The collecting of guitars

[The Big G]

Well I want to find out what poeples opinions are on the collecting of guitars, the majority of us have more than one guitar, so are we collectors as well as players and is there anything wrong with collecting good guitars? driving the costs up of rare instruments !!! go on post your views.......

[Trucks]

If you play it its fine in my book. If you have 250 guitars (Leewood) thats just plain crazy lol

 

I find it hard enough giving my 5 a healthy rotation, but it helps that they are all totally different.

[Shoes]

My views are widely acknowledged so it should come as no surprise that I have little good to say about Imelda Marcos or anyone like her

 

...mind you it is a good idea to have at least one of every type of tool you could possibly need.

Just don't become a tool in doing so.

[Justus A. Picker]

Steve Howe once said that owning more than 63 guitars is obsessive. I've made certain I never wander into the obsessive category!

 

If you buy guitars to play rather than because they look cool over the couch or because they make a good investment it's fine. Storing guitars in a Japanese bank vault waiting for them to appreciate in value should be punishible by death.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Originally posted by lee83:

If you play it its fine in my book. If you have 250 guitars (Leewood) thats just plain crazy lol

 

I find it hard enough giving my 5 a healthy rotation, but it helps that they are all totally different.

'See it's very easy to rotate them when you play gigs allot! I pick out a couple of different ones every week. If I don't use them my son does..besides that they are all going to be his someday anyway.

[Kramer Ferrington III.]

Originally posted by The Big G:

the majority of us have more than one guitar, so are we collectors as well as players

You keep bringing this up, so tell me... if I have more than one kind of screwdriver (blade and phillips... I'm a collector? Not really.

 

Most people would make a difference between "musician" guitars which may or may not be modified in all sorts of ways and "collector" guitars where the actual possession of the guitar in a pristine a condition as possible is the important thing.

 

I'm always buying and selling guitars and I'm always tinkering with them. If I was a collector I wouldn't use anything but original replacement parts and it'd break my heart to change anything.

[doc taz]

Steve Howe also said that his collection is a working one. That's what I strive for, more than anything else. I own four, but there are a few others that may be mine in the near future. I play all of 'em.

 

Watch this space for a new find in the very near future, hopefully.

[Rhino Madness]

I have a hard time understanding the hatred toward collectors (aside from a jealousy point of view). Especially nowadays when good guitars are affordable enough.

 

A lot of people seem to view guitar collectors as cold stock investors but the truth is that guitar collectors more than likely share a genuine love for their "investment" and truly appreciate and cherish what they have (whether of not they are able to play them).

 

And you have to remember how they became collectible in the first place. If there were enough 59 LP's for every guitar player who wanted one, there would be no such absurd monetary value but since there clearly are not enough of them, the wealthiest (and NOT the most talented or deserving musician or ...)will always get them. It's part of the supply and demand chain.

 

And the reason they are in demand is MOSTLY because of their perceived mojo, NOT because of their tone/playability/other redeeming quality (as the vintage specimens vary greatly in those aspects from great to mediocre). This is why people still buy overpriced genuine Gibson LP's over other better-built brands: because of the added peceived mojo.

 

I took LP's as an example but the same applies to other models/brands as well. Musicians can still find and afford great sounding instruments.

 

As for that argument that those guitars were meant to be played, it's a fact that guitars that are toured extensively eventually start falling apart and have to be retired from the road: so should we let all those vintage guitars die a good death or keep a part of history preserved for posterity? IMHO both camps are right and I respect both.

 

If I could afford them, I would have no problem owning historical guitars without gigging or even playing them. But at the same time, one would think that there are more worthy causes to pursue with millions of dollars.

[LPCustom]

I just counted and right now I have 21 guitars. I used to have over 30. But I'm not a collector. Every one of my guitars is different. I don't have two of the same model. And all of my guitars get played either because I like playing that guitar (like the OE-30) or because I need/want a specific sound (Tele, Strat, Les Paul, ES-335, etc.).

 

I think most collectors don't actually play their guitars. I think some of them _can't_ play their guitars because they don't know how. Some do play but probably don't play their "collectable" guitars.

 

I think people who buy guitars to own and not to play are missing the point. And they just drive up the cost for those of us who do play.

[Justus A. Picker]

As for that argument that those guitars were meant to be played, it's a fact that guitars that are toured extensively eventually start falling apart and have to be retired from the road: so should we let all those vintage guitars die a good death or keep a part of history preserved for posterity?

They don't have to be road guitars to be played. If they see studio time at least they're making music.

 

The big buck Stradavarius violins get bought up by "investors" and then loaned out to world class violinists. A similar type of deal with collectable guitars would be more appealing than sticking a guitar in a vault for eternity.

[fantasticsound]

Let's split hairs, too. There are collectors who play their instruments. There are collectors who don't play much, but display and loan their instruments. Then there are investors.

 

It's the last category that infuriates players who find great instruments that should be of realistic price thrown into the upper eschelon and out of reach of most players.

 

Most of us would be hard pressed to hate or even dislike someone who made good use of his instruments, either himself or by loaning them to others.

 

But like the private art collector who buys beautiful objects, only to store them in a dark vault away from others' eyes, we hold disdain for investors whose only interest in a fine tool (which, of course, is what an instrument is) is purely financial.

 

"Good enough", Rhino, may be fine for those of us with limited means to own ourselves. But taking an amazing instrument out of the hands of players seems unnecessarily selfish and rude. Otherwise, it pisses people off who would like to play, or at least hear it played by someone else.

[Rhino Madness]

To me, the idea of private investors in Japan buying and storing all those vintage guitars in vaults is largely an urban myth. Collectors tend to invest in what interests them and, while knowing it to also be a worthy investment, like to display their prized possessions even if only for themselves. I find it unlikely that pure investors would gather those vintage instruments without any interest other than a financial one. Maybe I'm just naive?

 

And as a precision, I did not mention "good enough" but "good guitars are affordable enough" (there's a difference there).

 

Economics dictate that the wealthy will own what's most coveted. It's not the best drivers that own the best cars and it's not the best players that own the best guitars (in this case, many of these coveted vintage guitars are not necessarily the best).

 

I like the comparison to Stradivarius owners loaning their instruments to world class players and would certainly like to see that happen to other holy grail instruments.

[fantasticsound]

You're naive. There was a tv news magazine article about investing in instruments. It's definitely happening, although not as many Japanese investors are around as a decade ago. The Japanese economy sunk a bit, so they're not buying up pieces of the rest of the world quite as fast as in the past two decades.

[BadLife]

I personaly hate any kind of collection for investment. But its a free world more or less so people are going to do what they want anyway. I don't like it when they buy a guitar then put it away never to be played again, but there is little I can do about that.

[Hardtail]

Right now, I have a '91 Gibson Les Paul and a '06 Fender Strat.

 

I still would like to own the following guitars in my lifetime.

 

Fender Telecaster

Gibson ES335

PRS McCarty

 

Also, though I already have an LP, I wouldn't mind having a 2nd one.

 

There are other guitars I wouldn't mind having one or two of:

 

Hamer (the one that Guitar55 has)

A few Agiles

A Godin

A Blade

 

Of all the guitars mentioned, if I could only have one of these, I'd choose the 335 in a heartbeat. I was very impressed with one I played about a month ago.

[Hardtail]

Originally posted by LPCustom:

I just counted and right now I have 21 guitars.

You have pictures?

[Guitar55]

The late collector, Scott Chinery, had a massive collection that he loved to show and envisioned a museum where vistors would be able to play all types of guitars. Unfortunately, he didn't live long enough to fufill that dream.

[LPCustom]

Originally posted by HardTail:

Originally posted by LPCustom:

I just counted and right now I have 21 guitars.

You have pictures?

I have pictures of some. But not all of them (probably about half). I guess I should make sure we have pictures of everything for insurance purposes anyway.

 

I've posted pictures of several of my guitars before. I don't really like to advertise what I have all the time.

 

I'm sure Ellwood's got more than that, anyway.

[Hardtail]

I forgot about your stolen guitar escapade you experienced recently.

 

I don't remember seeing any pics of yours though. I'm sure I'll come up with a few here and there while using the search engine.

[LPCustom]

Originally posted by HardTail:

I forgot about your stolen guitar escapade you experienced recently.

 

I don't remember seeing any pics of yours though. I'm sure I'll come up with a few here and there while using the search engine.

Well, here's one thread with a few pictures.

 

http://www.musicplayer.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/ubb/get_topic/f/19/t/013428.html#000000

 

Then there Ellwood's "Three Amigos" and the "Show your twangers" threads.

 

This is what my Custom 22 looks like. Mine has the thin neck profile, though.

 

http://www.willcuttguitars.com/details.asp?stock_id=3766

[Justus A. Picker]

Originally posted by Guitar55:

The late collector, Scott Chinery, had a massive collection that he loved to show and envisioned a museum where vistors would be able to play all types of guitars. Unfortunately, he didn't live long enough to fufill that dream.

Steve Howe and a few other players recorded an album using some of the guitars from Chinerys collection.

There is also a nice "coffee table" book out on the collection.

[wietse]

i'm a collector can't deny that with now 48 guitars in my small home.

i love to play them but when i started playing years ago sonn after that i've got a skin condition which causes my hands to be always painfull.

so playing even hurted, a few years ago i decided to stop drinking diet soda and low and behold, my hands healed, aspertane was the cause of all.

but bad luck keeps following me now the last years i devoloped RSI in both arms, which hinders me greatly in playing.

i love guitars always did and developed through the years a knowledge of them and especial the cheapo odd balls.

and like to share this with other people, on the dutch guitar forum i'm regarded as a expert on old unusual guitars, too much honor imo, just a little bit more knowledge about it than the average guitarist.

offcourse it's also an investment but that's not my main purpose it's the love of the guitar and all that goes with it including repairing and restorating them.

even the cheapo's i got are getting more valuable every year.

everybody who visits my house is allowed to play any guitar he wants, borrowing them, if i trust the person, no problem.

as long as i get the guarantee i get the guitar back undamaged and in working order.

so if any of your guys ever goes to the netherlands and wants to visite me and play on my guitars, tell me and you're welcome.

the collectors who strictly buy guitars for investment and stow them away out of sight i cannot respect, guitars have to be enjoyed like pieces of art for everybody to see and hear.

[Darcy H]

I hate having stuff laying around not getting use, taking up space. I've got my main Strat that I play all the time, plus an older Strat I leave at work to play in downtime (I fly helicopters to oil rigs, so fog season sees alot of down time, plus I take it offshore if I'll be shutting down on a platform for the day) and I have an acoustic that I reserve for the patio/beach. I am kind of pining for a Martin 000-15, but if I ever get it I'd sell the acoustic I now have.