• From: Chillicothe, Ohio
  • Registered: 2010-08-16
  • Posts: 1,013

Topic: How Many?

I love the sound of acoustic guitars.  I find it fascinating how the different body shapes, tone woods, construction techniques and string materials/gauges can produce such a variety of sounds.  I've got a new one coming next week and today I started thinking back on how many acoustics I've owned over the last 40 years.  I've never been the type to get all sappy and sentimental over my "toys" unless they're something handed down or given to me by a friend or family member.  I consider my guitars sort of like tools which produce particular sounds I'm looking for while playing music. As my musical tastes have changed, I've bought/sold/traded acoustics to try to obtain the sound I was looking for.  Also physical changes due to injuries, arthritis, hearing loss, etc has had me experiment with various body shapes, neck widths and tone woods.  I've tried to compile a list of the acoustics I've owned.  I may have missed some but I think my next one will be #22.  Here's the ones I remember:

Fender Newporter:  all mahogany, sounded like strings stretched over plywood (first acoustic I owned) sold to a fender collector
Fender JG12-CE 12 string acoustic/electric:  spruce/mahogany, nice sound but terrible neck - traded in on another acoustic
Sigma DM-2: my 2nd acoustic and real nice sound/player (spruce/mahogany if I remember correctly) sold to friend
Samick C2CE: nylon acoustic electric, easy player great sound ( I think it was cedar/mahogany) sold on-line
Samick ST91: all mahogany 3/4 size travel guitar - donated to local music preservation group (Foothills Folk Society or FFS)
Epiphone classical:  all mahogany nylon string, bought hoping my wife would try to learn, ended up giving to son
Alvarez: spruce/mahogany dreadnaught that I played for many years and then passed on to my son (don't remember model number,it was similar to the RD8)
Alvarez 5014:  folk-sized spruce/mahogany guitar I got in a trade.  Sold to guy who promised to pay me next day but he sold it for drug money and skipped town
Guild F212XL - jumbo 12 string, absolutely great playing and sounding, used it for several years but it became painful to play due to shoulder injury   
Johnson - 2 cheap dreadnaughts bought to use on raft trips (not sure of models numbers) gave one away to friend trying to learn to play, donated other to FFS     
Ibanez MA travel guitar 3/4 size, replaced nut and use it for Nashville high-tuning (still have it)
Blueridge BR-73:  Absolutely superb 000 size spruce/rosewood guitar and one of my favorites, played it for several years then gave it to my son as he liked it even more than me
Taylor Big Baby: 15/16 size spruce/mahogany, easy player with nice sound but a little too light on the bass for my taste, traded it in
Kona: thin body spruce/mahogany acoustic electric I bought on impulse, intonation was terrible, traded it
Recording King ROS16:  12-fret spruce/mahogany slothead copy of a 1903 Martin.  Clunky neck but great sound. Bridge came un-glued, braces beginning to buzz still have it
Breedlove OM/ER: sweet little guitar but I was looking for wider neck width, sold it to Zurf
Martin 000-16GT - nice small-bodied spruce/mahogany guitar but not much bass or over-all volume. Sold it
Martin D-16: nice spruce/mahogany dreadnaught, traded it for studio time for recording one of my Cds
Martin 000SRGT - sweet custom spruce/rosewood 12 fret slothead I bought from "My Favorite Guitars" still have it and one of my favorites
Takamine GS430S: cedar/mahogany NEX size, killer sound, excellent volume, best value of any guitar I've ever bought.  So impressed I ordered an EG430s-TOS which is a simlar but acoustic-electric with a cedar top/laminate maple back & sides (supposed to arrive Monday)

That's my story, how many many acoustics have some of my fellow Chordians owned?  I'm interested in your stories.

DE

I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs
  • zguitar
  • Don't call me Sir
  • Offline
  • From: Mentone, Ca
  • Registered: 2009-01-10
  • Posts: 1,367

Re: How Many?

Wow DE!!!! I'm thinking you have taken the cake. That's a whole lot of 'tars.

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!
  • From: NY
  • Registered: 2009-08-26
  • Posts: 4,320

Re: How Many?

I am no where near as cool as you DE.  Ibenez classical, Epi Dread, Martin 000-15M.  Acquired in that order, still have all three.  When my son is able to live somewhere that the guitar can be safe I will likely give him the Epi as it hurts my shoulder to play for too long.  He has an electric currently.  Hubster has three as well, one an electric and he's been eyeing Gibson Acoustics for a long time now.  If I were to get another guitar, I think it would be a fuller bodied Martin... but not too big, just need more boom.  I don't have any GAS though.  The hubster needs to fuel his passion before I can possible add another to my short list.  smile

Art and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder.
What constitutes excellent music is in the ears of the listener.

mekidsmom's Website

4 Reply by Tenement Funster (edited by Tenement Funster 2013-12-07 13:11:35)

  • From: Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Registered: 2013-01-20
  • Posts: 4,083

Re: How Many?

DirtyEd ...

That's one of the craziest lists I've ever seen ... well done, indeed! I may have had about a dozen acoustics over the years, and most of them were cheapie-cheap rigs that were marginal at best. It truly is a pastime of passion.

There was this Yamaha 12-string I had back in university which really stands out. It was right when Pink Floyd's "Wish You were Here" album came out (1975), and I remember feeling like a king when I learned the title track. The big full 12-string sound was awesome just strumming the chords, but I also remember how much fun it was to flat pick with it. We parted ways when I was cash-strapped, and I sold it for $100 to someone in my dorm, a pre-med student with lots of money. I only saw it a few more times after that for the rest of the semester, and regretted selling for a l-o-n-g time afterwards. I haven't owned a 12-string since, but some day ....

There's a couple of books about guitar collecting that are very cool. I have Jonathan Kellerman's, but don't have Steve Howe's (yet):

http://www.amazon.com/Strings-Attached- … s+attached

http://www.amazon.com/The-Steve-Howe-Gu … 0879302909

Books like these tend to acquire drool marks in places!

5 Reply by joeyjoeyjoey (edited by joeyjoeyjoey 2013-12-07 14:56:29)

  • From: massachusetts
  • Registered: 2010-10-18
  • Posts: 1,674

Re: How Many?

All the acoustics I had were cheaper ones. Rhapsody, Montaya ,Yamaha 335 and another one that I don`t remember the model. 2 Harmonys, A Peavey and a Silvertone from the 60s.(the sunburst parlor size).Plus a full size Kay and a Royalist Arch Top. And some mid priced  2 fenders, one with a 6 inline headstock. And a Dean Steel body. I am down to 5 acoustics and a 6 string banjo now. 4 electrics and a lap steel.

Enjoy Every Sandwich
Nothing In Moderation  -- Live Fast. Love Hard. Die Young And Leave A Beautiful Corpse. -- Buy It Today. Cry About It Tomorrow.
  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
  • Offline
  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: How Many?

I started with my girlfriend's guitar. (Sonya is now my wife). I have no idea what model it was but it had a warped neck and couldn't be tuned. I gave up for a long time after that.

I bought an Epiphone dread from my sister when she was down on her luck, then traded it back to her for some art. I never played it much, it was more a way of giving my sister some cash to get through a rough spot and letting her keep her dignity.

Then I was given five guitars by a guy in the middle of a long story I'm not going to tell because it was his story and not mine.  They were all cheap but playable. I kept the best sounding, a Yamaha classical, for myself. I gave two to my sister who was starting to give lessons, one to my sister-in-law who wanted to learn. I gave her some beginner books too, and one to my eldest daughter along with some beginner books.  The Yamaha classical was the guitar I finally started to learn with sincerity. I have since given it to my other sister along with a tuner, a video, and some lesson books.

I had a boss who plays guitar give me a Yamaha F100 as a thank you for managing a program that got him a bonus. That guitar is Ol' Reliable, and I still have it.  That boss later helped me to earn a good bonus for myself a few years later. With that bonus I went to the store intending to buy a Taylor 400 series and instead came home with my Guild D40 that I still have and play often.

Somewhere in here I bought an Ibanez GS knockoff, but I rarely play electric. I keep it tuned in hopes of tuning it open and learning to play slide blues like Bonnie Raitt. I'm just waiting on the redhead wig.

Compared to my Guild, Ol' Reliable the Yamaha sounded like it was made from peat, but I wanted a guitar I'd be willing to take camping and traveling. So I bought the aforementioned Breedlove OM from Dirty Ed. I love it. It still sounds like a toy at times when I play that OM I usually string with 11s after playing that big Boomer of a Guild strung with 13s, but it feels great, plays great, fits great, and I think increased my finger picking speed about 15% the first time I picked it just because of how all the components come together so nicely. I play this guitar every day.

I've also got two electric basses, a fiddle, a sack full of harmonicas, and an autoharp that were all picked up along the way.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: How Many?

Damn DE.   That's impressive.  I think.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2009-06-12
  • Posts: 873

Re: How Many?

Simon & Patrick Woodland Pro Folk Mahogany
Yamaha FG-365S
Seagull Entourage Rustic Mini Jumbo

Dj