Why must we "have"?

I'm also on the player side. Almost all of my guitars found me, as I was not really looking for anything at the time. The same goes for a few of my amps. I was just at the right place when something nice was offered to me, and I had cash either on hand, or at home.

Some perfect examples are:

My '85 Les Paul. I was killing time at the fibre optics conference in Boston, and decided to wander into E.U. Wurlitzer near Berklee. Saw it hanging there for short money and asked to try it. It played and sounded really nice, especially out of the old Fender Twin that they set me up with. Couldn't afford it, but the manager insisted it "not fall into the wrong hands" pointing at some kids playing terrible noises. Held it for me with $10.00 on a 60 day layaway.

'91 Rick 330. Just scrolling Craigslist, and saw it listed for $600.00. Was working near the seller the next day. Stopped by his house after work, and it was a great playing guitar. Awesome deal.

'76 Firebird. $300.00 at Mr. Music in Allston. Another killer deal.

'69 SG Std. $300 at Cambridge Music. Played almost every gig I've ever done with this guitar, along with many recorded tracks.

There was a Daddy's Junky Music store where one of the guys would hide stuff waiting for me to visit again, and say "You need to grab this!"

There are a few more fun stories. I also usually look at the guitar with the notion of "what colors will this add to my palette?" Especially back when I was playing and recording. Now, since I always paid cash for everything, they are like my tools and they don't owe me anything. I still have all my machinist and mechanics tools from all my different jobs over the years, which allowed me to make a few guitars without a big cash outlay on tools that I didn't have. I also don't ever sell or flip stuff, so that's why I still have all of this stuff.

As for now, I really am not on the hunt for anything. I have a bunch of unfinished projects that need attention, and a bunch of material that I need to practice and get back up to snuff in case we ever start practicing. I've got my original band which I need to write some more material for, the Alice Cooper band, and then my Hawkwind project that I'm trying to get off the ground. And working my regular job. Gearlust is at the very bottom of my list. But, if a nice ES335 or equivalent comes along at the right price, plays well, and I have the cash...............

Robert Herndon said:

I gigged a 1987 Squire Stratocaster for 28 years and today, it still looks new. I have a guitar strap i made in 1980 and i still use it everyday.

I take good care of my stuff, but guitars don't grab me. They are a tool that enables me to make a living. Having said that, i need a good, reliable guitar and one that is well set up and intonated.

Other than needing a backup or a guitar for alternate tunings, i could easily make do with only one guitar.

I feel as though gear is a distraction to my playing.

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This is my strap a friend gave me in '82. I know it's older, but not sure how much. Still use it with one of my SGs.

I have a few guitars that I really like, and a couple that make me want to play better, but since my last purchase,, I have not been gassing over anything.
Thanks
Mitch

I still need a black LP to go with the white, blue and honey bursts I have. And an ES335. And...

Cadorman said:

I still need a black LP to go with the white, blue and honey bursts I have. And an ES335. And...

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Oh yea no gas here Chris

ITs a sickness.......

I seen Disturbed live at a outside concert.Brought my kids to it when they were teenagers. Place went nuts when they played this song.

I picked out 4 guitars for band practice this year. They get the job done.

This same question could be asked for pedals or amps
Really I only need one guitar but to have option is nice. If inspiration starts to die off can pick a different one up and somthing new seems to come out. As for the beauty of the guitar they look nicer than photo's hung on the wall

RVA said:

So, please take a seat, or lay down on the couch if you like, and lay it bare so we may discover the mystery of G.A.S!

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First of all, we're all gathered here for our love of guitars and all that is connected to it. When we see "beauty" in anything, our mind and bodies are excited...: Sweet and soothing hormones are released. This type of feeling is very addictive, and I for one would love to have it all the time. Sometimes common sense prevails and we're forced to fight off the affects of seeing beauty and G.A.S. Sometimes we fail miserably and we get in trouble for it. For a hypothetical example: Let's say I'm strolling along the beach. And let's say that Kate Upton is casually just laying on the waterline looking beautifully. Let's just say she looks at me and says "Hi"! Before I can respond with anything intelligeable, I would immediately blow my whole wad and have a big spot in my pants... I would have failed miserably...

Guitar shops are like art galleries to me. I can just go in to see what new 'artwork' there is on the walls.
I mainly go for 2nd hand these days. It makes it less easy to just buy what you want online. The right one has to appear!
Some do just 'jump' out at you though, and you get those first inklings of GAS.
A quick play sorts out whether the GAS is going to be short-lived or not. Looks and playability must go hand-in-hand for me.
The only time I really went nuts with my foot on the GAS was to buy a new Ibanez Prestige RGA321F-SPB (as if that helps! - see pics).
It is too beautiful to play out with (not that I do much), and is still in mint/stock condition 12 years later.




I am up to four electrics, two acoustics, and one bass so far. But there is room for one more I think, before I have to consider P/X-ing one of them.
None of them are 'Beaters' though. I tend to be more attracted to guitars that have been well preserved by their previous owners.

LRT said:

This same question could be asked for pedals or amps
Really I only need one guitar but to have option is nice. If inspiration starts to die off can pick a different one up and somthing new seems to come out. As for the beauty of the guitar they look nicer than photo's hung on the wall

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Instruments do not inspire me. Projects inspire me. Now, this is just a peek into my mindset and is in no way intended to be any kind of example for anyone to follow.

I play everyday at work for a living. I literally become possessed by these music projects and i love being in the studio, because what we record is truly immortal.

