Members Guitar Slim Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 I recently purchased a Suhr Modern from a friend. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this guitar, it is a pretty expensive instrument; especially for me! While I believe I got a good deal on it, I am still having trouble justifying owning such an instrument when I am an amatuer playing less than 20 shows/year. I'm not suffering any hardships due to my purchase and my family is not in need. But I already have many other guitars that are perfectly capable of performing any task I may take on. The Suhr is a wonderful instrument and truly beautiful. I think as time passes since I paid for the guitar my guilt has subsided. Still there a bit though! Anyone else ever deal with guilt when purchasing new "Toys" for yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Virgman Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 What are you, Catholic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opus Antics Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 I have. But as I have found, if you decide to go ahead and sell it you'll get jack doodle diddle for it, so you may as well keep it and enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 I offset any gear guilt I might feel by spending money at strip clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 I have closer to 40 guitars. I'm sure the money could have been spent wiser, but what are ya gonna do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FitchFY Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 I only experience gear guilt when I buy something and then don't use it. I currently have 2-3 cymbals in my collection that I've barely touched - that sucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted June 11, 2014 Moderators Share Posted June 11, 2014 I offset any gear guilt I might feel by spending money at strip clubs. Excellent plan!. I'll begin testing it out immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 I don't have any guilt , but then I am not what you call a gear horse. Keep it simple and travel light. I never quite understood the guys that have tons of axes and amps past a work horse and a backup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 Collecting gear becomes like anything else for some. You get addicted to having a lot of it or certain pieces or whatever. It can easily go past the point of functionality. Same way no one NEEDS a Harley in order to have a fun ride on the weekend. And you certainly don't need five of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 Hmmmm well actually a guy needs two scooters. One as a spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 11, 2014 Members Share Posted June 11, 2014 I'm not much of a gear hound or collector. And I dislike music stores for the most part. My biggest fault is I have a hard time getting rid of old gear. I tend to just let stuff pile up in storage thinking I might have a good use for it again someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dan88z Posted June 12, 2014 Members Share Posted June 12, 2014 I don't feel guilty at all. I completely revamped my keyboard rig this year, and that's never a cheap adventure. Just about $4k on 2 boards. It's paid for with money I make playing. I justify it as having the best tool for the job. Like a carpenter or mechanic buys tools that make their jobs easier and more rewarding. I usually sell off the gear it's replacing at some point so it's not like I have a room full of old stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Iamthesky Posted June 12, 2014 Members Share Posted June 12, 2014 I try to apply a rule that I don't buy anything unless one of two things applies: either I already know how I'm going to use it on stage and why it will improve the sound and/or show (e.g. replacing my GAIA and Z1 with two Blofelds and an SK1); or it's a limited run production and I know I'll seriously regret it if I don't (e.g. the ARP Odyssey replica due later this year). Once I've gone through that thought process, guilt really isn't an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceNorman Posted June 12, 2014 Members Share Posted June 12, 2014 Gear guilt? Not unless it's something I've stolen! (...and there's ZERO chance of that being the case). I've worked for everything I own - the fact that I managed to pay for it means I'm entitled to own it. You won't ever see me suffer any pangs of "gear guilt". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members capitalist Posted June 14, 2014 Members Share Posted June 14, 2014 IMO, absolutely no guilt is justified. If you can afford it, spend it. Take care of your household expenses, save for retirement, and the rest is discretionary. Heck, I have relatively good equipment and I am terrible at guitar. Our guitarist died recently and it put things into perspective for me. Rock on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted June 16, 2014 Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 You can't take it with you. I haven't bought a guitar in years (besides an old 1967 Harmony Meteor I couldn't pass up) but other than that I've spent a {censored}load on my PA & light rig, but that's for my business. It's a write off and it's earning me money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emory Posted June 16, 2014 Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 Say 12 Proud Marys and put some ash on forehead for next 3 gigs and all guilt will disappear. Down the road you will wonder why you ever felt guilty, and pat self on back for scoring such a keeper. I have 14 guitars and think guitars are cheap compared to what you get. Each one has different sound an mojo so don't mind it at all. Jeff Beck doesn't have to worry about me taking over his place either. I enjoy them, it's my money, and I can afford them. Maybe take a walk thru boutique stores and check prices on some women's clothing.... I live in a small condo so one thing I set myself up doing is if I want a new one I have to give one away. Quandary now because they all are loved. Maybe one will cheat on me or something...