Adventures in "Catch and Release" Guitar Collecting

Only three guitars matter; Your first (keep it no matter what!), your best one, and your next one…

As others have said... catch is no problem, it's the release that is the sticking point.

Strats are my catch and release, I live next to the Corona factory and find them all the time. I set them up or restore them and pass them on to their new homes.

We all have to release everything at some point, in the mean time I have to run a dehumidifier anyway. I’m gonna keep collecting.

Some guitars just feel right and sound right seconds after you first play them. Hard to break that bond. But I agree that being open to spend time with strange guitars can lead to unexpected pleasure.

My ONLY catch and NEVER release guitar...my 59 Les Paul Junior that was "damaged" by the late great Doc Kauffman. See Doc did guitar repairs before he passed and this was before the vintage thing really took off. Doc looked at guitars as a working tool. So when I went to him for a fret job he said "Well son I can do a full fret job for XXX dollars or I can sell you this device and you and I can fix it together for 30 bucks." I took option "B" and he sold me this Rube Goldberg "gouge" type device that ran on the south and north of each fret, and depending on force or number of passes -- it would lower the fingerboard by literally removing the wood - raising the fret a bit and then the frets could be lightly sanded to do a quick "fret job". Yes he gouged that old Brazilian rosewood. Guitar plays great to this day. I am NEVER "releasing" this guitar -- how many folks have a Doc Kauffman repaired axe???

When I started playing professionally the sound I wanted in my guitar changed. My Les Paul wasn’t filling that sound I was hearing so I ended up playing a Strat for 20 years. Then a fell in love with a Les Paul Special with P-90,s and that filled the area between the Strat and a Humbucker Les Paul. Now I use a killer Tele that I would never part with. So it’s between those three. I should also mention that I use a Black Panel Deluxe Reverb for all of the guitars. Whatever amp you use it’s 50% of the sound.

I was a big Thin Lizzy fan and still am. Gorham is a big influence. I always chalked up those minibuckers on his LP as a big staple of their tone from Nighlife on. He had this very sweet tone that I just loved.

Always glad to see 5WW recognize Johnny Ramone as the guitar hero he was. I have had no problem doing the catch and release thing. I don’t have room for a large collection and am usually funding the next guitar with whichever of my three is the most neglected at the time.

“If it’s new to you, it’s new.” That sums it up right there! Perfect!

Chris Buck finally getting some recognition. 👏👏👏 My Top 3 "Professional" Guitars: 1. 1962 Stratocaster - all day long... 2. Gibson Les Paul with P90s instead of humbuckers. 3. The venerable Telecaster of the 1950's. I don't actually own any of these. It's just my personal opinion and what I love.

I’m all for catch and release. I finally tried a Les Paul and hated it. Then I plugged it into a different amp and it was night and day. Still only have a Tele and a Strat.

Lol the cut from Keith's nice soothing voice to Rick's rantings and ravings! 😂🤘🔥God bless ya both!! Fellow "upstate" New Yorker (Binghamton) here! So awesome to see and hear the homeboys doin good!

Sums it up for me. I’ve “owned” so many guitars, so many brands/types. At one point I think I had about 13 or so. Mix of Gibson, Fender, Reverend and Rickenbacker. Same goes for amps. So many many amps. Happy to be down to 3 guitars I simply adore and love to play. 2 amps played at the same time. 2 modest pedal boards that never stay the same for long. Never stop playing! 😊

Not gonna lie, Keith. I think that was one of your best videos to date. I don’t know why and I know you have done weeks of work researching videos in the past, so… not to dismiss them, but dang, I just came away feeling good after it was over. Better than normal. And as someone that has come BACK to the hobby and am buying all the guitars I could never of dreamed I could afford in the 80’s, I have indeed come back to all the guitars you mentioned. Strat, Tele, LP… well, and an Explorer. I guess you can’t take the 16y/o kid out of me. Even at 59. Thanks! (Now, back to SG shopping!)

Dear Keith, Fantastic video. Very thorough and heartfelt. Three dozen guitars down to three? That took a tremendous amount of courage and I applaud you. Talk about the strength to "let go." That took a lot of guts. God Bless. 🙏🕊️❤️

"What I loved about it was I never guessed correctly." Great comment/insight! (And another terrific episode. Thank you.)

I always love your videos. I own a cherry sunburst 1976 Deluxe and I love it! The mini humbuckers are fantastic. Gigged all through the 80's with just my Les Paul and my Strat, and that was all I needed to cover anything we were playing.

I so truly look forward to your posts, they're so nicely polished and narrated. Enlightening too. I have all 3 (+ too many acoustics) in my guitar room - LP Trad, Strat Deluxe and my Tele highway 1. They were all "right place/right time" guitars that worked their way into my heart over the decades. I don't mind getting older, however I do want time to stand still while I play, and play and play....be well.

Mike Ness of social distortion is known for the Les Paul's with the mini buckers as well, he just bought a blue one from Trogly not long ago.