What drives us?

I think it's a matter of desire. Some people are perfectly happy with one guitar, some want a room full and some an amount in between. It's this way with all desires. Besides guitar I have an interest in reptiles. I've had as many as 200 snakes in my collection, I have friends with more. I also know people who are perfectly happy with one. So I'd say it's human nature applied to guitar ownership. :wink:

I skipped a couple posts, so I hope this hasn't been written yet...

Take whichever of your parents has the better ear to the store and play the guitar. Don't forget to drag your equipment along (other guitar and amp), so you can give them a direct comparison. When whomever you take hears the difference, then you can simply say, "That's why."

My mother's boy friend (she's a widow) is into music. When I became really serious about buying a guitar, I invited him to come listen to a few that I had found at a local shop. My mother came as well. I played a few different instruments, including two Godins: an Exit 22 and a Freeway Classic. My mother, who thinks that electric guitars are nothing more than expensive noise makers, could hear a difference between the Exit and the Freeway (same riffs played on same amp).