Ashamed

[B-Mac]

I like variety and own several different types, not just 'slab o’wood' basses. It keeps it interesting for me. No shame here.

Great career, divorced, no kids, my own house, very low mortgage payment, just a bedroom bass playing hack.

Life’s too short
Don’t worry
Be happy

No. 123 was delivered yesterday
Made an offer Friday that I was sure would be rejected and viola, brand new Guild Jumbo Junior.

I’m happy as a pig in ...

 

[perfektspace6]

If your goal is to play and create, you are spending too much time researching and collecting. If the latter is causing you stress then there is no benefit to continuing down that path. Sounds like you figured that out and are moving in a more positive direction.

Edit: if this is continuing to cause you excessive stress and is hurting you financially then I agree with others that seeing a psychologist or counselor is worthwhile. It's not fun and games if you can't pay your bills and people can become addicted to just about anything.

 

[Jefenator]

GAS is a lot like overeating IME. You can't just quit eating food and you can't just quit using and occasionally buying music gear as long as you intend to continue playing. There's nothing wrong with striving to improve your quality of experience with either. But it's easy to have over-consumption take over if you're not careful.

 

[prowla]

The only problem is you spent so much time faffing around with budget range instruments (Squier, HB, Rockbass, Vintage) and never stepped up to something better.
If you'd just gone straight to a Rickenbacker, Fender, or (proper) Warwick you could've saved a lot of the hassle.
That said, and with due deference to my affected wisdom, I've ended up with 8 Rickenbackers, 3 Warwicks, not sure how many Fenders, and a selection of others too...

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Yes, exactly!
I mean, i don't collect, i have sold off almost everything, haven't lost any money in the process and am planning on sticking to two basses and a guitar... but i am looking for advice on how to do exactly what U say: being tempted by other instruments that could be within reach if i sold this or that...

You will always be tempted, but you can always walk away too. As another TB’er mentioned, debt, especially needless debt is horrible and will steal your joy long after the high of buying a new bass or amp is gone. You have enough experience to know the consequences of bad decisions. Don’t keep doing the same thing expecting a different result.

 

[B-Mac]

Luckily, the zoning for the area of the town I live in would allow me to open up my first floor of my house as a store if I ever wanted to.

 

[B-Mac]

Dear Fellaz & Fellazettes,

My name is neil, i am 39y/o & i think i might have more disorders than what therapist says i have.
Over the years i have owned these basses & guitars:

Pre-hiatus:
- Cort Action Bass (first bass in 2003, sold 2007?)
- RavenWest RWG 7-Strings (sold 2011)
- Harley Benton Acoustic Fretless 5 (sold 2012)
- Washburn Taurus T25 (sold 2012)
- Rockbass Corvette 5 (sold 2012)
- Squier VM telecaster Custom (?)
- some Ibanez hollowbody guitar (?)

Post-hiatus:
- Yamaha RBX 270 FL (Sold 2015)
- Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass NT (traded away 2017)
- Warwick Corvette Std (Sold 2016)
- ESP-LTD B205SMFL (Sold 2017)
- Fame Baphomet 6 (Sold 2018)
- Squier Vintage Modified Precision 5 with Nordstand (?) PU (sold 2018)
- Ibanez BTB1206e Prestige (Sold 2018)
- Warwick Rockbass Starbass (Sold February 2019)
- Warwick Rockbass Corvette 5 Active (Sold December 2018)
- Squier Vintage Modified PJ Lake Placid Blue (Sold May 2019)
- Cort C6 Plus ZBMH OTAB (Sold June 2019)
- Ibanez SR306EB-WK (Sold July 2019)
- Ibanez TMB30 Mint Green (Sold January 2020)
- Squier Classic Vibe Precision '50s Lake Placid Blue (Sold March 2020)
- Vintage V74MRJP Fretless (sold May 2020)
- Harley Benton BZ-6000, (sold June 2020),
- Harley Benton E-1335 II sunburst, (gtr, given away mid 2021)
- ESP-LTD B-206SM (sold September 2020)
- Harley Benton JB-75MN Black Vintage Series (sold October 2020)
- Ibanez AGBV205A (sold December 2020)
- Sire P7 5-string Swamp Ash 1st Gen (swapped for BTB846SC, December 2020)
- Ibanez ASV10A (gtr, swapped for BTB846SC, December 2020)
- Ibanez SR506 (traded for the fretless Fame - Baphomet IV, February 2021)
- Ibanez AS83-STE Artcore Expressionist (gtr, sold March 2021)
- RMI Quantum 6 Dominic Di Piazza Signature (sold October 2021)
- Ibanez BTB846SC-DTL (sold January 2022)
- Harley Benton CST-24HB (gtr, sold January 2022)
- Fretless Fame Baphomet (sold January 2022)
- Harley Benton PB-20 SBK (sold @ October 2022)
- Squier Classic Vibe Precision Bass LRL OWT (sold February 2022)
- Squier Bronco BK (Upgraded with dual rail humbucker, new pots, cap & wiring, sold April 2022)
- Squier Classic Vibe Mustang SFG (Labella 760F-MUS) (sold June2022)
- Harley Benton HB-35 Plus - Metallic Blue (gtr, sold August 2022)
- Harley Benton Shorty P-bass (D'Addario Nylon Tapewounds, sold August 2022)
- Sire U5 NT (sold august 2022)
- Ibanez SRMD200-BKF (with Labella 760F-MUS Flats, sold October 2022)
- Squier Mini Precision Bass (sold February 2023)
- Sire P5 Alder MLG w/ SPB-3 PU (sold February 2023)

