Is Anyone Else Anti-G.A.S.?

[Blues Basser]

I recieved my first musical instument, a starter acoustic guitar that I still have, almost four decades ago. In my entire life I have owned less than 10 musical instruments, and that includes guitars, basses, and pianos.

My anti-G.A.S. attitude comes from three sources. First, I hate spending a lot of money on something and not loving it. Second, I have very particular tastes and find most everything I play not exactly to my liking, which is why, in the end, almost everything I buy is custom to a certain degree. Third, even though I own my own house and have a full basement, space is always an issue with a P.A., cases of my wife's CDs (she is a relatively famous blues singer), etc.

A month or so back I went to Bass Club Chicago and played all of the basses that I would consider owning. I did not like the Sadowsky (too hi-fi), or the Fodera, except in passive mode, (didn't feel or sound traditional enough). Ironically, the bass I liked the most was a Zon Mosaic Pro, although if I bought one I would have it made completely passive. Incidentally, Mark, the owner, is very nice and took the time to listen to several of the songs off one of my wife's CDs to hear the tone I like. But, in the end, the trip only reinforced my anti-G.A.S. attitude. I only want to own that which I will play for a lifetime.

Don't get me wrong, I am a blues guy through and through and consider myself to have very traditional tastes. In the end, I always go for basses of the Fender type, and amps of the Ampeg type. (I have to add that I love Kern, but Les is most decidedly a traditional guy. He is the person who nudged me down the path of traditional blues a decade ago.)

With a website that often seems to have gone gear crazy, I was just wondering who else out there doesn't like to own much of it?

[Kickin'Fruit]

If you see down a couple threads, I posted about my symptoms of GAS. I agree with you on some points and maybe what I 'have' isn't GAS at all. I buy what I "think" I need. And I only "think" I need it out of experience. I justify everything I bought in that list because I did extensive research on what each item was and how essential it was to what I was trying to do... support a hobby. I think everyone should have a hobby and I think they should allocate a budget for it and then slightly exceed that budget. Right now I couldn't be happier with everything I own. I believe this is because I didn't go out 'shopping' for something I didn't even know that I was looking for mostly meaning tone. I went with what I researched as being close to my desires and I went with it. I'll let other people do the dirty work and I'll make my own decisions. I believe you should never pay full price for anything new, unless the 'used' price is close enough to the 'new' price to warrant avoiding the hassle of used equipment and just going new. It may look better and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you were the first owner and are/will be responsible for anything that happens to it (scrates dings etc.)

I agree with not wanting to purchase something I'm not going to use for a lifetime. Lifetime might be a little exaggerated but I at least want something that I'm going to not have to 'upgrade' from in the near or somewhat distant future. I like to get the best bang for my buck and that phrase is music to my ears.

I don't buy to have, I buy to survive.

[Bluesdog]

I bought my first bass , an Ibanez EB3 copy when I was 14 and played in a couple of high school bands and then some working bands later , I still have this bass and it still sounds great, In the late 70's I bought my Ideal Bass , a Ric 4001 , and still have it .
I've tried many other bass' through the years but apart from another Ric they just don't compell me to own them.
I have to admit that in some places the sales guy will have a trick lick that will make a bass sound great, but once i pick up the Ric , there's my sound, right there.
I have an upright bass also , a student model which stands in the corner of the Lounge room and is more a conversation piece than anything, although when we have guests I usually ruin a good piece of music on it.
Same goes for Amps, I had several early on but finally settled on a 120 watt Acoustic ( those ones with the sky blue front ) with a 15 in a combo , and I've had it since the late 70's also.
Once again I've tried to spend money on new gear , but if it just doesn't sound better to me than the gear I have , I can't .
Of course there will be the day when the amp may die as happened with it's predecessor which was an 80 watt ampeg head with 2 by 15 cab , then I seriously dread the prospect of Amp shopping.

[s.m.80808]

Originally Posted by Blues Basser

. . .

In the end, I always go for basses of the Fender type, and amps of the Ampeg type. (I have to add that I love Kern, but Les is most decidedly a traditional guy. He is the person who nudged me down the path of traditional blues a decade ago.)

With a website that often seems to have gone gear crazy, I was just wondering who else out there doesn't like to own much of it?

I think you are totally right about this. Sometimes the gearlust I read on here is kind of sick. I think it can be counterproductive to actually getting better as a musician to rely so much on what bass a person plays rather than what they are playing on that bass.

By a skilled musician, 99% of the gigs out there could be cut with just your setup alone. Not too many people will ever know the difference if you had a Fodera, Zon, Alembic, etc.

ex) I saw this R&B/Blues band the other day with this old guy playing bass. Some old beat to hell Fender PJ missing a knob or two>Peavey head>Eden 4x10. Not bad gear by any means, but nothing too fancy either.

