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The disconnect
- Thread starter Bent77
- Start date
I’m sure I’ll never buy a bass again. I don’t care about cars, tools or trucks. My problem is phones and tablets. I want the newest and the best and those things are damn expensive.
This feeling I can identify with, but I finally got over it.
I can't identify the moment or event that caused it, but about four years ago I started taking more pride in long term ownership of things. Rather than always upgrading, I started holding on and valuing the devices and the services they rendered to me as if we now had some kind of relationship.
Electronic devices are devoid of human emotion and feeling, but for whatever reason I started assigning emotions and feelings to those devices. My Pixel 3 XL, for example, is like one of my friends. I talk to him on and off all the time, and he does all kinds of cool things for me. When the Pixel 4 and now the Pixel 5 came out, I thought how could I betray my friend the 3 XL and send him off to an electronics graveyard for no other reason than I want something newer? I'd never do that to my wife or a human friend.
I realize typing this out and putting it on a web forum for the world to see may make me appear to be crazy or weird, but that's how it is and it works for me.
-Mike
Nope.
I only buy items I need in whatever the category, and do not collect anything.
I only buy items I need in whatever the category, and do not collect anything.
So bass related items get classified as a “need”?
I kid, but it does show how each of us look at things differently
My weakness is knives. I can control GAS in most of my hobbies (astronomy, guns, guitars/basses, golf) but for some reason I can't say no to the next knife I see and want. Currently have over 40 folders and still deciding on my next one...
Basses do not excite me and almost never go to that section of TB.
I have two basses and that is all that is needed.
The Fender Jazz 4 string I have had for over 20 years and a Dingwall 5 string about 3 years ago. Never purchased any basses between time and do not care to now.
My phone until last year was the free one from Costco when the analog cell towers were decommissioned and I was forced to upgrade about 8 or more years ago. Just phone and text with the slide out keyboard.
Now the Ipone 11pro, will have it until it no longer works.
Had my last car for 15 years, just got a new car at the start of this year.
Plan to have it for 8-10 years.
The Wife's van have had for 13 years and still no plan on replacing soon.
I am a buy once and done type in all categories of items.
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,222
- 45,013
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
I have no GAS for basses and pretty much none for gear. I stopped collecting knives and swords when I cut back my martial arts practice.
I see certain cars and think that I'd like to own them, but not much more than that. Same with houses. I understand my financial situation and I prefer to live well inside it that close to the edge or beyond it.
I grew up with a "replace a car when it approaches 100K miles, and when I got to be able to afford it, more often than that because I like cars. But my current ride ('07 Audi A4 convertible) ticks pretty much all my boxes - convertible, room for bass gear, back seat (room for people and dogs), AWD. It's not the sexiest car on wheels, nor the quickest, but it's not ugly either and it's pretty fun to drive. I'm trying to move into a "maintain this car for a long, long time" headspace, because there's no compelling reason for me to change.
I see certain cars and think that I'd like to own them, but not much more than that. Same with houses. I understand my financial situation and I prefer to live well inside it that close to the edge or beyond it.
I grew up with a "replace a car when it approaches 100K miles, and when I got to be able to afford it, more often than that because I like cars. But my current ride ('07 Audi A4 convertible) ticks pretty much all my boxes - convertible, room for bass gear, back seat (room for people and dogs), AWD. It's not the sexiest car on wheels, nor the quickest, but it's not ugly either and it's pretty fun to drive. I'm trying to move into a "maintain this car for a long, long time" headspace, because there's no compelling reason for me to change.
I'm that way with car modifications. I don't want more cars, I only want to upgrade the one or two cars I already have.
I now have a '14 Focus and I've upgraded the whole stereo system and am now in the middle of doing a custom ECU tune.
But that's peanuts compared to the money I've put into my '87 XR4ti. Extensive mods to the engine, brakes and suspension, interior and exterior.
But I'm still better off now than I was a few years ago. Both my daily driver and summer cruiser were Mercedes Benz 450 SELs. Horribly expensive to maintain and I was shoveling money at them to modify old cars from the 1970s. Finally found some bit of sanity and sold them.
There they go!
I now have a '14 Focus and I've upgraded the whole stereo system and am now in the middle of doing a custom ECU tune.
But that's peanuts compared to the money I've put into my '87 XR4ti. Extensive mods to the engine, brakes and suspension, interior and exterior.
But I'm still better off now than I was a few years ago. Both my daily driver and summer cruiser were Mercedes Benz 450 SELs. Horribly expensive to maintain and I was shoveling money at them to modify old cars from the 1970s. Finally found some bit of sanity and sold them.
There they go!
Attachments
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,045
- 45,909
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Not really. I can hang at NAMM for three days and maybe play 2-3 basses, tops, and I ‘ve never even thought about buying one there. And if I decide I want a different amp I have a rule that I have to build it, which tends to take months or years to do. Time is a pretty great GAS killer IME. I had the last bass I sold for 40 years and it was my only one for half that time. I have four right now, but only because I’m too lazy to sell the two I never use any more.
