Anyone else "hide"gear purchases from the wife?

[52RI]

What a great post. I'm the friend that 69tele was talking about (Thanks Ernie for introducing me to this forum). We often have the conversation about gear and what our better halves will think.

I think nopedals is so right - keep your mouth shut. I've made the mistake of showing her models I have serious GAS over and she can certainly spot the main makes and models a mile off.

I've now been banned from any more guitars until we have a bigger place. She knows exactly how many I have, what the cases are like etc etc. I am not allowed to have any stray into the main living room (which now has all my other gear including 2 amps) so they are all stored in the bedroom.

After the latest purchase one has to be stored in front of her wardrobe and she has to move it every morning to get stuff out - I have definately crossed the line now!

I justify it by the fact that I'm the one who works long hours while she sits an watches TV after she finsihes work etc. However, it still scares me to bring up the topic of getting something new.

I was told that I cannot get any new guits until we get that bigger place and then I can buy them whenever I like. That was too good an opportunity to let go by and while she was in this mood I got her to sign something to that effect - ROLL ON THE MOVE - LOL

Jason

[gtrman911]

Hide gear?!?


NO! (Bwahahahahahaha....) FO`REAL!

And to think that anyone has-to, is pretty sad.

But the stories are pretty funny.

[sq]

Originally Posted by Baard

For her money is a thing to be spent....fast. Preferrably before it is made.
Baard

Yeah...aren't they all...

[Tim Bowen]

Yes, this is an art form that is practiced, understood, & celebrated by men. The only creature on the planet that practices, understands, & celebrates it to a higher degree than the male is the female of the species. That's just the way it is, boys.

George W. might call the shots from Capitol Hill, but Laura pre-determines whether he's happy, sad, indifferent, confused, ecstatic, amorous, or frivolous. And she can do so without poor George knowing it. Which in effect determines what George signs or doesn't sign. Which in effect determines how you and I schlep through the day. That's art in its purest form. It's also an excellent argument as to why nuclear weapons are not a good idea - regardless of which gender has their elegant little pinky poised on the little red button. I don't know much about Gerhardt Schroeder, but my semi-educated guess is that things aren't that much different in Germany. People are people, and people are wacked, and people will play their little mind games for time immemorial. I'm a people, and I bet you are too.

That said, I'm quite the fan of hiding my new gear purchases from my wife, and consider myself to be an expert in the field. I've not yet found an amp or guitar that I can effectively hide in the pockets of my trousers. Otherwise, I'd purchase more of them. I've left many an amp basking in the heat of the summer sun in the trunk of my car, patiently waiting for my lovely bride to go off on yet another shopping jamboree, so that I can haul my new purchase into our home. I can't recommend this procedure with guitars - often the heat will cause the frets to become unseated, which can be quite a nasty situation.

This is precisely why I'm such a prostitute for stompboxes. They are, for the most part, small, unobtrusive, & can lend instant new vibe to your sonic canvas, but most importantly - many of them can & will fit into the pockets of your trousers. But it's important to understand that size is not all that matters with the female of the species - color choice is of utmost importance. I recommend choosing stompers in earth tone colors, such that they match the carpet & drapes, & ultimately blend in with the surroundings. She will certainly notice an orange stomper such as the Prescription Electronics Germ or Guyatone Flip tube tremolo in a flash...

As I said here recently, my ace in the hole is the fact that my wife has a gargantuan collection of shoes that would make Queen Elizabeth, Madonna, or even Elizabeth Taylor gasp & pant with envy... it's a truly breathtaking & confounding collection. Now my wife knows that if she truly gets nasty with me in regard to the purchase of toyz, stuff, & knicknacks, there's little to stop me from hauling a sizeable chunk of those precious shoes out to the front lawn and repeatedly running them over with my freshly maintained Sears lawn mower... but in a classic example of the checks & balances that make up life between the sexes as we know it, what's to stop her from taking a weedeater to my beloved teles, strats, Gisbons, & whatnots?... so the Wife, our shoes, our guitars, our assorted & sundry accoutrements, & I, have decided to coexist togther as best we can in our happy home. No surprises. That I'm aware of.

Well that's it for today's lesson, fellers. Please make your checks payable to OU812.com. Tony Robbins is not in this week, so I'm filling in as best I can. Not to be taken seriously of course. 8)

[scuzzie]

My latest impromptu purchase was a Marshall full stack.

I dreaded having to let my wife know but thank goodness she was pretty good about it.

