How often do you get GAS? How do you deal with it?

[RP]

Originally Posted by Parlorman

I voted “Never” but I mean “No longer”. A few years ago I realized that I was perfectly content with the instruments I have. I still like to look at what’s out there and read the classifieds regularly but I no longer have the urge to buy. If anything, I’ll probably sell one or two.

Before that, I was buying and selling every six to twelve months, sometimes more often.

Parlorman pretty much sums up what my response would have been. I've got an Emerald 12-string on order as a Christmas gift to myself, but in my mind a premeditated four month wait for a purchase and GAS are polar opposites. Yes, I know that both represent Guitar Acquisition, but my interpretation of GAS is that it's got a strong element of impulsivity...

[GeneralDreedle]

There are a few guitars I have pined over lately; a J185, a Collings D1 Traditional, but I have plenty of guitars at the moment and those two wouldn't fill any real void since I have a Maple Jumbo and a nice mahogany. But still, it's nice to dream

[brijas99]

I voted I have GAS every month. It seems to kinda come and go with me throughout the month. Also I think I have different levels of GAS too, the force to buy is stronger in some than others. But that's not slowed me down much.
Over the last 15 years I have probably bought and sold well over 50 guitars. I should sit down and try to make a list of them sometime.
I play, read and look at guitars almost every day. It's an illness I'm glad to have

[Dru Edwards]

Usually all the time there's something on my mind. I just went through a 6 month span where I wanted to get another guitar but I had GAS for nothing specific. I just kept waiting for that something to materialize. Last week that turned into a Gibson Les Paul.

[raysachs]

With me it's not really a matter of how frequently - it's more a matter of how satisfied I am with what I've already got. For 25 years I had one electric (a strat) and one acoustic (a D28) and I don't recall ever having gas. Then I had a pretty long layoff.

When I started playing again about four years ago, I did some experimenting to see what Liked at this point in my life. So for a couple of years, I had pretty much constant GAS, trying a lot of guitars before settling down on the electric side with a strat and a #2 that was something with P90s. Took me a while to nail down that #2, though, so I had minor gas for that until I found an SG with P90s and it just pushed all of my buttons for what a great P90 axe should do.

On the acoustic side, I thought I was pretty settled with an Emerald X7 but then I got more into fingerpicking and realized that the X7 just wasn't a great physical fit for me when I'm fingerpicking - my hand naturally fell way too far left of the bridge for easy palm muting or anchoring. So I had GAS again for a couple months, tried a few guitars, and settled on a CEO-7 that, like my strat and SG, just pushes ALL my buttons for what a great acoustic should play like and sound like. Got it in March, sold my other two acoustics, and not a bit of GAS since.

But at some point, there's a good chance I'll develop a change in wants / needs / tastes and I'll probably try something else. Although the Strat and CEO-7 feel pretty permanent. But I'll likely play around with that #2 electric at some point. I don't tend to spend much on those (my SG was $400) so I can afford to indulge and occasional whim.

-Ray

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Cool555

Thanks Andy for the detailed list. My guess for your coming guitar is an Eastman E20SS. Just a random guess.

Hi Cool, close, but not on the ball. I have no idea why my thread was closed, but I'll start a new one when it arrives - scheduled on Monday!

Thanks for your interest.

[rllink]

I look at them on line on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace often but don't act on them. Nothing really speaks to me.

[Pender]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Hi Cool, close, but not on the ball. I have no idea why my thread was closed, but I'll start a new one when it arrives - scheduled on Monday!

Thanks for your interest.

Andy,

Did you bought a Eastman special edition sold by a well known seller in the Netherlands?

Warm regards from Portugal!

[j3ffr0]

Every couple years I start thinking about something... some ideas come and go, but some stick around. If one sticks around long enough that I'm frequently ruminating on it over a period of time, I'll eventually fixate on it at buy something.

I finally have enough guitars, so the end of the cycle should be selling one at least one that I like less than what I bought.... that's the theory anyway....

[mawmow]

I bought some thirty guitars from 2006 to 2018...

