Have You Found Your Electric Guitar Gas-X. Something That Truly Remedied You G.A.S.?

[arlum]

Many electric guitarists have come to know G.A.S. as an addiction or way of life. I've always laughed at threads about this issue but at the same time averaged one new electric guitar purchase every nine months or so. After you reach a dozen or so you start admitting to yourself that there may be an issue here that needs to be addressed. If you're rich or young enough to use a payment plan this problem can be navigated, but, when an average earner gets older and no longer is willing to take on debt .... something needs to shut it down. I've always wanted to enter my retirement / golden years debt free yet satisfied with my stable of electric guitars. I don't want to grow old thinking of the one that got away. I still work full time, (I love my job), but will probably retire in my early 70s. Say 3 to 5 years from now.

I stopped buying amps 3 years ago. I own more than I need and made my last purchase a Mesa Boogie Mark V:35 because the Mesa Boogie Mark series always seemed to define me during the '70s to '00. This last purchase was quite a bit cheaper than my prior 3 amp purchases but seemed a fitting way to close that door. It's worked perfectly. I still love to talk about amps but feel no need to ever make another purchase. I've got a few high end boutiques, a couple of Fender production models and my last Mesa Boogie Mark series as mentioned. I'm set and happy.

About 20 months back I purchased an electric guitar that, (not knowing it at the time), would apparently cure my G.A.S. forever. Since the day it arrived in my home I've never once considered another electric guitar purchase. I still love all the other electric guitars in my stable prior to this particular purchase but, no other electric guitar purchase has been able to totally shut down my G.A.S.. I know for a fact that my electric guitar purchase days are behind me. So ...... No more amplifiers and no more electric guitar purchases. That's a huge milestone for me.

I still belong to guitar / amp forums and visit guitar / amp dealerships but feel zero desire to make a purchase. Nothing offered can top what I've got. It's true ...... I've always wanted a Gibson 335, another SG like I traded in years ago, another Fender Telecaster X 3 or 4, a solid body Ricky 12 string to go with my Ricky 12 string semi-hollow, and / or a Gretsch Country Gentleman. Now I check them out, walk into my studio and play for an hour, and totally lose any desire to make a purchase.

Dealers who've come to depend upon me shouldn't give up all hope. I'm still open to purchases of guitar pickups, guitar straps, N.O.S. amplifier tubes and all other electric guitar related gear. I'll just never buy another Electric guitar or Amplifier. I am so perfectly satisfied that nothing will change the way I feel.

Are there others here who could share their stories about what freed them from G.A.S. I'm sure some youngsters, (under 50), might be on the fence. Looking for a cure. My advice ....... make the choice to find an electric guitar that covers the goal of "finding me" with price no object. For hobbyists or weekend players or folks who just want something to fill in the down times this post is not for you. I would never spend this money on a hobby. Are you a golfer? Buy some clubs. Are you a car collector. Buy another car. This thread is about electric guitarists who might never stop dipping into they're savings trying to fulfill a need. Look past the known. Do some research. Find an electric guitar that meets the majority of your goals, surpasses many of the others and takes you to a level you just know you'll never surpass. No matter the price ..... unless you have to sell your first born son ...... buy it. [Note*** This is a thread for older players who are having difficulties freeing themselves from a lifetime of G.A.S. . If you're young and have a lifetime to make and correct choices just pass. This is an old folk talking to other old folks.

 

[jrblue]

This is not a flip answer. Poverty eliminated GAS for me. My family had no money for this stuff. I was given guitars and eventually an amp as castoffs (crap, which I tried to fix), loaners, gifts, or "pay me later" deals. I never owned more than one at a time until much later. I got my first good (that is, decent) guitar in my last year of college, when my grandmother left me some money (a few hundred bucks). No complaints, no problem -- I always got by. But I sure couldn't fall into an "I want" mindset or I would have been miserable. I've had a reasonably successful life and can afford great stuff now, but my habit, formed long ago, was to be excited about things I can use, or that I need, at least when it comes to guitars, so I never find myself thinking "I'd like a new guitar." Honestly, it just doesn't occur to me. I consider myself lucky in this respect because holy mackeral, there is so, so much incredible guitar stuff out there now that endless with lists would be easy to write.

 

[bgmacaw]

Nah. I don't believe in the myth of "THE ONE" guitar.

I don't buy hobby purchases on credit beyond the 4 or so "easy payment" plans like Klarna. I have to save up for big hobby purchases.

My guitar GAS cure has been mostly assembling partscasters along with building cigar box style guitars from scratch and enjoying that process. I'll do occasionally buy a new, very inexpensive, guitar though, such as my recent purchase of a Monoprice Indio Classic (a surprisingly good guitar for $60).

Amps and amp-like devices I'm pretty happy with although I wouldn't necessarily turn down a really good deal on an amp. I've kind of given up on saving up for a dream amp, like a Matchless Chieftain or Two Rock, because every time I do it seems like it goes "to the house" (septic tank, roof, HVAC system, etc.).

