the guitar they have been searching for. All in all, collecting has been more of a journey for me and I have also met a lot of wonderful people along the way through my collecting and made some friends as well. So for me, collecting was for quality of life, an expensive hobby that I could afford. I am sure glad that I did it.
#1) the sort that refuses to let me borrow one. #2) and the sort that does, then gets all upset with me when i, out of the goodness of my own heart, had those old ass low-output stock pickups from his original 57 Goldtop that nobody wants anyway, replaced with a set of BRAND NEW Fishman Fluence. Which BTW has three voicings. And instead of "hey wow, thanks," it's all "WHY DID YOU THIS!? Why WOULD you do this?!? Those were original, you just knocked at least 30% off the original value. You've financially ruined me" 🙄 alright drama queen, I'll help you and buy the guitar from you…at a 30% discount of course. I mean, you don't even have the original PAFs.🤷
As a guitar player I have always been of the mindset that you should have a dream guitar. When I was a teenager I played a repaired Ibanez that was given to me, it worked fine but it was the dream of getting an American Standard Strat that drove my heel. I did get that strat and still have it. That being said I still love the chase and still collect. Do what you want.
Only guilty on a few counts. 9: (only one) I used to have an early 70's SG that I was afraid to play for fear of messing it up. Finally sold it and got an mew SG that I play regularly. 1: (only one) I own just 1 vintage guitar, A 1953 ES-175 that I play most days. Birth Year guitar that I plan to keep. 2: Starter pack, My theory is that you have to figure out what you like before you can become a minimalist. How can you know if you like Jazzmasters if you don't buy one? 3: I am an aspirational Minimalist. One comes in, one or two go out. I have under a dozen electrics, 2 acoustics and a classical. I have 2 guitars on the shopping list, one electric and one acoustic. There are 5 or 6 of the electrics that will eventually find a new home, but as long as they still get played, I am in no rush to send them out the door. Like I said, ASPIRATIONAL Minimalist.
I’m relieved to not find myself on your list. I’ve never had the money to drop on a really nice high end guitar so all of my purchases fall into the zone of the best guitar for the least money. The ones I do purchase get the living life played out of them and though they’re long past their prime I hold onto them as dear friends marking my musical journey. Over the years I’ve bought and sold a few guitars but always with an eye, or ear as it may be, to having a nice sounding guitar so that I can play the living life out of them. After 55 years of playing I own 3 guitars (all Epiphones) that are wonderful. I was given my best friend’s 1976 Martin D35 after he passed away. I don’t see myself as the owner of that instrument, but I’m the steward until I find someone to pass the legacy of good music onward. Three of these guitars get played regularly, unfortunately my oldest guitar, a 1972 Epiphone, needs a whole lot of loving’ to make it playable again. It was the first brand new guitar I bought after working lots of OT to get it. It has been with me through my musical journey and tgat won’t change. I value the ones I can afford and play and don’t lust after the next one. Okay, a D28 would be really nice but I’m realistic in recognizing that if I wanted it that much I’d have found a way, but I didn’t. It’s about the music not the tools. To finish your tool analogy, I don’t lust for the toolbox, I’m all about the things tools can make. Another thoughtful video Keith! Keep up the good work Sir!
The fact is that once you learn to play even a little, you begin to realize how each guitar has its own unique characteristics. Having a new guitar is usually inspiring and somehow magical. Sounds corny but it’s 100 percent true.
Gear acquisition syndrome is something that’s afflicted me, and I’m sure many other guitar players at some point or another. Even the most beautiful instrument can’t compete with the feeling you get from levelling up your skills though. Your brain and your two hands are the best guitar you’ll ever own
Great Video Keith! I appreciate and have seen several people who fit the descriptions you cited. As for me, I buy the best tool (for a guitar is an instrument and instruments are tools) I can reasonably afford and do not hide it from my wife. The result is to never have any "should of's, would of's or could of's". I am a very satisfied musician and have a life-long relationship with the instruments I play.
Dang. Maybe I have a problem. I think am all 9. I don’t gatekeep though. -PRS Custom 24 -PRS Custom 22 -SRV Strat -Robert Cray Strat -Troy Jazzmaster -MIM Tele -Custom luthier built Tele -Bullet, Warmoth neck and PRS hums -Sonic, warmoth neck and PRS hums -Fender “the Strat” ‘82 -Gretsch holllowbody w bigsby -MIM precision bass -Epi Jack Casady bass -Breedlove Oregon -Breedlove jumbo masterclass -fender Mando (f35 I think?) I think I could get rid of everything but the SRV, Troy, 24, custom Tele, and the masterclass and be fine forever.
I love your videos Kieth, but this one is my favorite so far. I have a couple of Warmoth teles with Fralin pickups and Wilkinson bridges and my favorite amp is a 1471 silvertone Fender Champ copy made by Danelectro for Sears and Roebuck for sale in their catalog from 1963. Both of my flattops are Augustino's, a Koa bodied single cut built by Augie himself 34 years ago, and a Brazilian rosewood copy of the Koa guitar crafted by his daughter Donna LoPrinzi Chavis from a couple sets of wood that was on the shelf available for purchase 34 years ago when I ordered the 1st one built at 1929 Drew Street in Clearwater Florida. I was young when I bought the 1st one and couldn't afford the Brazilian rosewood then, but I have it now and Donna made me an incredible instrument. She might be a better builder that her daddy was. Augie is still alive but has given up his wood working, knife making and firearm engraving. I am a very blessed human. Love to All who support 5 watt world❤!
It's tempting to buy more and more guitars and gear, being any kind of the 9 collectors type. I could have been buying and selling guitars over the years, even pricey ones, but somehow I refused, I didn't need making money trading guitars or gear, I just enjoyed playing and joining with as much musicians or bands as possible. So I kept my Les Paul Studio (put SD Seth Lover, sounds great real PAF) and my Ibanez RG550 (put a wilkinson trem, ebanol non locking nut and Dimarzio PAF Pro's, amazing sound and playing), and I'm really happy. My point is that most electric guitars can be modified to suit your style or sound, in my case from bluesy, jazz fusion, classic rock. So if you're into just play and enjoy, maybe there's no real need to keep buying, unless someone needs to show off more than playing. Hey Keith I hope you enjoyed your stay in Europe, after all your "european look " was cool too. Thanks for the great video.
![Twenty One Pilots - “The Line” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E2Rj2gQAyPA/mqdefault.jpg)
when i was a teenager i paid wayyy too much money for a really nice schecter with the money from my fast food job. i was scared to tell my parents i spent that much money so i told them i only paid a couple of hundred for it. one night me and my step dad were fist fighting because he was an abusive alcoholic and he grabbed my guitar and broke it over my CRT television, i was heart broken. a few days later he said he was going to buy me another one and i had to come clean that i paid nearly 1000 dollars for it, and he said if i would have told him that from the beginning he wouldnt have broke it because at the time he thought he would just buy me another one and he couldnt afford to replace a 1000 dollar guitar. it was 2008 and the dude was loosing everything his job, our house, but still gas lighting me into thinking it was my fault that he broke my guitar is just something that dude would do. all he could afford to get me was a 1970's harmony electric that was better suited as fire wood
Sorry to hear your young life was so poisoned by a vile person. Hopefully you have avoided such mistakes in your own life and will continue to do so. As a kid in the 60's I worked all summer and bought a Framus acoustic 12 string. It was all I could get for my $75 saved washing dishes all summer at 50 cents and hour. I grew up an Army Brat with 3 siblings, parents could not afford to buy me one. But it got me started on my guitar journey and a few years later bought my first Gibson, a J-50 in 1971 for $245. I still own it 53 years later and play daily. Many other guitars have come and gone since, but it your and my love of the music that matters. Don't forget that is what it is about and continue to grow and learn. Always work to make tomorrow better than today for yourself and those around you. Best wishes.
Man this broke my heart. I have a very similar story and it really sucks. I hope you have kept playing and didn't let that kill your joy for music and playing.
When I was a kid I couldn't afford an electric guitar but somehow I could afford the parts anyways me and my grandpa built My homemade electric guitar the one on my profile picture when I was 11 years old in his garage with hand tools no heavy machinery we made the pick up its surface mount so it's completely flat and it sounds really nice I'm 21 now and still use it it's my main guitar I named my guitar Hoss
If you ever want to get an inexpensive Schecter gem, look for a 2008-9 Schecter Devil custom. The necks are amazing, tuning is rock solid. Yeah, the spine graphic is really 00’s, but the blood red bird’s eye maple model is gorgeous. All it needs is a nut replacement, and it will make for a great recording and touring beast
Sorry to hear this. At least it’s all behind you now 😔
We all love small, independently owned guitar shops. The huge irony is they can't exist without most of these guys. When I was young, I frequented one such guitar shop ... I was one of those kids that would hang out, paw the nice guitars while chewing the fat, and then buy a pack of strings or some picks every once in a while. During one such visit, I asked him how business was and he told me if it wasn't for 3 guys that didn't even play guitar, he'd be done. A doctor, a lawyer and an aeronautical engineer were his three best customers. None of them actually played, but they all collected and traded high end and vintage guitars. And their buying is what kept the shop afloat.
