Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has revealed he is actively, and anonymously, selling off pieces of his massive guitar collection online because he feels guilty about the instruments not being played. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the legendary musician explained that his primary motivation is a belief that guitars are meant to be used, not stored away as collector’s items.
“I get anxiety because I believe guitars should be played,” Hammett insisted. “I don’t believe in just storing them away and forgetting about them – I feel guilty! So I have been on a quest to shrink my collection and get rid of the ones I don’t play.” His goal, he says, is to “save [them] from solitary confinement.”
He pointed to specific examples, such as instruments used exclusively for Metallica‘s 2008 album, Death Magnetic. “There were a few that were only ever used on Death Magnetic – I played them on that tour, then as soon as that tour stopped they went into storage again as I’m not playing those songs,” he noted, adding that some of those guitars have gone untouched for 15 years.
To combat his growing collection, Hammett has turned to a surprising method: selling his gear anonymously on popular online marketplaces. “I’ll list them on eBay or Reverb and I don’t say they’re mine,” he admitted. “I get rid of a lot of guitars that way!” While revealing his identity would undoubtedly increase the price of the instruments, Hammett appears more focused on getting the guitars into the hands of players at a reasonable cost.
His preferred method of downsizing his collection, however, is trading. “I try to trade them off because it’s better than just doing a cash deal,” he explained. “Everyone leaves with a smile on their face and has something they want!” He also noted that he will sometimes “just give stuff away.”
In a separate interview with Guitar World, Hammett elaborated on his love of trading over selling for cash. “With trades, everyone walks away smiling, but cash deals don’t do that,” he said. “You walk away feeling empty. It’s no different to purchasing a friggin’ milkshake or whatever.” He added that his days of spending large sums on instruments are over, and now his strategy is to find “the most unique models and coolest rarities and then just go for it” via trades, much like he used to do with comic books.
