Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

[Scott_F]

When I used to have an extra few hours somewhere, I'd go gear shopping. Looking for cool old amps, steals of a deal on guitars, that sort of stuff.

Now it bores me. I'm pretty happy with my guitars, no real gas there. Old amps don't interest me any longer, I'm happy with what I've built.

Maybe go look for old pedals? Nah. I am not much of a pedal ho.

The hunt, the chase isn't there. No thrill of the chase.

I do get excited about bulding something new though. I guess that's still a lot of fun. But, I've not been into any guitar store in quite some time now.

:arms:

 

[firebirdVII]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

Maybe it's time that you submitted to the dark will of













Resonators!

Or have you already?

 

[aleclee]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

Sh'appens.

I know what you're talking about, though. I'm pretty jaded when it comes to amps. That fact probably intensified my shock when my Two Rock curled my toes last year. My current amp lineup can achieve all the tones I hear in my head. As a bonus, they're loud enough to drown out the voices in my head.

I'm getting to that point with guitars, too. It'll be interesting to see how my guitar GAS will fare this year after my current itches are scratched.

 

[Grandor]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

Best play through a mesa, it'll get you hooked again

 

[aleclee]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

Best play through a mesa, it'll get you hooked again

I've played just about every amp Mesa makes today. The only one that I thought might be worthy of my $$$ was the F-50.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

Well it certainly is no fun when you have no money.:crying: I'm suffering from reverse GAS.:thumbsdow Every time Wifey comes up short in the bill's, I got to look at the herd and play `Sophie's Choice':grumble:

 

[greendy123]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

My major gear shopping has also ended too. The only thing I'm interested in is just accessories or upgrades for my gear like different tubes or changing some guitar hardware kind of stuff.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

The closer I get to satisfaction, the less interested I am in shopping around.

In amps I'm satisfied.....beyond a few whims there's nothing really interesting me there.

Effects I'm pretty satisfied too. There's some stuff I still want, but I know what I want and I'm not really interested in anything else.

Guitars is a bit different. I'd really like a nice Strat and an SG.....no real interest in anything beyond that. I was gassing over a PRS, but the one I wanted was sold and I don't really like the other ones I've come across.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

Yeah, I've hit a point where I'm just happy using what I have. I still stay interested in what's out there, but all I have to do is look at my row of 15 guitars and know that considering a new one is just becoming crazy.
Still, all the guitars are handpicked out of around 120 guitars I've had since I was 10, so I gleaned all the good ones out of the lot.

However, I'll take your EJ strat!!!

 

[BigDreamer]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

I don't really enjoy looking through shops anymore mainly because most of them in my area all stock the same ol stuff that everyone and their great aunt's boyfriend stock.

But I still get GAS online bad and so that is where 99% of my window shopping happens. Though I really don't need much else, basically another nice guitar and a few upgrades to my current one. Course saving up for a Bogner Shiva is still a long term goal.:bigthumb:

 

[Jeroen]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

I'm only 22, and luckily still far from the point where I think I can say I have found 'me' or 'have seen it all, been there, done that'. And thank god I'm not hooked to one specific genre (yet?) or style. Shopping is still a lot of fun to me, as I don't yet know what I'm after. I have some very clear wishes though.

My arsenal still lacks a proper Les Paul-like guitar (as soon as I can spare the cash, I will go after one though, possibly a Heritage H150) and a Les Paul Junior (possibly Heritage H137 - I'm not hooked to Heritage, but they offer almost everything lefthanded, which is a major plus). Shopping is still a lot of fun to me, for that reason. I love browsing and drooling over different second hand websites (we have quite a few here in the Netherlands), and sometimes I stumble upon something that's worth checking out. Usually, I just don't have the cash though. My latest (and best) acquisition was my Japanese Squier, I'm really glad I found that one. I haven't visited www.marktplaats.nl anymore eversince I got that .

The only thing I really feel I NEED right now, is a really proper western with electronics, and at some point, another guitar amp (but the fun there is long-gone, as I know exactly what I want - a 19" MIDI-switchable version of my Koch Pedaltone, with a stereo FX loop and output, that would be awesome, and could take me anywhere). And if my current band takes off and I need a more powerful amp for gigging, without a doubt, I'll get a more powerful head version of my current amp with a 4x10 (I now have an Ashdown ABM300 C210T).