So while WE should't become one of these guys, someone sure better.
Truly sad, that they never played.
Anyone wonder if he is indirectly talking about people like Trogly?
@@EbonyPope Well, TECHNICALLY Trogly “plays….” I’ve…I’ve seen the proof. I mean, there are notes sounded!
@@EbonyPope Trogly was the first guy to enter my mind as he described No.8, The Trader/Flipper! LOL
@@chasbee Yup. Super boring after a few episodes too. I tune in from time to time but it gets repetitive fast. But he seems to be very popular with all these morons that think they can impress their friends with such a nice walllhanger.
“Shop less, Play more! Love it.
Anyone wonder if he is indirectly talking about people like Trogly?
@@EbonyPope
Trogly drives me a little batty. While I don’t subscribe to his channel I do watch many. My favorite though is the Mod Collection. Otherwise, he reminds me of a used car salesman trying extremely hard to convince you this is a model for you! Especially when he talks about prices. Or he hypes the most hideous colors. He seems to be trying way too hard to convince you of the provenance of said Gibson.
@@SirSneakerPimp I just wished he would play more. He doesn't really evolve as a player. He isn't horrible but it is clear to me that he has potential he doesn't use because he is way too caught up in collecting the guitars instead of playing them. It's sad to see people only seeing the material side of things collecting more and more thinking that is going to make them happy. All he does is collecting. He has impressive knowledge but in the end I don't care about the guitars. What counts is what you make with them. They are just tools for your expression.
Shop less, pay more!
What makes me happy is the sound that each guitar gives me and the inspiration it provides me. They all get played just like a painter with a pallet of colours. ❤ I love them all.
All through the 1980s my dad had a squier strat he'd gotten while in the military. I watched my whole life as near about every guitarist I ever seen made a negative comment about it. He never cared , he knew. He was a musician.
I've since played guitar for over 20 years now, and have yet to play a strat that rivals his MIJ E series.
Players know a good instrument, no matter the name or cost. That's all that really matters,everything else is fashion.
I don’t play guitar, any instruments for that matter but i do enjoy watching the guitar videos, it’s a new world. The one thing that stands out about this video is it applies almost identically to the motorcycle world. Every type of guitar guy you mentioned has the motorcycle counterpart haha
I think it applice to all types of collectors of any type of thing.
I think there's a little bit of all 9 in all of us, at one time or another. Great video!
Thats 100% right. We all have to confront these tendencies/thought patterns, however loud or quiet, at least once.
I’ve done it enough times that I should know better by now. I just can’t get away from the idea that I don’t want to mess them up. Eventually I’ve sold every guitar I have like this because like Keith says, they should be tools. Here’s to the next beautiful/expensive guitar! 😅
lol not I. I’m more into the weird old stuff that I have to work with for months to figure out what tuning and string gauge wakes it up and makes it playable. Then I play the crap out of it. But, like I said…. I don’t feel represented here and need to be put in my box. 😂
Maybe a bit. Vintage is never been my thing. I also will not spend 5k on a guitar. I believe that is for people that will play the hell out of that and really can hear the difference. More of a professional or gigging person. I am not... I do have a 27 year old G&L Legacy that I bought new in 1997. But that's not considered "Vintage" at 30 years I guess it is a relic according to the internet. But a vintage from 1997? Naw... 60's and below for that.
@@ryangunwitch-black, I posted a similar comment elsewhere here before reading yours. It can be interesting, perhaps fun and perhaps frustrating, to try to fix the basic flaws with an offbrand, misfit, cheap guitar to see if you can get it sufficiently playable that it will deliver some unusual tones and sounds that you won't get from a Fender or Gibson. Whether you succeed or fail at improving a specific instrument, you are bound to learn something about guitars, and yourself, in the process. Think of how less colorful and less interesting the world of music would be without oddballs like David Lindley and Ry Cooder taking all these pawn shop guitars and figuring out how to get music out of them.
Number 10: the ADHD Guy With a Sweetwater Credit Line. This season he wants a Gretsch, because he saw Brian Setzer live and now he’s ‘feeling Rockabilly!’ No, wait, now he wants a Pia, because he’s always loved Vai! Hold on-there’s 48-month financing AND a sale on SE Silver Skies?? Can’t have enough S-types! But wait-Eddie is why he picked up the guitar in the first place, and look at that new ‘Bumblebee’ striped Wolfgang!
Boy, do I pity THAT sad sap! Whoever and wherever he might be!
Great comment!!!
Guilty
@@DM-qd6bv Maybe you, but NOT ME! *Definitely* NOT ME! I have COMPLETE and ABSOLUTE control of my Swee-I mean general online-music purchases! I am VERY FOCUSED. I am VERY DISCIPLINED. Only ONE GUITAR this year! I can DO THIS!!
"ADHD Guy With a Sweetwater Credit Line" has great potential for a skit on SNL!
Typically those are the GAS types as well, letting the excitement of the new product hype train override the critical thinking of “Is this actually a purchase that makes sense for me?”
I'm not a guitar collector....but I am a fuzz monger. There's always room in my heart for another fuzz!
I hear that!
Yeah, i miss all my old EH pearls from the early 80’s. I had a fuzz pi, and one of those boat oar mistress pedals with a 8 foot power cord. Timeless classics!
@AlephNull Me too! There’s different fuzzes that I still want to get. I grew up on fuzz in the late 60’s.
DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS???
@@masonianbund - Wanna tell me about your latest fuzz acquisition‽
I think the Internet has changed the hobby in ways none of us anticipated. I remember the days when every time I visited a new city the first thing I would do is find the nearest guitar store to see what undiscovered treasure I could find. Now, the whole world is at your fingertips and, for me, it’s taken some of the fun out of the “hunt.” Kind of like what social media has done to dating.
I can see that. But on the other end I think things like FB marketplace help with finding a guitar you want near you, also opposed to paying for a brand new one. Especially if you live in a more rural area, and the nearest music store is an hour away. Still important to check the instrument and play it before you buy it, but I think it can go both ways.
It all depends on how you choose to live, sir.
I will always enjoy waking into a music store or a pawn shop and finding some treasure.
But I have also purchased guitars I’d never have found where I live, online, sight unseen with no regrets.
you don't have to look on the internet, you know. I never look at marketplace or any other site. I just go to the stores and look around. A few times I've called or emailed if I live far off.
Hunting in stores that had a good selection of used gear was always fun. Hunting online… depends what you want, or what price you are willing to pay. I’ve spent years chasing down guitars that are tough to find.
I’m a collector who couldn’t play more than a handful of licks when I bought my 1st guitar. I’m working on being a player who collects, instead of a collector who can’t really play. It’s always “this next guitar will be the one that inspires me to practice”. But I acquire a new guitar more often than I learn something new. I say that I will sell or trade my rarely used guitars, but I’ve only ever sold 2 and they still kind of haunt me.
🤷♂️ that’s me. A guitar hoarder… I mean collector.
My best advice is this:
Take your time to consciously look at the stuff that you *REALLY* like in a guitar (more precisely, specs related to playability: neck shape, fretboard radius, fret size, nut width, body contours, the way your hand sits at the bridge when you palm mute, etc), order yourself a nice quality partscaster (a Warmoth for example) with those specs, and finish the assembly yourself.
You'll probably be more excited of picking up a guitar with specs that you like, as opposed to a bunch of guitars with specs that don't really fit you all that well. Also, you assembled your guitar, you saw it come to life, that will have more sentimental value than "Yeah, I bought it because it caught my eye, but I don’t play it that much".
Don't beat yourself up, selling gear is a pain in the axe. People don't show up, they expect to low-ball you and try and say what you have is junk to try and get you to sell cheap. Just be firm from the start or high-ball them so they think they've won when you drop the price to what you really will accept.
There, there.............
@@davisworth5114 Here, here….?
@@robraaiiiHear, hear.
