I have been thinking a lot on the gravitational pull many folks (including myself) have towards wanting a piece of specific gear to add to one’s collection. I believe it comes down to three main themes: 1) collectors, 2) OCD, and 3) technical gaps. 1) collectors: this GAS is driven by the desire to hold a complete collection for either nostalgia, or value. The completeness of the collection does have a conclusion, and the owner is satisfied with it once they deem it fully intact. An example of this could be Fender collectors that desire the full gamut of models produced pre-CBS. 2) OCD: this form of GAS is the deepest rooted, and is driven by the unrelenting drive to have every color, pickup configuration, stringing, or other variation on specific instruments and/or gear. It can also manifest itself through multiple variants of entirely different gear due to the “grass is always greener on the other side” syndrome. Examples of this could be: someone driven to that newer model with the additional pickup because it might sound better; having blue, green, red, black, etc. versions of the same gear because they require the “full set” to ease their desire; and someone that needs a piece of gear simply because it has the same brand name and/or they may need it at some unknown point in the future for an obscure specialization. This GAS is likely driving the economic side of the gear industry and can destroy an individual because they fail to acknowledge the fact that there is no silver bullet for gear, they are the silver bullet. 3) technical gaps: an individual finds there is a legitimate gap in their current gear’s abilities, or the current gear is not compatible at all with specific needs to generate results. Examples of this are: the complete lack of an overdrive capability that utterly requires it due to specific arrangements; complete inability to cut through the mix; inability to record due to missing components; tunings that current gear simply cannot achieve. I find myself mainly in category 3, but flirt continuously, and dangerously, with 2 when I realize I am concocting justifications that require more than a second of thought to explain. I seem to fall victim to the “grass is always greener” syndrome most often, and end up with multiple components that honestly sound so close to each other that my elaborate justifications melt away once I take a step back and objectify the results.
I’m guessing you intended to post this in the electric bass forums. This is the double bass side. Not that we upright players don’t constantly covet new gear, but it sounds like your post was targeted at electric players.
If I don't know about it then I won't want it. I'm trying to drastically reduce my exposure to social media and talkbass when it relates to gear. And focusing more on instruction, technique etc. Easier said than done I'm sure, but I'm trying.
It’s a general statement about all gear, but I thought I was posting in a generic Misc. thread, apologies. If an admin could move this to a generic Misc. topic that would be great.
My own GAS doesn’t necessarily fit into any of those three categories. Often times I buy and sell gear, or experiment with strings just to find out what they sound like. It’s not so much striving for the perfect sound (as there are too many variables), but trying to determine my preferences and enjoying the experience of the hobby.
My GAS is basically Hedonism. Bit like taking a long hot bath. I'm not a collector, have OCD, or looking to fill a gap. Buying stuff gives someone who is passionate about their craft an income. I really love that.
I suffer from crazy GAS and the past 2 years or so have been without much controls in place. Whilst I don't fit perfectly into any of the 3 categories listed, I'm most closest to #1, the collector. I have the collector bug and have always collected something...what that thing is has morphed over time from baseball cards and comics when I was younger to beer, bourbon and the like as I got older. These days, my collecting is focused around pedals mostly. For me, it is about the hunt. Trying to find something specific at a specific price point and achieving that is a real thrill for the hunter/collector. While I love my collections, I get more joy out of the hunt than the actual use...but make no mistake, I collect things to use them, not to just look at them. I also do part with stuff that I don't see myself using going forward unless nostalgia. I find that GAS (and all collections) is fueled by browsing and reading. If you stop reading about it or browsing classifieds, it all goes away. GAS has really spiked this year due to the changes in society. More time for things like browsing and reading since we can't be social as we had been in the past, which also leads to more disposable income to apply to said browsing.
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