I guess I've been around long enough with a decent amount of prosperity, to have amassed some pretty good instruments. Not really the kind that would generate peer envy of any magnitude, that would really take high four finger expenditures, but plenty good I can walk out of the finest shops without a hint of remorse.
I've got a 65 Epiphone Texan, a 70 Guild D 35, an 80 Martin M36, along with a 00 15 custom and three or four other guitars. For mandolins I have my Silverangel A, a Gibson 1913 A1, and I built a dandy F. Now my peer group has folks with Manzer archtops, multiple Collings and Martin D42s and the like. Several have 25 to 30 instruments in the 5k+ to 25k+ range. I'm really happy for them, but not envious.
They are always telling me you can't take it with you. This week I played a 27 Gibson F5. As an instrument, it was not all that much better than what I've got. Beautiful, yes. Could I afford it? No. But if I really wanted to, I could buy a $6-8,000 mandolin. If I keep playing them, I'll bound to get bit someday. I have learned what it is like to not be able to put an instrument down for two hours, which happens every five to ten years. That is when I have the serious talk with myself.
I have a good friend, retired early because he was a two good income, no kids guy. He constantly buys gear, says it's the best, tires of it, sells it, then on to something new. I think he really likes buying it more than playing it. He's admitted as much and there are worse vices.
As I've climbed the ladder, I've reached a relatively modest level of instrument ownership that I am content with. Am I done? Ask me after two hours fly by with a $6k mandolin in my hands. LOL
Oh, one other thing, my baby I created with a year of loving care, is superior. So I've got the delusion thing down too.
Where are you all in your instrument acquisition journey? Does it jive with reality?
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