GAS side effects

[ksdaddy]

Do you ever feel guilty about how many guitars you own?

 

I'm sure there aren't many of us born with the proverbial silver spoon in our mouths, and I will bet most of us agonized over ads in Guitar Player and peering through music store windows at some seemingly unattainable instrument. We've paid our dues and now many of us are just plain spoiled. Guitars scattered all over the house and we want more.

 

But we can't part with any unless they are just repellant. Noooo, can't get rid of that 19XX Whatchamabob even though we haven't played it in ten years. It's ours and we get some sick comfort in knowing we own it and somebody else doesn't.

 

If I put an index card inside each case and jotted down the date it was played, then at the end of a year divided the price by how many times it was played, I'd have some really expensive instruments.

 

I wish I could adopt a "one in, one out" policy but it's never going to happen.

 

I have purges once in a while, like when I sold off about ten lower and medium priced guitars and bought a J200. Ditto for the emergency purchase of my brother's Dobro (that I don't play, by the way...). Now I'm contemplating a '62 Gibson RB-170 open back banjo and I don't really want to sell anything to make it happen. #1, I do have the money (this week) and #2, I don't have any guitars that make me sick (this week).

 

I shouldn't complain; I've been blessed over the years by somehow "making it happen" when GAS hits, but do any of you ever feel guilty about just plain having too many guitars around?

[thabesh]

nope, no guilty feelings here. I figure that one way or another, I've earned what I have and I'm happy to have them. Many have come and gone over the years and truthfully, I feel more guilty about the ones I let go. Looking back, I don't even know why I decided to sell some of them. I'd sure like to have a couple of them back, but maybe that's just seller's remorse.

[Taylor Player]

I only feel a bit guilty when the kids start asking for food.....

[bkharmony]

I feel guilty about the number and the quality of guitars I own. I only have four "nice" guitars, but I've got another 17? 18? low-mid-range sitting around the homestead. I never touch most of them. Meanwhile, my friend - who is actually a great player, unlike myself - is poor and may never own a "nice" acoustic.

 

I'm not wealthy by *any* means, but the life choices I've made allow me to spend some money on guitars right now. My friend(s) have made their own choices, and they're always strapped for cash. So even though I know I've earned this and my pals haven't, I still feel lousy about it - especially when we sit around and talk guitars. I hate to even talk about my Gibsons. When we jam I bring my beaters.

[suburude63]

:- "Sometimes life aint fair my friend ! I think its a priority issue. I drive a $5400 car ! and have $10K wraped up in guitars ! The car takes me to the store and work. The guitars take me to heaven !" - Me

 

 

It is life choices !

[davenumber2]

My wife is the only one that makes me feel guilty about it every time she trips over a case or two.

[CAMELEYE]

I'm recovering. A while back I sold off the vintage collectibles that generally stayed in the closet. Just felt that these guitars should be played, not hoarded. Also, when I realize that some guitar I have hasn't been played in a year or more, I sell it, tough though that can sometimes be. Not exactly into the one in one out though. Some stay. I think this way of doing things works pretty well for me 'cause I do get to own and play a nice variety of guitars and with all the ones passing through some do end up as keepers. Plus I can stay involved in the buying & selling game, which is kinda fun.

I don't think I'm motivated by guilt, ksd, more a sense of not wanting to be an accumulator of too many worldly goods. Eye of the needle. Ce

[sjl200]

I shouldn't complain; I've been blessed over the years by somehow "making it happen" when GAS hits, but do any of you ever feel guilty about just plain having too many guitars around?

 

Never.

Think of the 1935 Gibson that would have died an unfulfilled existence if a 'collector' had not preserved it by keeping it safe cherishing its history and playing it every once in a while so after he died and his kids rummaging through his estate found it unaware of its unique character sold it on e-bay for some quick cash for their addiction de jur'' to some guy who came along at just the right time to acquire it so he can start the process all over again......

We must all do our part.

 

Do it for the children!

