GAS....a good thing?

[ZackP3750]

I have never really regarded having GAS to be a negative thing in a guitar player's life. Aside from getting pounded with the overplayed "do you need all those guitars?" question, I absolutely love getting new guitars and building the collection. But I read an article on the Steely Dan website that pretty much slams guitar owners with a wide array of axes, even claiming gas is "Not cool anymore". I don't know when Steely Dan became the authority for cool, but I still think having a collection of axes is way cooler than having 1.

Here's the article for those interested: G.A.S. Attack


Do you guys think having GAS is still "cool"? Do you think by collecting guitars you become more of a collector than a player?

 

[jymellis]

all my guitars are in different tuning.
and im not the kind of person that gives a fuck what you or anyone thinks about what i do ( one reason i have no soundclicks or "listen to my track" threads)
i have a giger ibanez i have played a total of 10 minutes on in 2 years. is it a waste? i dont give a fuck

if your spending rent money on guitars i think you have more prolblems than just G.A.S.

 

[SirMyghin]

I don't like keeping a collection, I only keep as many as I am playing. I would probably say 6 guitars is my upper limit, and 2 or 3 basses.

 

[morbider]

if your spending rent money on guitars i think you have more prolblems than just G.A.S.

That's me f**cked. Only kidding, I don't pay rent.

Do you guys think having GAS is still "cool"? Do you think by collecting guitars you become more of a collector than a player?

This is cool.

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/st...uitar-room-possible-g-s-inside-wear-mask.html

In my case I think my collection grows as I become a better player. And everytime I have bought a new guitar it makes me want to play more.

IMO if you're collecting guitars just because they are "one of a kind, played by god himself" and not spending anytime playing them I would say you are a collector, however if it makes you feel good then why the hell not. People collect weirder things.

 

[GalacticDeath]

I only own 3 guitars but really only play 2 of them. I think it's a waste letting the other collect dust, I'll probably end up trading it or selling it. I never saw the point in owning a bunch of gear that you'll hardly use, but that's just me.

 

[Konfyouzd]

So GAS is something that is only "cool" for a limited time? Like the McRib? If that's the case then it only makes me even happier that I have it. GAS drove me to buy a new guitar even though I'd tried to convince myself I couldn't afford it less than 24 hours ago. Fuck it.

Guitars make me happy and I'll have as many of them as I damn well please. The end.

I have about 12 guitars now and some sit longer than others but I always end up playing them all at some point. It's also kind of cool when friends come over but forget to bring a guitar... "I got you covered..."

Why does it matter to them how many guitars someone else has unless they're jealous?

 

[Asrial]

Agreed @SirMyghin, only keep as many instruments as you need.
Like 2-3 guitars to fit the tunings you play in, possibly some alternate ranges too, a bass and an acoustic guitar.

Planning self to having a main seven (custom), two backup fabricated guitars (a six and a seven), an eight, a fanned seven (tuned to open B), a five string bass and a nylon acoustic.

 

[fredw138]

I've never suffered from G.A.S. I have three guitars, and am satified: one six string electric, one seven string electric, one acoustic. I'll probably get an 8-string at some point and maybe a bass. But that's really enough to be practical for me.

Gear Acquisition Syndrome is common in synthesizers too. I knew people who would collect every synth in existence, when all you really need is one Analog/Subtractive synth, one FM/Digital/ROM/whatever synth, and a sampler.

 

[Konfyouzd]

I knew people who would collect every synth in existence, when all I really need is one Analog/Subtractive synth, one FM/Digital/ROM/whatever synth, and a sampler.

fix'd

 

[fredw138]

LOL. Well, face it, one doesn't need 5 different three oscillator subtractive synths, do they?

 

[Konfyouzd]

I'm just fuckin' w/ you, man. But if we all went the practical route NGD's wouldn't be something to look forward to in my opinion. So other ppl's GAS serves dual purposes... It entertains me while it fuels my own.

 

[fredw138]

I'm just fuckin' w/ you, man. But if we all went the practical route NGD's wouldn't be something to look forward to in my opinion. So other ppl's GAS serves dual purposes... It entertains me while it fuels my own.

LOL I know. NGDs are fun though. It's like appreciating art.

I'm not saying I don't have G.A.S. attacks. I've just learned to control my G.A.S. so as to not drive the woman crazy.

 

[Konfyouzd]

LOL I know. NGDs are fun though. It's like appreciating art.

I'm not saying I don't have G.A.S. attacks. I've just learned to control my G.A.S. so as to not drive the woman crazy.

Ahh... That'll happen. I've had to scare myself by convincing myself that buying the next guitar will somehow affect my ability to buy food and/or maintain my current residence.

Not entirely true, but it keeps me in check long enough that I feel comfortable buying a guitar the next time the opportunity arises. Luckily I don't have a woman (... what?) to add to the equation. ... Yet

 

[Psychobuddy]

I own two guitars, that's it; do I need more, not really, do I want more fuck yes...can I afford more...no.

This is the story of my G.A.S.

