Have you noticed how guitarists tend to collect instruments the way others collect toy cars or stamps?
The funny thing is, if you ask them why, they’ll always come up with solid reasons why they NEED all those guitars.
You see, they just don’t have a choice, poor souls…
So, to add a little more fuel to the wonderful fire of bad faith that is a guitarist eyeing their next acquisition, here are our 10 excellent reasons to buy a new guitar—yes, that red one over there.
You’ve heard good things about it
Like all guitarists, you spend long hours reading perfectly arbitrary and contradictory reviews from the so-called “experts” on forums.
So, you’ve already heard about this guitar, and most of the reviews were positive (except for the guy who didn’t understand what the third knob was for).
You also saw a magazine review singing its praises.
And a bassist friend told you he knows someone who owns one.
That pretty much makes it unanimous.
The other guitarist caved in
You play in a band with another guitarist.
Playing in a band is an excellent idea in itself.
But you know how tricky relationships between guitarists can be… And when he showed up at the last rehearsal with a Schecter 7-string that still had that new guitar smell, you said “congrats, it sounds great!”, but you thought “why not me?”.
Admit it: he reminded you that it is physically possible to own a new guitar, contrary to what you had managed to convince yourself.
Time for a fresh outbreak of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome)!
You just happened to need a Telecaster
The ultimate rational argument… Why do we need to collect guitars?
To have more colours on our palette!
Better than any pedal or modelling amp, a guitar radically changes the sound and feel, multiplying your possibilities.
You already own a Stratocaster, a Les Paul, a Telecaster, an SG and a Rickenbacker?
That means you’re still missing at least a good archtop…
Or maybe an ES-335 and a Jazzmaster…
And perhaps even an Ibanez or a Vigier to do some shredding…
It’s on sale
A bit of carefully disguised advertising: it’s sale season at Woodbrass!
Unless, of course, you’re reading this article when it’s not.
Suddenly, that Lâg Racing looks absolutely irresistible with 200 euros off…
Faced with a real bargain, it becomes very hard to come up with reasons not to splurge—especially since, let’s face it, even in normal times, those reasons rarely sound convincing!
And if you really need a rational excuse, tell yourself that at that price, if you don’t like it, you can always resell it without losing money—a kind of luxury rental…
Jimmy Page had the same one in 1979
Wanting the same guitar as your idol may seem trivial, but it’s actually an essential part of the love story with a guitar.
We all started playing by wanting to imitate a guitarist, and owning a Gibson SG when you’re a fan of Angus Young guarantees you’ll be even more motivated to practice those solos…
Why do you think the Les Paul sunburst is such a legendary guitar?
Because of its tonewoods, or because Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Billy Gibbons made it their weapon of choice?
Signature models are the natural conclusion of this logic.
It has plenty of songs to teach you
Neil Young has a theory that every guitar holds songs inside, and if you spend enough time playing it, it will lead you to write them.
That’s why he buys an insane amount of instruments while on tour.
And there’s some truth to it: whether or not you believe in the soul of the instrument, every guitar sounds different, and each one will sound better with certain chords and take you in a different direction compared to your usual axe.
You just have to listen to what guitars have to say… (sounds more like Michel Fugain than Neil Young, but never mind)
It makes you want to play better
This guitar is gorgeous, it plays effortlessly, it sounds amazing—it’s just too good for you.
Yes, too good for you.
In other words, to deserve such a guitar, you’re going to have to put in the work.
And that’s an excellent reason to get down to it!
If you give in to that ES-175, you’ll have to learn some jazz chords to make the most of it, right?
Or learn to play in open G to unlock the full potential of that Telecaster 52…
We all need a good reason to play.
It looks great in the living room
No need to hide it: the look of a guitar plays a huge part in the urge to splurge.
After all, if it weren’t a factor, everyone would be playing Parkers.
You think it’s just gorgeous in that colour?
You imagine it will match your new sofa perfectly?
Even the case looks stunning with its tweed and red plush lining?
That’s probably the start of a beautiful story…
It sounds amazing
All jokes aside, the point of buying a guitar is, above all, to make music!
The ultimate criterion is simple: does it have the enchanting voice of a nightingale in early spring?
If you feel like you’re finally hearing the sound that used to live only in your head, and you no longer need to stick four pedals between your guitar and amp to get a convincing result, then it’s time to treat yourself.
Of course, we each have our own idea of what makes a beautiful sound, depending on our favourite styles and the playing approach we’ve developed. That’s why there are so many different guitars out there…
This one, you don’t own yet
You can look for all sorts of rational arguments, but the best reason to buy a new guitar is simply that you absolutely must have it, and you want it here and now!
It can’t be said enough: buying an instrument should be a pleasure, and that moment when you walk out with a brand new case in hand should remind you of the butterflies in your stomach from your first Christmases (or Hanukkahs, your choice).
All just because it’s sitting in a shop instead of your home—and that’s unacceptable.
So it’s time to fix that.
