Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

as much as i totally agree with what everyone is saying and without a doubt different great guitars inspire different great ideas. BUT... I have just one electric and it is the vibiest most amazingly flexible 335 i've ever played. it is a 79/80 and has a factory coil tap on the lower horn. I still have the original PAF but a couple years ago swapped it out for a Burns humbucker that i pulled out of the bridge of a Burns Steer (the billy bragg type) and it has a drop dead Bill Frissell twang to it. so my 335 can sound strat-like, tele-like paul-like and masterfully 335-like: ) cheers y'all.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

Wow Lane. That sounds like a cool 335. I did not know that they were ever made that way stock. I am pretty happy with my 67 335 even if there is no coil tap. But multiple guitars is a nice way to go.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

Has anyone seen the video interview with Norman Harris found on www.vintageguitarexchange.com? It's pretty cool as Norm rarely does interviews and he talks about how he got started, how he began selling to the "in" crowd and at the end shows a couple of incredible guitars from his collection.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

I totally agree with Carl. Some producers you work for are very aware of guitars, but I think owning a lot of guitars really benefits you when the producer "thinks" he knows what a certain guitar does. In this case I usually politely suggest I try something else (after trying their idea first) and see how it fits. 99 times out of a hundred it works out.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

After 37 years of playing, I've kept almost every guitar that I've been lucky enough to acquire and have sold just a few guitars and now have appx 40 or so... with the advent of Ebay and a little more cash in my pocket than I do now, I used to suffer from AGBS (Acute Guitar Buying Syndrome) which now is in forced remission. I find that the mid nineties strats are just great guitars rivaling the 'good ones' they made in the 60's. I just enjoy the hell out of them.. on gigs I take a Les Paul, Strat, '63 LP jr. w/ p90's for special tunings, and a ric 360/12 for the jangly pop tunes... and maybe a Tele once in a while.. A lot of work, but it's always great to have things that sounds authentic, so it's worth it...

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

I have a MIJ '62 Esquire Custom that is my go to guitar. I have others but I bought it off ebay only because I have a matching Tele, but thought how versatile is a single p/u guitar gonna be. Boy was I surprised.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

I have 18 guitars and I play 'em all. I play a lot of slide, so I have to have several in different tunings. They all have different voices. I have a custom Nashville style Tele that covers both Strat and Tele territory, a Guild Bluesbird for the humbucking sound and the one guitar that always sits well in the mix which is a Reverend with p-90s. Two of my best slide guitars are a Harmony and a Kay. You don't always have to spend a lot to get great guitars and it sure is nice to have all the tonal options.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

I played a '54 Tele from age 14 to 35 and it did anything I needed and felt great too. When the neck wore out and the replacement changed the feel and tone I started looking at other guitars. I've had as many as 15 at a time but I've now narrowed it down to 5. Each one has a unique voice and feel and inspires a different approach. Having done it both ways I have to say that multiple guitars makes growing my playing easier and are just plain fun. BTW the new ash US Std Tele is a near ringer for the '54.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

If I had to narrow everything down to one guitar, I would play the Tele (with the Strat a close second). The Tele is a chameleon not just in tone but in vibe/style/genre feeling. The Strat has something about it where you HAVE to bend the strings - it's always a rock/blues guitar to me. I find I can switch into a jazz mode on a Tele because it has no essential stylistic connection to any style. That said, I think it's a more badass rock and roll guitar than just about anything else save a vintage Les Paul Junior.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

I agree, I used to explain that each guitar has its own voice (and personality), and no two are alike. And each will inspire in different ways. I used to joke that my Tele came pre-loaded with songs, my Strat just oozes tone(s), my Epi Dot hollow body resonates with my body and soul. But it never fails to amaze me two instruments can be mixed for sum greater than the individuals. A Strat and Les Paul... A Tele and anything... But most importantly it is just plain fun.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

I've got about 15 guitars now and I'd say it's a disease. But it's not a 'suffering disease'. I love having different guitars to suit my moods and styles. I've got a couple expensive Heritage guitars, a couple hand-mades custom jobs the rest are and $200-$300 knock-offs that I am always upgrading one-way or another. I love them all like my kids. Each has a unique character and a personal story. THat said, if you're not paying your rent because you're buying guitars obsessively...that's a different matter.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

carl verheyen makes some excellent points .... i would like to change the title of the story to, "Carl Verheyen: the Case for Playing and Owning Guitars"

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

It's a funny thing.I have pretty much narrowed things down to an ash body strat with the TDX circuit, and one tone control, but with that said.. I own several other guitars. The one thing that really always amazes me is that any paticular guitar will have a personality of it's own, and will push you to play it a certain way. You just hold it in your hands, and the guitar will make you play it the way you should. You'll play chords more funky on a strat or tele, and more drawn out and legatto on a Les Paul, or more chunky on a P-90 guitar. Just pay attention, the guitar will let you know how it wants to be played! Besides, we're musicians, the original OCD group of people. We get bored easily. Rock on.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

Beyond a certain point, you're just repeating yourself when you own more than one duplicate of any given instrument. Yes, every guitar has a unique voice. However, what is not said is that 90% of your sound comes through your fingers, not the instrument. The "colour" of your sound, your tone, is augmented by different instruments; and on acoustic, by differences in wood or body style. So owning an example of each of the quintessential models of guitars, Strat, Tele, 335, LP, Gretch, whether original or knockoff or custom built, has definite benefits. I own many electrics and acoustics and all serve a purpose sonically. Owning a guitar you don't use is pointless. Give or sell it to someone who will use it because if you have more guitars than you can realistically play, then you really do have too many. I am an "anti-collector"; I own vintage instruments and I play them; they are not displayed behind a case, which I believe is evil. Neglected instruments deteriorate and become worthless. Your instruments must be played or they are silenced voices. And that is a shame.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

Well, said, Carl! Each is such an individual, each has its own sound, its own vibe, its own soul. And yes, they do need to be played. A dear friend and respected musical colleague once said: "If you play it, it's a tool, if you don't, it's just a toy." I have half a dozen of various stripes, from a tele to an archtop acoustic, and I could easily justify half a dozen more without breathing hard (If I could get the family CFO to buy the business case!) If that's a case of GAS, well, I hope I never lose it.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

I find having maple, mahogany and rosewood bodied acoustics really makes a difference in the guitar's sound and vibe. Similarly, hollow bodied and solid bodied electrics each have their place. I also like having 6 and 12 strings available in acoustic and electric guitars. I find it hard to try and swap out any of the members of my 'family' after working 36 years bringing them into the collection.

Carl Verheyen: The Case for Owning Guitars

Must agree, different guitars - different feelings from the same player! I've long thought 'cross-training' across nylon string, steel string, electric guitar, bass & drums was useful to development as a musician (not just a guitar-ist). So there's a modded strat, hohner shred machine, roland elec drum, acoustic drums, hohner bass, harmony acoustic bass, a steel acoustic and two nylon acoustics in the collection so far...and when I get bored? I put out the looper and mix 'n match =)