Guitar Gear: When to Buy and When to Sell

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I've noticed over the years some patterns in my buying and selling gear. Since I've been trying to thin out , I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on "When to Buy" and "When to Sell" gear. Some interesting things I've learned over the years and some VERY interesting bits I've learned very recently.

Thanks for watching, and thanks for being a part of the five watt world.
Keith

[RickBeato]

I think my favorite video of yours. Someone said you are a guitar therapist. That nails it.Excellent Hypes!

[edwardwagner]

I recently sold an amplifier on Reverb. In a small world type of thing, a former college professor of mine bought it. As I watched this video for at least the 5th time, I realized that chatting with him when he came to pick it up actually brought me more joy than the amp ever did.

[justharry]

buy gear - when you can afford instant noodles
sell gear - when you need money for instant noodles

[strumminronin]

"Feeling safe" vs "Musicianship"

The Truth, has been spoken. Thank you!

[michaeleaster]

Can we celebrate the "Used with permission" on the BoBeats clip. A tiny nuance that exemplifies how thoughtful this channel is, in the large. Great stuff...

[digitalbrand]

I figured out how come I don’t sell my gear. People criticize the instruments as an effort to get a reduction in price while trying them out. I had a 50’s Martin and a 60’s Camaro viewing this week, they are in amazing condition. The potential buyers wore me out and I took them off the market, I was really not asking top market value anyway. This content and information is really helpful right now. You are a thoughtful and practical fella!

[blakevanhouten]

This is one of the most important videos for guitar players. What stuck out to me most. “Don’t buy gear unless you’re already being productive.” I often will fall into the trap, “if I have this piece of gear I’ll be able to do ....” will be coming back to this video for reminders from time to time. Thank you thank you.

[bikeguy]

Sentimental first guitar, played in Chicago late 60’s band...eventually life and lack of use leads to sale...many, many years later, the search for ‘That’ guitar comes true over Reverb. Story of love lost and found.

[j_freed]

I think our best guitar is the one we just try and unexpectedly buy, as opposed to thinking we need *this* exact spec of Strat or whatever and *chasing the elusive guitar we're SO sure we need.*

The truth is *we don't know what we have to buy beforehand, that's just an idea in our head. Then a guitar finds us.*

So now I just play a Tele with a big soft V neck on it, impeccably set up by a pro thanks to the fellow who sold it to me. He tweaked it well. It was just not HIS guitar after all, and many guitars have to pass through a few hands to find their owner so it found ME.
.
Perhaps owning dozens of guitars is fun but gets in the way more than accomplish anything.

Having said that - *DO own some guitars. I think it's better to a) enjoy them at while and sell them at a loss* than b) never try them or c) hoard them like dead capital. Allow yourself to buy and sell - and have a life.

[macsarcule]

I’ve rewatched this probably 4 times since you first released it and I hope I continue rewatching it, because it always makes me rethink what I’m doing and what makes me happy when I play guitar.

I’ve not been a gigging musician for decades, but sincerely enjoy the physical activity of playing guitar. The sound, the feel of the resonance, and the instruments themselves in my hands. This video makes me zero-in on what guitars really bring me that joy. And even if I should keep my beloved custom Collings I-35 Deluxe that I lusted after, finally got, and like so many premium gear purchases, would struggle to live up to the expectations I created in my mind. It’s a beauty and plays well, but when your mind is turning something into magic, what could live up to one’s imagination. 🙂

The same thing happened to me with a vintage Gibson 335 I bought in the early 2000s - it was so exciting to finally get what I thought was my dream guitar, but as anyone who’s dabbled in vintage gear knows, there’s always some baggage that comes with the wear and tear of vintage gear. It couldn’t really live up to the expectations I had, and maybe more importantly, the fit, finish, and performance of even affordably-priced new gear.

This video made me decide to get a very good professional setup done on the Collings, see if there’s anything special there beyond my other 335 style guitars (a natural finish Heritage & a green Ibanez that’s always punched way above its weight as a ‘budget guitar’ - it’s truly amazing how good that guitar is), and if the setup doesn’t make a big difference, probably sell the Collings. After I mull it over for a year, of course. 🙂

Knowing what you love about playing and maybe why you love it, is everything to prioritizing what to keep. Your channel helps keep me as sane as a gear hungry guitarist can be.

