Coming to terms with gear vs reality

[dave_p]

Did the whole married, kids, no band or gigs for 20 years thing. Sold off a good SWR/Genz Benz rig to finance other hobbies. Wound up buying back a good gigging rig (or 2) on the used market. Many times I kicked myself for selling the original good rig, but in the end I found what I need to do the gigs I get. It's just gear. Good news is the stuff you like is always cheaper when you buy it back 20 years later.

 

[Wasnex]

Good day all;

This is as much a journal entry to remind myself of where I have been and where I am going. It took several hours to reflect on and write. If you care to read through it all know that I appreciate it. TLDR is at the bottom. The events that follow happen to correspond roughly with my time since joining this site although I do not directly blame this site for anything. It's fun to joke about GAS, but seriously...
I'm sure this story could apply to the 'Basses' section as well. Perhaps a cautionary tale of just how successful company marketing departments can be? Know that I accept responsibility for my actions.

I guess I'm looking to get something off my chest. In November my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. He was 5 weeks early but she and him are both doing OK now. We're in our mid 30's and have full time jobs, etc. There were complications in the pregnancy which (to make a long story short) means this was an expen$ive experience for us. This whole situation has caused me to do some soul searching when it comes to gear.

Rewind 10 years ago and I was getting ready to graduate from college and was gigging with some buddy's in a cover band about once a week. In terms of amps I had a Mesa MPulse 600 running thru a Mesa PH410. It was gloriously powerful and, to be honest, probably way overkill for any gig I ever did. I was responsible with it and didn't pi$$ off any neighbors or sound guys. The gear was bulletproof and the experience of being out gigging was something I'll never forget. Perhaps this is what leads to the next section.

Just as we started to get a small following and a steady flow of gigs my guitar player (an old friend from High School) got a promotion at work and I graduated as an elementary teacher soon to find work of my own. Nether of us could commit to the band any longer and the group dissolved. Being a new teacher with very little free time I decided to sell off my rig and pick up a small Behringer Thunderbird amp for practice. Over time I would still get together with my guitar buddy and former band mate at his apartment for an impromptu jam. Soon I traded in the Behringer for a USA Ampeg 1x12 combo (which he still has at his place to this day). Eventually we both get busier with work and he ends up moving into an 11th floor high rise down-town. No more jamming. Eventually I get better work-life balance and start GASing for an actual practice amp with good tone (I had been DI'ing straight into a Focusrite interface for headphone practice). So I go to GC and find one of the last Mesa Walkabouts on Clearance and end up buying it at a great price. That amp was inspiring! Enough so, in fact, that I started looking for another group to play out with. There's a wedding and the purchase of a house sometime in this period of time but I never end up joining another band.

Putting the cart ahead of the horse I end up selling that Walkabout for my 'dream Rig'; the one to end all GAS: an SVT-CL Heritage head and brand new Heritage 810 from Sweetwater because, hey - I have a house/garage now and figure I'll be finding another band playing out again soon -right?

Wrong. I change careers from teaching to data analysis. Budget cuts at work lead to lateral movement within the company to avoid unemployment. I end up working Help Desk as a contractor (under-employed?). Need to manage my income better. I stop my search for a band to join and realize - "HEY! This stuff is heavy! I can't manage this much gear without additional help" -meaning that if I started looking for a band again I would absolutely need help moving gear in order to play out. Suddenly my confidence wains in my ability to ask/trust complete strangers for muscle with this kind of gear. In my mind: the gear became a hurdle to rejoining a band! Plus, Am I even good enough to deserve this level of equipment? Thanks to TB I end up selling the whole rig (read: rent an F150, ask friends/wife for help moving it, transport and deliver to shipping office or buyer, take a bath). I tell myself + wife never again will I be in that type of position with gear.

