Do you have more than one acoustic?

[Hotspur]

I'm particularly curious about people who have multiple steel-string acoustics which they keep in the same tuning.

What do you see as the differences between them? What motivates you to pick up one rather than another? Do you use one for flat-picking, one for fingerpicking? One to accompany you singing, another with greater instrumentation?

If it's just that they have a different feeling to you, could you give one or two words about each guitar that describes the difference?

Thanks!

[NBhunter80]

My Gibson J45 is my new beautiful guitar which I use for all my playing at home and as well when I play in bands etc. My old Art & Lutherie is my beater guitar which I have for drunken campfires and other occasions where if a mishap occurred, it wouldn't really matter.

[Judson]

I have a sitka/sapele Martin DCPA-4 which I find to be particularly good for plug-and-play stage situations where simple, dependable electronics are a must. It has the nice "performing artist" neck that is very easy to play.

Next, I have a Seagull Artist Mosaic with solid cedar top and solid mahogany back and sides that has the wide 1.8 inch nut width and roomy string spacing that make it particularly good for fingerstyle.

And, I'm waiting on delivery a brand new Taylor GA3-12 string to which I will add simple electronics and anticipate enjoying a completely different sort of playing experience both at home and on stage.

Finally, I have taken the guitar my parents bought for me in high school, a 1967 Silvertone Jumbo (by Harmony) and I've been fortunate enough to have a fellow who was willing to totally retstore it for me at a most reasonable cost.

[Dru Edwards]

Different guitars for different uses. I enjoy my Martin D-16GT dread for that Martin tone (and volume) and my Taylor 314ce for a more "intimate" sound and fingerpicking (for lack of a better word). 12 string gives a whole different tone.

You'll find that folks here on the AGF are guitar enthusiasts so lots of people have numerous guitars.

[Bern]

Martin 000-28EC, Kronbauer MJ & Yamaha APX-4A (something to knock around)
BTW, I like you mention that one of things that sold me in getting a Kronbauer was Larry's (ljGuitar) version of 'The Water is Wide' on Trevor Kronbauer site. Superb playing...

[Markini]

All standard tuning except 2 see below
2010 Standard Hummingbird – Excellent to sing with = loud guitar = great strummer
2003 Standard Hummingbird – Excellent to sing with, very low action = good picker
2009 Hummingbird Pro – Long scale = Excellent picker especially classical, soft strummer
2008 Gibson Concert series – Playability and recording just outstanding ( low tension )
2011 Taylor GS Mini – easy player, good volume and outstanding to record
2010 Taylor 110 – All around good living room guitar – easy player, not a tone king like the Gibsons
2002 Yamaha Compass – All around good guitar, not great but very versatile, good value
2010 Martin 12 string – Excellent tone and action, Great rhythm.
1976 Alavrez – 5043 ( Martin – Gibson hybrid) Solid guitar, Brazilian RW, very well made
2010 Fender $100, play it tuned to D,A,D,F#,A,D I am surprised at the sweet sound
2010 Estaban – Makes for a decent slide guitar – D tuning DADF#AD
1965 Guild Classical – Good sound, plays fairly easy, but man the fret board is a “Squeaker”
2010 Takamine Classical – All around nice guitar, needs to be plugged in to reach potential
Own just as many electrics, but that wasn’t the Ops question.

[naolslager]

dreadnought for strumming and richness of sound
0- body for travel and comfort (while sitting)
000- for the heck of it. (I love the 000 body.)

[ghostnote]

I have a few cheap guitars that I bought because, a) they were cheap, and b) they are completely playable and sound pretty good. They are my beaters and lenders, and the ones I leave lying around in different rooms. They go on vacations and picnics, and I leave one at our bands' rehearsal room.
I also have 3 Martins and those are the ones that I play the most: an HD16R-LSH, a 000-15M, and a 0000-28H. Those are all different body sizes, so they feel and sound different, too. The HD16 is loud, big, rich, deep toned - the large sound hole accounts for a lot of that. A great guitar. The 000-15M is great for both finger picking and singing, very sweet, and I never get tired of playing it. Lots of fun in that one, and it's the first mahogany guitar I've had. The 0000-28H is the best balanced of the three, and is probably my favorite - it can do pretty much anything very well. Beautiful guitar in every way.

[zumaboy]

4 acoustics, as noted in my signature line.

Santa Cruz OM/PW-M is usually in standard tuning and used for an acoustic duo and band situations.

D-28 is often tuned a half step down and also used in the duo/band situation

Bourgeois V-MD is usally in standard tuning and is most often used solo and at bluegrass jams.

