Essential Guitar Lineup

[leerichards]

This is a general guitar question, so I hope it's ok to post it here. From those who list their guitars in their signatures, it is obvious that peoples' ownership varies from just one guitar to many, many guitars, often including various wood combinations of the same body type. My question is this. What do other forumites regard as their essential lineup which is required to take care of their own playing needs, styles etc? This can include guitar types, body styles, wood combinations, brand varieties etc etc etc, just whatever it takes, there are no rules other than it be limited to guitars. My own essentials, which I have been fortunate to be able to assemble and which cover my playing needs, are:

a medium-large bodied steel string acoustic guitar (Larri)
a nylon string acoustic guitar (Larri)
a twelve string acoustic guitar (Yammy)
an electric guitar (Mannix no-name)
a bass guitar (Epi)
a small bodied acoustic guitar for travelling (La Patrie nylon, but a steel string would fill the role just as well)

I hope this provokes lots of interesting responses including reasons for choices. And  for all who participate.
Rick

[cc407]

Essential:
A big bodied steel string with pickup (D-03R)
A nylon string with pickup (Córdoba flamenco)

[Dotneck]

Dread
OM or similar
Tri-cone or other resonator
ES335

Hey...that's what I have. What a coincidence!  Add multiple varieties of woods/finishes/neck configurations  to add spice to the lineup.

[unclrob]

Playing gig as I now am:

Acoustic duo's
   Larrivee OM03PA
   Guild JF30
   Guild JF30/12
I have a thing for maple which blends nicely with the other guys Larrivee L01 mahogany,the other guy's D03R.All guitars played thru mic's.

Electric band depending on who I'm working with
   As a guitar player
    Stagg acoustic/electric
    Unclrob 3 pickup Tele
    Gretsch White Falcon or Duo Jet{this one's set up with P90's}
    Fender Princeton Reverb
    Ultra Sound AG30
   As a bass player
    64 Guild Starfire 1
    What ever bass amp I can barrow until I can get what I want,A MIJ solid state 100 watt Ampeg B-15.   

[ffinke]

Essential?

Food, water, shelter, clothing.

But when it comes to guitars: a good guitar that is well intonated, easy to play and fits your body type and physical limitations. Those are the essentials.

When it comes to 'wanna haves' I think the following is a good mix (for me): a boomer (large body-6 or 12 string), a mid-size (OM or 000) and a small (Parlor or 00) and for a little variety maybe something classical. If you are a gigging musician then a good microphone that replicates the true sound of the guitar (no pedal stuff for me).

If you want to go into the electrified side of the 'essentials' then any pristine '59 Les Paul is okay.

Hey, leerichards, thanks for the 

f

[gitnoob]

A parlor, an OM, and a dread.

My parlor is carbon fiber, so it does triple duty: couch guitar, travel guitar, and outdoor beater.

I prefer the OM size and string spacing for fingerstyle.

And I love a dread for strumming and when I'm starved for volume and tone.   

[AZLiberty]

A parlour, an OM, and a 12. Add a Dread for serious flatpickers.

In my case:

Main Guitar is a Larrivee OM-03RE, fingerpick and moderate strumming
Parlor is a Larrivee Parlor (no model number, first 500 Parlour)
12 String is a Guild D-4-12, pre Fender bowlback.

Dread is a Tacoma Roadking (again pre-Fender) but I fingerpick it as much as I strum it.  I will often keep this one tuned DADGAD.  Sounds outstanding in that tuning, and for a gig you don't want to be changing tunings, easier to change guitars.

My most recent acquisition is (don't laugh)  a $200 Chinese made plywood copy of a Tacoma Chief with LR Bags on-board preamp.  Sometimes you need an inexpensive box for playing out/traveling when you don't want to risk your better instruments.  It sounds much better than it out to at the price point, and if an airline munches it, I won't cry that much.

On the other hand, I recorded my album (simple Folk album) with only the OM-03RE and the Guild 12.

[leerichards]

Excellent responses, guys (and guyesses), I hope more tune in to this, it's real fun discussing what/how others feel about their instrument requirements. BTW, ffinke - I agree and fully endorse your sentiments. We're already gifted to have those "essentials" and our guitars are extras for which we are most grateful.  I didn't consider what my "ideal" would be. I think I'm pretty close though because although a nice arctic white Gibby SG would be nice, I rarely play electric, the 12 string or my bass for their own sake - just for my small time recording. Truth is, if it wasn't for that, I could live with just my two Larris. Even if I won Lotto (is that what you call it in the States), I wouldn't upgrade either of those two. Anyway, thanks for the replies, I hope a few more come in on it. Remember  free with every posting  Rick

[carruth]

One of each of the following;
(preferably with Rosewood back and sides) .
Parlour,OM,L and a D,and anything else by Mr Larrivee is good too.Have yet to play a dud.

[Ge0ff]

Great question!

I have to admit that I have a problem with guitars. I want them all - they're all essential for one reason or another. I always promise myself (and more importantly, my wife!) that I'm going to sell something to finance the (fill in model) that I just bought, but I almost never get around to making the sale. They're all different, each with a different voice and personality. I suspect that even if I had two of the exact same model in the same woods I could come up with some reason that I really needed both.

