July 13, 2022
How many guitars does a guitar player need? The answer is – just one more.
Now, with respect to all the manufacturers out there, who make their living by making the wonderful instruments that we enjoy playing, I think it’s important to start with a fundamental question.
Well, if the guitar we’re currently playing has intonation problems, high action, machine heads that won’t keep strings in tune, and it’s not worth the repair costs to bring it back to life, then I’d say absolutely. Under these circumstances, we need another guitar, and it needs to be an instrument that’s in better shape.
Just like a guitar in poor condition can lead to discouragement, a guitar of decent quality leads to high morale when we play. I think we can all agree on that.
But what if our guitar is already in excellent shape? Will another guitar make us a better musician?
I’m not so sure. Perhaps if we play acoustic and we want to buy an electric, that could be a good addition to our sonic sandbox.
Or maybe the resonance of one of our guitars isn’t as pleasing to the ear as what we know will come from a new guitar by a different luthier, perhaps a guitar made of different woods.
One way to think of a new guitar is as a reward for having set and accomplished a particular musical goal. That can provide a good incentive for adding another instrument to the mix.
But where I sometimes see fellow guitarists going off course with their subconscious process is to invest in more guitars, rather than to invest in cultivating their skills.
Now, there are people out there I’d classify as collectors, who are excited to purchase auctioned guitars of legends who have retired or passed away. Think about your favorite guitar player from years gone by. Wouldn’t it be cool to have his or her guitar hanging in your living room? Perhaps it would be encased in bullet-proof glass with motion sensors and alarm triggers around it.
These kinds of investors may amass collections of guitars, but some of these folks don’t really play the guitar. And that’s ok. These are what I’d call guitar owners.
But if you’re on the receiving end of what I’m sharing with you today, chances are good that you want to grow as a guitar player. Am I right?
With this in mind, I would say, for your consideration, that purchasing another guitar won’t bring as much progress to your playing as…wait for it…practice.
Really? Practice? Well, there are different kinds of practice – there is pointless busywork with drudgery that seems to make the secondhand on your wall clock tick backwards.
But then there is effective, enjoyable practice. I’m talking about practicing a skill that you know you can put to use in the near or immediate future with real music. Even the difficult musical skills we develop can be within reach as we dig in and have…you guessed it…serious fun.
And that’s what I’m in the business of helping beginning and intermediate guitarists experience, through my online membership at GuitarSuccess4U. This is where I see people making the progress they want to make, according to their definition of success.
As followers of Christ, we are not in the business of impressing others. That’s not something that should be in our repertoire. But what about honoring God?
Playing skillfully – there’s an important thought to consider. Psalm 33:3 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.”
So skillful playing can be an offering to the Lord, with joy. This can bless others, and bring glory to God in the process. I like to enjoy playing well…do you?
Developing our skills can lead to all kinds of wonderful opportunities. Proverbs 22:29 reminds us that “those who are skilled in their work will serve before kings.”
In GuitarSuccess4U, I interview a variety of very gifted musicians and experts in their fields. One phenomenal bass player named Adam said this:
“It’s ok to be content with your gear, and not with your skills.”
Right? Buying more gear isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I buy gear. I have lots of gear. To date, I have four acoustic guitars that I use on a regular basis, sometimes with different tunings.
But when someone has guitars numbering in the double digits, I have to wonder – are they spending resources on developing their skills, or amassing a collection?
Will that collection always be with us? It could be around for many years of our lives. It could remain in the family as a part of an inheritance. “Those were Dad’s treasured guitars.” That’s definitely a kind of legacy.
A collection of guitars could also get borrowed…for life. I know a few guitarists who’ve had their entire guitar collection stolen.
I’ve had music gear insurance for a decade and a half…fortunately without incident. But Matthew 6:19 cautions us not to “store up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”
Can my collection of guitars be taken away? Yes.
Can my ability to play the guitar be taken away? Yes, but the impact I have made on people’s lives with my guitar playing, cannot. If I develop my skills and make seriously fun music, leading, arranging, or writing songs with my guitar, something happens that has the potential to outlive me. And that’s the kind of legacy I want.
Developing our skills happens over time, and can take hard work. It’s certainly hard work to make the money necessary to purchase equipment. But clicking a mouse to buy a guitar online, or carrying a guitar out of the showroom to the checkout counter is a whole lot easier than diligently pouring thousands of hours into developing our skills on that guitar.
So, do you want to be a guitar player, a guitar owner, or both? I’m thinking both is a pretty good option.
As Adam said, “It’s ok to be content with your gear, and not with your skills.” I entreat you to find contentment, to play your guitar today, and to let your collection, however big, to rest for a while, at least until you’ve crossed some skill frontiers that give you the seriously fun momentum you’re longing for.
And then yes, if you really want to, you can buy another guitar.
Psalm 33:3 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.”
ABOUT ME
David Harsh
Singer, Guitarist, Teacher
© 2023 GuitarSuccess4U a ministry of David Harsh Ministries.