I guess my remaining weakness is pedals, mainly because they're relatively inexpensive. I went through a period of about 5 years where I was buying a lot of cheap pedals from China on EBay. I've stopped doing that now and instead I'm buying more pricey ones, gradually.

 

[Sparky2]

No.

I have not found that one guitar yet.
I'm happy with the 12 or so that I have, and I'm not actively looking.

And I'm retiring and going on Social Security in three months or so.
So I'll be on a fixed, limited income.

She's still out there.
That winsome, desirable, vixen ***** of a guitar.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

I have a small stable, once in a while something will come then something will go. At a certain point the guitars are too cool to let go so I'm on a 1 in and 1 out plan.


Really, everyone should spend a year or two messing 1 guitar all up and down with all sorts of stuff. Swap setups in terms of relief/action, swap strings types & gauges, swap pot values/tapers/caps/wiring, swap saddles, swap around pickups you can afford, etc etc etc. And of course, bust your arse copping other's techniques if you like their sound. If you combine the possibilities in techniques with the possibilities that can be done to one guitar you get a crazy big range of things going on.

 

[imwjl]

I have been GAS-free and happy that way for almost 10 years now. That's 1 great version of each - an acoustic, Telecaster, and a semi-hollow.

 

[985plowboy]

I’m primarily an acoustic player and I own three.
I own one electric.

I’ve owned dozens of guitars over the years and a few years ago decided to distill it down to fewer, nicer guitars.

I’m happy.

 

[Jim622]

For guitar and amp - yes. They have much more potential to sound awesome than I do. So until I have raised to they're level, I have no GAS.

 

[Mekhem]

In my case - I just remind myself that I have some good guitars and "xxxx" probably isnt going to be any better or more flexible than what I have. For example yesterday - I saw a Beato Les Paul JR double cut pop up.... "Hummm, thats light.... fantastic color.... P90's...that coulld be really cool" Then I went and played the TV yellow LP JR DC that I picked up on cl about 5 years ago. It's light, P90's, sounds great, plays great... so G.A.S. spell over for me...

 

[Dismalhead]

I went totally nuts with GAS over the last couple of years. Somewhere around eight guitars, two amps, half a dozen pedals. I cross something off my list and then something else rises to the top. Now I've got it in my head I need a DRRI and a new acoustic electric and wheels are turning in my head for what to trade or how to come up with the cash.

Hate to say it, but looking at something at an online music store or on Reverb and then a photo pops up in the margins of my screen continually for the next month is working on me.

 

[Cali Dude]

I am perfectly satisfied with my group of guitars. I really don't get GAS. I have more than I need, and am blessed to have the gear that I enjoy.

 

[Daytona.57]

I'm in a jam band with my son and stepson, and pretty much have what I need. I picked up a couple of niche guitars, last year and down sized my pedalboard, going old school with a treble booster and a couple of Rats.

My son and I, have a shared pool of pedals, that we draw upon and a few guitars we share.

 

[Knows3Chords]

I just started playing again a few weeks ago after decades off. I got G.A.S. immediately. I bought a Squire 50's Classic Vibe White Blond Telecaster because it was on sale and I always wanted one. I now see why the pusher man says the first one is always free. I have since then purchased a Squier Affinity Sunburst Telecaster and a Squier Affinity Series Lake Placid Blue Stratocaster. I think I'm done for a long while now.

​

 

[57joonya]

I kind of fall into the category your talking about . Although probably never fully cured , I purchased a custom shop Gibson les Paul junior a few years back . That and a tele is pretty much all I need .it’s got the sound I was looking for , and it’s slightly wider at the nut than the telecaster , which makes it easier for me to play. Are there other guitars out there I would love to have? Of course , but I don’t need them, and am not looking at the moment

 

[cometazzi]

Sort of...

There was a time when I was buying up loads of cheap guitars and hot-rodding them with Internet parts. I had many similar guitars, but one was set up for metal, one was set up for rock, one was set up for surf, etc. It was fun to do and there are no ragrets, but I feel like I've come out the other side of that whole process now. Kinda like how when you first get a slow-cooker. You can make all these amazing meals and they're cheap and easy, but after a while you notice that everything you make in there all kinda tastes the same.

I have a couple-few 'nice' guitars now, and I think it's time to let the cheapies move on. Time for a smaller, better collection.

I was also sort of collecting amplifiers. Mainly stuff that was an 'example' of some type of music I like. I have a Vox AC-15, a Laney AOR, Marshall JCM800 and others. My motive was one part "If you want to sound like <person>, you must get <equipment>", and one part "grab one of those things before they're gone". Now that I dabble in building amplifiers, that latter part is gone- If I can clone a legendary amp and it sounds like said amp, I don't really care if it's the real mccoy or if it even looks like it. In fact, I'm ok with tweaking it a little too.