 

[Jontain]

I have 4 guitars and 2 project guitars, all of which I bought for one of my 'justified' reasons or another and they all live in different tunings for playing different styles etc, but honestly id say im still a pretty average player, but these guitars make me happy, I saved for them and spent my money on them.

I think this is on of those questions that will be different for pretty much everyone, for instance that link to corpsegrinder88's thread shows loads of guitars which make me very jealous as i would love a room full of guitars (many of them in those photos), but for me if I built a collection like that I would want to make sure every guitar I had was different/individual to the others whereas corpsegrinder88 in some cases has more than one of the same model. So even in people who live for their G.A.S the answer is often different.

So to an extent i agree with the first reply, if collecting guitars makes you happy, collect guitars and if only ever owning on 'perfect' guitar makes you happy, get that perfect guitar, at the end of the day we all play/collect/buy/sell/build/maintain guitars to make us happy.

 

[Konfyouzd]

I have 4 guitars and 2 project guitars, all of which I bought for one of my 'justified' reasons or another and they all live in different tunings for playing different styles etc, but honestly id say im still a pretty average player, but these guitars make me happy, I saved for them and spent my money on them.

I think this is on of those questions that will be different for pretty much everyone, for instance that link to corpsegrinder88's thread shows loads of guitars which make me very jealous as i would love a room full of guitars (many of them in those photos), but for me if I built a collection like that I would want to make sure every guitar I had was different/individual to the others whereas corpsegrinder88 in some cases has more than one of the same model. So even in people who live for their G.A.S the answer is often different.

So to an extent i agree with the first reply, if collecting guitars makes you happy, collect guitars and if only ever owning on 'perfect' guitar makes you happy, get that perfect guitar, at the end of the day we all play/collect/buy/sell/build/maintain guitars to make us happy.

QFT

 

[Mordacain]

I don't like keeping a collection, I only keep as many as I am playing. I would probably say 6 guitars is my upper limit, and 2 or 3 basses.

I'm like this as well. That's why I've had so many FS/FT threads (well that and most of my stuff is super cheap) but I just keep cycling through until I have ones that fit right. Probably the only one I'm definitely keeping is my Partscaster.

To me, different guitars have to fill a niche. Essentially I see myself having one of the following:

• Regular old Srat design
• Baritone HH (already not sure if this is necessary for me)
• Standard HH w/ tremolo
• Standard HH hardtail (a luxury really, would maybe get different wood / pickups to make it useful)
• 7 String HH (possibly could do with SSH) standard style trem or stoptail
• Any off the wall oddball designs that other stuff might not fill (my Ampeg AMG100 is in this category for me)
• a SSH design of some variety (only needed if I started performing again)
• Standard Acoustic (I prefer 000 sizes, obviously just preference here)
• 12 string Acoustic
• 8 or 9 string (very unlikely for me as I just don't see myself creating anything good with one)

Those fill just what I can see as needs. If push came to shove though I could settle for a regular strat with a humbucker in bridge (as in I could only have 1 guitar).

I know I've wasted a lot of time going between guitars (and more so amps). I really should have just updated my old Epi Les Paul and called it a day but I had a desire to learn to play using a tremolo and that started my gear-go-round obsession a couple of years back. Personally, I'm hoping my incoming PRS Custom 24 style will sate the GAS for a good HH guitar and then I can focus on playing and learning (and not on how some aspect of my instrument is irritating me).

All that being said, I don't think a collection is bad, but its hard to argue that its necessary or even helps you develop as a player.

/EDIT forgot to have a 7 (or 8 or 9) string on there

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

Maybe once a modelling guitar that I'm satisfied with comes out, I'll be able to limit myself to only one or two. Until then, though, I'm fine with having different guitars for different styles and tones. I've got a strat, a tele, a super strat w/floyd & EMG, a hollow body, and a seven string. Each one of them has a feel and tone that's completely different than the other, and each of them serves its purpose.

 

[cwhitey2]

i have a giger ibanez i have played a total of 10 minutes on in 2 years. is it a waste? i dont give a fuck

......That's how my RG 2EX1 is




I don't buy gear because i think it will make me cool, but i also just don't buy gear for the hell of it (well except if i have a couple hundred in my pocket and its a guitar i have always wanted) Other than that i buy things with a purpose. IE OD Boost, EQ, Comp. cables

I only have four guitars (nothing over $800, one under $600)
A head and cab
XLR cable with Interface
and computer with software

Like stated above i cant see myself having over 6 guitars at one time...because i PLAY everything i own (except a cheap RG i play randomly).


GAS + $$$ = WIN

GAS + $0 = LOSS

 

[fredw138]

Maybe once a modelling guitar that I'm satisfied with comes out, I'll be able to limit myself to only one or two. Until then, though, I'm fine with having different guitars for different styles and tones. I've got a strat, a tele, a super strat w/floyd & EMG, a hollow body, and a seven string. Each one of them has a feel and tone that's completely different than the other, and each of them serves its purpose.

Yeah, though that is still practical, since you are using them all for their specific tone. I think GAS gets a little ridiculous though when someone has 20 different colored Strats, lol.