Aw, man. It gets worse. Earlier in the year I was jonesing for a maple board guitar and bought a Fender Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster. It was way heavy and otherwise uncomfortable so I sent it back. But I liked the neck. So, along with the tasty blue burst, I bought three Classic Vibe Stratocasters: one was a 60s version with 3-tone burst but rosewood neck. The other two were 50s versions with 2-tone bursts and maple board necks. I took the nicest maple neck and put it on the 3-tone burst body. That one's tasty. And 7.2 lbs, too. Imagine that. Maybe my scale is broken. The plan is to sell the other two classic vibes and make a little extra to help knock off some price from the one I kept. Oh, prices on these are ridiculous, $225 shipped, $250 shipped. And they are killer. The Mexican Fenders at a higher price range don't touch them. So, I'm satisfied with the new strat. I've sold one of the others already for a profit. But now I have two new guitars that only come out when the wife's away. wtf?! Somebody get me a doctor!

Who does the bills?

She does. But I take care of my AmEx and Paypal has BillMeLater, which let's me buy in bulk and have 6 mths to pay off. So these other strats will be paid off no problem. I'll start making fuzz pedals again in Aug so that profit will hit my bill as well. Too, I had a great flip earlier this month of a '87 Saber from Jan, 1987. It was #285. That put me $275 to the good on the blue burst. I get things paid off without using my salary money. It just takes some extra time and maneuvering.

Yea but does she check records and stuff. Always better to come clean now than later.

Those are wise words.

There are no records she'll check. At the turn of the century I was one of the first monsters to part out Ibanez guitars on the bay. That's how I got to handle so many 540Rs and untold RGs. The other day she asked if I was flipping guitars again, so having guitar boxes arrive on the porch, and bodies and necks all over the place is no new sight.

I could tell her now that I just bought two guitars and spent $700 (random number) but will have them paid off within three months. Or, I say nothing now, and in three months have the guitars hanging on my wall. If she asks about one, or both, I can honestly say that I got the 540R for $50 and the Strat for free (or whatever numbers I have at the time).

So, in my situation, I think that coming clean later is the better plan.

Awesome guitar! Someday I will own one of these....enjoy.

I still have one secret guitar. I'll eventually show it to her, but I'll make sure that a bunch of time has gone by so she can't associate it with anything. Honestly the guitar was more than paid for by selling other guitars, so it shouldn't be an issue.

I took a new approach on the last one I sold, which was an extremely expensive guitar. I told her that I was putting a portion of the proceeds toward something else. That seemed to work pretty well.

I got one coming in this week that will be a slow introduce, like when I get a bonus I will tell her. It's not much but we have been trying to be better. I cant.

Okay, so looks like we need a "secret guitar" thread started..

LOL a "secret" secret guitar thread.

I still have yet to tell my grandfather about my 2550 so I guess I have a secret guitar too lol

LMAO! I used to to that with my ex-wife. She was a waitress where a lot of cash happy, lonely blue collar types would dine. They would buy a muffin and coffee and drop a five or ten for tip. They were older and loved to talk to a 20 year old girl. She would come home every day with so much cash she washed her jeans with wads of money still in the pockets. I used to have to go through laundry, press the bills, and then deposit into bank. Either way, she didn't notice or care because in her job, in the economy then, money grew on trees. Those were the times.

As for vintage gear, I didn't have to be into just one company. I could buy stuff, then not have to decide on features or colors but get them all. When I did bring in a new guitar, about once a month, she never really cared even when it was largely her money. It was just furniture. She had her addiction to clothes and as long as I took her to mall, I got to drive up and down California coast and snatch up guitars.

These days I am married, but to different and much more realistic lady, and I am more realistic, too. I got the GAS out of my system having bought 60 odd guitars and helping a buddy of mine acquire 40 odd instruments so I only have Artcore and another electric. All the great vintage stuff won't sound all that different or make you play any better so I am glad to have ditched those collecting days and my playing has actually improved since I can get used to the nuances of just a neck or two and spend all time and energy learning how to play all the stuff that was too difficult in the past.

Yes, I would love a Radius 540 but only if I lose the ESP first since I could never find the time to become one with three different electric guitars.

OMG, this is a trend. Heck, maybe I can get a secret concubine (or two) and eventually but seamlessly introduce her into my household.

LOL. She associates new guitars with what's going on with the finances right now, so she tends to overreact. If everthing is cool and then she notices a new guitar, she'll ask, "Have I seen this one before?" Then I'll tell her I traded some other stuff to get it.

This is only a minor stretch of the truth. I've stopped adding guitars and have decided that a few are expendable. So I buy a new guitar and then try to sell offsetting guitars after to cover the difference. In the end it's basically a wash, but she still doesn't like to see part at the beginning when the cash flow is negative.

Right now I think I'm $3500 in the black and have plans to sell one more that's worth a decent chunk. So I go the complete green light for Axe-Fx 2

I like to use the " guitar to shoe" ratio.