I've got 11 guitars (10 electric and one acoustic) - one guitar stays in the case (my 1987 MIJ Strat - it needs some work) and I rotate the others around so they each get played for one week - then I go on to the next one. I find that if I play one for a week I get used to the neck and really feel comfortable with it - whereas if I just randomly grab a different one every day I don't get a chance to acclimate. It's funny because I tend to fall back in love with the guitars that I don't like as much - so it's always a good experience. My pedals - on the other hand - tend to sit on a shelf and gather dust as the 5 I have setup with my amp are tone monsters and give me exactly what I want. But - I have no desire to sell anything. I have a collection that my 20 year old self would never have believed I would ever have!

Man, I’ve been there. Multiple times. I’ve justified collecting amps, guitars, and pedals to the point of having at least a dozen amps, 30 guitars, and hundreds of pedals. I started selling stuff off for much of the same reason you gents discussed. The thing for me is the overwhelming nature of having it all. I’m still in the process of selling and I still have a ways to go.

Great show, I believe as we get older ( over 40) money at this point in our lives is more available and we get our dream gear. I get stressed out if I have something that’s not being used. Less is better

Great topic guys and I love your honesty! Finally someone who says you dont need too many guitars 😂 My new favourite YT channel for sure 👍

I just went through this process. I consolidated about 50% of my gear into a smaller number of guitars + an amp upgrade and it feels great. Now every guitar inspires me in it's own way and my 3 remaining amps all have unique voice-ings I wanted to retain (I put one is in the living room for proximity). It's great to know that every instrument is of a certain quality. I also gifted a couple of guitars to friends which also made me feel great. I will see how long it is before GAS strikes and hope to scratch the itch with a cool pedal or other less consequential trinket....

The GREATEST thing I have done for guitar playing is not worrying about gear. For an entire year and I didn't buy anything, just played what I had. So happy with my playing now

Yes. I had this. Bought about 20 different guitars and 20 pedals just in 2021-2022. Sold off a ton and feel so much better.

I was there. Had some really great guitars. Ended up selling all of them except for my MIJ Tele. It was the one that has been with me the longest and the one that I gravitated to more often. I bought one other guitar because I was in a wedding band and needed something for the classic rock sound…but for everything else…the Tele just does it for me and I don’t need anything else.

my approach was to stop trying to do everything -- sell the drums (which I don't play well) and just focus on guitar and the guitar gear I really need -- sell the rest

Congratulations Zach. Awesome show fellas x ❤

The whole the guitar choice filtering the choice of pedals and amps is so true and can be really maddening. Took me a long time to realize that my solution was building separate rigs - different pedal board/amp for each type of guitar, instead of trying to fit everything else to the specific guitar, instead of messing with pedal and amp settings all the time. I play a lot of indie style stuff which is my main rig, P90 or humbuckers in those guitars but then I have another set up - pedal board/amp for classic rock/rootsy/blues based stuff - single coils for that (my preferences not a rule). I am not doing anything that crosses over from one to the other so I only take one rig to a gig, and two guitars. Used to be soooo much worse going nuts changing settings to fit the music style/guitar being used. So I kinda went the other way and got more gear, but it made life so much easier in the end.

I needed this! It’s like Zach and Matthew crawled into my skull and held a guitar intervention (guitarvention) for my brain. Very good stuff.

I need this video, as I am on the verge of slipping down this slippery slope, might just have saved my wallet and my sanity here fellas, btw chupacabra for the win

I’ve also come to realize that switching guitars/amps back to back like ABing them can mess with your ear, the different frequencies can confuse/alter your perception. To me your better off picking a fixed set of gear (guitar,amp,pedal) and just sticking with it for your whole session and adjusting things until you find something you like or until you realize what isn’t working for you

Hello Mythos pedals, I am a new subscriber. ❤

This is so timely for me! I decided to consolidate my gear about a month ago. Since then I've sold 2 guitars, 1 amp and 1 speaker cab. I'll soon be ordering another custom shop guitar to compensate. 😎

I have 100% fallen into this pattern in the last 3-4 years. I've slowly been letting things go. I'm bringing 5-6 guitars and an amp over to Carter to consign. I have a fantastic Strat, Tele, LP, and 335, a Two Rock, and and Amplified Nation amp + a Lovely Martin acoustic. Why do I need anything more than this? Two acoustics, 4 electrics, and an amp can all go. Time to pull off the bandaid. This video popped up in my feed at just the right time to validate a difficult decision.

Heh. On point, gentlemen. My own recent gear-life crisis has been resolved by selling my National tricone (which I loved but really never ever play anymore), buying a set of Lollar Imperials for my custom shop 59-reissue 355 (I finally had to admit that the extremely expensive Ron Ellis pickups I put in a year or so ago just do NOT sound good in)... rather than selling the 355 for some other guitar that might be better....