Still wanting to join a group and play out, I take to researching lighter weight, gig-worthy gear. I remember my experience with Mesa and find Mesa's WD800 along with 2 Mesa Traditional PH 2x10 cabs for a modular 410 rig. Sweetwater sells me these two cabs for a deal just as Mesa completely switches over to the Subway series of cabs. Great! I can split the rig up between a potential band/practice spot and home and combine it together when playing out as necessary. I can lift this gear with relative ease on my own! Now, let's see about a band..

Suddenly, we're pregnant! Same job as mentioned above. Same house. Same friend "let's jam again soon!", still no band. Things come to pass as mentioned in the beginning which is where I currently find myself and, to be clear: family comes first.

It's been 10 years now since I've played out or even, for that matter, really jammed with anyone. I have a 3 month old baby boy. Medical debt sucks. I have relatively light 2x210 killer Mesa Rig w/ Mesa WD800. I don't know guys, I just don't see playing out as an attainable goal anymore? Not even thinking about those threads where people are talking about "is it worth it to gig" and so on. I mean, for my personal situation, man, it has literally been a hotdog dangling on a stick. Maybe someday again in the next 10 years once my son is a little older? But, that line of thinking sounds vaguely familiar...

So, this is my reality. I appreciate and respect the gear I have/had but I don't think I can justify this much firepower for just home practice anymore -especially with a wife, kid, and bills. The WD800 has great tone and a headphone jack and can DI to record with but so can many other options for several hundy cheaper and with cash back in my pocket - I'm having a hard time justifying it to myself. As for the cabs - forget it I guess and let them go? Way too much. Again, cash is king. Could just sock them in a corner and say the same "some day" thing over and over again or use them with the WD800 and barely touch the volume. Seems a waste of power and money though to do that - I don't even care about having that much overhead Gain, especially at home.

I recently saw someone comment on a thread that really made me reflect on things. It read something like this: " It is amazing what you can afford when you stop being a professional."
_______________________________________________________________________

TLDR; kids/life can be a lot of work. I am an average dude who happens to have professional/studio grade gig-ready equipment right now but haven't played out in 10 years and don't see being able to again for minimum another 2-3 if ever?. I'm lucky to practice/play in my home office once a week; probably too much cash tied up in gear. If I record it is for home practice/self betterment only. Leaning towards selling off likely never to rebuy this much unless a situation actually presents itself where this type of gear would be justified. Famous last words?

Anyone ever been through this? Am I nuts to part with this gear? I would like to keep playing. See poll for options I am considering and if you made it this far, thank you for reading.

Technology will continue to march on, so there is no telling what the future holds. The WD800 is still a relatively new and popular model, so it should have decent resale value. The PH210 cabs are discontinued, so you may not get much return on your investment from selling them.

IMHO the decision depends on several factors. How much do you need the money, how much will get you get for the gear, when will you replace the gear, and how much will you spend to replace it? Other possible factors include how much room the gear takes up and how much animosity your wife feels regarding the gear and the time you spend with it.

I am sure there are other factors to consider as well. I would suggest doing various types of logical analysis. For example you could start with Force Field analysis, which is a change management technique that could probably be modified for your purpose.


I wouldn't feel any guilt about owning a nice amp and speakers. I own 28 bass and guitar amps and quite a few speakers as well and I have only gigged one of them. I am now pretty much retired from gigging so they don't serve any practical purpose, and eventually when I lose interest I will sell them off.

To be clear my life circumstances are very different from yours. The point of the previous paragraph is to assert that you don't need to gig to own nice gear. If you can afford it and enjoy it keep it. If not, sell it off.

 

[CallMeAl]

First off, congrats on the baby! And my condolences on the medical debt.

Lots of good points above. Here’s my 2¢:

I’ve been in and out of bands my entire adult life. And I’ve observed I’m more emotionally fulfilled when I’m in. When our son was 10 months old, we moved across the country and started a business. So nothing like yours, but we racked up some debt.

When the dust settled, I knew I had to reboot my music. I bought a $100 Peavey bass and a $250 Rumble 100 (both used.) the wife supported me, and it let me get my foot in the door. I lucked out and got a (modest) paying weekend-warrior gig, and now I use my gig money for new gear. In 2 years, I’ve managed to springboard into a very satisfying setup.

