Question to people with 5 or more guitars: Do you play all of them? Or are they just supposed to look pretty on the wall whilst you only use your favorite?

I've got about a dozen guitars, including an acoustic and a bass.

For the electrics, I cycle through them, usually using 2-3 of them for maybe a month, then using another set and so on. So they do get use.

While I am the first to admit that it's a lot of guitars to own, at this point I don't feel like selling them either as all are good, all are different and I don't need the money or space.

They all sound and feel different, and if I’m in a rut creatively, picking up one I haven’t played in a while definitely helps. I have fenders gibsons rickenbackers gretsch Vox. Nothing in the universe can do what a strat can do…

I have 5 guitars, know 3 chords and can't strum for shit... so yes, mine look pretty on the wall!

Acoustic, Nylon, E Standard/Drop, D Standard/Drop, C/B Standard/Drop

I use them for different purposes

Fender Strat for dad blues and funk

Music Man Petrucci for most studio work

PRS for most live playing because it has a fixed bridge and if I break a string the whole thing doesn't go out of whack

I rotate through. I also use the analogy of a paintbrush. Sure, you can do most things with a basic brush, but sometimes you need a purpose built tool.

They all sound different and do different things. I keep my electrics in different tunings

I have 5 guitars:

• A Gibson SG (2019 Standard 61), my main one (I play this one ~80% of the time)
• A Gibson Les Paul Studio (2015 sprint run, so no robot tuning and no weird larger neck), with heavier gauge for Eb or drop tunings (~10% of the time)
• A Mexican Strat (2021 Player Plus) in order to be able to have single coil sounds (~10% of the time)
• My first electric guitar, a 2007 or 2008 Yamaha Pacifica 112V. Needs refretting but still playable, I'd rather keep it as it's my first electric than sell it for 50€.
• My first guitar, a folk bought 50€ brand new in 2003. Needs refretting, multiple spots are unplayable. Couldn't sell it if I tried. I'd rather keep it as it is my first guitar.

I only use 3 out of the 5. The folk is never used and I regularly let friends borrow the Yamaha because they want to try guitar and don't want to buy a guitar for 5-6 lessons and probably stop.

So, no I don't play them all, but I can assure you I still want more guitars (one with humbuckers and a floyd, one with a sustainiac)

Usually i'm on the wall and they play with eachother

I have 5 electrics, 1 bass, and 1 acoustic all in use. 4 of the electrics stay in different tunings, and 1 is a 7 string that flits between B standard and A#, occasionally drop A. I also have 2 cheap beginner guitars I rescued from my grandfather's closet, which will be used by the kids when they are a little older.

So, yea, all are or will be in use. I've never understood instruments as ornaments. It just seems a waste to me.

I play them all at the same time

I have 10 guitars and I play all of them. Some are specifically for taking to band practice and playing live. Some are for home use and recording only. A lot of them are in all different tunings with different string gauges. Yea, it's not totally necessary to separate them like that, but I don't like taking the expensive guitars out of the house and I don't like constantly changing my tuning. I also like to record with multiple guitars to get unique sounds.

When you get better and are just a hobbyist I find we buy guitars that match a sound we are going after.

Like I have a SSS strat I use for dad rock and schecter hellraiser I keep in C standard for stoner/doom. Another guitar for rockabilly, etc.

I could do it all on a telecaster if I wanted but that would be boring AF.

I have three guitars, and all five of them are different. Like others have said, playing a different guitar makes me approach the instrument in a different way. So out of my eight guitars, I can’t really say that I play one more than the others, it just depends on the style/mood of the day.

Also: I may have a problem…..

Nice Try Wifey.

I have 21 guitars. For me, it really depends on what I am working on. I play a wide variety of different styles. Metal, blues, world music, ambient….to me each guitar has a unique sound/vibe. Acoustic, resonator, bigsby, floyd rose, evertune, classical, 6 string banjo, 7 string etc

Could I write world music on my Jackson soloist? Probably but it definitely doesn’t inspire me to, but metal? Oh hell yes!

I also have a variety of tunings, pick ups and strings (flat wounds, nylon etc)

Do I need 21 guitars? Absolutely not. Do I feel rich (I’m not) and inspired by all the variety of instruments I have? 100%.

I used to spend the same kind of money drinking and going to bars. Now I don’t drink and play guitars

Well, I don't play all my guitars as often as I thought I would, but some of those definitely have a role in studio recordings, like my 12 string or nashville acoustics, or my Bass VI. As for my electrics, I do occasionally play most of them except for maybe 3, so I repurposed those for alternate tunings. I definitely have my main workhorse guitars that I play the vast majority of times, but I was able to find a use for all 18 (I've since upgraded to 20) of my guitars in my last studio session.

Nylon for folk and Brazilian jazz, hollow body for traditional jazz, SG for hard rock/metal, Explorer for C# standard metal, tele for everything else.

I know that some people have 3 or more nearly identical guitars and just play their favourite. However, each 6 of my guitars are significantly different in some way and the only one I don't play regularly needs a fret dress/proper set up.

I have three electrics and two acoustics, they are different enough that I can use when I feel the need for each one.

Obviously one of the electrics gets a little more of playtime, but that is just because I find the semihollow a little bit easier to pick up a play event without the amp.

I have two arms and two legs, therefore I can play at least 4 of my guitars simultaneously. So, if I rotate them out, I’ll play a solid 16-32 guitars a day, upwards of 256 a week (I do take Thursdays off, that’s my arcade day).

So, if you spread it out right, you can have a lot of guitars and still play them regularly.

The string changes though…

My guitars are set up for different playing styles and each has its own repertoire. The more guitars I grab in a day, the more I play and the more I get to practice everything.

