Or the P-90 Les Paul Or the 63 Strat Or the 79 KM My brain kept saying "Ooo, get one of those!" & I'd say "Oh, you like ramen that much, d'ya?" & she'd say "...no..." in a scared little voice.
I bet you he did watch the video and immediately after canceled his new guitar purchase reluctantly, thinking of the 8 that he already bought without much approval from his significant other LOL
The “setting goals” tip is seriously so useful. I did this for my second guitar and I have an in breakable connection to it. I’m doing this right now for an EVH Striped Series Frankie. Once I get that Eruption solo perfect
I stopped buying after I wound up with about 40 electrics in my collection. I only take a few out to play gigs and few rotate out. About to have a firesale and just keep 10 that I truly love.
Where are you located? I'm looking for a fender American deluxe or a player series, a Les Paul, Ibanez jiva/jem or RG or S series a tele or a charvel SoCal or San dimas. Either is cool. I have one guitar (PRS SE) and it has a very specific vibe. I'm still a beginner and would like to own a more twangy sounding guitar for sole blues/jazz lessons. If you have anything you want to get rid of and are willing to ship (in located in SoCal) let me know.
Thanks for advice. I am a new guitarist, only been playing for a few months now, and I have two guitars already and want another... love the two I got but I must just be patient, set some goals to achieve first to become a better player first. Time to practice!
Unless you are a true enthusiast/collector most people will end up becoming bombarded with so many guitars. At one point I had around 12. Now I'm down to 6 or 7. It was just too many guitars for me. Like my dad used to say "You can only play one at a time". If a guitar is sitting and not getting used and collecting dust, unless it has sentimental value to you go ahead and get rid of it. Let someone else enjoy it.
Man, the videography in this video is through the roof! It was really a joy to watch. And yes, agree with all the reasons you mentioned, but I'm really tempted to get a jag lmao
This is excellent advice. My guitar and amp collections fluctuate, but I find that when I’m in a steady gigging band, my gear actually downsizes. Once I start to hone in on what I’m looking for, all the peripheral stuff starts to go away.
Kudos Robert! I have been attempting to expose these philosophies to fellow players (and admittedly, myself Lol) for decades- and it eventually sinks in!
Rob I think I may have been one of your earliest subscribers from way back when. I still remember being obsessed with your legato videos when you were ripping that white Charvel! Man, I watched those videos over and over and over. I just wanted to say that your videos over the last maybe 7 or 8 years have always been inspirational, fun, and have evolved into what I think is some of the best guitar content on UA-cam. Just keep doing what you're doing man because you just get better and better as the years go by. Now I'm off to convince myself not to buy that SG I've been looking at for way too long! Peace brother.
My first proper stratocaster was a used SRV strat I got ages ago. It sounds amazing and has the most comfortable neck I have ever played, but a large part of why its my #1 is because of what it represents. After I decided to spend the money I had saved up on a "real" guitar during a holiday trip with my family, my dad spent hours with me, following me around while I tried several guitars until i found one that convinced me. As I grew older, I became more aware of the value of the time he spent with me that day, basically following me around multiple music shops for hours while I played every guitar that I could afford. I have bought additional guitars since then, but I still play my strat regularly and would never part with it under normal circumstances. In my experience, the most special guitars you can possibly get are the ones that represent a connection with your loved ones. I guess that's true for a lot of things.
Greetings, Robert! I was really surprised to hear that you are contemplating getting rid of your Telecaster, I remember your video about “Five Guitars that Every Guitarist Should Have” and that a Telecaster is one of those guitars on your list. Currently, I still have not found the Telecaster I need in my collection, but I am still looking, I am also on the lookout for a few other guitars as well. I did finally get an Epiphone SG Pro that I like quite a bit, it has coil splits as a standard feature. In my opinion, I prefer to hang on to as many guitars that I love as possible, if I can do so, many of them will eventually appreciate, and I can have sonic options to choose from. Some songs sound better on particular guitar than on many others, keeping my music room stocked helps enable me to find the right sound, and it helps to keep me from “putting all my eggs into one basket” Thank you for posting these videos! Please have an excellent and awesome day!☀️
The Gibson demo shop has me hooked. So far, I've only bought one cheap Les Paul, but I almost pulled the trigger on an SG Standard yesterday. Thankfully, it sold later that day so I could stop thinking about it. I have a Warmoth project I really should be finishing first anyway, lol.
I'm a lefty and also a bit of a les paul freak. It is hard passing up ones that I'm not sure if I will come across again, but I've been going through them and deciding which ones I really enjoy the tone out of and ones that provide different tones. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one going through this existentialist mini crisis!
Great video Robert. When i started playing the guitar again i said to myself i will not own more than 3 or 4 guitars, so even if I don't have the time to play, my guitars will not go long without any playing. Also that i will not own two of the same type. After a some buying, selling and swapping guitars i came across the ultimate strat in a Charvel. Then i changed its pickups to my liking and had it repainted. A change of hardware with my P90 guitar and pickups changed with my Telecaster. Now i have a humbucker, tele and a P90 guitar. They've all been modified. I don't care about it losing its value because it's not 100% original. In all honesty it's fun to buy and sell guitars cause you come across and play with various guitars even if they end not up working for you. But it's also good to settle. Let's be honest we're all on reverb or local sites looking at guitars and hoping to come across a great stuff at great value or maybe to come across something rare 😀 now when i think that i've found something rare or great deal, i sleep on it and think about if it's any different than what i already have.
I overextended myself on a Gibson CS 61 ES 335 assuming that I would get the overtime at the beginning of the year like I always do but unfortunately we are in a pandemic. I bonded with it right away but I had to sell it a few months after I got it because I was broke. I don’t think I’m ever going to find a 335 that I’ll like as much as that one. It was painful. This was a good video with sound advice. Well done Robert!
The bridge lock on those Jazz Master tremolos for when and if a string breaks is such a great idea. I bet most people don't have them set up properly though.
