I'm serious this time

[richardp69]

Really, I am. At least I'm pretty sure I am and know I really need to be. (sounds like I'm waffling again but I must stay strong)

I think I've finally come to grips with the fact I'm an old man, am not likely to get any younger anytime soon and need to make a real effort to lighten up on most everything I've accumulated over the years.

I've made good progress in my barns with tools, unused lumber, various gadgets etc. that I likely will not be using again etc. I've got at least one vehicle and a couple pieces of property I need to cut loose as well.

Now, I need to get serious on all the guitars I've got at the moment. I've already sold off all my Gibsons and I'm down to only 4 Martins, all of which will go. That basically leaves my beloved Guilds. It's gonna hurt but I plan to make a significant reduction there as well including several pretty high end items and several other lesser priced but still desirable instruments. That will still leave me with a boatload of Guilds but at least it will be a start and I can always whittle down from there.

So, just a heads up to keep checking the FS section over the next few months. I'd prefer to sell here but will go to reverb if need be.

What's driving all this??? I've recently lost several good friends, quite a few of which were younger than me. Then, just a few days ago my Brother In Law passed away and he was a guy I really respected, admired and looked up to. He will be missed. I just want to leave behind a manageable mess for whoever needs to clean up after me.

 

[GGJaguar]

That will still leave me with a boatload of Guilds

That's still a lot to keep you happy. Good luck with the downsizing!

 

[HeyMikey]

I do hate hearing you talk like that Richard as you’ve been my inspiration for trying new guitars, but I certainly understand. Have some fun, play them all, rank ‘em and make the cuts. You can do it and you will still be left with some amazing instruments.

I’m starting to get to that point too. I recently sold an old mustang I’ve had for 30 years. That was real hard. Currently selling off a bunch of booze, firearms, wife’s jewelry, and other stuff we’ve collected over the decades. I know my kids won’t want most of it, but they will be left with a few as heirlooms. I haven’t started cutting the guitars yet but those aren’t too far behind.

 

[Brad Little]

I can empathize with you Richard. I've had some health issues lately and have lost a few friends recently. I have about 15 instruments and nobody in the family who plays, so I've been wondering what I should do. I've started to make a description of each one with an estimate of what to ask for in a sale, but so far I've only gotten to one!

 

[davismanLV]

Same here. I completely understand. When I fell at the beginning of the year and messed up my hand, it made it impossible to play for a while. Now it's better but I find I just don't play as much as I did. I've got a garage full of tools and stuff that I'll never use at this point. Furniture taking up space since the downsize 5 years ago. This stuff needs to go. So, I feel your pain and also your point of freeing up space and having less to deal with. Time marches on. Thanks for the inspiration, friend. None of us are getting any younger.

 

[walrus]

"Leaving a manageable mess" is a commendable goal for all of us. I, too, have been doing some slow cleaning out, etc.

My mother-in-law's house full of junk (she's 93) is going to be a nightmare. I don't want to leave my family with a mess like that.

walrus

 

[Iceman]

I feel your pain!!
I'll bet a lot of us here, are going down that same road.
Bought my first Guild in 1970, doesn't seem like it was 53 years ago!

Who taught time to fly?

 

[twocorgis]

I can relate Rich. Nobody in my family plays other than my first cousin's son, and like @Brad Little, I need to put a value on all these guitars and update my will should the inevitable happen sooner than I had planned. And just to show you what an inspiration you've been "I gots too many guitars"! LOL

 

[Norrissey]

"I gots too many guitars" too! You are definitely an inspiration Richard and you have also sold/traded me two of my favorite guitars (the '75 Starfire II and the '10 F50 Standard) so a big thank you. I'm very sorry for your losses. Hang in there and keep enjoying your guitars and your dogs! : )

 

[Westerly Wood]

Sorry for your loss of your bro in law, Richard.

 

[Boneman]

That’s a bummer, sorry to hear, condolences for your Brother in law, and my sympathies for the family.
Downsizing is great, I commend that line of thinking and trust me you will not feel worse about letting them go. I am 10-20 years behind many of you and I’ve already started that line of thinking, I don’t want all this stuff around for someone else to go through when I’m gone, so I started downsizing already. It helped that my mother-in-law was a hoarder and having to go through her stuff when she was alive was a burden, forget after the fact. So when I looked and saw I had 16 guitars I said what in the heck am I doing, and that’s only 16!, Keeping them in cases takes up lots of space, I can only play one at a time, too many choices was forcing me to the easiest to access and not have to shuffle cases just to see an old one I haven’t in a bit, was too much work. Dumped the lesser ones and others that were fine guitars but I wouldn’t play them regularly, so why keep em around? Oh man, felt so liberating to see my corner of the room again, and to know they weren’t sitting collecting dust. I don’t miss them, because the Guilds I do still have are awesome guitars, and they are right there to grab for a quick noodling session. I mean how many awesome guitars can you really play at once?.


I see some of the collections you guys have and it makes me shudder to think, lol. I am part envious and then glad it’s not me managing that many. I get it too, and there is part of me that wants every different option, tonewood and size but mostly boils down to I don’t want all my money tied up in guitars. More power to you if you can get along fine with that many, but more than 10 is unfathomonable to me. I’m down to 8 and that almost seems too many still, but theres room for an F50 when you do list one

Good luck on the paring down and maybe we will be transacting in the future

 

[Minnesota Flats]

One daughter plays keys and the other used to play drums, but neither plays guitar or bass, so...yeah...I'm pretty much in that boat, too.

It's a symbolic thing which amounts to confronting ones own mortality in a significant way.

That's what makes it hard, IMHO.

 

[GAD]

I just want to leave behind a manageable mess for whoever needs to clean up after me.

A noble thing to do!

 

[Stagefright]

After cleaning out 3 estates, I’ve decided that’s it’s not the valuable stuff that’s the problem

 

[richardp69]

After cleaning out 3 estates, I’ve decided that’s it’s not the valuable stuff that’s the problem

Likely correct but I believe the problem is anything you have too much of, valuable or not.

 

[Wilmywood]

Richard I hear ya; fortunately I have a guitar player son-in-law and daughter who both play and have called dibs on various guitars!

 

[Rad]

I have done the same and I’m currently writing up what to do with the 6 I’m keeping. The high quality guitars are easy, I have written instructions about taking them to Gryphon Instruments and putting them on consignment. I have sold 5 at Gryphon that way over the last two years. A couple are designated to family members, my kids and Grandkids who want them. That leaves two very high quality home built Fenders, a period correct 50’s Esquire and a Tele. They actually are not worth much being partscasters so my son in law can Craigslist them for a very low price and have them go quick.

Along the same lines I’m writing up similar instructions regarding everything we own of value.

 

[Br1ck]

If you know any young musicians who can't afford good guitars, now would be the time to play let's make a deal. That is, if you can afford it, or maybe a struggling vet who had served his country. It's a pretty good way to feel great. Also, now is the time to turn six guitars into something special. I've been buying quality but not much of it. Stuff like primo chisels. I don't want junk anymore. I even bought a dandy capo, and am using Charmed Life picks. I found a special guitar I think I'll be playing most of the time. I've even thought of turning three or four guitars into the 00 I hope to be playing when I'm eighty, which is not too far off. I say consolidate. Then buy real quality, be that vintage or boutique. Not all of them are worth it, but some are. Me, I have about 1500 LPs. But I had 3000. Then there is the vintage tube Hifi gear.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Really, I am. At least I'm pretty sure I am and know I really need to be. (sounds like I'm waffling again but I must stay strong)

I think I've finally come to grips with the fact I'm an old man, am not likely to get any younger anytime soon and need to make a real effort to lighten up on most everything I've accumulated over the years.

I've made good progress in my barns with tools, unused lumber, various gadgets etc. that I likely will not be using again etc. I've got at least one vehicle and a couple pieces of property I need to cut loose as well.

Now, I need to get serious on all the guitars I've got at the moment. I've already sold off all my Gibsons and I'm down to only 4 Martins, all of which will go. That basically leaves my beloved Guilds. It's gonna hurt but I plan to make a significant reduction there as well including several pretty high end items and several other lesser priced but still desirable instruments. That will still leave me with a boatload of Guilds but at least it will be a start and I can always whittle down from there.

So, just a heads up to keep checking the FS section over the next few months. I'd prefer to sell here but will go to reverb if need be.

What's driving all this??? I've recently lost several good friends, quite a few of which were younger than me. Then, just a few days ago my Brother In Law passed away and he was a guy I really respected, admired and looked up to. He will be missed. I just want to leave behind a manageable mess for whoever needs to clean up after me.

Heh heh. "Only" four Martins.

=O]

 

[bobouz]

First of all, Richard, I’ll believe it when we see it, and I look forward to your next new guitar day! Secondly & seriously, do whatever makes you happy & brings pleasure, whether it’s collecting or gift giving.