It is not the economy that stuff is not moving IMO

[splawner]

Not the economy??? Take a look at the unemployment rate in the USA......Around my area the best pay is like like 10 to 12 bucks an hour if your lucky...

 

[Digital Jams]

Not the economy in my case. It's summer. I'm doing other things besides obsessing over gear on forums. I am spending the same money, just on different stuff like family vacations, my boat and hot rods. Gear is the last thing on my mind lately.

This may be true, true for me at least. Have over 150 hours on the water already and have dumped some coin in boat and fishing stuff. Trips out to the canyon are now happening and that is hundreds of gallons of fuel.

 

[some dude]

So... according to Economics by Digital Jams Greece really isn't in financial trouble because wealthy Greeks can still afford caviar...

 

[guitarmike]

Not the economy??? Take a look at the unemployment rate in the USA......Around my area the best pay is like like 10 to 12 bucks an hour if your lucky...

Close to that here too, even for a single guy it doesn't leave enough after living expenses to buy a $3K amp.

 

[steve_k]

Not the economy??? Take a look at the unemployment rate in the USA......Around my area the best pay is like like 10 to 12 bucks an hour if your lucky...

Close to that here too, even for a single guy it doesn't leave enough after living expenses to buy a $3K amp.

Which is why I left the US in 1996 and moved overseas to work. I like stuff....

 

[splawner]

Not the economy??? Take a look at the unemployment rate in the USA......Around my area the best pay is like like 10 to 12 bucks an hour if your lucky...

Close to that here too, even for a single guy it doesn't leave enough after living expenses to buy a $3K amp.

Which is why I left the US in 1996 and moved overseas to work. I like stuff....

Smart move Steve

 

['63-Strat]

I think that there are a variety of factors in play here. For all of the people that are happy with what they have, there are just as many who arent. some of them can afford to keep flipping stuff in their quest for what works for them, some cant. Then there are others who just like trying out new stuff for shits and giggles and then flipping it for the next thing on their list. They incur little loss because they hold on to it for a very short amount of time and the fact that it usually involves preowned gear so its self sustaining by and large. Of course the economy itself is going to have an obvious effect on some and none on others, just like it always has on everything and everyone.

For me, the law of diminishing returns has alot to do with where Im at. Most of my gear is mid level stuff but I also have some high end gear that I love. Truth is that if I could have found mid level equivalents, I would have been perfectly happy. The whole gear thing has become like late night exercise program/equipment/magic diet/supplement commercials to me. People seem to spend a whole lot more money than they need to when the bottomline is that there is great quality gear out there that sounds incredible and doesnt put you into crazy debt. IMHO, it just clouds the real issue and thats putting emphasis on the wrong element; woodshedding and being a better player has little or nothing to do with gear...

I've been saying this for a long time...

 

[Digital Jams]

Not the economy??? Take a look at the unemployment rate in the USA......Around my area the best pay is like like 10 to 12 bucks an hour if your lucky...

As much as B R A D would love to have the whole United States as his microcosm I believe the statements were for this forum's nation.

So what is the wait time for a custom shop Charvel these days anyways?

 

[Shiny_Surface]

IMHO, it just clouds the real issue and thats putting emphasis on the wrong element; woodshedding and being a better player has little or nothing to do with gear...


I've been saying this for a long time...

A subset of the forum populice have openly admitted that the buying/selling is the main hobby and that they don't play much if at all, don't have the time to put in, and don't ever intend to.

 

[Iceman8.6]

A subset of the forum populice have openly admitted that the buying/selling is the main hobby and that they don't play much if at all, don't have the time to put in, and don't ever intend to.

Are you being serious?

 

[steve_k]

A subset of the forum populice have openly admitted that the buying/selling is the main hobby and that they don't play much if at all, don't have the time to put in, and don't ever intend to.

Are you being serious?

He is dead serious. And, it really bothers some people. Glad I get to play everyday though.

 

[glip22]

A subset of the forum populice have openly admitted that the buying/selling is the main hobby and that they don't play much if at all, don't have the time to put in, and don't ever intend to.

Are you being serious?

He is dead serious. And, it really bothers some people. Glad I get to play everyday though.

Theres allot of people who just collect gear and don't even know how to play. I just bought a guitar from one for half price.

