What are the "must have" guitars for any collection?

[progrmr]

A full hollow
A semi-hollow
A Strat
A metal/shred machine
A vintage guitar of some flavor
A two-humbucker guitar
An acoustic
A tele
And a claasical guitar

I need more room for guitars!!

[piebaldpython***]

It's not so much different guitars that count.....it's different pups that are good at different things.
Strats
Teles
P-90s
Buckers
CC Rider

[wingsdad]

I'll echo this open-minded, cover-all-bases notion...

A full hollow
A semi-hollow
A Strat
A metal/shred machine
A vintage guitar of some flavor
A two-humbucker guitar
An acoustic
A tele
And a claasical guitar

... although with a good semi-hollow in the fold, I think one could get by without a full hollow, and personally, I'd have no use for 'a metal/shred machine'. As for the acoustic, make it a good solid spruce top acoustic/electric, and make the nylon string an a/e, too. If the rhythm chair is your main bag, as it is for me, I'd add an acoustic/electric 12 and an Rick 12 to the must-have list. Add a P-Bass or a short-scale bass (easier to adapt to if not your main thing) and you're set.

That said, it took me quite a while and a series of buys, sells & trades to get there, but I've managed to finally put such a quiver together, with minimal duplication and a few oddballs thrown in for good measure.