Returned to seller cuz arrived damaged:
- Squier CV Mustang LPB w/ racing stripes (2022)
- Squier Affinity Jaguar H LPB (2022)
- Greg Bennett RLB-4 (2018)
- Sire V7 1st Gen VWH (2019)
- D'Angelico semi hollow 35" (2019)
- Sire V7 Alder 5ST-BK (2018)

And i might have forgotten some... i have managed not to ruin myself over the years & i believe that, money-wise, i've broken even. But i have wasted so much time researching basses, watching/reading reviews, taking pics of my instruments to post for sale ads... talking to buyers who didn't buy, selles that didn't sell...

And i am starting to worry.

I live in Southern Spain, earn barely enough to face bills, gas etc... i have been trying to "make it" in the local music scene, & i do get to perform & record every once in a while, so i do need decent gear although being broke is a constant in my life that is pretty limiting, obviously.

I have made a decision to stick to the gear i have now: a Harley Benton MV-4MSB (passive, short scale, P/J bass, will put flats on it when money allows it), a Harley Benton TE-90FLT (only guitar i own, pretty happy with it as is, & i don't usually offer my services as a guitarist, so only use it to record @ home through a multi-FX pedal). I will soon recieve an ESP-LTD Stream 204 that will be my only active, humbucker, 34" bass.

But...
1) i have no idea if i'll manage or what i should do to stick to that decision &
2) i still feel an enormous amount of guilt & shame when i see the list above... i feel stupid for mis-investing my time & energy in all that researching, buying & selling... most of the basses i've owned were great basses that were good at doing their job. Some of them i miss now...

Those of U who are in a similar situation, how do U handle things? And how do U cope with that feeling of shame?

Great support group here:
Bass Hoarding Personality Disorder (BHPD) - You are not alone.
But they'd probably frown on the amount of basses that you sold, so maybe not the best match.
Plus, the membership there has many enablers like me, so also another not best match....

 

[singlemalt]

Changing a habit starts with taking inventory. An accurate accounting of the situation. You did that.

Did you lose money? Maybe. Time? Yep. All the hours hunting, the foreplay of deciding and justifying the need, the buy, set ups, strings, mods, ….the collecting dust phase, and finally the decision to sell, selling, shipping, delivery….. time lost. It’s a cycle of hunting a gathering, your primitive brain loves this stuff.

That’s a lot of practice time and tunes not learned.

I’ve been there. And I came the same place, sold everything that wasn’t nailed down to get to a minimum. A bass, an amp, a multi fx to spice up the sound, and lately a guitar. The gear churn is a huge distraction from the primary mission.

It’s not going to change overnight, but it will change if you keep at it. Getting off the internet and journaling your experience will be super helpful. Check out your daily routine. Take note of how many times you reach for that phone. Leave the phone at home and go out for a walk or hike.

Practice away from the computer if it’s eating into your practice time.

