Why I only have ONE guitar (and why you should too)
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
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In the last 5 years, I have owned and used a single electric guitar: my trusty white Stratocaster.
When I talk about the benefits of having just one guitar, many people are either curious to learn more, or have many objections on why it's better to have multiple guitars.
In this video, I will talk about why I only own one guitar, why you should consider it too, and give my answers to all the objections I have heard over the years.
How many guitars do you have? Do you you play with all of them? Is it time for you to do a little clean up? Let me know!
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A few points to add:
*The ''reducing-decisions'' argument seems inconsequential (5-seconds to choose a guitar doesn't make a difference). But it's about applying this mindset as a whole to your music: how/when/what to practice, reusing a handful of presets instead of tweaking for days, limiting your options for songwriting, etc. This mindset definitely made me more productive and fulfilled as a musician. Reusing the same guitar is just part of the whole.
*The MAIN reason why I'm happier with one guitar (that I forgot to mention in the video), is that when I had more, I felt guilty of gravitating towards my favorite and not using the others enough. I sometimes forced myself to use the other ones just to justify the investment. That led me to several cycles of selling the guitars I used less, only to end up buying more again. Keeping one guitar helped me break free of that cycle.
*There is a consensus that more guitars is better. Many jokes about ''not telling your wife you're buying another guitar'' ''it's not hoarding when it's guitars'' and variations of that we see on memes, t-shirts, etc (plenty of those in the comments already!). Of course, it's funny and it's great not to take life too seriously 😉 but I made this video to present the case that the opposite might be true: you also could be happier with one guitar instead of always chasing more! It's great to get another perspective sometimes.
Let me know by replying below: how does having more guitars make you a happier, more productive, more inspired guitarist? I'm curious and happy to learn about other perspectives!
You can still be a ‘collector’ without playing them.
They’re not just a musical instrument, they’re also eye candy.
Steve vai doesn’t play all of his… and he’s got hundreds to choose between. 🤘😄
Reducing decisions sounds lame to lots, but indeed it's a force multiplier. As a matter of fact many will say that they write their best riffs on an acoustic guitar, simply because there is literally nothing to get in your way. Nothing to goof around with or fool around with or doodle with. All the sounds in your head have to come from the same guitar from the same hands.
For me personally, I do best with 2 guitars: One 21-fret strat to get that authentic strat sound, and one 24-fret guitar for things the strat doesn't do as well (metal, utilizing frets 22+ etc). Aside from that I agree that less can be more
Please don’t let my wife see this video…
My statistics say that my audience is 96% male. You're (probably) safe!
😂😂
LOL! 🤣
😅@@AntoineMichaudGuitar
LOL 😆 my wife sent me this video
Add humbucker to the bridge and it will be the perfect guitar.
Which is why at least 2 strats is necessary! Need one perfect one and one flawed one for playing Hendrix and SRV
@onkinson9787and then might as well get another right? the other will get bored if they only have each other to talk to. And then another one right? I mean might as well..
A Seymour Duncan Rail-style pickup will install very easily with no mods to the pick-guard.
nah, if you have the tone control set to the bridge, the normal single coil pickup is perfectly fine, because you can reduce how "treble-y" it is.
If you are worried about 60 cycle, just get a noise gate pedal.
@@davelanciani-dimaensionx I had a hot rail in the bridge, but ended up taking it out, because I would either do all 3 hot rails, or just keep all 3 stock or do the hot rail and remove the neck and middle. The reason why is because the hot rail sounds a lot different from the neck and middle, and I feel like they don't sound good mixed together when I switch between them different pickups, especially if I can't change the amp settings in between. Also the 2nd position quack sound with the rail just isn't good with the stock middle pickup.
Yesterday I played my LP, today I'm enjoying my Strat,
tomorrow I'll play my Tele, I still have 32 choices left.
I get wonderful creative ideas from each of my babies and currently I'm on the hunt for an SG. Inspiration comes from having choices and variety in
life.
Today I wore a sweatshirt that says, “It’s not hoarding if it’s guitars.” I stand by this statement. 😂
I like it ! One thing I'd do though, is make sure nobody is following me home if I'm wearing that shirt.
@@jimdep6542 Ha, fair enough. It actually turned out to be a pretty good conversation starter, so you are totally right.
@@steellemonstudios ha...yeah....I guess the point was that whoever follows you home is because you wanted them to. If not......then I'd keep an eye out.
All good points and I agree that getting rid of excess gear is a great way to focus more on the actual playing; however for different tunings and as a live backup I need more than one.
Wait a minute… Did you just say that rather than simply having a strat and a tele, I should have ‘amp modelers, multi effect units, the pedals that we have nowadays and eq controls’ to make my strat sound like tele? How is that reducing decision-making?
The goal is not really to make your strat sound like a tele, but rather to find the tone you were looking for, whatever that guitar is or should be. However, you pointed a very valid hole in my ''decision-making'' argument, and appreciate you sharing that!