[suburude63]

I'm recovering. A while back I sold off the vintage collectibles that generally stayed in the closet. Just felt that these guitars should be played' date=' not hoarded. Also, when I realize that some guitar I have hasn't been played in a year or more, I sell it, tough though that can sometimes be. Not exactly into the one in one out though. Some stay. I think this way of doing things works pretty well for me 'cause I do get to own and play a nice variety of guitars and with all the ones passing through some do end up as keepers. Plus I can stay involved in the buying & selling game, which is kinda fun.

I don't think I'm motivated by guilt, ksd, more a sense of not wanting to be an accumulator of too many worldly goods. Eye of the needle. Ce[/quote']

 

 

Here here ! CE ! Here here!

[62burst]

Do you ever feel guilty about how many guitars you own?

 

Yes' date=' but "guilty" more about how many thousands of $ I could've paid down the mortgage, put aside for home improvements, the next place, etc.

 

[b']Guitar Intervention:[/b] yes, I think about if something should happen to me, they would "find guitars scattered all around the house" , cases laying on the floor, stacked, etc. The index card w. date of last play is a good idea. One in, one out. Unfortunately, the motto around here reads "Guitars check in, but they don't check out". Our tastes in what

sort of sound we're looking for changes over time. 3 years ago, I was into the "Choir of Angels" sound; high-end Martins & the like. Ringing sustain for days. Would a piano player keep their foot on the right (sustain) pedal forever?

At what point does sustain cover up intricacy? It is merely more readily tangible than short decay with accurately conveyed dynamics.

 

I think there should be a G.A.S. site for those who think they are too into the next acquisition. I'd be checking in every time my cursor hovers over the "place bid" button on ebay. But I also think we are who we are. This is our lot. Chasing a tone. A tone? Then why do I wax poetic over a dreamy pickguard? "The search" is deeply embedded in our dna.

 

When I hear us talking about how one type of guitar is good for a particular style of playing, tuning, even particular chord progressions & tempos, I kinda miss the good old days starting out, when just one guitar was good enough.

[Oubaas]

I stopped feeling guilty about enjoying my life about two seconds after getting hit in the head in the line of duty in the U.S. military and subsequently handed medical retirement papers.

 

Uncle Sam kept his promises and I got the benefits I was promised, but that event left me with seizures, so they even took my driver's license (goodbye fast cars and motorcycles). Plus, I lost count of how many times I've been clinically dead along the way. That's an interesting experience. Once you been through that, you do stop worrying about death, though.

 

I'm more or less OK now, aside from some very weird temporal lobe seizures, and I have all my parts. But luckily, my seizures aren't the tonic-clonic motor seizure type. Just sort of a, "He's not here right now!" type of mystical strangeness seizure that no one usually notices. The big scars faded, I can walk, I can see some, and hear mostly, and my wife just dotes on me, plus I'm now on permanent vacation by order of the U.S. government, so I can't really complain.

 

But the end result has been that I've lost any inclination to feel guilty for enjoying my life. Bought a Gibson Dove not long ago, and just tonight I bought a registered palomino quarter horse that'll be here tomorrow. Was going to buy a red dun with a flaxen mane, but the palomino came along, and well...

 

So, nope. No guilt here. Everything after surviving that crap is gravy, and I intend to enjoy it all! And if you want some unsolicited advice, I think YOU ought to enjoy your life, too, and forget about feeling guilty when you enjoy it. Just grin and pick those guitars, and be thankful ya got 'em! Doesn't mean you have to forget about those you can help, just means be thankful and enjoy along the way!

 

Cheers!

 

Rick...

[MisterGibs]

Guilty?

Yes - for many years. But this was a guilt installed in me by others.

"Why do you play guitar - you are not a guitarist..."

"Why do you have 3 guitars-one is enough to take place in the huse..."

"Why should you buy that???..."

 

BUT - NO MORE!

 

ENOUGH!

 

I even don't have GAS.

 

I Have NEEDS!

 

Because I am an artist and I need tools for my art!

