Owning Multiples of the Same Guitar

[Wade Hampton]

There used to be an active participant on the forum named KYDave. He owns something like seven or eight Martin D-28’s. During the time he was on the forum he didn’t own any D-18’s or any other body styles; he was strictly into D-28’s. They were all postwar instruments - so far as I recall none were vintage guitars.

He said that each of them had their own sound.

So he’s a person with multiple examples of the same model.


Wade Hampton Miller

[TBman]

I had two similar guitars and finally got around to selling one of them last year. I need some level of variety.

[raysachs]

We spend a significant amount of time in two places, one on the west coast, one on the east coast. I have guitars in both places. I have two CEO-7s, almost identical, a year apart, with different pick-guards and tuners, but they play and sound the same. I have two very similar but not quite identical 000-28s, and I have a McPherson Sable in one location and I like it so much I may add a second one of those too. Although where I have it, the indoor humidity ranges from 5-7% all the way up to 70-80% so there's arguably a greater need for carbon fiber there. In our other place, the humidity is almost always very guitar friendly so I don't NEED a carbon fiber guitar there, but like I said, I really like that guitar a LOT, so I may get another one anyway. I have a strat in each place also, but somewhat different models of strat.

I don't think I'd want two of the same guitar in one location, but since we have two locations and I know what I like, I have what I like in each place.

-Ray

[mrjop1975]

I totally understand the having 2 of the same model guitar. I currently have 2 Taylor 110's - one is the layered walnut back and sides with no cutaway, while the other is a layered sapele back and sides with a cutaway. Same but different.

[Br1ck]

A 45 or 45 J 45 will sound a lot different from a new one. A D 18 from 1944 will be very different from a 65, 75, 2000 or 2024. Reason enough to have all of them. There are D 28 collectors that have ten or twelve too. I see no problem, but hope they tried and owned a bunch before arriving at their passion.

[Realoldguy]

I've got 2 FG800's
Their cheap, sound fairly good
One is at my son's house so as someone mentioned it may not count.

[biffnix]

Well, I just got a new Martin SC-28E after owning the first SC model, the SC-13E for a couple of years.

The 28E is an all solid rosewood version of the same guitar. It does sound amazing, and the build quality is, of course, commensurate with a Martin standard edition.

The 13E has a koa veneer back-and-sides (select koa sheets layered over a mahogany core), and still sounds great, but that 28E is amazing. There's just something about that rosewood that brings out the midrange tone in the instrument. <chef's kiss>

[s2y]

I play electric, acoustic, and bass guitar. I can maybe swing the same type of guitar for a configuration I really like. Repairs can take a while and sometimes the really good repair guys or luthiers have a decent backlog. I usually strive for similar stuff with overlap in the event something is in the shop for a while. Still not a huge priority since I'm not playing out for the next couple of years.

[RussellHawaii]

I’ve got a couple of Martin D28s, from different eras, and a couple non-Martin ‘D28’s.
I’ve also got more than one OM from Santa Cruz and others, but in different woods.
In each case they sound quite different.

[cip]

Originally Posted by hiddenmickey

I've been looking for a second guitar for quite some time now, but my Hummingbird is making it difficult because it is the sound that I chased for so long. I've tried many different brands and other models within the Gibson family and the only model that I liked was the Gibson Dove, but it still didn't do what the Hummingbird does for me. And FWIW - my Hummingbird is pretty typical for the model in regard to tone.

Anyway, have any of you had this issue where your ears are just really dialed into one guitar brand/model? If so, what did you do or would you do if you wanted a second guitar? Would you get a variation of the same model?

its good to have 2 of the same guitar if you are a professional. if one goes down youve got a backup that is already sonically similar to the mix thats been done for the main guitar. both on stage and in the studio

[baseball]

I don't know if this 'counts' as the 2 of the same, but I own an OM28 standard and an OM18 special...

The standard is my 'Piano' that does gigs, sounds full and overtone rich'
the 18 special is Addy over sinker and is so inyourface mid-rich I don't think I could sing over it if I wanted to...

to an outsider it might look like two of the same, but we know they're not.

I own a Blueridge copy of my OM18 that has a very different neck and tone and they too might be considered similar, but they are not.

the only person who never got that was my EX wife...

[schoolie]

[mightymole]

I have two Martin D-41's. I did not plan it that way. There is a local player who offered them at a reasonable price and took trades as well.

[Jim Owen]

Originally Posted by cip

its good to have 2 of the same guitar if you are a professional. if one goes down youve got a backup that is already sonically similar to the mix thats been done for the main guitar. both on stage and in the studio

Exactly. And you don’t defer maintenance because you can’t leave your moneymaker with the repair guy. I learnt this the hard way.

[WolfmansBrother]

My two acoustics are a 1964 J-50 and a 2022 50s J-45. I like the J-45/50 sound. I wouldn't mind adding a 1942 banner model sometime down the line as well.