Try some yoga, it’s meditation for people who can’t sit still, and a great workout. And it’s free, just a mat, and maybe some Yoga with Adrienne YouTube. See? The whole quitting the internet is going to be tough. Use it, don’t let it use you.

Every bit of content we consume, somebody produced with their own goals in mind. You are the resource they want to extract. Don’t let them strip mine your brain.

Ok, that’s my internet coffee time, I’m off to my yoga mat. Good luck!

 

[GreaserMatt]

Ashamed?
I think perhaps you're in the wrong forum.
I'm proud of you.

...except that you sold most of them.

Me too LOL; you can never have enough gear... : )

 

[FullumMusic]

As someone who, in the past has made a meager living doing music related things professionally (read: had 2 or 3 day jobs, plus music freelancing playing bass/doing live sound/producing and still had to juggle which bills were late that month) i can feel your pain. It sucks and it feels like you're trapped in a never ending struggle to always be doing something to achieve some kind of success (even if that success is just a middle class lifestyle without the constant threat of imminent financial collapse.)

Keep talking to a therapist. Hopefully Spain provides decent access to mental health care for people who can't really afford it.

To your question/post:
You've identified something you think is an issue. Cool. Don't go down thought spirals about how much of a problem it was that got you here. You can't go back and change things. What you can do is acknowledge it was an issue and adjust/adapt what you do in the future.

For example, you've pointed out how much gear you've acquired and sold over the years, and that you spend endless time researching basses and gear and watching reviews and etc etc etc. For one thing, might seem obvious or dumb, but, stop doing research for gear you don't need. If you play bass and guitar, you legit only need one bass and one guitar. If you have a solid working bass and a solid working guitar, you don't need another one. So why research other instruments? Yeah, they all sound slightly different, and all have different levels of craftsmanship, and they all have different colors, and they have different pickup styles, and, and, and... none of that matters. They're different versions of the same thing: Making bass sounds. What matters is you have a bass you can play already.

I had 2 basses: the first one my parents got me when i was 14, and a 6 string i saved up for and bought when i was 17. After that i was too broke to buy another instrument. So i didn't. I survived on those 2 basses for decades. I only just ordered more bases this year because i have the money. Were those two bases perfect? No. no bass is. There's always another bass that does something different better. It doesn't matter. I didn't get a gig because i had the "wrong bass" exactly zero times. Your current bass is a passive PJ bass. That bass is perfect for almost any genre you're gonna play. You don't even need to put on flats. It's perfectly functional as-is.

I do music production and electronic music too. There's new gear and plugins released every single day. As a rule, i don't research gear or plugins unless i specifically need to buy them. And the "need to buy" comes when i have an actual need, or i'm up against a wall and can't proceed without it. For example: If my audio interface breaks or is old enough to not work with the ports on my computer, i'll research audio interfaces because i need a new one. Otherwise, i won't even look at what's available. Why waste time and energy and brain space on gear i don't need? That time and effort is better spent making music.

So, again, stop looking at gear you don't need. It serves no function in trying to achieve any of your goals.

In fact, why not do something actionable: Every time you want to look at any gear, go practice a scale, or a song, or learn something new on the bass. And if you actually go through with watching the review, you have to do something productive for twice as long, or whatever.

---

And i know personally, one of the most difficult things in music is getting gigs when you're broke. Part of getting gigs is being out and seen at shows and jams and being present in the scene. But when you're broke and can't afford cover charges or drinks, or even the bus fare/gas costs to go out, how do you keep yourself active in the scene? It's a terrible catch 22.

I would suggest trying to figure out a way to be around music. Maybe a side job bar backing or working the door or something at a venue a couple nights a week. That way you're around other musicians AND getting some extra money. Maybe start a weekly small jam at your house, or a friend's house if it's possible. Encourage people to bring friends, so it's as much a networking/hang-out as it is a jam, and you don't have to spend money at a bar or venue? There's so many little things you can do. But the frustrating bit is there's no guarantees. So don't get frustrated on when things don't work, and just keep trying new things that might work.

My success only came recently, and i'm only a few years older than you. (Feel free to PM me if you want to know more about my situations. Don't feel like running through the whole thing on the open forum post, but don't mind sharing neither.)

 

[gazzatriumph]

As others have said and IME don't buy cheap, you will regret it and cost you more in the long run.

 

[DrummerwStrings]

I’ll accept your perception of a problem at face value, Neil: if you think you have a problem, you probably do. I’m not terribly impulsive, & I usually temper my urge to buy some shiny thing (On Sale!) by asking ‘Which goal(s) will this help me achieve?’

Try writing down what you want to do musically (example: I want to be able to play & communicate the sounds in my head, play music during the Holidays, and join a jam session), then write down what you want to do in, say the next year or 2, towards achieving those larger goals. Thoughts don’t come to you organized, so if you catch yourself dreaming about having an instrument/traveling to play at a certain venue (/wearing an outfit,…), make a Wish List & put those things there - maybe fold the list in half vertically & include on the right side of the fold what it is about those things that you find attractive. Periodically review & edit your goals. Sure, have a digital copy of your lists, but the advantage of paper & pencil is your brain has to focus on writing - & try to fold a .pdf document. You are also spending less time on a screen:

In my experience, the #1 thing you can do is STOP looking at websites (like Talkbass or mfrs. websites) and looking at all the targeted product and marketing emails.

You're getting a dopamine hit every time you hit the "buy it now" button. Then you crash and search for your next hit.

1) Detox from the internet 100% for about three months and see what happens.

Cold turkey from social media & the internet may sound unachievable, but it’s easy to drastically reduce screen time (start with turning off your phone 1 hr before you want to go to sleep, & carry a book &/or a magazine to read while you’re in a line), & then look for ways to reach for the phone less. Keep in mind, Social Media is not free - ppl are trying to sell many things to you, every second you login. FYI, doctors have found that ‘multitasking’ is an exhausting time sink: it will take a person on average 23 minutes to regain concentration after stopping to read an 8-second message/email.

Granted, if I was 100% doing what I’m recommending, I would have never seen this thread. I also may not have bought a Squier P bass last week (I’m using it as practice for adding a pickup, grounding & shielding, swapping electronics, & a fret dress); if I didn’t take the time to write down my goals, I would have bought a Squier 7 years ago, & I wouldn’t have had the discipline to not buy a SVT amp last week for a ridiculously low $.

You may find that buying & researching things that seem somewhat important now can fall by the wayside when you compare it to your stated goals, & it probably was a convenient way to occupy time vs. doing what you know you need to be focused on. This idea can also be used to shift the guilt you’re beating yourself up with into experiences to learn from: why did you buy each instrument? What needs did you have that each instrument was able to fulfill? Why did you sell them? What did you learn from the experience? Hopefully any insights you gain from asking these kind of questions can be applied the next time you’re tempted to open your wallet.

All bets are off, & Survival Mode should kick in (the tone of your post sounds like it is, Neil) when you’re having trouble maintaining the instruments you have - let alone eating & maintaining shelter. Is music bringing in more cash € each week than is being spent on it? What’s the minimum (transportation, music, clothing,…) equipment needed to use music projects to bring in €? Is there any equipment/service needed that can Immediately (not ‘maybe down the road’, & can you borrow or rent it if you need it for a project) increase the € earned from music projects? Can more € be earned with the time being used on music (e.g., you mentioned having a guitar but not working on guitar projects)? What other ways can you earn €? Even if writing down goals doesn’t help much with impulse buying (I’m not you), creating a Survival budget & a music budget will drastically help with keeping food in the kitchen - and with maybe crossing something off of your Wish List.

I have work to do. Good luck!

 

[salmon256]

