Sophie's Choice...

[Captain Jim]

Our home in the Tropical Tip would be considered compact by most standards. When we built it, it was our vacation home, and as large as allowed by our HOA. In that small home, I have a guitar room. It used to be my wife's office, but we have been retired for over a decade, so who needs an office... she insisted that we make it a guitar room. Room for the Bose L1c, a couple small amps, and some guitars hanging on the wall. She picked out a "listening chair," I have an office chair with one arm removed that is my playing chair.

Now, back to "the guitars hanging on the wall"... it seems I have a couple too many guitars for the available space. Yeah, I know: we all have issues to deal with. I already had the GSmini in a closet. An absolutely gorgeous Emerald X20 Custom presented itself while we were out and about this winter, and I snapped it up. That means another guitar is going to go in the closet.

But... which?

I have been deliberately dragging my feet with the guitar room since we got home a couple weeks ago. That meant the two Emeralds have been in their cases (and kinda in the way) in that room. I'd pick one off the wall, then get out an Emerald. Repeat.

Today, I needed to get those cases out of the way. No way either of those Emeralds are going in the closet. This is like one of those reality shows... there are 3 guitars, but only two spots available. I played each. A Taylor 814, a Taylor 522ce 12-fret, and a RainSong Shorty. There is also a Taylor T5 that gets a place on the wall, because it is "my wife's guitar" (no, she doesn't play, but that is another story). It came down to the Shorty and the 522... sorry, Shorty.

I put cases away. So, the guitar room is back to user-friendly status, and the Emeralds can get playing time without fussing with a case (or gig bag, as the case may be).

Which led me to messing about with picks... and more choices.

[mot]

Since the Rainsong and the Emeralds don't have concerns about staying in the guitar room, can you hang one on a hook in another room in the house? I appreciate that you have the guitar room, but you need to have conversation pieces in other places around the house too. If you can figure out how to hang two on a non-guitar-room-wall, then you could even bring the Mini back out to hang with its Taylor brethren. Call them art as that might help sneak 'em past the Inspector.

I love that I can leave the CF guitars hanging on a wall 24/7 without worry.

Wow! Pretty brutal stuff. Hopefully, somewhere down life's highway, wooden instruments will sound as good as CF.

[Captain Jim]

Ah, Tom, I am a happily married guy. 45 years now. I've only had a guitar room for about 5 years... even though I was playing guitar before the Blonde and I met. In another 40 years or so, I may consider moving some of my guitars onto other walls in the house. Or, I'll be dead. Either way, I'm not going to push the current arrangement.

Evan, you are a man after my own heart. I am trying to give the wood guitars some playing time. Because, at some point... something's gotta go, and not just to the closet. Truth be told, I could live with just two guitars... but, at this point, I don't have the heart to tell that to the wood ones.

[Doubleneck]

Wood guitars in the cases, you have two great ones. Hang the carbon? I have 4 guitar cases in my living room in a corner right now. You need to start training a wife early in marriage?

[Acousticado]

I love my wife of 36 years, but I spread my guitars around, one always beside me on the sofas/chairs where I sit. Within arm's reach = more playing. The wife is jealous!

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Cool story, Jim.

We bought our first vacation home in the local mountains about 18 years ago. My guitar room in the city at the time had about 30 guitars on wall hangers, a half dozen on stands, and some more in the "guitar closet". So naturally I wanted to keep a guitar, maybe two or three at "the cabin". Looked around, and figured my OM-15 was the perfect choice. Sadly, with humidity hovering at 12%, it wasn't. While I was good about putting the Martin back in the case with it's humidifier for the first six months or so, one weekend I forgot, and next thing I knew, I was at GC buying my first carbon fiber guitar, a Rainsong OM1000.

18 years later, the humidity is still too low for my wood guitars, so I settled on two CA Cargos to leave up there full time, as they are also great on the lake in the summer. Were I living up there full time though, I would have to make some tough choices. I'm thinking whole house humidifier, and guitars on every wall.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by Doubleneck

Wood guitars in the cases, you have two great ones. Hang the carbon? I have 4 guitar cases in my living room in a corner right now. You need to start training a wife early in marriage?

"You need to start training a wife early in marriage?" Hahahahahahahahahaha!

If there has been any training over the years, well, I think I am better because of it. No guitar stuff in the living room (although I will occasionally bring one there to play); she also has no sewing stuff in the living room.

In the words of the philosopher, Aretha Franklin: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Originally Posted by Acousticado

I love my wife of 36 years, but I spread my guitars around, one always beside me on the sofas/chairs where I sit. Within arm's reach = more playing. The wife is jealous!

While I will occasionally bring a guitar into the living room, I put it back in the guitar room when I'm done with it. Our house is small - it isn't a long walk. We have done extended cruising on boats and in RVs - everything has a place, and neither of us spreads our stuff around. She is neat, I am not... but I try my best to make her happy.

I am fortunate that my wife is not jealous of the guitars - she has always been encouraging ("You should get that one!"). We have a bit of a routine, and she appreciates a daily "concert."

Today, while trying out different picks, I asked her, "Can you tell the difference between these picks - and which one do you like best?" She and I picked the same one.

Small price to pay to keep the guitar stuff tidy and everyone happy.

[Captain Jim]

Ted, when we had our bigger home up north, I had a huge area for my music stuff... and only two guitars: one acoustic, one electric (and a couple keyboards, . When we sold that and decided that we'd be traveling a lot, the vacation home became the only home. We said we'd try that for a while... a decade later, neither of us are looking to change things.

Having lived in the mountains, I understand that lack of humidity stuff. Here in the Tropical Tip, the humidity averages around 387%... easy enough to control that with the a/c. The wood guitars are happy here, but the traveling is what led to pursuing carbon fiber. Warm, cold, dry, humid. I know I don't have to tell you the advantages. Nice that the sound of CF does it for me, as well.

[ronadair]

A guitar in every room? Might allow for more guitars.

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

...I know I don't have to tell you the advantages. Nice that the sound of CF does it for me, as well.

Jim, I have to admit that when I bought that first Rainsong OM1000, I barely tried it in the store, I simply wanted something that wasn't going to split in half due to low humidity. But once I got it home, it was clear that the guitar was much more than durable. In fact, I liked it so much that for the fist few month I refused to leave it at the cabin, so it pretty much lived in the back of my SUV. Ove the years, leaving a CF guitar in the back of my SUV became sort of a habit, in fact it's where my Rider is right now.

[ronadair]

My CA Xi is a contender. Piano like. To what do pianos owe their sound that resonates with carbon fiber? Anyone?

[jdinco]

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

My guitar room in the city at the time had about 30 guitars on wall hangers, a half dozen on stands, and some more in the "guitar closet".

30 guitars? That's called a store !!


Jim, your problem is easily solved, the classified section is at the bottom of the front page. LOL It's hard at first, but with so many great guitars, one or two won't be missed for long. Truth is I need to visit the classified section me self, and have been dragging my feet. Good Luck

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Originally Posted by jdinco

30 guitars? That's called a store !!

Interestingly enough, when we got our music room finished, we had a party at the house and I decided to display just about every guitar in my collection, so it was the first time any of my friends understood the depth of my addiction. One of my friends actually had a similar comment to yours, and I had to agree, so the following Monday I called my web guy and asked him to build me a website for my new business. A few weeks later, LA Guitar Sales was born.

[Uncle Pauhana]

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

… the following Monday I called my web guy and asked him to build me a website for my new business. A few weeks later, LA Guitar Sales was born.

The best businesses are those born of passion!

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