Another guitar? Ten Guitars?

In the past six months we have gone from 1 guitar to 10.

How is this possible, you wonder?

Well, here is the story.

First there was my dad's 1956 Gibson Southern Jumbo. My dad loved his guitar. I realize he played mostly two-chord songs, but we had a lot of fun. When he died, my mom gave it to T.S.; because she knew Dad would want it to go to someone who played. It sat, unplayed in it's case. Who knew it was also slowly increasing in value? Not us.

In October of 2005 while we were on vacation T.S. casually mentioned he was thinking about getting a guitar to fool around with. He played fairly well when we first got together, but sold his Peavey T-60 and amplifier after we got married. A week or so later he called me at work, "You need to talk me out of something, I'm at Guitar Center...." of course, I didn't talk him out of it. So he got a "Strat Pack", an inexpensive starter kit for beginners.

In December, after he'd played around with his Strat for awhile, he decided he wanted to get a cheap acoustic to play around on. The SJ is a little difficult to play. After we started shopping my ears couldn't take the cheap guitars, they sounded terrible. As we shopped I happened to see a guitar I really liked, the Luna Moth. Designed for women, by a woman. But, I didn't play, so why would I get a guitar?
Because he had a year-end bonus coming up, and because he liked the sound he chose his acoustic, a Martin 000 - 16.

After Christmas I decided I wanted to learn how to play guitar, but I couldn't justify spending 500 bucks for something I wasn't sure I would even like - at the same time I wanted something that sounded okay. T.S. suggested I get a small 3/4 scale guitar to try out. My plan was when I could play 10 songs, I would get a different guitar. Finally I decided on a Cedar Art of Lutherie guitar. It was a little more expensive, but it sounded better than most of the other cheap guitars.

In January, Ken couldn't take the buzzy, fuzzy inexpensive Strat anymore, so he traded it up for an Epiphone.
The Epi sounds much, much better, in my opinion.

Also in January, after two weeks of playing the Art of Lutherie guitar I decided it was too small. It wasn't comfortable for me to play. Back to the guitar stores we went, and after playing about 500 guitars, and not liking any of them, I found the Samick JZ-2. It's a candy apple red, hollow-body, acoustic-electric jazz guitar. It was easier to play than the A&L, although it was nearly as big as the SJ, it was also flatter.

Also during this time, Ken started looking on E-bay for a Peavey T-60. It was his first guitar, and he had always regretted selling it. In mid-February he found one. Oddly enough, it was from a guy who had had this T-60 since his teenage years, had sold it when he got married at 19, bought it back and had it ever since. The guy was thrilled it was going to someone who would appreciate it (and who had also married young, haha).
We also tried to get a Luna Moth on e-bay, but never won. I still wanted one, even though my guitar research showed Dean acoustics were not the best - but it was pretty!

In all our guitar travels the guitar we fell in love with the Taylor T-5. It is a hollow-body electric-acoustic. It was a LOT of money for a guitar. I started teasing T.S. about it - telling him the devil on my shoulder really wanted one. The angel thought it was far too much money, but the devil, well, we all know the devil is all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. Finally in late February the devil talked him into it - both the angel and I were surprised. We got a Custom Blue Flamed Maple.

After the T-5 T.S. and I decided we were finished buying guitars for awhile. There were expenses coming up for our vacation, and we were spending a lot of money on shelving and other home improvements. We had sufficient guitars. The Art & Lutherie went to visit T.S.'s dad. T.S. fell in love with a Rainsong 12-string graphite guitar, but because it was very espensive, started looking at other 12 strings. He found a used Fender 12 string. I told him he could cash out my change and get it, if he really wanted to. So, he got it - and my Luna Moth as well. We were guitar-full.

However, when we decided it was time to take lessons, our guitar teachers web site recommended beginners use an electric guitar. I didn't really want to haul the T-5 all over town. T.S.wanted to use his Epiphone of course, my only other option was use the massively heavy T-60, or get a cheap electric. After playing a lot of guitars I had narrowed it down to a Schector Custom, or an Ibanez thin-body. Due to my round and short body-type finding a guitar that fit me was a bit of a challenge. Then we went to Music 6000 in Olympia, and I found a Dean I liked (the baby Z) and a Fender I liked as well. After much debate, I ended up with the Fender Mustang '69 Reproduction. Baby Blue. It's cool. Kurt Cobain was a fan of Mustangs, which is not why I got one, but I like it. He even designed a Jag-Stang for Fender, which I considered.

So, now we have ten guitars. Which is more than enough. For now.

At some point the Samick will probably be traded in - probably when T.S. gets his Rainsong after our vacation. I will probably get a good acoustic next year. T.S. may want his own acoustic-electric (although the T-5 is both of ours). We both have our "special" guitars - he has his Peavey, I have my Luna, we both have the Gibson, because even though my mom gave it to him - it was my dad's. We may want better electrics someday. I actually fell in love with a Fender American Stratocaster, but I couldn't justify spending 1,500 bucks on an electric guitar to learn on.

I'll let you know how the lessons go. At this point we are only doing timing, which is NOT fabulously exciting, no matter how necessary it is.