Discussion: Living With GAS

[Jonny]

A while ago, there were posts on GAS. A few which I remember were PoshCollins' post on 'current GAS' and my post on 'GAS test', which were all interesting to know.

However, time to put it into reality terms!

After scouring eBay I had found at least TWO guitars, which currently I could afford. So - my question really is..

Would you? Do you already? Why not?

As a person with no annual income (YET) I admit I am pretty naive in thinking, I have money. I can buy that, etc. etc.

So, those with income - do you buy guitars left right and center? Do you buy guitars for the playability factor? Or just that it looks an absolute beauty and/or steal and you wish it to adorn your living room wall of guitars and/or other rooms of your house. Do you think it's a waste of money? A good idea?

When I do get a steady flow of income I do plan to buy guitars till my heart is content or my house has a maximum population of guitars and two people just to be able to pay mortgage. Objections anyone?

Just to summarise, in case no one wants to read through that:

Your view on buying guitars, one guitar and that's it? Or continuously buying with a reasonable amount of certainity of the guitar? (i.e. not a fake, etc.)

Your view on spending your income on guitars, are you crazy for guitars? Not so serious? Do you like guitars so much you are up sh*t creek without a paddle and your only paddle-like object is your prized 20 year old SG?

Hope this can become a worthwhile discussion.[/b]

[headtheball]

I used to be bad. Really bad, but I'm reigned in rightly now. Frequently find it's the notion of an instrument/amp etc. I want more than the actual reality. I still have wee fancies for things, but it's mostly under control.

That being said, I'd love a Swamp Ash Les Paul,  the 3 P-90'd beast tele I've seen only in my mind, a Fender Super-sonic and a few odds and ends of pedals. For now, though, Bob, Clint, Wobble and my wee VC-30 and assorted monkeyed up pedals will do the job.

Another good thing is having a good few musicianly mates and borrowing/swapping gear for sepcific purposes.

[gwEm]

i usually kid myself with some lame excuse i need something, or if its a bargain/cool/unusual etc etc

the thing is though, i've been really feeling the effects of the 'downturn' on my bank balance. i've been collecting parts for a guitar. once thats put together it will be the last guitar thing i buy for quite some time..

[Jonny]

For me, I aim to get what I want, i.e. specs.

But then when I have the mindset that I want a guitar, it usually just goes all over the show.

[Philly Q]

For the last couple of years I've been going through a phase of buying just about anything that takes my fancy.  Largely as a result of being a member of this forum, I have to say .  I discovered the wonders of Japanese guitars (after many years of being a strict Gibson/Fender USA man) and went a bit crazy.  I also developed an unfortunate habit of finding a guitar I liked then immediately wanting a "spare" one the same (this from someone who only plays guitar - badly - at home  :roll: ).

I'm not rolling in cash, but my mortgage is small and I don't have any vices or dependent relatives.  Even so, the guitar buying got a bit out of hand so I had to start selling stuff - this is good, I've jettisoned some dead wood (literally) that hadn't been used for years.

The result of all this buying and selling is that I've learned a few things, such as:

- "My" guitars are SGs, LP Juniors, Teles and the odd Strat or V.  I won't be buying any more Les Pauls.
- Japanese guitars can be just as good as American ones.
- Cheap guitars can be just as good as expensive ones.
- If you're convinced you really really need a guitar, wait and see if you still really really need it after a month (or at least 2 weeks...).
- Buying 2 guitars in a week is almost never a good idea.

Anyway, I think I'm coming through the other side now - I find myself pretty much totally GAS-free  :D .  And like gwEm, I'm starting to believe there may be some truth in all these doomy gloomy economic forecasts...  :(

[MGheartGuitar]

I find that the fantasy of owning every guitar I've ever longed for is kept at bay by the reality of having very little spare money. I've got 13 or so Ibanez guitars and a handful of others. 8 or 9 amps, a hotel fridge-sized rack full of stuff I don't really use, a large shoe box full of pedals, and more cables than I know what to do with. I'm a touring musician, I have endorsements and am pretty well taken care of in the gear department, yet I still check eBay EVERY DAY when I'm home.

