It's Official - Guitar Collections are a Disease

darrenw5094

The following is from a blog on dv247.com
http://blog.dv247.com/guitar-collecting-disease/6847/#more-6847

About five years ago I was interviewed by someone who was writing an article about people who collect things. He wasn’t particularly bothered what the objects of desire were, he was interested in the psychology of the phenomenon known as ‘collecting’ and just what it is that motivates some people to go to extraordinary lengths to obtain not only rare items but items that they spend sleepless nights lusting after and must own, sometimes at any cost.

During the interview I dragged out a few guitars to show him, some of which I’d owned for a very long time, and one thing became horribly apparent. Once I’ve bought an instrument, and it’s safely in my hands, I no longer want it.

Now this may sound strange at first so let me explain; when I say I no longer want it, it doesn’t mean I don’t like it, love it, want to play it to death, use it on my next gig and revere it as a beautiful object and consider myself lucky to be able to own it. No, it means that the obsessive, gnawing, burning lust to obtain it has dissipated. Of course it has, I’ve got the thing, but the thrill is gone.

Perversely, that’s the part I like. The actual ownership of the guitar pales into nothing compared with the excitement of the research, the thrill of the decision to buy, the transaction, the waiting for it to arrive, and opening of the case and seeing it for the first time. Once the novelty has worn off and it’s been consigned to the pile, I’m looking out for the next one.

Now I should point out that buying a guitar is not a weekly event. In the last year I have bought three, which I like to think is reasonably restrained. The build up to a new purchase can take months or longer, and I’m very careful to wait until I see exactly what I want. My most recent purchase is a good example. I’ve waited years to find this particular guitar in a particular colour and with the features I wanted, and I finally saw it. I knew instinctively that it was the one, and I simply had to have it. It’s a fantastic guitar which I’ve wanted for ages, and I love it. But it’s now under the bed.

Trying to explain these feelings to a ‘lay’ person is futile. Only other guitarists can be expected to understand. Drummers generally don’t collect kits, most keyboard players don’t store piles of old synths and how many microphones does a singer want? It’s different for us, we have a disease - guitar acquisition syndrome - and there’s no cure.;)

wild turkey

He's nailed it on the head there
Ive had this for years & i recon if i chopped off one of my hands i'd still want to buy another plank!

darrenw5094

wild turkey wrote: »

Hi Darren
you've nailed it on the head there
Ive had this for years & i recon if i chopped off one of my hands i'd still want to buy another plank!

Yep. It's true though. Who cares if we do?? Better than peeing it down a pub toilet or whatever. It's all collateral at the end of the day.

Better chop off the leg.....chop off the hand means you only have one hand left to play the guitars with.

jimi_t

darrenw5094 wrote: »

most keyboard players don’t store piles of old synths

Oh ho ho ho. Good one.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=synth+porn&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=&aqi= (SFW)

brendansmith

jimi_t wrote: »

Oh ho ho ho. Good one.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=synth+porn&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=&aqi= (SFW)

Its strange that you type any word into google pics and porn comes up and then you type in synth porn and none.

DHYNZY

I suffer terribly from GAS.. I'm a relative newbie when it comes to GAS.. I happily played out my first three guitars to ruin. But recently I've been buying and selling more and more. Just as Darren said, the minute I get the guitar I wanted for the price I wanted and the thrill of finding it is gone, I look to sell it on again! Or it'll sit in its case until I can sell it again. And guess what the proceeds of the sale will go on??? MORE GEAR! :rolleyes:


Its definitely an addiction. There are weeks when I find myself recounting hours that I've spent actually PLAYING versus researching, networking etc for new gear.. and it turns out I had spent almost double if not three times more time looking for gear!

kfoltman

darrenw5094 wrote: »

most keyboard players don’t store piles of old synths

I'm afraid you're wrong here! Very very wrong.

It's probably easier to get all the sounds you need from one or two guitars than from one or two synths. In worst case, one needs a couple of romplers, a digital piano, a sampler, some sort of a modern virtual analog or two... Maybe some sort of hardware sequencer... etc. Sure, with guitars you have those "odd" types like 12-string or dobro/resonator... or Pikasso (-: but these are not nearly as popular comparing to Strats, LPs and acoustic ones.

Quillo

Best GLT (GAS limitation technique) out there is..... marriage

Nothing like the thought of the grief you're gonna get for bringing home more gear to curb your urges

DHYNZY

Quillo wrote: »

Best GLT (GAS limitation technique) out there is..... marriage

Nothing like the thought of the grief you're gonna get for bringing home more gear to curb your urges

sounds like hell man


haha :P

Zangetsu

I've managed rid myself of that retched disease, all it took was to find 'The One'. Nothing else interests me now. IT IS POSSIBLE, help is out there (though you might have to go through 30 guitars to find it!).

:eek:

rcaz

kfoltman wrote: »

In worst case, one needs a couple of romplers, a digital piano, a sampler, some sort of a modern virtual analog or two... Maybe some sort of hardware sequencer...

That's a 'worst case'?? The worst case scenario synth player will settle at virtual analogue?? :P

http://online-mixing.com/wp271/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/modular.JPG

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct04/images/readerzone4modulararea.l.jpg

http://web.media.mit.edu/~joep/pics/Big_Synth.jpg

I think synth players would be the biggest hoarders. There's always something that does something a little different, and of course, you have to have all the options

darrenw5094

Somebody has an obsession. Or else that is an old phone company you posted.

rcaz

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Somebody has an obsession. Or else that is an old phone company you posted.

Well the two big wall-mounted ones are modular synths, they need to be that big :cool:

eoin5

I think drummers are similar in that they dont collect kits as such, but some drummers get locked into building the most rediculous kits they can possibly make in the middle of their kitchen or wherever.

Anyways I've stuck my name on a 70s JCM 800 that I have very tenuous usage for (being a bassist mainly) but it has 'that sound'. I've decided to embrace GAS, whos with me!

darrenw5094

eoin5 wrote: »

I've decided to embrace GAS, whos with me!

Bad move man. Be warned.....................
The bank balance is gonna shrink.

kfoltman

El Pr0n wrote: »

That's a 'worst case'?? The worst case scenario synth player will settle at virtual analogue?? :P

Yes, otherwise he's not primarily a synth player - he's a vintage analogue gear fetishist!

(there, I said it!)

Now, anyone's got a 2600 they don't have any use for? ;-)

eoin5

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Bad move man. Be warned.....................
The bank balance is gonna shrink.

*covers ears*, lalalalalalala