They started playing old blues and he sounded great. Midway into the set they got a request for some Graham Central Station song. He didn't change anything except for the fact that he was slapping.... still sounded great. Near the end they played Footprints he even took an extended solo. Didn't change anything except his technique. I learned a lot from that guy.

Great musicians make great music. End of story.

[IanAllison]

Man, I wish I could say I were anti-GAS . . . and this thread has inspired me to me more so!

Thanks guys!

[canopener]

Originally Posted by artiseasy

Man, I wish I could say I were anti-GAS . . . and this thread has inspired me to me more so!

Thanks guys!

For the most part, I am anti-GAS.

[KJung]

Well... a bass site about bass equipment (at least the amp and bass sections) is kind of about G.A.S.! I am one who feels that bass amplification and basses have gotten much better over the years. To think that I have a much better tone and projection now with a 60 pound rig than I had with a 200 pound rig 20 years ago makes it all worthwhile.

If you play 3 gigs a month with old flatwounds on a P Bass (nothing wrong with that, but the way), I would see that these advances would mean very little

[Aaron Saunders]

I had the worst gas ever for the first couple years of playing.

At this point, I've been playing for almost 4.5 years on electric and 1.5 on double bass, and I have no GAS, no gearlust whatsoever. I'm very happy with what I have (50's Hofner DB, FCS and Obligato strings, Yamaha TRB4-II, Yamaha BB404F, AI Contra Series II, Yorkville XS400) as my main gear. I haven't been in the Basses forum of the BG side since a couple months after I started posting on the DB side, and I've barely ever been in the DB basses forum.

[txbasschik]

While I enjoy playing other basses and checking them out...I still love the one I have. And I'm too bloody practical, and too bloody broke, to be indulging in GAS, anyway. I need to drop some money on a better/lighter cab, and I need to drop some money on a small TASCAM or the like so I can still record with the singer from The Knowbodys. But I don't need a new bass, no matter how sexy they are.

I wouldn't mind having an effect stompbox or two, either...but I don't *need* them. I need to play the bass I have, better.

Cherie...not very GASsy

[pklima]

I'll spend money on gear that's needed to get the job done assuming the job pays well enough to warrant it. Last two purchases: a distortion pedal for a metal band and a pair of black boots for a traditional folk gig (I own many brown boots but none of them look right anyway). I've posted this elsewhere but I once asked a guitarist who thought I should invest in better pickups for my bass "will I make $100 more off music if I spend this $100 on pickups?"

I'll consider spending money on gear that makes a job considerably easier. For example, I recently ordered an Ergo EUB because it's easier to haul than my DB and cheaper than a car.

I'm occasionally tempted to buy something just because I'd like to have it but I'm usually too cheap to follow through. I did get that Krappy tripleneck bass last year. Though it has made certain jobs easier I'll admit I got it mainly for the pure ridiculousness.

[JimK]

No GAS for me.
Lucky that I came up in a time where I saw guys playing POS instruments through POS amps...and they sounded & played great nonetheless.

The guitarist I'm playing with?
He makes all of you Gas/gearheads at this site look like lightweights.
These past 8 months alone...he has gone through 3 high-end guitars + 4 high-end amps.

[The Owl]

Originally Posted by canopener

For the most part, I am anti-GAS.

This Owl is too! I used to have major gear lust at one time, but thankfully that has dwindled. It just kills me to see so many guys who just have to have a mid to large size warehouse of gear that will probably NEVER get played or at least very seldom. Even more aggrivating to me is the sheer ego and arrogance behind it, it's like an arms race only with instruments instead of weapons, just completely senseless and pointless, not to mention just stupid (I don;t care how fast a guy can play or how many millions of dollars his bass collection is worth, wankery is wankery).

I really respect guys who can pull out all they need on just one or two good axes and a good amp.

[kobass]

My wife is anti-GAS...

[baba]

I'm a card carrying member of the Anti GAS Coalition.

[lemur821]

A tad. There's stuff I want to buy, but not too much. I'm always directed. I don't need a shiny new bass, but I could use a bigger amp, and I know I could put a good EQ to use. I'm good at knowing what I'll use and enjoy and what I won't.

[groov'ster]

Originally Posted by kobass

My wife is anti-GAS...

Beat me to it!!!

[CrazyArcher]

I have no money whatsoever to spend on equipment, so GAS for me is only in theory, if at all. Well, there are a couple of basses I've played and I'd like to own (mid-range models, not Warwix), and I wil probably get enough money in a year, but I'm not crazy about gear.