Hey dude,

for one like others are saying, I'm not a therapist nor should you trust any armchairs psychologist, if you could find any help or find ways to combat this please search for it! GAS, spending, investing in hobbies is an issue we all really face, many do not want to admit it. Yesterday and today I was debating on buying a Yamaha TRBX604, while I really want it, it's not going to change anything I'm not involve in any local music or scenes, I play for me for fun, and jam for fun that's all I have time for with my college classes and other hobbies anyway. I have a jazz bass and P-bass that gets my blue-ish tone I like and I have 2 pedals that can make a lot of tones, I really tried to admit the limitation breeds creative moto, it's hard though I keep telling myself I need or should get a TRBX604 since it can get all the "tones" while it's the top of my list I know I do not need it now, I know it'll always be around. FOMO - fear of missing out, is a common tactic in all business of all merchandise or hobbies. The term mostly started in Anime, Gacha games and even fashion (Don't even get me started on fashion, it's so hard and all fast-fashion even high up fashion companies make loads of money on FOMO and spamming emails to people, that's why I like ones who never change their products ever lol!) I see lots of FOMO and temptation of spending lots in my other hobbies like swimming (it's insane the gadgets they really tried to push onto people) so I can't give hardcore advice but stay strong and know you are not the only one who struggles with this. It's sadly a problem with our world today and like others said the best way to start is to start today and really tried to see to how to improve today. Sometimes writing about it helps, me writing about my Yamaha bass really help me think and read it in words in why I don't need it now nor the this moment! I struggle with overthinking, anxiety a lot, I think best thing to do is write out your feelings, the "do I need it?" question at times can help. If you can unsubscribe from any music store listings, maybe unsub on youtube all the social medias to avoid the temptation of spending or getting more gear. Anyway this is just what works best for me and I still struggle with it. Good luck and I hope you get help and you find a way to combat it. All the best!

 

[DrummerwStrings]

There is a thing called "gear accumulation syndrome" and it's out there in every field of interest. Fly fishing, vintage motorbikes, you name it. It may just be a guy thing, I don't know. I am a recovering vintage Ducati owner and the rush of finding the right part on eBay never gets old. It's been kind of rough financially for me the past several years, but I always found cash to get the perfect part, but then I would wonder where I would put my bikes if my work dried up and I became homeless. I'm not kidding. That's when I realized it was a sickness and started to unload. Someone earlier said to stop trolling sites for more stuff and he's absolutely right. That said, it was fun at the time and you didn't lose money so......

Exchange “fly fishing” for shoes, sneakers, fast fashion, fake luxury brands, tools,…it affects everyone, not just men. And we all pay for it, several times over - search for photos of ‘Eagles Super Bowl Champions’, or any other #2 sports team’s t-shirts. Ask why vintage motorcycles are being repaired - more & more companies are building their products to be thrown out & replaced, vs being fixed. The EU & the US Supreme Court (look up John Deere) have to force companies to allow consumers to repair products they own.

Keep in mind companies have created quite effective Marketing Plans, with Social Media data harvesting plans, to support these throw-away business models.

 

[JanBerisha]

I recognize that many professionals got by with one instrument. Collecting is fine if you have the time and money, but if you can't even afford strings, then you shouldn't even be looking at the shiny pictures of new instruments.

Cliff Burton did just that, when he got his rickenbacker brand new, prolly in like 80' or 81', he put flatwounds on it, and those strings lasted him about 4 years, until like rtl, when he could afford strings, and he only used that one bass for 3 years straight, from kill em all to ride the lightning, and also some parts on master of puppets, like the thing that should not be, since it was downtuned. His ricky was faithful to Cliff for all those records and touring around the world.

 

[salmon256]

Fly fishing

My dad and I tacklebox is scary... I swear I don't need more lures, but what if a sea bass steals one? LOL on a real note yes as I said in my post, every hobby I do, Swimming, kendo, fishing and I hope soon to get into scuba diving has so much GAS. Even clothes in those hobbies. There's a million clothes brand on fishing that show up in my instagram ads. They are dangerous for real...

 

[aprod]

Not a quality bass among them. Maybe you need to buy better basses.

 

[neo 7]

Research 'inner child' and 'CPTSD'

 

[ebo]

I once was like you, young grasshopper. Changed my ways I did. Have 5 good basses and might never buy another. Maybe a Ric just because. I’m on to pedals now. Learned through bass GAS that quality trumps quantity every time. Buy less, buy better, play more. Don’t equate poor results on poor equipment. Get outside and off the internet. As my teacher once said, “Try not. Do, or do not.”

 

[Jason Sypher]

“Ashamed” is not useful. Pair it down to two instruments and appropriate amplification and sell everything. Put the money in the bank and start taking care of your responsibilities. Don’t look to anyone else to help you with this. Just do it and move on with your life. Usually gear is a substitute for musical substance. Put your energy into becoming a better musician and more balanced person.