Taylor 12-string is sometimes tuned a half step down, sometimes standard, and used solo and in the duo or band setting.

Sometimes I'll go drop-D on any of the above...

[rmyAddison]

I currently have 5 Martins, but they are 4 different sizes and 10 different woods, this is method to my madness:

1) an acoustic/electric for stage work, Martin GPCPA1 (Sitka over EIR)
2) a parlor guitar, Martin Custom shop 0-28VS (Carpathian over Amazon Rosewood)

Dreads bother my arthritis so I have 3 OM/000's Mahogany, Rosewood, and Blackwood

3) Martin 000-18GE (Adi over Mahogany)
4) Martin limited edition OM-45TB (flamed Engelmann over flamed Tasmanian Blackwood)
5) Martin custom shop OM-28 (Alpine over Madagascar Rosewood).

I use the same Blue Chip picks and they all sound slightly different with the variety of tone woods. One acoustic doesn't work for me..........

[jackcooper]

I rotate my acoustics by only keeping one out on a stand each week. The only reason I break the rotation is if I'm suffering severe withdrawal symptoms (which I'm getting stronger at resisting.)
I like having more than one though. Variety is good.

[BigLoopDuke]

I used to, but my playing style doesn't vary that much. So, now I'm now to one, which I mostly strum and do some light fingerpicking.

I do use capos a lot, though.

[kydave]

My four D-28 models all have the general sound that I want, but in wonderful variations.

They are of four different wood combinations, bracing patterns, build details and appearances.

'67 Sitka over Brazilian, straighbraced with some aftermarket scalloping. T-bar
'71 Sitka over Indian, straightbraced with enlarged soundhole. Square tube
'09 Adirondack over Indian, GE scalloped rearshifted bracing. Adj truss rod
'12 Adirondack over Amazon, Vintage scalloped FS bracing. Adj truss rod

The four necks are all slightly different feeling.

I enjoy them all for noodling at home and performing with on stage.

I'll go through phases and since one is very new, it is King Dog right now. But just the other night, I was playing the one I've had for 41 years and remembering why it is, and has always been, my Yardstick.

1. Martin M-38 - Home, recording

2. Martin 000-15SM - Performances, recording, occasionally open tunings

3. Martin 000X1 (with UST) - Performances where pickup is required, or circumstances are not guitar friendly, travel, friends and family

4. National Vintage Steel Delphi - Performances, recording, usually open tuning, but not always

* I have one more guitar than I would like, but cannot bring myself to get rid of the one I play the least - the M-38. It sounds absolutely incredible, but I just don't play it as much as the others since I do not like to bring it to performances anymore. I like the other ones better for acoustic blues. Perhaps I can bring myself to sell it at some point. Hmmm...

[Da Sugarbear]

Whenever anyone asks 'How many guitars DO you have?', I always answer, 'Just Two'. That usually confuses them just enough to make them slow their already formed opinion before continuing. Besides, it's good to keep those who would criticize just a little off balance.
As you can see from my signature list, I do have a few acoustics...
I generally keep a guitar in dropped D tuning, (DADGBE) Open G, (DGDGBD) Open C, (CGCGCE) Open D, (DADF#AD) C-Wahini (CADGBE) and DADGAD as well as one strung up as Nashville tuning (Octave EADG and standard BE).
What motivates me to pick up one rather than another is the tone and the voice of the guitar. Some guitars just seem more comfortable playing certain kinds of stuff and, of course, that makes me more comfortable... or maybe it's the other way around!
I might use the D-35 for some rhythm back track to warm up a piece in lieu of adding a bass. The D-41 I'll use for flat picking the lead lines in things like 'Here Comes The Sun' or 'Burlesque' (visit www.musicsloth.com and hear the sample under Guitar and Symphony). The Martin GPCPA1 which I took the pick guard off, I only use for finger picking and it will be a toss up between it and my Taylor 514ce since they both have very close to the same attributes. On things like 'The Water Is Wide' I would use my Breedlove C-25 or the Bamburg... both have a very woody, dry acoustic sound but the tones from the Bamburg are a bit more complex. The little Alvarez parlor seems to be great for doing vocal accompaniment since it has a warm sound that doesn't want to be a 'stand alone' kind of instrument...
On some tracks where I will use multiple guitars, I will intentionally lay down the first track with a warmer, full sounding guitar and then choose a different voice for counterpoint up the neck. Sooner or later they all have their place in the sun.
When folks ask me 'WHY???', which I do hear from time to time, I ask them if they have more than one friend. My guitars are my friends, they have different voices and different personalities and life just wouldn't be the same without having at least enough of them to field a baseball team with a few on the bench in case of unforeseen circumstances! How's that!!