It depends on your needs. If you're a gigging musician, you'll have at least two or three. Example: high-end strat and two cheaper gigging strats (Player probably) because you need two for every gig in case a string breaks etc. Your top end axe for recording or live stream gig. Personally I have a modern strat (G&L), a classic 60s Fender, and I'm looking at a G&L S-500. I'm happy with those three. Just sold an SG and will probably sell my Les Paul gathering dust
I’ve replaced buying new guitars with setuping correctly the ones I have, replacing pickups and buying better pedals. Good move. That said, your playing is always exciting to watch!
Nice to see the SG. I’m looking to pare down but can’t decide what I want to give up. My guitars are like children. Love them all for different reasons.
This advice right here is so on point! I wish someone had told me these things when I was younger just buying random guitars. These are things I had to learn overtime with wisdom. Now my collection is much smaller, yet it makes sense. Sometimes less is so much more.
In my case I’m at a point in my life where I can comfortably buy any guitar I want. What I focus on are guitars I could never afford when I was younger. It’s like a reward to myself for putting my family first all these years. Shortly after getting married money was tight and I sold everything I could to make ends meet. Raised 6 children through college and had to set aside my wants to take care of their needs. They are all doing well in life and Now it’s time for me to have fun. It also helps that my wife encourages me to do what I want.
I’m the same. My wife encouraged me to convert our garage into a very swanky cool music room/studio that I’ve always wanted. I love that I can finally buy what I want when I want it.
I know what you mean by some guitars falling into the background. I started off on an Epiphone SG. Upgraded to a Gibson SG that I built from the ground up since I just bought the body. Now? It mostly sits there because I prefer to play my semi-hollow with the Bigsby nowadays. I did play it out before the pandemic hit and it was my main teaching guitar too.
Hi Robert, I am down to 4 guitars right now and they are the guitars that I love. I will never compromise again, because it's so important to wait for the guitar with the right sound. The only other guitar I NEED is a Jackson dinky. Then I'll be done buying guitars 🎸
I agree with #1. After playing for 15 years I finally had the money and bit the bullet and bought my dream custom shop LPC. Now it’s my number 1 and I can’t put it down. I’ve had other Lea Paul’s that were great but this is the one for me
I am a drummer and I have 4 electric guitars - each with a purpose: a Nashville tele (that wants me to get a few frets fixed) that was my first real electric and has sentimental value because my wife got it for me with a LOT of hard work (without me knowing she was even doing it), a Variax 500 (that helped me realize my love for a Les Paul tone), an Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro II (as a trade for some other gear I wasn't using), and a PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow that I got as an anniversary gift (22) because I wanted something with a whammy bar, but ended up with something more than that with the semi-hollow feature, a ton of versatility, and a really comfortable neck. I feel at least a little vindicated by this video. :)
The one I got is supposed to arrive Monday. It's a kramer baretta special. I already have the candy blue one but I snatched up a ruby red and plan to refinish it in metallic grey with orange hot rod flames😏
Just got a 12 string electric/ acoustic. Added to the “measly” 11 guitar collection. But, I agree, everyone has it’s own tone, feel and use. Two Epiphone Les Paul’s, three PRS SE’s, two squires,two esp Ltd’ds,a Godin,,a Jackson, two Fenders, and one PRS SE 24-08 on back order..,.my bad! 14 guitars. And they all have a different tone and feel. They all get have a use, depending on what I’m playing at hue time. Think I need to stop now.
Add to that two amp heads/ speaker cabs, one combo amp, an PA system(for recording and acoustic) , plus multiple FX pedals, multi fx units, etc!! I could have bought a new Corvette, or Ram Pickup!
Great points; very utilitarian look at guitar owning. On the other hand, some of us just like to collect stuff. If you like guitars, and have a preference (in my case the Telecaster), it’s really fun to collect different versions of that guitar. I’m down to three Teles right now, but the urge is still there….
I was wanting a Gibson Firebird. Let me say that I am in love with the Guitar I purchased in place of the Gibson Firebird... It's a well built, quality, and reasonably priced Guitar... I bought the ESP LTD Phoenix Deluxe 1000 in Vintage White. I love this Guitar!
I have one strat that I built out of a squier. It's pretty sweet, stainless frets, nice pickups (HSS), plus I did all the work myself. It's honestly all I'll ever need.
I’ve been thinning out redundancies too. It’s no longer enough that a guitar sounds and plays great if I’m going to keep it. It has to be different. Like I have 2 Strats and 2 Teles but they are very different from one another. Nice vid
I am in the same struggle. I have my Epiphone Les Paul standard and my Gibson Les Paul studio. They seem different but similar. I too had a bad relationship with my first SG, not sure I could go back for one but I’m not sure I can find the right one. Trauma💁🏻♂️ Lol.
Saving right now to buy Jazzmaster Professional but waiting cause I want to buy the one I want and not a cheaper one for now I did the same with my strat took a long time but happy I waited
But I fall in love with them so easy! I have 5 guitars, An Acoustic, a Semi Hollow , A Strat style that is my Travel / Mod guitar and my two loves a 2001 PRS Santa SE and my newest a Schecter C1 Platinum with the EMG pickups. The only Guitar I may pick up is a PRS S2 Custom 24.
Great advice, Not settling was logical in my case.. Instead of having more guitars I saved n' got the one Gibson hummingbird I wanted I couldnt be happier.. Gonna do the same With the Les Paul that suited for my hands, nut width, neck shape and pick ups.
Personally, I believe that all guitarists need a Strat, a Tele, a Les Paul, an Acoustic, a Semi-Hollow and something with P90s (I am planning on getting a semi-hollow WITH P90s!)
Good tool box… I love my Gretsch electromatic (a Chinese version) with the Bigsby I added (to be like George Harrison’s)… and my Gretsch baritone… and my Epiphone ES 339 with Duesenberg trem… and there are tones my Jaguar and Duo-sonic produce that are not like any other axe I have. I also keep a cheap Squier tele in Nashville tuning, a Mexican tele in “Keith Richards” tuning… but I do have a few other cheap axes that were GAS buys, that I still enjoy… I rotate them on my wall hangers so I give them all attention : )… but are there too many? probably.
Haha, if you mean a SSS Strat, then I don't have any of the listed (I have HSH with a Floyd, HH hardtail (but not a Les Paul type guitar) and a travel guitar (1x hot rails).