Well, everyone tells me tone is in the fingers, and I have seen people play Sweet Child of Mine on a Strat and Tube amp and it sounded pretty fat. So, forget the modeler, you can probably turn a couple knobs on your amp and play guitar in a way that would make it comparable! @@AntoineMichaudGuitar
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar I don't think it defeats the purpose. If you care about decluttering you're still buying 1 modeller and getting rid of the rest of pedals, boards... Although even one modeller can be a rabbit hole to take a deep dive in, if you find a suitable patch it can be a very quick way to get a usable sound.
I recently bought amplitube on pc. Yeah sure I had to set it up once, and focus instead of trying out all the presets it comes with. But now I have a plug and play option ready, and I can get rid of my practice amp and all the pedals I never use on my board anyway.
I have 8 guitars, none of them are high quality ones, but they all play and sound different to each other.
Depending on what type of music I’m making I’ll use one of them for a particular sound.
I have a few ‘wall hangers’ but those are mainly for aesthetics… got to have a nice vibe in the room to jam in. 😆🤘
I didn’t spend much for a half decent collection.
Here’s the key: not an advice if you play different styles/genres. Same with me. Gibson explorer for thrash, fender strat for rock, blues
@@ToxygenRecAll I use my 8 string for metal and thrash. I use my Ibanez Gio for rock indie stuff and I’ll use either my Yamaha or the RG for lead and solo.
I’ll use my Harley Benton for clean tones.
Good for you.
If you could exchange your 8 guitars for exactly the amount you paid for them, would it be enough to buy 1 or 2 quality guitars? if so, would you wish to trade your 8 guitars for 1 expensive guitar?
I own five guitars, and I rotate them as the mood fits. I also play every single day four or more hours per day, and I enjoy having variety.. Additionally, I don’t care how many toys you have or how much you tweak your amps you are never going to make a Les Paul sound like a Stratocaster or a telecaster.. I find it amusing, that you say, having multiple guitars, would make songwriting more difficult, and I would argue the opposite. Different guitars, inspire artist in various ways. It’s like saying you should paint in black-and-white as having too many colored choices, makes things confusing. Lol.
Very nice! I'm glad you can play with all of them regularly and appreciate the variety! I never did when I had many guitars, personally. Always came back to the same one.
I have a lot of guitars and when ever I pick a different one up, I end up playing different things. They each inspire differently, however little it may be.
There are artists (not necessarily famous) that have quit painting and just used charcoal. It does help with "choice paralysis." The ones I know do it for a season, not permanently.
Like Antoine said - think how to find a solution. Coil splitting a humbucker is an option. Some pickups sound really good when split.
But it’s a compromise. I get it. Les Paul won’t sound Stratty. But my PRS Mira sounds darn close when split. I can live with that.
I think the idea of trying to get one guitar to sound like another is an issue. We have 8 million different tools and types of gear and doodads to sound like just about anything, yet we all come back to seek sounding like a classic vintage Gibson through a Marshall or a fender through an American deluxe or something. It's a strange time. Watch Rabea rip up a Stratocaster then tell me you need your Gibson to sound big. It's your skills. I don't think I ever consciously decided to be a guitar collector. It just kind of happened. I bought into the idea of needing different guitars for different sounds. But if I'm being truthful... A fancy shape caught my eye differently then the day before. 🤩I've wasted time and money.
I appreciate all of my 35 guitars, 😅half of which are electrics and half acoustics. Many are not even playable but I am always curious to fix them and hear what they have to offer.
The electric guitars are mostly old 1960s MIJ collectible pieces by Teisco, Sakai, Guyatone etc.
My goto electric is a Cort G110 superstrat, but I do like to play the different guitars about once a week, as each one is a different voice and feel.
I do however prefer nylon strung acoustics and I aspire to collect old Yamaha classicals.
My goto acoustic is my old Yamaha Nippon Gakki G 65 A.
My oldest guitar is a non playable 1933 Regal Parlour garage-find blues guitar which needs lots of repair but it is a very precious piece of luthiery. One day I will hear what its true tone is.
This was very timely, thanks for doing this video!
Great video and topic. GAS is a very real thing for guitarists. I think for the most part it’s the truth every thing you said in the video. For me I’ve owned the same three guitars: 2 Strats, 1 Tele for more than 18 years. I do have a bass guitar & piano but for my studio to do musical parts when writing songs. These three guitars I’ve had for years. It just made sense I didn’t need anything else to get the sounds & tones I wanted. I pick up each guitar every day to tune and to play. Minimum time on each guitar is roughly 12 minutes of song playing, scales, and noodling.
Heresy!!!!! Just kidding. I like having a Gibson-style and a Fender-style. They play differently and inspire you to play differently. But there are diminishing returns as you keep adding guitars. So maybe you just need, 3. I mean 7. I mean 14. Haha.
Totally agree with the diminishing returns. In my case, the diminishing returns started at 2 guitars! But that might be different for other people ;-)
I like that, this video can apply more than guitar things!
