Few guitarists have the knowledge and experience collecting guitars as Joe Bonamassa. Having grown up the son of a guitar dealer and now a world-class collector himself, there’s little Bonamassa doesn’t know about guitars.
Furthermore, few of us will ever have the opportunity to play, much less own, even a small percentage of the guitars that Bonamassa regularly gigs with. And, it seems like he’s picking up some awesome new (old) guitar every day.
All that to say: Bonamassa knows quite a bit about collecting guitars. Last year, Jude Gold from Guitar Player spent some time talking to Joe about collecting guitars.
In the interview, Joe gives the following piece of advice that I really like:
“The trick with guitar collecting,” he says, “is to ask yourself, ‘If these were worth nothing at the end of the day, would I still love them and play them?’ If the answer is yes, you’re doing all right.
I’ve sold off most of my guitars over the course of a few years, but I kept the ones that I truly enjoyed playing, regardless of what they cost or are worth.
I would encourage you to keep Joe’s tip in mind when you’re considering whether to buy or keep a guitar. Having only guitars that you love will hopefully inspire you to play more. Happy collecting!