Guitar Acquisition Has Me Rethinking My Collection

jrockbridge

jrockbridge

Stealing Your Riffs
Have you ever acquired a guitar that made you rethink your other guitars?

I have mostly bought and played Gibson, Fender and cheaper copies of them. My recent Gretsch acquisition has me rethinking my collection. I’m seriously thinking that, maybe, I’m a Gretsch player. I’m thinking, maybe I should sell off some of these guitars and buy more Gretsch.
 
As someone who has been down the Gretsch rabbithole I would not recommend that course of action.
Gretsches are cool and all and they have their own vibe which is great and unique.
But its the same for any other classic guitar like Tele, Strat, LP, SG, 335, etc.
Variety is good. Keep the best of what you have at minimum or you will ultimately miss it.
 
The first time I played a Les Paul I decided that it was time to get rid of my Stratocaster. I never should have sold that Les Paul.
 
No, I can’t say I’ve run into that. Discovered I hate that 3 saddle tele bridge and change two to 6 saddle. It’s not that bridge but more so how I play. If I set them up to do a single thing and not venture far from that they would be fine.

I have more strats than anything and each sounds different. None are stock and none have expencive mods. Little tweaks seem to go pretty far. Saying that, it’s been 5 years since my last guitar buy.
 
I'm in the process of selling much of my collection. Most of the expensive stuff is gone. I'll be fine with whatever is left.
 
When I won my Martin in a raffle it was an instant sort of “oh, this is what a nice instrument can be like.” I’d always been lucky enough to have a few solid/nice guitars but I’d also dabble in the budget end of things. However the Martin kinda put me on a path where I was looking an electric that offered the same sort of “don’t even have to think about it” effortless playability and versatility.

On top of that, my tastes/needs as a player changed a bit on electric during the same period—moving away from some of the skronkier indie stuff and into some more classicist retro rock vibes and the moving from playing with others in loud bar to doing a lot more arranging and recording at home and then doing more lead/top line/multiple parts stuff all by myself while recordingvs. just bashing out rhythm guitar in bands.

I’ve burned through a lot of acquisitions/sales/trades looking for Excalibur in the last 10 years or so. And I eventually wound up finding what seems to the right one — a vintage spec tele.
 
I have found I definitely have preferences when it come to things like scale, neck profiles, instrument weight, resonance, and so forth that make me instantly more comfortable and it's reflected in my playing. I also have one of those friends who can sound pretty darn incredible on any guitar and rig he plays through, which really emphasized how much it's down to the painter and not the brush.
 
The neck on this Gretsch Streamliner feels perfect in my hands. But, I have to admit that these Broad’Tron pickups are not quite right for it.

Rather than sell guitars, I may sell off some pedals to get another Gretsch. I have way too many stomp boxes and too few Gretsch guitars.
 
Lerxst said:
I have found I definitely have preferences when it come to things like scale, neck profiles, instrument weight, resonance, and so forth that make me instantly more comfortable and it's reflected in my playing. I also have one of those friends who can sound pretty darn incredible on any guitar and rig he plays through, which really emphasized how much it's down to the painter and not the brush.
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Electric guitar is such a weird instrument category where there’s all of this fussing over “X model is only good for Y application” and “I need XYZ to be true about my instrument or I can’t play a lick” whereas you learn how to play sax or trumpet or something and they just stick a horn in your face and tell you to start practicing.

And we’re out here acting like a strat is to Les Paul as flute is to sousaphone.

And of course there’s preferences and specs and things when you get past beginner level non-electric-guitar instruments, but at the end of the day an electric guitar is kind of a controller and if you get one that works for you you can likely accomplish a lot of stuff. The trick is probably being able to recognize what works for you as a player vs. all the guitar shopping noise that’s fired into our heads
 
On a good day, I can play most any guitar. Thick neck or thin, 24.75” to 25.5” scale length. 7.25” to 14” fingerboard radius, maple to ebony fingerboard, etc, it’s all workable. I can be comfortable playing a dreadnought acoustic when others will complain the body is too thick. The only thing that truly seems to trip me up is small fret wire.
 
Peen Simmons said:
When I won my Martin in a raffle it was an instant sort of “oh, this is what a nice instrument can be like.” I’d always been lucky enough to have a few solid/nice guitars but I’d also dabble in the budget end of things. However the Martin kinda put me on a path where I was looking an electric that offered the same sort of “don’t even have to think about it” effortless playability and versatility.

On top of that, my tastes/needs as a player changed a bit on electric during the same period—moving away from some of the skronkier indie stuff and into some more classicist retro rock vibes and the moving from playing with others in loud bar to doing a lot more arranging and recording at home and then doing more lead/top line/multiple parts stuff all by myself while recordingvs. just bashing out rhythm guitar in bands.

I’ve burned through a lot of acquisitions/sales/trades looking for Excalibur in the last 10 years or so. And I eventually wound up finding what seems to the right one — a vintage spec tele.
Click to expand...
We think alike, but Im still looking for that vintage spec Tele thats perfect for me without spending Custom Shop or vintage collector money. I spent a lot on my D28 way back in the day and never regretted it in the least, and I spent big bucks on my White Falcon, but somehow I cant bring myself to do that for a plain ol plank of a Telecaster.
I remember when the Road Worn series first came out in the 2000s I picked up this blackguard in a shop and it was the best feeling electric guitar Id ever played. But stupidly I didnt buy it because I couldn't get past the over the top relicing job. I didnt want to look like a poser. Nowadays I know better than to be overly influenced by other peoples opinions. If one of those turned up and it played like I remember Id grab it and prob sell everything else.
I need to try some of those Vinteras. If they are as good as the 60s Jazz Vintera bass I have, it might satisfy the itch.
 
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