[Guth]

More embarrassment than guilt in my case. My problem doesn't have quite as much to do with the quantity of guitars I own as it does with the amount of money that I've invested (I own a Gibson, a Collings, a Taylor and a National and I've owned & sold many others previously). Basically, I have a hard time justifying the money spent on the guitars I own given my skills as a player.

 

I lived in Austin for many years and knew/witnessed many amazing guitarists who could pull great music out of just about any old box — it was very humbling, often inspiring, and at times depressing. Don't get me wrong: I do get enjoyment out of my guitars. I basically play solely for myself (couch player) for therapy as much as enjoyment. Nevertheless, I do feel foolish at times when I listen to some of my recent attempts at recording myself.

 

I guess my best investment in the world of music has been the money put towards lessons, which in turn helped to improve my playing. As my playing skills increase, the enjoyment of my guitars tends to increase as well. Overall, I tend to envy others' skills more than the guitars themselves.

 

As a side note, for me, GAS seems to be directly proportional to the amount of time spent on guitar forums. I've experienced gains in satisfaction from my guitars just by avoiding others talking about theirs. Looking at, or hearing about, some of the guitar collections people have amassed here, I'm assuming that there are more than a couple of people on this forum who make a living via the music industry. It can be intimidating at times to think about, but in the end I figure everyone shares the love of guitars.

 

All the best,

Guth

[ksdaddy]

Yeah, to heck with it. I did it. Ended up getting it at the reserve instead of the buy-it-now, which was $200 more. I held back until the last second and it paid off.

 

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley.......

 

[Johnt]

No guilt here

 

I mean at one end of this 20ft x 12ft room there is a stand of 6 guitar cases,

 

The rest of the room is taken up with HER clothes!

Also she has two wardrobes in two spare rooms and the wardrober in our room

 

When I win the lottery I am going to buy a shed for me and the dogs no room left at the Inn!

 

Seriously IF guitars are one's only vice ( except the "givens" of women and booze which don't count) then what's to feel guilty about.

 

 

Mind you I haven't got the number of guitars that "certain people" have ( How the divvill are you Scott)

[62burst]

More embarrassment than guilt in my case. My problem doesn't have quite as much to do with the quantity of guitars I own as it does with the amount of money that I've invested. Basically' date=' I have a hard time justifying the money spent on the guitars I own given my skills as a player. [/quote']

 

Guth you are humble. Anyone who listened to that DADGAD(?) recording of your J-45TV you offered as a sound sample (see link below) for the person who was looking to get a '45TV knows that. Many on this forum, myself included, would be happy just to be able to pick that one out by just listening to it:

 

http://www.billguthrie.com/music/walking_nick.mp3

 

It's easier to get another guitar, than it is to rise to another skill level. Its all relative. I had a rough day at work,

came home & looked at this forum, clicked on your link, & was reminded of why I got into playing. Thank you for that.

 

As a side note' date=' for me, GAS seems to be directly proportional to the amount of time spent on guitar forums.[/quote']

 

This is true. I guess this could be one of the steps in my proposed 12 Step G.A.S. program : ) !

[bkharmony]

As a side note' date=' for me, GAS seems to be directly proportional to the amount of time spent on guitar forums. [/quote']

 

Ain't that the truth? The last time I went on a guitar-buying binge was when I was active on the Fender Forum and all about the Teles and Jaguars.

 

I blame all of you! :D

[Guth]

62burst,

 

Thanks for the kind words — I do appreciate it. But as you say, it's all relative. I know that everyone has a different point of reference from which they operate when it comes to guitar playing. Unless I step up my level of playing and develop a basic level of music theory understanding, I'll probably always feel the way I do as long as I have the guitars I do. I'll try to offer a better explanation.

