Leaderboard

I remember when I first took up guitar in 1991, there were always older guys around then wishing that the beginner options we had available were around in their day. Now I'm that old guy.... it's incredible, really, how serviceable an instrument you can get for much less money nowadays. What took me a long time to figure out was the biggest lesson of all: The different guitar types really aren't as different as we like to make out, and you don't "need" All The Options. There's little I hate more in guitar world than pretentious paens to "having the full palette of sounds". Once you get beyond playable and functional in a guitar, 90% of it is whether you personally like its look and feel. Most of your sound - especially if you like pedals - will come from the amp. The first Led Zep album. Everybody knows page played an LP.... except when he didn't. Even Page can't tell now what was the Telecaster and what was the LP on that record. Jimi Used Strats. Except when he didn't: all the leads on Purple Haze were played on a borrowed Telecaster. I'm not saying don't have different guitars, or don't try different guitars. Just go into it with the perspective that you're looking for a guitar or guitars that work for you, and you don't have to own all the different styles. Better three near identical Strats if that's what you'll play than five different guitars, only two of which you ever play. I've owned probably 15 guitars over the years, got around 11 or 12 currently. The bulk of them will be sold: I'm keeping my two Fenders and maybe my Epi LP Standard (unless, of course, the Korean made ones from the 90s suddenly become vintage and sell for collectable money.... I'm kinda over Les Pauls now, look and feel..... and I've also learned I'm just not that much a fan of humbuckers either). Ironically, at the time I bought it I could have bought a Dano U2 for half the price, but I had it in my head that I "needed" a Les Paul as one of "the basics", and the Dano was "a third or fourth guitar". In all honesty, I'd rather have the Dano now. (And still would even if that LP had been a Gibson). The trick is to try as many different guitars as possible without having to buy them first (my excuse is that this is much harder when you're a southpaw...). I'm also now setting myself an upper limit of ten (including acoustic and bass), though that's because I'm a recovering hoarder, and "collection" can get out of control fast for me.