When I competed in sports that are gear centric I did turn stuff over every couple of years or even every year, but I tended to just go with last year’s models or insider deals from working in related gigs. Being more process than goal oriented makes brand identification kind of irrelevant, I think.
You know, I've got a stable of guitars and basses that I consider excessive. Some here would call it a good start I'm sure. Haven't bought a guitar in a few years and I honestly think I'm just done buying the stuff. I've got a classical that's more or less unplayable that I might turn into a knick knack of some sort because of its sentimental value, there's a double bass that I simply can't justify having, I figure an electric guitar, the two fender jazz basses, my acoustic and maybe one of my homemade ukuleles is waay more than anybody needs.
I can only drive one car, and the tools I have are adequate to lift the car I have up to change the oil and tires out and do some basic maintenance.
I've got a bunch of small collections of dumb stuff and it's all big and pricey, like the instruments, I've got a few bottles of liquor back home, a collection of beer bottle caps from places I've been to, some books, board games that I intend to get rid of et cetera. I used to think it was worth it, now I just don't care.
I can only drive one car, and the tools I have are adequate to lift the car I have up to change the oil and tires out and do some basic maintenance.
I've got a bunch of small collections of dumb stuff and it's all big and pricey, like the instruments, I've got a few bottles of liquor back home, a collection of beer bottle caps from places I've been to, some books, board games that I intend to get rid of et cetera. I used to think it was worth it, now I just don't care.
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My gas recently shifted. I had been wanting to switch out/reduvce some bass gear for a while. I have accomplished that.
But there are rumors of the Jeep Gladiator and four door coming with a Hemi 392 V8 next year. I haven't cared about cars/trucks in years until I read that. Now my GAS has shifted away from bass gear.
But there are rumors of the Jeep Gladiator and four door coming with a Hemi 392 V8 next year. I haven't cared about cars/trucks in years until I read that. Now my GAS has shifted away from bass gear.
I have never been a collector of anything, and always been perfectly happy with my “tools” of any variety. So long as they work, I’d run them into the ground before replacing. This is especially true for cars, phones and other electronics.
I was a serious trumpet player most of my life. Dabbled in guitar, bass, piano and others. In 2017 I made the shift to focus on bass (not trying to go pro, but I made it my main instrument and joined a gigging band.) For a long time I thought I caught the GAS. Made many posts about fighting/beating it, and beat myself up for window shopping.
But now I’m starting to think I was looking for the right tools for my new “job.” Up until my shift, I had never really spent much time looking at bass or amp specs, and honing in on my preferences. It’s like the past few years was not GAS at all, but a long research project for the right tools for me.
I just recently bought a cab to complete my gig rig, and found a backup bass I love. I feel at peace, and I think I’m done.*
*ask me again next year!
I was a serious trumpet player most of my life. Dabbled in guitar, bass, piano and others. In 2017 I made the shift to focus on bass (not trying to go pro, but I made it my main instrument and joined a gigging band.) For a long time I thought I caught the GAS. Made many posts about fighting/beating it, and beat myself up for window shopping.
But now I’m starting to think I was looking for the right tools for my new “job.” Up until my shift, I had never really spent much time looking at bass or amp specs, and honing in on my preferences. It’s like the past few years was not GAS at all, but a long research project for the right tools for me.
I just recently bought a cab to complete my gig rig, and found a backup bass I love. I feel at peace, and I think I’m done.*
*ask me again next year!
My GAS shifted from bass to guitar for awhile and now has subsided for the most part. I am much more about finding happiness in what I currently have and becoming better able to maintain or improve something on my own.
But I do consider myself fortunate as I’ve never been a big spender. I’ve had the same car for 8 years and don’t plan on replacing it until it starts to fall apart. I haven’t bought a new guitar in over a year or a new bass in about 4 or 5 years. I’ve had the same flat screen TV for about 7 years. I only replace my phones once their battery or functionality start becoming an issue, etc... My only “big” recent purchase was a new bicycle which is my first since grade school, and I bought one I knew I could grow with for the next 20 odd years.
Now if I could only fight the urge to eat out more. THAT is the one that is a slow burn but adds up over time.
But I do consider myself fortunate as I’ve never been a big spender. I’ve had the same car for 8 years and don’t plan on replacing it until it starts to fall apart. I haven’t bought a new guitar in over a year or a new bass in about 4 or 5 years. I’ve had the same flat screen TV for about 7 years. I only replace my phones once their battery or functionality start becoming an issue, etc... My only “big” recent purchase was a new bicycle which is my first since grade school, and I bought one I knew I could grow with for the next 20 odd years.
Now if I could only fight the urge to eat out more. THAT is the one that is a slow burn but adds up over time.
I have little collections of vintage petrol lighters from the '20s/'30s, some old oil lamps, a few old watches, small stuff. I've always liked antique shops and such, this was the last thing I bought, a pair of '70s clear drop oil lamps:
