how many of you spend more time researching/buying gear...

[ChadVanHalen]

Even though I'm in 3 bands, one of my jobs is in front of a computer so I'm on the internet for 8 hours bored and just looking up guitars and amps and pedals and stuff... That alone would probably be more than the few hours I get after work to play

 

[nevusofota]

I get into ruts with my playing. It's very frustrating. That's when I turn to the forums and research gear. It actually recharges my playing batteries. New gear can be very inspirational

 

[Stealthtastic]

Even though I'm in 3 bands, one of my jobs is in front of a computer so I'm on the internet for 8 hours bored and just looking up guitars and amps and pedals and stuff... That alone would probably be more than the few hours I get after work to play

Same here, i spend a lot of time researching (not gear things) and then having some free time in between so I just read forums, check out whats new, etc..

When I play guitar I like to play on weekends for long sessions. Its much more fun playing when youre super warmed up!

 

[1big1]

a bit of both lately. since we have a new singer our list has changed. we're also in the process of re-configuring a few things to get the stage footprint and cab projections in their proper places for smaller clubs.
spent six hours playing and doing an amp shoot out at rehearsal last weekend. i wound up switching to my peavey xxl with a 2x12 cab for club gigs. it seems voiced to bring out the drums and vocals better than my previous rig.. which masked some of that at about 20-25 feet. i was in the same sonic space as our drummer's vistalite kit. re-configured my pedalboard and balanced my input levels during the week.
i also wound up helping install and dial in a peavey ipr 9000 for our sub cabs during the week.. and re-doing the stage monitors. we get to test out the changes today at rehearsal. it will be fun.

 

[Joel D]

I'm totally guilty of that....I'm in that rut, where when I do pickup a guitar I end up playing the same stuff...I need some lesson or something to follow along with that keep progressing so I can get my chops back and be challenged.

 

[rockgeek]

you are not the only one. i only play about 3 to 4 hours a week

 

[jkdsteve]

I count myself lucky when I get more than 1hr to play a week...

 

[jlbaxe]

I just finished the Drywall,primer,painting and new flooring in the lower family room where i had my gear set up. Got rid of the 70's ugly green carpet and went with 6" cherry flooring. Much nicer now, have it in 2 sections, living room area 2/3rds 16x13 and gear 1/3rd which is 8x13. I have been playing everyday now that it is in the same area. Before it had been up in my bedroom and maybe 20 min once or twice a week.

Have some new gear coming, New LP, 2 more iStomps, Guitar strap and hopefully work picks up and I can add a SLO amp.

I see Inspiration in the near future

 

[Racerxrated]

For years I played through OK stuff, with decent guitars but could have cared less. It sounded good to my ears. ADA MP1, power amp. etc. About 7 years ago I bought a Rectifier. Didn't like it so much, sold it on ebay and made 200. Hmm I said, lets take the money and get something Marshall. Lee Jackson modded 2204 for 700...and off I went. Started looking up Lee J modded Marshall and saw all these other cool mods...the rest is history. It's an addiction. My girlfriend hates the UPS truck lol. At 47 and only 7-10 gigs a year I have NO business owning a 2205, KK JCM 800, Jubilee and a Rivera TBR...but damn it's fun plugging in to one, play for 20 min, and plug into the next one, so on and so on.....

 

[gibsonash]

Seeing as how rock music is pretty much dead, what else is there to do?

I get grouchy when I'm sick...

This ! So true ..

 

[mo_metalhead]

Kids all grown, youngest son is my drummer,studio/rehearsal room separate from the house,and no wife/girlfriend at present I have nothing but time,and even the last girlfriend didn't change that fact. I am in a rock band,recording our first CD,plus I do some solo stuff. And just love to crank the tubes on and let her sing.
I own a fair bit of gear,have built and still build a few guitars. I am always in search of something bigger and better, and love lighting,and pro audio. I'm totally in over my head on music gear,but don't save me! Let me drown in happiness!

 

[skoora]

 

[ChadVanHalen]

Well for us younguns, researching gear is important... We've had less time to acquire money and usually have minimum wage jobs so if I'm going to start my rig I'm gonna need to wait a while to get the money and in the meantime I'm gonna research gear like crazy to make sure I get THE right guitar/amp/pedal... But I definitely see myself buying unnecessary guitars in the future, maybe not so much amps and pedals

 

[rupe]

Well for us younguns, researching gear is important... We've had less time to acquire money and usually have minimum wage jobs so if I'm going to start my rig I'm gonna need to wait a while to get the money and in the meantime I'm gonna research gear like crazy to make sure I get THE right guitar/amp/pedal... But I definitely see myself buying unnecessary guitars in the future, maybe not so much amps and pedals

That's understandable and perfectly acceptable. The people who I tune out are the ones who have owned/tried damn near every boutique and production amp available and still can't "find their sound", yet are eager to talk tone every chance they get. Those are the one's who need to stick with a tried and true amp model that's commonly used for their style and put the focus into their playing. It's amazing how many tones present themselves to you once you actually have decent chops and technique.

 

[War Admiral]

yeah...damn kids, wife, dog, job, bills, internet, drinking, partying, friends, biking, etc. all get in the way of my guitar playing

 

[bulletproof_funk]

Not so much lately, been pretty happy with my rig to the point where my research has been just casual reading, nothing as intense as when I'm actually looking for something. It's still easier to do this than muster up the motivation or time to learn that new song, practice that technique, etc. Having said that, I still play 3-4 hr/wk to avoid getting too rusty, and not so much that I'm playing myself into a rut or it gets boring, unless I have a specific goal in mind.

 

[kcrump]

I tend to do research until everything runs together. Then I close my eyes and listen to my heart. Gear, wether amps, pedals, or guitars, is such a spiritual thing for me. I always forget that though...

 

[stratjacket]

I think I agree with every post in this thread. I've been through all of them, people at different points in their life, young, no money, older can buy the good shit, etc.. I'm just glad we have this forum and other places to research and connect like this. I remember waiting for the next issue of "Guitar For The Practicing Musician" to come out so I could check out gear and spend countless hours gazing at pictures of Ibanez guitars I could never afford or find, then be disappointed because it would have the same damn ads as the previous month.

Now, with a 4G tablet, I can sit at work or anywhere and research, drool and plan my next inspiration.

But to the OP, yes, I go in spurts where I'll play guitar a lot with little forum or research. Especially if I'm writing songs, I'll hardly look at anything.Then I'll get an idea and spend countless hours trying to research the best gadget, setting or whatever to reach it.

But it's all fun, wouldn't trade any of it. Unless you paid the paypal fees

 

[moronmountain]

Not even close to be honest, and I spend a decent amount of time researching, though it's usually for PA gear. I have spent more time practicing and learning in the past 3-5 years, than I ever have in my life, and I really have less time to actually do it.

 

[legend71]

I do play more than I research and acquire gear. My band is pretty busy. But I still like to check stuff out. In my 30s I was getting new stuff all the time. But for me, it was trying things out that I had never played or heard before. Plsu I was gigging all the time and that helped offset those costs.

Now I may redo my pedal board once in a while or buy a new guitar but as far as my whole rig, I don't do a lot.

I am intrigued by the Axe FX / Kemper deal, but not willing to go that route yet. I guess as I get older and feel less inclined to lug around my stuff I may go that route one day.