Steve Howe Guitar collection

The guitar is probably the worlds best known musical instrument. Maybe a drum is really the most well known instrument. There can’t be many people who have never seen a guitar and don’t know what a guitar is.

One thing that makes guitars so appealing is their accessibility. Unlike a Piano, or a drum kit, a guitar is portable and almost anyone can pick one up. But creating a tune on a guitar can be a struggle.

I’ve met people who, within a few months of picking up a guitar, were good enough to form a band and start gigging. Then there are other people, myself included, who have been playing for many years and still learning.

But this is one of the reasons why guitars are so compelling. There is always a new tune to learn, a new guitar to buy or a new guitar gizmo to try out. Learning to play the guitar is a massively rewarding hobby but be warned, it can take over your life.

In recent years I’ve become something of a guitar collector. I am particularly keen on resonator guitars. These are a form of acoustic guitar that uses a resonator cone made of spun allumnium to give the guitar extra volume. The resonator mechanical amplifier comes from the early 20th century, before electronic amplifiers were in common use. The resonator guitar sound is very much the sound of early blues.

If you’re already a guitarist or if you know any guitarists you will understand how obsessive they can be. Guitar enthusiasts will often find that playing guitar, collecting guitars, reading guitar magazines and going to guitarist gigs can take over their lives. And if you have a guitar playing husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend you will probably find yourself feeling less important than their obsessiion with guitars.