What have you given up to get a guitar?

jsun82 · #1 10-15-2008, 02:11 PM

I recently bought a new Taylor, and even though I got a good deal on it...it still cost me a pretty penny. I've kinda stuck myself eating PB&J and not eating out hardly at all to make up for the cost....and even then it's going to be awhile before I recoup it all back.

But, just curious...what have you had to (well really, i guess, chosen) to give up to get that guitar that you really had to (sort of needed) to have.

Guitarpix · #2 10-15-2008, 02:13 PM

Other guitars

BBWW · #3 10-15-2008, 02:21 PM

If I believe what I've been told, my first marriage!

Fliss · #4 10-15-2008, 02:22 PM

Holidays.

Fliss

Eugenius · #5 10-15-2008, 02:22 PM

smaller contributions to my retirement fund!

but I have a long time to make up for it!

Glennwillow · #6 10-15-2008, 02:29 PM

What have I given up? Just some money, really. Now justifying whether to spend that money or not, that is something else.

I once bought a Guild X150 jazz guitar at a local music store that had been there for a couple of years, priced at a fair but expensive price. While GUITAR PLAY MAGAZINE had given this guitar a rave review, I decided that I was just not going to spend so much money. But after a year or two of hanging on the wall, the store marked the guitar down to about half of its original asking price on a clearance sale and suddenly I was tempted. I calculated that for the last 3 years I ate only a cup of yogart and an apple for lunch (worth about $2/day), and I calculated that cost against going out and buying a relatively inexpensive lunch costing $5 a day. At a savings of $3 per day over 3 years, I had saved myself and my family's budget over $2000. I used that on my wife and she said, "You don't need to justify that kind of purchase to me, I've been telling you to just go buy that guitar for the last year."

So much for rationalizations and justifications.

Thanks, Glenn

woodruff · #7 10-15-2008, 02:41 PM

well, we now own two Taylors so i guess the answer would be my soul.....no, wiat, guys, just kidding, really.

other than some money, i have given up some good guitars as trade in for GAS. it's a journey, GAS is, and i plan to get off the merry go round soon enough as priorities have changed, which really means, no more GAS funds. but we are blessed with the 3 guits we got.

Dan Carey · #8 10-15-2008, 02:43 PM

I quit smoking and freed up thousands of dollars for the purchase of guitars

Dan

jsun82 · #9 10-15-2008, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I calculated that for the last 3 years I ate only a cup of yogart and an apple for lunch (worth about $2/day), and I calculated that cost against going out and buying a relatively inexpensive lunch costing $5 a day. At a savings of $3 per day over 3 years, I had saved myself and my family's budget over $2000. I used that on my wife and she said, "You don't need to justify that kind of purchase to me, I've been telling you to just go buy that guitar for the last year."

LOL....i went through this SAME kind of calculation...on what i would save on my lunches daily (about $4/day) if i packed my punch instead of going out to get it, and tried to justify this to my wife...then i remembered that i'm not married and got the guitar anyway.

but in all seriousness...this is exactly how i have justified buying my last guitar, so it's boring lunches for me...but at least i have my guitar to comfort me when i get home from work. lol...

mmmaak · #10 10-15-2008, 03:43 PM

For my Webber OM....

Proper food and other luxuries.
It's often been bread/cereal 4 times a week since June

Bob Womack · #11 10-15-2008, 05:00 PM

I saved every penny I had for three years to buy my first really good guitar.

Bob

rforman15 · #12 10-15-2008, 05:10 PM

yeah, I am constantly giving up guitars to get other guitars. They are easy to get emotionally attached to, but I have found I get more enjoyment out of getting to try a new one every couple of years. And so I rotate. I still have my first guitar, a Framus (from my Dad) and a Martin, also from my Dad. He died I got the guitars. That was giving up something. Those guitars will never go. The others are expendable even when I do get attached to them. I always lose money. But I enjoy playing different guitars and I can't afford them all and who needs 100 guitars in a house, that's more than necessary. I always keep about four or five including one electric.

BigRed51 · #13 10-15-2008, 05:13 PM

I gave up eggplant and liver.

mhs · #14 10-15-2008, 06:42 PM

I've given up not only liver, but haven't touched head cheese in over 50 years. (oh that stuff just makes me sick!). You have to really sacrifice for these guitars.

I'm almost ashamed to say that my good instruments, (3 great guitars, one Contra bass), have been given me due to things that just kind of magically happened on gigs. I was amazingly lucky and fortunate to get these things that I am crazy about. All of those were similar (yet not quite) situations that happened due to playing in a lot of gigs but the one common thread is that the givers all insisted on at least one common thing, and that was that I promise to play the instruments, not sell them. (Can't beat that).

The only guitar I recall buying was the CA Cargo and that was just ~6 months ago and that didn't require giving up much of anything for.

ToneSrchin · #15 10-15-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

" What have you given up to get a guitar? "

Sex ... (after each surprise guitar purchase my wife cuts me off at least a week until she gets over it). Hate when that happens...but I do get more acoustic time though...