After all of my madness I have settled down gear wise.

[King Guitar]

Allow me to get on the soap box and give you an update on myself and confess my sins.

Well, after buying and selling more amps and gear than 10 men over the last 3 years I have come to epiphany that I am a fool.

Yes I said it, I am a fool and I came to the conclusion laying in the hospital last month that none of it mattered and if I got better I would concentrate on my family, myself and my health and my passions.

Since I have been home I have changed my lifestyle, I have gotten healthy, eat clean and lost 55 lbs so far on the way to 215 lbs from north of 300 lbs. I am riding my bike, lifting again and feel great so far.

As far as my passions, Music and Guitar was and is my driving passion as it has been since I was 15 years old. But buying gear was never my passion, somewhere along the way I got fucked up in priorities.

Not sure what kind of hole I was trying to fill buying all of this gear but it definitely is a psychosis I have, the chase was better than the actual use and it was/is addicting and never ending. I never spend enough time with the amp side to truly bond with this stuff and figure out how to make it work.

Funny with guitars if I like them I never sell them, they are tangible to me and more like family (That sounds gay ). The amps, turn them and burn them has always been what I do.

I am hoping this writing will be cathartic and maybe open others eyes to what I have figured out after a well over six figure buying binge over the last few years.

The last straw for me was sitting in my studio with the massive RackSystems Rig that any touring pro would give his left nut for and wondering what I would get next?

Also WTF was I doing with it anyway, I got not roadies, no big tour or 18 wheelers and no album or big stages. I can't take it to the small places I get to play and I have no way to move it. It is ridiculous for someone of my band status to be honest. If I was a touring pro, no problem but for me it illustrates my compulsive/obsessive tendencies.

I actually sat there and laughed and then decided it was time to play my guitar and make music with others than obsess over this amp or that rig. I know this is hearsay coming from a guy who owns a big gear forum but everything in moderation I guess. I still love all this stuff but I have concluded I do not need all of this stuff in my hands at one time and then not use it.

This is the reason for my classified ads of late.

I will be down to two smaller rigs I can gig and move around easily and I think my tone wont suffer a bit. That said now I can concentrate on the reason I started to play guitar and that was to play guitar.

As I know I will be asked the two rigs are these:

1. Suhr/CAA PT100 head and CAA 2x12 cab (which is scheduled for delivery to me this Friday) and my Trailer Trash Pedal Board
2. Axe Fx Ultra 4 space rig build by Mark Day with two Scumback M75 loaded Bogner Cubes.

I also ordered a custom Bogner Twin Jet before I got sober and I will take that when it finally shows up as I appreciate Rob and Tone Merchants and would never not follow through but it will most likely be extra unless it really speaks to me.

I actually feel like I have freed myself to be a musician again and it is very liberating, I am getting off the soap box now and going to play my Tele.

Thanks for listening...

 

[Shiny_Surface]

It's nice being able to step back and look at the big picture to gain clarity.

Internet gear forums totally feed the addiction, they are designed to do that being the heavily commercialized nature of it these days.

Back in the earlier days of forums it seemed more laid back just shooting the breeze about gear, now it's like a relentless push to buy buy buy.

 

[glpg80]

life is a gift - music is a gift to give to others.

glad you made it safe on the other side. and the void you tried to fill was an endless pit.

family, life, then music. love falls in there somewhere

im glad you were able to realize its not the gear that matters. its not the fact that you owned it - its the player and the guitar.

i truely do feel its a mix of 2 things, the tone in your hands and the rig you can express yourself through. im glad you are able to get into shape again and realize the benefits of life.

wish you the best brad - you've came out on the other side for the better of your family and yourself. no amount of gear can fill that void.

keep on keeping on. i havent faught any wars or been through probably half of what you have. but to realize the perspective and the reasoning over it all only makes sense in a complete circle. sometimes the longest path taken might not be the most reasonable - but it will still get you there one way or another.

take care,

-matt

 

[stefvorcide]

Brad,

I'm very happy for you that you go back to your roots (i.e. playing guitar)

it's a great exemple for all of us, I mean in the past year or so I've spent more time looking at amps, and adjusting my EQ than to actually play guitar and have FUN making music

ROCK ON

 

[Digital Jams]

I aint giving up my pile you big pussy

Of course I do not get to use it for reasons that you stated, my family. I have been to more soccer games this week and sent the day at the local fair today, played way less than I normally would but dont care too much.

 

[ttosh]

Congratulations Brad and great job on the getting back in shape and thinking about the priorities like you are. Good luck it sounds like you have a clear head and are headed in the right direction IMHO!!

 

[bikerdude2]

Great Post! Thanks for sharing.

 

[nbarts]

I had the same realization after I ended up in hospital. Sold a bunch of amps, guitars & other gear that I could live without & it lasted a while I have to admit.

