Members mymindsok Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 I originally intended this to be a response to the ""Argument with the wife: Which guitars too keep? which ones to sell?" thread ( http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=2485062) but as I collected my thoughts, I realized that perhaps this needed a thread of it's own because its something that has been on my mind for a while. My sister and her daughter both died a little while ago and I was left with a little cash in the bank, so I decided to fulfill a long held dream of taking a motorcycle trip across the United States. I therefore rebuilt an old BMW and spent July and August on the road. I took three changes of clothing, some tools and a small tent. Just what would fit in two saddle bags and a dry bag. I met many, many wonderful people, had several adventures, saw the country from ground level, was able to visit the graves of my ancestors to pray for them and lost almost 30lbs along the way (I really needed that!) but I was also reminded of how little I need to survive and be happy. Food, transportation, shelter and love. What I came home to, was a house stuffed full of my model airplane 'collection', my motorcycle stuff, bookcases and bookcases full of books, closets stuffed with clothing, 12 different jackets, multiple Winter coats, 35+ T-shirts, several hundred cds, etc, etc, etc and this is considering the fact that except for food, we do most of our shopping at resale stores, flea markets and so forth. Needless to say, we've been going through the process of down sizing our crap collections, with a huge amount of it going to charity and I can't wait to get into the storage facility! Like most Americans these days, we're paying a monthly fee to store stuff that we almost never see. Amazing but that crap is going too because it's... Well, its weighing us down. Now, I know that we've all seen photos of some of the guys around here who have beautiful guitars collections. Some with a half dozen and others with several dozen. Of course, as long as we can pay our bills, and our junk isn't sitting in the front yard, no one else is really going to care how much 'stuff' we accumulate but my question concerns how we look at our obsession, in light of current world events and the changes coming to our country. I have seven guitars and I'm frequently reminded of the fact that 99.9% of the guitarists in the world would be happy to have even one of them. Most of us around here are 'typical American consumers'. We pine away for a guitar and then, once we get it, we immediately start GASing for another one, instead of appreciating how lucky and rich we are. (Even the poorest of us!) We start jonesing for the next "new guitar, new amp or new pedal fix" and instead of taking some lessons, enrolling in a course at the Jr College to improve ourselves or simply putting some cash away, we buy more and more. This is a sickness (Always wanting more material things.) and most of us would profit from taking a look at ourselves and our thinking processes. During the course of the last three weeks, I've received new catalogs from the biggies, each one 100+ pages long and offering me a plethora of instruments and equipment to buy. The music conglomerates, like GC/MF/SweetWater, are putting millions and millions of dollars in their pockets, while we scam to buy one-more-guitar. Thats whats supposed to make us feel fulfilled? Really? I am frequently reminded of Bob Marley, who received his first good guitar as a gift from Keith Richards. He was over the Moon to own one nice instrument! I also recently read a story about the guitar players and musicians in Africa, who have to build their own guitars from junk parts, so that they can play Rock and Roll. Thats true dedication and spirit and I frequently think about them, while I running my hands over my beautiful Strat. I think about how truly lucky and blessed I am to have been born in America, where I always have enough to eat and we worry about storing our "Stuff", instead of about how we'll survive the next few days of war, famine, poverty or illness. Last night I had to stop playing because it brought me to tears.... I recently saw some photos posted here of a private collection of Teles. The owner must have had fifty or more of em, all lined up in racks. My first thought was about how much I've been wanting to own a Tele but then I began to wonder; What kind of internal force might cause someone to accumulate so many beautiful guitars of the same make and model? You can't play em all. Can you love them all? Does this guy feel a sense of accomplishment when he looks at his collection or does he think about buying another Tele?". Considering the increasingly frequent messages here from guys who have lost jobs, who might be facing financial or physical crisis, and considering the imminent and on-going financial collapse of our country and the news of war and more war across the world, wheres the music? Isn't music supposed to bring people together and to inspire us and help carry us through our times of need? With the millions of guitars being sold every year, wheres the music? Where are the bands? Where are the dances that kids used to go to? Where are the guys who used to play music in the streets? Why the hell are you/we doing this? Maybe for many of us it's some kind of musical masturbation but I still think that somehow or in some way, music is supposed to save the world or at least help things along... Anyway.... I wanted to post something about my ruminations this morning and ask you for yours. I'll be looking forward to a few thoughtful replies. Thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jelloman Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 ...um...WOW...I'm speechless... ...for now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members donnievaz Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 How dare you come on this forum and make me see the error of my ways you bastard!! Just kidding. Very insightful and inspiring post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members big_aug Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 I read the whole thing so it had to be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members _pete_ Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Damn good post. I've thought about what it would be like to win the lottery. I realized that there is actually very little I would buy. I wouldn't want a bigger house or twenty cars or any of that. I'd pay off what I have now and would be happy to have the financial security for me and my kids. I may buy a few music related toys but not a whole lot. I still want to win it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blackmappes Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Agree. I've a list of "dream" guitars that I'll have no way of owning unless my lottery numbers come up, and even then I couldn't justify getting them all. I have three, because between them they cover more-or-less all the sounds and styles I need for at home or with the band. None are really expensive, or for show. Rampant consumerism has its hooks in everything, from washing machines to mobile phones to guitars. Even instruments, which are, like you say, supoosed to bring people together, are turning into another thing to display, not play. Such is the western world. Not saying I haven't bought into it, having been left some money myself I'd estimate I've spent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grooveyard Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 you are true on many levels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor Morbius Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 ... and I can't wait to get into the storage facility! Like most Americans these days, we're paying a monthly fee to store stuff that we almost never see. Amazing but that crap is going too because it's... Well, its weighing us down! I feel your pain brother. My mother passed away earlier this year. I bought her house and still have tons of crap to sort through, even though most of it has been auctioned off or taken to Goodwill. The 3 car garage is still 1/2 full of {censored} I haven't touched in a couple of years so I don't even know what's there. It's a 500 sq. ft. garage and I can't even part a car in it because it's so full of crap. I'm calling that one my winter project. It's depressing how we fill our lives with trinkets and {censored}. And my parents were depression era kids so they never threw anything away. Horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flintc Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Some people may be hopeless consumers, and others are just collectors. Seven guitars is only the beginning of a collection if you're into collecting. I'm still wondering what I can possibly do with 250,000 baseball cards, beyond the almost involuntary need to collect even more of the useless expensive things. If you did win the lottery and had a few million dollars to spend on guitars, where would you stop? Fifty telecasters might look pretty reasonable, if you had the space to stash them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 I think there are quite a few quiet players around here who don't keep large numbers of guitars. I have two electrics, one amp and one acoustic. I paid for one of the electrics when I bought it for my middle son who never played it. The other two guitars were gifts. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with me collection. It does what I need it to do which is make music. I enjoy looking at the pron around here and love to talk gear but I really don't spend much money on it. I suppose I'm a bit of a freak in that I don't have a storage unit or a credit card. Most of my money goes to giving my kids and wife what they need and paying off my home. Those are much higher priorities for my money than guitars. Truth be told, I'm more proud of my 60 year old acoustic junker I got from my dad than my cool new electrics.I love seeing the new stuff and I troll around guitar shops all the time looking at and playing everything in sight. After a few minutes with most, however, I realize that I'm pretty happy with what I have. When it comes down to it, making music, writing songs and trying to master this confounded instrument are why I do what I do. I'm in it for the music far more than the gear, though talking gear is an awful lot of fun. I'll probably add a couple of more guitars in the next year or so but neither will be more than $300 or so. Perhaps this attitude will catch on. EG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hoople Head Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 We just went through a move and I had many of these same thoughts. We had a bunch of crap in a storage facility for 4 months, and I didn't miss any of it. We lived in a 1 bedroom apartment during that time, and it was completely sufficient. Now we're in the new house, and I want to throw away most/all of the crap that was in storage, but of course one or both of us can come up with some stupid reason to keep just about everything "just in case". To make this guitar related... I had serious thoughts about downsizing my guitar/amp collection when I realized what a PITA it was to move it in and out twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Muddslide Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Great post. I agree wholeheartedly. Before I say anything else, I want to say that I think people should feel free to spend their money on whatever they want that makes them happy. I don't look down on somebody or feel bitter about somebody who owns three yachts, a fleet of hotrods or a wall of vintage Fenders and Gibsons. As long as they aren't ripping anyone off and their hobbies/collections aren't depriving their families, good for them. That said, I find it difficult to live that way. I like having less. I like being mobile. Before I got married, I could put everything I owned into my car easily. It's different now, especially with two kids. We're not at the point of having a storage unit, but we do (myself included) have too much "stuff." It does weigh me down. As has often been said, possessions own you more than you own them. A huge collection of guitars is great, but for me, it's so much maintenance and so much space. I also am not interested in vintage or high-dollar guitars. I don't like owning anything I have to worry about or be concerned that it might get a ding or nick and plummet in "value." I have to say, though, I do own a lot of books, movies and TONS of music. Way more than I can really enjoy, even if I had nothing to do with my time but read, watch flicks and listen to music. To tell you the truth, I would love to be in a situation where my wife, my two daughters and I could pare everything down to about two bags worth of crap and buy an RV to live in. Spend most of our time outside in different places, etc. I know that's a pipe dream, but I really feel like I'm someday going to get to the end of my life and realize I spent one-third of it working a job I don't like just to fill a house with {censored} I don't need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Ever since I was a little kid, probably before society's influence through media got to me, I have always had a desire to collect things. Similarly, I've always been a person who is into the specs - how much horsepower a certain car has, what magnets in a pickup, etc. I think some of it is human nature - we like to categorize, sequence, and catalog things in a way that makes sense to us. At a certain point though, you have to ask what makes sense. I can stare for hours at $3000 acoustics. I really "want" one. But I don't play acoustic that much, would a fancy guitar change that? I can understand wanting a few guitars - many are functionally different. At the same time, are 10 Les Pauls going to make us much happier and enjoy playing more than say a mere two? Which