I think you missed one type. Before my wife died (leukemia), we talked about guitars, acoustic mostly. She said I there was no problem with me getting or ordering one for my birthday, Christmas, or our anniversary, and have it come from her. Play it, and give it as an heirloom to one of the children or grandchildren (about 21 right now) so they have a guitar Grandpa played. I'm currently playing and singing for others as a volunteer for 20+ hours a week. Having them played is not a problem. Figuring out what a child / grandchildren might like is a challenge. So heirloom or wife's promise collector? Prices range from $200 to $11k, and all sound good with my voice and are easy to play.
I understand. My wife and I had similar conversations before she passed. Our eldest grandchild has already been gifted my wife’s GS Mini. I’m still playing and enjoying the rest of the herd, but will have to make some necessary provisions for the remaining guitars and how to distribute them.
Enjoy your family!
@@charliejaffe8712 I have a hammer my grandpa used over 75 years ago. I don’t even know the brand. It doesn’t matter. It is a connection when I use it with an important part of who he was. I encourage you not to overthink it and obstruct that future possible connection.
To be fair, his list is “9 types to never become.”
@@Ten2More Coincidences-r-us! My Dad left me his tools, and I feel the same way when I use them. Thanks for sharing =)
@iancurrie8844 yes, I really didn't want to be without a wife, kids /Grandkids without a mom. Also, having a few guitars means guitar lessons with Grandpa when they come over.
When i was 12 years old, my parents told me if i learned a specific Chet Atkins song, they’d buy me a Les Paul. I learned it as well as a 12 year old could learn it, but alas, life got in the way, and i never got that guitar. At 53, i finally traded a guy for a Les Paul tribute. It was like a dream come true. A REAL Gibson Les Paul after decades of looking at the greener grass, playing with guys who owned multiple models, custom shops, etc, while i tooled away on my Schecter Devil custom- a 700.00 guitar when my wife got it as a Christmas gift.
Once i had that LP in my hands, i just stared at it. Reveled at its beauty. Simple, plain maple top, just enough bells and whistles. Put my hands on it; and hated it. Well, not “hated”, but rather was so supremely disappointed. The neck profile wasn’t for me. I put it down to just being used to flatter necks, “metal” guitars, and perhaps i just wasn’t refined enough to play a classic instrument.
A couple months ago, however, i had an opportunity to purchase the brand of electric my parents DID buy me- a 1980’s Hondo Les Paul ‘lawsuit’ electric. Made in Korea, by Sammick, out of plywood, and questionable electronics. Tuners that were so sensitive, it took forever to tune up. Heavy as a chunk of concrete. It shipped to me, and i was instantly in love. Plays like a dream. I hear guitarists always saying a guitar isn’t any good unless you have to fight it a little. Me, i prefer my guitars to just play. My battle is in getting a great mix, writing a good hook. Not fighting a guitar. A straight neck, electronics that work, shiny frets, new strings. I’m a simple guy…
And the lesson i learned, the classic instrument isn’t everything. I play that 300.00 guitar more than my Modshop strat, made to my specs, the Les Paul, the Wolfgang, which is an 80s beast, and sometimes, even more than my beloved Schecter devil custom. Because it’s just fun to play. It inspires me. It inspired my last single, aptly named “hondo”.
I’ve always been the guy who only owns what is needed. Nothing more. Would i love a few others, for different genres, yes. But they have to feel right, inspire, have a certain something, or they don’t work for me.
Probably going to sell the LP.
At 63, I still have my beautiful early 80's Hondo II "The Paul" that came with DiMarzio pickups (Japan)....that will probably get passed down to a younger brother when the time is right. Glad to have hung onto it after all these years.
@@jimlange2858 this is a 737- mine was older than this, but it’s still the same tobacco sunburst plywood model, so I’m pretty sure mine wasn’t Japanese either. This one does have humbuckers in it, it’s possible mine did not. Some of the early Koran models had single coil pickups with humbucker routes to look like gibsons. I remember putting a super distortion in mine when i was a kid. I gave it to a friend who didn’t have a guitar. Even though it was a lefty, he played it upside down for a couple years before he sold it off and traded up for a proper righty… this one plays really nice. It’s as close as I’ll ever get to my original guitar
Great! Yeah I'm more than one of these. I have decide which to question and which to embrace.
I was walking down the street here in Mississippi and saw a guy with an Orioles shirt. We're rare here so I stopped and talked to him. We had an Orioles moment and then he saw my 5 Watt World tshirt and said "And your a 5 Watt World fan too!" So we had a brief guitar addict conversation that included some of the identity phrases you shared here. Life is about connections and these kind of connections in unlikely places and times is a real joy. Thanks for building an opportunity to belong.
My bandmate is a Trader/Flipper. Whenever he brings a new (but always used) guitar to rehearsal, we always say “nice knowing you” to his new guitar. Sure enough, two to three weeks later, it’s gone. What’s funny is he ALWAYS says “this is the one, I’m never selling this one”. Lol
Sounds like me. I guess life is short and variety is nice.
So he's like Charlie Sheen in the TV show "2 and a Half Men" but with guitars instead of beautiful women? Lol nice
I'm a combination of number two and number four. I have all the major high trim archetypes of basses, precision, jazz, musicman stingray, and Rickenbacker, mostly for recording not for live.
The only difference with the number four category is that I actually know how to repair guitars, so those cheap terrible playing instruments will play awesome after I'm done with them. 😊 Great video Keith!
I was at work and heard a guy listening to a how to “guitar video” I commented I loved guitar and have played since I was 14. He stated “I’ve only been playing a year and a half, but I have 8 guitars!” He showed me pictures. All his guitars were over $1000 with one custom costing almost $5000.
I have a Harley Benton SG and a Boss Katana. Both combined were less than $700.
I can do anything with that setup (I also have a squire Tele)
😂
the idea that buying something means progress, kills the learning :/
I am a collector, I just love the all the different types of guitars. The woods, look, electronics, how the sound and play. Just the best thing to pick one up play it and go wow, very cool. Nothing better.
I‘m in the minimalist camp here. When I‘m interested in a guitar model I think about it back and forth to justify the purchase. This process usually takes 6 moths until I buy the instrument. At the time I have two electric ones and two acoustic guitars.
I do the same. Granted, I have compressed the six months into six days (quite the nonstop mental rollercoaster!) and the ‘Buy it!’ devil on my shoulder almost always wins, but otherwise….
I am in the minimalist camp too. I own three guitars. One was save form the trash. though I thinking about selling to get an electric acoustic for recording. advantage of being minimalist that most of guitars get played.
Also my understanding of being a minimalist in terms of gear: You purchase something and sell something else.
That's me. I'm a mediocre player with a modest income, so I have a budgetary limit that aligns with my talent level. I'm just not good enough in my mind to justify owning a $3000 (or even $1000) guitar. I switch out and play a LOT of different styles for my own enjoyment right now. Maybe I'll get with a group again if I'm able to retire young enough. Two guitars live on my wall right now. I have a Jackson Dinky JS22 for the super heavy stuff and a CV50s Tele for everything else. Couldn't be happier.
Yep, I started playing 40 years ago. I went from a serious student to a sort of professional to barely playing to an enthusiastic hobbyist. In forty years I’ve bought six guitars and rescued one. None those purchases were spontaneous.
Number 4 hits hard as I have a few Squiers that "punches well above it's weight" 😉 Another great video Keith.
Is there a list..?
@@joeurbanowski321 Patreon members get early access.
How did you know before the video was out?
I have a couple of Epiphones like that.
I would love to have a 70’s Jaguar as opposed to my beloved CV Squire 70’s Jaguar. Please deposit $8500 into this RUclips comment because if I spent $8500 on a guitar, I would starve in a house with no lights or water🤑
There is "The DIY Luthier" that decided it would be cool to build a cheap DIY kit and have the satisfaction of playing it afterwords, but gotten obsessed with how different guitar wiring/pickups ergonomics and constantly pursues a new body type to build but guitar playing skills are hobbiest at best. Their built collection displayed like model kits and is hard headed on never buying a premade guitar, only waiting for a kit to come out. Man writing this with a mirror really helped for some reason.
I think there’s also a subset of people under the Flipper category who just search for great deals with no true intent on trading up or selling for profit. You don’t have to search hard for a good deal on typical stuff and sometimes it just lands in your face. Then you say how can you pass up that good of a deal.
Type 10: The Florence Nightingale collector. These collectors have taken road worn to the extreme. Their beloved collection of guitars have Gibsons with broken headstocks, PRS’s with hazed out finishes, and Fenders that are so worn that even Mr. Sayce would suggest retiring it.
