I`m an addict. Does anyone else do this?

[Frets99]

Guys, you can talk about securing the future all you want. It's a good thing but it's not the only thing. There is a now. Guitars n gear make me happy. Cigarettes n beer make some other folks happy. Shoes n purses make other people happy. Some day, I'll die. I want guitars. I don't want to go into debt over them and I don't want my kids to eats soup every day cause I want guitars but I work and I can have the things I want. Some wives understand. Some don't. Hence the "lying". Guess what.. she "lies" too.

 

I went without for many years and I realize that I didn't think enough about myself. It's easy to get into being "responsible".

 

I like guitars and some people don't understand that. That's life!!

[Tonemeister87]

Eric, I know what you're going through bro. I've had to seriously re-think about how much money I'm spending on gear lately.

 

I hop it all goes well for you man

[warriorpoet]

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN Well, my wife isn`t that big of a problem. I have a weekly allowance that I save toward gear for the most part. Although sometimes I do splurge. It does get annoying for my whole family to say over and over that I don`t need all those guitars. If I had a nickle for every time I heard "You can only play one at a time", I wouldn`t have to worry about money for anything. Of course my wife knows why I`m setting the money aside, but we just aren`t talking about it. I just don`t want to hear the same old negative remarks. I guess I should be like every other redneck in my area and start hunting or building a junky hotrod or maybe I could spend thousands of dollars on golf clubs. I don`t get it. Why is it "normal" to waste money on all this other crap, but I have to listen to bitching because I choose to buy musical equipment? Eric

Good points all around. You might try bringing it up as a normal topic of conversation, however. Lingering tension is never a good thing.

[Mercer]

I don't have a wife, but I have a sister who's a senior in college buying a car, and everytime I even LOOK at a guitar, even if I already own it (I really don't have that many), she goes off at me with this rant: "That 700 dollars could buy a CAR! It could buy way more than that! It's not like the guitar is productive, it's just a stupid hoby!" It's AWEFUL! She doesn't even THINK about the fact that my other older sister has a FIVE FRIKKIN' THOUSAND DOLLAR HARP! I think it's along the same lines. . . sorta. . .

[jerry_picker]

 

Originally posted by Mercer I don't have a wife, but I have a sister who's a senior in college buying a car, and everytime I even LOOK at a guitar, even if I already own it (I really don't have that many), she goes off at me with this rant: "That 700 dollars could buy a CAR! It could buy way more than that! It's not like the guitar is productive, it's just a stupid hoby!" It's AWEFUL! She doesn't even THINK about the fact that my other older sister has a FIVE FRIKKIN' THOUSAND DOLLAR HARP! I think it's along the same lines. . . sorta. . .

 

 

You can't play Little Wing on a car. In ten years that car will be scrap, and the guitar will still be cooking, and maybe even valuable. If you buy it used and take care of it, it should at least hold value, UNLIKE that car.

 

(Is your sister good lookin'? If so, post bikini or bathroom pics. Thanks!)

[Mercer]

1. YEA, guitars are an investment.

2. YEA, my sisters are good looking.

3. NO WAY IN HELL will I post pics! They may nag the living {censored} out of me, but c'mon! (You DO know that we texans ain't the type to be caught without a conceiled weapon, right ? lol. *turns stetson sidewayys and fires gold-plated bling-pistol with a badass gangsta' grip*

[Rand-O-Monium]

Originally posted by guitarcapo I have a test on whether you have obsessive compulsive disorder: Do you have guitars that you don't play lying around? If so...ask yourself why you haven't sold them on Ebay to pay for that new guitar. You really owe it to yourself to make getting rid of gear no longer useful to you as important as aquiring new gear. Anything you haven't played in the last 3 months or so needs to have a good reason to be staying around. It only supports your wife's argument.

 

puh-leeze,delete this

 

[Sonofgib]

Eric - Don't feel guilty about itnor try to hideit. Sit down with your dearest and explain what exactly GAS is. Given your financial situation she will find that it is indeed a healthy addiction that is required to maintain your sanity and well being.

or

If she still cannot get her head 'round this explanation then try a little reverse psychology and tell her that instead of the Edwards -what you really crave is the real deal from Gibson - then tell her the cost of them.

 

 

At the end of the day if you're not bothered about what she spends her allowance on, then she should not be bothered about what you buy.

For WIW my good lady encourages me to buy gear. She'd rather see it spent on guitars than in bars.

[_pete_]

Wow.

I absolutely love being single.

[GibsonQC]

BAZ,

 

I have a similar situation, though we have bills, mortgages, cars not paid off, etc. I've been married 10 years, and got into a band last year, and needed some reliable gear that didn't sound like ass. I ended up getting a bit of GAS after I started buying some good gear. . . and just kept buying. In our (financial) situation, I ended up buying/selling stuff, so I'm back down to 4 guitars a bass & and acoustic, but I did "sneak a few" between buying & selling them. My wife was not pleased when she found some of them, so I just started telling her if/when I got something and things are fine again.

