Re: Is Hoarding Nice Instruments Justifiable?
Whether it's "justifiable" or not, I'm sitting on a "hoard" of about 75 different stringed and free-reed instruments, and (I turn 69 next month) just starting to reflect on what their future will be when I'm not around to do the "Scrooge McDuck money room" gloat over 'em.
There's not a one of them that I haven't used from time to time, but honesty dictates I admit that some haven't been off the shelf in years. That includes a pretty nice 1954 F-5 which will be welcomed back into circulation when they pry my cold, dead fingers off its fretboard.
Plan right now is to offer all to my two sons, give each what he wants, and put the rest back on the market, probably in the next ten years. Keeping what I'll still be using -- I'm still playing out three to six times a week, and hit a "one-week high" of nine separate gigs this month -- but putting the others into new hands (and also realizing the income I'll get from selling them).
No guilt at all about acquiring, owning, playing, and keeping them. I've treated them decently, worked the hell out of them when I needed their voices, enjoyed researching their origins and history, and kept them in condition to make music for many years more.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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