Should you start collecting guitars?

I think you know my answer to this one, but in case you're new here, I'll tell you.

A real-deal 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard is well into 6 figures.

I mention this guitar for a specific reason. I don't think anyone should collect guitars. But I do agree that you should buy "that one good guitar," whether vintage or new.

Bear in mind the "good guitar" doesn't have to be expensive. For some, just owning a Mexico-made Fender Standard Stratocaster is that good guitar. And that's fine.

If you have the cash to buy that '60 Paul and have it be the last guitar you ever buy in your entire life, go ahead and buy it, with my blessing. Yes, really.

Where I get real rude real quick on people is when it comes to guitar collecting.

A collection is literally defined as set of items. You can't have a collection of just one thing.

Now it's true that I own a few guitars. But they all serve a purpose. Every one of them. And the number of guitars I own is small.

True guitar collectors dedicate space in their house to waste on instruments that will never be played. These instruments won't be put in glass cases for friends and family to enjoy, mind you. What will happen is that most if not all of the guitars will be put into regular guitar cases, then stacked on a shelf somewhere or shoved in a closet. Nobody will ever see them except on very rare occasion, and only for a few minutes so as not to "damage the investment."

There's also another type of guitar collector. The hoarder who thinks he's collecting but in reality has a pile of junk guitars that are worthless. Oh, it's a "collection," all right. A bad one that's nothing but crap.

No, you should not collect guitars.

If you want to buy "that one good guitar," go ahead. It's just one guitar. But please, and I really mean this, PLAY THE THING.

If you have a bunch of guitars right now that never get played and hold no sentimental value to you, SELL THEM ALL. Keep the guitar you actually play, sell all the rest.

Remember, guitars are machines that can go into a state of disrepair easily just by sitting there doing nothing. Machines are meant to be used. Use them. If you don't, the guitar will literally destroy itself (usually from the neck twisting up from non-use and becoming unplayable.)

You don't need 5 Strats and 5 Les Pauls. I could see owning one of each and switching back and forth between the two guitars routinely so they both get played and provide years of enjoyment. But if you've got guitars just sitting there going unplayed for months if not years, they've got to go.

Finally, if you've been thinking of collecting guitars, don't start. Guitars take up too much space and require way too much maintenance just to keep them playable. And again, if you want to buy that one good guitar, I don't have a problem with that. But if the guitars start piling up and don't get played, that is a problem.

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