Love this channel and the community you’ve created here. I don’t participate with comments in your livestreams, but I’m also the guy who would hang out at the local guitar shops just to quietly listen to the conversation everyone else is having and consider it for my own decisions. That’s an important value in community too. Maybe I’m a lurker, but I think of myself more as a listener who really appreciates the comments of everyone else in this community. 🙂

Thanks for excellent videos like these, Keith, that never stop being valuable. That’s some really good stuff and your hard work is so helpful! ✌️😌🎸

[matthewkelly]

Yes, yes, and yes you nailed it again. You have a great way of putting together complex thoughts and emotions, and making them easy to digest and understand. I truly believe that videos like this are your best work. And, I would love to see and hear more from you about music and music making. Thank you, I will reply this often to remind me what gear I really “need.”

[James-zylh]

I fell into the hoarding trap when I was younger. At one point, between guitars and basses, I owned around 21-22 instruments. It was awesome to walk into the room that housed all of them, but I began to find myself spending more time trying to choose which to play than time spent actually playing them. In the end, I kept the 4 that actually saw the most use. I became far more productive, and I enjoyed the process of playing much more.

Occasionally, I still find myself listing after new gear, and I have gone through the process of selling off gear to buy new pieces, but I am always cognizant of the KISS method and not overdoing it with anything.

Great video and great channel. This is like music therapy!

[doogdoogdoogdoogdoogdoog]

I love how much clarity both your message and your delivery have, so enjoyable.

[NbssProductions]

Having some enforced quiet time lying in a hospital bed and stumbled across this channel. These are wise words and made me realise some home truths. For years of my adult life I collected expensive gear that I could not have afforded as a teenager (when I did play in a band). I never played much, being wrapped up with work and family for decades. I had the opportunity in my late forties to join a local rock academy to get ready for a corporate battle of the bands I had bravely signed up for. That experience got me involved in a vibrant local music scene and I have been able to spend time playing music "with other humans" in local venues (and occasionally being paid a few bucks). This is what it is about. I still collect gear but I am trying to limit it to support "being productive". I recently cleared out my collection of stuff, for example, having admitted I was never going to actually use my National Resolectric, no matter how beautiful it looked. Please keep up the good work

[SnowyFinland]

Truer words have seldom been said. My fondest band-related memories were had via this ragtag rig: Ibanez 59er through Marshall Lead 12 as preamp for JC120 through some old horn-loaded 2-12 PA cabs with cerwin vegas.

[joeyfarley]

Love your channel Rick was right a year ago, your a guitar therapist, you seriously have helped me see through all the hype of gear and really focus in on what I will really use and now I have an excellent rig that will last me for years to come.

[nathanmielke]

These videos are the greatest reality check. My wife loves you... for better for worse... But it really does give me a reflection on my own personal gear journey. Only buy gear when you're already productive. Word to live by. I really do take a focused approach on my rig. I try and only buy (and sell) the items that are necessary (or lack usefulness). 5 Watt World is my conscience.

[duffypratt]

There are dopamine rushes both from shopping for something and, more so, from buying it. Thus, while buying the guitar may not lead to any long term happiness, it definitely provides a short term rush. And that’s what addicts are after. Somewhere, Paul Reed Smith called pedals “crack for guitar players.”

A corollary to your first guitar principle is first in a new style. If you decide you want to play John Fahey stuff and you only have an LP, then you might need another guitar. Or Fernando Sor. But this is an area where people fool themselves a lot, and use the style difference as an excuse. As a personal example, I’m toying with some gypsy jazz, and would love to get a Selmer copy. But is it really that big a difference over my Archtop played acoustically? Truthful answer is that I don’t know, and I am not even sure that I need to know.

[barbmelle]

From Leo: Good subject, good observations. If I lose interest in a guitar, I'll store it a year and try it again. If I still cannot bond with it, it goes away. If I cannot get a good price for it, I save it until some kid at church is really trying his best but really needs a better guitar or amp. I get a lot more out of giving it away to a good home than taking 25 or 30 cents on the dollar as a trade. Of course you have to be ready to see your mint condition natural flame maple top guitar painted flat black and wearing stickers sometimes, but it is good to see it being loved.

[jdsjunkdrawer]

I love that Noah Guthrie track you used on the into Keith! That group is seriously under rated. Love the content dude keep it up!