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Finally read through this thred. There are all sorts or reasons for GAS, many mentioned here as needs and wants: compensation for an earlier life of deprivation; a society that encourges consumption; status seeking; OCD; transference of the hunter/gatherer instinct; the rush of acquisition; the need for gratification; interest in the instrument; fetishization of the instrument; social engagement; a sense of belonging; compensation for failure; reward for success; accessibility and ease of transactions; the abstraction of money and and easy access to debt; mental illness; and more.
It's nice to live in a free society where one can choose to to have lots of stuff or not, so long as one is not hurting anybody or oneself. In my case, as I get older, my very large pile of toys is slowly getting smaller for practical as well as psychological reasons, although I do fall off the wagon now and again. Perhaps not as hard as some, heh:Originally Posted by floatingpickup
Originally Posted by medbluesLast edited by Hammertone; 12-06-2018 at 11:59 PM.
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12-06-2018 08:23 PM
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There are a lot of posts to this Thread. Why do some Buy a lot of guitars , it could be some got a good feeling when they create on one and want that feeling more. it could be some don't want others to have them, or some Buy them in hopes of turning a profit. Myself if I find my self with more than I want or need I give them away or some times trade them for something I need,like a fuzz or wah or amp. If I was a horder I would Just go to Goodwill auctions and bid on every 20$ guitar they Had. Right now I only have 1 guitar will I get another one its Possible But it will be one that I like playing.
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Since this thread began, I have trimmed down to 13 guitars from 18 and I am in the process of trying to sell one more.
I think I am getting tired of changing strings.
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Several guitars can be easily stored under a bed but try fitting an upright bass under there.
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Originally Posted by Drumbler
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Ah, yes...where to put the bass?
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I have to wonder if there is any kind connection between stock market prices and high end guitar sales. I think when the market is at all time highs it's easier to convince oneself that are moving money from an overvalued asset to a reasonably valued asset.
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Like every for addiction, it can be to fill a void or a need and sometimes it is not always the guitar as an object but the process of acquisition itself!
For some people the excitement to hunt, to find and to buy is what GAS is about, a reason there are even people flipping the same instrument model over and over sometimes.
Fortunately for me, I don't have GAS, actually I never had.
I tend to hoard to my things and usually have more of a if its ain't broken why changing it?
Having too many instruments around is actually annoying me so I tend to keep my inventory low.
I do still have my first serious instrument: a 1992 Gibson Les Paul Standard that gets pretty much no playtime anymore.
Because 10 pounds is too much anymore for my back, I sometimes think about selling it but my wife constantly go against it!
My wife is actually the one that encouraged me to get my dream guitar : a Tal and later my '59 125.
She knows I was also dreaming about a real vintage Gibson but am too reasonable when it comes to spend more than 1500$ on an instrument...
I also have 5 strings bass hanging on the living room wall that I should probably sell because I have not even touched it in years
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I know this thread was posted awhile ago but there are some interesting insights, not to mention a great deal of humor that borders on real wisdom.
I guess I would consider myself a collector of guitars, but I am also a serious student of the instrument and have been for much of my life. Like most I guess, my collecting evolved over time; sometimes I purchased a guitar for the pragmatic reason of playing out. Sometimes, I got into a particular type of music where I needed an acoustic or nylon string guitar. Some of my collection are guitars that were not expensive,but collectible. For example, I have four Harmony archtops from the 1950s through the early 1970s. To me they represent part of a bygone era of guitar making. Aesthetically, they are really cool to look at and fun to play. All of them needed some work and I was able to do that either myself or use a trusted luthier. The coolest of the group is a 1965 Harmony H65 that is in pretty close to mint condition, with even the original case.
I guess I play and collect because guitars are cool. I have been fascinated with them since I saw my first one at age 7. I am 70 and still fascinated. Each guitar that I purchased was done for a reason and frankly, sometimes it is hard for me to part with them when the reason is still valid! I have some nice archtops that get played daily, or at the very least, weekly. Sometimes I rediscover the joy a particular guitar. For example, for the past few years, I have been playing 17 inch archtops. But when I pick up my 175 or my Heritage 575 to change strings or adjust the bridge, the spark gets reignited. For me, its about the joy that guitars bring to my life.
I buy selectively and cautiously. Usually, the purchase is the end result of a search for a particular guitar that might have taken months or years of looking. Occasionally, a great deal happens that requires a pretty quick decision. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often.
I believe that while we are on this mud planet we are meant to enjoy our temporary stay here. Music enriches my life in ways that nothing else can.
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Thank's for elucidating my feelings. Each of the ~30 guitars has a story behind it for me and a search that resulted in a guitar. I periodically think I should sell most of them as there are only 4 or 5 I would play out with, but the others are special for other reasons that only make sense to me.
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I have a couple that I intend to sell, but I'm in no hurry. I've never sold one before. I have many more than I need, but some of them (most of them) have more sentimental value to me than they're worth on the market. One I bought with my first parachute pay in the Army. One I bought with my first flight pay. One was a present from my sister. One was a present from my children. One belonged to my father. None of those is particularly valuable to anyone but me, but I don't plan on parting with them. The rest have no great sentimental value, and I rarely play some, but I just haven't felt enough incentive to get them ready to sell. Maybe someday I will, maybe I won't.
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I have two electric guitars, an acoustic, and a bass in my home, although I completely understand those with more.
I think part of the cultural difference between us and classical players is the popularity and availability of guitars - lots of "different" axes exist and they can all have peculiar quirks, whereas violins are meant to be "just" a damn good violin. Guitars have become more than just a tool through which to formulate a tonal language, they must also be used to create a sound, a texture if you will - and sound is so intangible that it can vary by so many factors that one can usually defend a collection of many.
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I’ve hesitated to share this 4.24 minute animated video on this forum, but I’ve decided, what the heck! After watching it the first time my reaction was, “Wow! Good thing this doesn’t apply to me!” But it kept lingering in my mind and I realized it really does apply to me, regardless of how much I try to justify all the money I’ve spent on guitars, amps, etc., and a whole lot of other stuff I believed would bring me “happiness”. My most sincere apologies if some are offended by this. But, I’m an addict too.
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^ No fair... that could be a thread all its own. I don't like how the movie ends, though. My own personal story would show the revelations that can occur after one has sampled a lot of material things and, while still enjoying them, has learned to appreciate intangible things at least as much if not more. It's not all so bad! Of course I'm still trapped at my keyboard at work*, though, so there's that.
*movie reference
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Nobody likes how the movie ends, I expect. But that's life.
Ham Radio
Today, 05:39 PM in Everything Else