 

If you have things paid off, then I'd just do what others have suggested give EACH of you an allowance (not just yourself). You'd be amazed at how your wife can go through several hundred dollars. Set aside 1/10 of your money to buy her something, if necessary. . . A gold necklace certainly softens the blow of seeing your new Les Paul.

[orourke]

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN You know how addicts hide their addiction from their family members? I`ve started doing that recently, but it`s not drugs or alcohol or gambling. It`s buying gear. I think about it all the time. I have my gear purchases planned out for the next year. I manipulate my finances to get what I want. My bills are all payed and I have no debt, but recently I noticed that I`m hiding stuff from my wife. I`m trying to set aside some money to buy Mark`s Edwards LP custom and I didn`t tell my wife about it. She asked but I said I was just saving the money. I have to set it back or it will be spent. She doesn`t understand and I get tired of having to make excuses to spend my own money. My family has everything they could need or want so I`m not taking anything away from them. Am I making a bigger deal out of this than I should? I don`t answer to my family, but I do feel a little guilty doing this stuff. Hmmm....I need this little addiction to cope with life`s little stresses and crap. Is it a bad thing or is it normal? Eric

 

I've been married 27 years. One would think in an ideal relationship you would have complete honesty, but the reality is both my wife and me hide a few things from each other. I think most people just need some little corner of their life that is just theirs alone, not to be shared or negotiated.

 

I hide gear purchases from my wife, but I know she must notice when I have this new GREEN rack mount JoeMeek British channel in my home studio. Or when I hand her a new Sennhieser mic at a jam session (she sings) and say "use this, it'll sound better". But I still think she would have a little freak-out if she new I had 21 instead of 18 guitars.

 

One suggestion I have for you BAZGUITARMAN is to get into a band, just two hours a week. I found I was neurotically buying more gear in some kind of compensation for wanting to perform live. I calmed down once I got my power trio going.

[Mercer]

orourke is on to something with the band idea. It'll be fun anyway

[BAZGUITARMAN]

 

Originally posted by orourke One suggestion I have for you BAZGUITARMAN is to get into a band, just two hours a week. I found I was neurotically buying more gear in some kind of compensation for wanting to perform live. I calmed down once I got my power trio going.

 

 

 

 

I so wish I could start a band right now. It`s been a long time since I`ve played out or even done any serious jamming.

 

There`s so many things going against me right now though. The biggest is my job. I`m a senior operator in my dept. and my company is starting up four new product lines. We are in the middle of the prototype/trouble shooting stage right now. My work schedual is very volatile and impossible to work around. It will calm down by Christmas `07, but for now it`s all I can do to even have time to play a guitar.

 

Another big problem is the area that I live in. The only people who play metal around here are kids who are more concerned with getting high, drunk or layed. I definitaly don`t have time for that.

 

I actually did talk to my wife about the Edwards today. She`s ok with it as long as it doesn`t interfere with anything else. I`m thinking about selling one of my LTD`s to finance the Edwards. She liked that idea.

 

Eric

[warriorpoet]

Congrats. Wisdom is seldom easy.

[BAZGUITARMAN]

Thanks man. I think I was making a bigger deal out of it than it was.

 

It is frustrating though when you get no support in the things that you love.

 

Eric

[AndersonTech]

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN I actually did talk to my wife about the Edwards today. She`s ok with it as long as it doesn`t interfere with anything else. I`m thinking about selling one of my LTD`s to finance the Edwards. She liked that idea. Eric

 

Glad that worked out for you!

[Sonnilon]

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN You know how addicts hide their addiction from their family members? I`ve started doing that recently, but it`s not drugs or alcohol or gambling. It`s buying gear. I think about it all the time. I have my gear purchases planned out for the next year. I manipulate my finances to get what I want. My bills are all payed and I have no debt, but recently I noticed that I`m hiding stuff from my wife. I`m trying to set aside some money to buy Mark`s Edwards LP custom and I didn`t tell my wife about it. She asked but I said I was just saving the money. I have to set it back or it will be spent. She doesn`t understand and I get tired of having to make excuses to spend my own money. My family has everything they could need or want so I`m not taking anything away from them. Am I making a bigger deal out of this than I should? I don`t answer to my family, but I do feel a little guilty doing this stuff. Hmmm....I need this little addiction to cope with life`s little stresses and crap. Is it a bad thing or is it normal? Eric

 

I used to obsess over guitars until I bought my SG. All my needs have been fulfilled.

[warriorpoet]

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN Thanks man. I think I was making a bigger deal out of it than it was. It is frustrating though when you get no support in the things that you love. Eric

I'm right there with you, brother.

[Lloyd Rummell]

Originally posted by Mazi Bee At least you're not spending your money on drugs, hookers and gambling! That's gotta count for something, right?

 

How do You know He isn't;)

[Mercer]

Just an idea, but I would NEVER use "Well honey, I may spend a lot on guitars, but at least I'm not spending it on hooker drugs and gambling right?" as a bargaining tool. Doesn't seam like it would promote an ideal environment for a marriage meant to last.