Why more than one electric?

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by GuitarsFromMars

I have a dozen guitars.

2 pedal boards.

Yep. Toan.

I did have a dozen and am at one extremely versatile acoustic with two quite different electrics. I could not find the versatility on one electric guitar the way I did with one acoustic in that few year process of fleet reduction.

[rgregg48]

I have only one.
I can use it for anything
Rick

[jaybones]

This was asked over on strat-talk and my answer was that I have 5 different Stratocasters. A 1976 hard tail clear coat (all original- and too valuable to mess with).

I wanted another guitar with a tremolo and bought a pawn shop Sammick that had been there for a long time. It was on the wall with "Make offer" and I offered them $35, and he said give me $40 and its yours. Ended up replacing the neck with a Fender one (RW board), and replaced all the hardware and electronics. Now I have Lace Sensor reds, a Graph Tech Ghost piezo saddle system and some custom wiring that allows me to blend the GT system with the pickups, as well as being able to turn the neck pickup on regardless of the 5 way position.

That project was so easy that I thought I'd do another. I now have a Blackie clone in the works. Found a Starcaster on eBay for $90 shipped. B&W, I'm going to replace the neck with a maple Mighty Mite and drop in Lace Sensor golds, mid boot and TBX control, and replace all the hardware with better quality.

Also have a B&W Squier, and I'm going to put on a black HH pickguard with Fender blacktops in it and mount a maple MM neck. I will eventually upgrade the hardware to American but until then I'll play it like it is.

I have a dark blue Betamann with a black pickguard. Found it on eBay as part of a three guitar deal so snapped them up (about $80 each with shipping). Haven't decided where I'm going with that one yet. Probably just replace the neck with a MM.

And my last is an Epiphone strat copy with a cool silver burst finish and a black guard. Don't have any plans except to change the neck to a Fender lic one (Mighty Mite) and will have to think about hat fretboard I want when that time comes.

In the three Betamann deal, I also acquired a red Telecaster. Its pretty decent the way it is, and I think I'll just replace the neck.

Third Betamann was a black pointy style with a Floyd Rose licensed tremolo. Not really my style, but everyone needs a metal shredder axe. Currently have no plans for it, but if I see a Jackson or Charvel neck I might buy it. Also thinking about upgrading the humbuckers to EMG actives or Seymor Duncans.

[DesolationAngel]

The tones of my electrics are so wildly different... from regular single coils to P-90s to P-13s to humbuckers. Then factor in different body masses and combinations (my 335 has a P-90 in the neck, humbucker in the bridge). Then there's all the hardware, scale lengths, wood types, bridge types, tail types. Lot of permutations that all make a difference to the sound.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by DesolationAngel

The tones of my electrics are so wildly different...from regular single coils to P-90s to P-13s to humbuckers. Then factor in different body masses and combinations...Then there's all the hardware, scale lengths, wood types, bridge types, tail types. Lots of permutations that all make a difference to the sound.

That pretty much says it all...

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Gypsyblue

... I just love guitars and guitar music... ...whether electric or acoustic.

Me, too! I have an ES-335, a Les Paul, a Strat, a Rick 360 12-string, and an Eastman archtop jazz guitar with a neck pickup. They all sound very different and are good for different things. The Les Paul provides perhaps some overlap with my ES-335 and it's the electric guitar I play the least. My wife bought it for me as a present back in 2002.

I do think that various types of electric guitars sound more different from each other than acoustic guitars.

- Glenn

[s2y]

I hate to say that electric guitars offer more tonal variety than acoustics. Different pickup, string, and construction combos make for some wonderful stuff.

[Electric]

Originally Posted by Slow mo bro

I know this is a forum for acoustics but we have quite a few crossovers. Do the electric crowd over here accumulate as many electrics as acoustics? If so why. I understand maybe a Strat, Les Paul, maybe a PRS....but don't they pretty much produce all the same sound? Does the sound more depend on the pedals you have?

I have three strats (among other electrics). Why three Strats? You've already covered strat territory... well, no. Strats, have different tones depending on the the woods used, obviously but also on the pickups.

The main tones I want out of my strats are:

1) The in-between 2 & 4 pickup selector positions. These positions only sound authentic when using lower output, vintage style pickups. Think SRV's lenny. SRV didn't use his regular strat with overwound pickups on this tune, I can guarantee it. Think also David Gilmour on the wall. For these tones, I use my ash Strat with maple board and David Allen "Echoes" set. This is the guitar I use for clean tones.

2) The Rock, Blues, Classic rock tone. This is where I go to my overwound pickups for the neck and middle position and a humbucker in the bridge. This one sports Van Zandt Blues singles and a Lace Red/Red dually. This one has that juicy, fat neck tone and I can go to the bridge for hard rock tones and even split the bridge for Queen type tones. The 2 and 4 positions are less interesting on this guitar but it does the blues and classic rock thing beautifully.

3) The third one is a more modern sounding strat with a P90 like bridge and strong middle and neck pickup. A good all-rounder guitar and works well with high gain or noisy situations. I have Dimarzio noiseless pickups in this one.

[polarred21]

Great discussion here. Is there a good video out there anywhere with an equal comparison between say a Stat and Les Paul? Play a riff, set of chords, etc. with one guitar on an amp then plug in the other guitar with the same or similar settings.

This is probably not doable considering all the variables / adjustments involved....

[aknow]

I started playing guitar in 1968, on a beat up nylon string w/ the action about 2 inches above the f/b. A few months later, I saw Peter Green and got my 1st electric, a 1964 Gibson SG Standard w/ T Top humbuckers.
Then, i didn't play acoustic guitar again, until about 2012.
I now have about 40 electrics......after the SG, I bought a used 1958 burst Les Paul.......My big mistake occurred in 1998, when I bought my 1st PRS electric, and now I have 12 of them, they're all different, sound different, and play just beautifully. Like an artist uses different colors, there's so much soul in a Les Paul Jr. w/ a single P-90 pickup, or the 80's sounds of Fender Strats with EMG pickups. The tones and touches are endless, much more variation than acoustic guitars, and the pursuit, like in acoustics, for tonal perfection never ends.

[GuitarsFromMars]

Originally Posted by imwjl

I did have a dozen and am at one extremely versatile acoustic with two quite different electrics. I could not find the versatility on one electric guitar the way I did with one acoustic in that few year process of fleet reduction.

I would probably have more if I was playing out. I am mostly tracking these days.

[Humbuster]

It only has taken me 40+ years of playing to realize, I only need two.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Humbuster

It only has taken me 40+ years of playing to realize, I only need two.

Funny, fewer years here but my keepers are a Telecaster, and my SoCo 16 sounds more like a friend's 1958 Gibson than any of many new 335s I tried. I much prefer the Gibsons known as fat neck or 59 style.

There are moments when another Stratocaster might be fun but it's better for me to have less stuff and more play.

[The Growler]

Nice Collings! ^^^^^

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by The Growler

Nice Collings! ^^^^^

Thanks.

I think it pretty much leaves me done buying guitars for life.