1 Year and 3 months guitar sober

Aceman

Aceman

I am your doctor of love!
So over a year ago, I bought my "last" guitar - a Gibson LP classic.

I know - everyone laugh. "The last one THIS year" or "The last one before the next one!" or "I remember saying that 5 guitars ago!"

But honestly, I really haven't been jonesing. I surf for things occasionally, and maybe even bookmark a few here and there. But really, doing pretty good. Just feeling satisfied with what I have for what I do. OK - I had one weak moment with a real bargain Epiphone Cantrel Wino....but that came and went without even checking my bank account.

I say this because I tripped across my phone note "wish" list. after reading it, I was like "Wow - I'm ok not having any of those."

FYI:

Gibson Les Paul Custom in Wine Red - If I ever get one, it has to be THE right shade of wine red. and for the price I see them, meh.
BC Rich Warlock with full electronics in Ultraviolet - I have one bookmarked on Reverb. $6k. Again, just looking at "one that got away" and reliving the past
Dean Cadillac USA Custom Shop - If I get anything, ordering this would be it. But still, I love my Caddy Selects. No need.
A Takamine Sante fe - The one with all Turquoise inlays. The original, not the later ones. I have a Tak I enjoy. Would have to be right guitar, right price, right condition.

In the lesser realm
- An LTD Viper 256; The vintage 61 style one with pickguard and chrome. I never had an SG. I just want one to have it, and put Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers in it. 58 years without an SG. I can get to the end without one.
- A cheap Shell Pink Telecaster; No reason. I look at Harley Bentons sometimes. Meh - I have a Tele. Maybe if I drop a hum bucker in my Tele bridge I'll get one for vintage.
- A midline Fender Seafoam Strat; I did the Player sea foam pearl ones, or old ocean turquoise. I have a great Strat. Just want one with classic singles. Mine has an HB in the bridge. I'm not a single coil guy, so meh
- Of course, a Chibson Blue Sparkle Frehley; Just to round out my Frehley collection, experience a CHibson, etc. This might happen, but no real need or hurry. I have a Budokan.

Is it possible I have beaten GAS? Or just burnt out? Or really have the right stable of guitars?
 
It hasn't been my experience that GAS is curable. I once went 11 years between new guitars. I purchased the parts to build my 5-string Jazz bass in 2011 and I didn't scratch the itch again until 2022 when I bought parts to assemble a baritone tele. A year later I picked up a 7-string, 6 months after that one of my unicorns showed up on Reverb, and then 6 months after that I got the project bug again and currently have a Warmoth body on order. From 0 additions over 11 years, to adding 4 in the span of 3 years.
 
Especially on an online guitar forum it's really tough to know if you're going crazy with your purchases. Owning 5 guitars is a lot if you only practice once a week and never perform and it's negatively effecting your ability to afford things you really need. But in the same breath, you can have a dozen instruments and be just fine if you are constantly inviting people over to your house to play and maybe doing small shows on weekends and it doesn't hurt your finances.
 
I don't buy a lot and I don't have a collecting hobby. I've gotten four guitars since 2020, an uncharacteristically profligate buying spree by my standards. Last purchase was almost 2 years ago. They're tools for me, but considering how little money I make with music, and considering that I have everything I need for what I want to do, new purchases would count as a luxury. The guitars I still want are pretty far down the list behind family expenses, painting needs, and some other music gear.
 
I think the urge ebbs and flows over time as interests and tastes change and new options enter the market.

Anyone can take a few years off buying new stuff.

But long term? Nah. We're all addicts...relapsing is typically a "when", not an "if", LOL!
 
Planning to stay sober and actually staying sober are two very different things. :(

i promised myself I would'nt buy any this year..

..and look how that went :lmao:

but yeah, no more now...
 
I am in the same boat.... I look through things and once in a while see something I like,.... But I got enough guitars and amps to do whatever I need to do.
I think I'm finally in a place where I could even sell a few off and be fine with it.

It's a strange place to be, this whole "content" place.

it's also kind of nice too.
 
Last edited:
80's_Thrash_Metal said:
I am in the same boat.... I look through things and once in a while see something I like,.... But I got enough guitars and amps to do whatever I need to do.
I think I'm finally in a place where I could even sell a few off and be on with it.