[sneakyjapan]

holy smoke Tim.... you really put a lot of thought into your answer. But I`m Canadian... so it doesn`t apply... as much.

[genelovesjez]

Originally Posted by Tim Bowen

George W. might call the shots from Capitol Hill, but Laura pre-determines whether he's happy, sad, indifferent, confused, ecstatic, amorous, or frivolous. And she can do so without poor George knowing it. Which in effect determines what George signs or doesn't sign.

Interesting theory. So I guess when he makes her mad, she says, "Here George, have some pretzels"?

[stevedenver]

scuzzie im really impressed -i only managed to keep a blue half stack closeted for about a year-then, one day, its out in the middle of my music room, along with four other amps, and she doesnt even look twice at it....maybe she thought I had repainted the furnace....

...at 48 i now have several guitars and amps, all over the course of five-six years, (now my rationlization-plus my kid plays-so my stash will proabably be cut in half when he leaves the nest-thanks dad)

-and ....its cheaper than your typical mid-life stuff, you know, a divorce, 26 year old ex-stripper wife and a ferrari/corvette, aint it???

..sunburst guitars all look the same-my instruments 'morph' into my life-they never make a notorious entry-just kinda show up from time to time-oops: :D

[Jerry J]

but not again and it wasn't music gear related! Actually, I ordered a nice set of wheels/tires for my car from Tire Rack (fairly expensive), then told her about it after the fact.

And guess what she did? Reject the shipment and I wasted $100 in restocking fees.

So I learned the hard way, even if I have to endure a little pain, I tell her up front about any major purchase.

And to be very fair to my wife, she is very thrifty and does not spend a lot on herself but she will spend it on the kids. Who can argue with that?

[69tele]

Hey Jason !

Fancy seeing you here !

"I've now been banned from any more guitars until we have a bigger place"

no wonder you bought a Custom Shop Relic Strat, a Takamine Acostic and a Line 6 Flextone III in the space of two weeks !!!!!!

Even I bought an Epiphone Dot in the process as I got part of your GAS !!!!!

Seriously I think our partners just don't get it.

I live in a multi GAS environement.

As my band is made up of myself, my bro and my sis.

My dad is also a musician so thats 4 ppl GASsing !!

Ernie

[Freewheeler]

In 1987 I went to buy a new living room sofa. Instead I carried home a 1985 Fender Telecaster '62 RI. I've still got it today as well as the sofa which arrived a couple of months later! I dunno if that is one of the reasons she left me 2 weeks ago ;-)

Take care and love your own!

[RTod]

Dont even propose until you have all you want....for some of us that means dont ever get married (hey, its way overated anyway) For those of us for whom it is too late, #1...make sure your wife has things she wants that are important to her. Mine likes working with wood. So I bought her power tools etc. Now she is too busy in the garage to notice my stuff.

Another way to handle things assuming your income and debts are in line, is just set up a seperate account. Doesnt matter if its a coffee can or a bank account. I have the coffee can since my budget only leaves pennies anyway. Agree that you get a certain amount of money out of each paycheck and budget accordingly. If your good enough to save the bucks for a new guitar....Hey! That was the agreement in the first place!

[the blue mule]

hey man, does your wife have a single sister by any chance.......................????
with a pick up AND a boat???

[RTod]

She does have a sister were trying to pawn off....uh, I mean find a match for? Ya got all yer teef?
Actually, My wife likes to make those artsy type crafts...you know, the stuff female types always sell at craft shows. Sorry, no bar raising , no room additions from her. Heck I even sugggested she use that stuff to take up guitar building....not "frilly enough."

[O- Fender]

I'm in the same boat as axeslingerone.

I'm lucky that my wife likes that I have a hobby instead of smoking, gambling or drinking. I only make a purchase after the bills have been paid and money put away for rainy days, etc. I only use my money. Heck, she talked me into purchasing a guitar that I was hesitating on. Yet, somehow I feel guilty when I have to say "by the way, I was on ebay last night and... " or "I saw this really great guitar pedal yesterday... "
I feel like I'm confessing to a sin.

She understands that when I'm online with the door closed, the body shape I'm admiring or the "blonde" I'm drooling over are all wood, wire and stings.

Maybe that's why I lean toward partocasters, spending thirty bucks here, twenty there instead of purchasing a guitar outright.

Maybe it's because I've got a feeling she's got a limit that I don't want to cross.

Maybe it's just more fun to think it's a no no. Kind of like sneaking Playboy mags into the house as a teen.

