The chopping block

veinbuster

Zombie Three, DFZ
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
14,980
Location
GTA or wandering aimlessly
The thread(s) about keeper guitars got me thinking about the other side of the coin. Sometimes you get a different sense of your reality by looking at things from different angles.

So...guitar gear that would be the first to go. I will shrink my stash over the next couple of years to make it less of a pain in the butt for my daughters, some unknown date in the future. I'm not in a hurry and I'll probably pick up some choice items along the way, but the total number of items will always go down

First out the door will be:
- an early 80s scratch and dent tele (scratches from the store, I looked after the rest. At the time I could only afford half price and the scratches got me there). Plan to just give it to some kid starting out.
- Taylor jumbo 12 string - got it just to play Christmas songs on but my fingers can't chord 12 strings any more
- PRS CU24 - with a bloody awesome top. I always choose the dark Santana
CK_142KillerQuiltBodyAAA.JPG

- PRS 25th anniversary HBII with piezo - I really liked the case, but I always play the blonde burl
CK_116SapphireHollowbody.JPG

- PRS Archtop - great niche guitar, but my brain keeps telling me to get a traditional archtop by some snooty builder
CK_123Archtop.JPG

- PRS MDT 4x10 - there is just never a reason for me to play in the basement anymore. Shame, because it is a pretty (not so) little thing
CK_15TopSecretMdtAmpBack.JPG
 
We’re talking about remodeling our basement, which until Covid and my wife working from home, was just my guitar depository.

I kinda don’t want it to look like a pawn shop down there, and with prices being what they are… might be time to cash out?

HB Spruce, SE EG, CE22, SE O, SE Santana, Core Santana (aka: my wife’s guitar, according to her) SE CU24 (trash) the LV Soapbar studio, Gucci guitar, Bernie, and maybe even the KL33 could/would/should move on. Maybe.

I think I could live an incredible life with just the White Westie, DC3, my sister’s Fender MM Jazz bass, Yamaha flamenco/nylon string, and my sparkle SE Semi Hollow Custom w/Bigsby as my “trash” guitar. I already promised Paco my OG CE24 will be his first guitar, and his eyes lit up like Xmas when I told him… also, don’t think I could part with it.


I keep telling myself: “You can only play one of them at a time” and that every moment I spend playing a different guitar, is time I’m not playing the Westie.
 
It has long been apparent to me that I need to move gear: at least 2 (probably 3) guitars, two amps/cabs and a few pedals. Three guitars and one amp get almost all the play time. If I weren’t a world class procrastinator, a lot of gear would be gone. While working it was save and accumulate. In retirement it’s spend and reduce. I’ve mastered the spending part of the equation. Reducing is a bit more challenging.
 
UGH!
Way to rip the Band-aid off! Lol!
Buying and installing some new strap locks made me realize the favourites in the stable.
I'm such a hoarder though. A reality check may be in order...
The problem is they’re all sofaking good!

I’m trying to imagine I’m an action figure or a doll, and what guitar would be included, and which would be “accessories not included”.
 
I've been thinking about down sizing, in large part to the current prices. I'll never be able to get more for them. On the PRS front, these would move on first: '97 Santana I, West St (brown one), '08 Core Mira, '08 Cu22, and Dirty 100 (which is such a cool guitar, but the DC22 is essentially the same guitar, and I like it better).

Just too lazy to do anything about it...............yet
 
I have a bunch of things that I have been getting closer to moving. I have 5 amps already separated out to move on. I have been trying to think of what are the top 10 of my guitars that I would keep if forced to go down to that number. I have identified a handful that I think I will be okay with selling at some point.

Gibson 335 Dot
Gibson 339, a very early one.
Hamer Monaco Elite
Hamer Diablo, early one with reverse headstock
Heritage H 157, ordered with some H150 appointments
PRS 2006 Custom 24, whale blue, mint. I just don't play the 24 fret guitars.
Suhr custom built modern carved top set neck. 24 frets.
Gibson SG standard with wrong headstock face on it. This is a factory mistake with a bit of a story.

It is a struggle to identify more than this right now but this isn't even half of what I would need to move if I want to get down to 10.

I could probably do a pedal purge too. I have quite a few of them. I am debating on how much more gigging I want to do. If I decide I am done with that, I have PA gear to move too.
 
I've been thinking of downsizing for a while now but can't find it in me to pull the trigger. I only play about half of them often. The others sit in cases for long periods of time. But when I pull them I remember why I haven't sold them. Still it might be time...
 
The problem is they’re all sofaking good!

I’m trying to imagine I’m an action figure or a doll, and what guitar would be included, and which would be “accessories not included”.
I know right?
My gateway drug was/is the SE ONE and it plays great. And it's got Dweezil's sig on it.
The 305 was/is my first core and it rocks!
The Mira was/is my first with real birds and it kills as well...
What to do?
 
