Do any of you ever yearn to own only one guitar?

[jrb715]

I'd like only one electric. Right now I have three. And it feels like I can get really close to covering everything I'd like to play with one telecaster.

But acoustics? Oh no. Too many different sounds and flavors, and no swapping pick-ups, or fiddling with effects or tone controls to get what I'd like. I have four at the moment, but see me heading to five.

At five--I tell myself now--I just swap out an old guitar if I want to add another.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by RichM752

That's my plan, to have one guitar at the time of my death. As of today, six in the stable,one being built, and contemplating purchase of another.

I think you may have uncovered the secret to immortality - don't sell down to one!!!

I really like the guitars I have, each is so much different from the others. Some days I think, "I could part with these two or three in order to get one custom-designed..." and then come to my senses.

[Mr. Jelly]

I sold a bunch of equipment and I'm down to two guitars. After years of guitar experience and going for that one perfect guitar I am down to two guitars. I do think one guitar is to limited as I think a person needs to give their ear palate a reality check. Playing one guitar all the time gets me focusing on some little point that isn't awesome every time I play it. Then I play the other guitar and find myself appreciatively amazed with it. To be fair both my guitars are made by the same people, are the same shape and size. Just different wood combinations. If I could find a SC 00 rosewood guitar at a thieves price I'd buy it. Other than that I agree :-)

[harmonics101]

I don't rotate often, i play the guitar until the strings go dead, then I fish out another guitar from my gaggle and rinse and repeat. My one guitar lasts for one month, the blessings of multiple guitars is great, I yearn for the next one I pick up after the strings of the current one have expired,

H

There are times when I keep the same guitar and change strings, but it doesn't happen that often

[Dronfield]

Hi

I used to own several guitars, a mix of electric and acoustic, but over the past 5 years I have sold them all.

Now just own one acoustic, and that's the way it will remain.

Goal is to one day own a Martin 000-18 - would still be my sole guitar.

Rich

[RP]

I think that in theory, it may be a nice idea, but in practice once we get into a certain pastime, money permitting there's a tendency for many to acquire. People collect jewelry, shoes, cigars, cars, motorcycles, even houses. You'll hear and read all kinds of rationalizations for acquiring more than a single guitar; but in the end, we buy them because we can. And because we can (and want to), we do. So to answer your question, I've accepted the idea that I'll probably always have multiple guitars....

Originally Posted by harmonics101

I don't rotate often, i play the guitar until the strings go dead, then I fish out another guitar from my gaggle and rinse and repeat. My one guitar lasts for one month, the blessings of multiple guitars is great, I yearn for the next one I pick up after the strings of the current one have expired,

H

There are times when I keep the same guitar and change strings, but it doesn't happen that often

This reminds me of George Costanza's plan to have 365 pair of underwear so he'd never have to wash any....

[Earl49]

If I ever got down to one guitar, I'd have to remove a half-dozen Hercules wall hangers and patch the holes in the sheet rock. Sounds like too much work.

[AsianGuy]

I'd like to own just one guitar too...however I have yet to find that "one"

I think all the guitars I've play up till now is just refining exactly what I want

On a sidenote, there was a time when I ran 5 computers (a business, a personal, a gaming rig, a server, and a laptop)...the reality was...I only need one good one. Less is sometimes more

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by Dronfield

Hi

I used to own several guitars, a mix of electric and acoustic, but over the past 5 years I have sold them all.

Now just own one acoustic, and that's the way it will remain.

Goal is to one day own a Martin 000-18 - would still be my sole guitar.

Rich

I thought you were going to say your goal was to one day reduce it to one air guitar!

[harmonics101]

That one guitar that you could only own, ends up being the Prima Dona that doesn't get played as often as it should. My Sheryl Crow model(s) exhibit that behavior, but she's got competition, that six letter word MARTIN,

H

[GySgtFTL]

If I could only keep one it would be my honey-burst Les Paul.

[Colt45]

After purchasing a Collings CJ35 around 3 months ago, I think I could live with just this one. Never tire of playing it every day.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Victoria

...if you have a large flock, do you ever wish you could pare your collection right down?

[rmoretti49]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Even when I had essentially no money at all, I owned a 6-string and a 12-string. That is about as paired down as I would ever want to get. While I have more than just a 6-string and a 12-string today, I like having the different sounds and flavors. And once I purchased these guitars, they really cost me very little to keep. It's not like having a garage full of vehicles.

- Glenn

All of this is true of me, too.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Victoria

It might be sacrilege to ask this question on a forum like this, and it's probably been asked before, but it's something I've been wondering.

I'm very new to guitar but I've been playing the ukulele for quite a while, and even though i accumulated many ukes over the years it made me oddly tense and I always wanted to find just one that met all my needs. I love the idea of really getting to know one instrument, having it accompany me on all my travels, etc.

I understand that different guitars with different tonewoods and tunings (and in the case of ukuleles, different sizes) offer a variety of voices, but for my purposes that's not really necessary. I pretty much just play for my own enjoyment, and to annoy my family.

Anyway, I found my "one" uke in a 1922 Martin style 3 soprano (although I do have a very cheap tenor and baritone, but only because they're really not worth selling. Honestly.) and I wonder whether I'll feel the same way about guitars in the future.

So, how many of you only have one or two guitars? Or, if you have a large flock, do you ever wish you could pare your collection right down? And if you could only have one of them, what would it be?

I yearn to only have to restring one guitar...