Guitars

I love guitars, but I don't fetishize them. They're cool, often beautiful tools. I don't own a guitar that I wouldn't let a child strum on if they asked. 

I have some very nice guitars, but nothing ultra-collectible. I have a fair number of guitars that would be valuable if I had kept them in mint condition, but I buy them to play, not to store or hang on the wall. They're made to create music. They have songs in them. They're made to bring joy, and it’s sad to see one not being used.

I've been doing this for a long time and accumulated quite a few. Some people think owning so many guitars is odd, but as I said, they're tools. Every tool serves a different function that can come in handy depending on the job you're trying to do. Acoustic and electric guitars serve very different functions. Six-string and twelve-string guitars serve very different functions. Some acoustics have a bright, jangly tone that sounds great on pop songs. Some acoustics have a deep, rich tone that sounds great on ballads. Some electrics have a bright, clean sound that works best for country music. Some electric guitars have a big, dirty sound that works better on rock tunes. Some guitars are one-trick ponies, but that one trick is so cool that it's worth owning. 

Some guitars are workhorses. They're versatile. They stay in tune. They can take a beating. These are the types of guitars I use live. It's hard to beat a Martin HD28 as an all-around acoustic, and it's hard to beat a Fender Telecaster as an all-around electric, at least in the genres I typically mine. These are just my opinions. Musicians can get very snotty about gear, but no player's opinion is more valid than another's.

I'll end this entry with a disconnected point: it's never too late to learn to play guitar. It's not an easy instrument to master, but it's an easy instrument to learn well enough to play a few songs and have fun. And playing a few songs and having fun is a great thing.