So, sell the rig. From my research you should be able to get some serious scratch out of it. Then buy a cheap combo that’ll hang with a drummer. Peavey TKO, Ampeg BA, Rumble, whatever. Then you can start a dad band, or look for people who wanna Jam. If you gig, awesome. If not, at least you’re making music.

Also pick up a cheap headphone setup. Vox amplug or a usb interface. Headphone is essential for life with baby. My son is 3 and I still don’t even have an amp setup at home.

good luck with everything, excited to see how it plays out.

 

[agedhorse]

Extraordinary circumstances dictate extraordinary measures. Best wishes for your new adventure!

You might sell the cabinets first and buy something smaller to practice with or headphones. You might also find that selling basses (assuming you have more than one) is a good way to generate cash.

 

[Stewie]

If you need the money, sell it. Save a bsss and buy a cheap amp. I got out of music for more than 25 years, but I kept good enough gear to be able to jump back in at a moments notice. The amp I saved was a Peavey TNT130, nowhere near the caliber of your Mesa. A couple weeks after I started up again, I bought better gear.

 

[friskinator]

I'm in a similar situation, minus the kids and the debt. I've almost stopped gigging entirely (maybe a couple times a year), and I've got an expensive, high powered rig in the closet collecting dust. I don't need to sell, but it feels like I've got way too much money tied up in something that's not being used. I'm not looking to play more, so I'm leaning towards scaling back to a less expensive combo that will get me through a gig if needed.

 

[soulstew]

Family comes first for me, but in this case I agree with Beans-on-toast: keep it if you can afford to. If you absolutely need the cash, sell the gear of course, but if not, keep it. It will likely only amount to a few payments against your debt anyway, and then it will be gone for a long time During which you'll be fighting GAS for a modest practice rig, and eventually you'll be throwing away good money on a modest home rig, after taking a bath on the great gear you just bought & then sold.

Continually buying and selling is where you lose money, ESPECIALLY when you buy new. You've got the cream of the crop there. If you can afford to keep, do so and enjoy it. It will still work when your kids are older and you can start gigging again. Whether you're gigging right now is secondary. You may get a call for a one-time gig or jam out of the blue, and it would be nice to be able to do it with that great gear.

Free advice, and worth every penny

 

[npbassman]

Brotha. First of all, take 10 seconds, close your eyes, and FEEL your breathing. Literally. Feel the air flowing through your nose and into your lungs. 10 seconds.

First, what Element Z said, this ^^^^. Everything's gonna be OK.

Regarding the rig, if the chances are you're not going to play out with anyone in the near future, I would sell the entire rig and get yourself a nice headphone amp or a little $50 Behinger mixer where you can go direct on channel one and play along with tunes on your computer or phone on the second channel. And that setup works wonders for situations we you don't want to wake up sleeping babies too!

If you think you may play out with a group or if you just want to have a real rig to play at lower volumes, I'd still sell everything now because the resale value is high (especially on the amp) and I'd get myself a Rumble combo.

Best of luck with everything. I used to gig just about every weekend and then the job, family, life thing kicked in as well. It's all good and I wouldn't trade that for anything but my one my mistake is that I completely stopped playing bass for ten years. I wish I at least kept on noodling but what's done is done so my advice to you is, keep on thumping that low end, even if it's just here and there because nothing lasts forever and music will eventually come backto you full circle.

 

[arbiterusa]

Am I nuts to part with this gear?

No, so long as you don't repeat this mistake in the future. If you don't have a record contract in hand, and you have a jones to play and the ability to, buy used and buy the last generation of tech. Which is what I did when getting back into the game. $400 and I had an awesome, albeit somewhat heavy, "any gig" amp in hand. After two years of steady, weekly gigging then and only then did I get a "state of the art" rig.