I have 12 guitars and most days I’ll play five of them. They don’t live on walls. Walls of guitars = spiders and dust

Do I mostly reach for my Tele? Yes.

Am I recording and suddenly go “I’d like my semi-hollow?” Also yes.

Use all 13 of mine.

People like to collect stuff. In my wife's case, she collected Elephants and Owls (mostly porcelain and metal ones). Me? I had a repressed desire to own guitars, so I decided to collect guitars. I don't have a room where I could hang them, so, they stay in a closet and keep out two at a time: one acoustic and one electric. And have fun with all of them on a rotation basis.

They all have a distinct sound and function. Do I use them often, no. I usually have one for home practice and one for live work. The others wait patiently, usually.

Yes.

I have 14 on the racks in my studio (including a bass) and I rotate through them regularly. Some get more recording time than others, but I put hands on each regularly.

I've got 26 or so. At least, haven't counted in a while. I play about two or three of them. The others are just for boasting. I mean people are really impressed by Gibson Les Pauls, but I would never play them. I have them as furniture and for posing with.

Yes.

I have about 15 or 16, and there are a couple that I never play. I cycle through the rest of them, keeping 6 or 7 out at a time.

I have 7, they’re all in different tunings and/or very different to begin with.

I primarily play 3. A traditional humbucker on one and a P90 setup on my second, then an acoustic for the third. Now and then I might pull one down that gets a little more fretboard reach but it doesn’t sound or feel as good as my primary. The rest are mostly eye candy that keep me creative.

I have 13 right now and try to play them all, but mainly play three of them on a regular basis. I never saw myself having that many guitars, but when you find one that you like, it's hard to not to bring it home with you.

EDIT: I'll admit that I succumbed to G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome). it took me a few years to overcome and now I have more guitar gear than I know what to do with.

I regularly play 8 or 9 of my guitars out of the 12 or so that are playable. There's another 8 or so that are in various states of repair and completion

I have 20. Play them all because they all scratch a different itch.

I rotate them in and out of regular play. I have 20+ so I try to get to them at least once a month.

Collecting guitars is my life's hobby. I've been collecting for decades. I flipped guitars for many years, but stopped a few years ago. I now have 15-16 guitars that I love. I've paid for the whole collection (worth over $50k) by flipping guitars on Craigslist et al.

I have 24 guitars. I play whichever one I feel like playing today.

I've got 26 axes&play them all

17 here and yes all get used for various styles/projects

I probably have 30 guitars. 10 I never play and will be selling. 10 have special purposes (slide, squareneck, baritone… ) that I rarely play but glad to have, 5 go to guitars that I regularly play, and 5 more that get some play.

I have 18 (I think)

Honestly, I only play 5 of them. The rest live in their cases because I'm a hoarder and feel sellers remorse the moment I get rid of them.

I'm up to nine electrics. 2 Edwards LPs, two Jacksons, two Kramer Baretta Specials, a squier strat, a squier tele, and a westcreek revenge.

One kept in drop D, three in Eb standard, three in standard, one in Db standard/drop B, one in D standard/Drop C.

🤷‍♂️

While I only have one guitar now, I used to have lots. I definitely played most of my guitars and would sell off the ones I didn't bond with, but I definitely had my favorite, which would get 90+% of the playing time.

I probably only play my two favorite guitars these days. The other seven or eight are really just kept for sentimental value and as loners. They tell the story of how I got here in my playing.

Different guitars have different tones, feel, playability, equipment. Maybe you want to wank on the whammy bar of your floyd/kahler equipped shredder, and maybe you want to mess around on a basic hardtail, maybe you want a little of both worlds and mess around on a strat. It's never bad to have other options. Some guitars have 5 way pickup selector switch, some only 3 - those extra two positions bring additional tones and sounds.

It may seem incomprehensible to some, but you might find yourself coming around to the other side of things at some point, at which point you'll find it CRAZY to not have several guitars.

If something happens to one, you've got others! If you're playing a show, and break a string, it's much easier to grab the backup guitar that's already tuned and plug it in, than to improvise something exciting minus a string - I know some guys can pull this off, not saying it can't be done, just speaking from a standpoint of functionality - it makes sense to have more than one guitar.

Also, if you play one guitar for too long you get so used to it that it's harder to play on other guitars than it should be, because you're so accustomed to one instrument. Playing on several different types often helps you keep your playing technique sharper than just one instrument.

They all serve different purposes. Different pickups, different trem systems, different string gauges, tunings, etc.

I don't have a favorite guitar, it all depends on what I wanna play at that particular moment. If I feel like playing some slide, I've got guitars set up for that. Another guitar is a jazzer with a Bigsby that's perfect for both old rockabilly stuff and for jazz noodling. Got an acoustic in standard tuning, and another for altered tunings like DADGAD.

Do I *need* all of them? No, of course not, but I hate the feeling of wanting to play something, and not having it available. Like, if I only had my RG550 Genesis, I would really miss the Strat sound and feeling, and vice versa.

I have 6 and play 4. Ones an acoustic which I’m just not all that into and the other is a Les Paul copy set up for open e slide playing. Which I’d play if I were wanting to play some slide but I’ve been way more focused on other stuff.

Between the ones I play, a jazzmaster and sg are in c#, another jazzmaster in Eb and the Kramer in e. I mean I love playing them all but it helps to have some different reasons to pick one up.

There’s rarely ever a “need”, however there are logical reasons to have many guitars as well as intangible ones.

For me, I have 2 custom Kiesel guitars, one is a 6 string Tele-style guitar with Lithium humbuckers that can do everything from death metal to ambient music and a 7 string super-strat style guitar with the same pickups. The 7 string sounds brighter and is tuned lower, however. Both of these guitars cover a lot of my ground.

I recently got a more vintage strat style guitar with a trem, as I’ve never owned one and single coils do things that humbuckers just can’t. I also have a mid-range acoustic that I tune to open tunings so I can mindlessly play pretty sounding chords when sitting around on the couch or sitting on the deck outside.

Then I also have a few ESP LTD guitars that are all very similar, but for some reason, each one has something about it that’s intangible - they just have “mojo”. They inspire new song ideas almost every time I pick them up and I can’t tell you why that happens. They also sound really great in recordings.

Every guitar scratches a different itch and they each serve a purpose. I have one guitar that I don’t get along with and it’s a Les Paul style guitar. It doesn’t inspire me, it’s not comfortable, and I purchased it when I was younger and far less knowledgeable. I will sell it one day, but I guess I’ve held on to it because of the notion of “well, maybe one day it’ll click?”

Unless people are collectors for collections sake, guitar players generally have several guitars for the sake of being inspired by each one in different ways or they sound a certain way. There’s generally a practicality to it.

My ex bandmate has 17 or 18 guitars. He is mainly a bedroom player, so apart from alternate tuning, that's a lot of guitars to have from a hobbyist standpoint. He only had one amp.

I myself only have 2 electrics (Ric 325v63 and a modded Ric 320) with one acoustic. Even the two electrics are a tad much. My 320 has humbuckers with a custom coil split harness, so it has a wide range of tones. The 325 was my main guitar for 14 years before the 320. It's a long story.

Steel acoustic, nylon acoustic, primary humbucker, secondary humbucker as gig backup, single coil (which will become my backup SC when I finally pull the trigger on a Silver Sky), 4-string PJ bass, 5 string humbucker bass.

When writing/recording I will almost certainly go through all of them in a week if not a day (even the backup HB which is usually downtuned to D standard when not gigging).

I have one 6 string, hardtail electric tuned to E standard.

One 6 string, hardtail electric tuned to D standard.

One 6 string with a Floyd-Rose and Sustainic.

One 7 string guitar.

One acoustic.

And I'm waiting for a Baum Wingman which will be 6 string but will have single-coil pick-ups and a more vintage sound (it doesn't matter how much tone I try to push out my fingers I cannot get that jingley, chime-y sound out of Humbucker guitars made for metal).

That's all the guitars I plan on getting. No duplicates there. They are all, and after I get my new one, will continue to all have their uses.

I don’t own 5, but I do know someone who does and he uses each for a different purpose. He’s after a certain sound on certain songs and while it’s not the only way to get that sound, it makes it a whole lot easier.

I have 6 basses. All have different tones. 2 Fender Jazz - one Ultra and one Noel Redding Signature (this one is sentimental) Rickenbacker 4003 (my dream bass) MM Stingray (I love the tone. So punk rock) 2 Ibanez Soundgear basses (my original 2) Ibanez acoustic bass.

I don’t play the Ibanez as much as I used to. It’s primarily the Jazz Ultra and the 4003. I play in a metal band and a red dirt country band and the 4003 is perfect for one and the Jazz is perfect for the other.

Do I mostly reach for my Tele? Yes.

Am I recording and suddenly go “I’d like my semi-hollow?” Also yes.

I have the acoustic guitar, telecaster with singels, old school PRS, modern superstrat by Ibanez with tremolo, and bass I play on the most of them - only accoustic is not for me but my wife likes how it looks. Other guitars every single one have different job in my music travel

Different pick up set ups, different tunings, different amount of strings. Play them all

I have 10. I play all but 2; a LP that’s worth some coin, and a high end yamaha acoustic (I don’t play acoustic).

I have 5 guitars with Floyds, but one is back home that I leave with my in-laws to play so I don’t have to take any on a plane when I go visit family. Of the other 4, one is my main, one is backup but this one also has a sustainiac, one is for drop D, and one is for tinkering (pickups, strings, etc.). And then I have non-Floyd guitar that I keep in C.

I play them all. Of the 3 in standard, I do favor my main, but I definitely still play the other two.

I have five "nice" guitars, but I sort of naturally play them seasonally. My brain goes toward the tele in the summer, the Strat in fall, etc. It probably sounds strange. Each of those five has sentimental value which is the main reason I keep each. I have my first Strat (30 years old- purchased by my parents when I was 14), a Les Paul purchased by my parents when I was 17 (as a compromise because I wanted a Jackson Kelly lol), and a 2002 PRS I purchased to cheer myself up after my dad passed away. I could easily get by with just my APII tele but the others have sentimental value.

I have five "nice" guitars, but I sort of naturally play them seasonally. My brain goes toward the tele in the summer, the Strat in fall, etc. It probably sounds strange. Each of those five has sentimental value which is the main reason I keep each. I have my first Strat (30 years old- purchased by my parents when I was 14), a Les Paul purchased by my parents when I was 17 (as a compromise because I wanted a Jackson Kelly lol), and a 2002 PRS I purchased to cheer myself up after my dad passed away. I could easily get by with just my APII tele but the others have sentimental value.

I have five "nice" guitars, but I sort of naturally play them seasonally. My brain goes toward the tele in the summer, the Strat in fall, etc. It probably sounds strange. Each of those five has sentimental value which is the main reason I keep each. I have my first Strat (30 years old- purchased by my parents when I was 14), a Les Paul purchased by my parents when I was 17 (as a compromise because I wanted a Jackson Kelly lol), and a 2002 PRS I purchased to cheer myself up after my dad passed away. I could easily get by with just my APII tele but the others have sentimental value.

Having multiple makes different tunings easier to manage. Also you change it up if you're just not feeling it on a particular guitar or if you're feeling a particular vibe that day. Also any issues with a guitar intotation etc you can just switch to another. That being said I still play my jaguars the most and my prs the least.

Its like a tool box that has improved over 40 years. Didnt buy them all at once. If you are happy with what you got-fantastic!

I've got five guitars and about to purchase a sixth. Of them, I play three regularly.

Here's what I currently have chronologically:

Cheap Dean Exotica acoustic

Mid-range Jackson Dinky

Taylor 314ce acoustic

Fender American Pro II Jazzmaster

Fender Vintera II '60s Bass VI

Soon to come Squier Mini Jazzmaster HH for "my son"

I played that Dean all throughout high school and college. It's cheap but holds sentimental value to me so I won't sell it just to maybe get a couple hundred bucks. I put custom Stringjoy strings on it for FACGCe tuning. I also experimented with a plain third string.

The Jackson gets played the least. I am not a metal fan, but my friend gave me this guitar. It has passive EMG pickups and a hardtail bridge. It's the antithesis of my Jazzmaster. I'll occasionally play it to compare tones if I think my Jazzmaster isn't warm enough. That's about it though. Not my vibe.

I got my Taylor and Fenders within the last six months. Basically sought out to buy my forever guitars after playing free cheap stuff my whole life. It's been great.

It sounds cliche, but the Taylor literally sounds better and better each time I take it out of its case to play.

The Jazzmaster is the guitar I've been wanting for a decade.

The Bass VI is a very strange instrument that fascinates me.

The short scale Squier I plan on using as an experimental guitar and I'll probably put 13s on it and might swap the pickups.

If I had to get another guitar, I would sell the Jackson and get a Reverend Double Agent OG. This guitar has a P90 and a humbucker and hardtail bridge, so it's different enough from my Jazzmaster to warrant having.

I've got 6 and all get played but 1. Fender showmaster for solos and strat stuff. Gibson LP for rocking out. A Martin dread and a Martin 000 that I more or less use interchangeably because they're amazing, and a beater acoustic that I use for "riskier" stuff like travel, taking to a get together, etc. And a crappy $80 Montana nylon string. When my wife and I were on our honeymoon, we came across one on a park bench. So I got the model number and bought it for my wife as a valentine's gift, hoping it would get her into playing. It didn't lol. I pick it up every now and then and pluck at it.

Haha I just made a comment about this . Once you find THE ONE guitar - all others seem superfluous. Some people need one dog - one car - one ho and one guitar

It’s a little of both at this point. I have to admit some are more wall art at this point. I have one electric that has pots so noisy I just don’t play it. Haven’t bothered to get it fixed in years(epi dot so it’s not that easy). Looks great in the wall though and I have plenty others to play

Passive, active w/evertune, 7 string, Floyd rose, 3/4 scale for travel, and a bass whenever it arrives because I preordered a new model.

To be fair, though they all get used the 3/4 is on its way out. It doesn't stay in tune and I'm not putting money into it. I'm also not huge on Floyd rose guitars but it's a Washburn Dimebag model so it's not something I'm willing to part with and it's neck is really nice.

I’ve got 3 electrics. in different tunings, One guitar that has a trem and a longer scale length, an acoustic and a bass. Some get played more than others, the bass and acoustic the least. But they all get played.

2 seven strings - one in standard tuning, one in drop G for the heavies

PRS P24 -main live guitar for songs using trem

Strandberg 1 - backup /alt main live gtr for trem

PRS Baritone - main drop B# live gtr

Ormsby - backup b# live gtr

Aristides - main studio guitar /main non trem live gtr

strandberg 2 - backup/alt live gtr without trem

I will admit to “not really playing seriously” but I currently have 7 guitars and basses.

They are all on the wall and have sentimental value, but when I do play, I just play one guitar or one bass, unless I am playing in Eb as one guitar is tuned half a step down.

I do play a load more that they are accessible than in their cases.

I have 2 acoustics, 2 electrics, and a bass.

Just different tools really for different jobs.

Main performing guitar is a Martin LX1E. Absolutely trash to record with, and I’ve tried. But it’s a JR size and easy to travel with, works great live. Just a terrible tone for recording…god I hate that it can’t. I’d ditch my full size if it sounded better with a mic. It’s just physically too small to replicate good bass tones.

Full sized Martin DCME, my first real acoustic over $1000. Toured with it, love the way it sounds recorded. They made it for a few years in the US before sending production to Mexico. A luthier who did Martin repair work for years told me it’s probably the best valued Martin (at the time) you could buy. He replaced the hardware and through in a bone nut and saddle, and the thing just sung. Mainly my studio acoustic now. Worn in just perfectly.

Mexican Tele I played for years in a heavy rock band, customized with a hot rails and just had it forever. Actually had an American standard I wish I’d kept, but after my band broke up, I wasn’t playing it ever…and figured I’d just get another one if I needed it…now they don’t make that neck type and their stupid expensive.

JR Strat I bought to just paint with that Strat tone. Was cheap, easy to record with. Gonna get the electrical work redone and better pick ups…but as a contrast to a thicker humbucking tele, it sits wonderfully. I love the contrast of tones.

Squire Jazz Bass. I’d rented it from new and just kept finding myself using it. And I just love having a good solid bass to go to. I played it’s American version and for my needs, and price, it was a “just buy it and keep it forever”

So yes I play them all :)

I have 5. I play four and I'm selling one.

I tried to keep the number of my guitars low. And I try to have each one have its own purpose. Now that I understand pedals, mic's and amps better, I really only need three electric and two acoustic.

Have yet to use one as a decoration, but they're about as pretty as anything you could put on a wall.

I have 7 and play all of them weekly

Depends what mood I'm in, but I play 7 of my 9 guitars (oops, 10! Just had a Charvel Jim Root delivered this very morning!) very regularly.

Got a Stradnberg NX6 Metal (hardtail), PRS CE24 (tremolo), Gretsch G6659 (centre block hollow) and Gretsch G6118 (full hollow), all in E standard. The G6118 gets played the least, because that one i call my Affair Partner (the only one my wife doesn't know about). They're ordered in an obvious Heavy Metal, skate punk, Blues/Rockabilly order, but are all more versatile than you think they would be.

Got an E-II Eclipse Vintage Full Thickness in Eb, and i'll be setting the Charvel up for Eb too

Got a 1998 Schecter USA S Classic Plus for D standard and drop C. Incredibly hot pickups, but only discovered - two days ago! - that if you roll the tone knob completely off, it sounds JUST like the tone Monster Truck use for their classic 70s rock type tone.

And a 2003 ESP Steve Carpenter 6 string for Drop B.

I also have a 2001 Gibson Custom (E standard) and a Mexican Strat (Eb), but i dislike them both (all the others play/sound better and are more comfortable to hold), but they were both gifts so can't really get rid. The Custom is now a wall display only guitar, cause it does look bitchin'.

On top of all this, I know the next 3 guitars I want to buy, and i'm certain they'll all get played regularly too. Jackson SL2MG (love me some Lambo orange!), a Strandberg Salen Classic and a Strandberg Metal NX7 string (as I'm missing a Tele and 7 string in the toolbox).

I leave ones in various rooms and floors of my house. I keep around 7 in the studio. My 9 string guitar is nothing like my tod10n. A handful are for collecting or sentimental value (owned by famous people)

When you have more than 5 guitars you kind of move in cycles. I built a partscaster last year that became my favorite thing I’ve ever held. Perfect for me in every way. Then recently I pulled out my Ernie Ball Silhouette special I’ve had since 2001 and I can’t put it down. Lately I’m dreaming of a 335 copy (Sire). I have an arsenal of guitars that all serve different functions and inspire me to play in different ways.

Some more often than others but I make it a point to play them all.

If I manage to make it 6 months without playing a guitar that's in perfect health. Unless it has sentimental value or is impossible to find one ever again....it might be time to sell it.

Some more often than others but I make it a point to play them all.

If I manage to make it 6 months without playing a guitar that's in perfect health. Unless it has sentimental value or is impossible to find one ever again....it might be time to sell it.

Not only do I not play all of them, some of them haven’t been out of the case for years.

Basses: 6string in drop A, 4 string in drop c or d standard 1 acoustic Electric: one for e standard, 7 string for b standard drop A, one for d standard or drop c, and one that just kinda does whatever

I own 5 but 1 is in the midst of becoming a partscaster, 1 is a nylon acoustic that my dad keeps as he has some nerve issues in his left hand and it is easier to press those strings down for him, and then I have the other 3.

I play my beater Yamaha acoustic more than anything but have 2 PRS SE electrics. One for punchier, punk type stuff. It is a single pickup, P90 style. The other is a McCarty with dual HB that is the most recent acquisition during the end of year deal they had.

I have 9 and there’s only 1 I don’t play. Mainly cause it’s an utterly horrible Fender acoustic which it’s not worth getting a decent set up on. It’s mainly for show to people who know nothing about out guitars and just see the Fender name 😂

I have 9 and there’s only 1 I don’t play. Mainly cause it’s an utterly horrible Fender acoustic which it’s not worth getting a decent set up on. It’s mainly for show to people who know nothing about out guitars and just see the Fender name 😂

Our family recently start learning (relearning) guitar together. I have my steel string and classical acoustic from 15 years ago that "rested" for a decade.

My wife plays her beginner Ibanez super strat to learn.
I primarily play my Tele and more recently my Bass.
We built a Les Paul style, normal Strat and CST-24 from kits, mainly to see how these styles felt and noodle around with them. Also my wife is excited about a cool finish on hers.
My son has a really cheap beater full sized strat and recently a 1/2 Junior. We will be letting him refinish the cheap strat.

My wife has informed me that she likes how my tele sounds and wants one in the future. Currently we are at 10 guitars over 2.5 players.

I’ve got 8-10?

They all do different things and I think the more genres and styles you tap into, the more you appreciate what other guitars can do.

It takes me a few months to figure out how to get the best out of each one.

I was gonna say no and yes until it read "whilst you only use your favorite". So no and no. I don't have time to play lol

Mine are all standard tuning. I switch them in and out of rotation to make sure they are played regularly. Some travel, some stay home.

I use different tunings so depending on what I play I will switch between guitars plus acoustic guitars 1 nylon and one steel string. And then several project guitars I plan on modding or fixing

I've got seven guitars and really only play 4 of them regularly depending on what kind of pickup/vibrato I want. Outside of that, I've got two partscasters in non-standard tunings for when I'm working on a song that needs it and a Squier Bullet with more sentimental than monetary value.

I have exactly five. I never play the Steinberg bass that was given to me as a gift. Just not my jam. The other four all the time.

I have about 8 guitars and I’ve bought them all for various genres and reasons over the years. I typically only really play one or two but can’t really sell the rest because they mean something, they’re mine.

Down to 8. All have their own particular use. Tunings, 12 strings, Floyd rose etc. All get played

Yeah, more or less it’s a cycle or a mood thing, or a tone thing

Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers said in a video that his guitars are like a painters pallet. This song may need a strat, or another song may need a gretsch etc.

I don’t get people having multiples of the same guitar, personally each of mine has a different style pickup, so if I want to play surf, I’ll grab my Jaguar, rockabilly grab the Gretsch etc.

I have 3 electrics that I play regularly. Mainly so I can switch one out quickly in a live setting if I break a string or something. I have one really nice acoustic, then a couple of other cheapos that I keep around for the kids to play or friends to use when they come over.

I have 7, I keep them in different tunings. Duplicate tunings is usually 1 hardtail and 1 locking trem.

Have 2 in Eb, 1 in drop C, 1 DADGAD, 3 in standard/drop D. I play them all

Got 12 of them. And yeah, i do play them all. This also spreads out wear across them, so it’s unlikely that I’ll ever need to deal with fret wear issues or whatever. However, it’s not like i need them all. About 3-4 of them are redundant, but they’re also guitars where they either hold too much sentimental value to me to get rid of, or I’ve invested enough money or my own labor into them, that it’s not worth it for me to sell them for their current market value. Each of my guitars gets about 30-40 hours of use every year.

1. Prs se , main electric / goto
2. Gretsch baritone, play once in a while when I want to try something different
3. Taylor 214ce. Main acoustic/ goto
4. Taylor GA12, fancy acoustic, stays in case but gets play when I feel the itch
5. Prs bass, doesn't get a lot of play but good to have for when I feel like it or if someone wants to play with me
6. Travelguitar/sparkgo, I play this the most because I work offshore, and it's great for that
7. Martin backpacker, for camping.

I have friends with a lot more guitars. Having more/new guitars inspires me to play more and improve. There are still ones I'd like to own/play, and I'd like to customize my prs too.

Go ask Bonamassa. He’s the one with the collecting problems, not me!

I have various guitars to try to acheive tones closest to the artist im playing. PRS, Fender, Ibanez, Cort 6 string electric, with Cort used with alternative tuning i use frequently. Yamaha 6 string Acoustic, and 12 string Art and Lutherie.

I also experiment with various string gauges. Its just nice to be able to play at whim with different feel, and sound.

I have various guitars to try to acheive tones closest to the artist im playing. PRS, Fender, Ibanez, Cort 6 string electric, with Cort used with alternative tuning i use frequently. Yamaha 6 string Acoustic, and 12 string Art and Lutherie.

I also experiment with various string gauges. Its just nice to be able to play at whim with different feel, and sound.

A couple reasons, Mine are all acoustic but the same reasons still apply. I have 8. One reason is my tastes change on what I like in a guitar. So I have a few from previous purchases that I wanted at that time. I have a few Martins and a few Taylors. Some are 14 fret and some are 12 fret. I have a couple cheap ones I bought in the 70's that I keep for nostalgic reasons. Now I keep a few in alt tunings because I am lazy and just want to pick it up and play. I don't want to sell any because I won't get much these days for used guitars and I don't need to sell them so I keep them.

And there are many more reasons that other posts will add.

I have various guitars to try to acheive tones closest to the artist im playing. PRS, Fender, Ibanez, Cort 6 string electric, with Cort used with alternative tuning i use frequently. Yamaha 6 string Acoustic, and 12 string Art and Lutherie.

I also experiment with various string gauges. Its just nice to be able to play at whim with different feel, and sound.

I have various guitars to try to acheive tones closest to the artist im playing. PRS, Fender, Ibanez, Cort 6 string electric, with Cort used with alternative tuning i use frequently. Yamaha 6 string Acoustic, and 12 string Art and Lutherie.

I also experiment with various string gauges. Its just nice to be able to play at whim with different feel, and sound.

I have 1 new fender Strat and a few cheap ass electrics and acoustics, and then my Taylor mini and my 12 string Breedlove that I enjoy. None of them have been played in 120 days since I got that fucking Strat lol.

I have 10 guitars and i play them all. I spend lot of money on strings

I have 10 guitars and i play them all. I spend lot of money on strings

It's simple, who would have only a single pair of shoes? Normally, everyone has more than one and wear them according to occasion/purpose. It's the same with guitars.

I have a beater I take to children’s church because you don’t want to take a nice guitar to the room full of 5-8 year olds that touch everything. I have an electric solid body so I can play with headphones and not wake up my kid. I have a nylon acoustic for classical, and a steel string acoustic for folk. I have a guitar for my kid to play that’s smaller bodied and I think it’s fun to fiddle with, too? So… yes?

I own 17. 15 are Ibanez, 1 EVH, and 1 Strat FR. They look extremely pretty in their stands, but each one gets played depending on mood and need. A good chunk of them have different pickup combinations as well, HH, HSH, or HSS, even have p90s.

I play both Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan brand pickups.

All of them have slightly different necks and fingerboards as well, maple to rosewood to ebony. And their radius ranges from super thin to, well, Stratocaster style, plus they range from traditional 9.5mmR to 17mmR.

All of them get played depending on my mood or what sounds I'm looking for as well.

I have around 10 guitars (I say around as several sit in cases in a closet) and I generally play 2 and a bass. Every year I tell myself this is the year I'm going to sell them off and yet they're still hanging around.

Classical; steel string acoustic cutaway; 12-string acoustic; small-bodied steel string acoustic; electric with humbuckers; elec with P90s; elec with single coils; hollowbody elec with Filtertrons and tremolo; scratch build electric because why not.

All played, all different manufacturers, various shapes.

I have a tele style, strat style, LP style, an LP, and acoustic. They all get played once a week, and they look pretty on the wall.

I've got 7 guitars and I play 6 of them pretty regularly. One of them is just a cheap Yamaha Fg720 that's my beach guitar, so I don't play it a whole lot unless I'm going out somewhere and don't want to risk my nice guitars.