I'm constantly hunting for older Ibanez guitars, Ibanez bodies, Ibanez necks, obnoxious hi-gain amp heads, less popular shred-era guitars (hamer californians + diablos, robin medleys, etc), rack stuff, speaker cabs, LP's with factory Floyd's, anything Todd Langner or Lee Jackson ever touched, etc. Practically anything that was for sale in the late 80's and very early 90's is on my mental shopping list. I'm sure one day i'll end up building a garage out of ADA MP-1's and you'll have to stomp just the right presets on the Bradshaw floorboard to gain entry.

At the end of the day, there are lots of things I want that I simply can't afford to buy and that, friends, is how I deal (or don't deal haha) with G.A.S.: poverty.

That being said, if I were to all of a sudden hit the lottery or win a big poker tournament, you can bet your life that I'd have a room where one wall was made out of Metaltronix stacks.

[Twinfan]

I think most of the regulars on here know about my GAS  :roll:

I've always wanted lots of guitars, ever since I learnt to play when I was young.  I've always liked lots of different tones and looks, and the way to achieve that is to get lots of guitars.  For example, nothing else sounds or looks like a Tele.  So I needed a Tele.

As an aside, through all this searching, I was also after 'my tone'.  Yes, that Les Paul does the Les Paul thing really well but am I a 'Les Paul person'?  It turns out that I'm not.

Like PhillyQ, I've fairly recently started to work out what really floats my boat.  Basically, I like solid body guitars made of mahogany and in particular korina.  I don't really like maple tops as it makes the tone too cutting for me, plus I like a longer scale length as it gives a bit more room for my long, thin fingers.  I can't get on with the bodies of semi- or full acoustics like 335s or Casinos either, they're just too big.  I've recently 'got' PRS-s and discovered that they're 'my' guitar.  They're not for everyone, but they're certainly for me when it comes to feel and tone.

So I've had a bit of clear out recently too and got rid of a few duplicates.  I'm now left with 22 guitars (gulp!) but they cover a lot of tonal ground.  I have some cheaper ones that are purely for gigging, and my Gibsons/PRS-s that won't really leave the house as they're for my enjoyment only and I don't want to risk them being damaged/stolen.  I also have my Ibanez collection which is just that - a collection - plus a few sentimental guitars that I just can't sell.

I'm actually still GAS-ing for a few things:

1)  An original 1987 Ibanez RG550DY for the collection
2)  A white single pickup superstrat
3)  A new 50w custom built amp, based on my modified 120w (clean!) Laney Klipp

So even when you've spent a fortune on guitars, GAS never completely disappears as there's always something else you'd like.  GAS just slows down and your taste gets more refined.  And expensive......

[PhilKing]

As someone who has severe AS (not just guitar stuff, but CD's, stereos, LP's and computers), I am the wrong person to tell anyone what to buy and what not to buy!  I currently have over 60 guitars, about 20 amps and more recording gear than some studios!  I used to play and have very limited money, so I would constantly trade gear, which ended up in me getting rid of some very nice guitars and amps (not to mention a great 1962 P-bass).

Once I started to make some money, I started buying without selling or trading other gear (though I have sold some recently, but that was to get some original guitars - I sold custom shop Firebird 1 & 7 to get an original 63 Firebird 3).  At this point it probably is crazy the amount of stuff I have versus the space I am trying to keep it in.  I was once a full time gigging musician, but that was over 30 years ago.  Having said that, I can't imagine not playing.  One of my friends gave up when he had a family and I still can't figure out why he doesn't want to play every day.  I am lucky in that I don't have kids to worry about and my wife hasn't given me gyp over it.  I still think of things I would like to get if I had the money, but original Les Pauls are out of my range!  Over the last month I have picked up 3 new guitars, one Bravewood Strat that I waited about 15 months for, a 5 sting custom Will Scott bass that took about 4 years to come to life and a strat with all base plate equiped Apache's that I put together from Warmoth parts.

If I was rational about this I would trim it down to 15 or so guitars and 10 amps, but I am not, so at this point I am looking to get a bigger house!   Over the next year I already know that I have another 5 or 6 guitars coming that are being built for me.  I also have my eye on a couple of vintage instruments that I would like to buy and I am seriously thinking of picking up a PRS Mira!  Antd that doesn't look at the amps and recording gear!