is why I really don't understand these guys with huge overlapping collections of cheapies. You're right, I think we think these things will make us happier than they actually do. It's really all about people in your life. But at the same time, I've gotten tons of long lasting enjoyment out of my guitars. Looking back, worth every penny to be able to come home every day and have a beautiful sound after work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members doc oc Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Sage advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nuke_diver Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Nice post I'd say more but this is HCEG not the political forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lopp Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Mymindsok, Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jrockbridge Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ancient Mariner Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 This is a very good point, well made. I've been thinking around this for some time, and shall continue in the hope it's shaping my natural acquisitiveness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jjpistols Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 I live in a ~200 sq ft apartment and pedal nearly everywhere I go. I like living reasonably simply, and keeping such a small place forces me to defeat my collector tendencies. I see no reason to own tons of movies, even a title I watch every year I'd rather borrow or rent when I want to see it, because then I can return it and not worry about it. It's like the old saying about hookers: "You don't pay them for the sex, you pay them to leave after the sex." I used to have hundreds and hundreds of cds, and rarely listened to 98% of them. What's the point? I still have stuff that I can't really justify keeping. It'll go soon enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MichaelSaulnier Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 One thing about the internet that is feeding this, is places like HCEG... Before the internet, to talk "guitars" I'd have to go see my bandmates, or other guitar playing friends... or maybe hang at the local music store or something. Now, I'm interfacing with people from around the world, who all feel GAS as much as I do. Maybe that's just an excuse, but like anything... too much can be too much. My modest collection of guitars is not impacting my family or my future... and I do enjoy talking about and learning about other people and their guitars... But I know I would never have GAS for a GFS offset, unless I had been to this place! Let alone ever heard of any of the small import or even high end custom builder's I've learned about here. Perspective. Balance. These are key to "happiness" imho. As long as I "kiss" my wife and kids... and not my guitars... I'm probably "all right"! Still, it doesn't hurt to clean house once in a while. I've recently sold several guitars I wasn't really playing much... and sure, bought a bit of new kit too... but the purging is ongoing, and I'm sure I'll end up with less than more. Great post. Thanks for bringing this topic up. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 Great post. If you are looking to thin the heard why not donate one or two to a poor musician in Africa? Or even a poor musician in this country. Next time you see a busker playing a beat to {censored} acoustic, fill his hat with something really cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Duke Spinner Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 i registered just to respond to this thread dude i envy you taking that bike trip, i hardly have time to ride mine i have 20+ guitars ... 4, or 5 could prolly go i have 2 strats,both blonde 57 reissues, one was bought, just cause it was a freakin' deal ....a foto flame strata blue flower strat and .. i don't really play strats now, that said .. i got guilds, gibbys from '69 on diverse..jr's specials sg's ..bought when they didn't cost an arm/leg they all are unique, they all get some playin' i'm not just the owner, but the caretaker, ya know they will outlive me, well hell, i'm 61 anyways but i have bought 'em , played 'em, taken care of them quite a few for 32, or more years sooooo i gonna keep em for a while longer its my duty that, and there's a big difference in owning/caring for them, than 11 pieces of chinese crap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 axegrinder feel conflicted axegrinder think maybe he should sell some guitars then axegrinder think if everyone does that, spam thread will be full of killer deals hmmmm so is a good deal when both parties think the other was sucker? :-/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scuzzo Posted November 12, 2009 Members Share Posted November 12, 2009 nice thread,, meaningful post.when i started playing, i had one guitar.. all my friends who played had at most 3.. ever one had the opinion.. just play man... not much chatter about buying this and that.. it was "that sounded cool.. how did you get that sound.." seems like those days are kinda gone.... to me its just stuff... yea they look cool and all.. but stuff can get in the way.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mymindsok Posted November 13, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 13, 2009 Great post. If you are looking to thin the heard why not donate one or two to a poor musician in Africa? Or even a poor musician in this country. Next time you see a busker playing a beat to {censored} acoustic, fill his hat with something really cool. Funny you should say that... During my travels, through a strange chain of events, I met a Choctaw Medicine Man in Sandusky,Ohio, who runs a music program through his non-profit to teach and support aspiring young musicians. He actually has a couple of performing 'kids bands' going right now and has created a small home studio for teaching and recording. I think thats pretty kool! I fully intend to send him a couple of my guitars to support him in his efforts, plus, the owner my local music store (Zone Music in Cotati, CA.) has offered to get let me purchase instruments at cost, as long as they go to kids. Now I need to figure out how to raise some cash necessary to help him with his program but maybe as I downsize, I'll take whatever $$$ I raise and have some things shipped out. Flash!: Maybe WE (The regulars around here.) could get together and cook something up (Give away, raffle, what ever.) to make a donation (Stuff we're not using maybe? I dunno Hmmm... I gotta make a couple of calls.... PS: I have looked into sending gear to Africa but the problem is, that very seldom do the items arrive at their destination unless someone on the ground is overseeing things and paying the bribes, etc. Ever try to call someone in a village in Africa? Man, thats hard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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