I love this video because it takes the pressure off of feeling like I have to have multiple guitars for every situation and there's a lot of peer pressure involved when you see your buddies buying guitar after guitar when I've had the same one for 20+ years.
Exactly! Many people have told me how much I'm missing out by having just one electric guitar (you don't have a Telecaster? no Les Paul? etc.) I tried to enjoy having multiple guitars, and that didn't work for me. Glad it resonated with you!
I did that too , sold all my guitars and stayed with my strat. It delivers everything i want and helps me with creativity when i reach some hardware limitations.
I use a Squier 51 that runs through a GR-33 synth, another Squier 51 that's now a baritone, a Jaguar copy I built from scratch and an Ovation Celebrity that I run through the pedal board. I love your video's and the way you teach your lessons, keep up the great work.
When I opened this video I thought "what can he possible be talking about for 17+ minutes..." but here I am at the end of the video thankful for the bits of gear and life wisdom! Thank you, Antoine!
I have about 28 guitars and they’re all beautiful works of art. This brings pleasure to my eyes and to my ears every one of them. and Jesus is Lord
Thank you for sharing this wisdom with us. You are right.
Lots of solid points, Antoine. I listened to this on my way to work. Honestly, it might be time to take the next phase of the journey with just my trusty telecaster. I’ll take some time to think it all over
You don't have to make any rash decisions. Just observe the usage of your guitars for a while. If you use one more than 80% of the time on a regular basis, that might be worth asking: should I only keep this one? Is it worth it to keep the others? I went through that process and decided to keep my strat only. Thanks for watching, Adam!
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar of course! That’s what I’ll be doing. I’ll likely aim for using the telecaster in both ambient and shoegaze and see if I find myself wanting to reach for another guitar at all
Your are absolutely right about focussing on one Guitar. There was a time I only had one Guitar. But playing other Guitars was throwing me completely off. After having 10 Guitars: 6 Strats (which is crazy), 1 Tellie , 1 Les Paul, 1 Martin and 1 Jazzguitar, I sold all of them. Now I have 2 Partscasters one is a Strat and one is a Tellie. The Tellie temporary lives as a Lapsteel in a C6 Tuning. My only „ good“ Guitar now is a PRS Hollowbody. I like to work with drop or open tunings, so there is always one Guitar in standard.
Excellent video. I saw this at just the right time in my life. Synchronicity.
The wisdom is here is sound! Well spoken and I'm inspired!
Aside from things like a baritone or something with a very specific tuning, I mostly agree with the one guitar approach. Having multiple guitars for different tunings is my main pitch for having them. Otherwise having fewer options is almost always the best approach for creativity and productivity.
At one point I had 18 guitars and talked myself into getting rid of some (4) for similar reasons you mentioned. Now, all 14 have something special about them and it is very hard to decide which one should go next.... Different guitars actually inspire me :)
It's really strange to me that from all of the time sucking guitar gear that people can obsess about you picked the guitar. I have three guitars and I'm fine with them, they are a product of a process of about 20 years of guitar playing. They are the ones that stayed. However I made a conscious decision not to use any plugins or amp sims because that is a rabbit hole I don't want to go down. I see so many people get completely lost amongst all the amps, amp sims, plugins, effects, pedals etc...The way I see it that is a much bigger problem than having multiple guitars. I only have 4 pedals on my pedalboard and that also hasn't changed for years. I like them, they work and that's that. But I get your point and I completely agree with it.
this is a great video Antoine! I made a decision to reduce my number of guitars. My PRS is so versatile that I can use it for most any possible sound I am looking for. the only exception is I do keep my Taylor acoustic guitar. Both of those guitars fit an important criterea: when it feels like the guitar is playing me, that is the one. rarely happens, which is why I focus on only those two guitars.
Your old video on this topic is actually what inspired me to sell off most of my guitar collection, i still have a couple left that i havent sold yet but they are currently up for sale and in my mind they're no longer my guitars. Funnily enough, the one guitar ive decided to keep is a suhr strat as well, it really can do everything, especially as the single coils are dead silent
I've contemplated doing this. Just ordering a custom shop guitar that is 100% up to my exact spec
Yep! I didn’t get a custom shop but did sell all of my guitars for one good guitar. Honestly, it plays, feels and sounds better than any of my older ‘cheaper’ guitars and inspires me to play more.
Got two 7 strings, three 6 strings. Recent addition was a Carvin DC400
I like having multiple guitars for different tunings and associate them with different genres. For example, my 6 string Ibanez with EMGs is for metalcore, my Carvin is for 80s style hard rock/heavy metal/hair metal, my JP60 is in E flat for thrash metal, one of my 7 strings is for Drop A, another is for Drop G#
I think 5 is a good number. Telecaster, stratocaster, les paul, acoustic or hollowbody and something flashy for shows like a PRS.
Although I enjoy using different guitars, I agree with you on decision fatigue and do the same thing that you do in terms of wardrobe. The other thing that needs to be mentioned is that if you play with different guitars all of the time you never really get familiar enough with one instrument to play it as fluidly you could because they all feel and sound a little bit different. There is something to be said about sticking only to one model and learning how to get the most out of that model.