But, as of today I'm looking for an Einsten, mainly because I need a lighter amp on my back & I've got a plexi gas, which I wanted to buy, but after reading this it all came back to me & I'm thinking maybe I won't.

 

[strungup]

Must be in the water or the air lately. Congrats on the wake up call.

 

[tweed]

Awesome brotha!

 

[Variable]

I empathize with you dude; it's hard when there is SO MUCH awesome gear out there. I'm lucky that I found my go-to amp back in 2003. I think if you find something that really speaks to you, then all you will want to do is write music. Having a great band is part of that; I care less about my gear (short of different FX since I play in prog-rock band with some psychedelic tendancies) than I did when I was just a bedroom wanker. I've simplified everything a great deal; I'm down to two electrics and an acoustic, two amps, two 2x12s, and my pedalboard. My rig is so portable that I can set up in five minutes. Hell, I even have all my cables organized so I can plug and play (zip-ties RULE).

I will admit, though, there is that rush you get when you walk out of the music store with something spectacular. And I had a really hard time trading in my G&L ASAT since it had been with me for nearly ten years. But I looked at it and thought "I never play this anymore, why is it here? All it is is a decoration on my wall!" So I traded it in toward a Suhr Pro Series S1, and I've been playing that guitar almost nonstop since I bought it. I can honestly say that I'm happy with my rig, and I find it inspiring to just pick up my guitar and make music, rather than obsess about gear. Hell, I'm so into my setup that when I got a loaner GT40 from Guytron while Graydon fixes my GT100, my drummer and singer were like "WTF?! That doesn't sound like you at all!"

Not that gear doesn't rule After all, if I thought otherwise I wouldn't hang around here...

Sounds like you made the right decision for yourself.

-Russ

 

[JackBootedThug]

i'm with you brad to an extent. Since our adoption I'm totally focused on my family right now. i have a limited amount of gear that i use when i feel like it. also getting off the tobacco and losing weight as well. hell-i'm even going to start training in jujitsu and that shit pretty soon.

 

[VoodooChild24]

I'm sure we all can identify with you bro. Most of the time, gear buying gets in the way of
guitar playing. Good to know you are more happy with what you got right now!

Now sell me that Twin Jet for cheap.

Congrats Brad!

 

[mentoneman]

Don't let TGP gang catch wind of this reasonable thinking.

you may be burned at the stake.

Btw, great post and good for you man!
One great amp like the PT will take you far and help you find your voice.

 

[degenaro]

Dude, I so can relate seeing that I been through the same thing recently...it started when I didn't cycle through a different set up every 2 month, and then dumped 16 amps. Ands more recently decided that I missed out on certain creature comforts for the sake of having 50 some guitars. So the selling started...wich it final result of me moving back to SouthernCalifornia since staying in Seattle was just making it too easy to stay stagnant.

So...GOOD ON YA, MATE!

As a side note...my wife was freakin, not digging I was selling like 15 guitars...but ya know what, I don't miss them at all...now gear is just like a hammer,so I got rid of 15 really nice hammers...big deal...still have 10 crappy hammers, 20 good hammers and 5 really nice hammers...that to me is about 30 some too many hammers...

 

[Bob Savage]

Brad,

It's good to hear that you're realigning your priorities, getting healthy and focusing on your family. Sometimes it takes a hospital bed to create context and perspective.

Good for you man.

And by the way, I have a room full of stuff, albeit NOTHING like your situation, and need floor space. I just cannot think of what I'd want to sell... it's ridiculous.

 

[Bob Savage]

now gear is just like a hammer,so I got rid of 15 really nice hammers...big deal...still have 10 crappy hammers, 20 good hammers and 5 really nice hammers...that to me is about 30 some too many hammers...

See, that's what I need is a couple more hammers. Perhaps I can sell some monkey wrenches to get a couple.

 

[UltraGary]

Fantastic writing from the heart Brad, and some great points too.

I gotta make jest of 1 thing though......& I hope your gear-board side gets a laugh with me here as well> Isn't it a riot, that after all of the soul-searching points about G.A.S., you say 1 of your only amps will have a cabinet that's on it's way to you? This sounds like a man eternally on the hunt for that next/better sound.

Seriously though, cheers to your great post man!

 

[ke2]

Well, selling gear you don`t use/need is one thing. It`s probably not a financial issue for you, but I wanted to say that I`m happy for you that you`re healthy and getting back into shape You`re a dad, and supposed to be there for you daughter as long as possible (you have one child IIRC?)

I can certainly relate in that matter. I never had that much gear, but I hardly have the opportunity to play what I DO have. It usually ends up with unplugged playing on the couch in front of the TV, after the kids are in bed.

I`m a couch warrior

 

[stephen sawall]

They replaced Brad with a clone at the hospital.