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How to avoid G.A.S?

The less time I spend on TB, and the more time I spend practicing, the more I realize I have all I need in the ways off gear.

(It also helps that I’m in Grad School and don’t have much in the ways of money to burn.)
 
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Some things that have worked for me (with varying degrees of success ;)) are:

- Buy good stuff up front. That can mean all kinds of things, but one way to look at is not to scrimp on something "cheaper" if you really want something else. Another way of saying it is the old "buy cheap, buy twice" concept.

- Have a mortgage. Self-explanatory.

- Have a kid in college. Self-explanatory

- Take lessons. When I was taking lessons, it was very clear to me every week that I'm getting much more utility out of learning than I'll ever get out of new gear.

- Do not log into Talkbass. Self-explanatory.
 
How to avoid gas???

don't eat beans

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Omg, I have the worst G.A.S, lol. How do I avoid it? I really love all the gear I am playing through. I just had bought a new bass last year (Mex Fender PJ bass-4 string) and one gifted to me this past summer (5 string American P-Bass). My amp head is only about 2 years old and my speaker cabs aren't that bad either. Although my 4x10 is alittle heavy. Money isn't an issue, so that's part of the problem. I just can't help it. I need help! lmao. I go on here and guitar center, and craigslist everyday. hahahaha, any advise to avoid getting it? I don't want to purchase anything new for this entire year if possible just because I feel like it is a vicious cycle. Is there like GAS Anonymous group? Any advise would be greatly appreciated
Wean yourself off those sites until you're not looking at basses anymore.

This worked for me until I started keeping eyes over Classifieds. Thanks @Bryan R. Tyler . :p
 
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When I was shooting photos, I wouldn't allow myself a new piece of gear unless I completed a project. Also, after I get my first "kit" I wouldn't allow myself any extra gear unless photography paid for the gear itself...

I started doing this with pedals a few years ago; only purchasing pedals with gig money. Keeps me in check. Otherwise like Mosfed said, it never ends ;-)
 
Any advise would be greatly appreciated
i would say "get a life" --- but that advice has never helped me! :laugh:

seriously: buy as much as you can, lie about it if you have to, hide what you buy, do not feel responsible for the toll your GAS may have on others. GAS-anon isn't what it's cracked up to be...those people are weird.



:roflmao:


no GAS here.
 
I am lucky in a sense, I don't gas for things bass related, my family is constantly trying to figure out what to get me as gifts through out the year
and they always come back to bass related items. Why? Because that is what I do for enjoyment, they know it and they ask me what I'd want if I was going to buy something. Christmas , A new bass from my lovely wife, my son got me a 3 guitar rack stand my daughter got me a set of strings, For my last birthday I got a Sans Amp v2 pedal a IEM system and a bunch of cables and gig bags or an straps. Total in 2018 I got 3 new bass guitars, none of wish I was personally gassing for, but got through this family process :). I am not complaining by any means and rock every bass in my collection, through a rotation process none of them are collecting dust. :bassist:
 
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The best way to avoid GAS is to have it... At some point you will have cycled through enough gear that you truly know what you want, this takes a while but some longer than others. There no cure for GAS, but if you already played it all and there is a piece of gear that gets you excited, its no longer acquisition, its inspiration.
 
Fix up the instruments you have. Mod the living daylights out of each and every one. Spending $100 on a pickup or a bridge will bring the same satisfaction/buzz as a $1000 bass. Shoot, even buying a case to replace a gig bag works.

LSS: Small parts purchases are an excellent way to wean you off thinking you need new gear. It’s like a GAS patch.
 
G.A.S. is caused by a virus. It is contracted through contact with other infected individuals, music stores, and websites such as TalkBass. Once you are infected, it cannot be eradicated from your body. Some are carriers and don’t experience symptoms at the moment, but they remain infected and may spread it to others unknowingly by letting them touch their gear. It may lie dormant for periods of time, but will re-emerge under stress. Their are some experimental treatments involving new technology, but these only provide temporary relief. There is no cure.
 
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Decide what kind of music you want to play and in what kind of situation. Take your time, do your research and find the best possible instrument(s) and gear that match your needs. Don’t buy anything less than that, even if it takes several years. Keep saving up and/or selling existing gear until you can afford exactly what you want. Make sure that whatever you buy can be fairly easily sold or traded.

From that point any additional GAS (and there will be additional GAS; it is incurable) can be accommodated by either selling or trading your existing gear for something you now want more. Worst case scenario is that you might have to put out a little bit of cash.

I did this over many years by accumulating an inventory of excellent instruments and amplification valued at x thousand dollars, and paying for it with gig earnings. That x thousand dollar value has remained constant, even as I kept trading/selling stuff until I got the inventory down to one incredible bass, one very good bass, a couple of decent pedals, one incredible amp head, one incredible preamp and six incredible cabinets. If GAS strikes again I simple convert some of above stuff into new stuff, with little or no outlay of cash.
 
My only suggestion is that if you buy anything make sure it is something that, if you decide to sell, you can get all your money back or even make a profit. I've made money on every bass I've owned except one, due to weight.