On the other hand, there may be times when you need to use someone else’s guitar and if for example you never use anything but Teles or Les Paul’s, it might be harder to adjust than if you rotate between models. Also, sometimes having more guitars is a substitute for having fewer pedals and other gear, especially if you don’t like fiddling with effects and find it easier to get a different sound just by using a different guitar rather than mastering how to use a multi-effects unit or plugins. So you could still do away with clutter and have less gear overall by having a different composition of gear. And it might be faster and spend more time playing and less time tone-shaping by just switching guitars than by fiddling with ten drive pedals to see which one most closely approximates the EQ curve of a cover of a particular song. Perhaps most importantly, it’s very hard to get down to only one guitar until you’ve had a chance to try enough models and styles to know what truly suits you and feels most comfortable. This is especially true for beginners and why paradoxically they should try or own more guitars at first to learn which is the best instrument for them. Once you become more comfortable with what works for you is when it makes sense to part with the guitars that you don’t get on with. I am in the middle of making a modest downsizing of guitars to the ones that I play most and swapping certain models that I found I do not like for those that are more within my comfort zone.
I have ended up with a lot of guitars over the years just because I don't sell them off, but I find that I tend to only really play 1 for long stretches. So I naturally kind of just set myself on 1 guitar despite having the vault of others.
I have five: a dreadnought acoustic for flat picking, an orchestra model acoustic for fingerstyle, a single coil electric, a humbucker electric and a bass. They all have very specific things they fulfil. If I got any more, I’d be doubling up, but any less and I’d miss them
Totally makes sense.
Guitars just make me happy :). I have 4 but each evokes a different feeling and mood to play
Enjoyed this video ❤
I played a gig once where I followed a guy that had about 6 or 7 guitars, a bunch of effects, and as he packed up all his equipment, I waited with my one acoustic guitar and microphone. My soundcheck was setting the trim on two channels and I was done. That was so freeing to show up without all the baggage and gimmicks. Now, I do own several instruments and they do have distinct voices…. So I can’t say never, but sometimes we get caught up in all the gear instead of just using what we have. Balance and focus. It’s not the gear. It’s you…
After a combo of moving a lot and flipping, for the past 10 years I just have my Firebird now. It doesnt always match what I want it to do, but that makes me work harder. I can afford new stuff, but Im at the point if just making due. I got rid of a lot of my stuff to just make due (and enjoy more).
Great way of thinking. Refreshing to see someone doing this. Also that's a beautiful guitar.
I used to have one guitar. Because it was expensive to buy another one. Your attitude can be valid during the eighties! People today CAN and do want to BUY several guitars
Spot on! I think that is a good point in life too about other matters. Partners, work, interests, cooking, education etc
Yes absolutely. I have just a Gibson SG. I don't like my hands having to readjust just for a thinner sound or whatever. I get all the sounds I need from pedals or adjusting my knobs. I have a little Firefly LPJR copy just for backup on stage and I've never had to use it
I'd love to have an SG. I've always liked them, plus I'm a Robbie Kreiger fan.
With time, you adjust to guitar changes instantly
good advice! may i ask, what fretboard radius is your guitar and how low do you have your string action and pickup height?
Thanks, Antoine. Great video. My main guitar, which I love and is totally inspirational for writing, recording, and gigging, is a Martin acoustic. I just bought another acoustic by Godin as a backup and for busking and open-mics. I'm still trying to decide if I should just have stuck with the Martin for everything, even higher-risk damage and theft contexts...We'll see if the Godin lasts. I also have one inexpensive classical that barely gets used--because it sounds like a cheap classical, I shouldn't have bought it, but rather found a nylon string that really inspires me to make music. On the electric side of things, I have a good tele that I use for recording and the occasional electric guitar context; I also have an old, modified mexi-strat I never use but don't sell because shipping would probably constitute about half of what I could sell the guitar for, but I may just do it anyway to free myself from clutter (but will I need the whammy bar someday)?
I perform live weekly. I've had one guitar for the last 10 years. I've found that the sound of my guitar, and more specifically, how happy I am with the sound, depends entirely on whether or not the parts I'm actually playing are fitting for the role I play in the band. This video is a great challenge to everyone who isn't happy with their sound to develop their theory, technique, rhythm, communication, and listening skills.
Yes, some people put too much weight on the guitar they use and their tone. That's only a fraction of the equation, in reality. Thanks for sharing!
That's awesome man, I am glad that there are other people who can pull it off with one guitar! I once heard an old timer say that he knew his one guitar so well that he could dial it in to sound like what ever he needed.
This is a solid advice. I had multiple guitars but I leaned towards one guitar more often. Most of my favorite guitar players rocked the same guitars for decades. I have watched those 50 or 100 famous riffs or whatever, where guitar player used only ONE type of guitar for different genres. The problem was me. I was not practicing to be better at music. I have to be grateful and make the most with what I have just like the guitar players I admire.