Same with pedals. I only have a few, but instead of buying I might just build a few clones of the classics. Like everything else, you don't save any money building vs. buying, but it's fun to do. Having to build them slows down the acquisition process, too ;-)

The thing I'm trying to focus on more now is simply playing more. Somehow in all this search for the Holy Grail of Gear Collection I had lost sight of that. The nice guitars encourage this at least, because they're more pleasant to play than the Affinities, Epiphones, etc.

I don't believe in the "one guitar to rule them all", at least not for me. I like having a few around that are different, with different peculiarities. There are some that I don't have that I think would be a nice part of a smaller, better collection- I don't have an acoustic, and maybe a nicer 12-string would be fab. I'd like an offset, but I can't decide which (though I'm leaning Jazzmaster). I think I'd like a different Telecaster than the one I have.

 

[Lowspeid]

I’m 44, and over the last 5 years I’ve turned and burned A LOT of gear. I’ve never really had GAS for guitars, as I’ve always kinda been a “one guitar man”. One electric, one acoustic. Then I started watching YouTube and saw ALL the stuff I’d been missing. I spent a bunch in credit (pissed off my wife pretty bad), became known as “the dude who returns everything” by the local GC guys, and lost more money than I care to honestly share with anyone.

Then I went into my local shop and they pulled down a ‘60s AO Tele in sunburst. It was the single best guitar I’d ever played (I’ve owned some VERY nice Gibson, Fender USA, and ESP guitars). I put it back on the wall after about an hour, and agreed with sales guys that it was a great guitar. A couple weeks later my wife and I went out in a date and we stopped at the shop (she’s amazing. I know). I played a couple guitars, then I picked up the AO and started playing. She looked up from her phone as said “what’s that one? It sounds incredible.” It went home with us, and I sold all my other electric guitars within a couple weeks (Gibson SG Standard, 2 USA Fender Teles, and a CIJ Jazzmaster).

Last year I started to pine for a Les Paul. We went to a couple shops and I played several great custom shop LPs, a couple mid-70’s vintage LPs, and plenty of standards. Eventually we went to Thunder Road PDX to look at a “birth year” LPC. I Liked it, but the neck was like a toothpick. I played a ton of guitars that day. I walked out with with an AMAZING R8 (again wife looked up from her phone when I started playing it and said “that one’s better the others. You should get that one.”). It went home with us.

At this point I really don’t think I’ll ever buy another guitar. I can barely set the LP down to play the AO, and I can barely set the AO to play the LP. They cover all the ground I could ever need, or want (strats and offsets aren’t my thing. I’ve owned several. Just not my jam).

I own 4 amps: Marshall SV20 with 2061x cab, ‘74 MMB, ‘75 PR, and a Victoria 5e3. I can play 2 in stereo (the PR and MMB sound AMAZING together). Though I sometimes think I’d like something “boutique”, my amps sound so good that I’ve started playing with just a little delay and one or two ODs. I’m sure I’ll buy a pedal here and there, but with all the pedals I’ve bought, sold, and re-bought I came to the conclusion that most of them, including the boutique stuff, sounds mostly the same.

So for me, my GAS-X was buying the highest quality gear I could afford (I have been insanely blessed financially) that fills any “need” I might have, and is truly special.

 

[drmordo]

I'm kind of getting there.

Honestly, the biggest gas-killer I have found is buying a guitar I don't like as much as I expected. I got a road worn Vintera 60s Strat a while back, and in many ways it is exactly what I have wanted from a Strat. But for some reason, I just don't love it. I played it for a while and then thought, I should try out my Jeff Beck Strat again. WHOA - I get along much better with the Beck Strat.

So lately I've been looking at guitars (even found some pretty good prices) and then talking myself out of them.

That said, there are a few that I still want.

I want another blonde MIK Casino just in case anything happens to #1. These seem to be going up so I probly need to prioritize and buy myself one for Xmas or something. I'm actually in Oahu for work right now and I brought my Casino, but I had visions of it getting destroyed that freaked me out a little.

I want a EVH Wolfgang Standard because I have an idea to load one with Tele PUs. I might even get a body made for it, but more likely I'll just try to cut a pickguard.

I want a "Esquire" that is a actually a Nashville using stealth PUs from Cavalier. This is my next project, I already have the neck and body.

After that, we'll see. I still really want a real Marshall Bluesbreaker, so that will likely happen if I find the right deal.

 

[Tele295]

The more I gig, the less gear I want (to move)

 

[SuprHtr]

I'm not getting younger, certainly not getting any wiser, but I find myself hooked when I see a really good price. I have too many guitars already but bought another one last week and have no regrets. Most of my guitars were under $300, with a few in the $500/$600/$700 range, but not one of them is selling new for less than what I paid. I'm not kidding myself that they are investments but I'm pretty sure I could come close to breaking even on many of them. I'm just having fun playing all different kinds of guitars and learning what I like. The ones that I bond most with are either Squier or G&L Tributes, so I'm blessed that good taste has not yet caused me to overspend. Oh, also the el cheapo Ibanez AS73 is killer! My first semi-hollow!

 

[Timbresmith1]

Yeah. Chasing guitars was a distraction from making music. That was the end of gas