So...now that I think of it, I actually AM quite spoiled! Hmm... :lmao:

 

[tone?]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

Scott, maybe now its time to get together with friends and start playing more.
Searching for the other rest of the tone from your fingers.

i recently got a great amp and i have a great guitar and now i dont care to find something that sounds THAT much better.
I miss going over my friends and delving into the realms of playing the guitar.
We used to play through Marshall SS with pedals and focused on catching the 'vibe' of the players we loved. and WE DID IT.

It is just like anything else in todays world. We are living in a time of abundance, which is cool in a way, cause we have alot of awesome equipmwnt to choose from. but sometimes we forget that all the cool sounds we heard in the first place were made by the guitarist and the band.

They spent alot of time on playing and getting into that rather than just looking to find a sound out of an amp.
Know what i mean?
Its like people look to find a great SRV sound, and it can be done many ways. But when you do find the sound you still need to have his chops and vibe to make the amp sound like that.
Put a Mojave peacmaker into the hands of someone that doesnt know how to play and i will guarantee that it will sound ****ty. Put it in the hands of a great guitarist and it will sound awesome.

Time to sit back and play the heck out of the equipment.
To me that is what it is all about. It annoys me when i look for a sound for too long. Guitars, amps etc..... bleech! enough! play the fricken things.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

I......... just................ need............... a........ Tele :yell:

But I need to get it past the wife. :crying:

Maybe Great Kazoo's Keef thread in the Sound Room will convince her

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

This is almost the shape I'm in, too. I have a boatload of guitars right now that I'm really happy with, and some really great amps, too! There are a lot of things out there I want, but not a lot more gear or guitars that I would actually USE. And I get practical--what's the point of a nice jazz box that I just wouldn't use very much?

Having great gear is nice, and I admit to being really blessed right now. But what it really comes down to is--the thing that really makes me happiest is performing for an audience--the very reason I wanted to play the guitar when I first heard The Beatles more than 40 years ago.

The THRILL is NOT gone, LOL! And I hope to live long enough to rock out whetever nursing home I get stuck in!

Bill

 

[Hoss]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

i'd love to be in that condition Scott!

although...i'm really the most happy (gear-wise) as i've ever been in my life right now...i know...look at my sig...i guess i get happy pretty easy?! LOL!

but seriously...i absolutely LOVE my guitar and i'm really happy with my amp...i'd like to add something with a 4x10 someday, just because that's my favorite configuration, but i'm in no hurry...i think my next purchase will probably be a 52ri or a G&L Legacy...but again, i'm in no hurry. life is pretty good right now.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

Good Tele.....check

Good amp....check

Good O/D...check

I'm good

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

I'm still lookin. Nowhere near finished. Enjoying the thrill of the chase quite a bit I might add. I enjoy stopping off at various ports of call and checking out the local music store etc. At a recent stop, my gas overtook me and I made a very bad mistake. I leapt when I should have looked. It will cost me money to get rid of it, but it will be a lesson learned.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

I......... just................ need............... a........ Tele :yell:

But I need to get it past the wife. :crying:

Just make sure it's the same color as one of your other guitars. Most wife's couldn't tell the difference from a Tele to a Les Paul. But if it's a another color... You'll be busted! :nervous: You can also employ a trick Wattage told me about.:naughty: Just leave the house with a empty guitar case and return with your new Tele. Freak'in Brilliant ! Isn't it. :laugh2:

 

[ErikH]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

I've still got GAS for a few items, a Tele for one, which will be built this year. There's a couple other things out there too but the price keeps them out of reach for now.

I think I've finally reached a point with my current guitars that I'm happy with them (pickup and configuration wise) so now it's on to other things.

Now that my band is starting to get serious (we have a singer/bass player now so we can call ourselves a band now), I'm probably going to be getting either a smaller amp (combo) or a 2x12. Still debating because I just love the tone out of the Marshall too much to let it sit. I'm hunting for a MkIII 50W Combo (portability reasons) actually in hopes that one will pop up on eBay or in the stores here.

kmc: Some wives may not know the difference but mine does. Can't pull that one by her. How do you think I got the Brobucker? She knows what I have, what I want/don't want.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Gear Shopping Isn't Fun Anymore

For now it seems that all my GAS has subsided. I’ll eventually build another tele, but I have finally found some other things to spend my money on (other than gear). In fact, I’m even gonna sell off an axe or two. That’s like the opposite of GAS, because I ain’t planning on replacing them.