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Gear, that's too good for you "Guilt?"


charlie brown

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Now, I LOVE all my guitars...ever last one of them! They're all great players, with wonderful tone,

and nice looking, too.

 

However, every now and then, I think "What am I doing, with all this wonderful gear" at my "skill"

level, and lack of opportunity, to even play "out," much, anymore??!

 

Crazy? Maybe. [unsure][blush] I sometimes wonder, especially for the few gigs, in bars (mostly) that are available,

I shouldn't just own a couple of Dano's (6 and 12-string) and call it good? [tongue][flapper][biggrin]

 

Thank God, this feeling doesn't come over me, very often! But, it does seem to, more so, the older I get! [unsure]

 

Anyone else, have those "doubts?" [smile]

 

CB

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There's really no need to feel guilty about that. It's not like you've stolen these guitars from starving artists, you just collected them because you like guitars (and have great taste IMO)

 

As for the skill level thing.. Who cares? I'm sure there are plenty of people that enjoy the sound of your playing, but either way, the guitars that you have are basically only limited by the player themself. So how can anybody truly be "worthy" of an instrument, when the instrument could exceed any player's capability? I guess basically what I'm saying is it's impossible to be too good for the instrument, so don't worry that the instrument is too good for you.

 

I don't think you need that Vox Tonebender any more though. You might as well sell that to me [flapper]

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There's really no need to feel guilty about that. It's not like you've stolen these guitars from starving artists, you just collected them because you like guitars (and have great taste IMO)

 

As for the skill level thing.. Who cares? I'm sure there are plenty of people that enjoy the sound of your playing, but either way, the guitars that you have are basically only limited by the player themself. So how can anybody truly be "worthy" of an instrument, when the instrument could exceed any player's capability? I guess basically what I'm saying is it's impossible to be too good for the instrument, so don't worry that the instrument is too good for you.

 

I don't think you need that Vox Tonebender any more though. You might as well sell that to me [flapper]

 

LOL! Sorry, Dub...that's a keeper, as I've had for very close to 50 years, now. [scared][biggrin]

 

And, my "Guilt" is fleeting. It comes and goes...when I have nothing else to worry about, I guess? LOL

I DO love guitars!

 

My "talent," is better now, then when I was playing a lot, as a "kid!" But, it's still nowhere close to

where I'd like it to be. But, it probably never will be, especially now, with my arthritic fingers. [razz]

 

I was just curious, if anyone else experiences this, or not? Regarless of age, or talent level. Thanks,

for responding!

 

CB

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Nope. I love them, gigging or not. My guilt is over the ones I don't and won't reach for first, so they end up trading fodder.

 

rct

 

 

Yeah, I've purposely been grabbing some of the one's that haven't been played, in awhile, because my SG's, quite literally, "took over!"

Been getting re-acquainted, with some of the other's, and that's always FUN, as well as a good reminder as to WHY I bought them,

in the first place! [biggrin]

 

CB

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Don't feel guilty for having excellent guitars CB! As long as you treasure them and care for them (which you clearly do) I think that makes you worthy enough.

 

Anyway, there are too many variables in your way of thinking. How would we define who is worthy enough to own a specific instrument, amp or pedal?

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There are players and there are collectors. A lot of people, myself included, are both. I have a few guitars, every once in a while I get a feeling I should part with one to let someone else enjoy the instrument, but there are two realities here. One, nobody really wants my hand me downs. Two, there are tons of guitars out there so I shouldn't worry about 'hoarding' a few.

 

 

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Don't feel guilty for having excellent guitars CB! As long as you treasure them and care for them (which you clearly do) I think that makes you worthy enough.

 

Anyway, there are too many variables in your way of thinking. How would we define who is worthy enough to own a specific instrument, amp or pedal?

 

 

Well, as I said, it's only a fleeting "guilt," at most! I (sometimes) use it, to keep me from buying even more guitars! [tongue][biggrin]

Not even sure where it comes from, when it comes???! :rolleyes: Maybe, like RCT mentioned, it's more about not playing them, more

than I do/should?!

 

CB

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I know what you are saying. I always tell people, I'm way better at buying guitars than I am at playing them. I have a lot of guitars, but really only a couple of nice ones, and I sometimes wonder if they wish they were owned by someone who could play them properly. I know its stupid to think that, but the thought never lasts long. In the end, I just really enjoy guitars.

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I know the feeling. I feel guilt sometimes when I look at my quiver. Not because I cant play as well as I should, but because I could take all that cash and give it to someone in need. Catholic Guilt.

 

but a worse feeling is listening to Dylan or Lennon Lyric , or Richards and woods riff. and I know that I will never and could ever be close to that. Ah, but a guy can dream. But back to the point, yeah I feel guilt, but usually I shake it off and buy something else. I get it though, guilt is a b**ch

 

In the end, I will play my guitars, and buy others I am sure, rest assured, sometime down the line when I rest peacefully in that quiet cemetary fill of sycamores near the railroad tracks, my guitars will no doubt have thier chance to be played by a real musician. But for now, they are stuck with me.

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Well, as I said, it's only a fleeting "guilt," at most! I (sometimes) use it, to keep me from buying even more guitars! [tongue][biggrin]

Not even sure where it comes from, when it comes???! :rolleyes: Maybe, like RCT mentioned, it's more about not playing them, more

than I do/should?!

 

CB

If you are feeling guilty because you have guitars that aren't being played, then the solution is simple....PLAY them.

 

If you have to play only a few chords on each to say "hi", it's still therapy.

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No guilt whatsoever.

What I spend my money on is my own business.

What other people think of that is of no matter to me.

 

Even a crappy player should be able to enjoy a nice instrument.

+1

No guilt here as well.

I go with Oscar Wilde " I have a very simple taste: the best is good enough"

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Now, I LOVE all my guitars...ever last one of them! They're all great players, with wonderful tone,

and nice looking, too.

 

However, every now and then, I think "What am I doing, with all this wonderful gear" at my "skill"

level, and lack of opportunity, to even play "out," much, anymore??!

 

Crazy? Maybe. [unsure][blush] I sometimes wonder, especially for the few gigs, in bars (mostly) that are available,

I shouldn't just own a couple of Dano's (6 and 12-string) and call it good? [tongue][flapper][biggrin]

 

Thank God, this feeling doesn't come over me, very often! But, it does seem to, more so, the older I get! [unsure]

 

Anyone else, have those "doubts?" [smile]

 

CB

I will have a gibson es 335 Friday, yet there are guys in my hometown playing epiphone dots who blow me away, do i feel guilty i found about it? Nope, i found a way to get my dream guitar, whether someone else thinks im worthy of it matters not to me because i want a quality instrument. Little story, once I met a french girl in syracuse once in the 90s and told her my dream acoustic was a Guild D-55 dreadnought, she said you should buy it. I said, i cant afford it and my skill isnt that great. She said a musician should have a good instrument, if you want it bad enough you will find a way to afford it and your skill justify the price eventually because you will love it so much you wont stop playing it. Wise words, and i cant wait until Friday :)

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Hey, It's good that you all feel the way you do! [thumbup] I've wanted to replace my very much loved, and missed, Cherry Red ES-355 Stereo!

I have resisted, doing so, for years now. Saying: "you don't really need it, probably would only lovingly stare at it, and what a WASTE that

would be." (I CAN talk myself out of almost anything, these days...which was NOT the case, for decades, in my younger days. LOL) And,

every time I try to "thin the herd," anymore...I just can't seem to get it done! In my youth, I had no more than 3 guitars, at any one time! And,

I didn't feel deprived, at all! So, I really DO wonder, at times, what the "need" is, of owning so many now??! Not even sure, it's any kind

of "guilt," as much as wondering what fuels the "lust" if you will, for wanting so many, now. Pointless, wondering, maybe? But, it's there,

now and again. It's amazing, how "attached" one can become to such material items, and yet...not at all! LOL Ai Yah!! :rolleyes:

 

Maybe this is all a exercise in futile, tail chasing logic, or lack of ANY logic? [tongue][biggrin]

CB

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I do feel that Ive got too many guitars. Until 2013 I only ever had 2 electrics. Until 2015 I only had 3.

 

Now all of a sudden I have 7 (+ another in pieces). I love them all & play them all. 2 of them have not been gigged... yet!

 

But I don't feel guilty. Also I have never felt that any guitar was 'too good', because no guitar is perfect, any more than any guitarist is perfect.

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Much interesting content here.

 

As far as feeling guilty and picking up 'overlooked' guitars goes I can relate to that.

Lately I've by-passed the R0 to give the R9 (my least played Lester owing to the baseball-bat neck) some quality time and have been really enjoying the experience.

It has reminded me why I bought the thing in the first place and highlighted how misguided I've been in not having spent more time with it.

 

...your skill (will) justify the price eventually because you will love it so much you wont stop playing it...

Wise words, indeed.

 

...I've wanted to replace my very much loved, and missed, Cherry Red ES-355 Stereo...

Then for goodness' sakes just do it, CB. Whyever not? Can you think of one really good reason not to buy one?

Waiting until you get to have another shot at buying and playing one in the next life is not a viable option IMO.

If you really want to have one again do it now.

 

Pip.

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I've got NO guilt but at the same time I need to shed a bunch...only because there's other instruments I want!

 

I would like very much to use a "one in, two out" rule. Mathematically speaking, that would thin the herd.

 

I have a hard time saying goodbye sometimes though. A guitar may have been here 10 years and I never play it for one reason or another but if I sell it, it's gone and I can't say I own it.

 

Need to get over that crap.

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Sometimes I have this sort of thoughts, too, partly because most of my guitars and basses never gigged up to now, partly because some of them seem to be dedicated to just one song of my band each.

 

Here are my thoughts why I don't really feel guilty about that. Each instrument has its individual tone, including advantages and shortcomings as well. No guitar is perfect or a jack of all trades device. Features like different magnetic pickups, switching abilities, additional piezo pickups, hard or vibrato tails contribute to rather different potentials. Other players might use some appointments more extensively and much more virtuoso, I use them just as far as I feel a song calls for them. In other words, I don't apply vibrato because it's there - it has to be there since I want to colourize a few notes with it.

 

On the other hand, trying to push a guitar's performance to the limit through experimenting is both exciting and inspiring for me. Sometimes I have hair-raising moments when I accidentally find out how the certain sound of a certain note or chord within a certain song might have been achieved. These things really happen to me without a purposeful search - I just find them. Honestly, I don't want to miss that.

 

I also think the songs of my pals and me are worth the effort. My playing abilities and my voice mark the limits of my creativity, so I wanted at least a nice palette of colours to choose from for matching our music. Finally, I found out emulating amps works pretty well while emulating guitars seems rather poor to me.

 

Keep on picking, mates - I think it's more than a guilty pleasure! [biggrin]

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I don't usually feel guilty about my gear.

 

I put myself somewhere between a working musician and a collector as far as my gear goes.

 

Where a working musician justifies all of their gear as tools of the trade and a collector buys them just for the collectability, I fall in between.

 

I don't play out, so don't really "need" any of them, but between my budget and the fact that I play each and every one of mine, I don't feel I fall in as a collector either.

 

 

For example, I really want a TV Yellow Special. The collector in me can't afford one from the 50's at $5k, and the working musician in me can't justify a newer custom shop re-issue at $2k, so I'll end up with a 5-10 year old standard production one for 800+/-

As much as I'd love a vintage one, THAT would bring out the guilt for me......so I stick to what I can afford and will be thrilled with it when it comes along.

 

The biggest thing is have fun.......don't stress over it. If a guitar makes you happy, offers some relaxation and therapy, then no guilt. Just enjoy!!!

 

NHTom

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