My soloist and strat are the real deal..my "must have that type" guitars (tele, superstate, single cut) are Harley Bentons or Chinese clones. cus they only get the occasional run out and I wouldn't bother selling them..still waiting for HB to produce an FB type with their take on the firebird pickup..the wife once warned me " don't fill the house with cheap crappy guitars" but I think she'd be even unhappiest if I was buying the real deals, just to hide in their cases
I am glad this was recommended by UA-cam. I was just thinking about selling some guitars to purchase a Gibson j-45 walnut. But I will hold out for a j-45 standard.
I had a difficult exam I needed to take for work and I had to stop playing guitar for 2 months to study. I said if I pass the first time I'll reward myself with a Nick Johnston hss strat! It's on the way with the light blue finish 🤠
I recently unloaded a bunch of stuff, left myself with a strat, an Epiphone (which I thought about selling too) and my original guitar from 1990 which is worth nothing but sounds and plays great and has sentimental value, along with one little combo amp. I used to be a person who enjoyed buying inexpensive gear for myself, but the time had come.
I agree. I set a goal when I wanted a real nice Classical Guitar. Being a finger style steel string / electric player I said I need to learn 25 standard classical songs before I took the plunge otherwise I felt like I shouldn’t drop the $$$ on a really nice Classical.
When i succumbed to "guitar acquisition syndrome", i decided to use the "one of each" rule of thumb. looks like you need about 2 to 3 dozen guitars to do that. right now my collection includes one super strat (90's esp ltd m2 w/ emg 81x), one tele (kit build), one 355 type with bigsby (kit build), a 7 string, a 7 string fanned fret, an 8 string fanned fret (Ibanez), a 20 string harp guitar, a 5 string banjo, a 12 string electric strat, a 6 string semi hollow tele, a semi hollow 12 string electric tele, a 6 string fender acosutic, a classical acoustic (w/ nylon strings), ovation roundback type, nohead steinburger type, a mini strat, a 58 flying v (kit), a Gibon Moderne clone (Chinese custom shop), a 90's Jackson Roswell, a cigar box guitar, a 90's Traveller Pro, and a fender jazz bass. a flamed and spalted maple LP is due to arrive in a few weeks. my only "duplicates" are a matched set consisting of one cherryburst tele and one cherryburst strat.
I just sold 3 guitars to get 1 built... so until November-ish, I only have 3 electric guitars. I'm used to having 5 to 10 electrics and they are typically in a variety of tunings. I'm go lean and mean to get a dream guitar. Guys, wish me strength to hold fast at 3 until #4 arrives.
As a gigging musician, I’ve always thought that the perfect number of guitars is 3: My main guitar (my Les Paul) a second that can fill in if I break a string (this one for me is currently a Pacifica 501) and a third that is in an alternate tuning if you need that. I don’t ever want to lug more than that to a gig, and at home I always play my Les Paul anyway.
Yes, I think it can become an addiction like so many things. Havn't bought any gear in about 5 years. I came to a point where I wanted to focus on the actual playing and musicianship- less is more. Anyhow, when someone says they play guitar or wanna jam, the first thing I want to see is what they do with just an acoustic.
One thing that teaches you though is trying different guitars. My first guitar was a crappy second hand guitar. Second one was a grocery store strat and it only just looked better but when I got a third one (still from the grocery store catalogue) it felt so much better because it has a thin c shape neck which is what I still have... The strat had a thick D shape neck. At this point I have a better understanding of what I want and I'm not one to obtain just anything. It's okay to be starting out with second hand guitars.
Haha, awesome video Robert! I would add a reason to not buy is thinking that it will somehow make you happy or play better (if you don't already feel like that with your existing guitar or guitars). Rock on!
Great advice. I didn't have a pot to piss in for a long time. Now I am fortunate enough to be able to get anything I want. I have to constantly fight the urge to buy another guitar (and I don't have near your collection, on the other hand I am not near as good as you so I don't need them either). Keep rockin.
Honestly allot of these hit home for me! The Don't settle especially I did that the same thing with an SG this year I was going to buy an epiphone but also picked up an SG Standard and have been blown away by that guitar ever since. Also The Selling of instruments that don't get as much attention as others, I cut my collection in half this year because I found my self not playing certain instruments as often as others in my collection and I'm about to do the same with an Acoustic of mine because I've played so much electric guitar lately that they feel weird to me.
For me it would be no less than one acoustic, a gibson les paul, a fender strat and probably an es 335. I owned a tele but I liked a strat more for the srv/hendix stuff.
This is groovy entertainment...its great to see and hear how a person can gain wisdom through music. Well done on spreading good vibes around the planet.
Hi Robert, I was very lucky. I'm an attorney and I did some work for the guitarist for one of the very popular artists in South Africa. When my account arrived it was way bigger than he had provided for. so on a given date he delivered to me an original 1969, re-issue of the 1961, Gibson SG , in its original case with the original papers. It is light and easy to play and has a great rich warm sound, but when called upon it can give a serious bit- like you have never heard before. Cheers, Malcolm
I felt really good a while back when I gave away 2 guitars to a family member, which took me down to around 10 guitars. Then I bought another 4 in the last 6 months!!!😪
When I "think" about buying (or the process of starting to ponder) that "next guitar".... I have been honestly thinking about why do I want it? Do I already own a guitar that does "that thing"? Is there any real good reason that I need it in my "tool box"? (Yes, I think of guitars as tools to create the music that makes me feel good!).... Yep. I've reversed my thinking quite a few times. I've also sold guitars that were NOT fulfilling my expectations of buying them to begin with. Good thoughts Robert!
Best guitar video ever! Having too much guitars is tiring me: constantly thinking about which one I'll resell, which one I'll play etc. Huge waste of time and energy. Just ridiculous in my case, wrt my skills 😀
I'm a recording guy, so originally I thought it would be cool to have different guitars for all of the things like different tunings or different pickup configurations and stuff. Really I just need humbuckers a coil splits so right now I'm down to two 6 string electrics, an 8 string, a bass, an acoustic, and a classical. That's pretty much all I need. XD
I've always been a big believer in redundancy. I want a similar backup for my main axe so I can still get those tones even if one of them is in the shop.
I meant to buy a second guitar after I felt I learnt enough (I'm a beginner). Earning the right to award myself with another guitar. But then I discovered my first guitar needed fixing (improperly working Floyd and not a setup issue), I decided to get another one, so I don't have any gaps in practicing, I'm not an experienced tech who could do it all in one afternoon lol. Also, I use different tunings and while I have a pedal for dropping tunings, I currently practice something in a non-standard tuning and that would be uncomfortable with a Floyd. I learnt to appreciate having a guitar for each desired tuning very quickly (even if they are hardtails). :)) Also, being a picky lefty helps to curb the urge to buy guitars so easily. :))
2 questions: Do you have something on your left thumb? I first started wondering around 5:15-5:20 and then couldn’t stop seeing it. Second, how often do you change strings on all those guitars? Must get expensive just buying strings. How long do your strings stay nice once you’ve opened the case and tightened them up? If anyone wants to tell me that was three questions, the last two questions are essentially the same🤘🏽
I have a theory. People don't buy new gear when they're satisfied with what they have. I've got a pile of cash to spend. But I'm actually not even looking at guitars now because I'm satisfied with the one in my avatar. Funny thing is I was looking at them constantly before I found out I had extra money coming. Now that it's here, I don't find myself wanting to look for any guitars. If anything, I may buy another Seymour Duncan 59 Model pickup for the neck to match the bridge. Otherwise, I'm good. 😁
I think it's about the vibe that you get. I'm a beginner and own a PRS SE. The guitar doesn't get me into a blues/jazz mode. I'd like to have a guitar that incentives me to learn jazz/blues. Same for metal shredding (for lower tunings).
There are tons of people that buy stuff (any kind of stuff) cos they're trying to find a shortcut to happiness / filling some void. They're never gonna be satisfied unless they address the issue behind it.
Think there's more than a little overthinking going on there. Some people like to collect things - I doubt somebody that collects stamps continues to do so because they are unsatisfied with what they have - that would defeat the object of collecting. It's nice to be able to look round and think "I'm not playing the Custom Shop today, I'm gonna play the Firebird" - variety is the spice of life.
"In your face Grim Reaper"🤣🤣🤣 love it! When I started playing a very experienced guitarist told me to buy the best gear I possibly could. The good gear would make practice and learning more enjoyable, or if I gave playing away I'd have good quality gear to sell at a good price. Great advice, and 35 years, 15 guitars and 4 amps, and counting.....
I'm glad you said weight loss goal. I have a epi bonamassa firebird that I cannot play until I've gotten my weight down to about 240-250. The easy part is done, down 60 pounds. Need to shed that last 30-40
I am not joking, I saw your video literally a day after I bought a new guitar! After watching the video I felt better because I had been searching for a guitar with humbuckers to go with my Strat and tele. What did I buy? A PRS Custom 24 se, partly influenced by you and your PRS videos. I think that's it (for now).
Very good video. I was in that groove, until a good friend of mine asked me what I was doing. He explained to me if the guitar doesn't change my sound, don't buy it unless it is a better guitar that I'm replacing it with. Sell the old one. Thanks 😊
So who's on reverb right now looking at guitars?
Well they stopped making Woody Jems so that’s where I’m looking. And everywhere else on the interwebs
You meant Sweetwater, right? ;)
I've switched to amps
Man, idk why but those Epiphone Crestwood bodies are calling me
Christmas and Birthday are my 2 excuses each year :p
And I actually have a Gold Top in a case that does not officially exist yet until Christmas
You can’t convince me to not buy a guitar holding that SG, Robert.
He's the reason I GAS'd for an SG
@@ryanpullin I love my SG.
Though, to be honest, I pretty much love all my guitars. lol
Lol, I want one of those wild dyed ones, from around 2010ish, The Tye-dye series. Its amazing.
@@caiusmadison2996 those were crazy!
Or the P-90 Les Paul
Or the 63 Strat
Or the 79 KM
My brain kept saying "Ooo, get one of those!" & I'd say "Oh, you like ramen that much, d'ya?" & she'd say "...no..." in a scared little voice.
I have never regretted buying a guitar, but I sure as hell regret selling some!
About 100 times over 😭😭😭😭
Then don’t sell them
Me too. I’ve been wanting to sell 3 guitars to fund 1 but since prices have soared recently, I was advised to keep them.
Mate I'm with you there. I've bought more guitars than I've ever sold. But looking back I should have kept those too! Hindsight's a wonderful thing
Amen Brother, Amen.
I'm not going to watch this video. Sir, how dare you? Have you been talking with my wife? This isn't over, Baker! This isn't over!
✌️✌️✌️
I bet you he did watch the video and immediately after canceled his new guitar purchase reluctantly, thinking of the 8 that he already bought without much approval from his significant other LOL
All great tips, couldn’t agree more.
My Les Paul arrives tomorrow.
The “setting goals” tip is seriously so useful. I did this for my second guitar and I have an in breakable connection to it. I’m doing this right now for an EVH Striped Series Frankie. Once I get that Eruption solo perfect
Nice! My goal is to own a 16th guitar , ha..\m/
I'm doing that too for a Gretsch! For a couple of Gretsches, actually. First goal was met, so I'm getting a 6120. Next goal will be the White Falcon.
My wallet likes this, my soul does not.
I stopped buying after I wound up with about 40 electrics in my collection. I only take a few out to play gigs and few rotate out. About to have a firesale and just keep 10 that I truly love.
That's exactly what I just did. It hurts a bit at first but then you have money and the pain goes away!
Where?
Give one to me dude If you are feeling generous or something
Where are you located? I'm looking for a fender American deluxe or a player series, a Les Paul, Ibanez jiva/jem or RG or S series a tele or a charvel SoCal or San dimas. Either is cool. I have one guitar (PRS SE) and it has a very specific vibe. I'm still a beginner and would like to own a more twangy sounding guitar for sole blues/jazz lessons. If you have anything you want to get rid of and are willing to ship (in located in SoCal) let me know.
when I reach 40 guitars I'm just going to open a used guitar store.