These people love the deal that can be had with broken guitars OR that worn feel OR are allergic to animal dander and therefore cannot adopt that adorable abandoned puppy from the pound. For whatever the reason, they collect the broken, the battered, and the forgotten guitars and nurse them back to health. Creating a stockpile (sry…”collection”) of somewhat lower valued guitars that are priceless to them.
When I was just starting to play electric at the tender age of 43, I went to a friend's house to jam. I was right at the stage of thinking that all I needed was better gear in order to fit in. My friend had invited a pal from a big city who played in bar bands and got paid! I was excited to see what kind of guitar a guy who was in the big time (to me, anyway) played. He opened his guitar case and grabbed out a dusty, beat up, inexpensive Yamaha with strings way past their Best Before date. He plugged in and said, "lets go!" That was a real eye opener for me. It's a tool, first and foremost!
Great episode Keith. I only bought one new guitar in my life. It was a 79 strat that I bought back in 1979. I still have it. Now I buy guitars that have been played. I love seeing the scratches and cracks. Imaging what and who played it.
I’m now a minimalist like you, Keith. I’ve owned dozens of guitars over the years, but am finally down to just five. About twenty years ago I started selling them off one by one. Owning so many guitars felt like the proverbial albatross around my neck. Now down to just three great Martins, a Guild X-170, and a Squier Thinline partscaster. Very, very happy. So much less stress, and they all get played regularly.
The X-170 is a wonderful guitar, I miss mine.
Want to start this kind of process. The same reasons. Though mine will tilted more towards electric
@@muinarc0 Yes, it’s a really beautiful instrument. Mine was a gift from my wife.
@@druwk Do what makes you happy. Enjoy!
I currently owe twelve myself, three acoustics and nine electrics. Each guitar sounds and plays different. I used to troll through all the pawn shops where I live, find really nice electrics, swap out the pickups, switches and give them out to kids who couldn't afford one. Guitars were made to play and love them all!!!
My reaction to your video is “You keep doing you and I’ll keep doing me”
I love researching my guitar purchases. It brings me so much joy. For me I enjoy the journey & the destination. I do look at them as art & yes I play them. I randomly walk past them, open the case and admire their beauty & craftsmanship. I can often be heard talking to myself/them saying “You are beautiful”. They are my babies and each one is unique. I am working towards glass display cabinets to have them easily viewable for me to admire.
Funny you sound so judgmental over what other people find enjoyable. I was hoping your video title was click bait but unfortunately you doubled down. Oh well! It takes all types & I guess that’s the point.
I Adore You! RESPECT! You left out Luthiers, Educators, and Hoarders!! I am old, retired biophysicist from a "family legacy" known for cutting up perfectly good guitars to make them "Better". For the simple Love of MUSIC, and the Pre-Internet" school of " You Can't throw that away" I have accumulated, inherited, hoarded... or destroyed... many masterpiece instruments. I let 5th graders play my family's 1642 Paolo Maggini/ Bresica violin, as well as learning the science within my HEAVILY PLAYED, 69 low impedance Personal, Professional, Recording LP's and '72 L-5s that was used as an ashtray! The kids learned how to color-match the Gibson cherry red burst using chemistry from beets and purple cabbage, then lacquer over-spray ANYWAY, THANK YOU, As Always, this video made me laugh very hard as... I am all of the above..All Your Base Are Belong to Us! (Huge Smile) RESPECT!
I'm not a collector but I do have eight guitars! I've played in classic rock / blues / pop rock cover bands for decades so I'm often called on to recreate guitar parts that have been played on one of the "big three" guitars: Strat, Tele, Les Paul. Probably I could get the sounds I need with one coil-spitting instrument, but it is called a "show" and the look of the thing is important too! And the feel of course. So I have a decent Fender Strat, a Fender Tele and a Gibson Les Paul Tribute for well-managed bars /small venues where I feel safe and a couple of Classic Vibe Squiers and a LP knockoff for the sorts of dive-bars that we sometimes play! They're all very well set up and I'm pretty sure our audience (and his dog) can't really tell the difference between the more or less expensive instruments. I've got a couple of mid-price electro-acoustics too. The guitar I like to play the most if the CV Squier Strat (which is the most recent addition) though, so now I have a bit of a dilemma don't I?
I really like your opinion pieces. Kina like an editorial. Your writing personality shines more. You sound like a really smart thoughtful guy.
Just found your channel today, love your insightful perspectives, and * subscribed *.
When I was younger, all I could afford was one cheap clone guitar, and a lousy used amp. When I finally got into a line of work that gave me a decent salary, I went a little crazy buying guitars I had always lusted after.
The store owner, who was also a gigging musician, was always happy to sell me something new, but I couldn't help but feel he was quietly pitying me at the very least, or viewed me with disdain, because I couldn't play to save my life.
Finally, I realized that I was just soothing my inability to play well with gear, and sold everything, but a friend of mine, a gigging musician, suggested I try e-bass, and I did, and started with one bass guitar, then another, and a third, and realized I was backsliding into old bad habits.
So, I sold 2 out 3 bass guitars, but during the pandemic, got an itch to play guitar again, so I bought a Player Tele HH. I still get the itch, every now and then, to buy a 2nd guitar, but this time, I think I'll just actually try and become somewhat proficient in Blues so that I can use that as a bridge to start learning Jazz theory.
I have a 10 watt, and 25 watt guitar amp, and that's enough.
I’ve never thought of myself as a guitar collector. I just always wanted to play didn’t buy a guitar until I was 30. While playing that first guitar I learned that other guitars do things differently. This process repeated itself over the next 35 years. Now I have 13 guitars with none on the horizon, and no intention of selling any of them. Like children, they are all my favorite.🤙😎
Here's another category: The guitar rescuer. I used to buy inexpensive used guitars that had something I liked in the way of character. I'd take them apart, clean them up, and replace all of the electronics. Then I'd give them to a grandnephew or grandniece (usually with an equally rescued amp.)
This video really helped me. I bought a 1950s spec Gibson Les Paul Standard. My dream guitar. I have loved it and played it and enjoyed it, but it still had the factory strings and set-up on it. Silly as it sounds, this video encouraged me to put my favorite strings and my set-up on it.... all I can say is.... a great guitar is even better now! Thanks for the kick in the pants!
Being a lefty in the UK I’ve always been an impulse buyer of the rare lefties I want- I know there are certain guitars I’ve bought I would never have seen again if I didn’t buy them when I did (Lefty Bo Diddley, Gibson V, EVH USA Wolfgang for example). I also have never sold a guitar. I’ve been modding my early clunker guitars so I can get more use out of them. Yes, I have a lot of guitars (and use them all), but I don’t drink, smoke, take drugs, gamble, and buy expensive clothes, holidays or cars.
Being a guitarist, songwriter and producer is my thing. And experiencing all the different types of guitars is part of the fun.
Saying that, I think the collection is done- at least the electrics….
Great video! Not a collector myself, I will never judge any collector. I happened to acquire my only 2 “valuable “ guitars when 20, with a little money from army service. (I’m 58 now). For rehearsal or occasional gig I keep 2 T style partscasters. Keep the great vids coming 🤩
As a drummer........i don't have a guitar collecting problem. I can live vicariously through people like Keith.
"So....i got that going for me....which is nice." - Carl Spackler
"A Big hitter, the Lama...."
How’s your cymbal collection?
This sounds like Cinderella story
I play drums and guitar 😂🫤😭
@@DSCRAPRE - I only own what i play in my regular gig set up. I have 2 rides i rotate depending on the gig, and same with hi hats. My wallet tells me i can't afford to collect cymbals.
Them,, "which type are you?"
Me , "yes I am"
I think really the only ones I'm not are the ones who sell guitars
I don't consider my self as a collector....yet, over the last 50 years of playing and building guitars, I have "accumulated" a collection. Trying to build a guitar better than the last one, at least in some aspect, succeeding, and moving on to the next idea, the next project. For me I don't view them as tools so much, I view them for what they are, an instrument in the truest sense of the word, on par with any scientific instrument. Finely crafted to a specific goal. When I smile a genuine smile, it is when playing or even admiring these. They all get plenty of regular play time, and have natural beauty marks to show it.
I totally relate to this list. I've seen each of those types come through my guitar building shop.
I my case I have both "Factory Guitars" - 13 of them, and instruments I've built, and a few "Project guitars - restorations" kicking around. But my favorite story is of a 7-string Washburn WG-587 I saved from the junk bin.