The problem is they’re all sofaking good!

This. Do I have guitars I could move on? Yes. Have I moved any on? Not in a long time (I traded in a Les Paul that I didn't bond with toward an amp, and sold an Aria II V that I wasn't playing because I was mostly sitting - kinda wish I'd kept that one, but oh well...).

Problem is, every time I pull out a guitar to consider it, I'm reminded of why I bought it and what it offers that other guitars don't. Most likely, if I were to move something on, it would be in trade towards a special purchase. Besides, these guitars are kind of my retirement plan - they're going to get a nice chunk of my attention when the day finally comes.

But put a gun to my wife's head and make me pick?

4m1sp5.jpg
 
I'm still in the building process. But I ain't gettin' no younger neither haha. I have some nephews that play and a cousin's son as well (close cousin) so my most prized will go to them. The rest aren't (so far) expensive, although worthy instruments so I'll likely end up giving them to a suitable recipient (I might have mentioned before) in a music program or such. I figure I have at least 15 years to get serious about it anyway so.
Veinbuster, I'm embarking on the 12 string journey myself very shortly, and I might find the same thing you mentioned about finger strength. But If Lightfoot can still hammer (no pun intended) on one at his age and condition, I figure I can for a few years too. But someone somewhere will benefit of a nice S12 Concert one day.
The decisions would be easy (if not the squabbles) if we had kids of our own, but that isn't a part of our life. We're both planning to end our days with as little liquidity for our surviving family members to fight over when the time comes, so my axes will be a simple pre-arranged matter as long as I still have my faculties and set it up properly.
But until then the walls and countryside can shake and echo.
 
It’s actually a prized possession. My wife bought it for me when she was in college, and she hauled it with a bottle of champagne in it through downtown Chicago, to the train to the suburbs, and to my house for my birthday years back.

I love mopping.

Edit: Mop Porn




Stfu!! I'm a mopping fool too!!! Sometimes it seems like I mop err' day all day and I dig it. Hell It's about the only exercise I get, other than walking the dogs several times a day. I'm kinda "sleeping with the enemy" crazy about the house being clean and situated, minus the terrorizing my wife part of course. Pfft...that mean a$$ ginger could beat the brakes off of me.;)

Public transit in Chicago with a commercial mop bucket!? DAMMIT MAN!! THAT'S what love looks like!! Mrs. Sergio's a FRIGGIN LEGEND!

Back on track. Like my mops, my guitars pale by comparison to the collections you and the other fellas have, but I LOVE my two SEs. The 245 is my baby and it's also my prized possession (for obvious reasons). The SS ("Butta") has quickly worked itself right into my heart as well, I've already decided it's 100% a keeper. Plus it's the fist SE the wife ever bought me.

I've thought about what I really needed gear wise, A LOT!! And if I'm totally honest with myself, all I really need is what I've already got, a great humbucker and a great single coil guitar. Of course, I know there's a lot of other tonal options available, and I lust over most every core and PS I lay eyes on, but for what I enjoy doing, simple works and I just live vicariously thru you guys.

For me, it's just another material thing that I would love to have, but in no way need. I just can't justify spending a substantial amount of money on anything more at the moment. I'm just a play every day, bedroom hack kinda guy. Basically...a guitar simp, but that's all good with me. It's my happy place my drug, my escape and my daily therapy/meditation session.

Seeing you guys scale down (as much as it hurts my soul) kinda validates my general attitude about being totally okay with what works for me. So, as long as I have the basics to play music and create with..I'm as they say down here...happier than a pig in sh!t.

But that's just from my perspective YRMV.

Good luck on the cleansing boys & girls! The market is stupid hot right now so go for it!
 
Last edited:
I ended up cutting my collection drastically a few years ago leading up to moving. It was pretty rough clearing most of it at the time. As I had the coolest man cave ever in my old house. It was full of guitars, amps and snakes.
But I knew I wasn't going to have anywhere near as much space for my instruments etc as I would in my new house.

There were some guitars I sold that were really tough to sell and one I really regret selling but didn't know I would at the time.
However, I've now got a personal rule of a maximum of ten guitars and two/three amps at a time now. It's usually less tbh.
The ones I've kept are either super sentimental, custom or close and then a few rotating gigging guitars mixed in.
Most of my musical instruments are in my will (as well as the real values of them! God forbid my GF sells them at the prices I tell her I bought them for! haha) to be given to the right person for playing or selling.

I now don't have a ton of guitars just sitting in cases never being played and although the crazy man cave was fun I like the fact that pretty much every guitar I own usually gets some playtime on a fairly regular basis.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top