Antoine, another challenging video! I resonated w/ your point about comfort .... I bought several Les Pauls and eventually sold them b/c they were heavy. I am really challenged by your argument that it only take 2 minutes to change your tuning (to Eb, etc....). Also, your point about not needing a back in case you break a string is a solid point (not to mention the extra time, money, space, and set ups, it would take to have multiple guitars).
The best argument I've ever heard for one guitar--was from an old timer--who said he only had one guitar in the 60s, 70s, and 80s (unlike today)--and that he knew the guitar so well he could manipulate his guitar, move up the neck, or change settings without looking!
To answer your question, I have: 1 elec, 1 acoustic, and 1 bass. I am happier with only one of each, even though I keep considering buying back ups.
I totally agree with most of your solutions to the objections you presented. However, I have been gigging for a year now and because my band uses standard/drop d along with 2 open tunings (FACGCE and DAEAC#E) I have to bring 3 guitars. The tone switches are all done with pedals but I have not found a way to use a single guitar for this set. Even if I were to take the 3-4 minutes of stage time to tune a guitar from FACGCE to standard and then again from standard to DAEAC#E I would still have a very out of tune guitar by the end of each song, as it is typically set up for one tuning. I am curious what your thoughts are on this.
Yeah 1 guitar for gigs with different tunings required is not possible unless you can have long pauses for tuning between songs, which totally kills the vibe. Need a guitar per different tuning 💯
@@DarClaude agreed, I then have backups for broken strings too (which happened at the last gig).
I've been playing guitar for 45 years. For 20 of those years (the middle 20) I had One steel string acoustic. I now have that same steel string, a classical guitar, a bass guitar, and One electric guitar that happens to have One pickup. (The neck pickup) I have one amp and I go through two pedals.
I wouldn't have it any other way. We're all individuals though and if a bunch of guitars makes you happy, then I think that's just fine. They do look great up on the wall too!
Love this video!!! I've always had many guitars... I played the same Strat for 40+ years.
Steve Jobs wore the same thing all the time so he'd have one less distraction.
Yes, he was partly the inspiration for it! Thanks.
I second that, love the approach. Now i only play my dream PRS Cu24 i got in 2005 and fully paid with summer jobs. But now i have this with pedals, do i need digital, tape and analog delay on the same board ? Option paralysis going on here ^^ Cheers !
Hey^ I only have 2 guitars myself I have a Gibson SG Faded 2016 as my main guitar and I love it, ive played the heck out of it since i first got it and honestly it does everything I want it to so I never really wanted to get another guitar., Second guitar I have is a Harley Benton Fusion I set up for slide as im mainly a blues player so makes sense to have a seperate guitar for that but I play it far less. I personally think its far more important to practice, learn and be a better player than get lots and lots of stuff get bored stop playing and move on to the next piece of equiptment because eventually you will run out of things you can afford to get and use.
Every guitarist needs 2 guitars (same model)
For me, I bought 1 Player Strat when I started learning, and later on bought an American Pro II Strat.
Keep the USA one at home, and take the Player Strat with me to lessons and band rehearsals. Saves a lot of time because I don't have to constantly pack and unpack my guitar, I can pack and unpack once. Also if need to send one guitar to the shop, I have another one to practice on so I don't lose any practice time. Also if I am playing with multiple tunings, I can tune one to Drop C sharp and keep the other one in standard, and it's easier than retuning back and forth.
I agree totally with you it’s about the music, I struggled with G,A,S for years a lot of mind dilemmas should I keep that guitar or get one that I had just seen a master playing on..
Finally after years of spending and loosing money I decided to be one guitar man to bond with it I think Willie Nelson is a beautiful exemple of guitar minimalist you recognize him right away
The reason I own several guitars is for practicality mostly. I have a main guitar that I use for most applications, but in my Genre many bands use different tunings and I can't set up my guitar with different string gauges a few times a week when I work on Band X that's tuned to D and Band Y that's tuned to C.
I like to have a guitar for each standard tuning so I can just grab and go no matter what I need to work on, teach or play. It's by no means necessary but accumulating a few instruments over the years can definitely make for an easier workflow especially if you play a lot of detuned music.
I do have a bit of a similar mindset, but a bit modified. Every electric guitar I have needs to be VERY meaningful. I already have an electric guitar I love that has single coils splits to the point where anything now feels optional. Plus, with a good pedalboard, you can unlock your guitar to sound like a whole new instrument. I have a Sunno Model T amp sim/pre-amp pedal, and the mild to drastic distortion/overdrive works for completely contrasting styles of playing.
There aren't too many electric guitars calling my name, however, if I were to ever pick up one in the next 10 years, it'd be the Fender Jaguar Vintera 60s. It is such a contrast from my Custom FMT, and does its own weird thing too. It's tough to top a guitar you are already so happy with. I do like your advice mostly for young players or those starting out, since they really only need one electric guitar. I think it will help them make better decisions if they had a lot of experience when they get their next guitar, since it will avoid bad guitar purchase decisions.