"Ability to" is important. You've got a new kid. You're not doing much of anything for the next ten years and won't be able to commit to anything long-term for twenty. Get a small combo with a headphone jack so you can practice every now and then.

 

[JKB1957]

First as Element Zero said, breathe.
Family always comes first no other way.
Second from the equipment you listed nothing is rare or hard to find, so sell the Mesa. But keep your bass, those have personal value.
Third buy a low cost bass amp (Ampeg, Fender have a number to choose from) with a head phone jack so you can practice and won't disturb the family.
Good luck.

 

[Wfrance3]

Congrats!
On your gear, you will get lots of advice, and also know that if you root around, you'll find folks that are on the other side of your situation; kid(s) grown, looking int doing more gigging. Look for the threads that have word in them like, "what do people do for amps now-a-days"... It will come around again. For now, enjoy the journey in front of you.
I think if you are (like me actually) playing at Church, and pretty much that's it, you won't miss the gear. I thought I would, but I play DI to FOH and have a decent IEM setup. If you think you might get tagged for a sub spot, maybe consolidate down to a more economical used Rumble setup or something, maybe even a combo No need for a Cadillac if you you do is drive to the store every now and again.
Best of luck, and congratulations again!

 

[jthisdell]

After I got married and had kids I did not play for 25 years, my nephew actually borrowed all my gear and I literally had nothing for about 12 years. I finally got kid #2 into college and got my bass back. Got back into playing, bought a great Berg, Aggie rig.

My advice is with little kids, wife, career, you are going to be too busy to play much for awhile and when you do headphones are your best bet. Sell your amp and cabs, keep a combo, one day you will be able to play again, but that day is probably a long time off and when it comes you can get a new rig.

 

[Remoman]

I get where you're coming from, I've had that feel a few times in life for various reasons. Life evolves, circumstances change. Keeping a peace and a balance for what feels best and "right" to you is important.

I voted get the combo with the idea that I'd also vote sell the Mesa equipment. A combo amp that could keep you playing for your self and small rehearsals if you get to jam with friends or ever started up with a band again. You can always get the gig rig once you knew you'd be giging again. And by then there's the latest greatest new stuff, or your favorite old combination at a good used price.

 

[awakefie]

Sell yer rig. Get a Fender Rumble 200 - 35 lbs. (about $400.00 new, $250-$300 used) or a Rumble 100 - 22 lbs. (about $300 new - $200 used). Easy to carry. Great for practice. Can hook up an external cab if you ever start gigging and need the full wattage. Both have an XLR out to plug into the board.

When my daughter was growing up I got in a crunch for money and had to sell my high end Eden rig. Didn't want to quit music but also needed money and space in the house. I gigged with a Rumble 100. Took me 5 minutes to set up and tune. Light weight, didn't take up much space at home. Gigged for 2 years with it.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Good day all;

This is as much a journal entry to remind myself of where I have been and where I am going. It took several hours to reflect on and write. If you care to read through it all know that I appreciate it. TLDR is at the bottom. The events that follow happen to correspond roughly with my time since joining this site although I do not directly blame this site for anything. It's fun to joke about GAS, but seriously...
I'm sure this story could apply to the 'Basses' section as well. Perhaps a cautionary tale of just how successful company marketing departments can be? Know that I accept responsibility for my actions.

I guess I'm looking to get something off my chest. In November my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. He was 5 weeks early but she and him are both doing OK now. We're in our mid 30's and have full time jobs, etc. There were complications in the pregnancy which (to make a long story short) means this was an expen$ive experience for us. This whole situation has caused me to do some soul searching when it comes to gear.

Rewind 10 years ago and I was getting ready to graduate from college and was gigging with some buddy's in a cover band about once a week. In terms of amps I had a Mesa MPulse 600 running thru a Mesa PH410. It was gloriously powerful and, to be honest, probably way overkill for any gig I ever did. I was responsible with it and didn't pi$$ off any neighbors or sound guys. The gear was bulletproof and the experience of being out gigging was something I'll never forget. Perhaps this is what leads to the next section.