I was at the local music shop and saw a particular 7-string electric in the used guitar rack - a Washburn, made in China. I have an interest in 7-string guitars since I had already built a 7-string acoustic for myself. The Washburn has a black body, with a Maple scarf-jointed bolt-on Neck that also shows some light Flame Figure, and with a really nice Indian Rosewood fret board, and 18:1 Grover Machines. But the instrument was a basket case; DNA and goop everywhere, a back bow such that the high E and B strings were buzzing on the frets, the jack plate hanging off the guitar with striped screw holes. As I looked it over, I realized I could correct all of those issues. I wanted to hear what this guitar's Pickups sounds like. I plugged into an Amp similar to the one I own, and was blown away by how good it sounded. The prices was a hundred bucks. At that time, I was also half way complete in a 7-string tele build. Ok; I could take this, fix it up, and practice my 7-string chops till I finish my own guitar, then resell the Washburn. I went to the clerk and first ask if someone switched the price tag. He laughed "nope - that's the actual price". I told him that in this case, I have to take this guitar - but with one condition.... If the truss rod does not work, then I get my money back. He agreed.
I got home and found the correct size Allen Key, tried it, and the truss rod operated perfectly. Ok then. I totally dismantled the instrument. It took Glue-be-gone and steel wool to clean the fret board, a tooth brush and solvent to clean all the hardware. Did a full fret leveling and dressing. Power buffed the finish to remove almost all the scratches. Installed a $30 graphite nut (on a $100 instrument). Added a treble bleed circuit. I also increased the gauge of the strings ( .011 E to .060 for the low B). With the added tension, this guitar's intonation was able to be adjusted perfectly despite people in various forums and news groups complaining that the model would not intonate and sounded like shit (they all played with strings that are too light).
In the end; this guitar sounds and plays as good as any of my high end instrument in my collection, and I still own it. It's my worthless Chinese 7-string! I love this guitar.
I totally agree with you. I own two guitars. My first was a japanese Strat. However, since Eddie was the one that got me into guitars, i needed a EVH striped series. After 1 year of playing i bought it. But after i took it out of the box i realized that just the guitar will not make me play like Eddie. Now after 2 more years i finally can use the things it offers, like the Floyd Rose or the 22. fret.
After buying the EVH, i found myself searching for a Les Paul. But then i realized i really dont need it. If i would buy it, it wont make me a better guitarist. I am glad i learned this lesson. For me these 2 guitars offer a variety of tones i just start to explore
Keep in mind that when a manufacturer builds a "BLINGED OUT" guitar I REALLY DO NOT THINK they actually think that that guitar is going to see any appreciable amount of playtime.
Several years ago a friend and I compared notes on our collections. He collects and restores guitars and amps. For me it was cars. Over the years I've owned a '71 Datsun, three Alfa Romeos, a '67 Ferrari (back when they were almost affordable) and a '64 Maserati that's on jack stands at the moment. (All my cars needed a lot of love - that's why I could afford them.) We laughed that I needed a garage for my collection while his fit in a spare bed room. What's really funny is that he bought a semi-vintage Porsche a few years ago and I am now a guitar owner. It's a lower level Ibanez S series. Nothing special but it means a lot to me. Thanks for the great video!
If Keith was a preacher this one was more of a “reproof” message. lol love
it brother. Keep on sharing!
Very nice! I've been a couple of these collectors, but seem to have morphed into a montage of a few of them. My collection contains two electric guitars, two straight acoustic guitars, and one electro'coustic. None of them was expensive, all of them have been set up by me, for me. They all have hard-shell cases, some of which cost more than the guitar inside. I'm obsessed with cleaning my axes every time I play them, and only play with clean hands and soft clothes that won't scratch the guitars. All of my guitars get played, but there is one that gets played the most. I also collect bicycles: that collection gets similar treatment: always clean, always perfectly adjusted, always protected from scratchy-bangers, and there's one that gets ridden the most. I love to talk about my collections (Duh, look at this long-winded comment!), and am always looking for other people who appreciate these things. I feel fortunate to have found the Five Watt World, which is full of people who love all things guitar, and who love to share their passion. Thanks Keith, you're awesome!😁
I know several people who fall into these categories. It’s insane how accurate this is.
Being an acoustic player, (Lowden, Martin, Alvarez) I struggled to find an electric guitar that I bonded with. I knew I liked strats, so I went with a silver sky when they first came out. I had it for about two years and sold it. Then on a whim I bought a Squier gold edition strat and I absolutely love it. Makes me smile every time I plug into my JC40 amp!
Number 9 reminds me of a comment I saw from a Subaru Outback Wilderness owner. He lamented that he had only owned the car a short while, and already had a small scratch on it.
It's a light off road vehicle. It's _supposed_ to get scratched! 😀
As long as the scratch doesn’t turn into something expensive that MUST be repaired, who cares? (Be it a car or a guitar.)
@@bridgestreetdesign Exactly. 😊
Then you should see my 1966 Land Rover! Lol 😱🤯
I really am starting to rain it in. I’m a sophomore college student and a part time working musician and my main axes include a gretsch pro jet which I have lovingly upgraded over the years and a strat with hotrails and a guild acoustic. I just sold a few pedals and grabbed an hx stomp for versatility. I constantly swat the hand and wallet because I realize that I would be completely fine even if I never bought another guitar. It is a mental battle at times but seeing people like Keith and many others who highlight the most music from the least gear idea is really refreshing!
I grew up from the 50's through the 60's. I played and owned a lot of guitars from those eras. I also owned models from the 70's to the present. Over the past 50 years I realized what mattered most to me was how comfortable they were to play. I found the right guitar for me wasn't one with the right logo. The one that was the most comfortable to play and hold needed to be the right size, weight and balance. Then have the neck profile and fretboard radius that fit my hands. The electronics and hardware were secondary. They can easily be replaced at very little cost if needed. The funny thing is the one that fulfilled all the requirements turned out to be one that only cost $350.00 new. I can play anything I want as long as I want without getting tired or stressed from using it. It sounds and looks great to me too. It the one in my profile photo.
I've had a related experience: I've longed to be a guitar player since the '60's, have had 'good intentions' guitars since the '70's, actually started playing in the 20'teens. Now knocking on 70 years old, I found an Alvarez electro'coustic that fits me like a glove. Not an expensive guitar, but one that feels right and sounds right when I play it. Have fun, thanks for sharing 😁
For me it was always about the right guitar fitting the right vocals. Acoustic or electric? Well, 1st, what's the song about. Ultimately, what guitar will make the song a win-win. Great one Keith..
I appreciated your presentation. It was fun evaluating my own motives relative to the 9 types of collector that you described.
I have collector genes, but I limit my expenditure to bottom feeder price levels. I knew I could never afford the big American brands so I turned to finding 1960's Made in Japan electrics, (Teisco, Kawai, Guyatone, Sakai , Matsumoku, Aria, Ibanez, etc) which are still quite rare in my country (South Africa). Every one has a charm of its own, and I appreciate my small collection, which is also a pickup collection. Some are ubiquitous, and some are, by luck, exceptionally rare. I have also started collecting Yamaha classical guitars. I am a solitary muso.
My best and worst collector's piece is a WRECKED 1933 Regal Parlor guitar with visible serial number and perfect tuners etc including an original scratch plate. The rosewood sides have split all around the bottom bout up to the shoulders, the top is cracked and warped, and the saddle has lifted. Its restoration is going to be a pilgrimage, starting this year.
That 1933 Regal will be a worthy project. It sounds like a lot of work, I did a similar restoration on a 1963 USA made Epiphone Cabellero a few years back. Found with missing tuners, broken bridge, loose braces and a bunch of cracks at kerfing and on back and front center seams. All mahogany guitar. Back held together with a big vinyl Mickey Mouse sticker. She gets to go out and play at open mics occasionally now and has been named 'Angel". You will love her when done and she will deserve a name at that point. Guitars are living things!. Good luck.
It's great to finally be an inspiration for one of your videos Keith - just kidding. Great to have you back!
I have a healthy guitar count, of 6. My most expensive is a LP special. But that 6th guitar, is $80 from Amazon. I’ve used it to learn how to “tech” a bit. I’ve cleaned it up and feel just as close with it, and feel it rocks just as much as any other guitar. My fondness for it outsizes it’s value at this point
This might be the right crowd to ask: I prefer a soft guitar case with backpack straps like Reunion Blues, or Mono. What the heck do you do with the hard cases that came with the guitar? I have 6 and they take up too much room. Of course, I'd like to keep them if I were to sell or move cross country again. But I'm looking for a creative solution to the bulk. Thanks!