Of course, a lot of this problem can be attributed to this forum and our friends over at the umgf. Just when I think I could never need anything else...you know...

I AM thankful that I have a wonderful wife that says that there are a lot worse things I could be into.

You know, she's right...

Geoff

[J. Hunter]

Bare essential Line-up:

1. A good electric of the telecaster variety (an American Standard/RI/Deluxe; a G&L ASAT; a Hahn 228, etc.)
2. A good, mid-sized steel string (an L-body Larrivee, or a Martin/Martinesque OM)
3. A good Flamenco (take your pic)

Preferred essential Line-up

1. An electric of the telecaster variety (an American Standard/RI/Deluxe; a G&L ASAT; a Hahn 228, etc.)
2. A, mid-sized steel string (an L-body Larrivee, or a Martin/Martinesque OM)
3. A Flamenco (take your pic)
4. A small body steel string (0, or 00 - just because)
5. A dreadnought 12-string
6. A resonator (preferably of the National, or National Delphi variety)
7. A travel guitar (CA Cargo, or a Martin LXM)


And of course you need a uke or two added to either list.

[Edavis]

Rosewood Dread (Breedlove Revival DR)-Flatpicker
Ovangkol Grand Auditorium (Taylor GA 4- on order) easy play Fingerstyle
All arounder Player- Larrivee L05
I'm going to try to limit myself to the abovementioned three (3) as essential however, I have another three that I should let go although though not essential they're very enjoyable.

[jamesb1101]

I'll take one of everything...


Can I get an Amen.....

-James

[Jonesy76]

Hmmm............ are there ever enough guitars?

Essential:-
My Larrivee:  Big bodied Rosewood guitar with on-board electrics needed for my gigs.  Perfect strumming guitar, with a huge voice to match my huge voice.  Currently an LV-19E but I'm hunting for an LV-10E with the more boomier Madagascan Rosewood and hopefully a nice headstock inlay.
Flexible Electric guitar:  Currently a custom made guitar from small luthier called Bob Johnson who operates under the name of Legra Guitars.  It's a Brazilian mahogany bodied, double cutaway, fixed bridge guitar with 2 awesome Bareknuckle humbuckers which are coil tapped for further flexibility in tone.  I need this because I occaisionally end up playing guitar in orchestras because I can read and play sheet music, rather than just tab.

Unessential but nice:- (i.e. The toy collection)

Gibson '59 Historic Les Paul
Gibson 68 re-issue Les Paul Custom flame top
Washburn 335 fully upgraded myself with a complete Gibson Historic spec wiring loom, and 2 Gibson 57 Classics humbuckers, and Bumblebee capacitors.  All done through the F-holes and the pickup cavities of course!
Legra Les Paul Doubleneck. Custom made for me. 14lbs of tone monster and gig stopper. The only one in existance and what Gibson could have done if they weren't so bothered selling EDS-1275 to Jimmy Page fans (that Gibson is an utter pig!  Totally unbalanced and awkward to get high up the fretboard on).
Original 1967 Shaftesbury Les Paul Black Beauty.  Brought for £10 unworking including it's original 60's hardcase and restored by me. Now fitted with braided wires, switchcraft switches, bumblebee capacitors and a screaming pair of Bareknuckle Riff Raff humbuckers (think AC/DC).
Fender Banjo.  Just for when those moments strike you!

Oh........
And a 5 foot Baby Grand piano, because no opera singer can do without his piano to sit at at work out exactly what he's supposed to be singing when he's only accompanied by a harpsichord!  I love Mozart, but he didn't half like to make the singer earn their keep! 

[GA-ME]

Essential guitar lineup? One with six strings. Unless, of course, you play a tenor guitar then 4 will be fine.

[Zohn]

Playing gig as I now am:

Acoustic duo's
  Larrivee OM03PA
  Guild JF30
  Guild JF30/12
I have a thing for maple which blends nicely with the other guys Larrivee L01 mahogany,the other guy's D03R.All guitars played thru mic's.

Hey Rob - no more donuts (and definitely no Scotch) for you.... you make no mention of "the King"    - is it because it is under the bed now?  

Oh yes, essential lineup? - I'd have to say my J-05E and Taka (Nylon string).

[SMan]

As I approach retirement and downsizing, in the next year or two, my essential lineup is becoming more of a decision for me.  We plan to travel and purchase a smaller home and just don't want all the "stuff" to deal with.  I will be selling a majority of my guitars and plan on keeping maybe only 3 or 4.  (Can one own that few? ) 

If I had to choose from my current instruments my lineup would probably consist of the following:

Small bodied steel string / My new Larrivee CS-05
Twelve string / My Taylor 550
Nylon string / The cheap Navarra classical my Dad bought me in 1970
Semi hollow electric / My Ibanez Artcore AK 85

[unclrob]

Zohn since I can't play her anymore she's not in my lineup anymore.She's in the closet with the other kids no under the bed for them.She was at one point my main acoustic though.

[Zohn]

Zohn since I can't play her anymore she's not in my lineup anymore.She's in the closet with the other kids no under the bed for them.She was at one point my main acoustic though.

Hey I was merely "pulling your socks" big guy!!!
Have a bourbon on me ok? 

[unclrob]

  bourban.



I don't wear socks!!!!OR shoe's......most of the time.