S
stevieb
Just another guy, really.
(This could turn into a long post, but I have tried to construct it like a newspaper article, with the most important info at the top, least import at the bottom- so feel free to stop reading whenever you want, and then (hopefully) post up your best, most honest opinion.?
When is it time to sell? I have several guitars and amps, most were pretty sweet deals (I am left handed, and often find southpaw guitars at great prices.) Of course, I can't play more than one at a time
, but beyond that, I am thinking maybe it's time to scale down. What criteria do you use to decide when, and what, to sell? Is yours a careful, formula-driven calculation, do you go with your heart, or somewhere in-between?
Is now, economically, a good time to sell gear? Oh, sure, the recession is cracking, very slowly, but it's been on for so long that prices for most everything are depressed, still. OTOH, maybe the money could be better "parked" elsewhere?
This question could, if you wanted it to, include all kinds of philosophical questions like "How many is too many?" and such- feel free to go there, if you want.
Personally, I have a feeling, somewhat vague, that I have too much gear. Certainly, I am not getting much use out of all of it- some guitars go months without being pulled down from the wall, and there is considerable overlap from one guitar to the next- although no two are real close to each other. IF I had two Les Pauls, for instance, I could decide which I prefer and sell the other- maybe swap out some parts before unloading #2. In fact, here are my guitars (lefty ones only- any right-handed guitars, with one or two exceptions, are only in my possession on speculation.) If you see any you think are dead wood, sing out- but please try to keep preferences or prejudices for one brand or another out of your thinking, as much as possible. I like them all, and each was, at one time or another, my favorite, if only for a little while. BTW, this is NOT any sort of me wanting to trot out what I got- some of this stuff has modest, at best, collector value. In order of aquisition:
(See abreviation guide, below.)
GUITARS
1968 Telestar Hollowbody 2pu Model. Gift from my folks when I was 11 or 12. Not a great player, but lots of sentimental value for me. One of the two right-handed guitars that is not here on spec.
60'S Kawai Bass Loose Fender Jazz bass copy, with massive all-metal pick guard and pu covers. My dad had a friend of a friend paint it purple and blue metal flake, in the 70's. the other righty not here on spec. Never gets played- I play the lefty basses, no bassest ever comes over to my house, and I rarely if ever bring it out. But what an EYE POPPER- I mean, come on, purple/blue metalflake and chrome?
Arbor 12-string acoustic Rarely leaves it's case, but this 12 has more over- and under-tones than any other 12 I've ever heard, and a high, ringing tone. I love just listening to this one.
Seagull S6 Dreadnaught My #1 acoustic for quite a while, became my beater when I got the Martin (see below,) but sees very little play.
Westone Thunder 1A HH SB Pawn shop find, got it for a great price b/c it was sitting for-freakin-ever in the shop, unsold. I knew nothing about either the brand or the model, bought it pretty much blind, and was rewarded for my risk by getting a darn impressive guitar. Active circuitry, coil tap and splitter switches. Basically a factory hot-rod Les Paul Copy- but not in appearance- this one is so plain and simple it makes a LP Studio look like it's dressed to the nine's.
Westone Spectrum SX HSS, tap and split via push-pull pots. Locking nut and Schaller-type (don't recall make) locking tremolo- a shreader guitar. Thing is, I don't shread. But it's ALL hi-gloss red (well, hardware is black or chrome)- even the fretboard is red, and it's BEAUTIFUL.
Martin D16GTE Early model, with lots of extra trim that has nothing to do with the playing or tone, but looks great. Understated- fret markers are 4-point snowflakes, only abalone is a narrow ring at the rosette. Perhaps my best guitar, I'd only sell it because it will bring more money than any other guitar (except USA strat, see below.) Bought new, so I have the factory lifetime warranty.
Squier Standard Strat This one would be easy to let go of, if I ever get off my butt and change it back to the original pups- nobody wants to pay me what it plus the Tex-Specs in it are worth, together.
Harmony Tenor acoustic- flat top. Foundling. Fact that a different tuning makes it sound so much better limits how much I play this one, but I am slowly learning. Technically not a lefty, but completely symmetrical build (except for nut) makes it as lefty as it needs to be.
Epiphone Les Paul Standard I installed top-line Gibson pups in it, and it has a wonderful tone. My sweetest-sounding electric.
Fender USA Strat Tex-Specs in this one too. Perhaps tied with Martin for monetary value.
MIM Fender Jazz Bass I was a bass player, while in high school and early college, and as I play lefty, I CAN play a righty bass upside down, but it's not much fun having to stay alert ALL the time.
Peavey Millineum Bass Bought to convert to fretless, but I can't seem to screw up the nerve... one day, one day. Real flamed maple top makes it prettier than the Fender, but the Fender is worth more.
Greg Bennet Les Paul copy. Not an exact copy, different enough to not be boring. I removed the buckers and installed a pair of soapbars, so it would be different. but maybe it's not different enough.
Harmony Tenor Banjo Yeah, yeah, not a guitar, but close. Bought as a companion to the Harmony tenor guitar, figured I'd mess around with it for a few months then flip it. Thing it, it sorta charmed me, and helped me gain something of a rep as a multi-instrumentalist. Being called that tickles me no end.
So, what say you?
I'll cover the amps and PA gear in another post, or here, later.
Abbreviation guide:
HH- humbucker/humbucker
SSS 3 single coils, ala stratocaster
HSS- you can figure this out from the first two abreviations.
