Do you have too many guitars? Is there such a thing as too many guitars?
At a certain point, I think a lot of people ask themselves these questions. But how do you know how many is too many?
I think there’s a way you can determine whether or not you have enough guitars, too many, or if you still have some room left in your collection.
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How to Determine If You Have Too Many Guitars
It’s easy to look at someone like Joe Bonamassa who has over 400 guitars, or Alain Johannes with a whopping 600, and think that there is no such thing as too many guitars.
But I think it’s important to consider a few things regarding such large collections.
Both Bonamassa and Johannes are professional guitarists. Johannes especially is an accomplished solo performer as well as one of the most successful session musicians. Are you or me going to be ever on that level? Who knows, but probably not.
Aside from needing guitars for every genre of music, professional guitarists like Johannes and Bonamassa also have the space to store their guitars. And their guitars are more than likely spread out at various studios and other locations.
They also have guitars that are used just for recording and others just for touring.
So, I think there are really two questions you need to ask yourself to determine whether or not you have too many guitars.
What Do You Use Guitars for?
Firstly, do you perform regularly, or is guitar more of a hobby?
If you’re a solo player or you play in a band, then presumably, you’re performing once or twice a week, or at least a month.
Performing this regularly will get the need for multiple instruments to make more sense. You’ll want to have an extra guitar or two to be able to switch out during shows.
Having a backup or two is also great in case something happens to one of your guitars and you don’t want to have to miss out on any gigs.
For example, one of the bands I was in had a guy who was big on Strats. Despite owning more than one Fender Strat, he always kept a Squier handy. It was for those rare occasions when his preferred Fender was unavailable for whatever reason or circumstance for a particular show.
He actually used to get questions like, “why do you keep getting cheap guitars still, you’ve got quite a collection already!”. But I never saw him getting bothered by those (plus that he loved playing with all sorts of guitars across the price spectrum definitely helped). He knew what was practical for him and stuck with his gut. And more often than not, his decisions proved to be extremely beneficial at times of need.
If you’re a session musician, you’ll need multiple different guitars so that you’re ready to play any genre, and can offer the producers you’re working for a choice when it comes to tone.
For example, if you’re playing djent, it makes sense for you to invest in a seven or eight-string guitar. But do you know a single guitarist of any prog metal band having only 7 or 8 string guitars and zero 6 strings? You get the point.
On the other hand, if you’re only playing guitar for yourself in your bedroom, then you probably don’t need more than one or two.
Do You Have Room for Guitars?
The second question is simply: do you have enough space?
As I said, someone like Joe Bonamassa has the room to store over 400 guitars comfortably.
If you live in an apartment or you’re sharing a house with other people, having a ton of guitars lying around is probably not very practical.
Yes, you can hang guitars on walls, giving you a little bit more space to work with, but you’ll eventually run out of wall real estate.
You can store guitars in a storage unit, but then you’ll need to pay extra monthly costs for guitars that you might end up not playing all that often anymore.
The Emotional Connection
Owning multiple guitars isn’t just about variety – it’s also about the stories and memories each one holds. For instance, once I went to Guitar Center. I walked in, and right there on the wall was a gorgeous Fender Telecaster in Butterscotch Blonde. You know, the classiest and by far the most recognizable Tele color.
I picked it up, plugged it in, and boom — it was the signature Tele tone, full of those cleans and twangs. I didn’t plan on buying a guitar that day, but I couldn’t leave without it. Now, every time I play it, I’m reminded of that spontaneous decision and the joy it brought me.
Then there’s my buddy, Jake. Great guy, and a very talented guitar player for an indie rock band. Jake has this vintage Rickenbacker 360 that he’s had forever. It’s been with him through countless gigs, and it’s clearly evident from the wear and tear from all the adventures it’s been on.
He also swears by his Gretsch White Falcon, which he picked up on a whim during a tour in Nashville. He also has a unique connection with that Falcon and used it for countless recordings and live shows.
So, coming back to the question, how many guitars is too many? It’s very tricky to answer, and I don’t think there can be a universal answer for everybody. Each guitar tells a distinct part of your journey as a musician. Sometimes, that connection alone is worth more than the physical space they occupy.
Final Word
So, determining how many is too many is really up to the type of guitarist you are and the room available to you.
That certainly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pursue becoming a collector, just don’t rush it and grow your collection in a way that isn’t inconvenient to you or others.