Just as we started to get a small following and a steady flow of gigs my guitar player (an old friend from High School) got a promotion at work and I graduated as an elementary teacher soon to find work of my own. Nether of us could commit to the band any longer and the group dissolved. Being a new teacher with very little free time I decided to sell off my rig and pick up a small Behringer Thunderbird amp for practice. Over time I would still get together with my guitar buddy and former band mate at his apartment for an impromptu jam. Soon I traded in the Behringer for a USA Ampeg 1x12 combo (which he still has at his place to this day). Eventually we both get busier with work and he ends up moving into an 11th floor high rise down-town. No more jamming. Eventually I get better work-life balance and start GASing for an actual practice amp with good tone (I had been DI'ing straight into a Focusrite interface for headphone practice). So I go to GC and find one of the last Mesa Walkabouts on Clearance and end up buying it at a great price. That amp was inspiring! Enough so, in fact, that I started looking for another group to play out with. There's a wedding and the purchase of a house sometime in this period of time but I never end up joining another band.

Putting the cart ahead of the horse I end up selling that Walkabout for my 'dream Rig'; the one to end all GAS: an SVT-CL Heritage head and brand new Heritage 810 from Sweetwater because, hey - I have a house/garage now and figure I'll be finding another band playing out again soon -right?

Wrong. I change careers from teaching to data analysis. Budget cuts at work lead to lateral movement within the company to avoid unemployment. I end up working Help Desk as a contractor (under-employed?). Need to manage my income better. I stop my search for a band to join and realize - "HEY! This stuff is heavy! I can't manage this much gear without additional help" -meaning that if I started looking for a band again I would absolutely need help moving gear in order to play out. Suddenly my confidence wains in my ability to ask/trust complete strangers for muscle with this kind of gear. In my mind: the gear became a hurdle to rejoining a band! Plus, Am I even good enough to deserve this level of equipment? Thanks to TB I end up selling the whole rig (read: rent an F150, ask friends/wife for help moving it, transport and deliver to shipping office or buyer, take a bath). I tell myself + wife never again will I be in that type of position with gear.

Still wanting to join a group and play out, I take to researching lighter weight, gig-worthy gear. I remember my experience with Mesa and find Mesa's WD800 along with 2 Mesa Traditional PH 2x10 cabs for a modular 410 rig. Sweetwater sells me these two cabs for a deal just as Mesa completely switches over to the Subway series of cabs. Great! I can split the rig up between a potential band/practice spot and home and combine it together when playing out as necessary. I can lift this gear with relative ease on my own! Now, let's see about a band..

Suddenly, we're pregnant! Same job as mentioned above. Same house. Same friend "let's jam again soon!", still no band. Things come to pass as mentioned in the beginning which is where I currently find myself and, to be clear: family comes first.

It's been 10 years now since I've played out or even, for that matter, really jammed with anyone. I have a 3 month old baby boy. Medical debt sucks. I have relatively light 2x210 killer Mesa Rig w/ Mesa WD800. I don't know guys, I just don't see playing out as an attainable goal anymore? Not even thinking about those threads where people are talking about "is it worth it to gig" and so on. I mean, for my personal situation, man, it has literally been a hotdog dangling on a stick. Maybe someday again in the next 10 years once my son is a little older? But, that line of thinking sounds vaguely familiar...

So, this is my reality. I appreciate and respect the gear I have/had but I don't think I can justify this much firepower for just home practice anymore -especially with a wife, kid, and bills. The WD800 has great tone and a headphone jack and can DI to record with but so can many other options for several hundy cheaper and with cash back in my pocket - I'm having a hard time justifying it to myself. As for the cabs - forget it I guess and let them go? Way too much. Again, cash is king. Could just sock them in a corner and say the same "some day" thing over and over again or use them with the WD800 and barely touch the volume. Seems a waste of power and money though to do that - I don't even care about having that much overhead Gain, especially at home.