Although, with how much I want an amp head + cabinet, and a completed pedalboard, I am far from the sound I want to even consider a new guitar.
I have an 89 Charvel/Jackson I don't play often (it was passed down by my dad), a stratocaster, a 7 string, 2 acoustics (neck cracked on one, I let people carve on it now because it was one of my first guitars so I couldn't toss it), a 3/4 size Ibanez I grabbed for $30 and throw in my car sometimes, and 2 basses (one for Drop C, built it myself), and plan to get one more electric guitar for Drop C and a 5 string bass. I go through phases with my instruments where I'll focus on a single guitar or bass for a month or two, but they all get played. Don't see any reason to get rid of them if I'm going to want to play them again. I definitely see where you're coming from with focusing on too many things, but I enjoy being able to play whatever I want whenever I want. I also like to have a spare to let someone else use if they come over and want to jam but didn't bring a guitar.
Great video! I would add for objection 2 (taking your guitar to luthier): unless it is a complex job or you don't have the required tools, people should learn to set up their own guitars. That way you will always have it around and in good playing condition. Will also save money.
I also only wear a grey shirt (ignore the profile pic, borrowed a shirt for a shoot). I've been toying with the idea of less instruments. I own 2 electric, an acoustic, and a classical. Do you ever run into issues with not having a classical? I've had students really upset I'm using an electric when they're learning acoustic/classical (despite my explanation of it not mattering).
I agree with a lot of your points here. And I did sell about 9 guitars but I still have 6.
The reason I mostly won’t sell some of the rest is because I can’t get my money back, and some of them were pretty cheap and not worth much. So it’s nice to have some beaters laying around that I don’t care about.
Also, I play in different locations regularly so it’s nice to have one in each place just ready to go and I don’t have to transport a guitar with me every time.
The late Jeff Golub played hollow body electric guitars in the studio but when he performed live he had a red 70s Fender Stratocaster which was his main guitar. He also had a Hamer Daytona (a strat copy) on stage as a backup guitar in case he broke a string on his main guitar.
I generally agree. I've owned only one guitar (a Strat) for many years. Before that I had a second guitar - a semi-hollow, but I never used it. It was so different, that it was difficult to switch between the two guitars and it was impossible to optimize the rest of the rig (amp and pedals) for both guitars. But I am thinking of getting a second strat (as similar to the first one as possible) as a backup for gigs. I already own two of the same amp, for that ver reason.
This is good medicine sir. I 100% agree
I think most of your statements are perfectly, perfectly correct. When I started, I could afford only super cheap (horrible) strat and of course I played everything on it: from Metallica through Steve Vai to Pink Floyd. I didn't care about guitar at all, it simply worked for me. Did it sound close to originals? Of course not (I was a self learning kid, it would sound horrobile even if I played it on the best ever built guitar), but even 20 years later owning couple of guitars I am nowhere close to originals still. But not because of guitars/gear I own but because I developed my own technique. I learned that I don't have to sound the same as recording. I found out that whatever I play, if it is my own solo or a cover, it's played by me and with my sound. And finally, tone is in the hands anyway :) Now I have 3 electrics and 2 acoustics. One electric/acoustic is from my starting days and to be honest, I keep them only for nostalgia, they're hard to play and are very beginner stuff. So it's only a single real acoustic. And for electric it's simply because of the feeling. One is rosewood PRS, other is a maple neck Strat which has absolutely different feeling (and of course tone). Do I need them both? Probably not but in my case it's usually that I really know what I'm going to play that day and my fingers are telling me if I should play Strat or PRS. And during that session I almost never change the guitars so again, I play same stuff, different genres on both. Limiting strictly to 1 guitar is maybe little to much but you're right that we should try to fight the GAS and think about what we really need & enjoy what we play, whatever gear we have. It's all about the music, not the spent money.
Dude, you hit the nail on the head 😅 I claim I’m a minimalist but not really if you look at my gear. I feel and relate to everything you said as I’ve had similar thoughts on my own but you really laid it all out. I’m just afraid I’m gonna regret getting rid of something if I chose to let some of my guitars go. Great video tho and definitely subscribed!
Being a minimalist is not just about owning few things, it's about keeping only what brings you the most value and getting rid of what doesn't get used often enough. Some people don't understand how I can be talking about owning just one guitar, but at the same time have a big pedalboard with 10 pedals on it. That's because I use every single one of those pedals on a regular basis, as can be confirmed by listening to the 100's of original songs I posted on my channel over the years. So you CAN be a minimalist and decide to have more, as long you're using what you have and getting value out of it! That's why I got rid of all my other guitars: I wasn't using them enough to justify having them. Thanks for watching, Spencer!