 

[Spaceboy]

Hell, every year I seem to be spending more and more money on gear, and less on productive shit... but I'm only 23, don't got too many bills or responsibilities, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

 

[Anonymous]

A subset of the forum populice have openly admitted that the buying/selling is the main hobby and that they don't play much if at all, don't have the time to put in, and don't ever intend to.

Are you being serious?

He is dead serious. And, it really bothers some people. Glad I get to play everyday though.

Who cares as long as someone finds it fun. Some people just like fiddling with cool gear, regardless of their capabilities on guitar. Not everyone wants (or has the time) to become the next Wingway...

Steve

 

[guitarmike]

A subset of the forum populice have openly admitted that the buying/selling is the main hobby and that they don't play much if at all, don't have the time to put in, and don't ever intend to.

Are you being serious?

He is dead serious. And, it really bothers some people. Glad I get to play everyday though.

Who cares as long as someone finds it fun. Some people just like fiddling with cool gear, regardless of their capabilities on guitar. Not everyone wants (or has the time) to become the next Wingway...

Steve

I am glad there are flippers out there, they have bought enough cool stuff to establish a secondary market so guys like me can afford to buy some of it. I bought a used CCV, can't afford a new one. Same with Friedman, would love a fully loaded BE100, can't afford the $3500+ it takes to get one, so I "settle" with a 1975 Marshall modded by Dave.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

He is dead serious. And, it really bothers some people. Glad I get to play everyday though.

I don't know about "dead serious", this isn't life and death to me.

I think it only bothers people when some come across as total dbags misleading people.

But the collector crowd helps drive sales and passes down alot of gear to the secondary used market.

 

[Mizati20]

Completely respectfully disagree... the economy is in the shitter... there are always new buyers and people new to music... IMO saying nothing is selling because the entire world has already bought everything is just flat out moronic...

 

[mjtripper]

I like pedals and go through quite a few but I buy mostly used. I like building pedal boards and trying stringing effects together in different ways and just playing around with making noise. I'd love to spend all that time playing but can't due to a hand injury which limits how much I can play without pain coming on. I like trying out different amps as well but have stopped for now because I used to buy a used amp and play around with it for a few months and then sell it for about the same as I paid. If I lost a little it was no big deal, I figure I got months of enjoyment out of it and it never really cost me more then a night out for dinner and a movie. Until they stopped selling for close to what I paid - or at all. It doesn't take long sitting on a couple high dollar amps that aren't moving to go 'well, this sucks' and just stop doing it. I ended up having to sell them at a loss and sell a couple I would have rather kept to break even. But it's a hobby for me and family comes first. The deal I have with my wife is I need to break even, or realistically close, with gear purchases. She doesn't care if I float one which is nice, I can get a new one and live with it for a few weeks or whatever to make sure I like it and then sell the old or return/sell the new one. She has her hobbies as well so it all works out. I also like working on guitars and when I see a good one that needs work or something I'll pick it up, do all the work, and then sell it for hopefully break even after parts. I just like working on them and there isn't anything else I can do to mine as I've had them a while and they are all dialed in. Before the economy tanked I could buy guitars that needed work, fix them up, and sell them at a small profit which helped build up the gear fund. That doesn't really work anymore.

So, yeah, there are people that for some reason can't play as much or as well as they used to but still like messing around with the stuff. I don't see it as being different then the guy up the road with a hot rod that doesn't race, the fisherman with a bass boat from hell that isn't a pro, or the 100mile/week cyclist with a madone 7. The guy up the road here buys an old junker muscle car and fixes it up over a couple years, sells it, buys another one, and does it all over again. I think one of the big differences is their online environments are mostly made up of hobbyists but ours is hobby, pro, and some squarely in the middle. People doing this for a living probably look at us hobbyists sometimes and go wtf? Some are just variations on a theme but all related to music or gear. Different folks. Different strokes. Whatever.

/rant

 

[MississippiMetal]

I'm hearing a lot of what sounds like "Well I'M paying MY bills, so the economy must not be that bad."

That's like having an A/C and claiming it isn't hot outside. "Well, I'm cool. I dunno why all these other people are dying of heatstroke."

 

[Chris6870]

Maybe some men have discovered that more $ does not = better tone.