Are we way too gear-obsessed and not seeing what it's really about?

[Alex]

This might seem a ridiculous post to some, but I've put some thought into this.

The last 9 days I had been down with a very bad cold and sinusitis. I wasn't able to work a lot and my PC bored the hell out of me so I spent a lot of time reading and, more importantly playing guitar, mostly sitting down.
Due to me sitting and the way my room is set up, I was just playing and couldn't reach amp or pedals unless I got up.
After a week of this I realized that
a) I don't need pedals very much
b) I don't need all this gear.

One good amp and one decent guitar is really all you need. Being forced to work with fewer options and toys was a bit limiting at first, but then strangely liberating!

Why do we guitar players constantly look for new stuff and whenever we are stuck in a emotional or creative rut, look for different gear? I honestly think that being limited to fewer guitars/amps/pickups/pedals after a while opens up the playing more and more.

As a consequence, I've decided to not buy anything guitar related gear anymore for this year and sell all the stuff I don't really need or use.

Focusing on the art of playing and making music than the gear and equipment, if you want to put it this way.

[Philly Q]

Everything you say is true, and we all know it.

Unfortunately there is no known cure for GAS.

[AndyR]

I think you're probably right.

I certainly feel that way over pedals/effects. I'm pretty much a "plug in, dial a sound, and play" kind of chap...

But I do like my different guitars for different moods and inspiration :D.

[_tom_]

Yep, you're right. I've mostly given up on the search for the perfect tone. I've found that my current tone is "good enough" - nothing special but it does the job and doesn't sound offensive! I enjoy playing much more when I'm actually thinking about playing rather than whether my tone is any good. But the tone also needs to be good enough that it inspires me to play more, as I hate playing with really bad tone.

[Davey]

Everything you say is true, and we all know it.

Unfortunately there is no known cure for GAS.

there is ... it's called successful money management ... most people call it 'being broke' :P
i got 3 gutiars.. Jackson DK2M singlehum in E, a Jackson DR3 in A# and a Charvel Fusion Deluxe, which is going to be the Opeth guitar tuned in dropD.

amp vise, a Laney LH50R and 4x12 .. i highly doubt i'm ever going to need something more. Pedals.. so far i've just got a custom HBE pedal that does everything. i'd like a bit more (like a fuzz war and other .. mostly gimmick pedals), but it's unnecessary. only thing i'm probably going to get is a Ibanez SM7 again, and see how that suits the band, but probably won't do much, cos the amp gives me exactly the tones i want.

[Philly Q]

Everything you say is true, and we all know it.

Unfortunately there is no known cure for GAS.

there is ... it's called successful money management ... most people call it 'being broke' :P
i got 3 gutiars.. Jackson DK2M singlehum in E, a Jackson DR3 in A# and a Charvel Fusion Deluxe, which is going to be the Opeth guitar tuned in dropD.

amp vise, a Laney LH50R and 4x12 .. i highly doubt i'm ever going to need something more. Pedals.. so far i've just got a custom HBE pedal that does everything. i'd like a bit more (like a fuzz war and other .. mostly gimmick pedals), but it's unnecessary. only thing i'm probably going to get is a Ibanez SM7 again, and see how that suits the band, but probably won't do much, cos the amp gives me exactly the tones i want.

Being broke isn't a cure for GAS, it just puts it in remission. 

But you may be one of the lucky ones with a natural immunity.

[Ratrod]

I keep my pedals to the absolute minimum.

RE-20 space echo and a Box Of Rock clone.

Can't play rockabilly without the echo, can't play classic hard rock without the BOR.

Had a chorus hooked up a while. The power lead broke, took it out. One tone sucker less.

I played my Esquire through a mate's JCM800 2X12 combo. Straight in, no FX whatsoever, no reverb. That was great.

[d1dsj]

Yep! In the past 18 months I've sold loads of gear... several "spare" pick ups, several pedals, 4 amps and 8 guitars. I stiill have a few, maybe more than I need and I will sell what I don't use. I have occassionally played gigs without pedals, just guitar/ lead/ amp and as you say it is quite liberating. It's a good testto see if you have improved too as there is nothing to hide behind! On that note I'd better go practise!  :lol:

[Jonny]

I have the fortunality (?) of being in London for university so I have to leave most of my stuff at home in Belfast. So I have my three guitars and my Toneport.

And if Mr. Eyjafjallajokull would shut up for a day or two my dad can bring over my VHT.

[FELINEGUITARS]

I agree with the one great guitar and a cool amp thing - and especially the practising and playing lots and enjoying being creative.

However like everyone else here I love guitars and amps and equipment
It took a HUGE amount of reserve for me NOT to buy a THD Univalve amp I saw on Ebay last night - especially as I have so much love of my existing Egnater stuff - just a tone junkie I guess.

However the money is best spent on other stuff (like the 2010 guitars or having a holiday later in the year - first in 5 years)

I saw Kiss in concert last week and hearing loads of songs that were the driving force for me learning to play guitar in the first place reminded me I should sit down (or stand up) and play more guitar.

I do fancy making a couple of new Lion Cub guitars though - simple retro types (but with a few creature comforts)

[Denim n Leather]

Meh -- you keep Christmas in your way and I'll keep it in mine. :)



I like having a few guitars, several amps, and L O T S of pedals ...

I enjoy tube rolling and swapping pickups. I have fun trying different cables.


I don't have any "Catholic guilt" over my gear.

If one guitar/amp suits you, that's awesome -- enjoy!

And I will enjoy my stuff.

[AndyR]

Meh -- you keep Christmas in your way and I'll keep it in mine. :)

:lol:

Definitely with you on "I don't have any "Catholic guilt" over my gear."

Since my first post, I've realised that if I had the space, and a place to turn them up, I'd probably have as many amps as I have guitars (I'd have less guitars though, if I'd been spending on amps as well). The only reason I haven't got loads of pedals is they don't really grab me.

[Stevepage]

Yep, I realised it over the past few months, so I downsized.

Got rid of most of my pedals, kept the essentials.

Traded my 4 x 12 for a practical 2 x 12.

Streamlined my guitars to just 2, a Strat and a Tele, no floyd roses, no awkward switches or messing around with wrenches.

In doing that, I've gotten over my writers block and have come up with some pretty good stuff that's more interesting to me. Not just the same old rehashed metal stuff.


I think it's now more important to think of guitars etc as tools rather than collectable pieces of wood and metal. You don't need a million tones from 20 different guitars. Just enough tones that are usable from 1, 2 at most guitars.

Fair enough if you've got the money for lots of guitars, but personally I'm at my most happiest with my tools now and don't have a desire to build up a collection again.

[Lew]

Guilty as charged, I get through tons of gear, part of the problem is the actual buying of the gear is so much damn fun, especially on eBay. I'll often bid on gear I'm apathetic too just to get a bargain.

I'm 1000x more productive with just an acoustic and a pick, in-fact I sat down and learned Led Zeps Rain Song the other night and just playing through that with an acoustic was one of the most rewarding things I've done in a while.

Having said that there's an awesome looking Wampler Plexitortion pedal with two hours left on it on eBay :-p

[dave_mc]

i'm with ben :lol: