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The Official Anti-G.A.S. Society
- Thread starter Lichtaffen
- Start date
Bass - Yamaha RBX260
Combo AMP - Line 6 LD300
Soon to be added - Shortboard
one band ...
sure it's cheating and more so after i get the shortboard i get to make better use of the effects and amp emulation.
Combo AMP - Line 6 LD300
Soon to be added - Shortboard
one band ...
sure it's cheating and more so after i get the shortboard i get to make better use of the effects and amp emulation.
I'm down to seven basses right now. That's kinda minimalist for me, compared to where I was.
Back in the day, I just used to have one at a time. I thought that was pretty normal back then.
Back in the day, I just used to have one at a time. I thought that was pretty normal back then.
I'm in the beginning of selling off 2 basses to take me down to: one P/J bass, one head, one cab, one Pandora.
Here's what I've got (I just haven't played anything that's "wowed" me for a little while):
Squier VM-P
Epi Dot
Digitech Processor pedal
Practice amp with headphones out
Rocksmith
That combination of things has kept me busy enough and let me be creative enough to be content with my playing and progress.
Squier VM-P
Epi Dot
Digitech Processor pedal
Practice amp with headphones out
Rocksmith
That combination of things has kept me busy enough and let me be creative enough to be content with my playing and progress.
So, now I'm down to:
1 - bass
2 - amp heads (only because my main head weighs so much that I needed something lighter to carry to rehearsals and small gigs)
2 - 1x12 cabs
1 - compressor pedal
1 - preamp/di box (rarely use it, mostly for slap tone)
1 - tuner
Not too bad huh?
1 - bass
2 - amp heads (only because my main head weighs so much that I needed something lighter to carry to rehearsals and small gigs)
2 - 1x12 cabs
1 - compressor pedal
1 - preamp/di box (rarely use it, mostly for slap tone)
1 - tuner
Not too bad huh?
Lichtaffen said:
I Agree! look at my profile. I'd like a number please!
1 MIM jazz
1 450 watt amp
korg pitchblack
that's it!!!
also I started a thread to see if anyone had advice to stop GAS. it had some good points if you want to check it out
My advice is to ask yourself how this gear will help you achieve any meaningful goal in your life. Also ask yourself if the money spent on gear is taking away from major goals like a car, house, or education.
Finally GAS can be a form of abuse like cutting. That purchase can give you a temporary shot of meaning that you lack in the rest of your life.
Finally GAS can be a form of abuse like cutting. That purchase can give you a temporary shot of meaning that you lack in the rest of your life.
Hey Dr. Cheese! Haven't talked in a while. Hope things are well.
I bet your comments seem very extreme to some people, but they make total sense to me. My dealings with G.A.S. are not as bad with bass, but I used to be into making electronic music 10 years ago and I made some ridiculous purchases that put me in some bad debt. I have to honestly say that when I got into bass 5 years ago I had one bass and one amp, but after spending some time on TB over the past 4 years, I bought, sold and traded way too many basses. I know there are people on here who are much much worse, but that doesn't negate the fact that I didn't need all that gear. My justification was that since Guitar Centers didn't carry what I wanted to try, so I needed to buy and sell gear online to figure out what I needed. After 20+ basses (lost count, just guessing it was that many), I ended up with a nice high end Lakland Jazz-style bass that I love. Funny thing is that my first bass was a Mexican Fender Jazz. What did I learn? I'm a Jazz bass guy. Cost me a few dollars to figure that out. I just sold my one other bass to a buddy for real cheap just to get it out of my house.
My girlfriend and I have decided to completely follow the Buddhist/minimalist principles of owning possessions. I'm basically selling everything that I don't use on a regular basis. I think a lot of times when you hold on to things you don't need, it's an emotional attachment that leads to stress. Who needs more stress in their lives?
What I'm trying to say is "are you a bass player or a bass collector?"
I bet your comments seem very extreme to some people, but they make total sense to me. My dealings with G.A.S. are not as bad with bass, but I used to be into making electronic music 10 years ago and I made some ridiculous purchases that put me in some bad debt. I have to honestly say that when I got into bass 5 years ago I had one bass and one amp, but after spending some time on TB over the past 4 years, I bought, sold and traded way too many basses. I know there are people on here who are much much worse, but that doesn't negate the fact that I didn't need all that gear. My justification was that since Guitar Centers didn't carry what I wanted to try, so I needed to buy and sell gear online to figure out what I needed. After 20+ basses (lost count, just guessing it was that many), I ended up with a nice high end Lakland Jazz-style bass that I love. Funny thing is that my first bass was a Mexican Fender Jazz. What did I learn? I'm a Jazz bass guy. Cost me a few dollars to figure that out. I just sold my one other bass to a buddy for real cheap just to get it out of my house.
My girlfriend and I have decided to completely follow the Buddhist/minimalist principles of owning possessions. I'm basically selling everything that I don't use on a regular basis. I think a lot of times when you hold on to things you don't need, it's an emotional attachment that leads to stress. Who needs more stress in their lives?
What I'm trying to say is "are you a bass player or a bass collector?"
As an update to my previous post, I'm now down to 3 basses, (still trying to sell 2 of them) a tuner, and a Korg Pandora.
lichtaffin- I agree that tons of possessions do cause stress. my girlfriend and I have spend a year purging and becoming more and more minimalist every day. it's a wonderful thing. I too put myself in debt over unnecessary gear
Lichtaffen said:
Believe it or not, my bass GAS under control. I have two and they all I need except for the fretless thing. My worst GAS is for pocket knives since they are generally cheaper and they come in so many varieties. I let it flare up this spring, and started raging pretty quickly. It is probably time to stay out of the knife shop for few months now.
I am collector by nature, and a collector is never satisfied. I know I have keep my feet on the ground so I don't put any hurt on my wallet!
Dr. Cheese said:
Good luck with the Buddhist/minimalist approach. I am a firm believer that stuff is cool, but cannot make you happy. That is why I compared GAS to compulsive cutting, it gives you a sensation, but is fundamentally unhealthy.
You know, I don't post on TB too much, but this thread really hit close to home for me. Over the past several years I have been through more basses than I can actually remember. At one point, a GC manager literally pulled me into his office and asked me what I was doing (buying, returning, exchanging) and why I was doing it. He told me I wasn't the first person he's seen to be on a "black" list with a retailer like GC but nonetheless he had to confront me about it. My friends used to laugh at me when I'd even mention GC in a sentence. A close friend of mine (with whom I still jam with) actually gave up caring about talking with me about gear whatsoever because I'd change my mind so frequently. It actually put a stress on our friendship- which is crazy.
Buying gear is an addiction.
I've been happy with the same 3 basses now for almost 2 years straight; a P, a J, and a 'Ray. They're all 4 stringers and they all just fit- ya know? I built the P and J from ordering various Fender parts off the 'bay. I got exactly what I wanted and had a local Luthier help me out with the build. I'm convinced that the experimentation I went through with all the gear in years past helped me to figure out exactly what I wanted- almost to an OCD level of detail. I ran into a problem though with the stingray as there are simply fewer options available when it comes to building a parts bass with Music Man.
I ended up going with a Sterling by Music Man Ray 34 Classic in Black w/ Maple board. It sounds every bit like any 'Ray I've played and the price was amazing for the build quality.
That was back just before Easter this year. Then I asked a long time friend, my girlfirend, a girl I've known since middle-school, to marry me. Got the ring 3 months ago and asked her two weeks ago. She said yes, all was right with the world, then I went into panic mode over money. Like I had so many times before, I began to think about how I could sell these basses to get me out of the very debt situation they had caused. My Fiance (who has watched me buy & sell and trade gear through the years) caught wind of my scheming and called me out this time.
Selling Gear is an addiction.
That's what is so dangerous about GAS. The term "GAS" ought not to be reserved just for the guys who currently own 20 basses and want to BUYjust one more. What about the guys like me who have never owned more than two or three basses at any given period in time, but who've sold more than 25 or 30 basses over a relatively short period of time to get to this point? There is something about selling gear that gives just as much of an adrenaline rush as buying it. Be very careful with taking the "minimalist" approach by selling off gear to clear out space or get out of debt as you could just be feeding into your next cycle of GAS.
Minimalism (IMO & IME) is about finding joy in what you already have and resolving to not over-complicate or add to it, but rather be resourceful- even in the most challenging of times.
My apologies for the long post
Buying gear is an addiction.
I've been happy with the same 3 basses now for almost 2 years straight; a P, a J, and a 'Ray. They're all 4 stringers and they all just fit- ya know? I built the P and J from ordering various Fender parts off the 'bay. I got exactly what I wanted and had a local Luthier help me out with the build. I'm convinced that the experimentation I went through with all the gear in years past helped me to figure out exactly what I wanted- almost to an OCD level of detail. I ran into a problem though with the stingray as there are simply fewer options available when it comes to building a parts bass with Music Man.
I ended up going with a Sterling by Music Man Ray 34 Classic in Black w/ Maple board. It sounds every bit like any 'Ray I've played and the price was amazing for the build quality.
That was back just before Easter this year. Then I asked a long time friend, my girlfirend, a girl I've known since middle-school, to marry me. Got the ring 3 months ago and asked her two weeks ago. She said yes, all was right with the world, then I went into panic mode over money. Like I had so many times before, I began to think about how I could sell these basses to get me out of the very debt situation they had caused. My Fiance (who has watched me buy & sell and trade gear through the years) caught wind of my scheming and called me out this time.
Selling Gear is an addiction.
That's what is so dangerous about GAS. The term "GAS" ought not to be reserved just for the guys who currently own 20 basses and want to BUYjust one more. What about the guys like me who have never owned more than two or three basses at any given period in time, but who've sold more than 25 or 30 basses over a relatively short period of time to get to this point? There is something about selling gear that gives just as much of an adrenaline rush as buying it. Be very careful with taking the "minimalist" approach by selling off gear to clear out space or get out of debt as you could just be feeding into your next cycle of GAS.
Minimalism (IMO & IME) is about finding joy in what you already have and resolving to not over-complicate or add to it, but rather be resourceful- even in the most challenging of times.
My apologies for the long post
MicG said:
You are right, selling basses can be a problem too. Unless one is really careful, losing money on sales is the rule. This is not true for everyone, but for some, it really is a problem. Way too often folks on TB talk about how many of the same model they have had over the ears.
Actually MicG, thanks for the long post. People need to realize what others have been going through to realize that they have a problem too.
I can understand what you're saying about the selling being an addiction too, but that's not the case with me personally. I just feel that if I'm not using a piece of gear regularly, whether it's for gigging, rehearsal or at home, then it should not be in my possession. I'm about to sell a Sadowsky Preamp/DI that I thought I would need for slapping, etc. Come to find out that I'm not really into slapping after trying it for a while. Conclusion: you don't need that preamp/DI, simple.
One thing I can say for certain is my practice time is spent a lot more efficiently since my gear has been down to the bare minimum. I used to waste a lot of time trying to decide which bass to play and switching back and forth during practice time. Now it's one bass and one amp, done.
I can understand what you're saying about the selling being an addiction too, but that's not the case with me personally. I just feel that if I'm not using a piece of gear regularly, whether it's for gigging, rehearsal or at home, then it should not be in my possession. I'm about to sell a Sadowsky Preamp/DI that I thought I would need for slapping, etc. Come to find out that I'm not really into slapping after trying it for a while. Conclusion: you don't need that preamp/DI, simple.
One thing I can say for certain is my practice time is spent a lot more efficiently since my gear has been down to the bare minimum. I used to waste a lot of time trying to decide which bass to play and switching back and forth during practice time. Now it's one bass and one amp, done.
Same here. I have a Fender precision, a Promethean head and a markbass 2x12. That's it, besides a DI for emergency backup and my cables.