Having gone through the binge , purge cycle many times, in my opinion, the fear of too much gear stems from guilt. It would be way too funny and take way too long to lay out my arguments here but, in this case, assuming you are financially stable, the fear and the guilt are irrational. The key is to accept your love of gear and create a way to ensure it all gets used. For me, google sheets does the trick. On one sheet I have all of my gear “history”… when I bought it, how much I paid, how much I sold it for, etc. On another I have when it was last used. The first of every month I swap it all out. If you calculated how much you lost on the “purge” you might rethink things. That is all.

I had 12 guitars a year ago, experienced the same crisis, and now I have a les paul standard and a 61 reissue sg and I am happy as a clam. I concur.

I'm with you. I've got an Epiphone Dot and a Wilshire, both of which are awesome, but, I'm thinking about selling them both and getting one of those new Thinline Vintera Teles. I have a P90 guitar that I love way more than the Wilshire, and a humbucker guitar which was the first guitar I ever bought and has sentimental value to me. But I don't have a Tele, and I want one. I also am hankering for some form of SG. But we'd be talking about me dropping roughly grand after my trade ins for the first SG that I would actually want - unless I went with one of the midpriced Revstars! But then that's not an SG, I think I'd need to get them both in my hands and try them both to see if I'm ok with the differences. Again, though, I think the Tele is the top of the list.

Very interesting. I switched a lot. But actually you can do everything with your favorite guitar as you mentioned it (by the way most of the greatest guitar player are focused on one main). For example with a Lespaul and a Strat you already have a whole world and vary the pleasures. You can also consider a P90 or a semi hollow if you want. But more than 3 or 4 is only for collectors. It's fine if you can afford but it's an other thing than playing.

It’s funny how I have thought I was a Singlecoil person, when the sound I have in my head is probably more easily attainable with a Humbucker? I’ve bought many pedals to compensate the sound, when the straightest route is to start (…from the guitar) with a more, “right” pickup? Yeah, I’m thinking of putting two Humbuckers in my project Strat 😂 or, buying another guitar…?

My ideal number is 3 electrics, 1 acoustic, 1 bass. Otherwise I spend too much time keeping the guitars in a good playing condition vs actually playing them. In this light I'm selling my Silver Sky, Revstar to consolidate to a '59/'64 ES335 reissue or R8. But what to do with my DGT 'stunt guitar' 😂 then? If I don't let it go, I will have 4 electrics.... First world problems for sure!

Great video. As a teen, I had 13 or so guitars and a crap line 6 spider gen 1. I was chasing a good sound and trying to be a better guitar player. I found out I hate tune o'matic and Floyd Rose style guitars and I prefer bridges and necks that are flat to the body with no obstructions to my picking hand. I now own a tremolo Strat and a hardtail Tele Deluxe and I'm happy with those - but I wouldn't have known that without trying a whole load of other guitars first, so I had to go on that journey and spend that money. A decent PRS wouldn't go amiss, but it's not the right time. A decent clean/crunch amp and some decent effects go a long way too - it's not just about the guitars. 👍

I don't know. Here's my *need* list. 😆🤣 1. Strat 2. Tele(s) (Solidbody, Thinline) 3. Jazzmaster 4. Les Paul (Humbuckers, P90s) 5. Acoustic(s) (OM, 12-fret Parlor, Dread)

I just pared down from 8 guitars to 3. I have a bass and two guitars, one for standard and one for whatever alternate tuning I'm playing with. I feel *much* better with my rig now because it's more focused and the guitars I have now cover everything I need them to perfectly. I don't get caught up trying to pick a guitar anymore and I spend way more time actually playing. For me, the problem just shifts around though because I'm just building up my amp collection instead now. Currently have 2 bass amps and 3 guitar amps and I'm seriously looking into finding another amp to better suit my stereo rig.

Man I needed to hear this. I'm an extreme example tho in the sense that Ive never had more than 2. HOWEVER my Tele is so dominant that it basically doesn't matter what my #2 is I just hardly ever play it in comparison. Currently it's a Les Paul Studio in wine red and its a great guitar but every time I play it I just go .. man it's just not for me. So I think my answer is to get a duplicate of my Tele maybe just in a different color or something lmao cause yea I do need 2 for backup reason etc.

I wonder how much of this discussion is driven by modern advertising, the internet, and market forces vs spending time in the woodshed, playing with other people, and gigging. I went down a rabbit hole with vintage strats for a few years until I realized I was spending more time reading forums about neck pencil marks and repro bridge metallurgy than I was practicing triads or playing in front of actual people.

Have one guitar selling/on-consignment at the moment but have to remind myself often it's not sold yet and it's still part of my collection. So hold off on buying another and just keep playing the one I decided to keep and remind myself WHY I kept that one vs the other to consolidate.