Beware because once you start down the path it is really hard to stop (though if I had bought some expensive vintage guitars in the late 1990os rather than investing in the stock market, I would be a lot richer!!).

[opprobrium_9]

i don't have money for any of it so i ask my parents to buy me stuff for the old birthday or christmas occasion, which actually never really works out anyways.  I could care less about gear at the moment though, while i lust over a lot of stuff, i am much more worried about my musicianship at this point.  Practicing clean is really my best resource at this point, i can hear the distortion in my head so i don't really need a nice amp or high scale pedals - those come later.

[99_not_out]

I went for ages just owning one SG at a time and not really thinking about the other choices. I love SG's, and if I had to only have one guitar, it'd be an SG. However, after discovering this forum when looking for new pups for said I realised there might be more to guitar than Angus' axe ...

So I now own a PRS SE Singlecut and a MIM Baja Tele too, and played an Ibanez something or other (is it me should Ibanez put more effort into naming their guitars? ... this was an HSH guitar) recently and now I want that too :) The Tele was a real impulse buy, as people have said its kind of about covering tonal ranges and feel and the Tele filled a big hole there. TBH I could spend a lot more than I do. I also find myself thinking things like "Hmmm, a P90, sounds nice but I have no where to put it" which creates further GAS ... but I always try to sleep on it and think again in the morning, or go and play the guitars I do have and then decide if I really need another one. The PRS SE helps there because its freaking lovely. I do need a HSH Ibanez though I think ... :P

My current GAS is however all Amp and Effects related. Amp GAS I find easier to manage because they are hard to impulse buy and carry home, but effects wise its all too easy to buy on the internet! Currently trying to decide between a Blackstar Dual thingumy, a Fulltone Fulldrive, maybe a Tubescreamer too as everyone seems to like them ... should have a Wah ... &c. It all seems cheaper compared to guitars, but it adds up fast! :roll:

[Gizmo]

Like some others here my gas started when i found this forum and is now fuelled by it.

I came  across it by accident after following a link on another forum. I then spent ages searching the forum trying to find the perfect pickups which i got (blackdog and mule) but havent stopped spending ages on the site since.

My girlfriend has given the site a nickname "the blackhole". I spend way too much time reading the posts and getting drawn into all the gear people discuss + its black screen + it seams to empty my pockets on new toys i keep buying.

I have made lots of minor purchases since then and am going to be making lots of new investments this year as i am struggling to control the gas.

I am holding off until post London guitar show when i know what new guitar and amp i want.

I really want a new guitar and have been looking at Teles recently. I really like the Baja and am thinking its not alot of money so its not a waste if it doesnt end up being a keeper.

[Jonny]

Little off my own topic but I officially hate my parents.
They won't let me order online, or from someone overseas (as they find it untrustworthy)

So on eBay I found someone who lives in Northern Ireland! Selling a PAUL REED SMITH! FOR CHEAP AS CHIPS COMPARED TO RETAIL PRICE (around £800)!

Guess what they said..

NO.

For $%&# sake.

[99_not_out]

<GAS_devil>
Gizmo - Those Baja Teles are _very_ nice ...
</GAS_devil>

[Will]

Bad luck there Jonny. Have you still not got a bank account, or they are preventing you from spending your own money on it :?

[Jonny]

Bad luck there Jonny. Have you still not got a bank account, or they are preventing you from spending your own money on it :?

I have my bank account open. But with only £1000 (yes, I meant only as in I can't buy that PRS)

But even so, they are saying that I can't buy anything. No joke.

RANT EDIT: Seriously. My parents can and have been such *beep* tards. But it's all balanced out, but seriously REALLY - when I want a guitar, and it's beneficial to THEIR standards (not overseas, no scams, etc.) and it's something I want, I don't see what's wrong!

When you say "I'll only do it by these terms" and if those terms are met and you still say no. That is just being *beep* .. BAH! *beep* sake.

I felt inclined to censor everything with *beep* seeing as I found myself saying it a lot.