It's a strange place to be, this whole "content" place.

it's also kind of nice too.
Click to expand...

It's when you look around and see that you have too many that you finally have enough!
 
At this point, if I buy something, it is because I just sold something I am not using. And I won't buy anything I don't use professionally, so I have 3 'main' guitars I swap out for shows, and 1 backup I always bring.
 
I recently had the epiphany (oddly enough that auto-corrected to 'Epiphone') that my personal GAS is less about the actual guitar, than it is about how much pleasure I get from upgrading 'meh' guitars. I realized that if I had a multi-thousand dollar guitar that I was afraid to take out of the closet, I wouldn't enjoy that at all! I'd much rather have a guitar in my hands that I have made 'mine', very satisfying for me.... That being said, there's a $150 Tele knock-off with a very pretty body on it's way ...
 
The last guitar I bought was my Nashville Deluxe Telecaster, and that was after selling my bass amp and a few pedals that weren't getting used and I was willing to part with. I dunno why, but that Telecaster just has something that makes me go; eh, I don't need another one. I've played it with my cover band and originals band and use it at church every week. On top of that, I've actually sold 4 guitars since and have one still listed. Between the Tele, Les Paul, 2 Strats, SG Jr, and Baretta, I'm good. I still look at listings and see what's out there but there's really nothing that makes me go, "I gotta have that!".
 
Last edited:
I tend to make up for lost time. I might go for years without buying, and then I'll buy one for every year I missed.
 
Aceman said:
So over a year ago, I bought my "last" guitar - a Gibson LP classic.

I know - everyone laugh. "The last one THIS year" or "The last one before the next one!" or "I remember saying that 5 guitars ago!"

But honestly, I really haven't been jonesing. I surf for things occasionally, and maybe even bookmark a few here and there. But really, doing pretty good. Just feeling satisfied with what I have for what I do. OK - I had one weak moment with a real bargain Epiphone Cantrel Wino....but that came and went without even checking my bank account.

I say this because I tripped across my phone note "wish" list. after reading it, I was like "Wow - I'm ok not having any of those."

FYI:

Gibson Les Paul Custom in Wine Red - If I ever get one, it has to be THE right shade of wine red. and for the price I see them, meh.
BC Rich Warlock with full electronics in Ultraviolet - I have one bookmarked on Reverb. $6k. Again, just looking at "one that got away" and reliving the past
Dean Cadillac USA Custom Shop - If I get anything, ordering this would be it. But still, I love my Caddy Selects. No need.
A Takamine Sante fe - The one with all Turquoise inlays. The original, not the later ones. I have a Tak I enjoy. Would have to be right guitar, right price, right condition.

In the lesser realm
- An LTD Viper 256; The vintage 61 style one with pickguard and chrome. I never had an SG. I just want one to have it, and put Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers in it. 58 years without an SG. I can get to the end without one.
- A cheap Shell Pink Telecaster; No reason. I look at Harley Bentons sometimes. Meh - I have a Tele. Maybe if I drop a hum bucker in my Tele bridge I'll get one for vintage.
- A midline Fender Seafoam Strat; I did the Player sea foam pearl ones, or old ocean turquoise. I have a great Strat. Just want one with classic singles. Mine has an HB in the bridge. I'm not a single coil guy, so meh
- Of course, a Chibson Blue Sparkle Frehley; Just to round out my Frehley collection, experience a CHibson, etc. This might happen, but no real need or hurry. I have a Budokan.

Is it possible I have beaten GAS? Or just burnt out? Or really have the right stable of guitars?
Click to expand...

I got the Epi Wino

It is fantastic

Dropped in a set of custom wound 59's and changed the bridge to a Gotoh
 
I'm less than a year removed from my last guitar purchase -- a lovely Charvel Pro-Mod -- and while I do have some yearnings for new axes (a semihollow, another Schecter), I'm subordinating those yearnings to eventually buying a new amp. I have five guitars that fit my needs pretty nicely.
 
I am not doing great with guitar sobriety- I got a Warmoth neck delivered a few weeks ago and a body should show up in the next few weeks.
 
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