Filling the "music" void with "gear."

[flagstaffcharli]

I agree, OP. It’s actually why I post to the forum less than I used to do; the forum is largely about gear.

I’ve learned to recognize that when I start obsessing about guitars as things that it is time to focus more on music. Then I forget about the GAS. And I would much rather be playing music than shopping.

[Glennwillow]

I do think we have a tendency to want to buy our way to musical competence. If I just had this or that, I might be able to more easily approach that musical goal. Maybe if I buy Eric Johnson's latest "Stories, Virginia" Fender Strat, maybe I'd be able to sound like Eric playing "Cliffs of Dover." The truth is, I am never going to sound like Eric Johnson.

It's true that sometimes the right gear can really be helpful, but there is also a trap there. Sometimes in our busy lives we have more funds to spend on gear than we have time to spend on wood shedding.

I know how this works, since I have been actively playing for 56 years and I have bought plenty of stuff. I'm still buying stuff... As I get older, I worry about this.

- Glenn

[Lakewood_Lad]

Practice.

Learn something new - technique, style, song, whatever.

If you're stuck in a rut then get out of it.

Do something different(ly).

[menhir]

I thought I was going down the gear path when I decided a few years ago that I'd like to get back into playing and performing after I retire.

I bought a second performing guitar, a Fishman Amp, a couple of microphones, stands, cords, a passive pickup, etc.. I was spending a lot of time researching cool new gear on the web and...

...And then I stopped.

Cold turkey.

I didn't choose to stop. I just lost interest.

I guess I sub-consciously realized I had all I needed. Time and money would be better spent learning and practicing my craft rather than investing in additional tools.

Actually, it's worked out for me. My playing is cleaner, I've learned a lot more songs, and I'm getting better and deciding which songs won't work for me, too.

That doesn't mean I won't add more gear in the future. I'm not a musical ascetic.
It's just means that I'm good for now.

What inspires me now is finding a song that strikes me as something I'd like to play, and then getting around to learning it and any new techniques I need to know to get it done.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

...So, here I am admitting that I need to jump start my creative engine and get back to the work (and enjoyment) of making music.

Settle for the enjoyment and play Petty's Won't Back Down on your F512.

Either that or Lovett's Bears

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

Settle for the enjoyment and play Petty's Won't Back Down on your F512.



Either that or Lovett's Bears

Good advice!

[Pitar]

Dry spells visit every facet of life but they seem overly personified and exaggerated when they happen to our music hobby. That's a restricted area off limits to boredom, yet it does visit.

I have many hobbies and one of them is auto mechanics. I have 4 vehicles I maintain and all of them need attention at any given time, even if it's a simple oil change or multi-point check. When not spending time on them I've got a 1/4 scale WWI R/C biplane I'm building, or I'm dabbling with oil painting, or in a machine shop fabricating stuff for my job. Then there's the home improvement call to duty.

When I do pick up the guitar it feels right and usually goes right. I play about an hour a day, weekdays, and a few on the weekends.

Gear-wise, I never got the bug. I have an amp, two guitars (classical and steel string acoustic), a looper pedal and the stuff needed to be gig-ready. The looper pedal is great for jamming with myself, which I prefer when writing, and really prompts the creativity.

[Shades of Blue]

Dave hit the nail on the head...maybe that’s why I constantly focus on the gear!

[icuker]

Gear is always tempting, but a cheap way to jump start is to do a book hunt. Some of the antique / rummage stores have old song books that can be a fun find for a dollar or two.

[Silurian]

I've only been playing for 13 years, a blink of the eye compared to some of you guys. I found GAS to be a particular problem in the first two or three years.

When your skill level is basic it's easy to get frustrated and fool yourself that new gear will result in accelerated improvement. As my skill level increased I accepted that the improvement was down to practice and had nothing to do with gear.

I still get GAS, but I try to bear in mind that's it's playing and specifically the slow but gradual improvement that I am making that brings the greatest pleasure.

[Lakewood_Lad]

Originally Posted by Silurian

I've only been playing for 13 years, a blink of the eye compared to some of you guys. I found GAS to be a particular problem in the first two or three years.

When your skill level is basic it's easy to get frustrated and fool yourself that new gear will result in accelerated improvement. As my skill level increased I accepted that the improvement was down to practice and had nothing to do with gear.

I still get GAS, but I try to bear in mind that's it's playing and specifically the slow but gradual improvement that I am making that brings the greatest pleasure.

This is how it is for me. I fool myself into thinking I can buy my way into becoming a better player. Sometimes I go through plateaus where even if I practice I don't feel like I'm getting better and at other times I go through periods of rapid improvement.

The truth is that those two times are related. When I practice regularly, even if I don't think I'm making improvements my mind, my hands and my co-ordination are all becoming more familiar, more agile and dexterous, more complete. And when I go through periods of rapid improvement it's the culmination and integration of all those things I've been doing with my regular playing and practice.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Lakewood_Lad

This is how it is for me. I fool myself into thinking I can buy my way into becoming a better player. Sometimes I go through plateaus where even if I practice I don't feel like I'm getting better and at other times I go through periods of rapid improvement.



The truth is that those two times are related. When I practice regularly, even if I don't think I'm making improvements my mind, my hands and my co-ordination are all becoming more familiar, more agile and dexterous, more complete. And when I go through periods of rapid improvement it's the culmination and integration of all those things I've been doing with my regular playing and practice.

In the same vein, I will sometimes buy a new piece of gear because I think it will motivate me to practice more or learn something new. For example, I have a hidden desire to get back into worship playing at church. So, I went out and bought a Marshall Stack and redid my pedal board because I thought that would motivate me to get back in it. Nope. It’s only solidified my desire to be a hermit and play folk songs at home.

[Lakewood_Lad]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

In the same vein, I will sometimes buy a new piece of gear because I think it will motivate me to practice more or learn something new. For example, I have a hidden desire to get back into worship playing at church. So, I went out and bought a Marshall Stack and redid my pedal board because I thought that would motivate me to get back in it. Nope. It’s only solidified my desire to be a hermit and play folk songs at home.

It's like buying clothes a size too small because you think it will motivate you to lose weight.

Never works. You just end up with a wardrobe full of crap.

[Marty C]

Dang internet sucks time and brings new gear ideas to my living room. Right when I thought “I found IT!”. Only to realize, “I found IT - for now”.

Truthfully I do best when I travel with a guitar. I leave all that other stuff at home and all I can do is just play. Nothing to plug into, no knobs to adjust. Just me and my guitar. Kind of like a writer goes to a remote cabin to block out the distractions. As Dave said in another post - “Organic”.

[musicman1951]

I suspect there is a bit of ebb and flow to most things that take such "heart and soul" energy.

Sometimes I like to learn a new song I have no intention of ever playing for anyone, just as a diversion. It might be a Sting song I really like when he sings it, but really doesn't suit my voice at all. Sometimes it's a movement from a Bach violin concerto.