30 Guitars is excessive?

[Ozzy the dog]

Perhaps he's a dealer and this is a marketing ploy

[buddyhu]

Definition of excessive: “ more than is necessary, normal, or desirable; immoderate.”

30 is definitely more than is necessary, and more than normal. But is it more than is desirable? It’s more than I would desire, but there are obviously people who desire more, for whatever reason.

I knew a fellow who owned over 100 at one point; he sold all but one in order to stir up a down payment for a house...

[rmp]

Seriously why count them? There's no point to it, and it just leads to uncomfortable questions we may have to tell untruths about. Just change the subject...

"OH look a Squirrel!!!!!!!"

I think my current herd totals around 18... I can't be sure, but I'm pretty sure.. then again, I don't count them as I've just explained..

[rokdog49]

I have a collection of colognes that is in the neighborhood of 40 or fifty bottles.
Is that excessive? Of course it is. I had nine guitars a couple of years ago. That was excessive to me. Now I have four.

[Big Band Guitar]

The official number of excessive when referring to guitars is, 1 more than you have.

[RP]

Originally Posted by mc1

You're a wise and temperate man, RP.

Two ex-wives and an ex-girlfriend would disagree, but thanks....

[tinnitus]

Same question comes up on gun forums (or motorcycles/cars or any other hobby). "One short of a collection" seems a common concept no matter how many/few the poster has. There too, spouses sometimes have different ideas regarding what constitutes a "reasonable" number.

When I was gigging regularly with a garage band, I think I was up to 16-18 guitars at one point, mostly electric, a couple basses and 4-5 acoustics. Plus 5-6 tube amps.

I was always upgrading and had my prized favorites. Interestingly (to me anyway), some really expensive brand-name flagship guitars and amps slipped from "Ichi Ban Number One" status as my tastes/needs evolved. I constantly bought, sold and traded, keeping the inventory relatively small despite 2-3 dozen transactions a year for over a decade. Once I became disenchanted with a particular instrument (for whatever reason), it was soon gone.

When it comes to massive collections, some well-known platinum-selling stars keep hundreds of guitars, or more, in climate-controlled storage. As a mere mortal with hobby-level skills and resources, I cannot second-guess their motives. But I wonder how much actual use some of those rare/fine guitars might ever see again, even if the artist plays a different one every day, all year long.

[Bob Womack]

As I mature I become less and less inclined to speak out against other people's proclivities.

Vince Gill lost about fifty guitars in the Nashville Sound Check flood. Fifty. Those were the ones he kept ready for touring and carting to sessions. He owns far more. "I opted for buying guitars instead of Bass boats and second homes in the Hamptons and things like that so I have a pretty beautiful and extensive collection of a lot of neat old guitars." His wife, Amy Grant, has been helping him replace some of the guitars lost in the flood. I recently watched an interview with Amy with her seated in either the living room or den of their house. I began to count the vintage guitars behind her. There were at least thirty-one, fourteen of which were semi-hollow and hollow electrics. That doesn't include the ones in his studio - approximately twenty-four vintage acoustics on ready stands, many of which are the rarest of the rare Martins, and I'm estimating that many electrics in drawers underneath. Who knows how many more are in closets and in a new professional storage for his touring gear? He purchases guitars from guys who are down on their luck and holds them until they can afford to buy them back. He auctioned off 39 for the musicians who were uninsured and lost guitars at Sound Check and felt a loss at each sale. How many does he "need?" What is "excessive?" That's between him, his wife, his family, and his deity.

My father's one-time boss once bought a church's pipe organ at auction. When someone told him how large a room he'd need to properly let it sound, he built a HOUSE around the pipe organ. Excessive? I don't think he had a swimming pool.



When I was an elementary school student, a friend of mine owned approximately twenty of the original 12" G.I. Joes. I owned one, pictured above. My friend became bored with his so he began attaching Estes rocket engines to their backs and firing them off into the next neighborhood. While visiting his home I observed this interesting behavior and observed, "If you don't care for them, give them to me." I now own eleven G.I. Joes: G.I. Airforce, G.I. Marine, G.I. German, G.I. Japanese, G.I. Aussie, etc. Thank you, Andrew. Was his collection of G.I. Joes excessive? Is mine?

