GAS - Yes, But Why..?

[discreet]

GAS - Yes, But Why..?

Plenty of threads about GAS on this here board, but what I want to know is...

WHY? Let's see... you already have a really great bass, one that you lusted after and planned to get. You like it a lot, it suits the kind of work you're doing, it plays really well, it sounds really great, it looks really good, it's really comfortable to play, it suits the band, it sounds great recorded, it's well cool and everybody you meet says they love it, other bands compliment you on your great sound. It even photographs well! And of course, it's a 'keeper' and you'd never sell it! 

I can understand (for example) wanting a couple of basses to cover all bases (ahem), such as a P and a J for sonic variation, or a P with flats and a P with rounds...

But why are you constantly looking for something else beyond this? Just exactly what is driving you to become a bass collector of sorts? You can only play one bass at a time. Is it fear of missing out? Do you really think after all this time and all your experience of playing basses that 'the one' is still out there waiting for you to discover it??  Why would you risk moving on your 'perfect' bass and  buy what turns out to be a lesser bass, only to regret it later..?

Enquiring and obviously not-occupied-enough minds need to know!

 

[wateroftyne]

"What if...?"

[ricksterphil]

'Ooh shiney....''

'I'm sure that will make me a better player....'

'WANT ONE WANT ONE WANT ONE.......'

 

[Barking Spiders]

A fair point and one which I've been mulling over as I look to offload several instruments including guitars, drums and other stuff. As with many others, the problem is deciding which to lose. I think I got into this position in the first place as none are all rounders  i.e. good for fingerstyle, and slap and pick playing

[artisan]

Because I'm stupid

 

[Cuzzie]

I expanded, tinkered, found what i liked and retracted to a stable that I know are me and should not go out the door for any reason.

Lots and lots of lust going on, but made a promise to myself and Mrs Cuzzie, I have to have a pot of money saved for any eventualities life throws at us, then once I have that I can get another bass if I have saved enough to buy it outright, no wheeler dealing.

That keeps me sane and very unlikely to get another!

[Bigwan]

Mostly, and not to get all Laurence Fishburne, because I know I haven't found "the one" for me. I should clarify that I have played "the one" but it belonged to somebody else, and short or prying it from his cold, dead fingers, it will never be mine. But I know there is another out there, just waiting to be found.

[Ghost_Bass]

45 minutes ago, discreet said:

WHY? Let's see... you already have a really great bass, one that you lusted after and planned to get. You like it a lot, it suits the kind of work you're doing, it plays really well, it sounds really great, it looks really good, it's really comfortable to play, it suits the band, it sounds great recorded, it's well cool and everybody you meet says they love it, other bands compliment you on your great sound. It even photographs well! And of course, it's a 'keeper' and you'd never sell it! 

I can understand (for example) wanting a couple of basses to cover all bases (ahem), such as a P and a J for sonic variation, or a P with flats and a P with rounds...

Well, i can see myself in your post, in every single point you raise and not even the exception on the second paragraph applies to me as my bass does every type of tone a want! btw, this is MY BASS, my pride and joy:

53 minutes ago, discreet said:

But why are you constantly looking for something else beyond this? Just exactly what is driving you to become a bass collector of sorts? You can only play one bass at a time. Is it fear of missing out? Do you really think after all this time and all your experience of playing basses that 'the one' is still out there waiting for you to discover it??  Why would you risk moving on your 'perfect' bass and  buy what turns out to be a lesser bass, only to regret it later..?

Since owning this bass (around 2010 i think) i've lost count on the number of basses that went through my ownership (20 to 30 i would say), all came and gone, from high-end makers like Ken Smith to Fenders and Warwicks, etc. All bought with the intention of finding the perfect bass, this is, the bass that has all the plusses of this one (tone, construction quality, feel, overall balance, beauty factor) and none of it's few flaws (weight and the inability of having passive operation due to active electronics and pickups).
The fact is that none of them came even close to the tone i get from it and i'm aware that only a second TRB5PII in the same wood scheme can come anywhere close to mine (i have a TRB5P and it's not the same thing, keeps hanging in the wall at home). Yet i still try and buy basses that i like the looks and specs of just to sell them on a few weeks later.
It's the case of "the grass appears to be greener on the other side" followed by the realisation that what i have is better.