I played a $200 Hohner acoustic for 15 years. Recently tripped over it and smashed the back in but that was one of the best acoustics I've played. Collecting is for nerds. The instrument is only worth the sweat and tears (and sometimes blood) you put into it
I just bought one of those a few months ago after shopping for a higher end acoustic, I picked it up on a whim and was shocked at how much I just instantly took to the guitar. It's a great guitar and the first acoustic I've owned that I really feel excited to play and will just grab it every time I walk by and just pluck a few notes. It just goes to show that a great guitar can come from anywhere!
So you’re a #5, #4, #3 guy.
Oh, I'm a minimalist definitely. Own 3 guitars, 2 sound exactly the same and I treat them as #1 and a spare for gigging, the 3rd one is different and is only used for recording at home to provide more tonal variation. I still want one more guitar (don't we all), specifically to have a guitar with Filtertrons.
I would like to get a guitar with P90’s and one with regular PAF’s but the only way that is happening is if I sell one of my acoustic guitars and I really don’t want to give up anything that I have right now.
To anyone recognising themselves in this , and feeling bad... (I DID) Don't.
It's a good set of points - but whatever brought you to the hobby, or profession if thats you, you're welcome here and you are part of the whole overall "guitar" organism and it's mechanisms.
Keep doing what you do, and enjoy it!
I wish I would have seen this video 3 years ago when I first started playing guitar.
I'm 65 years old and at 62 I decided to fulfill this lifelong dream of owning and playing an electric guitar.
I fell into at least two or three of the categories.
To begin with, I started buying only USA made and then relicked guitars. At first I thought it was ridiculous for anyone to pay $5K to $10K for a relicted guitar that looked like it had been dragged behind a truck.
But then I fell in love with them.
The other thing was, I stupidly figured, the more guitars I owned the better I would play.
Because I spent between $65K and $68K in 21 months, and my credit was great, I would buy one and already have another one in mind.
If I bought a Signature Tony Iomi I would sound like him, if I bought a Signature Angus Young SG I would sund like him, if I bought a limited Hendrick Signature I would sound like him.
Eventually I looked at 8 credit card bills coming in the mail and said "stop right now--this is insane."
Thank goodness I paid them all off in 2 years without any interest.
I stupidly bought 20 guitars in 21 months until one day I woke up, and realized what I was doing was ridiculous (talk about OCD).
I WAS GETTING THIS RUSH EVERY TIME I BOUGHT ANOTHER GUITAR.
In my defense, I can say I've practiced hard and I've been playing Open Mic for well over a year.
I can solo (not fast) to any backing track in any key because I really concented on Pentatonic and Diatonic modes and shapes.
But like he says in the video, when you're out shopping for and buying guitars, you're not practicing and playing which is the most important thing.
I can play those scales forwards, backwards and upside down.
The worst part is, if I go to sell them I only get half the value.
I recommend this video to any young players or anyone who has too manguitars like me.
Like this gentleman says, it's about playing and learning and not owning.
Like he says, find the guitar you really like and play the hell out of it. Don't waste time and money buying guitars you don't need.
I did the same thing. I'm a guitar-aholic for sure. Fueled by a lot of unexpected income during COVID (when I unretired as a physician), I have bought a total of 51 guitars. I started selling some in 2020, so I maxed out at 40. After buying none for a solid year, I'm down to 22 that I love and play every 2-3 days, now that I'm re-retired. At least I've played most of them a lot, and I've gotten a lot better during 20 years playing in a church band I founded with some choir mates. I also play in 3 different "pickin' party" groups, which has been great fun.
@@crouch0746
That's a great story. Keep on pick'n brother.
Thank you for sharing. Now I don't feel so bad. 🕊️🙏❤️
@@crouch0746
What kind of guitars did you buy? Were they USA made or some of the more inexpensive brands?
I hope you kept the good ones for yourself.
@@lamontprospect9974 Some of both. I have kept most of the nicest ones (all acoustic-electric, bought new), including a Martin HD-28 (my best), Maton Tommy Emmanuel (Australian), Alvarez Yairi Masterworks Folk, Martin OMC-18 Laurence Juber Custom, Martin OMC-16, Zager 900, Fender American Original 60's Strat, Fender American Professional II Tele, Gibson J-45, Epiphone Excellente, Breedlove Amazon Jeff Bridges Signature (granadillo back & sides), and Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin P90. I've also kept nice less expensive ones, including a Fender Newporter, PRS Silver Sky, Art & Luthierre Tennessee Red Legacy parlor (Canadian), Epiphone Studio Limited 12-string, Gretsch Streamliner hollow body electric, Gretsch Boxcar resonator, Alvarez baritione, and Epiphone Dove Pro (damned nice for the money), Kala U-Bass, and Epiphone Les Paul. I sold a Taylor 326, 224, & GS-Mini, Martin OMC Cherry, Martin SC-13, Martin D-10, Seagull Artist, Cordoba Classical, PRS Angelus Blue Matteo, Martin Road Series, 3 Martin X-Series (including the Woodstock commemorative), Washburn Bella Tona Allure, Alvarez parlor, Epiphone Hummingbird, Little Martin, Mexican Strat & Mexican Tele, Harley Benton Electric and miniature Ibanez electric. My collection is much more manageable and playable now. I miss several of the ones I sold, but my seller's regret is minimal most of the time. Thanks for asking.
@@crouch0746
That's awesome man ..way to let go.
I wish I would have started when I was that young.
As a singer-songwriter who’s played, gigged, and recorded for over thirty years, I never understood this mindset. I’ve owned very few guitars (2 electric and 3 acoustic) over those years, but only because I identified what worked for my styles, my gigging needs, and my hands (smallish). Once I did, I simply stuck with that. What could be better?
IMO, the best cure-all to any sort of guitar elitism is Hound Dog Taylor. Incredible, transcendent sound, perfect for his music. And Squier or Epiphone? Try Teisco 😂
I do think a distinction should be made between pure collectors and player-collectors. The first group are just like any other collectors, but since I think at least some guitars have souls, they sometimes make me sad for the many wonderful, untouched guitars in their dens, music rooms, and finished basements (despite the high-end humidifiers in the cases). Since the player-collectors often get distracted from playing, I sometimes feel sad for *them*, not their guitars.
But in the end, to each his own. Rock on!
Number 9 and 8 are the perfect description of Trogly's Guitar Show.
That type of person makes my skin crawl.
😂👍
I don't really care for his Gibson videos they're the same as Paul every single time just a different color
I do like the Fender videos though
@@southernpride2003 Yeah all he does is Les Paul videos with occasional Fenders sprinkled it. Probably one of the saddest things I could imagine is buying guitars just to look at them for the most part or obsess over their specs. In the end nobody cares. What counts is what you make with it. I don't really care what you fancy drill can do I want to acutally see you using the tool to create new things.
Those are his personal guitars? I thought he was dealer and just filming what came through the shop? lol
This is a great video. I can see myself in a few spots, and know others in some of those spots as well. At the end of the day, I just want to pick up one guitar and play it as well as I can...something that excites me, inspires me - and if it stays in tune, that's a bonus. I really liked the comment "if it stayed under the bed, did you really need it?" That is a great wake-up call.
A guitar player friend of mine has a closet full of beautiful vintage electrics, but only goes out to play with cheap $200 fireflies.😮
Your friend is smart 👍
@@Dragon_rls I guess you missed the point of this video.
You only live once. These things were made to be played.
Reminds me of a lawyer friend of mine, he showed me his latest acquisition, a 60s SG and asked if I wanted to try it out. I jumped at the opportunity and did some dorian noodling on it and he picked up a Squier tele to lay down a little i IV shuffle with. It was neat but I felt like a doofus because it was his guitar and I never saw him play anything on it.
@@baileywatts1304 Lol I bet he thought that you were going to feel privileged for holding that guitar for a few minutes. That's funny that you should tell this story. I am sitting next to my 69 SG that I inherited from my friend that died. I'm getting ready for a gig in a few weeks I'm going to be playing it at the gig. I have inexpensive guitars but I'm going to play this guitar because it's going to honor him, honor the guitar and bless me at the same time. This guitar wants to be played not left at home.
@@Dragon_rls No, he wastes his money
I currently own 12 guitars. I started off slowly, only having one acoustic for over twenty years. And then I bought my first Tele, about ten years ago.
After that I have probably bought and sold over more than20 different guitars of all styles and from different brands and even some individual custom built guitars.
I did this to find the "perfect" guitar for me.
By the end of this year, I will sell or give away most of them and get down to my favorite 5.
But to be honest, if I woke up tomorrow and only had that one acoustic and the first Tele back, I'd be happy.
Ummm, having watched this, is anyone allowed to own a guitar?