Bob

[FLRon]

What I've never understood is why someone else, especially someone I am not married to, should even have such an opinion. If I bought 30 guitars I would consider that my business and no one else's.
Are 30 pair of earrings too many? Or 30 outfits? Or 50 pairs of shoes?
I know guys that have thousands of rounds of ammo and dozens of firearms, to which I say whatever floats your boat.

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by Gcunplugged

This cracks me up. A for sale listing I just saw on Reverb says selling because “according to the girlfriend, 30 Guitars is excessive”.

Just curious if the seller is a forum member, and also is there an official definition of excessive? :-)

See Description...
https://reverb.com/item/34499097-pono-oo-10d-2019-gloss

'Just moved in with girlfriend"....


**What do you call a guitarist who just broke up with his girlfriend?
"Homeless"**

[Slothead56]

Originally Posted by Ozzy the dog

Perhaps he's a dealer and this is a marketing ploy

Perspective....just the guitars on the wall and floor facing the photographer equal 27. That’s a lot of lumber.

However, whatever...

[Silly Moustache]

I was never a boy scout (or a girl guide for that matter) but their motto "be prepared" surely had an effect on me.

When I was a ten year old cowboy, I had to have two holsters 'cos you might need more than one gun right?

When I was a drummer I had but one kit, and vaguely remember times when I broke a batter head.

When I was a photographer, I always carried two (sometimes there) camera bodies, and batteries and etc etc. (My Billingham SC550 bag was full -see my deformed shoulder! - pic withheld!!)
when I was a bluegrass guitarist/mando/Dobro player, I could not carry spares apart from strings and picks etc.
but

As a club owner/organiser, and front man for a bluegrass band and two different trios plus a solo performer.

1. So, one determining the ideal guitar, it seemed logical to have a spare. (1+1=2)
2. The bluegrass band required a slightly different guitar, so ... 2 +1 =3.
3. I love to play 12 string -plus a spare so .. 2 + 3 =5.
4. Occasionally I'm asked to play Dobro and/or mandolin so (kinda) 2 +5 =7.
5. I like to play solo blues occasionally, so one National = 7+1=8.
6. A friend arrived at my house with another Collings dread he wanted to sell on, so (just to do him a favour you understand) I bought it - 8+1 =9.
7. Who wants to play dreads at home ? so a 000 (9+1 =10).
8. Sometimes you just want a couch guitar so - an Eastman E-20-P (10+1-11)
9. Oh , I forgot the 00 that my wife had built for me way back in '98 - 11+1=12
10, then, of course there are the three archtops that I have even thugh I'm a terrible jazz player - No excuse. 12+3 = 15.

I reckon that one more oughta do it!

Oh, BTW just in case you think I'm crazy, I've sold a lot too!

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Big Band Guitar

The official number of excessive when referring to guitars is, 1 more than you have.

That's what keeps me going ... I believe the mathematical formula is:

Excessive guitars = n+1, where n is the number of guitars you own.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by Big Band Guitar

The official number of excessive when referring to guitars is, 1 more than you have.

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

That's what keeps me going ... I believe the mathematical formula is:

Excessive guitars = n+1, where n is the number of guitars you own.

I think the formula actually must be:

eg = n + 2

That way you can still buy just one more before it's excessive. Of course, once you buy that one, the formula remains the same.

Another popular formula is:

eg = n - 1

where n is the number of guitars owned by the person you know who has the most guitars of anyone you know. That way you can be like, "Well, it's not as many as Joe Bonamassa owns, so how can it be excessive?".

[RP]

On Jackson Browne's Solo Acoustic CD he shares an anecdote about being questioned on the number of guitars he owns. He sheepishly replies, "Well, I really don't know." Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling Jackson how many guitars he should or shouldn't own; but I'd say that if you have so many guitars that you don't know how many you have, then that's probably excessive....