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wades_keys Posted June 16, 2014 Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 One sure fire way to cure this problem is to be broke as hell LOL. I just pulled the trigger yesterday on a DriveRack PA2. Will I regret it? Only if I don't follow through on my long term goal and get the A&H 16x2, a sub and a floor monitor. The goal is to fund and run my own band. These are the beginning steps to get there. So I guess the question to ask is: what will this (purchase) do for me and my goals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted June 16, 2014 Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 One sure fire way to cure this problem is to be broke as hell LOL. I just pulled the trigger yesterday on a DriveRack PA2. Will I regret it? Only if I don't follow through on my long term goal and get the A&H 16x2, a sub and a floor monitor. The goal is to fund and run my own band. These are the beginning steps to get there. So I guess the question to ask is: what will this (purchase) do for me and my goals? Are you not putting the cart before the horse? Seams to be the best plan would be to get a driverack after the mixer and the sub. What are you using for top speakers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wades_keys Posted June 16, 2014 Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 Are you not putting the cart before the horse? Seams to be the best plan would be to get a driverack after the mixer and the sub. What are you using for top speakers? The system is on the shelf - not being used. It's piecemeal right now. I won't be using powered speakers: upgrade path is too harsh and the casings too brittle. Those old sm 115 V yamaha clubs are built like tanks: just the way I like it. They are sort of muddy though. Amps are a Behringer EP 2500 and QSC RMX 2450, racked up and ready to roll in an skb wheeled case (good enough). But I am going to rip out the passive x-over and wire the tweeter to its own speakon and run them bi-amped off of the driverack. Can't afford a mixer right now, and I had 15 more days to buy the DriveRack and get the free RTA mic so I went ahead and pulled the trigger. Basically I'll put the good money in the processor (done) and the mixer (A&H mixwizard) and just run with the clubs and the mediocre Peavey subs until the gig money comes in, then I will likely get JBL PRX or Yorkville NS 12" tops. Subs I can take or leave...as I've lamented many times, too many bands over do it with the damn things anyway, and my band will have a purposeful stripped down but precise old school sound. BTW, I should be getting some footage from my future father in laws last yard party. Y'all are gonna be sick when you see and hear how good those dudes sound through a PA with no subs and minimal drum mics. The way I see it, I needed a x-over anyway, and have no graphic EQ, so why not pay the extra coin and get a crossover, GEQ, speaker tuning by way of PEQ AND compression, with 6 outputs? The driverack just makes so much sense on so many levels..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wallywanker Posted June 16, 2014 Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 Say 12 Proud Marys and put some ash on forehead for next 3 gigs and all guilt will disappear. ha! being raised catholic that cracked me up ... i just buy whatever i can afford at the time and enjoy the hell out of it - i figure you live for 80 +/- and then you're dead forever...wtf, no guilt required ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted June 17, 2014 Members Share Posted June 17, 2014 I just traded in 3 of my guitars, including my beloved Kramer... Just needed a change, things have been stale for months. I traded all lower and middle stuff, and got the same, and managed to get two diamonds in the rough (even trade). Both Epiphones, a Les Paul Studio and a g400 (SG), the good SG model from Epi. Surprisingly both had perfect necks, solid tuners, and are great players. They both shocked me when I plugged them in- they sound like a million bucks. I've been pondering ditching my gsp1101 and going back to a tube amp. I think I simply got sick of digital equipment. On a side note, the place I traded them in.. a record store! The guy who owns it give 2x what any music store or pawn shop would give, and sells at very low rates. He just seems not to care much about the money and more about making people happy. I think he's wealthy and just does it for something to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted June 17, 2014 Members Share Posted June 17, 2014 The system is on the shelf - not being used. It's piecemeal right now. I won't be using powered speakers: upgrade path is too harsh and the casings too brittle. Those old sm 115 V yamaha clubs are built like tanks: just the way I like it. They are sort of muddy though. Amps are a Behringer EP 2500 and QSC RMX 2450, racked up and ready to roll in an skb wheeled case (good enough). But I am going to rip out the passive x-over and wire the tweeter to its own speakon and run them bi-amped off of the driverack. Can't afford a mixer right now, and I had 15 more days to buy the DriveRack and get the free RTA mic so I went ahead and pulled the trigger. Basically I'll put the good money in the processor (done) and the mixer (A&H mixwizard) and just run with the clubs and the mediocre Peavey subs until the gig money comes in, then I will likely get JBL PRX or Yorkville NS 12" tops. Subs I can take or leave...as I've lamented many times, too many bands over do it with the damn things anyway, and my band will have a purposeful stripped down but precise old school sound. BTW, I should be getting some footage from my future father in laws last yard party. Y'all are gonna be sick when you see and hear how good those dudes sound through a PA with no subs and minimal drum mics. The way I see it, I needed a x-over anyway, and have no graphic EQ, so why not pay the extra coin and get a crossover, GEQ, speaker tuning by way of PEQ AND compression, with 6 outputs? The driverack just makes so much sense on so many levels..... Well that is one way to do it. Even if it is the wrong way lol. The smart thing to do would be to trade in your yamahas and maybe one amp and with the $500.00 you were going to spend on the Driverack buy some good powered speakers. I have never used these but they are getting a lot of love on the internet.http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/electro-voice-zlx-12p-12-2-way-powered-loudspeaker DSP already built in 3 year warranty and only weigh 34 pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tacdryver Posted June 25, 2014 Members Share Posted June 25, 2014 I think live playing answers that question. Really does. Some gear is fine for home but once you are up to 105dbs, that's when you hear all the buzz, hum, crackled, pops, tone, etc. Use your ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted June 25, 2014 Members Share Posted June 25, 2014 I think live playing answers that question. Really does. Some gear is fine for home but once you are up to 105dbs' date=' that's when you hear all the buzz, hum, crackled, pops, tone, etc. Use your ears.[/quote'] I have never played a show where we needed 105 dbs ,, and never seen a show where the lead player needed more than a hotrod deluxe. I have played some pretty big shows in the last few years. You get to a point where all you need to do is give them a good stage mix and let the big sound company do the heavy lifting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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