I don't think i will ever stop buying basses but i'm more controlled now, i only buy rarities just for the sake of trying something different and only keep Japanese nechtrough high-end Yamahas in my personal collection because of my love for the brand.

 

Same applies to other bits of gear like amps, cabs and pedals, i found what i like years ago but yet i still get drawn to new things. Like somebody said in few posts ago "What if..."

[bassace]

Because we can?

[bassbiscuits]

I think we just get caught up in it - if you're gigging and getting some spare cash coming in, its just too tempting to treat yourself to some more nice kit. There's no obvious cut off point once you get beyond the basic necessities, and into the realms of fantasy kit.

The bubble burst with me about a year ago, mainly cos i cut right back on gigs for family reasons, and then realised how much kit i actually had. The apparently amazing, life-changing aspirational gear I'd bought didn't make me play any better, or feel any better. It just tied up thousands of pounds, so I flogged the stuff i didn't really need.

I still look on Basschat most days and see stuff I like - but then a reality check reveals i don't actually need it. 

It's nice feeling that you don't have to buy anything. Sort of the opposite of GAS. I'll probably get lynched on here for saying it tho.

It's lovely to have shiny new exciting treats, but constantly longing for different things and working out how to get them makes me really stressed out I've realised.

[oldslapper]

Honestly?

Before coming on here I was blissfully unaware of the variety of basses available & was quite happy with my cheap squier jazz bass & old cheap bass stack. No one in any band ever commented on said bass/amp, only on my playing. "that's great, or that's not great"...end of.

I then entered the black hole of bass forums which reached into my very insecure being, and I began to say to myself. "other bass players will look upon your lowly bass/amp, point and laugh!" Oh how I imagined being mocked by the multitude of low enders.

So, I started a ridiculous 10 year journey of buying and selling equipment in order to feel better about myself, so that in my imagination, I could look another bassist in the eye and without hesitation spout forth the list of high end gear that I owned (but couldn't really afford).

However, no one in any of the bands I played commented on said bass/amp, only on my playing. Hold in I thought, this has made no difference to anything other than my insecure ego & bank balance.

I now own one cheap bass, and don't even own an amp. Still get asked to play/gig/record with some great players.

So why the GAS? For me coz I forget what matters, & have to admit I can suffer from chronic comparing syndrome. 

I'm probably the only one, but I'm glad that's off my chest.

My name's oldslapper & I'm a plonker.😁

[thepurpleblob]

Because it's easier than sitting practising for hours on end. 

[Delberthot]

For me it was for the hell of it.

It began with a bad gig in 2007 when I couldn't hear myself properly so I sold everything and started again. At the time I had a Trace T-bass 5 string fretless, black Musicman Stingray 5, Gallien Krueger 800RB and Trace 2x10".

I've been largely lucky in that during my time of buying and selling the profits have balanced out the losses so it hasn't really cost me anything.

Some basses -  like the 7 Rickenbackers, 8 Stingrays, Geddy Lee Jazz, Warwick Thumb NT5 and Modulus Flea have been bought because some of my favourite players played these.

The 6 strings were purely for the hell of it as I never ever needed a high C but Nathan East played one at the time so that was good enough for me to have 4 or 5 of them. The Precisions were because I love the look of the Precision, same for the '51 reissues, '73 Telecaster bass, Epi Thunderbirds and Explorer.

The 8 and 12vers were bought during my Cheap Trick / Kings X phase

The others were probably because they were shiny.

Cabs have been 1x10", 2x10", 4x10", 8x10", 2x12", 1x15", 2x15", 1x18" 

 

130+ basses later I have a black Musicman Sterling, Musicman SUB5, GK MB500 and a Barefaced One 10 so I've ended up coming full circle back to roughly what I had when I first pushed the revolving door of gear.

 

It's been a lot of fun and the most expensive basses weren't always the best but now I can look at a bass for sale that I've had 5 of and know that I don't need another one

 

[Japhet]

Like the Circle of 5ths, there is also a Circle of GAS. The progression goes

I'm happy with what I have.

Something different catches the attention.

Reasons to acquire said article begin chattering in the brain.

