You can beat it. I guess I got lucky because I fell in love with certain bass tones before I even started playing bass, so my gear sights were very narrow; I wanted a 5 string Warwick Thumb and a Ric. Own them both now and don't need another bass. If I won the lottery I'd buy a Wal and call it a day. I sometimes get gas for preamp pedals as it's how I get my tone (pedal into power amp), but nothing will beat my Ric/Rusty Box combo so one listen to some of my recordings and it goes away.
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So...Has anyone here actually beat GAS?
- Thread starter SlowpokeJoe
- Start date
Actually? Not possible to be 100% cured. G.A.S. has a way of being hidden in the back of your mind for years and then BAMM! Total relapse. I've seen musicians control it for years then something in their life changed the conditions... be it better income, kids grown, car or/and mortgage payments eliminated or reduced, improved skills, better bands, no spouse, a spouse that encourages you, better health, relocating to a better place to play, retirement with more disposable funds, deals too good to pass up, best group of musicians you ever played with wants you but you need better gear (with good payings gigs), different sounds, more strings, color, feel, I can go on with this for days as to why I bet on G.A.S. in the long run.
I went from over 20 to 3. It's pretty simple. Before I buy a bass I ask myself 1) what does this bass do that none of my others do 2) what bass am I going to stop using because I buy this one. It worked for me.
With basses, Once I built the bass I wanted with parts I haven't needed another or even looked at one lustfully.
Although there are 2 basses in the neighborhood of 13 grand each that I desire I don't think i'm in any danger of actually obtaining them.
With pedals and amps I'm still terribly afflicted and watching the TB classifieds like the junkie I am.
Although there are 2 basses in the neighborhood of 13 grand each that I desire I don't think i'm in any danger of actually obtaining them.
With pedals and amps I'm still terribly afflicted and watching the TB classifieds like the junkie I am.
The Pedulla was very pretty and sounded very good. The quintessential fretless tone. But after a year of playing nothing but it, I needed to move on. The YY5 is MUCH more my thing and a million times more fun to play IMHO.
I have. Read The Power of Now. My gas was cured before I did, but the book reaffirmed feelings I had been having for some time and articulated them very well.
Cliff notes:
1. Lots of psycho babble b.s.
2. The endless pursuit of material wealth/success/possessions will only bring with it more suffering and misery
3. Nothing lasts forever (see above)
4. The only true peace/happiness in this world is accepting who/what/where you are, right here and now
5. You are not who you think you are
6. You are enslaved by a mind that you can’t turn off, that is incessantly thinking about the past and future, judging yourself and others and you’ve come to identify that mind and those thoughts as being you (see above)
7. All of the above reinforces the fact that all you really have, and all that really matters is the present moment, and your relationship with it.
When was the last time you ate a great meal and felt satiated? Like that great meal was enough and you weren’t immediately looking forward to the next great meal you might experience?
Happiness or contentment that is conditional upon materialism, future experiences, etc. is a fools errand.
Cliff notes:
1. Lots of psycho babble b.s.
2. The endless pursuit of material wealth/success/possessions will only bring with it more suffering and misery
3. Nothing lasts forever (see above)
4. The only true peace/happiness in this world is accepting who/what/where you are, right here and now
5. You are not who you think you are
6. You are enslaved by a mind that you can’t turn off, that is incessantly thinking about the past and future, judging yourself and others and you’ve come to identify that mind and those thoughts as being you (see above)
7. All of the above reinforces the fact that all you really have, and all that really matters is the present moment, and your relationship with it.
When was the last time you ate a great meal and felt satiated? Like that great meal was enough and you weren’t immediately looking forward to the next great meal you might experience?
Happiness or contentment that is conditional upon materialism, future experiences, etc. is a fools errand.
Now it’s just strings and the random 10/15 year old interface whose drivers are not being updated.
We are taught that new is better. Often your system is perfect. When it fails to allow your expression through then it’s time to pass it to someone whose creative world would be enlarged by having it.