Over the last three years or so I’ve gone from owning a couple of dobros( one round neck one square neck) and a lapsteel, to adding 4 electrics and three acoustics. I’ve bought and sold two Collings. I’ve lost money selling an assortment of pedals, an amp, and that Collings cl goldtop. I still have a faded cherry 1964 gibson es330 with maestro, 22’ fender roasted 1960 super heavy relic strat, yamaha revstar, 23’ 60s Les Paul standard, 1964 gibson j-50, 2020 Martin 000-13e road series, and a national german silver style 1 cutaway tricone. A tone king imperial amp. A few pedals not many. Everything gets played and used and will easily be sold if I start to think it’s not worth having for future enjoyment. I think 10 ish is the cutoff for me. I am about to buy a 12 string, a Taylor 858e LTD. Yeah I’m pretty sick. Lol

Yeah, same boat here. Love my 2005 McCarty more than any guitar. I usually purge inventory every 3-4 years 😂

Well I guess I have a lot of guitars, I wont admit to having 21 guitars, 22 pedals, and 3 amps. I’ve been telling myself to sell some off and just get the guitars that i’ve wanted for a long time and be done. But a deal comes along and I cant pass it up, then that R9 seems even further away. But this damn gas makes me buy lots of gear that I want, and stuff that i’am curious about instead of putting it towards the things I want the most. I do think i’ve found my forever amp in the marshall jvm 410h, and marshall 1936 150w g12-t75 2x12 cab. It does everything I want especially when I use the pedals I have. I for sure have 6 guitars that are not going any where, and 4 of those 6 are dream guitars; the other 2 are vintage that are awesome, but dont get played all the time.i really want the R9, R6, and a fcs master built 54 strat. I’ve sold some gear in the past, then regreted it, so thats why i’m hesitant to sell anything now even if i dont want or need it.

Solid I Think You Should Leave reference from Matthew!

I like having several guitars to choose from…

Every few years I purge all the stuff I'm not liking. Take the money and buy one thing I have my eye on. I used to have way to much stuff... 10 Guitars, 17 Basses, 10 Bass amps, 10 Guitar amps, plus about 75 pedals. Purging also aloud me to up my gear to just owning only sweeter gear. Also, for some reason having less gear makes me play a lot more and makes me more creative.

You of the dumbest and most regrettable things I’ve done with my gear was trading in my old emerald green bowling ball swirl finished G&L Legacy. I miss that guitar. 😢

Funny how a guitar can just grap you saw it on line last Friday was not really looking to buy but had in the back of my head an sss stat lol. Black gold anodised pick guard fat 50s and a roasted maple neck had to have it straight up to the store next day bought the following day am like what have I done lol needed the g string nut slot opened up and pickups raised and now I have done it myself I really love it 😂

As a owner of over 30 overdrive/distortion/fuzz/boost pedals I’ve come to the realization that the tone I’ve been searching for is not found in pedals- it comes from having an amp that is set in the sweet spot that allows for sustain/compression/responsiveness- if that makes any sense…. Don’t over look amp settings, if your someone that isn’t happy with your sound really listen to what your amp is doing, small changes make big differences and really you gotta have an intention of what sound your trying to achieve- I have obviously fell into this cycle of thinking a pedal can achieve what I’m looking for, when now I’m my perspective the pedal can only accent something that has to already be going on…

To be fair, I have played that Les Paul and it freakin' rips. An incredible instrument.

Yup, listened to this episode on headphones. Don’t want the wife hearing this one!!!

Important Pro Tip! The pile of dirt will settle. Don’t level it out with the lawn or you’ll end up with a divot in your yard as the dirt settles.

Hey guys. I have a novo serus J. I love the way it plays but don’t like the P90’s as much as I thought I would. I have to change my amp and pedal settings when I grab it. Is it worth changing the pickups or do you think it makes sense to let it go?

It’s gotta be that James Hetfield ESP Snakebyte in camo isn’t it. I want it to be that

dam had me with the languadoc bait for a sec

Get those Hoodies up on the site!

I'm not sure trading up multiple items to fund a better item constitutes consolidating theoretically.

Still thinking about 3 more additional

I like food more!😊

The other thing is questioning whether you truly need guitars you think you should own but actually hate. For me that's a Strat. "Oh, gotta have a Strat!" Really? I hate everything about them, especially how they sound, but for some dumb reason I own one. For you it might be a Les Paul or something else that doesn't suit you. Unless you're a session guy who has to be able to nail that sound, why own a guitar just to check a box? I think I've finally convinced myself to sell the dumb thing.

You know how stop gear life crisis become more picky most guitarist gravitate towards a few guitars amps and pedals let it become a party of your sound

Zach needs a bigger water bottle

meanwhile, Gibson just posted an HOUR LONG video interviewing Jason Isbell going through a huge number of guitars (and I recall being actually kind of pissed off seeing him play at Ryman a few years ago where his tech brought out a different fabulous vintage guitar for EVERY FUCKING SONG... come on....

Matthew bought a 🤐?

thanks for sharing