HB- hollowbody
SB- solid body
When is it time to sell? I have several guitars and amps, most were pretty sweet deals (I am left handed, and often find southpaw guitars at great prices.) Of course, I can't play more than one at a time
, but beyond that, I am thinking maybe it's time to scale down. What criteria do you use to decide when, and what, to sell? Is yours a careful, formula-driven calculation, do you go with your heart, or somewhere in-between? Is now, economically, a good time to sell gear? Oh, sure, the recession is cracking, very slowly, but it's been on for so long that prices for most everything are depressed, still. OTOH, maybe the money could be better "parked" elsewhere?
This question could, if you wanted it to, include all kinds of philosophical questions like "How many is too many?" and such- feel free to go there, if you want.
Personally, I have a feeling, somewhat vague, that I have too much gear. Certainly, I am not getting much use out of all of it- some guitars go months without being pulled down from the wall, and there is considerable overlap from one guitar to the next- although no two are real close to each other. IF I had two Les Pauls, for instance, I could decide which I prefer and sell the other- maybe swap out some parts before unloading #2. In fact, here are my guitars (lefty ones only- any right-handed guitars, with one or two exceptions, are only in my possession on speculation.) If you see any you think are dead wood, sing out- but please try to keep preferences or prejudices for one brand or another out of your thinking, as much as possible. I like them all, and each was, at one time or another, my favorite, if only for a little while. BTW, this is NOT any sort of me wanting to trot out what I got- some of this stuff has modest, at best, collector value. In order of aquisition:
(See abreviation guide, below.)
GUITARS
1968 Telestar Hollowbody 2pu Model. Gift from my folks when I was 11 or 12. Not a great player, but lots of sentimental value for me. One of the two right-handed guitars that is not here on spec.
60'S Kawai Bass Loose Fender Jazz bass copy, with massive all-metal pick guard and pu covers. My dad had a friend of a friend paint it purple and blue metal flake, in the 70's. the other righty not here on spec. Never gets played- I play the lefty basses, no bassest ever comes over to my house, and I rarely if ever bring it out. But what an EYE POPPER- I mean, come on, purple/blue metalflake and chrome?
Arbor 12-string acoustic Rarely leaves it's case, but this 12 has more over- and under-tones than any other 12 I've ever heard, and a high, ringing tone. I love just listening to this one.
Seagull S6 Dreadnaught My #1 acoustic for quite a while, became my beater when I got the Martin (see below,) but sees very little play.
Westone Thunder 1A HH SB Pawn shop find, got it for a great price b/c it was sitting for-freakin-ever in the shop, unsold. I knew nothing about either the brand or the model, bought it pretty much blind, and was rewarded for my risk by getting a darn impressive guitar. Active circuitry, coil tap and splitter switches. Basically a factory hot-rod Les Paul Copy- but not in appearance- this one is so plain and simple it makes a LP Studio look like it's dressed to the nine's.
Westone Spectrum SX HSS, tap and split via push-pull pots. Locking nut and Schaller-type (don't recall make) locking tremolo- a shreader guitar. Thing is, I don't shread. But it's ALL hi-gloss red (well, hardware is black or chrome)- even the fretboard is red, and it's BEAUTIFUL.
Martin D16GTE Early model, with lots of extra trim that has nothing to do with the playing or tone, but looks great. Understated- fret markers are 4-point snowflakes, only abalone is a narrow ring at the rosette. Perhaps my best guitar, I'd only sell it because it will bring more money than any other guitar (except USA strat, see below.) Bought new, so I have the factory lifetime warranty.
Squier Standard Strat This one would be easy to let go of, if I ever get off my butt and change it back to the original pups- nobody wants to pay me what it plus the Tex-Specs in it are worth, together.
Harmony Tenor acoustic- flat top. Foundling. Fact that a different tuning makes it sound so much better limits how much I play this one, but I am slowly learning. Technically not a lefty, but completely symmetrical build (except for nut) makes it as lefty as it needs to be.
Epiphone Les Paul Standard I installed top-line Gibson pups in it, and it has a wonderful tone. My sweetest-sounding electric.
Fender USA Strat Tex-Specs in this one too. Perhaps tied with Martin for monetary value.
MIM Fender Jazz Bass I was a bass player, while in high school and early college, and as I play lefty, I CAN play a righty bass upside down, but it's not much fun having to stay alert ALL the time.
Peavey Millineum Bass Bought to convert to fretless, but I can't seem to screw up the nerve... one day, one day. Real flamed maple top makes it prettier than the Fender, but the Fender is worth more.
Greg Bennet Les Paul copy. Not an exact copy, different enough to not be boring. I removed the buckers and installed a pair of soapbars, so it would be different. but maybe it's not different enough.
Harmony Tenor Banjo Yeah, yeah, not a guitar, but close. Bought as a companion to the Harmony tenor guitar, figured I'd mess around with it for a few months then flip it. Thing it, it sorta charmed me, and helped me gain something of a rep as a multi-instrumentalist. Being called that tickles me no end.
So, what say you?
I'll cover the amps and PA gear in another post, or here, later.
Abbreviation guide:
HH- humbucker/humbucker
SSS 3 single coils, ala stratocaster
HSS- you can figure this out from the first two abreviations.
HB- hollowbody
SB- solid body
it's scary to think about. I guess it's a sentimental thing mostly. They're the only things I've actually worked to buy myself and each have their own special place (even if its in the closet 
)
)...but you gotta' have some plan with gear rather than just buy stuff like a pack rat and then cling to everything even if you hardly ever use it.