Thanks for advice. I am a new guitarist, only been playing for a few months now, and I have two guitars already and want another... love the two I got but I must just be patient, set some goals to achieve first to become a better player first. Time to practice!
Unless you are a true enthusiast/collector most people will end up becoming bombarded with so many guitars. At one point I had around 12. Now I'm down to 6 or 7. It was just too many guitars for me. Like my dad used to say "You can only play one at a time". If a guitar is sitting and not getting used and collecting dust, unless it has sentimental value to you go ahead and get rid of it. Let someone else enjoy it.
Agreed!!!!!
Naaa
Man, the videography in this video is through the roof! It was really a joy to watch. And yes, agree with all the reasons you mentioned, but I'm really tempted to get a jag lmao
Thank you! Oh and all of these reasons don't apply to Jags :p
Hey, I'll be 71 Saturday. I deserve a new guitar. And I have a few I could part with. The older you get the more GAS you get. Ya wipper snappers!
It seems like this has better video production than your typical videos. I can tell you’ve stepped up your game. Looks great!
Convincing us not to buy a guitar after keeping a whole rack of guitars behind him 😂
It's to keep the market open for him
That Blue Tele is winking at me, I better look away lol.
On spot
Yooo these videos are looking PROfessional 👌
Thanks duder
@@RobertBakerGuitar D U D E R !
Me watching this video: "Good points, Robert."
Also me watching this video: "I wonder how I can buy his blue tele."
You should Telecasters are great, I have 3 lol.
I love how you posted this while I’m literally in the market right now for another Les Paul or PRS…
This is excellent advice. My guitar and amp collections fluctuate, but I find that when I’m in a steady gigging band, my gear actually downsizes. Once I start to hone in on what I’m looking for, all the peripheral stuff starts to go away.
Kudos Robert! I have been attempting to expose these philosophies to fellow players (and admittedly, myself Lol) for decades- and it eventually sinks in!
Rob I think I may have been one of your earliest subscribers from way back when. I still remember being obsessed with your legato videos when you were ripping that white Charvel! Man, I watched those videos over and over and over. I just wanted to say that your videos over the last maybe 7 or 8 years have always been inspirational, fun, and have evolved into what I think is some of the best guitar content on UA-cam. Just keep doing what you're doing man because you just get better and better as the years go by. Now I'm off to convince myself not to buy that SG I've been looking at for way too long! Peace brother.
My first proper stratocaster was a used SRV strat I got ages ago. It sounds amazing and has the most comfortable neck I have ever played, but a large part of why its my #1 is because of what it represents.
After I decided to spend the money I had saved up on a "real" guitar during a holiday trip with my family, my dad spent hours with me, following me around while I tried several guitars until i found one that convinced me. As I grew older, I became more aware of the value of the time he spent with me that day, basically following me around multiple music shops for hours while I played every guitar that I could afford. I have bought additional guitars since then, but I still play my strat regularly and would never part with it under normal circumstances.
In my experience, the most special guitars you can possibly get are the ones that represent a connection with your loved ones. I guess that's true for a lot of things.
Greetings, Robert!
I was really surprised to hear that you are contemplating getting rid of your Telecaster, I remember your video about “Five Guitars that Every Guitarist Should Have” and that a Telecaster is one of those guitars on your list.
Currently, I still have not found the Telecaster I need in my collection, but I am still looking, I am also on the lookout for a few other guitars as well. I did finally get an Epiphone SG Pro that I like quite a bit, it has coil splits as a standard feature.
In my opinion, I prefer to hang on to as many guitars that I love as possible, if I can do so, many of them will eventually appreciate, and I can have sonic options to choose from. Some songs sound better on particular guitar than on many others, keeping my music room stocked helps enable me to find the right sound, and it helps to keep me from “putting all my eggs into one basket”
Thank you for posting these videos! Please have an excellent and awesome day!☀️
The Gibson demo shop has me hooked. So far, I've only bought one cheap Les Paul, but I almost pulled the trigger on an SG Standard yesterday. Thankfully, it sold later that day so I could stop thinking about it. I have a Warmoth project I really should be finishing first anyway, lol.
100% agree on setting goals before buying a guitar. I've only buy them when I get a promotion or move up at work. Makes me appreciate them more.
I'm a lefty and also a bit of a les paul freak. It is hard passing up ones that I'm not sure if I will come across again, but I've been going through them and deciding which ones I really enjoy the tone out of and ones that provide different tones. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one going through this existentialist mini crisis!
Great video Robert. When i started playing the guitar again i said to myself i will not own more than 3 or 4 guitars, so even if I don't have the time to play, my guitars will not go long without any playing. Also that i will not own two of the same type. After a some buying, selling and swapping guitars i came across the ultimate strat in a Charvel. Then i changed its pickups to my liking and had it repainted. A change of hardware with my P90 guitar and pickups changed with my Telecaster. Now i have a humbucker, tele and a P90 guitar. They've all been modified. I don't care about it losing its value because it's not 100% original. In all honesty it's fun to buy and sell guitars cause you come across and play with various guitars even if they end not up working for you. But it's also good to settle. Let's be honest we're all on reverb or local sites looking at guitars and hoping to come across a great stuff at great value or maybe to come across something rare 😀 now when i think that i've found something rare or great deal, i sleep on it and think about if it's any different than what i already have.
I overextended myself on a Gibson CS 61 ES 335 assuming that I would get the overtime at the beginning of the year like I always do but unfortunately we are in a pandemic. I bonded with it right away but I had to sell it a few months after I got it because I was broke. I don’t think I’m ever going to find a 335 that I’ll like as much as that one. It was painful. This was a good video with sound advice. Well done Robert!
The bridge lock on those Jazz Master tremolos for when and if a string breaks is such a great idea. I bet most people don't have them set up properly though.
It depends on your needs. If you're a gigging musician, you'll have at least two or three.
Example: high-end strat and two cheaper gigging strats (Player probably) because you need two for every gig in case a string breaks etc. Your top end axe for recording or live stream gig. Personally I have a modern strat (G&L), a classic 60s Fender, and I'm looking at a G&L S-500. I'm happy with those three. Just sold an SG and will probably sell my Les Paul gathering dust
I’ve replaced buying new guitars with setuping correctly the ones I have, replacing pickups and buying better pedals. Good move.