I recently saw someone comment on a thread that really made me reflect on things. It read something like this: " It is amazing what you can afford when you stop being a professional."
_______________________________________________________________________

TLDR; kids/life can be a lot of work. I am an average dude who happens to have professional/studio grade gig-ready equipment right now but haven't played out in 10 years and don't see being able to again for minimum another 2-3 if ever?. I'm lucky to practice/play in my home office once a week; probably too much cash tied up in gear. If I record it is for home practice/self betterment only. Leaning towards selling off likely never to rebuy this much unless a situation actually presents itself where this type of gear would be justified. Famous last words?

Anyone ever been through this? Am I nuts to part with this gear? I would like to keep playing. See poll for options I am considering and if you made it this far, thank you for reading.

I think it’s up to each person to decide where their priorities are and find a good balance. Family should come first. I could buy a Fodera or a custom Dingwall tomorrow but then I wouldn’t be able to afford to take my kids to Disney. My wife and my kids come first. And wife knows me well. She knows I won’t be as motivated in my career if I don’t play music. GAS is a big part of the reason I’m willing to work overtime and I don’t spend all the extra money on gear so the family benefits from it. So there’s a compromise.

 

[bherman]

Thanks mate, number one goal aside from my commitment to family quality of life is emotional wellness. For me that means still having the ability to play. My wife knows this and supports it as well. Regretfully, yes -the cash is needed more at this particular time. At the risk of turning political here and going off the rails a bit: I agree with your statement regarding pregnancy. My job provides benefits for my family and even with private insurance we are looking at a bill close to 10K thanks to advanced medical procedures and NICU care for my son. There was a story that broke a few months ago by the New York Times telling of how hospitals in America are beginning to bring lawsuits to patients who aren't paying the 'required' monthly amount back set by the hospital. In some cases these folks are paying something but just not enough; the hospital demands the required payment. It has my wife and I concerned as the monthly payment we are looking at is as much as one of our student loan payments. Anyhow, I digress.

I think that you answered your own question here - the money is needed more than the cash at this stage of your life. Sell it, maybe get a small practice amp and keep at it to keep you sane.. A few years down the road, if gigging is on the horizon again, buy another rig. I stopped for 15 years between work and kids - kept my bass but had no amp and didnt play at all. It was hard to get my chops back, and wish that I had a small amp to noodle with now and again.

 

[jthisdell]

...the money is needed more than the cash at this stage of your life....

Yes, money is more better than cash

 

[SunByrne]

So, first and foremost, congrats on the baby, but I understand the challenges. My first son was born 6.5 weeks early and spent a month in the NICU/PICU and there was concern that he had brain damage (he didn't, but we didn't know that for sure for a while). To top it off, was born while we were traveling so I got to live with my mother-in-law for five weeks. Most stress I've ever been through (not close), so believe me, I get it.

I pretty much dropped anything that resembled a hobby for about nine years after that, because I was on the junior faculty track at an R1 university and so between kids and job, there wasn't any time anyway. This is not a complaint, by the way—it was great to be able to be around for the kids and I did get tenure, so if I could go back and do it all over again, I wouldn't change it.

But you do get through the time crunch. It'll come back eventually, but no, you probably won't get in much jamming for a few years and gigs seem pretty remote. Maybe I'm wrong but that's the way I'd bet. So I'd sell off the current rig, get a nice Fender Rumble you can practice on the limited amount you'll get to do that, and maybe in a decade you'll be able to ramp back into it. By then, the tech will have changed and you'll probably be able to get better than what you currently have for less money, so it'll be OK.

And if you're like me maybe you'll even eventually pick up a new hobby once the kids are older. My first kid is off to college and I even decided I have the time for a new hobby. I picked up this bass thing...

 

[MuttThud]

Good day all;

This is as much a journal entry to remind myself of where I have been and where I am going. It took several hours to reflect on and write. If you care to read through it all know that I appreciate it. TLDR is at the bottom. The events that follow happen to correspond roughly with my time since joining this site although I do not directly blame this site for anything. It's fun to joke about GAS, but seriously...
I'm sure this story could apply to the 'Basses' section as well. Perhaps a cautionary tale of just how successful company marketing departments can be? Know that I accept responsibility for my actions.

