Sentimentality and guitars

[Slothead56]

A recent post got me thinking about this.

Like many I have multiple guitars. I love them all but I’m at a point in my life where I’m looking to simplify. I spend probably 90% of my playing on one very nice Martin-an OM42K. I occasionally break out the others and play for a day or so but ultimately pack them away.

My issue is every time I consider “thinning the herd” I always get stuck at “yeah, but this is such a nice guitar. I’m sure I’ll regret selling it.” It’s an illogical argument for keeping a couple of them.

Now, there are several that I will take to my grave because they were gifts or long time acquisitions...I have no issue with that, even though they don’t get much time. But a few of the others....well, they just keep hanging around.

The closet is full and I have no desire to add to the current stable. How do you deal with this? What is your break even point for keeping a guitar, especially now that the market seems soft?

[Mr. Jelly]

I don't have much of an issue with things like this. Which is not appreciated by most people. I either like the guitar and use it regularly or I sell it. I only accumulate "things" in my life that make it better or more pleasing for me. Maintaining, storing and working around unneeded physical things doesn't make sense to me unless it pays.

[Matt G]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

I don't have much of an issue with things like this. Which is not appreciated by most people. I either like the guitar and use it regularly or I sell it. I only accumulate "things" in my life that make it better or more pleasing for me. Maintaining, storing and working around unneeded physical things doesn't make sense to me unless it pays.

I like this philosophy. Maybe someday I'll implement it.

[ManyMartinMan]

Originally Posted by Slothead56

..... I’m at a point in my life where I’m looking to simplify. I spend probably 90% of my playing on one very nice Martin...

The closet is full and I have no desire to add to the current stable. How do you deal with this? ...

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

I don't have much of an issue with things like this. .. I only accumulate "things" in my life that make it better or more pleasing for me. Maintaining, storing and working around unneeded physical things doesn't make sense to me unless it pays.

I deal with it similar to Jelly. I guess as a traveling musician most of my life I developed a habit of getting rid of anything that wasn't needed at the time. Anything that doesn't get played - goes. If I decide some time in the future that I "need" something, I'll get it then. I have never had a desire or time for sentimentality or accumulating things that I couldn't lock the door and leave behind. The only thing I wished I had more of is time.

[Kh1967]

I go through sell-off periods because it all feels like "too much" at times. I am doing that now. And, in doing so, I have let go of many guitars that are truly exceptional.

As much as I dislike the process of selling exceptional guitars, I am also learning that nothing catastrophic happens when I do. In fact, I have found great pleasure in passing on a guitar that the new owner thoroughly enjoys.

Start slow, gauge your reaction, listen to your gut....the right answer will surface.

[raysachs]

I seem to be an equilibrium kind of guy. If I don't have enough (guitars, bicycles, cameras - depending on which period of my life), I'd feel limited by lack of choice. If I had too many, they'd start to feel like a burden rather than a nice option to have. I think I learned this lesson well with cycling, when I'd often have 10-12 bikes in one state of fully built, parts, needing repair, etc. I was into it, I was a good bike mechanic. But at some point it just got to feel like too much stuff. So I sold off down to the 3-4 I actually rode a lot. Now it's one, which I ride occasionally, but jeez is it well kept! I haven't accumulated that many cameras or, now, guitars.

A good clue for me is if I find myself only occasionally reaching for something because I know it's there and I feel obligated to play (or ride or shoot with) it because I own it. If I don't spontaneously, organically reach for it, but only out of obligation, I know I should move it on. I'll try to keep it out and use it more for a while, and occasionally I'll spark on something again, but usually it just confirms that it's not something that's gonna get much use, and then I sell it.

I seem to have a pretty good equilibrium at the moment, with three electric guitars and one acoustic. I could do with two electrics, but I do enjoy playing all three and all get used, so I'm not planning to sell anything off. I may add a second acoustic someday, but it doesn't feel like something I want at the moment. Sentimentality has never been a problem. I had a 1968 D-28 for 25 years - it was my first good guitar and the best sounding guitar I've ever played. And when I wasn't playing it anymore (dreads are just way bigger and louder than I want or need anymore), I sold it, made a nice dollar on it, and didn't look back. If I could sell THAT without difficulty or regret, nothing else stands a chance of being saved by sentimentality...

[PorkPieGuy]

If you can afford to keep them, have the room, have very little-to-no debt, what's the problem with hanging on to them?

I'm selling off some of my "forever" instruments right now, but I'm just in a spot financially, emotionally, and spiritually where it's time to let my stuff go because I simply don't have time to play. When the time comes again for me to have something, I'll hop back in and enjoy the journey of finding the next one that speaks to me. For now though, it's time to let go, and I'm not having any trouble letting them go.

There ARE a couple that I'm keeping that have stories in behind them that I'll keep forever...even if on paper they aren't as nice as the ones I'm selling.

[jaymarsch]

I understand the dilemma but have recently reached a compromise with myself. I have let myself keep one guitar that probably gets played the least because it is the first hand made instrument that I ever acquired. I bought it used 16 years ago, was the third owner, and it is my only cedar topped guitar. It has been well-played so has some dings and scratches and a few of those come with some stories and memories. It is a sublime guitar but sometimes I think that I keep it more for sentimental reasons than practical ones. I am now down to 4 guitars so it is doable.