My nicer acoustic is a Seagul Artist and I feel bad I don't play that guitar more because it's a beautiful instrument but I'm more into my electrics. I still pick it up fairly frequently though.

My 5 electric guitars are a pair of Ibanez RG's, one is a cheapy and one is a prestige. A Mexi strat which I put '69 custom pickups in, a Gibson Les Paul Axcess Standard, and a PRS S2 Custom 24.

They all have such a different character and feel, I find myself swapping between them all the time. The main 2 are definitely my Les Paul and PRS though, but I also play my strat a lot when I am feeling the more chill Pink Floydish vibes.

My 2 Ibanez guitars get a bit neglected because they were my first 2 guitars and I bought them in my teens/early 20's when all I wanted to play is death metal. I've for a long time kept them in drop tunings though which helps encourage me to play them more.

A bit of both?

I own several different guitars. I keep a couple of them tuned differently. I do play them all occasionally. But they also look really nice sitting on the rack.

stolen joke

The mathematical formula to determine how many guitars one person needs is:

n + 1

Where n equals the number of guitars a person currently has.

I feel the same way Wayne Campbell feels about a '64 Fender Stratocaster in classic white with triple single coil pickups and a whammy bar about almost every guitar I see…

Just gotta have it! They all get played throughout the year, but yeah there’s one that’s special and gets played the most.

I play 4 of 7 of the guitars I own. Two that I don’t play are classical and inherented them from my grandfather, the third is a guitar kept at a lake house. The 4 I play at a LP, Strat, acoustic triple0, and a fender mustang bass.

Don’t leave your guitars on the walls. Hide them away in the case where you can’t get to it easily.

I have 3 solid body electrics, 2 semi hollow electronics, 2 6 string acoustics, 1 12 String acoustic, 1 5 string bass, 1 4 string bass, a 3/4 electric, and a lap steel. For 12 total guitars.

The 3/4 electric is for my kids, and I never touch the lap steel. The other 10 get played regularly. I don't perform anymore, so most of my playing is practice, noodling, or recording. Each one has a different personality and sound and I jump around from guitar to guitar to find the tone I want for any particular song. The 12 String comes out less often than the rest but the others get played at least once a month.

I just need 3 or 4 more.

I got 5 electrics and two basses. Various acoustic.

I keep my jazzmaster in C-Standard, My telemaster in D-standard or eb. The Mustang and Strat for E. So keep them tuned for different songs and when the feeling strikes to explore different ranges.

I have 5 electrics, 9 basses, and an acoustic. I bought thinking variety was important. After years of playing them, I gig one guitar and 4 basses regularly. It’s sort of like having an extended trial period to figure out what you like. But I’m kind of a hoarder and don’t really get rid of stuff

Richard Gear has entered chat..

Of course I play them, that’s why I got ‘em. They all sound/play different and bring different results.

I have 7 guitars, play 4 of them. My schecter c-1 hellraiser E std, LTD M-1000ms is D std/drop c(mainly drop c), strat in E and ibanez rg752 in B std. The 3 others are my harley bentons, an 8 string(don’t enjoy playing this one too much), a sc dlx gotoh and a te-62. The betons just kind of feel so subpar that I don’t see any use for them or even reason to play then, I’m def gonna sell them.

I have 2 basses, an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, and an electric baritone. So, if you include bass guitar and baritone guitar in your personal definition of “guitar”, that’s 5. I play all of them but 1 bass, which is a really old vintage type, and keep them all in cases when they aren’t being played to prevent damage.

I play all of them (but the 1) every day.

I set them up myself and I modify them myself. The bass I play is one I’ve had since I started playing bass 30 years ago. I’ve had my electric guitar about 17 years, I’ve had my acoustic for about 10 years, and the baritone electric for a year. The bass I don’t play is close to 50 years old now.

I still suck at playing, but some might argue otherwise.

edit: If I stop playing one of them, I’d look into selling it or even donating it, as long as it would be going to someone who would take care if it and play it. That includes the one I’m not playing now.

I try to play everyone, but yes, a different one each practice. Although, they all pretty much have the same setup.

I have five very different sounding guitars (including a baritone and Bass VI). I cycle through them and try to use them all on a weekly basis (even for a little bit). It helps they are not in their cases and are on a 5 guitar rack, always ready to go.

I have 8 electric guitars (I don't intend to buy any more).

My two favourites (Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty Monarchy 6 string and 7 string). If I sit down for a long practice session or go to a rehearsal/gig I'm usually taking one of them.

But they're usually in their cases for extra protection, so if I'm just grabbing a guitar to mess around for a few minutes or practice a single song - I'm probably going to grab my Gibson Flying V, 7 string Ibanez or G&L Fullerton Deluxe Legacy (my only Strat) which I have on my wall.

I also have a Shecter E-1 FR-S (explorer shaped with a Sustainiac) tuned to D standard, and a Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 string for some additional variety - and I play them when I want to practice some D standard or 8 string stuff.

The only guitar I don't play at all any more is my first guitar - a cheap Ibanez. I'm going to try to teach my kids and see if one of them wants it. I could probably let go of the 7 string Ibanez too - but it has some sentimental value...

I try to play a different one everyday but I’ll come back to my favourites more of then.

I’ve got seven.

I play my Martin, Seagull and PRS S2 regularly. My ovation 12-string doesn’t get nearly as much love as she deserves but still comes out semi regularly.

Then I have my sentimental Ibanez acoustic and my dad’s old Decca from the 60’s that almost never get played but will never be sold.

Last is my old PRS SE which I will probably sell at some point.

Edit: typos and grammar

i have a couple that i've been given by my father who is constantly searching for a better guitar. i don't use them much.

i really only use the one i bought 30 years ago and the one i bought three years ago, and i would be fine without the latter.

