The "one" that inspires you and "all the rest"

sevargnhoj · #1 08-25-2019, 08:42 PM

I have 4 guitars (that count

) in my collection. They are all well set up, sound good and are fun to play; and each of them has been my "go to" guitar at some point in their tenure. I'm sure I'll own them until I can't play anymore (unless my kids show an interest and they got passed along to fan the spark).

The "one" came into the fold about 3 years ago and has pretty much taken over. To be fair, it's luthier made and all the rest are production guitars, so it is in a different class, but that's beside the point. It is so responsive and demands so much attention to technique that I feel like my playing has improved tremendously in the last 3 years compared to the previous 40 (I don't attribute that to playing significantly more).

All the rest now mostly get played if I'm going somewhere that I don't want to take the one.

When I get one of all the rest out to play at home, my intention is usually to see how I can use the technique and feel that I've developed from playing the one to get the best sound out of each of them possible. It's very satisfying and they all sound really good. But I don't do that too often, and I don't feel at all bad about it.

I look at the classifieds, but it's pro forma. Nothing appeals to me at all. I know that what I've got is all the guitar I'll ever need. Sure, if I won the lottery more guitars would find their way into the fold, but it would just be excess. Chasing something that would give me more joy in playing would be like chasing my tail.

Anyone else have the "one" and "all the rest"?

The "one" is on the stand.

lodi_55 · #2 08-25-2019, 08:44 PM

Glad you are happy and that you have the "one that rules them all"

I have several guitars that I have in my stable and find magic in all of them. Or I wouldn't own them. So I don't have the "one", but a few that are all a joy to play!

Ed66 · #3 08-25-2019, 08:56 PM

I've got one that may be a sliver above the rest but the others remind me once I pick them up why they are still in the quiver. If I had one that didn't get weekly play (and enjoyable play at that) it would have to move on.

sakar12 · #4 08-25-2019, 09:04 PM

So what is "the one"?

Rev Roy · #5 08-25-2019, 09:08 PM

Yep...my Martin D-41. It’s a GAS killer and pretty much turned my other guitars into case queens. It’s all the guitar I’ll ever need...and more than I’ll ever deserve.

Dustinfurlow · #6 08-25-2019, 09:27 PM

For me it's the Beneteau, even though the recent addition of the Baranik is close. I had the Beneteau spec'd for me, to be fair. I'm also curious of what your "one" is, looks really alluring in that photo.

Wade Hampton · #7 08-25-2019, 09:35 PM

John, I tend to be totally enamored of the latest guitar I've bought, and sometimes I'll play the newest one to the total exclusion of the others for quite some time.

But eventually equilibrium reasserts itself, and I start putting all of my professional quality guitars back into more or less equal rotation. Which is where I am right now.

Wade Hampton Miller

Jaden · #8 08-25-2019, 09:43 PM

2017 OM-21, now lent out for one week to a better guitar player than I am, someone who has never had an extended period of time with an exceptional guitar - I’m interested in hearing her progress with it, if it inspires her to play. Also to aid the “opening up” progress, and 3) so I have some time to myself with the “Brown Martin” (15 series). We have a lot to talk about without the big guy in the house taking up all the extra time.

DukeX · #9 08-25-2019, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

John, I tend to be totally enamored of the latest guitar I've bought, and sometimes I'll play the newest one to the total exclusion of the others for quite some time.

But eventually equilibrium reasserts itself, and I start putting all of my professional quality guitars back into more or less equal rotation. Which is where I am right now.

Wade Hampton Miller

Yes, sir. That's the best place for me to be.

Pura Vida · #10 08-25-2019, 10:00 PM

I have a variety of sizes and tonewoods, so my attention varies with whichever sounds best at the moment and fits my mood. Some get a little more attention for a while, but none completely rule over the others.

thechariot1x · #11 08-25-2019, 10:00 PM

I just put my two acoustics in different tunings, now I have to play them both. I jest, I love both my Guild and my Martin, I'm not sure which I really like better they are both amazing in different ways. The guild just sings especially for Celtic music where you want a more fiddle like sound (IMHO) and it has beautiful overtones. But the Martin just sounds good for everything and has such a nice bass, and it plays like a dream. Plus, it's just so comfortable in your lap.

For electrics I do though, I like my Strat too, and definitely use it for certain sounds over the Les Paul, but the Gibson is my baby. The only downside is that the Les Pauls (that don't have weight relief) really feel like you have a tree trunk sitting in your lap. But man the tone and playability are fantastic.

jaymarsch · #12 08-25-2019, 10:09 PM

I have 4 guitars and they all get played. My newest one is a custom that I picked up a month or so ago and it is getting a lot of playing time. My other best guitar I have had for almost 15 years so it is like a pair of comfy slippers. The first one is Mahogany and second cocobolo. So I guess that you could say that I have the “two” rather than the “one”.

Best,
Jayne

AcousticDreams · #13 08-25-2019, 10:59 PM

New newest guitar Is the ONE. I adore that guitar and have been playing it 99% of the time. My other guitar sounds very, very good...just did not have the extra something that my newest guitar has.

I had tried all kinds of strings and gauges on my Number 2 guitar. Installed new saddles and nuts and bridge pins. All of which helped it to sound better. But still no dice, my newest guitar just rang out for my style of playing.

That is till just this last week when a set of Newtone Monels arrived in the mail.

I am a PB man. I love every ounce of crispness, harmonics and volume I can get. On a whim, I tried some Newtone round core Monels. I had never tried any kind of Monels before. I did not expect to like them, as I had heard that with Monels you get a drier sound. And WaLLa....those strings brought something different to my second guitar. And I have not even played my number one guitar at all this week, because I have been so enamored with this new sound. The Monels were a perfect match for my Walnut.

You just never know what tiny little change you might make...strings, nut or saddle-- and how that can change everything.

I am sure that My number one guitar is still the ONE. But my number two guitar...will from now on get played a lot more. It will no longer be a 99 to 1 ratio. Because it has something different and unique to offer. I have already written a couple of songs on it.

That is why you should never sell your old guitar until lots and lots of time has passed. We choose our guitars based on some sort of uniqueness. Some character that we recognize as being of benefit to ourselves.

Tycobb73 · #14 08-26-2019, 04:49 AM

No. What i play depends on the day and i rotate pretty evenly.

Mbroady · #15 08-26-2019, 04:54 AM

At this point in time I go between 2 “Go To” Guitars
They would be my Furch Vintage 3 Dread and a new acquisition, an MJ Franks Legacy OMs.
I am finding the smaller OM to be a bit more comfortable these days but the Furch dread is a life time guitar.

I have a few other guitars and they are all amazing but if I had to get rid of a few the V3 and the OMs are the keepers