Have you ever stopped to count the guitars of your life?

[Aaron Smith]

I took a couple years away from playing to focus on other things, and I've recently gotten back into it. For no reason at all, I was curious how many guitars I've owned in my life, and some of the stats around their turnover. This includes only my acoustic and electric guitars; does not include amps, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, etc.

- I've been playing guitar for 26 years
- I've owned 34 guitars, or 1.31 per year playing
- I have kept 8 of them, or roughly 24%
- Of the "keepers", I've had them an average of 6 years
- I've sold or traded away 25, or roughly 76%
- Of the ones I've gotten rid of, I kept them an average of 2.4 years
- Of the ones I've gotten rid of, I wish I still had 3 of them, or 12%

I'm not sure what this means, if anything. The 8 guitars I have right now are pretty great for my needs, I can't see them going anywhere. Just curious how this stacks up against some of the other forum members.

[TacomaDR20]

Interesting. I've been playing, or attempting to, for 22 years. During that time if memory serves correctly I have owned 16 guitars, four mandolins and a fiddle. I'm down to two guitars, but I reserve the right.......

Of those, I regret selling only one, a Larrivee OM-03W.

Right now, I own a Voyage Air that travels and sits in my office, and a new-to-me Eastman dread in Engleman/figured mahogany that is just ridiculously good, and I have less than a grand in both of them combined.

[mercy]

Ive been very blessed. Ive had more guitars than I can remember.

[DesertTwang]

I have actually never even begun to count the guitars in my life. Not because I have owned a lot, but because I don't have anything even close to what one would call high turnover. I just sold a guitar for the first time, in fact, and I've owned guitars since 2004. Since then, I've had pretty much what's in my signature, give or take one. Keeping track is just not something that came to my mind. I guess when it comes to guitars, I'm a player, not a collector. Now, if we talk records, though... different story.

[mr. beaumont]

Been playing almost 28 years...

I've owned about 15-16 guitars I think...I'm not counting the ones I had in my possession briefly just to fix up and pass on to someone else...I've dumpster dived and brought some guitars back from the dead, garage sale hopped, gave them to students who couldn't really afford one...

I have 10 guitars now. Probably too many, but they're all different enough. So I tell myself. Probably could make it down to 4, if I really wanted to...

[Kerbie]

I've played for 48 years with no long periods off and have never tried to count them. I can count drum sets and pianos a lot easier!

I've never been a big buyer and seller... I'd guess maybe 20, at the most.

[reeve21]

I've played off and on for 40 years, semi-seriously for the last 10 or 12. Strictly as a hobbyist.

I've owned 7 guitars. I still own 6 of them, and 5 of those get played often. The one that I no longer have was my first, a 40 dollar Kay and it got lost somehow.

3 of them were acquired in the last 2 years or so, which roughly coincides with the date I signed up for this forum, not that I'm keeping track. Good thing that decent guitars have gotten less expensive!

[6L6]

Been playing since 1964.

I've owned 110 guitars over that time period and have a record of each.

[ripdotcom]

I lost count but it has to be somewhere between 150-200

I do remember having around 65-70 at one time and I have like 25 now and not many are left from the time I had so many, I guess we will never know.

[Aaron Smith]

Very interesting. I'm sure the range of answers will vary widely.

I'm actually surprised it's been that many for me. Looking back, about half of them would be what I would consider "good" guitars (worth $1k or more). The other half were cheapies to fill a particular need at the time, or oddballs like travel guitars.

[Muddslide]

Aaron-- very cool post! I'm somewhat amazed that having played long as you have you remember all your instruments so well.

I started playing in 1977 and have gone through electric and acoustic guitars (including tenor guitars, baritones, nylon strings, 12 strings, resonators, square neck dobros, and Weissenborn-style), basses, ukuleles in about every conceivable variation, tenor and 5-string banjos, mandolins and fiddles. That doesn't count assorted other non-stringed instruments, amps, effects pedals, recording gear, various noisemakers, and so on.

I just can't remember them all, much less the chronology. I wish I could. Maybe I'll really make an effort someday...might be fun.

I sure had a few I'd do anything to have back...some funky old Epiphone--a model I've never seen before or since anywhere else that I used to gig in my old jug band, mid 60s J-45...a '73 Telecaster (I had older Teles but this was the best ever)...an old Tokai MIJ copy of a Fender P bass I played a hundred shows with...

They are all gone. Most long ago through horse trading, selling, downsizing...but others to theft and a flood.

I've been blessed to have the instruments I have had and I'm blessed to have the much more manageable (and almost valueless to anyone but me) little stable I possess now:

One electric bass.
Two ukes (a soprano and a baritone.)
One acoustic guitar.

...I also have a few good harmonicas but can't really play harp yet.

[Muddslide]

Originally Posted by 6L6

Been playing since 1964.

I've owned 110 guitars over that time period and have a record of each.

How many do you currently own?

[downtime]

I actually took the time a couple months ago to sit down and try to catalog all the guitars that I've owned.

The Count came to 93.
Admittedly, many of these I purchased when a good deal presented itself and flipped the guitar for a profit but I usually kept them for at least a couple months to play and enjoy.

I've been playing for 11 years and I currently own 5 but will probably list a couple here soon to get down to 3.
To me, playing, buying, selling, trading is all part of the fun of acoustic guitars.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Aaron Smith

I took a couple years away from playing to focus on other things, and I've recently gotten back into it. For no reason at all, I was curious how many guitars I've owned in my life, and some of the stats around their turnover. This includes only my acoustic and electric guitars; does not include amps, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, etc.

- I've been playing guitar for 26 years
- I've owned 34 guitars, or 1.31 per year playing
- I have kept 8 of them, or roughly 24%
- Of the "keepers", I've had them an average of 6 years
- I've sold or traded away 25, or roughly 76%
- Of the ones I've gotten rid of, I kept them an average of 2.4 years
- Of the ones I've gotten rid of, I wish I still had 3 of them, or 12%

I'm not sure what this means, if anything. The 8 guitars I have right now are pretty great for my needs, I can't see them going anywhere. Just curious how this stacks up against some of the other forum members.

I’ve been playing and serious about it for the last 25 years. But I’ve played off and on for 41 year.
At last count, I have owned 24 guitars.
I currently have ten.
They are all “players”.
I’ve bought, sold and traded my way into a bunch of fairly inexpensive, but great sounding and playing guitars.

[Darwin]

Being primarily an electric guy I have owned 102 since 1949 when I started playing. That doesn't include my first instrument, a banjo that I started with in 1947. I still own 35 so a lot have gone. These 35 are really keepers. I have owned 97 of these since 2004 so I really got into high gear when I retired.

Life has been good to me as I approach my 76 Th year. I have kept spread sheets on all that I've sold and still own. I have had the chance to experience many fine guitars. Certainly a rewarding experience and the financial cost has been very low as I most often have purchased like new used guitars so the investment is generally recoverable. -- Darwin