That said, your playing is always exciting to watch!
Nice to see the SG. I’m looking to pare down but can’t decide what I want to give up. My guitars are like children. Love them all for different reasons.
This advice right here is so on point! I wish someone had told me these things when I was younger just buying random guitars. These are things I had to learn overtime with wisdom. Now my collection is much smaller, yet it makes sense. Sometimes less is so much more.
In my case I’m at a point in my life where I can comfortably buy any guitar I want. What I focus on are guitars I could never afford when I was younger. It’s like a reward to myself for putting my family first all these years. Shortly after getting married money was tight and I sold everything I could to make ends meet. Raised 6 children through college and had to set aside my wants to take care of their needs. They are all doing well in life and Now it’s time for me to have fun. It also helps that my wife encourages me to do what I want.
I’m the same. My wife encouraged me to convert our garage into a very swanky cool music room/studio that I’ve always wanted. I love that I can finally buy what I want when I want it.
I know what you mean by some guitars falling into the background. I started off on an Epiphone SG. Upgraded to a Gibson SG that I built from the ground up since I just bought the body. Now? It mostly sits there because I prefer to play my semi-hollow with the Bigsby nowadays. I did play it out before the pandemic hit and it was my main teaching guitar too.
love those shots from the side, gives kind of a documentary vibe
Hi Robert, I am down to 4 guitars right now and they are the guitars that I love. I will never compromise again, because it's so important to wait for the guitar with the right sound. The only other guitar I NEED is a Jackson dinky. Then I'll be done buying guitars 🎸
that little outro thing you made up sounded like the first 3 chords of "can't you see" by the marshal tucker band - a beautiful guitar piece.
The parts with the Jazzmaster is awesome ! You sould make a video on how to play this !
I agree with #1. After playing for 15 years I finally had the money and bit the bullet and bought my dream custom shop LPC. Now it’s my number 1 and I can’t put it down. I’ve had other Lea Paul’s that were great but this is the one for me
I am a drummer and I have 4 electric guitars - each with a purpose: a Nashville tele (that wants me to get a few frets fixed) that was my first real electric and has sentimental value because my wife got it for me with a LOT of hard work (without me knowing she was even doing it), a Variax 500 (that helped me realize my love for a Les Paul tone), an Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro II (as a trade for some other gear I wasn't using), and a PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow that I got as an anniversary gift (22) because I wanted something with a whammy bar, but ended up with something more than that with the semi-hollow feature, a ton of versatility, and a really comfortable neck. I feel at least a little vindicated by this video. :)
Robert: "don't buy another guitar"
Me, who literally just bought my 19th last night: 😶
Gee, thanks for telling me now🤣
I've got a Tele arriving today.
Enjoy!
I think you and I AC777 I'm up to 15 now lol and I'm not done lol.
My 6th electric arrived yesterday 😉 A Fender American Pro II Jazzmaster in Dark Night finish!
The one I got is supposed to arrive Monday. It's a kramer baretta special. I already have the candy blue one but I snatched up a ruby red and plan to refinish it in metallic grey with orange hot rod flames😏
Fender Ultra Strat & Gibson Les Paul, SG Std and Flying V. All the shapes and sounds that influenced me growing up in the 70s.
Visiting Hawaii rn and ended up buying an Epiphone EJ200 that was at a good price. Great guitar thats been really played in. Definitely keeping it
Just got a 12 string electric/ acoustic. Added to the “measly” 11 guitar collection. But, I agree, everyone has it’s own tone, feel and use. Two Epiphone Les Paul’s, three PRS SE’s, two squires,two esp Ltd’ds,a Godin,,a Jackson, two Fenders, and one PRS SE 24-08 on back order..,.my bad! 14 guitars. And they all have a different tone and feel. They all get have a use, depending on what I’m playing at hue time. Think I need to stop now.
Add to that two amp heads/ speaker cabs, one combo amp, an PA system(for recording and acoustic) , plus multiple FX pedals, multi fx units, etc!! I could have bought a new Corvette, or Ram Pickup!
Great points; very utilitarian look at guitar owning. On the other hand, some of us just like to collect stuff. If you like guitars, and have a preference (in my case the Telecaster), it’s really fun to collect different versions of that guitar. I’m down to three Teles right now, but the urge is still there….
I was wanting a Gibson Firebird. Let me say that I am in love with the Guitar I purchased in place of the Gibson Firebird... It's a well built, quality, and reasonably priced Guitar... I bought the ESP LTD Phoenix Deluxe 1000 in Vintage White. I love this Guitar!
Sweetwater: Oh no he did not just tell them that!
Robert: It's ok I told them to buy the best guitar!
Sweetwater: Well, ok that's more like it!
I have one strat that I built out of a squier. It's pretty sweet, stainless frets, nice pickups (HSS), plus I did all the work myself. It's honestly all I'll ever need.
I’ve been thinning out redundancies too. It’s no longer enough that a guitar sounds and plays great if I’m going to keep it. It has to be different. Like I have 2 Strats and 2 Teles but they are very different from one another. Nice vid
Good thoughts & advise Robert. Thanks! (Bought 5 guitars this year) 🤘
I am in the same struggle. I have my Epiphone Les Paul standard and my Gibson Les Paul studio. They seem different but similar. I too had a bad relationship with my first SG, not sure I could go back for one but I’m not sure I can find the right one. Trauma💁🏻♂️ Lol.
Great advice Robert!
Saving right now to buy Jazzmaster Professional but waiting cause I want to buy the one I want and not a cheaper one for now I did the same with my strat took a long time but happy I waited
You will really dig the Jazzmaster man. Thats the same one I have. The new trem system in it is amazing.
But I fall in love with them so easy! I have 5 guitars, An Acoustic, a Semi Hollow , A Strat style that is my Travel / Mod guitar and my two loves a 2001 PRS Santa SE and my newest a Schecter C1 Platinum with the EMG pickups. The only Guitar I may pick up is a PRS S2 Custom 24.
Great advice, Not settling was logical in my case.. Instead of having more guitars I saved n' got the one Gibson hummingbird I wanted I couldnt be happier.. Gonna do the same With the Les Paul that suited for my hands, nut width, neck shape and pick ups.