I have two electrics that i alternate based on my whim, or what the music suggests, and 3 acoustics. I have one 3/4 size acoustic, and 2 full size. I use the baby one when im learning a new fingerpicking piece (its easier to play when learning), and then i alternate between the two full size. I should probably get rid of one of them, but its a nice guitar, and i got it for really cheap, so I'm keeping it right now.

I have bunch of surplus guitars i never play. Im probably going to list them for sale this weekend.

So, between acoustics, electrics, and basses, I'm sitting around 20. But I usually play the same two or three when I play out. There are a few that I use for recording. But I do have a few that just live in the closet just cause I can't bring myself to sell them.

But I'm also lucky to have a music room where I can have a lot of them out on stands/racks/wall holders and having them out makes me more likely to actually play them. My main guitar lives in the case so I don't have to unpack/pack it when I've got a gig, so I will grab whatever guitar strikes my fancy when I need to practice. I also never play without a backup guitar so that means I've got my main guitar, my main backup, a full step down main guitar, and a full step down backup.

So, short answer: mostly yes

As it's been stated endlessly through guitar-time, each guitar is a tool. Would you rather show up to a jobsite with just a cheap hammer, or would you rather have a drill, screwdrivers, level and measuring tape with it?

I have six (four electrics, two acoustics) and while they don't all get regular play for every gig, they all have their place depending on what I need to do with them. Heavy music? Grab the EMG loaded ESP. Jamming some classic rock with the boys? Grab the SG or the Strat. Country style? Tele or Takamine. Ideally, I'd have one of everything but I don't have budget/space so I'll make due with what I've got and it's done alright so far.

I have about 9 total, and I do play them all decently regularly. I do have my go-to’s however that get more air time.

I’ve got 5 electrics, 3 acoustics and two electric bass. They all have different personalities. I have my favorites, yes, but they do all get played and I tend to keep some in alternate tunings. Some are in a holding pattern waiting for upgrades but are still playable how they sit.

I have four, but I only bought two.

PRS Paul's SE. This is what I basically play 75% of the time. Squire tele. This was my getting-back-into-guitar guitar. I actually like it a lot, but the frets suck. An Epiphone les Paul Junior that I have no Idea where it came from. Parents just had it at their house and said it was mine. Hah. And my first guitar a no name (Burswood) strat. I hate playing this guitar.

I want to get a nylon and maybe one more electric. Wouldn't mind getting rid of the three that I don't play much

Yes, all in different tunings. Except my workhorse for the last 20 years which is now semi retired

If you own 2 shitty guitars, then surely at some point you might like to own one or two not shitty guitars?

I have 4 electrics and 1 acoustic. 2 of the electrics are 6 strings, a tele and a PRS - so I have single coil and HBs covered, also the PRS has floating trem which I like to use, the tele does not.

The other 2 are 7 strings, one is passive pickups with a floating trem, the other is active pickups with no trem.

I tune the 6 strings to D standard for one band, the 7 strings are in drop A for the other.

The acoustic I have but I don't use it as much as I should tbh, but since it's my only acoustic I won't get rid of it, there are times when I want to play acoustic.

I play in 2 bands, and I use all the guitars across both bands. On the last recording I did I recorded one side of the rhythm guitars with the tele and the other with the PRS because they sound different and it's nice to combine different tones.

Really that last sentence is the main reason. Guitars have different tones and therefore you can pick a different guitar when you want a certain sound. Also, if one guitar develops some kind of issue, well if I was you I would be screwed until I can fix it, but I have a backup guitar always available.

Another reason is some guitars are just better suited for certain playing styles. I really struggle to play any kind of shred on my tele, it's just not such a good guitar for that kind of thing, so for that I play my 7 string ESP with active pickups. But if I want nice bell like clean tones, it's the tele all the way.

I switch guitars depending on what I am playing. I use both my strat like and SG like guitar live because those are the 2 main tones I use. I usually use my p90 Mustang for writing, open jams in the city and couch practice at home because its lightweight and portable and easy to swing around. For some things I'll pick up the Strat or Revstar just to hear how it sounds on three single coils or double humbuckers. For recording stuff I use all 3.

I tell my gf they’re all useful and I use them all. Even that dusty one in the corner

I have 5 and while I have a main one (the love of my life.. a PRS Custom 24), I have a 7-string and the other 3 set with different tunings (for example: one has an open G tuning, etc..) so I use them depending on what I want to play.

Guitars are good value investments. I got the hello kitty stratocaster from target in 2006 for sixty dollars. It is now worth 750 to Japanese collectors. Not so with the Blackberry stocks.

I’ve got 11 right now and am about to make a concerted effort to downsize. There are two that will be relatively easy to part with as I don’t enjoy playing them, so I don’t play them, so I don’t need them. The rest are either favorites or have some sort of sentimental value that gives me pause. It’s not easy, but I also list after new guitars and it’s getting a little ridiculous.

I have 2 electrics (a strat and a les paul) 2 accoustics (Guitar and Bass) and an electric bass. If I were to buy any more, it would need to be justified, but with my current stock, I can do a lot, so I'm not feeling like I need anymore. I'm not a pro, I haven't played a gig in 20 years, so for noodling around on the couch, or jamming in the garage, I'm covered.

No one needs more than like 3 guitars unless you’re a dentist

I have about a dozen or so too, but only play 2 of them regularly. Two of the acoustics, lower end guitars. The high end guitars live on the wall, sadly.

I’ve got eleven, only really play four of them. Try to sell the rest off.

I try to play each for at least an hour a week, but to be fair I only have 4 currently lol