Best,
Jayne

[brencat]

I'm about 2 years away from serious college expenses, so currently in the stage of finalizing my stable for the foreseeable future. Still tweaking around the edges, I recently bought another one and will be selling two. I'm not a sentimental person, so if an instrument is not getting played, or loses in an extensive A/B versus something new, it goes. And I don't look back.

[beninma]

I heard an interesting remark about this on the Wampler podcast this week.

One of the guys on the show was mentioning that his GAS was bad enough it prevented him from every having a sentimental attachment to a guitar. Basically once you hit a certain threshold you've got so much stuff you can't really develop an emotional bond with anything, and you get stuck in a cycle of constantly buying & selling stuff looking for something that fills that gap, but the thing is the quantity of gear + constant buying/selling is what is preventing anything from seeming like "the one".

Lot of good comments from Ray Sachs, I agree with a lot of that.

If I have enough stuff that I feel compelled to "use something just cause I have it" instead of "I just want to use that" then I will start to think about selling stuff.

I only have 2 guitars, so I don't have any issues there. There are days I know I want to play electric and days I know I want to play acoustic. On pedals I have at least 2 I need to get rid of but could get rid of even more. I have a semi-functional THR5 I need to get rid of somehow. Some of my other hobbies fall into that too. I have 3 bikes. Arguably one of them could go. (Mountain bike) Some days I know I want to go mountain biking, but it's not that often. Easiest thing there is just to wait till it breaks, cause it's old and I wouldn't get much money.

I have too much photography gear, some of that should get moved, cause I am way more into playing guitar. The thing with photo gear... it has gotten way more expensive since I bought my stuff. If I ever started regaining the old passion it would cost dearly to replace lenses that I sold. I have 6 Canon lenses and a DSLR that is 7 years old now but still super capable, plus a cheaper mirrorless setup with 2 lenses, and I have 5 flashes and a bunch of lighting gear. I could easily sell some stuff and fund a Taylor 900 series or a martin 000-28 or something and still have a capable photo kit left over. Some of my lenses though.. I might have bought it for $500. The new model might be $2000. Prices on that stuff have gone bonkers.

[Shades of Blue]

All of my guitars are generally of sentimental value, but I do keep at least 1 or 2 in constant rotation. The day that the 1 or 2 in rotation become sentimental guitars is the day I complete my collection. I just don't have the financial means to just keep adding guitars every time I want one.

If I had to get rid of guitars, I would start with the ones that have no sentimental ties to my daughter. For example, my Les Paul was purchased with my daughter on the 4th of July last year, and that has been a moment we shared. Other than that, I the sentimentality of each guitar simply comes from the bond I have with the guitars themselves.

I also have 2 new Taylor's GPs, so I'd start by selling one of those.

[Bridgepin]

I am in the camp of having more guitars than I can play. I have a dedicated music room and I keep them all in there so there not in anyone's way.

I have thought about sell some of them, but I will always end up say why do I need to sell them. I enjoy having the availability to pick one of them up at any given time.

The only foreseeable reason I could see selling them is to fund another guitar purchase. Hummm I have been thinking about a 1937 D-28 Authentic.

[tbeltrans]

If I could get what I consider decent value for my wood guitars, I would sell them. The most played guitars I have are my carbon fiber Cargos and McPherson Touring. This is largely because I can keep them out with absolutely no concern for environmental issues that affect wood instruments. These carbon fiber guitars sound good to me, are small body and short scale, with wide enough fretboards for comfortable fingerstyle - all making for a very comfortable play situation. It seems silly to try to pawn off carbon fiber guitars as sounding like wood (as much as some folks seem to like to claim), but if one likes the sound of these instruments in their own right, that is all that counts.

I like to keep things simple where possible. I live in a condo because I don't like the work of keeping up a house. With carbon fiber guitars, the only maintenance is the occasional string change. So for me, I take a more practical view.

Tony

[dspoel]

Originally Posted by Kh1967

As much as I dislike the process of selling exceptional guitars, I am also learning that nothing catastrophic happens when I do. In fact, I have found great pleasure in passing on a guitar that the new owner thoroughly enjoys.

For those who have a hard time letting go, isn’t the notion that someone else will take good care of your instrument all the comfort you need?

[stormin1155]

I'm a sentimental sort and I like my stuff. I have a lot of guitars... keep 25 or so hanging in my studio and a dozen or so put away. Several are gifts from friends and family; several I built myself. I have some nice guitars, though none of them are real expensive, at least not by AGF standards. I do try to rotate through them, but there are just a few that get most of my play time. The rest I'm happy just to look at.

I would have a hard time selling those that were gifts, as well as my handful of favorites. I'd never sell my dad's old parlor, my first acoustic I bought with my graduation money in 1973, or the dreadnaught I built. Other than that I have no problem selling them, but I don't need the money, so I'd rather just keep them. I also give away quite a few guitars to folks, mostly kids, that can't afford one.