I own 21 guitars. My collection includes Gibson LP standard, SG standard, American pro 2 strat/teles, etc. But my hands down favorite is a 2004 Mik Fender strat. That guitar is a dream come true. I would rather lose the other 20, then that 1.
I took in a couple of okay-ish, well-used USA Fenders with ash bodies. Then I found out Fender doesn't make guitars from ash anymore. Now I keep those two in tip-top playing condition. The Tele gets played a LOT.
If you are one of the few lucky ones who have enough extra cash to "collect" a number of guitars, and your children are sheltered and fed, and your bills are paid, then you should do it any way you like.
Sure. Still a dick move tho
Great video Keith. GAS is a sickness yet many musicians wear it as a badge of honor. Personally, I like mid priced guitars. Most of these require fret work out of the box...so I end up giving them a thorough fret job. I put them in perfect playing condition....then I play them...all of them. Any guitar that does not get played, gets sold. I once had 35 guitars but I honestly could not maintain them and was not playing them. Now I am down to around 16, which is comfortable for me. All the guitars I now own get played regularly in rotation.
Excellent script - lol at "circumvent the office firewall to check Reverb"
Keith, we have enjoyed a friendly banter over time, But you have pointed out all my collector faults, (except number 3) all on one video. That is just meddling! 😁 Keep up the good work, always enjoy it.
This was a fun one !
I was wondering if I (if my type was going to be called out)…The double checker or The Searcher/tinkerer. I have a guitar for every genre of interest that I dabble in. Each guitar is a reference to another. Big frets, little frets, fat necks, skinny necks, various radiuses, some tuned to 1/2 step flat. Some concert. A strat for funky stuff, a couple strats for shred. A pop/rock strat. An Ibanez Artcore for jazzy stuff. Another Artcore for blues. An archtop for couch noodling. My first ever guitar, a Torch 335 copy. A short scale PRS because it’s easy to play. A 12 string. Each guitar represents a style I’d love to be good at. Some choices are inspired by my favourite guitarists. Some I buy, just so I can do them up with pick ups, scratch plates, pots, tuners etc. Get a bog standard strat and do it up like a Charvel Pro-mod. It’s a fun hobby. Some I want to modify, make them truly my own. I find it hard to sell guitars. As a result, I have quite a few.
Never buy an instrument you can see yourself selling in the future for any reason. You will be good.
My advice these days (I'm 70) is "never sell anything." If I had all the cool stuff I once owned but sold off and then bought something else, I'd have an amazing collection. mostly amps - not so much guitars. but some of each. and the real tragedy is what I was willing to sell that stuff for 50 or 55 years ago.
Guilty as charged minimalist reporting in. I've settled on two great examples of what I need to achieve whatever it is I'm going for: A Fender American Pro II HSS Strat and a Prestige Ibanez RGD 7 string. I'm in a place where I enjoy learning about and nerding out over gear, but... I don't actually want any of it... I just think they're neat :)
(Not discussed: The 6 other guitars it took to figure out what I liked so I could get the number down to 2).
I'll add a bass one day, but only after having done crazy amounts of research and can afford whatever ends up being "the one", such that that'll be the only bass I ever need.
"Shop less, play more"
I feel a t-shirt coming on.
💯 this!
But...he just...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :P
YES, PLEASE!
Dating app t-shirt.
I love everyone of my guitars equally (except maybe that blue one). Not a collector but have a collection.
Each one has a story with it. My first was a Kay Galaxie that I bought from Mel Bay in 1968..the other 11 or so are just as important to me! One I first made money with, another was gift from my family, one from the time I was broke and busking in San Fransisco and a few I miss that were sold in those days too. 12 seems to be the number Ive settled into for the last decade. Just love them and play them all as much as you can...life is so short.
I like the dingy dusty overlooked, unloved and orphaned guitars. I found a 2003 Tele Hwy 1 that was bargain basement, missing knobs, needing fretwork and cosmetic attention - now its my personal favorite. Last year I landed on a early 2000's Taylor 414 that was forgotten in the past owners closet for over 3 years, way, way in need of a neck reset and was beaten about the headstock due to I don't know what - I took all the steps to patch it up, make it easy to hold and sing beautifully again - its now my partner here at the computer desk and is used daily to get my "fix" for the day. I landed on a 2006 Squire fretless bass because the seller was bandmates with the original owner, who died of cancer. It needed to be loved and in a good home. Of course theres my 1975 Alvarez 5022 that's probably worthless to others, but it's priceless to me - it was my companion in the early days when I was out on my own, giving me hours of musical friendship. And for being a laminated acoustic, that 49 year old solid spruce top has gifted me a sonically full sounding guitar thats a treat to play and remember earlier times gone by. These are ones of a few more I have - just about all of them mean something to me. And when I play each one, they respond in warmth and thanks. (Of course, there's one - I snagged a pretty much mint Ebony LP Trad at a fire sale price - just because)....
I never thought about the subject of collecting? You have a great point of view Mr. Williams! I just love to practice and have my old SG that I play at home. A gift from my parents and which served me well from 1971 until a few years ago when little kids started to give it unnecessary beauty marks in my lesson studio. It took about 5 to 7 years to to get another SG as my work horse. It was a display guitar but I knew it was the one when I held her in my hands! And now I started my SG collection with a Burny that I purchased from Osaka. Great price, packaged well and it needs some fret work but I like it and will play it faithfully. BTW my original SG was nicked named The "Beast" by my friends who always asked, 'how is the beast playing' and the rest is history. Thanks again for your wonderful point of view it just never occurred to me in that fashion. Cheers!
The trap of thinking you need to own “one of each” instead of the ones that work for you
How do you know which are the ones that work for you, without trying many of them?
Usually the various main types sound & feel different. LP, Jazzmaster, Strat, Tele, hollow / semi-hollow, Mustang, Jaguar. Various scale lengths. Types of pickups, humbucker, single coil, P90, Jazzmaster, etc
No argument there. I’ve owned like 30 guitars in the last ten years, really trying to figure out which models work for me. I currently own 10. I was more saying in the long term, the idea that you have to have one of every major Fender and Gibson model just because. I’m definitely guilty of this.
@@poesybeat I understand & agree. I'm wanting to spend time with a wide variety & weed out the ones I don't care about.
Yeah totally. It’s a quest!
When I was young, I only played Fender. Was really surprised when I started buying more guitars to find that I actually prefer Gibson. And that certain guitars that I think are cool I just don’t bond with (Gretsch, Rickenbacker). And that certain guitars I don’t think are cool, I actually love playing (PRS). There’s no way to know til you own them for a while.
The best kept secret by manufacturers of all guitar related gear is: 99.99% of your tone is in your skill. The other 0.01% is in your gear. Practice is free, and will dramatically improve the tone of any guitar. Liked and subscribed!
I collect guitar picks…I can never find them…but I know they’re somewhere around here…better check the dryer 😂
Warning: This is about a correlation to a certain venerated brand of saxophones. If you don't care about correlations, stop reading here.
If #1 isn't about the Selmer MkVI it should be. I've played many Selmer MK VIs. Never owned one but everyone told me I ought to be playing them. Only two techs ever said otherwise. The first, a guy renowned in Milwaukee for his virtuosic repair and maintenance ability, asked me if anyone at the shows ever wondered what my horn was? "Ah, no?" "Then keep earning with whatcha got and let the guys with money to burn buy the sixes (and Super Twenties and whatever vintage models they grew up hearing).
I was playing a Nogales Conn. A great sounding (punches above its weight-though I didn't know it) student horn in an indestructible case. I've always liked that horn because it could play three octaves up in pretty good pitch. You always fight Selmers to get them not to go way sharp. I've played with many Selmer guys who consistently play sharp and seem fine with it.
Back in the nineties I played for Theresa and Paul Jennings (Grammy for jazz stuff he arranged, etc). Went to visit her brother in another state and was introduced to Yanagisawa. Never heard of the brand but finally got one in the early two thousands. Astounding horn. It's worn from playing and a joy for expression. Intuitive. Only cost me 2,600 used but lived in its case having been owned by a music professor who collected saxes (weird) Literally the golden dragon as you told it.
I love your channel. Because you speak of musical growth being the fruit of connecting with the instrument in ways many haven't thought of.
Harvey
how am I every one of these.
I have some traits from each of those guys. I want to speak up for my kind of collector. Im the guy who cant afford much at any particular time, but i know so much about construction and set up that i can make ANYTHING play like new! WE LOVE GUITARS! But we cant afford Gibsons and Fenders, so we build a representative collection. A "Strat" or two, a "Tele", a "Les Paul", a "PRS", a "shred guitar", maybe a jazz box of some sort. None are REAL, none are expensive, but if were good at mods and set ups, they're all excellent instruments. Sure, i could sell a bunch of my collection to get one really nice guitar, but why would i? All of my guitars are really nice, i just had to make em that way. But the nice thing for guys like me is that yardsales and flea markets become music stores. And every once in a while we stumble across the Real McCoy and it feels extra special!