In fact, I got my first solid wood by the end of 2006. Then went on a journey
through different repertoires as acoustic Blues, the Celtic/Irish tunes, some
classical pieces as exercises to enhance my technique and finally some jazz.

Each repertoire door I opened push me toward new guitars, so a quest for
used guitars kept me quite busy for some years ! Sometimes I came to buy
brand new, but it was quite an exception.

As I am now the proud ower of a quite nice herd that quite fulfill my dreams,
I honestly think I will not suffer GAS anymore : The last four guitars I "had
to try" (Martins GPC/OMC-4 and CEO-7 and Waterloo WL-14) were not sounding
good enough compared with some I already own to make me bring them home !
And my Taylor and Gibson chapters are complete !

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by rllink

I look at them on line on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace often but don't act on them. Nothing really speaks to me. I have two guitars, an electric and an accoustic. Both of those I bought because they spoke to me. I happened to walk into a little music store in a small town on Thursday where we were staying over. It was just down the block from our hotel. I went in because they had an amp in the window I wanted to get a better look at. They had maybe 15 guitars hanging on the wall and I glanced at them but didn't go over and look at them. I went in to look at the amp, I looked at it and I left. I didn't look around the store or anything. I don't know why that is, but other guitars just don't interest me. My wife even asked if I wanted to look at the guitars and I told her nothing on the wall was calling out to me. I think I'm not normal. I just don't like shopping around for something to buy. That's pretty much all there is to it.

Thanks for sharing Mr rllink! I wish I were a little more like you...in terms of not having GAS so often. I remember you from the thread, "GS Mini Club" where I was also the OP. I still like my GS Mini Koa after having it for 3 years...but I also like many other guitars. I'll remember you as my Role Model when it comes to being contented with the guitars that I already have.

[donlyn]

How often do you get GAS? How do you deal with it?


> How often do you get GAS?

Constantly.

> How do you deal with it?

1. Will Power, or more correctly Won't Power.

2. Tums.

3. Realization that I don't need any more guitars. I actually had that realization 3 guitars ago, but then opportunities arose.
Sigh.

Said I didn't need any more guitars. Didn't say I wouldn't buy more given the right circumstances.

Quigley, Down Under, "Said I didn't like (handguns); never said I couldn't use one."
"Besides, this ain't Dodge City and you ain't Wyatt Earp."

Don
.

Edit > By the way, I also don't need any more polls. And a poll should have only one question, not two.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Parlorman

I voted “Never” but I mean “No longer”. A few years ago I realized that I was perfectly content with the instruments I have. I still like to look at what’s out there and read the classifieds regularly but I no longer have the urge to buy. If anything, I’ll probably sell one or two.

Before that, I was buying and selling every six to twelve months, sometimes more often.

This is pretty much where I'm at.

Since about a year ago I reached some sort of weird feeling where I'm happy with all my gear. I call it GSN - Gear Satisfaction Nirvana. I don't know if or how long this remission from GAS will last but I'm enjoying it. I still peruse the AGF Classifieds on occasion and even though there are some incredible guitars there, nothing makes me want to buy.

That said, unlike Parlorman I voted for the 7-12 month range because back when I did suffer from GAS, that was the most common time range when GAS would rear its head. Closer to the 12 month mark where I'd suddenly feel like I was missing something and I would sell off all my guitars and suddenly find myself with all new guitars!

[Skip Ellis]

I like what I have and only buy something else if needed for a particular project. I pretty much only play at gigs/rehearsals so don't need a bunch of stuff sitting around gathering dust. Am downsizing now and will soon be at one each: steel string; classical; electric. I also have two very good amplifiers and would probably part with one of them if it weren't for needing a backup.

[TDavis]

For some insane reason, I caught an almost immediate case of GAS right after I bought my first "good" guitar a few years ago. I went through probably 10-15 guitars either through selling or trading in the next two years! Thinking back, I wish I still had half of those today, because I didn't give most a chance to "bond" with at all.

I have come to the point though, that I am basically starting over...and being very happy with what I have right now. I look at the classifieds here, on Facebook and Craigslist and am not moved to buy what I can afford...and not willing to buy more guitar than I can afford. I've got a couple of very good guitars now, and I'm enjoying it.