Multiple Guitars owners - how do you which one to play?

[roadbiker]

Well after reading through all of these great reasons, I suppose I should chime in with mine...

My favorite guitar to play is my Guild D-50, which I have owned for 30 years now (wow - how time flies!). Last January I bought an Epi Masterbilt AJ500 and that has gotten a lot of play time, mainly because it didn't come with a case (I bought a gig bag) and it stays out on a stand. My Guild stays protected nicely in it's case. For a good long time I was keeping both of them out and randomly playing one or the other. Life was pretty simple - then I added the Taylor 814ce and complicated everything . I have been playing the Taylor a lot because it's new, but I do find myself A-B-ing the same songs on all three guitars - mostly between the Taylor and the Guild. The Guild has such a great big, rich sound, especially with new strings. The Taylor has a totally different sound and is very comfortable to play because being a GA it is not as big as the Guild, a dread. The Epi is also a dread and now I have it tuned to Open D - which I have yet to figure out (but am eager to learn). I also have the Epi strung with medium gauge strings and the others with Lights, but that doesn't really play into the decision on which to play.

When I play with friends, I just pick the one I want to show off - it's usually either the Guild or Taylor.

So right now, my order of play is Taylor - Guild - Epi. I like the idea of a planned rotation - playing one or the other for a week or month at a time.  But I also like to switch between them as much as possible because I don't want to get too used to playing one over another as they all do play differently.

I think that after the newness of the Taylor wears off, it will be interesting to see which is my first choice - I'm pretty sure it will be my Guild. I love that guitar.

Great feedback here. It's been really interesting to read and I have learned from it.

Happy New Year!
Jim

[Strumming Fool]

I try to play every day, so I roughly adhere to a rotation of the five guitars I have. (I hope to own seven one day so that I can play a different guitar for each day of the week!) Of course, when I'm playing out, I pick the guitar that I feel will best fit the situation.

[rudals1281]

I have a dreadbought (beater) and I use it during practice sessions and when I have to travel far to play. It's my beater.

I have a GA that I use to play fingerstyle and strum. It's maple so I always use it in live sessions.

I had a 916CE (GS) and I used to switch between it and the maple in live sessions.

[forhim]

I've found that the idea of owning more than one guitar is very nice but the other are definitely neglected.  I have one now so the choice is easy.

Though I have kinda fallen for a Seagull cedar topped parlor that I always pickup when I go to guitar center.  Also really dig a DN3 (scratch and dent).  The DN3 sounds great but some knucklehead dropped it on its endpin and cracked the sapele of the lower bout.   

[Iplay2]

It’s pretty easy for me, since I use my guitars for different things.  I use my 710 for solo and duo stuff with my 614ce as a backup or tuned down a ½ step for a few songs.  I use my 614ce for full band stuff with my 710 then as the backup or tuned down a ½ step.  They each just work better as my main instrument in those scenarios.

My 510 is purely for pickin’ at home, and pretty much never goes anywhere.

I also have a pretty worn Ovation Applause I bought new a long time ago that is the proverbial “beater”.  It spends most of its time just hanging on the wall like a piece of art.

[coldshot]

I try to play all my guitar reasonably regularly, although I do go through stages with certain guitars.

I leave my GA5 upstairs in the lounge room and often grab it for a tune while dinner is being cooked or waiting for my Mrs to get ready to go out, it's also my travel guitar when i go away for work.

All my other guitars are in locked in my Humidified cabinet in my studio \ jam room, often when i'm playing with others I'll either use the 35th anniversary or the R Taylor, occasionally get the Gibson J35 for the more bluesy stuff we do, It's a great guitar for playing lead on.

The 12 string gets played the least but times come when I'll play that guitar exclusively for a week.

The electrics have there time if I want to amp up and it's very hard to put the Gibson L5ces once i get that guitar out, although the T5 has a tone of it's own and is not neglected either.

When I gig which is not too often these days I use the Gibson 335 and the R Taylor, the R Taylor was an e bay find and about 1/4 to 1/3 of retail price and it happens to be the cheapest guitar I own as far as what I paid for it and it cuts through the mix exceptionally well.

So thats how mine all get their play time.

[SoloTaylor]

I play the same one for a week and then switch it out.

[mcookoc]

i have three guitars and a banjo. i play daily and use a different one each day. i need practice and my instruments need practice.

[Scriptor]

i have three guitars and a banjo.

And he admits it!   

About the banjo I mean ... had to notice this because I had a banjo that I sold a couple of years ago to help acquire a Taylor Ltd ... but then I missed it and recently picked up another and have been (re) enjoying it the last several days while I dust off my limited banjo repertoire ...

Plunk on!

[Edward]

Each of my guitars has it's own tonal "personality". I simply pick the one that matches my mood. Sometimes mellow, sometimes bluesy, etc.

Gary

That's my answer.  No "rotation" or perfunctory desire to make sure all "get played."  It's about Tone and Mood.  And likewise the very same answer to why I have more than one guitar. 

And as a side note, why I end up selling a guitar (or piece of gear), despite how nice it may be: if it doesn't speak my tonal language, it can't stay, regardless of how purty.  I love a good-looking guit as much as any one, but I can only keep those I love to play.  And the ones I play speak to my mood and the tones in my head.  There's a cycle here...

Edward

[Strumming Fool]

Each of my guitars has it's own tonal "personality". I simply pick the one that matches my mood. Sometimes mellow, sometimes bluesy, etc.

Gary

That's my answer.  No "rotation" or perfunctory desire to make sure all "get played."  It's about Tone and Mood.  And likewise the very same answer to why I have more than one guitar. 

And as a side note, why I end up selling a guitar (or piece of gear), despite how nice it may be: if it doesn't speak my tonal language, it can't stay, regardless of how purty.  I love a good-looking guit as much as any one, but I can only keep those I love to play.  And the ones I play speak to my mood and the tones in my head.  There's a cycle here...

Edward

That's a great, thoughtful reply. While I am in a rotation with my five, I do break it for the mood on occasion. And I do find that I gravitate to  my four Taylors more than my Larrivee OM10K. At times, I think about selling that Larrivee, but then I'll play it and get a pleasant surprise.  So I'm still on the fence with that one...

[DMBfan41]

I don't have a set rotation between my 3 acoustics and the electric.  However I will say the strat has been getting most of the attention outside of church right now.