2025 Gear Abstinence Thread

[Geek99]

27 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Oh I’ve been well out of this since January 😆

Yes but late January, at this rate you’ll be going gear-.purchase-free all year **
 

** assuming that you live until 2097 of course 

[ezbass]

After completing the abstinence challenge last year, I am now a broken man. Other than the stand I bought for my EUB, which was the equivalent of a more comfortable strap, I have no GAS. Let me say that again, NO GAS! Sounds good, yes? Well it isn’t, I hate it! I used to love pointlessly drooling over new gear, looking to see where I could try it, how I could justify buying it. All gone, even guitar GAS, which was always on hand, has dwindled to a mere cursory glance at guitar shop, websites.

 

To summarise, everyone go and buy something now, save yourselves, no one should feel like this. 😩

 

What do you mean, that’s not the point of this thread and challenge? I’m doing everyone a favour, surely?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

😉😁

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, ezbass said:

After completing the abstinence challenge last year, I am now a broken man. Other than the stand I bought for my EUB, which was the equivalent of a more comfortable strap, I have no GAS. Let me say that again, NO GAS! Sounds good, yes? Well it isn’t, I hate it! I used to love pointlessly drooling over new gear, looking to see where I could try it, how I could justify buying it. All gone, even guitar GAS, which was always on hand, has dwindled to a mere cursory glance at guitar shop, websites.

 

To summarise, everyone go and buy something now, save yourselves, no one should feel like this. 😩

 

What do you mean, that’s not the point of this thread and challenge? I’m doing everyone a favour, surely?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

😉😁

 

Bollox - there'll be something living rent-free in your head... just buy it, you're gonna die some day. 

 

Morbid, perhaps, but that's the exact logic I used when I bought my Greco bass.  Carpe diem and all that shizz.

[ezbass]

1 minute ago, neepheid said:

Bollox - there'll be something living rent-free in your head... just buy it, you're gonna die some day. 

No, it’s true, there’s nothing and it’s been nothing for quite some time - it sucks.

 

I know that a new band, with particular sonic/aesthetic requirements could cure this, but it’s slim pickings.

[msb]

Decided a Diamond compressor might be a good thing to have , but haven’t bought one yet. Not in any panic , wouldn’t be used for gigs , if I saw a great deal I’d probably jump. 
Levy used to make a gorgeous leather gig bag , not currently in production , if I saw one come up for a good price I could lose it there. Otherwise I’m good. My musical emergency fund is flush , so I’m ready should anything surface. I check the classifieds on a regular basis and haven’t been tempted. 

[ezbass]

6 minutes ago, msb said:

Decided a Diamond compressor might be a good thing to have , but haven’t bought one yet. Not in any panic , wouldn’t be used for gigs , if I saw a great deal I’d probably jump. 
Levy used to make a gorgeous leather gig bag , not currently in production , if I saw one come up for a good price I could lose it there. Otherwise I’m good. My musical emergency fund is flush , so I’m ready should anything surface. I check the classifieds on a regular basis and haven’t been tempted. 

€252 + shipping and local taxes gets you a Maruszczyk leather gigbag, less (€226) if you go for black.

 

https://www.public-peace.de/guitar-bass/gigbags/e-bass-bags/

[wavemaker]

I had an almost fail last week when the thoughts about a used Warwick Thumb available locally started to become intrusive … However, this led me to a revelation while spending the weekend rebuilding the electronics of another beautiful piece of bubinga (one I actually own), as well as rehearsing and practicing with it. 

 

My tastes in basses really have become a double-edged sword for my finances: Most instruments simply aren’t even intriguing to me. But whenever something tickles my fancy juuuuuust right, more likely than not, it’s a matter of four figures.

 

And then, it hit me: Whenever I buy something, I‘m not only adding an awesome unique bass to my stable of awesome unique basses - I‘m actually taking another awesome unique instrument off the market. And I don’t want that, at all - I want others to experience awesome unique basses, as well. 

 

And with that thought, G.A.S. was gone. Anyone want to recommend me for that swedish medal?

