How Many Guitars Should You Own?

There is the old joke that the ideal number of guitars is X + 1. Meaning that you always just need one more, and once you have that one piece to finish the collection then another one comes along that you must have. It is a vicious cycle and we have all been there at one point or another. 

However, that begs the question of how many guitars do you actually need? The answer to that question is going to change depending on who you ask. In this blog post, I will try to help you come to your own conclusions and figure out exactly what you need and not what the next person on the forums says you need. 

Consolidation

If you are at all familiar with video games, you would have likely come across something similar, which is selling all of your equipment to fund one big ticket item. Sometimes this can work, especially if you enjoy the process of rebuilding. The issue here is that you are either restricted to one particular area where the new equipment excels, or it does a bit of everything but at a slightly lower efficacy than having several instruments that are focused more specifically. 

This tends to happen with people that join new bands, perhaps in a style they have not played much of in the past. They might sell all of their guitars and fund a custom shop level, eight stringed metal beast only for the band to go nowhere. Does that make sense?

Avoiding consolidation and sticking with a number of guitars that cover more ground and do a better job might be the path forward. It is the same with overdrive pedals; do you need that Vemuram TS clone or will you be better off with a TS808 and a few other pedals too?

Pointing Out the Obvious

I know this section seems so simple, but you would be surprised at how much people struggle with it. Ask yourself straight up, what do you actually play? If you play only a handful of styles, you would probably be ok with one or two guitars for some variety and a backup if you play live. Only the most discerning professional guitar players might require something of every style, with extras to account for spec variations and tuning differences.

I have played in many styles, and I continue to do so. Therefore, I have many different guitars that do vastly different things. To indulge myself and no one else, I also have a couple of versatile guitars that yes, could be considered big ticket items – they were my choice to get and I do actually use them frequently. If you have read my recent blog post about acoustic guitars, you would have seen that I purchased a solid Cort acoustic guitar, with the functions I needed and at a quality level I was happy to record or perform live with. Because I do not work with my acoustic that frequently, it does not really make sense for me to go and purchase a high-end acoustic. 

If you once played a heavy metal song with your friend, kind of enjoyed it but then never revisited the style, do you need an exclusive metal machine? 

Looking to the Future

In the future, I really want to revisit playing classical guitar arrangements, with a focus on jazz harmony and chord melody. I have been exploring some of my old material as practice in my down time, and I feel that the next step is to aim for the correct feel and sound by acquiring a nylon-string guitar. This is something I am making moves to accomplish. The difference in this approach is that I have not immediately jumped the gun and purchased another guitar on an impulse I have not explored further. 

If you think that one day you would really like to play some 80s hair metal with dive bombs and other whammy tricks, it might benefit you first from learning some songs in that style, seeing how you feel and only moving forward when the current equipment you have is holding you back. It is also a great motivator having that new piece of gear, pushing you further when you have hit a wall.

Are You a Collector?

Some people just love to acquire gear, and that is perfectly fine! Even if they do not really play any of it, they just love the thrill of the hunt. I know of many players that have gone nearly their whole career with one guitar almost exclusively, there are also players in between. The point here is that if you find yourself poking around classified ads, retailer websites or online marketplaces for a guitar, ask yourself if you are actually going to play the new purchase and if you are comfortable with that answer. After all, retail therapy is a real thing and sometimes there is nothing wrong with making a purchase just because you can. 

I have some guitars that I have kept for many years, or that I have struggled to sell, because they have a sentimental value. I think this is an entirely different subject, as the connection to the instrument is at a level that exceeds the usefulness of said instrument.

Which One Would You Save?

Living in Japan necessitates an emergency plan due to the risk of natural disasters. My wife and I have an exact plan, map and emergency plan set in place, and for my own personal plan I know which guitar I would save; it took a lot of thought and deliberation but I came to conclusion. Now obviously, the life of my wife, myself and our cat exceeds that of any of my guitars so, in the case of a very serious disaster, there would be no chance I would risk personal safety to rescue a guitar. 

This got me thinking, and I realised that if you can immediately make a decision about what guitar you would keep, then it can not really be that important to you. If the thought of this kind of situation stresses you out, or you do not like constantly having to maintain many guitars, maybe selling a few of them and then passing the pressure to someone else is a good idea. 

Final Thoughts

My final thought on this subject is that, if you are worried about the number of guitars you own, then you are asking the wrong question. I think you can cover pretty much all the ground possible, and at a high level, with only a handful of select instruments. As we have discussed, just simply playing the guitar is not the only deciding factor in keeping one. You have to consider the requirements of your playing, and also any keep in mind any feelings of nostalgia, sentiment and consider future development also. 

In the interest of transparency, I currently own seven instruments including a bass and a ukulele. It was a lot more than that when I lived in the United Kingdom! I will soon be acquiring some new guitars through various means, but they all will have their purposes. 

Why not ask your teacher how many guitars they have, and why they chose those ones? If you want, check out this video featuring Joe Bonamassa's guitar collection.