My decade of SSO lyfe (18-28 as an erg weirdo)

[brutalwizard]

Basically over the years, the disillusionment vanished. I still play in my dumb band but hardly play guitar. I have cycled through the custom expensive erg's and now just rock cheap indo ibanez and they basically the same. Ive run real fat amps and kempers but literally plugins are the same to me.

Im pretty much over music or guitar playing at this point. I mean its an ok hobby or something. The older i get the weirder i feel for attempting to enjoy music especially metal in general. Telling people i play in a local band feels cringy af at my age.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

That's sort of how it goes. Especially when you really throw yourself into it at a somewhat early age. People grow and change and more often than not they outgrow thier hobbies.

There's nothing wrong with that.

It's okay to say you don't get the joy out of it like you used to. Again, that's just how it goes sometimes.

Who knows, in one, five, ten years you might get the spark back.

 

[diagrammatiks]

If all food tastes the same to you your just not a foodie. That’s ok

 

[budda]

My stay off forums and do what you enjoy.

Life gets easier when you're not trying to keep up with forum folks in the gear and skill department. If a $300 guitar makes you grin, play the strings off it.

If being in a band isnt fun, quit. Its supposed to be fun first.

 

[Adieu]

The older i get the weirder i feel for attempting to enjoy music especially metal in general. Telling people i play in a local band feels cringy af at my age.

Apparently it becomes less cringey after you pass (or forever get stuck in) your midlife crisis

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Apparently it becomes less cringey after you pass (or forever get stuck in) your midlife crisis

Nah, you just stop caring about other people's opinions and revel in the cringe.

 

[Merrekof]

Same here. Except I never got crazy expensive gear or custom guitars. I sold a whole bunch the last few years and quit the last band I had earlier this year.
I barely play anymore, I have two young children. Maybe I'll pick it up again when I have more time in the future.

 

[Yul Brynner]

I've had times where I didn't play for months. I found that even if I don't record or play in a band, just grinding out metal riffs a few minutes in the bedroom relieves stress about the same as rubbing one out in a few minutes in the bedroom but without the danger of being caught.

I also got over expensive boutique gear. I have found that cheap gear setup and used properly sounds and feels just as good. You don't have to spend shit tons of money to get a great sound. Most band's best records were their early records when they were using cheap shit they could afford.

I actually think the biggest thing for me was getting over the need to have a custom guitar. I have always played stock guitars apart from two guitars that were actually custom made for me and one guitar that was custom made for someone else. I always thought I had to have my own custom signature guitar to be a good happy guitar player. I have actually found that I prefer the specs on most of the stock guitars I have used since I was a kid and actually wouldn't have much to customize on a custom guitar.

 

[sleewell]

how old are you? i'm 38 and still love playing in my shitty band. oh you cant understand our singer, sweet have a good one. i look forward to band practice all week and look forward to our shows even more. i would agree on being less focused on gear but it feels like im more passionate about music than ever before. i really wanna do one tour before i die just for the experience and to say i did it.

 

[FILTHnFEAR]

Sometimes you fall out of it for a while.

I barely touched my guitars from around 2007 when my old band fell apart and I got a divorce, until 2012 when I found this forum and got really back into it.

I'm 42 and enjoy it as much or more than I did in my 20's.

I don't have crazy expensive custom gear, but I have pretty nice stuff. I have a couple friends I jam with. I reconnected with the drummer from said old band, who was also a really good friend for a while. We're just having fun and seeing where it goes. No pressure. I'm alright where I'm at musically at this point.

Maybe you'll get back into one day, maybe not. And that's ok.

 

[Kobalt]

Basically over the years, the disillusionment vanished. I still play in my dumb band but hardly play guitar. I have cycled through the custom expensive erg's and now just rock cheap indo ibanez and they basically the same. Ive run real fat amps and kempers but literally plugins are the same to me.

It’s not necessarily a disillusionment, it is that hanging out on forums like SSO with guys that have crazy amounts of expensive gear will easily make you question your own development and situation. “If I have as much of this gear myself, I could feel like now I’m really into it, now I can push further with it”.

The reality is, if you just stop putting so much emphasis on gear and putting it into your development; learning, practicing, and just plainly having fun playing guitar, it’s really eye opening.

I noticed this myself after the few years I spent having sold all my gear and abandoning guitar overall. At least that’s my perspective, anyway.

 

[Hollowway]

I haven't played in a band in forever, either. And when I stopped I was glad, because I was getting burned out. But now I'm totally jonesing to do it again, but have no time. I also went through periods where I didn't play for a couple of years at once. At this point I just roll with it, and know that my interest will wax and wane.

 

[broj15]

We're both the same age and we've both been members on here for roughly the same amount of time. I actually remember when I first made an account on here you were one of the more regular posters. It's also wierd to think of all the regular posters we don't see around anymore and the ones that are still here.
And as far as your outlook on music goes I'd have to say I relate to some extent but in other ways not at all. I'm not currently in an "active" band, but for some reason I find myself playing, writing, and practicing more than I ever have (barring the last month or so where I didn't play very much at all, but sometimes ya need that).
However my attitude towards music has completely changed from where it was 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and even 1 year ago. 10 years ago I wanted nothing more than to play as many shows as possible, but honestly lacked the skill to be in a band that was anything but embarrassing. 5 years ago my old band (and the first one I was proud of) was starting to hit our stride: had our demo picked up by a couple small labels, playing shows with our friend's bands atleast once a week, booking our own shows with touring bands that we loved, becoming friends with bands we looked up to, planning our first real tour, getting recognition from "highly regarded" people & blogs in our (albeit small and close knit) scene. It was everything I thought I wanted out of music until the pressure started to overshadow the friendships between me and my band mates along with the fun we used to have just making music together.
Now here we are 10 years later and I honestly couldn't give a fuck about any of that. I used to have such an emotional attachment to the DIY scene, both locally and nationally and now I really just don't care. Partially because I'm honestly just exhausted with the social aspect & trying to "keep up appearances" with my peers in the community, and also seeing alot of the people I used to hold in high regard either "get cancelled" for various reasons or completely switch lanes in terms of ethics & personality. And while I still get the itch to play live music in front of people it's not as strong as it used to be and if it doesn't happen I'm totally okay with that.
With that being said, I'd say I'm just as motivated as I ever was to become a "better" musician (even just by my own wierd definition) and write material that makes me happy, without asking myself "will people like this, will this riff go off live, will I be embarrassed to attach my name to this song", etc..
Now I just want to make the bleakest, most chaotic, and harshest sounds possible and while I probably will eventually make a Bandcamp for all the stuff I have finalized I don't care if people don't "get it". Music is supposed to be fun and an outlet both creatively and emotionally, and I feel like once you let all the other stuff in, whether it's the social aspect of "the scene", trying to cop the best gear, or getting caught up in the logistics involved with being in a functioning band, it's very easy to lose sight of the truly artistic aspect of it.

But of course SSO has always been around and will hopefully continue to be around. Despite my own bouts of being a dick on the internet & no longer having interest in 7 strings this has always been one of the most reputable, open, supportive, and knowledgeable communities based around music I've ever been a part of.