Justifications for acquire said article begin to form.

Said article is elevated from 'Desirable' to 'Must Have' status

Previously satisfactory equipment becomes unsatisfactory.

Rabid obsession with said article developes.

New article is acquired.

I'm happy with what I have.

Rinse and repeat.

[oldslapper]

Rinse & repeat. Brilliant.

That's on my list of new song titles...thanks. 

[bertbass]

I've always found that the degree of GAS is proportionally related to the number of gigs, i.e., 2 or more gigs a week, no GAS. No gigs, enormous GAS!

[wateroftyne]

2 minutes ago, bertbass said:

I've always found that the degree of GAS is proportionally related to the number of gigs, i.e., 2 or more gigs a week, no GAS. No gigs, enormous GAS!

I can't argue with that. I tend to chop'n'change during quiet spells.

[bassbiscuits]

Yup I've come full circle. I currently own a bass I've had for 20+ years, a strat I've had for 15 years and an electro acoustic I've had for 16 years. 

When I slimmed down to just what I needed I realised that it was pretty much what I already owned and liked playing. 

I'll eat my words at some point for sure but the burning need to spend money on stuff has gone (helped along by the fact I don't currently have any money). 

[Lozz196]

I`ve been a sufferer of this for a while, am now offloading a lot of gear due to it. I still want a Jazz bass, but I know I won`t use it in a band setting so am resisting at present. Most of my GAS is trying to get the exact right set-up, then realising I already had it.The other aspect is buying the same basses but in a different colour scheme, only to find out again that my old faithfull black/black/maples are the ones I feel most comfortable with, so aside from one white one, which is being kept for videos, they`re going too.

[TheGreek]

1. The grass is always greener
2. Cos I can
3. Cos I can afford to - no wife/drain on resources/ kids
4. When I was a kid (1 of 7) wasn't much spare cash, now there is.
5. I like to treat myself - so I do.

Selfish?? Maybe...but I can't take it with me and I had, for a while, a stressful but reasonably well paid job...a bit of retail therapy helps...

[BreadBin]

I like them, and want to try as many as possible so I try to buy low in order to not lose too much money. I have recently picked up some real bargains that have sat unused and unloved for years, cleaned them, set them up with new strings and then sold on for a very modest profit. The hope is that I can gradually trade up to some more exotic models. 

They are all different, and I find that I play differently as a consequence. 

[josie]

I know, honestly, that what will make me a better bass player is spending more time playing the wonderful basses I already have, not buying another one. They'll give me the full range of sound I want if I can only figure out how to get it from them.

I know the bass I still somehow most lust after (a black Stingray 5) just doesn't feel right when I pick one up. Last year I did suddenly *need* a Gibson EB2, which seemed fair enough as it's so different from all my others :-)

I have no GAS for any brand-new bass.

But I do find myself sucked into guitar shops on the off chance there's a second-hand bass for a silly price that wants to come home with me. I do enjoy the hunt, and the process of choosing and buying an instrument - musician sons and budding musician grandchildren come in handy as excuses :-)

I'm starting to experiment with strings, which is a lot cheaper than experimenting with basses, and when I'm really broke I splurge on picks from TimberTones - fairly harmless and satisfying retail therapy :-)

[ped]

To be honest, having found the ‘one’ over 10 years ago, I actually enjoy GAS a lot more now. That’s because I don’t have to worry about the next bass being my new main instrument, or build it up in my mind to be perfect. I can buy instruments out of curiosity and for fun knowing that it’s not really competing against my daily driver, so to speak. Takes the pressure off and makes the process more enjoyable, especially when nearly all of them are bought online and without having tried them. 

[chris_b]

Get the best bass for you.

Spend the rest on lessons.

Then get the best bass for your new found abilities. Use your old bass as your backup.

You're done.

[ead]

It's just the musical version of the seven deadly sins isn't it?

Lust - Naked desire to own new toys

Gluttony - Have plenty but want more

Greed - This will make me a better player

Sloth - Rather buy new things than practice with existing things

Wrath - Can't afford it but what can I do to get it

Envy - I want one too (e.g. Fender Flea and countless others)

Pride - Rinse and repeat

For the avoidance of doubt I plead guilty on all counts Your Honour