Why are guitar players so obsessed with gear?

[Robert****]

Think about it. We are obsessed with gear. Pedals, amps, guitars, heck even cables and picks!

We drool over gear we don't have more than we play the gear we do have. I am one of them, I admit it openly.

I don't personally know any keyboard players, bass players or drummers with the same kind of obsession as myself. They might buy something once a year, while I buy something almost every month - pedals, cheap guitars, cables, and any kind of gadgets I find remotely interesting for playing guitar.

Bands that I don't play so often with - I go to a gig or rehearsal and I bring a bunch of new stuff, and they ask if I had that last time we played. Of course I didn't. They, on the other hand, play with the same old stuff as last year or last time we played together.

Part of the reason may be that we are also obsessed with tone - we change stuff all the time to achieve that holy grail of tone. We never get there though, do we? The journey is probably more important than the destination, I guess.

So, in general, why are we so obsessed with stuff? Or is my perspective skewed?

[marnold***]

Because we're all freaks. Actually, with any hobby there is a certain amount of obsessive-compulsive behavior. Some homebrewers, for example, are eternally content to have a simple extract setup. Others build monstrous RIMS systems with more stainless than your average kitchen outlet store. How about gamers piling ceaseless amounts of cash into their boxen to get the latest and greatest CPU, video cards, and monitors. The list goes on.

By the by, if you think that bass players can't be obsessive, read through the Talk Bass forums sometime. In Real Life, I have noticed that bass players tend to be more laid back and less arrogant about their abilities than the lead guitarists.

[zeusse]

If anybody sais they don't chase tone their full of donkey doo..Your absolutely right Robert the journey is probably more important than the destination...mind you it would be nice to find my destination that I keep invisioning but chasing tone is so much fun I'd probably be bored if I got what I wanted....your not alone

[LagrangeCalvert]

Our bassist and drummer are obsessive about their gear.....its not just guitarists, its most musicians....guitarists just happen to be the worst.

[Spudman***]

Two things come to mind: One is that we all have disposable income and the other is that we belong to this silly forum that forces you to buy gear.

Did I nail it or what?

[Mark]

Oh it isnt just guitar players Robert. People do this do this with motorcycles my $20,000.00 Harley was just the "starter kit" Im also into building computers and when I was into overclocking what those folks wont do for a little more speed. As a pilot I have friends who own airplanes same deal ditto for the crowd I run with on jetski's. I think its the nature of us guys and our hobbies, plus as mentioned as we get older and more financially secure we have more $$$ to sample the nicer things we couldnt afford in our youth, I know I do. I belive in strong financial planning for our retirement but you also have to temper that with the fact that the hearse they carry you to your final resting spot has no luggage racks

[Spudman***]

I belive in strong financial planning for our retirement but you also have to temper that with the fact that the hearse they carry you to your final resting spot has no luggage racks

What a great way to say that you can't take it with you when you go. Mind if I use that? It's brilliant.

[Tone2TheBone]

Simple. We're men. Men are just adult boys. We have to have toys. Although some women can really get into hobbies just as obsessively. Take reading for example....books and books and more books.

[Bloozcat]

Two things come to mind: One is that we all have disposable income and the other is that we belong to this silly forum that forces you to buy gear.

Did I nail it or what?

Yeah, that's pretty much it...

As the saying goes: The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys...to which I'd add "and number".

I have to confess though, that I'm at a point where some stuff has to go before more stuff can come in. It's really a culling of the heard so to speak. I do want to maintain the quality of my stock, after all...

[elavd]

Robert, I have exactly the same feeling as you...

• I think that no other musician "suffers" from GAS like the guitarists...I am DEFINETLY one of them...
• I surely have more guitars than I can play...
• During the last year, I've bought SIX guitars while sold 2. I bought one last week, and I've already the need of another one (335 style )
• I have spent and keep spending so much money on gear, that I don't have the courage to calculate the total amount of money...
• When I see a 500€ guitar I think "wow it's a bargain, I should buy it" and on the other hand when I see a 100€ pair of jeans I think "that's a steal!!!"
• I'm 20% a live musician and 80% a bedroom player. Do i need all this stuff??? The answer is NO...
• I don't know how I got into this, but surely the daily internet browsing eventually made my GAS stonger.
• My bandmates, smile when they see me always with a new guitar or gear, while they play the same instruments for years. I admit that sometimes this smile makes me feel a little guilty...

I think that we all sometimes have focused in "minor" things such as, the fretboard radius, capacitor or pot values, true bypass pedals, "transparent" patch cables, string gauges, pick sizes etc etc, and we LOSE the focus of main target which is IMO to play and write good music and to become better musicians day by day...

But on the other hand: LIFE IS TOO SHORT, NOT TO HAVE GOOD TONE!!!

[Mark]

What a great way to say that you can't take it with you when you go. Mind if I use that? It's brilliant.

You go right ahead Spud. I figure we have enough $$$ to get me and the Mrs. to 100 years of age financially.....everything after that is gravy.
One thing I really try to do and it is in fact easier to do with guitars and related gear is buy quality so when and if I do decide to sell my hit is typically less and the cost of ownership is actually less, you can even make a profit with some things. Perfect example I was up to a total of three Princeton Reverbs. I love working on them so I tuned them up total cost of the three and my parts to tune them up $2100.00 sold one of them for 1300 the other two will easily fetch that so Im ahead whenever I want to be. If you buy right on the things you enjoy you can seriously make out pretty good. Keeley compressor cost me 150 didnt care for it sold it 165 bought an Xotic BB pre-amp 150 Im 15 bux ahead already and got to test some nice gear!

[kerc]

Robert, it happens with all hobbies. It was the same when I was an avid R/C racer, and also when I was really into scale auto modeling (a hobby I will return to, I like it a lot!)...

[elavd]

Robert, it happens with all hobbies.

I agree, but why only guitarists have this...hobby?