[SimonK]

I'd forgotten about this thread, and now bought a further three more cabs since my first "fail" on 11th February... certainly much happier with having the cabs and not being in the abstinence club!! 😈

[Geek99]

I am, as my friend from Dundee would say, seeing my jacket on a shaky nail right now. I’ve sold a much loved bass, and a much desired cab to Pay some bills as discussed with @neepheid and I’m down to one bass and no cab. Tempted by a sire 5 string and a squier 40th p 😇🤞and I know that puts me in failure territory for the first year ever 

 

both are postable or collectable within distance of my winterfell hovel

Edited Tuesday at 17:43 by Geek99

[King Tut]

Well pedal toppers or not I’m definitely out now as I purchased a pink Sire fiver from here at the weekend!

[Stub Mandrel]

On 05/03/2025 at 00:38, neepheid said:

 

OK, I'll bite.  Why?

 

I keep a strap, lead and tuner in the case with all my main basses, so I can grab one, a head and a cab and know I gave all the essentials.

[Stub Mandrel]

I have realised buying basses is just a justification for going to shops to try out lots of nice instruments and gear.

 

How can I do that and not buy...

[neepheid]

7 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I keep a strap, lead and tuner in the case with all my main basses, so I can grab one, a head and a cab and know I gave all the essentials.

 

Ahh, strict adherence to one bag.  Got it.  A strap for every bass, that tracks.  For everything else, I have a pedalboard, so there's a tuner on there, and cables/wireless bugs go in the bag with it too.

[Obrienp]

I am feeling proud of myself for having resisted the temptation of a number of Barefaced cabs that have been listed on BC. I have developed a procrastination coping mechanism: I sleep on it and by the next day some other BCer has jumped in and removed the temptation. I don’t think it would work if a LFSys cab came up again.

 

One of the bands I am in used Plug Studios in Norwich for a rehearsal yesterday. There was an anonymous 4 x10 (alternative speaker cloth on it) powered by a Peavey Max 800 in our rehearsal room and it sounded brilliant. It has really given me GAS for a 4 x 10 but one I can lift easily, which kind of restricts the choice in the affordable range. A BF Four10 is out of my league, ditto a GR Bass but the newish Markbass MB58R 4 x10s look tempting. Fortunately, there are very few reviews on them out there, so that is controlling the GAS at the moment.

[TimR]

I'm still in.

 

Considered a DMX lighting controller pedal following a thread the other week, but luckily someone posted in this thread and I remembered I don't need one. 

[Geek99]

I think I’m likely to be out after many years of success. 
 

I wouldn’t be buying if a) I hadn’t needed something to make a difficult inheritance “mine” and b) hadn’t needed to sell a loved bass whilst waiting for the money to arrive and c) a good price 

Stop laughing @AndyTravis 😁

 

Edited 10 hours ago by Geek99

[AndyTravis]

42 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

I think I’m likely to be out after many years of success. 
 

I wouldn’t be buying if a) I hadn’t needed something to make a difficult inheritance “mine” and b) hadn’t had to sell a lived bass whilst waiting for it to arrive and c) a good price 

Stop laughing @AndyTravis 😁

 

I’m glad you’ve bought it, genuinely messaged Lee after some wine…

 

”Trav, you know you don’t use 5’s” 😂😂😂

[Geek99]

30 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I’m glad you’ve bought it, genuinely messaged Lee after some wine…

 

”Trav, you know you don’t use 5’s” 😂😂😂

That stopped you ? Whilst you were “channelling the force” ** 😳

 

a euphemism for “pissed” and “purchase-focused” in one amalgamated emotional state

Edited 10 hours ago by Geek99

[Mrbigstuff]

8 hours ago, Geek99 said:

I think I’m likely to be out after many years of success. 
 

I wouldn’t be buying if a) I hadn’t needed something to make a difficult inheritance “mine” and b) hadn’t needed to sell a loved bass whilst waiting for the money to arrive and c) a good price 

Stop laughing @AndyTravis 😁

 

Congrats it was a great price