I like your minimalist thinking and you are totally right about modern modelling equipment. One of the best examples of someone who appears to stick mainly with one guitar these days is Matteo Mancuso - and who wouldn't want to play like he does? Having said that he is one among many (Steve Vai comes to mind). But another point is there may be occasions where you want a 12-string for some music and dual necks are cumbersome so perhaps 2 distinctly different guitars may be warranted.
Actually I have a number of self-built amps at home but I've decided to sell a couple of the best I've ever produced; I have no real need of a really powerful stage amp at my age. Some were protoypes for models I've sold. It is hard to let go but there comes a time......
I only have one normal strat.
However aditionally I have a baritone electric, an accoustic and both a p bass and jazz bass.
Does it still count? I mean all the others surve a distinct purpose.
I maybe could get rid of baritone. Accoustic is vital for me
Lol, i was watching and thinking, "yeah, but acoustic and bass are different and i likely will be keeping those..."
So I've already arrived at the exact same place as you!
Those are the three i have and am sticking to!
Very encouraging video to overcome gear envy!
Thanks!
Thanks, Matt!
I only own two:
Fender Mustang American Performer - sonic blue
Taylor GS Mini-E Rosewood Plus
Great video mate!!!
I've been playing the same electric for 12 years and the same acoustic for 20. For me, its because I like the necks on both. I've found that concentrating on just one guitar my playing has advanced faster. All my equipment, amps, pedals. modeler, monitors, etc. are all dialed in and don't need to be altered for different pickups. I find it's just easier.
You just can’t replicate a hollow body sound with anything other than a hollow body guitar. I used to think all I needed was a strat but a hollow body Gretsch is totally it’s own thing. It’s so much fun and inspirational to have a totally different world in your hands.
I agree with this guy.
I also have one guitar, the tele! (I sold everything else)
Although, before, I was missing that strat 4 position on songs like Slow Dancing, but yeah, I was forced to find solutions to be able to play it with a tele, and it was amazing!
So much great advice here
You could be a life coach!
I found my new career: life coach 🫢 haha thanks!
Very interesting. I have an acoustic. I have an electric. I have a guitar I can take to the beach. I have access to a cut out. I don’t make the decision of which guitar to use in terms of creativity. I pick the guitar that matches my emotion. Maybe I want to be rowdy and loud and happy, I might pick my electric. For most purposes, it’s the acoustic. And obviously if I’m at the beach, I’m using that guitar. I’m not good enough to really need a cut out.
I had 5 electric guitars and sold 3 of them. Much happier now with fewer choice's. I need to sell one of my 2 acoustic guitars now because I almost always play only 1 of them, I have 1 bass and 1 ukelele which makes life even simpler.
In NYS it takes two full weeks to get a set-up done. What do you do for those 2 weeks without any guitar?
I agree, that's quite long. Then, I'm lucky that I can get mine done in less than a week where I live.
You don’t do your own set ups?
True inspiration comes from the limitations of an artist's medium.
Another thing i noticed about this Japanese band Mass of the fermenting dregs is that when they toured the US, they just bought guitars here in the US and then after the tour gave away the guitars to the younger fans in the crowd.
I have 3 guitars because I have them in different tunings, E, D and B standard. I may be able to get rid of the D standard one
Hi Antoine! I applaud you for this! I'm a hobbyist and at one time after watching your video 4 years ago, I gave up all but one guitar and I owned up to 14. Then a few moths after, I had the itch again especially when they go on sale. Now I have 7 again!!! How do you control your urge? Maybe post a video of how you control GAS! I really admire you for it!
Set clear goals for gear, also don’t look to John as a role model in this particular situation 🤣
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm sorry that you're going through this!
@@mooseymoose 😅
Johnny Marr has a point - I do find that guitars do have 'songs in them'. A small number is good, and the main guitar can be the really good / expensive one. But I would want a single coil, P90, humbucker options. And a solidbody and hollowbody or semi-hollowbody. A Fender-style stratocaster/telecaster/jazzmaster type guitar, an ES 330/335 type guitar, and a Les Paul/Special/SG .
You might be on to something. When i pick up my Les Paul, i pretty much stay in the blues box or play rock. When on the other hand i pick up my strat i do not limit myself stylistically, im kind of more open to many more influences. But hey, it might only be a brain fart of mine projecting all blues, rock thingy onto the Les Paul thus limiting myself. Anyway, they both sound and feel great and before i sell one of them hell will freeze over. 😀
I went from what was turning into an admittedly crazy collection down to four in the past few years. Strat, tele, Les Paul, ES-345. I don’t miss the dozens I sold because I know the ones I kept were the best example of that model I had. The idea of having one guitar as a gigging musician is kinda crazy to me though. I bring two guitars to every gig. If you pop a string and can’t flip out quick that’s a problem, and if the venue has bad wiring and the single coil guitar is buzzing in an uncontrollable way you have that humbucker loaded guitar to solve that problem quickly. I could drop down to just the Strat and the 345 and still be set but I know the day after I sold the Les Paul I’d be back down a 10 year rabbit hole of buying Les Paul’s looking for the perfect one, haha.
Thanks for your video Antoine. I have 2 guitars: one Telecaster type (for cleans and ambient guitar) and one 7 strings guitar (for B standard tuning and Rock/Metal). Each guitar has its clear goal and feel. Yes I often use one over another but the most important for me is how much the instrument inspires me to play in the moment. Because playing is what matters for me in the end. And yes, I also have drums, bongos, a bass guitar, a keyboard, an harmonica, a theremin, a flute, a melodica. Yes I am not a virtuoso at all of these instruments but it's what inspires me to make music and grow as an artist. Learning and making music, no matter the instrumente is what is the most important for me.
You have the right priorities my friend. Keep up the good work!
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar Thank you so much Antoine ! You are such a great source of inspiration !
Its easy to see guitars being demoed on youtube and want them.
I know from experience though that I will not be a better player on those guitars than I am on my current collection ( 1 classical, 1 acoustic, an ovation acoustic electric, and a jazz guitar, all different critters) None were expensive and they don’t eat much so its ok with me to have them around.
If I had to get down to one, I would keep the Ovation, quite the underrated instrument for sure.
Sometimes I think of doing just that.
I have an HSS Strat, a Martin acoustic, a Kentucky Mandolin and an unknown brand mandola. These are the basic essentials for me. I also have a Squier Esquire which I'm thinking about selling. I played it so little, I lent it to a friend, and don't really miss it. Sometimes I see a guitar that looks gorgeous and get a bit of GAS, but I know it won't make me a better player, or fill a role my existing instruments don't fill already, so I let someone else have that guitar!
I have multiple electric guitars but most have a certain purpose so they are set up differently, for example, my guitars for slide have a little higher action and heavier strings and are intonated for Open G, Open E, and standard tuning slide guitar, then I have one electric set up for regular playing with lower action (which oddly enough is the one I grab the most when I play). I also have an electric & acoustic 12 string, and two 6 string acoustics, one solid wood and one carbon fiber (one set up with low action and a shorter scale for fingerpicking and one with higher action for just strumming) I have tried to settle on a guitar that can do everything and haven’t found it yet. Now as far as effects pedals, I think a good multi-effects unit is plenty or even most of the stock effects in a DAW, although I confess I have quite a few pedals also, I may have a problem 😂
why should i bring it to the luthier?.. i only practice for about 5 weeks now.. so idknow those things
i ordered a yamaha pacifica 012 from muziker, so i hope it will be a good choice, arives tomorrow or day after...
You are right.
Hi Antoine! I would LOVE to reduce my guitar clutter, but it's so hard to sell left handed guitars. Plus, I just enjoy the way they look. Functional art, IMO. Could you tell me the outro music on this video? I need to buy that! Thanks.
Thanks! The outro music is one of the original songs I posted on my channel. It's not for sale, but feel free to grab it off CZcams. Link is here: czcams.com/video/4NPNe2vWo9g/video.html
Guitars are works of Art. So beautiful. That’s why I collect. Awesome video though! I learned a lot! Thanks
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you liked my video 😊 Enjoy your guitars!
Cool, i have an acoustic guitar, two teles, and silvertone u2 with lipstick pickups.
I take the Nigel Tufnel approach to my collection- "They cannot ever be played- if fact- don't even look at them " . . . and can you hear the 'sustain' ? And- plus- would you have only one Vinyl Album in a collection ?
I have many guitars, and I completely agree with you. Having just one would probably make me a better player. If you only have one you'll learn how to get the most out of it.
I too own 1 electric, 1 acoustic and 1 bass.
I was also advocating one guitar for everything, but I play with floating bridges so.. Cannot easily change tuning. Also the strat bridge was designed to be floating, so I don't want the bridge to be parallel to the body or deck. Play tele instead.
In the 60s 70s and eearly 80s I had 2 guitars..a les paul and an ovation acoustic electric that in the 60s was a law suit Martin copy...I can get by fine with 2. Now that I no longer gig and have retired I think for my recording needs I need 5 guitars minimum....includes nylon string, 12 string, martin, 335, tele, strat, P90 Casino....very different sounding instruments. I have a dozen guitars but really in my studio I can get by with 5....I can however get by with very few pedals if any.
I pretty much agree with this. I have 2 electrics. One gets used pretty much every day, its just comfortable to play, and covers all the tones that I need. The other one gets pulled out only occasionally, and is mostly there for the rare occasion that I get the itch to play something different. It more or less reminds me how much I like my main instrument. Same with amps. I have one. Between the 2 channels plus my board, it will cover any tone that I want to play. If it doesn't cover a particular tone, it's probably not a type of music that I want to play.
That said, I'm not trying to copy anyone's tone. If I was, then I might need to approach it differently.
A second guitar to remind you how much you like your main one. Interesting! Never thought about it this way. Thanks for sharing!
I have 4 electric guitars, 2 acoustic, and 2 amps in mind to choose from. Thanks to this video, I have finally let go and chose 1 electric, 1 acoustic, and 1 amp... and I feel better about it.