Personally, I believe that all guitarists need a Strat, a Tele, a Les Paul, an Acoustic, a Semi-Hollow and something with P90s (I am planning on getting a semi-hollow WITH P90s!)
Good tool box… I love my Gretsch electromatic (a Chinese version) with the Bigsby I added (to be like George Harrison’s)… and my Gretsch baritone… and my Epiphone ES 339 with Duesenberg trem… and there are tones my Jaguar and Duo-sonic produce that are not like any other axe I have. I also keep a cheap Squier tele in Nashville tuning, a Mexican tele in “Keith Richards” tuning… but I do have a few other cheap axes that were GAS buys, that I still enjoy… I rotate them on my wall hangers so I give them all attention : )… but are there too many? probably.
Check 1-4 working on a semi-hollow!
LP could be subbed out for anything with PAFs
Haha, if you mean a SSS Strat, then I don't have any of the listed (I have HSH with a Floyd, HH hardtail (but not a Les Paul type guitar) and a travel guitar (1x hot rails).
It was nice chillen with ya today, Brother Baker 😎
My soloist and strat are the real deal..my "must have that type" guitars (tele, superstate, single cut) are Harley Bentons or Chinese clones. cus they only get the occasional run out and I wouldn't bother selling them..still waiting for HB to produce an FB type with their take on the firebird pickup..the wife once warned me " don't fill the house with cheap crappy guitars" but I think she'd be even unhappiest if I was buying the real deals, just to hide in their cases
Love the Harley Bentons - the only guitars I still plan to buy are all Harleys (HB-35, DC Custom CH, SC Custom FR because it's so pretty!).
I am glad this was recommended by UA-cam. I was just thinking about selling some guitars to purchase a Gibson j-45 walnut. But I will hold out for a j-45 standard.
Wise words as always, Robert!
I had a difficult exam I needed to take for work and I had to stop playing guitar for 2 months to study. I said if I pass the first time I'll reward myself with a Nick Johnston hss strat! It's on the way with the light blue finish 🤠
I recently unloaded a bunch of stuff, left myself with a strat, an Epiphone (which I thought about selling too) and my original guitar from 1990 which is worth nothing but sounds and plays great and has sentimental value, along with one little combo amp. I used to be a person who enjoyed buying inexpensive gear for myself, but the time had come.
I've been doing the same thing. Getting rid of some guitars and stuff to get stuff more focused for my needs, instead of having a bunch of stuff. ☮️
I agree. I set a goal when I wanted a real nice Classical Guitar. Being a finger style steel string / electric player I said I need to learn 25 standard classical songs before I took the plunge otherwise I felt like I shouldn’t drop the $$$ on a really nice Classical.
Awesome examples of playing going on, very nice
When i succumbed to "guitar acquisition syndrome", i decided to use the "one of each" rule of thumb. looks like you need about 2 to 3 dozen guitars to do that. right now my collection includes one super strat (90's esp ltd m2 w/ emg 81x), one tele (kit build), one 355 type with bigsby (kit build), a 7 string, a 7 string fanned fret, an 8 string fanned fret (Ibanez), a 20 string harp guitar, a 5 string banjo, a 12 string electric strat, a 6 string semi hollow tele, a semi hollow 12 string electric tele, a 6 string fender acosutic, a classical acoustic (w/ nylon strings), ovation roundback type, nohead steinburger type, a mini strat, a 58 flying v (kit), a Gibon Moderne clone (Chinese custom shop), a 90's Jackson Roswell, a cigar box guitar, a 90's Traveller Pro, and a fender jazz bass. a flamed and spalted maple LP is due to arrive in a few weeks. my only "duplicates" are a matched set consisting of one cherryburst tele and one cherryburst strat.
I just sold 3 guitars to get 1 built... so until November-ish, I only have 3 electric guitars. I'm used to having 5 to 10 electrics and they are typically in a variety of tunings. I'm go lean and mean to get a dream guitar. Guys, wish me strength to hold fast at 3 until #4 arrives.
You got this, bro
literally stumbled on your channel from a comment you left on the new joe bonamassa Gibson video. Watched this video and you earned my sub
Thanks so much!
As a gigging musician, I’ve always thought that the perfect number of guitars is 3: My main guitar (my Les Paul) a second that can fill in if I break a string (this one for me is currently a Pacifica 501) and a third that is in an alternate tuning if you need that. I don’t ever want to lug more than that to a gig, and at home I always play my Les Paul anyway.
Yes, I think it can become an addiction like so many things. Havn't bought any gear in about 5 years. I came to a point where I wanted to focus on the actual playing and musicianship- less is more. Anyhow, when someone says they play guitar or wanna jam, the first thing I want to see is what they do with just an acoustic.
Excellent video and great playing!
One thing that teaches you though is trying different guitars. My first guitar was a crappy second hand guitar. Second one was a grocery store strat and it only just looked better but when I got a third one (still from the grocery store catalogue) it felt so much better because it has a thin c shape neck which is what I still have... The strat had a thick D shape neck. At this point I have a better understanding of what I want and I'm not one to obtain just anything. It's okay to be starting out with second hand guitars.
This is a great video and topic Robert!
Haha, awesome video Robert! I would add a reason to not buy is thinking that it will somehow make you happy or play better (if you don't already feel like that with your existing guitar or guitars). Rock on!
I looooove the tone on that P-90 Les Paul! It snarls, but the midrange gave me SRV Strat flashbacks.
Ive been looking at strats. This came at the perfect time. Thank you sir.
Great advice. I didn't have a pot to piss in for a long time. Now I am fortunate enough to be able to get anything I want. I have to constantly fight the urge to buy another guitar (and I don't have near your collection, on the other hand I am not near as good as you so I don't need them either). Keep rockin.
Honestly allot of these hit home for me! The Don't settle especially I did that the same thing with an SG this year I was going to buy an epiphone but also picked up an SG Standard and have been blown away by that guitar ever since. Also The Selling of instruments that don't get as much attention as others, I cut my collection in half this year because I found my self not playing certain instruments as often as others in my collection and I'm about to do the same with an Acoustic of mine because I've played so much electric guitar lately that they feel weird to me.
i'm back up to owning 3. that's enough.
it's not enough.
