I'm pretty well immune to marketing hype. If we're talking about guitar equipment,consumer electronics or anything else. Often the more hype there is over something the more skeptical I am.
You will not find the latest fashions in my cloths closet. My cell phone is a little Nokia,not even a flip phone,no special features. Works great for talk and text but does little else. My latest computer is a Toshiba Satellite laptop. All the features and drives I need and fairly powerfull but definately not the laptop that is cutting edge and selling like hotcakes. I don't like things like twitter or blogging. I hate gadgets like the Kindal (sp?)reader and would prefer a good old fashioned book. If a movie comes out that everyone is talking about and it is saturated with media hype,chances are I will be sick of it and not watch it for at least 3-5 years. I am just not a trendy kind of guy. When I see the herd running in one direction I am the black sheep who looks for the cliff they might be running towards off in the distance.
That said-I am still very susceptible to GAS. It's not about gadgetry or hype for me. It's just a simple compulsion I have to acquire and collect. It is hard for me to resist increasing my lot on many items I enjoy and collect. Fortunately I have learned to manage it reasonably well with my guitars and equipment. I just don't have the money or the room these days. So I have become realistic and somewhat minimalistic with my equipment.
I learned quite some time ago that complicated effects units or amps with dozens of knobs and features are not for me. I play best and get the best tone with the highest qualty guitar I can get my hands on plugged directly into a decent tube amp. Puting a pedal or two in the chain for certain soundsis OK,but that is it. My journey has taken me to my current rig after many years of exploring and sometimes going on a wrong tangent.
Even though that is the case I am still fighting GAS. My collection will not be complete until I have some kind of hollowbody or semi-hollow body to play. I'd like to throw a telecaster in the mix at some point. I have the urge to rebuild my Strat with some new pickups and hardware since it is 9 years old and still bone stock. Whats next after that? Who knows. Maybe I'll want a sweet acoustic or a Les Paul in a different color and different pickups. Maybe I'll get in a band and decide my 30 watt combo isn't cutting it. So then I'll have to get a Marshall or Bogner head and 2 x 12 cab to keep up.
No matter what your motivation for acquisition is I think it is important to look at the big picture. How is it effecting the rest of your life? As far as I am concerned if you can afford your equipment habit,you are not neglecting any responsibilities,and no one is being hurt by it, have fun and enjoy yourself. We're not blowing our hard earned money on things like gambling,drugs or hookers,right?