 

Here's a classic example of how I feel at times: I'm at one of our local guitar stores and happen to be checking out some really nice higher-end guitar (I can't help but be curious) and picking away with my own noodlings (most things I play are just stuff I've made up as I go). Usually this is about the time that someone else drops by the store, picks up one of the lower-end models and proceeds to blow me and everyone else in the store away. I don't exactly feel like crawling into the storage room to hide, but I always reflect upon my own playing skills at times like that and realize that I should be spending more time playing/learning/developing and less time "looking". Just the way I'm wired.

 

The tune I put down for the J-45 sound clip is part of one of those things I made up. The tuning is EBDGBE (something I happened upon trying to figure out Jackson Browne's tune "Something Fine"). The thing is, I have to struggle to tell you what the tuning is - I literally had to sit down and think it through in my mind string by string. I couldn't tell you what cords I use, or why I used what I did.

 

I love sitting around an playing for myself, by myself, but the couple of times that I've tried to make music with others has been frustrating at best. This is easy to understand given the fact that I play almost no cover tunes (with the exception of some country blues stuff which I love) and I don't understand music theory. And I definitely am not able to pick things up by listening (if I really want to learn something I'll try to find the TAB). I might have met someone locally that would be a good teacher to help get me to the next level, but I'm not sure.

 

The other part of my post probably shouldn't be overlooked. Before the internet, I used to own one or two guitars and was perfectly happy with them, learning and growing at my own pace. Then the Internet came into play. I used to participate in an acoustic guitar newsgroup (rmmga?) for a while and that is when I began feeling less satisfied with things. The wealth of online forums today expands the external influence exponentially. I became more and more fixated on finding "the guitar" with "the tone". It took me way too long to figure out that guitar is only part of the equation and that I was the single biggest contributor to how any given guitar I pick up is going to sound. For example, I recently read/watched part of the David Rawlings interview that someone posted elsewhere on this forum. I thought about his old archtop guitar and how great it sounded (when he played it). Not long ago, I would have lusted for his guitar as I reallly love his playing, but now I have a more realistic view — that guitar would sound like total crap in my hands, given my style of playing.

 

I'm pretty happy working on my own music and have found some guitars that work great for the stuff I like to play. I love acoustic guitars — at one point I contemplated going to work for Collings guitars (which I envisioned as potentially extremely satisfying work), but I ended up turning down the offer as by that time I found a career I was happy with and it paid the bills. I still love looking at different guitars, but for the first time in a long time I'm pretty content with the guitars I have. On the other hand, I'm not content with my playing skills and knowledge of music theory, so I'm going to try and concentrate on those things going forward. I can see myself swapping out guitars down the road, but I'll never amass a huge collection. (I also remembered that I have an old '80s era Squire Strat and a little '64 Fender VibroChamp amp down in the basement collecting dust, but I'll never get rid of them.)

 

Well, that's probably enough of a "confessional/explanation" for today.

 

Anyway, I'm really glad you enjoyed the sound clip. Contrary to how it might sound given my ramblings, I am happy making "music" and it is good to know that someone else might enjoy something I've created.

 

All the best,

Guth

[KL]

I feel more guilty about the ones I let go.

 

+1

[62burst]

Guth-

 

Thanks for the additional clarification. So much of the time we hear the same stuff come out of our own guitar, we can take it for granted as being

good. Some others at a guitar shop can be laying down their best stuff, too. And it's fresher than what we hear when we do our own material.

 

Thanks also for passing along the EBDGBE tuning on your "Walking Nick". My fingers were crying trying to do that in DADGAD!

 

And thanks to KSdaddy for allowing us to take a little of the thread. Its a good topic, and one that has the potential to relieve G.A.S. !

[DAS44]

I'm too young to have enough guitars to even think about feeling guilty. Then again I think I'll always be too young to have enough guitars to feel guilty about.

 

Whoa weird wording but you get my drift.

[drathbun]

I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't gamble, I don't watch sports. I have 12 guitars. Do I feel guilty? Not at all. The music I play seems to bring joy to my friends and family so I think it is a fair trade.

[TommyK]

I have no guilt, but my 'herd' hasn't broken the two digit figure yet.

 

I can't say the same for the other member of the household.