The studio is also my 'safe haven' and its where i feel most comfortable.

Playing live is also exciting, but in a different way.

I like the camaraderie of our band and how every rehearsal is lighthearted and fun. To me, that's something missing in a lot of musical projects. Its also very gratifying when people are so visibly happy with what you are playing for them.

The last brand new guitar i wanted was a Transparent Purple Burst Schecter C1-FR. Most importantly, because I've owned Schecter's before and they never need work, but also because i loved the purple burst. It is - hands down - the only guitar i own that's never been opened up, leveled & crowned or had electronic modifications.

With coil tapped EMG's, its also super versatile and the Floyd Rose 1000 stays in perfect tune no matter what.

However, what i feel drawn to most is my homemade Les Paul. Its just like your most comforable pair of shoes. It doesn't have quite as stable tuning as the C1-FR, but its it's perfectly leveled & crowned, fully copper shielded and set up to perfection.

When i recorded "Watchtower," i played this guitar. When i recorded "The Wind Cries Mary," i also used this guitar. I didn't pull out a Stratocaster (which i no longer own) for the projects.

I'm not a big believer in "Oh, I need a Telecaster on this," although our producer will often mandate a particular guitar for a given project. I'm more of an "adjust my playing and tone to suit this project" kind of guy.

In this band, I'm known as "Dirty Rob." I'm running high gain all the time. Mike plays cleaner and Merrill cleaner still. Even on mellow songs, i never channel switch or reduce gain, i just bring the volume down a bit on the guitarand find a place in the mix where my tone fits and adds depth.

By the way, I'm lucky if i get 6 months out of a Bourne or CTS volume pot.

Much like Lynard Skynard had a clean/dirty guitar duo, we do the same thing. Rather than take a hard rock player and tell him to constantly turn down, the band exploits my stregths.

I'm singing lead more often, and with 3 guitars, i can just roll the volume off and focus on singing, which also makes me more versatile, since i can back a female front in high register and sing in different voice characterizations.

So, for me, what i "want" is just more opportunities to perform and only a few, trusted pieces of gear are needed to achieve that goal.

Once gear acquisition sets in, its a huge distraction. I usually have a solid 3-4 hours of practice in by the time i leave for "The Office" around 6am.

Once i start daydreaming about FX or guitars, I find myself spending that practice time researching specs, and my playing skills begin to deteriorate.

I'm not a virtuosic player, so i have to keep honing the edge constantly to stay sharp.

When people meet me, they often say, "play ____." Its funny because without a definite musical direction and a plan, i feel kinda lost. Sure, i can noodle about, play "Stairway To Heaven" and all that, but its not what i would call awe-inspiring.

However, put me into a chair with a pair of cans on and something changes inside me. The studio is where i suddenly have this amazing focus and clarity and the music begins to flow almost effortlessly.

The same thing happens when I'm given a task in our band. Its like i need some sort of structure to really excel. People with Autism Spectrum Disorders like structure and are kinda lost without it.

That's my take on the topic.

All the best...

syscokid said:

First of all, we're all gathered here for our love of guitars and all that is connected to it. When we see "beauty" in anything, our mind and bodies are excited...: Sweet and soothing hormones are released. This type of feeling is very addictive, and I for one would love to have it all the time....

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I feel that way about money and dirt bikes...

syscokid said:

For a hypothetical example: Let's say I'm strolling along the beach. And let's say that Kate Upton is casually just laying on the waterline looking beautifully. Let's just say she looks at me and says "Hi"! Before I can respond with anything intelligeable, I would immediately blow my whole wad and have a big spot in my pants... I would have failed miserably...

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I cannot relate. I have never found white women attractive. Thats why i married a Latina. Shakira is probably the "lightest" female i have ever found attractive.

Now, Salma Hyaek on the other hand, is a 50 megaton bombshell...

Robert Herndon said:

Now, Salma Hyaek on the other hand, is a 50 megaton bombshell...

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Without a doubt.

From Dusk Till Dawn Salma Dancing melts my brain.

Robert Herndon said:

I cannot relate. I have never found white women attractive. Thats why i married a Latina. Shakira is probably the "lightest" female i have ever found attractive.

Now, Salma Hyaek on the other hand, is a 50 megaton bombshell...

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I find all women attractive... especially when they say "Hi" to me! Shakira is super cute. Salma makes me lose control too. Believe me when I say it's very hard to watch this:

what were we talking about?
oh yeah, GAS.

I dig the beauty and the coolness factor, and want to try all the different types.
Its the lust for life; as individuals we express it in different ways, or in similar ways in varying degrees.

In retrospect, having a few, or a lot of guitars, is a lot saner than trying to manage more than 1 woman.
Somebody said something about holes that need filling.......

My wife sometimes does the snake dance to torment me...

I like beautiful guitars , but of course they have to play well for me. Because humans seem to have this need to make themselves happy amd these days it often is about more "stuff", we buy guitars and other thjngs.
A guitar that catches my eye makes me want to play it and see. I prefer nice wood amd well made guitars. Quilty maple! I am careful with my guitars, I clean them I can't stand playing a cruddy guitar. Who wants yo play on soiled strings? Same with the guitar for me.

Some guitars I bought for a specific purpose. The Godin with the piezo plus synth output serves a different purpose than most of my guitars. Same with the doubleneck.
Some I just have always wanted. A Les Paul sunburst for example.

Why we do this? Thats more of a Frazier Crane type of question. Not my place to know!