When does G.A.S. hit you?

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ClintN667

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I quit following gear demos and unjoined a few groups and my G.A.S. went down by a good bit. Kinda helps that I have my base tones covered. Unfortunately since I only have 3 guitars my guitar g.a.s. is pretty high.

When does G.A.S. hit you guys? Do you get triggered by demos or New Gear Day posts? I think with NAMM being non existent for the past couple years has helped me too.

I just interviewed for a new job that will put me up two full rungs on the corporate ladder. I'm pretty sure I got it so I've already told myself I'm going to reward myself if I get it (maybe finally put a deposit on a Larry or order a Wizard). Besides that I only have a couple things triggering me. Here I usually get triggered when it was something I was already kinda tempted by. I do think a new piece of gear is needed,at least for me, to renew inspiration.
 
GAS has significantly subsided over the years as I’ve gotten older. I gas more for gear that will make playing shows easier, rather than lusting after tones. I’ve slowly come to the realization that tone only matters when recording, and generally the studios I book have all the options on hand that I could want. As long as the sound I’m getting with my own gear inspires me to play, it’s good enough. It’s going to get fucked up by the sound guy and whatever PA system at shows anyway. I’ve whittled down to three amps, three guitars, and a bass. I still have four cabinets, but those only stick around because they are in four different locations and keep me from having to carry cabs around to different practice spaces. I buy a lot more plugins, digital toys/modelers and such to entertain myself at home, but those are typically smaller expenses than the constant amp flipping I used to do.
 
I took 20 years off after music school and I was way poor so I got nothing and liked it. Now I’m older and get what I want when I want it like a 5 year old. I think it’s fun looking at stuff on Craig’s, Sweetwater, here, videos from YouTube, etc… and when I see it, I covet then get GAS! Guitars Amps cables Pedals! Shiny! I want
 
alund said:
I took 20 years off after music school and I was way poor so I got nothing and liked it. Now I’m older and get what I want when I want it like a 5 year old. I think it’s fun looking at stuff on Craig’s, Sweetwater, here, videos from YouTube, etc… and when I see it, I covet then get GAS! Guitars Amps cables Pedals! Shiny! I want
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I was the same way. Like 15 years only occasionally getting a cheap epiphone lp special that I would have to sell after a year to put gas in the car
 
GAS hits when I see something really cool AND I can justify owning it. GAS goes away when I think about shipping gear back (in the instance I don’t like it). I absolutely HATE boxing and shipping stuff I sell because it takes so long and I’m so retentive about making sure it’s perfect.
 
A couple times a year I'll get an urge to get a Plexi, but I've been pretty good at keeping that down. I really don't need it/Can't justify it to myself right now.

Fortunately there aren't any production guitars I'm interested in, so that makes life easier too.
 
I just ordered a fender troy sanders jag bass. I ordered one that was "in stock" from sweetwater, last summer. A few days later I got a call saying they didn't actually have it and they haven't had any since. So I bought an aerodyne jazz bass instead. Its scratched my bass itch just fine. All of a sudden last week I get a reverb offer on one from Fuller's guitar. Nothing at all that I need, a few things I would like but nothing right now I really want... If a great deal comes up on something I like, I'll jump sometimes, like the jag bass. Otherwise, I wait until I find something I really want and then I get it...
 
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ClintN667 said:
I was the same way. Like 15 years only occasionally getting a cheap epiphone lp special that I would have to sell after a year to put gas in the car
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I was driving back from Santa Monica golds gym to Hollywood where we had an apt near mann’s theater for guitar institute in 1990 and we were on fumes. Found 26 cents on the floor of the car to put gas in the tank. Got us home.
 
alund said:
I was driving back from Santa Monica golds gym to Hollywood where we had an apt near mann’s theater for guitar institute in 1990 and we were on fumes. Found 26 cents on the floor of the car to put gas in the tank. Got us home.
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Haha been there. I had an old Ford LTD in the 90s and worked 20 miles away. I just graduated high school and since I wasn't going to college I felt like I should move out. I was 17 years old getting paid 6 bucks an hour. Some days I would put whatever change I had in gas to get home. I have put as little as 12 cents. gas was like a buck back then but still.. I also started drinking heavy and using whatever I could snort, smoke, or shoot. I scraped by for years. Then when I started doing good I would start buying stuff then screw up and have to sell everything. Now I'm old and boring so finally being able to get some cool gear has kept me motivated to play guitar instead of partying.

I do regret buying a custom guitar cause it's spoiled me. I can't afford many of them but it keeps me from buying others. Like I will start shopping for a guitar and if it has one spec I don't love I just skip it.
 
Exo-metal said:
IF it is rare and fits into what I already own.
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Pretty much this. I buy the super rare stuff I know I will like. Only a few pieces I own are sentimental: my 74 that I’ve built for myself, and my 5150 II that I’ve had for years.

The rest are items I’ve always wanted.

As far as guitars, I’m down to 4 Les Paul’s and one super strat. I do want another super strat soon and have been eying Gus G’s San Dimas signature model.

I don’t spend unnecessary though. I do a lot of research and keep an eye out for what will help inspire me as a player.
 
Been thru a lot of gear (not like most of you lol) but a lot; got to a point where I got most of not all of everything I jonesed after.

Bought a Caparison a month ago or so; that and a multifx were really the only things I wanted this year, haven’t really looked at stuff since. Shit is starting to stack up and I hate selling shit, so it’s just going to sit.

Main rig is that Cap into a HXFX 4CM into my Herbert, nothing out there that can get me better tones for what I want to do. It’s taken me over 30 years to realize that, so fuck it, no more gear.
 
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