There is No Sense in Trying...

I cant decide what electric guitar to bring to my show tomorrow. Considering I only play electric on (currently) around 5 songs, and I have one of the nicest guitars money can by, I feel like I am insane for even second guessing it.

Of course it is all a matter of personal taste, but my Barney Kessel Custom is one amazing guitar in both tone, looks, value, etc. It is a beast that cannot be touched in my opinion.

But I recently have been playing my American Strat that I picked up on one of those unbeatable Musician's Friend deals and I have been impressed. Impressed in a different way then how my jaw drops everytime I play the Kessel. The Strat is a much more maneuvarable guitar and feels much more loose in terms of how I can play it. The neck is a bit wider which makes it a bit more comfortable, but the action is a bit higher. The tone itself may not be Kessel quality warmth but it isnt without its own character, plus it doesnt have the monstrous feedback issues that the Kessel presents when my amp is at performance volume.

I guess I just feel like mixing it up. There is no way the Kessel will ever be replaced as my go to guitar, but why cant I show off my collection a little bit? Especially at dive bars with $1 Rum and Cokes...

I am getting a 12-string soon too, and that will need to find a place in my rotation. Ideally Id like to have one of those guitar racks on stage with me so that I can play whatever the moment/song calls for and really show off my collection a little bit. I know its not a huge collection, but it is getting there, and there are some beautiful guitars already in it. I understand most of the coffeehouses, dive bars, and other miscellaneous live venues dont really cater to the "bring every guitar you own" mindset, nor do our current set times, but one can dream right?

I personally selected each guitar in my collection. While a couple of the older ones wont ever find their way on to the stage with me, I shouldnt let some of these gems go unplayed just because this guitar over here is "better". I want to play them all.