Turning the Corner...

For a very long time I have been obsessed with tone and gear. Always shopping, always wheeling and dealing. New gear in and out. Well, for the past 6 months I have been unloading stuff I don't use. And yesterday I sold the first good guitar I ever owned..a mint '96 US Strat.

I am finding that now I am more excited about writing new songs than I am about what gear is out there or how to get *that* tone. Seems my GAS bubble has burst, and it couldn't have been sooner IMHO.

That's EXACTLY where I am right now. It's a great feeling and I feel more 'in tune' with the reason I started playing in the first place.

It's definitely NOT about the gear. Whenever I see a great player hacking away at a total piece of junk it always looks more genuine to me. The playing matters much more than the look or even the tone.

Darth, I'm gonna take what you say and feed it back to you the next time you get a GAS attack!!
However, it's almost the same argument as 'technique vs feel'
Nonetheless, you'll be saving a lot of cash, I'd expect.
Plus, that Strat would have fetched a tidy sum, eh??
Drinks on at the Taco's house, I'd say!! ;)

I don't usually post here when I get GAS attacks, as it's not always bass relevant. But I would say I'm about as bad as some of the other flagellant fiends on here.

The strat did help me reduce a credit card. I'll be out of debt next month. (I don't count the car or mortgage).

Anybody else have a similar change, or are finding more value in plyaing, rather than obsessing over gear???

yah,

I am kinda there.....

the 2008 pbass really does it for me....and if I get bored, I have the ric and the MM stingray

I have sold or loaned my other basses, DDD, Basspanther, and two of my friends each have a bass each.

so, now I have the pbass-----------man that thing feels and sounds good!
the ric
the MM 30th stingray

the shecter 5er--just in case! tried to sell it, wont bring enough money
the SX, as a beat around dont care if I scratch it...and to test pickups

the fender bullet bass---my first- oly white / maple neck -like the 08 P!!
the ibanez 82 destroyer II too cool for school!
the H-dawg T-bird---wit works, but too heavy for me..

uhmmmmm I guess I want diff amps and cabs......so still have gas for that

they say the your sound is 1/3 equipment 1/3 technique, and 1/3 emotion

I have been working on my tone and technique...I am kinda satisfied with my basses for now....

I dont use effects...(darth, I know twangers need those!)...I have a wireless and a monster cable....so, the only other thing is an ampeg and a big acoustic or mesa cab! or some lightweight avatars.....

Im gonna say good bye now!....gotta look on ebay for a sec

congrats and your finding what you want outta your sound Darth!

big al

I don't obsess over amps or cabinets. I try to buy well and keep forever. I played through the same Marshall amp and cab for over 20 years. Replaced it with an Ampeg setup. Still have the Marshall, though.

Basses? Well, I'm partial to Fenders and Fender-stlye basses. Again, I buy them and keep them.

What's fun and will get you out of a slump is to reach in the closet and pull out a bass you haven't played in a while. I did that recently when I pulled out an ol', trusty P-bass and went, Yeah! That's why I bought this! It can put you in a whole different mindset.

Haha...

See, for me buying a new bass isn't always necessarily Man I want to change my tone.

Like that Acoustic 371... I mean, it's a TONE MONSTER, but I didn't really need it. But man, I could not pass up an opportunity to own a piece of music history like that...

Goes the same with some of my other basses. I'm as much a hobby collector as I am a musician.

Granted, that's not to say I don't find merits in the qualities of all the different basses I own. I do have pride and purpose for every single one, and they usually get taken out regularly, since to me they do have specific functions.

I've def got gas, but not like I did last year. Right now I'm pretty satisfied with what I'm playing thru, I couldn't be happier.:) Though, I will say I'm constantly looking at a Sadowsky 5'er that's at Bass Central, but I don't have the funds for that beauty quite yet.:rolleyes:

That's a good way to look at collecting gear.

Arranger - Totally agree. I reviewed a show this pas monday and the Twanger for the first band ripped. And he did it on a low end epiphone les paul special.

I think I'm about done with my GAS - only have a couple of EBMM Sterlings (fretted and fretless), a J, a P, and a Yamaha 5er along with my doghouse, so that's not obscene.
One rig - a MarkBass, and the Sansamp and Line6BassPod (which I don't use)
The only thing I'm thinking about is taking the neck off my Fender P and replacing it with a 5string fretless neck.
Gotta talk to some of you guys about making that conversion.