One or many

[rollypolly]

Good to hear some replies. I’ve compared my d-18 to a Collings I heard on youtube and they were pretty comparable. Im not a huge gear nut that compares
Everything, it’s more about finding out the unknown and if one really nice boutique would be more satisfying to play and increase my playing skills faster, I would want one right away! I’m looking at used, beat up boutique brands like Santa Cruz. I may be able to afford one and keep some of my Martins but not all.

[EZYPIKINS]

It would be a total shock to me, to find a guitar in a store that plays as well as the ones I have at home.

I've never found a tech that will even attempt my setup.

Not to say that there is not one out there.

I'm no super tech. I just know what I like.

[Dru Edwards]

I like to have diversity so a couple of great guitars. Perhaps a spruce/mahogany dread and a spruce/rosewood OM/GA style... or whatever fits your needs.

[buddyhu]

10 years ago, I’d have a ready answer: one “superior” guitar is what I’d want (whether superior implies certain more expensive woods or a boutique maker or a small luthier, or simply a great version of a mass produced guitar is, of course, a matter of opinion)

Today, I have branched out with my playing, playing some songs on a 12 string, exploring some open tunings, playing a bit of slide. So today, I think I’d have to choose “many”.

[Gdjjr]

I can buy 2 Mustangs for the price of a Porsche- and have twice the fun

[Zissou Intern]

A couple years back, I had three expensive boutique guitars. After a lot of pandemic boredom induced buying, selling, and trading, I landed on the two used guitars I have in my signature. Combined, they’d equal the price of one of the Collings. I prefer these two to every other guitar that passed through. Go figure.

[mawmow]

I have been technically improving my fingerstyle for the last fifteen
years and so relentlessly upgraded my acoustic herd.

I would not trade in a boutique : I sell my used guitars online
generally AFTER I got a new one to push an old one out.

I sometimes brought one of mine to compare. For example, I had
a Gibson L-1 1928 Blues Tribute I brought to compare with a
Waterloo WL : I found those to sound too quite similar and did
not buy at the moment. After I got a good offer for the L-1 I
finally did not love that much, I longed to find an affordable
(used) Waterloo...

So, I always have many acoustics because I play many repertoires
and I would also find only one sound to bother on the long run.

[CopyCat]

Whether you’d be “blown away” by a Santa Cruz or Collings depends on too many factors to predict: nuance of right-hand technique, tonal desires and the specific instrument in hand, for example.

The build quality of Collings and Santa Cruz are in a different league than Martin. Tonally, they provide much more clarity. Some say after getting used to Colllings, Santa Cruz or similar that Martins sound muddy.

I’ve found, though, there can be a certain magic in that mud. I started playing in the ‘70s, so there’s something about the sound of a Martin that is baked into my cells. I enjoy the nuance of “better” guitars but a certain deep joy comes from the Martin rumble.

One or many is up to you, of course. I’m finding more pleasure in downsizing and focusing on repertoire.

[Mandobart]

For me, I have a concept of “enough” - what do I need, what do I want, how much is “enough “?

Like my retirement planning - there’s no doubt the longer I work, the more money I’ll have in retirement. But “more” is the enemy of “enough.” If more is always better none of us would ever retire.

So it is for me with guitar quality. My HD-28 and is a lot better than my Applause. A Collings or Bourgeois is better than my Martin. But it’s not so much better that it warrants me spending the extra $ on one (even though I can afford it) or giving up something else I really enjoy to have one.

I’ve probably spent over $ 20 k on musical instruments. I could buy one really great guitar for that. But my Martin is really more than enough dreadnought for me, just like my Altamira is more than enough gypsy jazz box, my Gold Tone Paul Beard reso is plenty, and my Eastman is all the archtop I need. Then there’s all the mandos and fiddles. I wouldn’t want to give any of those up to have just one instrument, even if it were the “best” instrument available for that one application.

[emtsteve]

I like having a few to switch between as the mood fits. So, I'm settling somewhere between 3-5 acoustics (plus a tele and a mando). Retirement is looming and a major move so I'd sure like to have less stuff when that happens.

But as long as I can play, I'll always have at least one acoustic

[musicman1951]

Given the lack of unlimited guitar cash, I think people often fall into the variety camp or the favorite camp. I see the merits of both and believe it to be a good choice either way.

Personally, I'm a favorites person. I have a small group of guitars but play my favorite 98% of the time. It wasn't a conscious decision, it just kind of happened. But there are plenty of times reading the forum when I think it would be fun to have one of those and one of those, etc. So whatever floats your boat.

Would a more expensive guitar steal your heart? Maybe, maybe not. The ear likes what the ear likes. And on the practical side, there is no reasonable way to justify the difference in price. You have to accept the law of diminishing returns and decide that small difference in sound makes a big enough difference to your playing experience to pay the $$$. I have had no problem taking myself into that choice. I'm not recommending it, but I suspect that for some of us it's less of a choice than a requirement, or the heart breaks. ;-)

[rollypolly]

I’m sitting here picking my swomgt and honestly it’s a better guitar than my skill merits. It plays great and I enjoy its tone as well. Guess I’ll keep mine for now and maybe hit a shop one day to see what the boutique craze is all about.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

I’m sitting here picking my swomgt and honestly it’s a better guitar than my skill merits. It plays great and I enjoy its tone as well. Guess I’ll keep mine for now and maybe hit a shop one day to see what the boutique craze is all about.

I think with the Martins you have you are better off than you realize. I have a 2003 D-16GT and I would never let it go. I can imagine what your D-18 sounds like. Maybe you could move along your other guitars (non-Martin) and pick up something different later on down the road.

[brushknee]

One boutique. Just standard tuning these days.

[Robin, Wales]

The timbre of the guitars I like and that would suit my playing style is found in guitars that cost between $15 and $50 when they were made, that's about $200 to $900 in today's money. And I'm bloody well not going to pay someone $4k upwards for a copy of a $35 factory made guitar!

Those old guitars were not that special when they were made. They were not built lovingly by master wizards with pixie dust. They were a consumer product banged out by skilled and semi-skilled workers in a factory. And most of them were a bit rough.

So I'm not going "boutique". I'm going to be looking at today's $200 to $900 guitars to spot the ones that a boutique maker will be copying in 90 years time.