--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I collect as many acoustic guitars as I…" description: "\"I collect as many acoustic guitars as I need for a specific purpose. Acoustic guitars are really just tools for me.\" — Joe Bonamassa" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/joe-bonamassa-6126_acoustic-guitar_i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i_45665.jpg" --- # I collect as many acoustic guitars as I need for a… ![“I collect as many acoustic guitars as I need for a specific purpose. Acoustic guitars are really just tools for me.” quote by Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/joe-bonamassa-6126_acoustic-guitar_i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i_45665.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/joe-bonamassa-6126_acoustic-guitar_i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i_45665.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/joe-bonamassa-6126_acoustic-guitar_i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i_45665.jpg) > “I collect as many acoustic guitars as I need for a specific purpose. Acoustic guitars are really just tools for me.” [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker treats acoustic guitars as functional instruments serving a particular goal, not as decorative objects. **In simple terms:** Guitars are tools for a purpose. Key Takeaway Instrument choice is purpose-driven. Themes pragmatism music craftsmanship personal expression Mood focused practical Type statement philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting sessions - studio recording - live performance planning Key Concepts instrument utility purposeful collection functional aesthetics Practical Applications - selecting gear for specific tonal needs - optimizing setup for efficiency Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing tools as purpose-driven affect your creative process? - What criteria define a 'specific purpose' for you? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acoustic guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acoustic-guitar/) [Guitars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitars/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) ## Related quotes > [It's interesting to see how acoustic guitars are emerging as a primary instrument once again ... reminds me very much of what Jim Messina…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-loggins/it-s-interesting-to-see-how-acoustic-guitars-are-emerging-as-a/) [Kenny Loggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-loggins/) > [Banjos, dobros, and acoustic guitars are not our first instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-marshall/banjos-dobros-and-acoustic-guitars-are-not-our-first-instruments/) [Winston Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-marshall/) > [I don't touch electric guitars. It's just not my thing - I stick with acoustic guitars only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/i-don-t-touch-electric-guitars-it-s-just-not-my-thing-i-stick-with/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [... I like the clubs because ... we have two or three acoustic guitars up there and we're not hard-core slamming or stomping through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/i-like-the-clubs-because-we-have-two-or-three-acoustic-guitars-up/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [This band - because this is myself on electric and acoustic guitars - we've done three tours together now and I really, really like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-armatrading/this-band-because-this-is-myself-on-electric-and-acoustic-guitars-we/) [Joan Armatrading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-armatrading/) > [I was really into Black Sabbath, but heavy guitars can really be very limiting, it's a great frequency and it's great fun to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kip-winger/i-was-really-into-black-sabbath-but-heavy-guitars-can-really-be-very/) [Kip Winger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kip-winger/) > [I grew up playing the saxophone. I joined the jazz band in high school, but somewhere along the way I realized the guys who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-carmack/i-grew-up-playing-the-saxophone-i-joined-the-jazz-band-in-high-school/) [Chris Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-carmack/) > [I always lived with guitarists. When they would leave, I would just pick up their acoustic guitars and start doing finger picking and write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-doillon/i-always-lived-with-guitarists-when-they-would-leave-i-would-just/) [Lou Doillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-doillon/) > [When I was a kid, we had acoustic guitars, a piano in the house. I made a drum kit out of buckets in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendon-urie/when-i-was-a-kid-we-had-acoustic-guitars-a-piano-in-the-house-i-made/) [Brendon Urie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendon-urie/) > [I'm an acoustic guitar owner - in the sense that I own them, and they sit at my house, and I never play them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-m-an-acoustic-guitar-owner-in-the-sense-that-i-own-them-and-they/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I have a 1969 Grammer Johnny Cash acoustic guitar, and it's so inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-have-a-1969-grammer-johnny-cash-acoustic-guitar-and-it-s-so/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I'm a kooky collector and own a couple of hundred guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-m-a-kooky-collector-and-own-a-couple-of-hundred-guitars/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I live, breathe, and sleep guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-live-breathe-and-sleep-guitars/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I love to collect guitars made in the 1950s. I like preserving and playing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-love-to-collect-guitars-made-in-the-1950s-i-like-preserving-and/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [My first proper 'Here's your guitar, Joseph' was a 1981 Chiquita, one of those Erlewine travel guitars. And it was good for a four-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/my-first-proper-here-s-your-guitar-joseph-was-a-1981-chiquita-one-of/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) ## More by Joe Bonamassa > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [My first proper 'Here's your guitar, Joseph' was a 1981 Chiquita, one of those Erlewine travel guitars. And it was good for a four-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/my-first-proper-here-s-your-guitar-joseph-was-a-1981-chiquita-one-of/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [When you're 12 and, you know, slightly overweight and - for lack of a better word - white, and you're playing blues, you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/when-you-re-12-and-you-know-slightly-overweight-and-for-lack-of-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [The blues, the way it's interpreted, is always a product of your environment, and so it's almost like food. You know, it's like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/the-blues-the-way-it-s-interpreted-is-always-a-product-of-your/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [At the end of the day, you really want to make sure that organic music, made by human beings, at least has a voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-really-want-to-make-sure-that-organic-music/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [If I'm soloing, I usually try to start with a theme, which will often stem from the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/if-i-m-soloing-i-usually-try-to-start-with-a-theme-which-will-often/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [Greece was a muse. It inspired creativity in magical ways that I can't even begin to understand or explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/greece-was-a-muse-it-inspired-creativity-in-magical-ways-that-i-can-t/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [There was a rumour that I was buying Gibson. It circulated around the Internet... And I just go, 'How well off do you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/there-was-a-rumour-that-i-was-buying-gibson-it-circulated-around-the/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [It's not enough to play a song: you have to inhabit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/it-s-not-enough-to-play-a-song-you-have-to-inhabit-it/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I love to collect guitars made in the 1950s. I like preserving and playing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-love-to-collect-guitars-made-in-the-1950s-i-like-preserving-and/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I've always been a big fan of taking old songs and completely turning them on their head. Having no adherence to the fine tradition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-ve-always-been-a-big-fan-of-taking-old-songs-and-completely-turning/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [My first memory of guitar was seeing my father play one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/my-first-memory-of-guitar-was-seeing-my-father-play-one/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [Nothing I'm doing musically is revolutionary in any way, shape, or form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/nothing-i-m-doing-musically-is-revolutionary-in-any-way-shape-or-form/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I dislike all those cookie-cutter Nashville songs. You know the ones: about tight jeans and pick-up trucks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-dislike-all-those-cookie-cutter-nashville-songs-you-know-the-ones/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I learned that if I put my mind to something vocally, I can pull it off. You just have to get your head-space right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-learned-that-if-i-put-my-mind-to-something-vocally-i-can-pull-it/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) [Explore all 100 Joe Bonamassa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) ## More Acoustic guitar quotes > [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I learned tabla for three years when in school, then started picking up the basics of the acoustic guitar when in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupam-roy/i-learned-tabla-for-three-years-when-in-school-then-started-picking/) [Anupam Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupam-roy/) > [One thing I really hate about people who play both acoustic and electric is if they try to play electric style on an acoustic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-gallagher/one-thing-i-really-hate-about-people-who-play-both-acoustic-and/) [Rory Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-gallagher/) > [Much of the music I remember from camp was unofficial: the songs a counselor would play for us on acoustic guitar or that an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/much-of-the-music-i-remember-from-camp-was-unofficial-the-songs-a/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) > [My first synthesizer was the VCS3. I got it in Bristol in the late Sixties, long before Pink Floyd used them. I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-michel-jarre/my-first-synthesizer-was-the-vcs3-i-got-it-in-bristol-in-the-late/) [Jean-Michel Jarre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-michel-jarre/) > [“Other freshmen were already moving into their dormitory rooms when we arrived, with their parents helping haul. I saw boxes of paperbacks, stereo equipment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/other-freshmen-were-already-moving-into-their-dormitory-rooms-when-we/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [My first review in NOW Magazine - I played one machine, so I went to a soloist night, where everyone else played acoustic guitar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peaches/my-first-review-in-now-magazine-i-played-one-machine-so-i-went-to-a/) [Peaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peaches/) > [I practice on the acoustic guitar a little bit, but I think I have reached the peak of my talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hudson/i-practice-on-the-acoustic-guitar-a-little-bit-but-i-think-i-have/) [Tim Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hudson/) > [When we did the 'Skin and Bones' tour I didn't even own an acoustic guitar, I had to borrow one from my friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/when-we-did-the-skin-and-bones-tour-i-didn-t-even-own-an-acoustic/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [It all started in a local park in El Paso called Madeleine Park. At a ditch, a very small ditch, that everybody used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/it-all-started-in-a-local-park-in-el-paso-called-madeleine-park-at-a/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > ['Flying In A Blue Dream' was quite automatic. I was working on another song, and I took a break and picked up my acoustic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/flying-in-a-blue-dream-was-quite-automatic-i-was-working-on-another/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [In certain ways I still feel like I'm finding my way. I feel pretty comfortable playing acoustic guitar and singing, but then I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/in-certain-ways-i-still-feel-like-i-m-finding-my-way-i-feel-pretty/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [One of the signature things about Heart was the acoustic guitar in a rock format, which you didn't hear that often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/one-of-the-signature-things-about-heart-was-the-acoustic-guitar-in-a/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [My stuff was more of a folk coffeehouse thing, with more acoustic guitar, just me doing a single, and then adding on instruments and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hicks/my-stuff-was-more-of-a-folk-coffeehouse-thing-with-more-acoustic/) [Dan Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hicks/) > [This band - because this is myself on electric and acoustic guitars - we've done three tours together now and I really, really like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-armatrading/this-band-because-this-is-myself-on-electric-and-acoustic-guitars-we/) [Joan Armatrading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-armatrading/) [Browse all 174 Acoustic guitar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acoustic-guitar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I collect as many acoustic guitars as I need for a specific purpose. Acoustic guitars are really just tools for me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Bonamassa" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i-need-for-a-specific-purpose/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acoustic guitar" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i-need-for-a-specific-purpose/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/joe-bonamassa-6126_acoustic-guitar_i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i_45665.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/joe-bonamassa-6126_acoustic-guitar_i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i_45665.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/joe-bonamassa-6126_acoustic-guitar_i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i_45665.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I collect as many acoustic guitars as I need for a specific purpose. Acoustic guitars are really just tools…” — Joe Bonamassa", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joe Bonamassa", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I collect as many acoustic guitars...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i-need-for-a-specific-purpose/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i-need-for-a-specific-purpose/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```