I know that this is why I can never fool around behind her back. I mean, she can tell when my mind is on a new guitar, amp or parts. Thinking about another woman would be disasterous.

[Steven]

Well, Maby I dont run around the house shouting in a high pitched voice:"AAAHHH IHHH LOOK AT MY NEW FRALIN PICKUP THAT I BOUGHT INSTED OF THAT KITCHEN TABLE WE WERE LOOKIN AT!!!! But I dont hide stuff like put them in strange places an ony bringing then orund at night or when the wife is out. The problem is that she likes some guitars and hate others. If I was to buy a Lake Placid Blue Strat and bring it home she would notice that one emediately and be mad at me cous she hates that colour. A Fiesta Red one she would like but she would notice that one to cous of the colour. One good thing about this: I have a Burgundy Mist Strat body at home that I was going to use for a partscaster. My wife suddenly decided that that body was pink :? and that it would be perfect for a guitar for my oldest doughter (shes 2 years old!). My wife is now encourageing me to buy stuff for that partscaster. Guess who´s gonna use that guitar the next 10 years ...

[gtrman911]

Originally Posted by Jerry J

I ordered a nice set of wheels/tires for my car from Tire Rack (fairly expensive), then told her about it after the fact.

And guess what she did? Reject the shipment...

Dood, THAT WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED HERE !
In fact, that would have been her swan-song!!!

[windjunkie]

She knows all. Scary as hell but she must really love me 'cause mostly I get away with buying stuff without asking. which of course makes me be in love with her.

[Tim Bowen]

Hey sneakyjapan, I wouldn't so much call it thought as I would call it stream of conscientiousness goofiness on my part... but even though you're Canadian, I figure you're still a guy, and I'm guessing it still applies... just as much...

Interesting theory back at ya, genelovesjez... maybe that was the impetus behind "Pretzel Logic" for Steely Dan, hmmmm... well all I know is that my wife was perfectly content after I bought her a soft pretzel at the B.B. King & Jeff Beck show tonight... we'll unlock the secrets of the universe yet, as soon as the girls figure it out and let us know what time it is...

[rb.jr]

My wife has bought me the majority of my guitars and equipment. She encourages me to by what I want and need.I also play for Her (she sings about 75 +- gigs a year.I guess she wants her man to have nice gear.I hope she continues this way of thinking,hey wait, you don't she's setting me up do you?I'm getting scared.

[Tim Bowen]

Originally Posted by rb.jr

My wife has bought me the majority of my guitars and equipment. She encourages me to by what I want and need.I also play for Her (she sings about 75 +- gigs a year.I guess she wants her man to have nice gear.I hope she continues this way of thinking,hey wait, you don't she's setting me up do you?I'm getting scared.

Ron, that's exactly why we all love Faye nearly as much as you do. What I need you to do is adopt me & treat me like your son, even though I'm older than you guys. I'll be placing my comprehensive order for new gear with y'all shortly. Nothing major at first, probably just some re-frets. Thanks buddy.

[mudshark]

I've got a John Pearse Strings T-shirt which reads:

"My old lady said she'd leave me if I bought one more guitar................sure going to miss that girl."

After 27 years, mrs. mudshark just shakes her head and growls a bit! :D

[rb.jr]

Tim,
Thats what I need is one more kid to drain me with their musical habit.It's time that I get more gear there is so much I want but I'm getting the Christmas wishes in already and you know I'm a softy.Well maybe it'll keep them off the streets.Since your one of my kids,clean your room,turn your guitar down and go to bed.What are you doing up at 1:30 am?

[Andy B]

My wife plays guitar & piano, my daughter saxophone & clarinet. I keep them happy with properly working instruments. When I see something I really want it usually is not a problem. We discuss all major purchases which keeps things peaceful. My wife did totally freak out when I bought her a car without telling her. That's another long story for some other time. She feels we both work hard & if we feel we can afford something either of us want we should get it. I count my blessings.

[CT Dude]

Hello all...I'm new to this group but I have to tell you all right up front...hiding the gear isn't smart...I found out the hard way. However, I do keep my gear right out in the open and when she asks about the new guitar that's sitting there, I have some very creative answers.

The latest is that the guitar that arrived the other day is for a photo shoot for a Tweed Amp company that I'm building a site for.

I may end up with the guitar because the manufacturer wanted to show his appreciation for asking to feature their guitar in the photo with the Tweed Amps.

It's not all a lie...just a half truth! :P