I guess I'm looking to get something off my chest. In November my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. He was 5 weeks early but she and him are both doing OK now. We're in our mid 30's and have full time jobs, etc. There were complications in the pregnancy which (to make a long story short) means this was an expen$ive experience for us. This whole situation has caused me to do some soul searching when it comes to gear.

Rewind 10 years ago and I was getting ready to graduate from college and was gigging with some buddy's in a cover band about once a week. In terms of amps I had a Mesa MPulse 600 running thru a Mesa PH410. It was gloriously powerful and, to be honest, probably way overkill for any gig I ever did. I was responsible with it and didn't pi$$ off any neighbors or sound guys. The gear was bulletproof and the experience of being out gigging was something I'll never forget. Perhaps this is what leads to the next section.

Just as we started to get a small following and a steady flow of gigs my guitar player (an old friend from High School) got a promotion at work and I graduated as an elementary teacher soon to find work of my own. Nether of us could commit to the band any longer and the group dissolved. Being a new teacher with very little free time I decided to sell off my rig and pick up a small Behringer Thunderbird amp for practice. Over time I would still get together with my guitar buddy and former band mate at his apartment for an impromptu jam. Soon I traded in the Behringer for a USA Ampeg 1x12 combo (which he still has at his place to this day). Eventually we both get busier with work and he ends up moving into an 11th floor high rise down-town. No more jamming. Eventually I get better work-life balance and start GASing for an actual practice amp with good tone (I had been DI'ing straight into a Focusrite interface for headphone practice). So I go to GC and find one of the last Mesa Walkabouts on Clearance and end up buying it at a great price. That amp was inspiring! Enough so, in fact, that I started looking for another group to play out with. There's a wedding and the purchase of a house sometime in this period of time but I never end up joining another band.

Putting the cart ahead of the horse I end up selling that Walkabout for my 'dream Rig'; the one to end all GAS: an SVT-CL Heritage head and brand new Heritage 810 from Sweetwater because, hey - I have a house/garage now and figure I'll be finding another band playing out again soon -right?

Wrong. I change careers from teaching to data analysis. Budget cuts at work lead to lateral movement within the company to avoid unemployment. I end up working Help Desk as a contractor (under-employed?). Need to manage my income better. I stop my search for a band to join and realize - "HEY! This stuff is heavy! I can't manage this much gear without additional help" -meaning that if I started looking for a band again I would absolutely need help moving gear in order to play out. Suddenly my confidence wains in my ability to ask/trust complete strangers for muscle with this kind of gear. In my mind: the gear became a hurdle to rejoining a band! Plus, Am I even good enough to deserve this level of equipment? Thanks to TB I end up selling the whole rig (read: rent an F150, ask friends/wife for help moving it, transport and deliver to shipping office or buyer, take a bath). I tell myself + wife never again will I be in that type of position with gear.

Still wanting to join a group and play out, I take to researching lighter weight, gig-worthy gear. I remember my experience with Mesa and find Mesa's WD800 along with 2 Mesa Traditional PH 2x10 cabs for a modular 410 rig. Sweetwater sells me these two cabs for a deal just as Mesa completely switches over to the Subway series of cabs. Great! I can split the rig up between a potential band/practice spot and home and combine it together when playing out as necessary. I can lift this gear with relative ease on my own! Now, let's see about a band..

Suddenly, we're pregnant! Same job as mentioned above. Same house. Same friend "let's jam again soon!", still no band. Things come to pass as mentioned in the beginning which is where I currently find myself and, to be clear: family comes first.