For me it would be no less than one acoustic, a gibson les paul, a fender strat and probably an es 335. I owned a tele but I liked a strat more for the srv/hendix stuff.
This is groovy entertainment...its great to see and hear how a person can gain wisdom through music. Well done on spreading good vibes around the planet.
Hi Robert, I was very lucky. I'm an attorney and I did some work for the guitarist for one of the very popular artists in South Africa. When my account arrived it was way bigger than he had provided for. so on a given date he delivered to me an original 1969, re-issue of the 1961, Gibson SG , in its original case with the original papers. It is light and easy to play and has a great rich warm sound, but when called upon it can give a serious bit- like you have never heard before. Cheers, Malcolm
...."bite"... ya see, finger trouble again...I'm not playing enough !
I think Robert didn't want to convince us but rather himself
real talk
@@RobertBakerGuitar my girlfriend said its a good video.... I think Im in trouble😂
I felt really good a while back when I gave away 2 guitars to a family member, which took me down to around 10 guitars. Then I bought another 4 in the last 6 months!!!😪
Lololool 😄
When I "think" about buying (or the process of starting to ponder) that "next guitar".... I have been honestly thinking about why do I want it? Do I already own a guitar that does "that thing"? Is there any real good reason that I need it in my "tool box"? (Yes, I think of guitars as tools to create the music that makes me feel good!).... Yep. I've reversed my thinking quite a few times. I've also sold guitars that were NOT fulfilling my expectations of buying them to begin with. Good thoughts Robert!
Best guitar video ever! Having too much guitars is tiring me: constantly thinking about which one I'll resell, which one I'll play etc. Huge waste of time and energy. Just ridiculous in my case, wrt my skills 😀
Definitely agree with getting rid of redundancies. Unless they're Les Pauls, you gotta have at least 15 of those.
If you are single you purchase 15 Les Pauls, If you want to remain single you purchase 15 Les Pauls lol.
I'm a recording guy, so originally I thought it would be cool to have different guitars for all of the things like different tunings or different pickup configurations and stuff. Really I just need humbuckers a coil splits so right now I'm down to two 6 string electrics, an 8 string, a bass, an acoustic, and a classical. That's pretty much all I need. XD
I bought my 1959 Les Paul Special for my 40th and the pots were changed to 1980 at some point - my birth year. Easy to justify!
I've always been a big believer in redundancy. I want a similar backup for my main axe so I can still get those tones even if one of them is in the shop.
I meant to buy a second guitar after I felt I learnt enough (I'm a beginner). Earning the right to award myself with another guitar. But then I discovered my first guitar needed fixing (improperly working Floyd and not a setup issue), I decided to get another one, so I don't have any gaps in practicing, I'm not an experienced tech who could do it all in one afternoon lol. Also, I use different tunings and while I have a pedal for dropping tunings, I currently practice something in a non-standard tuning and that would be uncomfortable with a Floyd.
I learnt to appreciate having a guitar for each desired tuning very quickly (even if they are hardtails). :))
Also, being a picky lefty helps to curb the urge to buy guitars so easily. :))
1:27 Definitely what I look for especially for recording. Great video Robert 🤘
Excellent video.
2 questions:
Do you have something on your left thumb? I first started wondering around 5:15-5:20 and then couldn’t stop seeing it. Second, how often do you change strings on all those guitars? Must get expensive just buying strings. How long do your strings stay nice once you’ve opened the case and tightened them up?
If anyone wants to tell me that was three questions, the last two questions are essentially the same🤘🏽
I have a theory. People don't buy new gear when they're satisfied with what they have. I've got a pile of cash to spend. But I'm actually not even looking at guitars now because I'm satisfied with the one in my avatar.
Funny thing is I was looking at them constantly before I found out I had extra money coming. Now that it's here, I don't find myself wanting to look for any guitars. If anything, I may buy another Seymour Duncan 59 Model pickup for the neck to match the bridge. Otherwise, I'm good. 😁
I think it's about the vibe that you get. I'm a beginner and own a PRS SE. The guitar doesn't get me into a blues/jazz mode. I'd like to have a guitar that incentives me to learn jazz/blues. Same for metal shredding (for lower tunings).
@@chrisking6695 don’t play jazz it’s gross
@@chrisking6695 but blues is cool and rock
There are tons of people that buy stuff (any kind of stuff) cos they're trying to find a shortcut to happiness / filling some void. They're never gonna be satisfied unless they address the issue behind it.
Think there's more than a little overthinking going on there. Some people like to collect things - I doubt somebody that collects stamps continues to do so because they are unsatisfied with what they have - that would defeat the object of collecting. It's nice to be able to look round and think "I'm not playing the Custom Shop today, I'm gonna play the Firebird" - variety is the spice of life.
Went all out this year. Bought a 1961 Gibson Les Paul jr and a Magnatone super 15. Kind of ends my quest thats within my means
"In your face Grim Reaper"🤣🤣🤣 love it! When I started playing a very experienced guitarist told me to buy the best gear I possibly could. The good gear would make practice and learning more enjoyable, or if I gave playing away I'd have good quality gear to sell at a good price. Great advice, and 35 years, 15 guitars and 4 amps, and counting.....
Right there with you. Also, don't care about resale value either.
I'm glad you said weight loss goal. I have a epi bonamassa firebird that I cannot play until I've gotten my weight down to about 240-250. The easy part is done, down 60 pounds. Need to shed that last 30-40
You got this thing Andy!
@@RobertBakerGuitar Hey thanks Robert! 🤘🔥♥️
I am not joking, I saw your video literally a day after I bought a new guitar! After watching the video I felt better because I had been searching for a guitar with humbuckers to go with my Strat and tele. What did I buy? A PRS Custom 24 se, partly influenced by you and your PRS videos. I think that's it (for now).
Very good video. I was in that groove, until a good friend of mine asked me what I was doing. He explained to me if the guitar doesn't change my sound, don't buy it unless it is a better guitar that I'm replacing it with. Sell the old one. Thanks 😊