Trogly isn't going to like this video.
Good.
Haha Trogly is the epitome of taking advantage of guitar hype! 😂
As a guitar collector, I was keen to watch this video to see what category I fall into... I think I have had phases where I might have momentarily been in one or more of the categories, but overall, I think I probably have had an entirely different (and possibly rounded) approach to guitar collecting. I never intended to be a guitar collector initially. But collecting stuff is in my DNA, so I guess it was inevitable. In the early 2000s, my personal financial situation changed to the point where I could afford to collect guitars. My main interest was Telecasters. I became fascinated with the huge variety of models that had been produced from Fender USA, Japan, Mexico and then of course, other brands T-style variants. Ultimately I ended up with over 200 different Telecasters. My holy grails were not Blackguards. Mine were Rosewoods and Pink Paisleys, both truly unique Telecasters. The collecting grew then into Gibsons, I collected at least one of every model. I dabbled in Strats. I loved 1970s Japanese "lawsuit" LPs. I essentially collected because I liked the appearance of guitars as an object of beauty. During this period however, I also started playing again for the first time since my teens (in the 70s) and I also have a collection of "playing" guitars which fulfill the role that Keith views for guitars - tools of the trade. There are about 6 or 7 guitars in this sub-set of the collection. Ultimately, my peak guitar number was 326. Now, nearly 20 years on, I have been downsizing. I have realised that it was nice to collect and some of that was the satisfaction of the chase. But once you are no longer acquiring, there's not a lot of point in owning so many guitars. My collection now stands at 62. Sure it's getting harder to sell some favourites from the collection, but I also enjoy passing on these wonderful objects to new, happy buyers, seeing them get the satisfaction of find the guitar they have been searching for.
All in all, collecting has been more of a journey for me and I have also met a lot of wonderful people along the way through my collecting and made some friends as well. So for me, collecting was for quality of life, an expensive hobby that I could afford. I am sure glad that I did it.
#1) the sort that refuses to let me borrow one.
#2) and the sort that does, then gets all upset with me when i, out of the goodness of my own heart, had those old ass low-output stock pickups from his original 57 Goldtop that nobody wants anyway, replaced with a set of BRAND NEW Fishman Fluence. Which BTW has three voicings. And instead of "hey wow, thanks," it's all "WHY DID YOU THIS!? Why WOULD you do this?!? Those were original, you just knocked at least 30% off the original value. You've financially ruined me" 🙄 alright drama queen, I'll help you and buy the guitar from you…at a 30% discount of course. I mean, you don't even have the original PAFs.🤷
Ha!
NEVER touch another man’s guitar..!!! It’s a rule..
As a guitar player I have always been of the mindset that you should have a dream guitar. When I was a teenager I played a repaired Ibanez that was given to me, it worked fine but it was the dream of getting an American Standard Strat that drove my heel. I did get that strat and still have it. That being said I still love the chase and still collect. Do what you want.
Don't become a Trogly.
i can see your point.
however he buys the best condition as he wants to open his own museum for the public to view
the best examples of guitar types.
Only guilty on a few counts.
9: (only one) I used to have an early 70's SG that I was afraid to play for fear of messing it up. Finally sold it and got an mew SG that I play regularly.
1: (only one) I own just 1 vintage guitar, A 1953 ES-175 that I play most days. Birth Year guitar that I plan to keep.
2: Starter pack, My theory is that you have to figure out what you like before you can become a minimalist. How can you know if you like Jazzmasters if you don't buy one?
3: I am an aspirational Minimalist. One comes in, one or two go out. I have under a dozen electrics, 2 acoustics and a classical. I have 2 guitars on the shopping list, one electric and one acoustic. There are 5 or 6 of the electrics that will eventually find a new home, but as long as they still get played, I am in no rush to send them out the door. Like I said, ASPIRATIONAL Minimalist.
I’m relieved to not find myself on your list. I’ve never had the money to drop on a really nice high end guitar so all of my purchases fall into the zone of the best guitar for the least money. The ones I do purchase get the living life played out of them and though they’re long past their prime I hold onto them as dear friends marking my musical journey. Over the years I’ve bought and sold a few guitars but always with an eye, or ear as it may be, to having a nice sounding guitar so that I can play the living life out of them.
After 55 years of playing I own 3 guitars (all Epiphones) that are wonderful. I was given my best friend’s 1976 Martin D35 after he passed away. I don’t see myself as the owner of that instrument, but I’m the steward until I find someone to pass the legacy of good music onward. Three of these guitars get played regularly, unfortunately my oldest guitar, a 1972 Epiphone, needs a whole lot of loving’ to make it playable again. It was the first brand new guitar I bought after working lots of OT to get it. It has been with me through my musical journey and tgat won’t change.
I value the ones I can afford and play and don’t lust after the next one. Okay, a D28 would be really nice but I’m realistic in recognizing that if I wanted it that much I’d have found a way, but I didn’t. It’s about the music not the tools. To finish your tool analogy, I don’t lust for the toolbox, I’m all about the things tools can make. Another thoughtful video Keith! Keep up the good work Sir!
The fact is that once you learn to play even a little, you begin to realize how each guitar has its own unique characteristics. Having a new guitar is usually inspiring and somehow magical. Sounds corny but it’s 100 percent true.
Gear acquisition syndrome is something that’s afflicted me, and I’m sure many other guitar players at some point or another. Even the most beautiful instrument can’t compete with the feeling you get from levelling up your skills though. Your brain and your two hands are the best guitar you’ll ever own
Great Video Keith! I appreciate and have seen several people who fit the descriptions you cited. As for me, I buy the best tool (for a guitar is an instrument and instruments are tools) I can reasonably afford and do not hide it from my wife. The result is to never have any "should of's, would of's or could of's". I am a very satisfied musician and have a life-long relationship with the instruments I play.
Dang. Maybe I have a problem. I think am all 9. I don’t gatekeep though.
-PRS Custom 24
-PRS Custom 22
-SRV Strat
-Robert Cray Strat
-Troy Jazzmaster
-MIM Tele
-Custom luthier built Tele
-Bullet, Warmoth neck and PRS hums
-Sonic, warmoth neck and PRS hums
-Fender “the Strat” ‘82
-Gretsch holllowbody w bigsby
-MIM precision bass
-Epi Jack Casady bass
-Breedlove Oregon
-Breedlove jumbo masterclass
-fender Mando (f35 I think?)
I think I could get rid of everything but the SRV, Troy, 24, custom Tele, and the masterclass and be fine forever.
I love your videos Kieth, but this one is my favorite so far. I have a couple of Warmoth teles with Fralin pickups and Wilkinson bridges and my favorite amp is a 1471 silvertone Fender Champ copy made by Danelectro for Sears and Roebuck for sale in their catalog from 1963. Both of my flattops are Augustino's, a Koa bodied single cut built by Augie himself 34 years ago, and a Brazilian rosewood copy of the Koa guitar crafted by his daughter Donna LoPrinzi Chavis from a couple sets of wood that was on the shelf available for purchase 34 years ago when I ordered the 1st one built at 1929 Drew Street in Clearwater Florida. I was young when I bought the 1st one and couldn't afford the Brazilian rosewood then, but I have it now and Donna made me an incredible instrument. She might be a better builder that her daddy was. Augie is still alive but has given up his wood working, knife making and firearm engraving. I am a very blessed human. Love to All who support 5 watt world❤!
It's tempting to buy more and more guitars and gear, being any kind of the 9 collectors type. I could have been buying and selling guitars over the years, even pricey ones, but somehow I refused, I didn't need making money trading guitars or gear, I just enjoyed playing and joining with as much musicians or bands as possible. So I kept my Les Paul Studio (put SD Seth Lover, sounds great real PAF) and my Ibanez RG550 (put a wilkinson trem, ebanol non locking nut and Dimarzio PAF Pro's, amazing sound and playing), and I'm really happy. My point is that most electric guitars can be modified to suit your style or sound, in my case from bluesy, jazz fusion, classic rock. So if you're into just play and enjoy, maybe there's no real need to keep buying, unless someone needs to show off more than playing. Hey Keith I hope you enjoyed your stay in Europe, after all your "european look " was cool too. Thanks for the great video.
It took me a bit to pin you down, but now I have it - you are the Garrison Keillor of guitar afficiandom. Bravo!