It's been 10 years now since I've played out or even, for that matter, really jammed with anyone. I have a 3 month old baby boy. Medical debt sucks. I have relatively light 2x210 killer Mesa Rig w/ Mesa WD800. I don't know guys, I just don't see playing out as an attainable goal anymore? Not even thinking about those threads where people are talking about "is it worth it to gig" and so on. I mean, for my personal situation, man, it has literally been a hotdog dangling on a stick. Maybe someday again in the next 10 years once my son is a little older? But, that line of thinking sounds vaguely familiar...

So, this is my reality. I appreciate and respect the gear I have/had but I don't think I can justify this much firepower for just home practice anymore -especially with a wife, kid, and bills. The WD800 has great tone and a headphone jack and can DI to record with but so can many other options for several hundy cheaper and with cash back in my pocket - I'm having a hard time justifying it to myself. As for the cabs - forget it I guess and let them go? Way too much. Again, cash is king. Could just sock them in a corner and say the same "some day" thing over and over again or use them with the WD800 and barely touch the volume. Seems a waste of power and money though to do that - I don't even care about having that much overhead Gain, especially at home.

I recently saw someone comment on a thread that really made me reflect on things. It read something like this: " It is amazing what you can afford when you stop being a professional."
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TLDR; kids/life can be a lot of work. I am an average dude who happens to have professional/studio grade gig-ready equipment right now but haven't played out in 10 years and don't see being able to again for minimum another 2-3 if ever?. I'm lucky to practice/play in my home office once a week; probably too much cash tied up in gear. If I record it is for home practice/self betterment only. Leaning towards selling off likely never to rebuy this much unless a situation actually presents itself where this type of gear would be justified. Famous last words?

Anyone ever been through this? Am I nuts to part with this gear? I would like to keep playing. See poll for options I am considering and if you made it this far, thank you for reading.

Raising kids is the hardest and most expensive thing I’ve ever done. It’s also the best thing I have ever done, and will ever do. When my kids were young, looking after them (we have three, now all grown up) and holding down full time jobs (in my case with insanely long hours and a lot of travel) was pretty exhausting. Really, there was just no scope to gig or even jam or rehearse... I’d come home from work, help out with the kids, and collapse into bed. Bit by bit I began selling off most of my gear. We were tight for money so needed the cash although if I’d been playing out I probably could have justified hanging on to more gear than I did.

The thing is, years later, I regretted selling some (but not all) of the gear I sold back then. Life moved on, money became a little less tight, the kids became a bit more expensive (school etc) but also became a lot more self-sufficient, and I found I had little pockets of time during the week when I could meet up with mates and jam etc. I wished then that I’d hung on to some of the stuff I sold, and I wished that I’d not assumed I might as well forget about playing for many years to come (if ever). Some of the gear I could replace, but some was special and not easily replaceable.

I’d suggest hanging onto any gear that gives you pleasure and that you know you will use occasionally now but (most likely) increasingly often in future as your kids grow and life changes. At the same time, clear out anything that you’re ambivalent about (cull the bass herd if you have one, perhaps)... any gear you do decide to hold onto truly has to earn its place when money’s tight and free time is limited. Debts suck, and if you’re really underwater then there’s no choice... got to do whatever you have to for your family. But if the finances are more manageable than that, I’d say keep hold of the special gear that matters to you the most. The older you will thank you for it.

 

[FeltTipPen]

First of all, glad that your wife and baby are doing ok! I can relate to some of your experiences, I've had a large medical cost too to deal with too.

I also sold off bigger gear as it wasn't going to be used to its full potential and the money was helpful. I went to an Ampeg practice combo but it didn't quite do it for me and sold it for gear that I am really happy with now (Genzler MG-350 combo, has an AUX IN and headphone input). I know the WD-800 has an AUX and headphone inputs so that might be good to keep, but it will sell easily since it's newer and well regarded here.

I bought my first bass the year my daughter was born. I didn't get to play much, but here and there and on and off. I've played more in the last few years. I'm sure most here who have older kids will agree with me, the time goes sooo fast. She's headed to college now, I wouldn't trade that time with her for anything! And now really digging into playing is in the horizon for me and will be for you before you know it!