2025 Gear Abstinence Thread

[OliverBlackman]

On 24/01/2025 at 10:04, neepheid said:

 

From the rules - "There used to be a convention that things not in the signal path didn’t count. So straps, stands and the like were allowed. I'm cool with that - what do others think?"

 

I for one don't think something as paltry as a bag counts.  Protecting our gear is only prudent and perfectly in line with the mantra of using what we have (in this case, protecting it so we don't have to replace it).

What if you already have a bag but you’re buying a new one because it has extra pockets, a fancy lining or it’s a leather harvest gig bag! I think that should count as a fail, but then again I think the same should apply for straps. 
 

Maybe there needs to be a god tier?

[SimonK]

11 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said:

 

Maybe there needs to be a god tier?

 

"God tier" is for those who not only don't buy something, but also do not rearrange their pedal board for a whole year...

[ezbass]

I don’t remember this much wheedling so early on last year. If in doubt, don’t buy anything, or go big and go out in a blaze of glory.

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, SimonK said:

 

"God tier" is for those who not only don't buy something, but also do not rearrange their pedal board for a whole year...

I vote myself into that one. I haven’t bought a pedal in 20+ years and the zoom b2 that I do have was gifted to me 17 years ago. I’m also brassic so won’t be buying anything - therefore set aside my cloud, thunderbolts and oak leaf crown right now 

[Richard R]

9 hours ago, SimonK said:

"God tier" is for those who not only don't buy something, but also do not rearrange their pedal board for a whole year...

 

If we're introducing new levels then we should stick to the numbering convention, so the above is Tier 0.

The 0 can be in shiny gold and look like a halo you want.

 

8 hours ago, ezbass said:

I don’t remember this much wheedling so early on last year. If in doubt, don’t buy anything, or go big and go out in a blaze of glory.

 

I think weedling is a withdrawl symptom. The GAS addict can't buy anything and so that energy which would be spent eying up new gear and comparing munitae of details and prices and colours has to go somewhere. 😄

[sprocketflup]

My first time I've participated in one of these threads as I knew it was pointless in years past, so no surprise I've just bought something. It's JPJ's second hand Line6 G30 wireless system for my second stage bass as swapping one wireless between the two (fretted and fretless) Barrymored the jack plug on the fretted, so this is so I can have each bass with its own system/signal and save wear and tear.

If I'm not mistaken that is tier 2, so I'm still hanging by my fingernails onto tier 1.   However, more than happy for the Gear Abstinence Thread legal teams to debate the validity of my claim

[neepheid]

16 minutes ago, sprocketflup said:

My first time I've participated in one of these threads as I knew it was pointless in years past, so no surprise I've just bought something. It's JPJ's second hand Line6 G30 wireless system for my second stage bass as swapping one wireless between the two (fretted and fretless) Barrymored the jack plug on the fretted, so this is so I can have each bass with its own system/signal and save wear and tear.

If I'm not mistaken that is tier 2, so I'm still hanging by my fingernails onto tier 1.   However, more than happy for the Gear Abstinence Thread legal teams to debate the validity of my claim

 

I think you're on shaky ground here - it's gear, it's being plugged into a bass, it's very much in your signal path.  This is like arguing that you're still in because you bought a "guitar" pedal or something which was not specifically designed for bass.  Last year I bowed out because I bought a pitch shifter - it is not bass specific but it's definitely gear.  If I hadn't got that, then the wireless system I bought after it would definitely have had me bowing out.

 

Two separate wireless systems seems like an indulgence/convenience to me, as much as you describe it as a wear and tear saving exercise, you didn't have to do it that way - you could have left the bass you use least during the show wired up with a cable, for instance.  Or just accepted that jack sockets fail, repaired it and carried on as you were.

[Geek99]

Maybe The Donald will pardon him? 
he pardons everyone else 

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, Geek99 said:

Maybe The Donald will pardon him? 
he pardons everyone else 

There would have to be some quid pro quo, that’s his modus operandi.

[Richard R]

3 hours ago, sprocketflup said:

I've just bought something. It's JPJ's second hand Line6 G30 wireless system

I have to agree with @neepheid that you're out, it's not a like-for-like repair or replacement.

 

On the plus side - that removes the temptation I had to buy it, and I would have absolutely no justification whatsoever as it's not even a pretty colour.

 

 

[Geek99]

13 minutes ago, ezbass said:

There would have to be some quid pro quo, that’s his modus operandi.

He’s breathing and comes to this site? 
that’s bona fide loyalty right there 

[sprocketflup]

9 minutes ago, Richard R said:

On the plus side - that removes the temptation I had to buy it

 

 

You're welcome

[ezbass]

47 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

He’s breathing and comes to this site? 
that’s bona fide loyalty right there 

Not to the orange one.

[Geek99]

We’ll have to impersonate him

[ezbass]

4 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

We’ll have to impersonate him

Close enough?

[Geek99]

No, needs the non-orange rings around the eyes. Also that Guinea pig looks insufficiently narcissistic. Hair’s right though 

[bass_dinger]

13 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Hair’s right though 

 

Indeed it is, as this cropped hamster head clearly shows...

 

 

And the real thing..

 

Edited 20 hours ago by bass_dinger

[ezbass]

I feel a tier 2 fail in the offing as I’m looking very hard at a roller bridge for my Epi Casino and pretty sure I’ll be ordering one in the coming week. By doing this, I avoid going out and buying a Gretsch 5420 or similar (well, at least it off for another while).

[neepheid]

2 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I feel a tier 2 fail in the offing as I’m looking very hard at a roller bridge for my Epi Casino and pretty sure I’ll be ordering one in the coming week. By doing this, I avoid going out and buying a Gretsch 5420 or similar (well, at least it off for another while).

 

Can it nae wait?  What's wrong with the bridge on it at the moment?

[ezbass]

Just now, neepheid said:

 

Can it nae wait?  What's wrong with the bridge on it at the moment?

First of all, I was added to list of this year’s abstainers by default, not choice, so I’m really not trying very hard at all, in fact, I’m not trying, I’m just here to cause unrest  .

 

The tuning stability on the Casino Coupé is woeful, as it has a retro fitted Bigsby, with a very acute break angle. From what I’ve learnt from YouTube, even guitars with Bigsbys factory fitted, with this break angle, suffer from this. Past experience with Bigsbys has taught me that roller bridges make a decent difference. As I’ve been playing the skinny stringed thing a bit more lately, this is a reasonable upgrade. I want to get my Setzer on a bit more.

[Geek99]

@ezbass is clearly a heathen

[ezbass]

48 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

@ezbass is clearly a heathen

It’s really a case of use or lose it. I’m rusty AF! Plus, it stops me looking at basses.

[Geek99]

17 minutes ago, ezbass said:

It’s really a case of use or lose it. I’m rusty AF! Plus, it stops me looking at basses.

How is “the path of the righteous man”** a bad thing ? Walk away from The Dark Side

 

Looking isn’t a problem, it’s the optional buying stage to avoid 

 

** or woman 

Edited 17 hours ago by Geek99

[Richard R]

1 hour ago, Geek99 said:

Looking isn’t a problem, it’s the optional buying stage to avoid 

 

https://thebassgallery.com/products/ovation-magnum-i

 

I look at things I can't afford. Makes avoiding the purchase so much easier.

 

[miles'tone]

I'm already a fortnight up on last year. I can do this... I can do this...