When I was newer at all this I’d think, “I’d have my sound if I went to this or that with a folded horn and tort pickguard.” Sometimes that was pure intuition (buy SWR BBII) other times just my imagination fabrication.
We are taught that new is better. Often your system is perfect. When it fails to allow your expression through then it’s time to pass it to someone whose creative world would be enlarged by having it.
When I was newer at all this I’d think, “I’d have my sound if I went to this or that with a folded horn and tort pickguard.” Sometimes that was pure intuition (buy SWR BBII) other times just my imagination fabrication.
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My GAS affliction is somewhat stalled, but certainly not cured. What is currently under control is the purchase of violins and accordians. Acoustic guitars are approaching control with occasional lapses; electric guitars are the same. Amps are a constant struggle, but do seem to be tending toward control.
Mandolins and basses are another matter however. Mandolins are never far from a potential outbreak of GAS, only controlled by lack of available used temptations. Basses of course are a different matter, easier to find used units and a wider variety of choices. A restricting issue is storage space; I am running out of it and suspect the addition of another music room is unlikely. The dedication to the research, the excitement of the actual search, and the gratification of the purchase remains a strong narcotic.
So is GAS under control: absolutely, at least until the next must-have unit appears.
Thump on,
One_Dude
Mandolins and basses are another matter however. Mandolins are never far from a potential outbreak of GAS, only controlled by lack of available used temptations. Basses of course are a different matter, easier to find used units and a wider variety of choices. A restricting issue is storage space; I am running out of it and suspect the addition of another music room is unlikely. The dedication to the research, the excitement of the actual search, and the gratification of the purchase remains a strong narcotic.
So is GAS under control: absolutely, at least until the next must-have unit appears.
Thump on,
One_Dude
A severe lack of cash flow has hindered my gas. I have two basses and they're both quite good. Would I like more? Sure. Do I need more? No.
This is one of just a handful of posts I've seen here over the past few years that is truly worth the time it takes to read it.
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Life's biggest challenge = receiving fully the gift of life by living in the present.
Truthfully, there is no better gear than what I have at hand, only different.
I think it’s something like when you quit smoking. After you stop you still feel the twinges every so often. But the intensity gradually diminishes so they become easier to ignore over time. I’m not sure you can ever say you’re completely over it. Just that you’re now back in control of what you do about it. 
Not hardly. I recently bought "one last bass for a good while." It showed up damaged, seller refunded and didn't want the bass back. I fixed it and immediately began shopping again with the refund money. That ain't right...
I have GAS but it's for pedals. I have more money in pedals than I do in basses. Right at this very moment I'm waiting on a Boss FV-50L Stereo Volume Pedal to be delivered. I can't stop.
I think I have, maybe? A pending cross country move has me trying to get rid of as much of life's detritus as I can and has slammed the brakes on gear purchases. I've started selling off as much gear as I can to hopefully get down to two basses and two guitars as I'm not anticipating getting back into a band anytime soon after I head west.
It also helps that I think (I hope) that I got my hands on The One for me and have a very nice passive backup that will cover anything I'd ever play.
It also helps that I think (I hope) that I got my hands on The One for me and have a very nice passive backup that will cover anything I'd ever play.
I always like gawking at instruments, and there's always something on my wish list. But I've never had GAS. I bought a bass 4 years ago, my first 6-string. Most of my band playing is on the bass I bought in 1995.
I have added PA gear in recent years, but if I understand "GAS" correctly, it's not related to need. I needed a subwoofer in my PA, I needed a mixer that could multi-track record. I guess I didn't need the BBE Sonic Maximizer, and am still not sure it does anything.
But a lot of the old sound dogs are dumping their rack gear right now, and that was more a case of it being a neighbor - I had no GAS for it. Providence.
I have added PA gear in recent years, but if I understand "GAS" correctly, it's not related to need. I needed a subwoofer in my PA, I needed a mixer that could multi-track record. I guess I didn't need the BBE Sonic Maximizer, and am still not sure it does anything.
But a lot of the old sound dogs are dumping their rack gear right now, and that was more a case of it being a neighbor - I had no GAS for it. Providence.