the GAS Paradox

DonovanB

Some of us started on super el cheapo guitars, others a little better. I was thinking how much fun I've had trying and buying, upgrading and modding guitars to get to where I am now.

What have been the highlights, or lowlights of your gear history?

I learned on a kawai nylon string. Borrowed a Yamaha Nylon string to learn on.

Then I bought my current MIJ Squier which has been tweaked a little, but not too much. I've changed pups about 3 times, to some unknown brand, then back, then the Noiseless, then the MIA standards in there now.

I've had a few Ibanii electrics, a Jackson I regret selling and some Epiphone LP (Special, 100 and the Zakk Wylde custom)

It's been an interesting journey to what I have now, and I still have a way to go.

ezietsman

Getting new toys is great. Let's see... I did:

2000:
Learned a few chords and things on a real crappo nylon for a month or two.
Got my Epiphone Les Paul + Marshall VS15R

2001:
Swapped the pickups with Seymour Duncans cuz they squealed easily

2002:
Got Washburn acoustic, sold Washburn acoustic. Don't like air inside my guitars.

2002-2011: Played played played played played.

2009:
Bought Peavey Valveking 50Watt
Bought Blackstar HT5

2010:
Sold Valveking, too loud
Bought DD7, Hardwire Overdrive

2011:
Bought wah, Korg Pitchblack
Got Tokai Les Paul
Got 18 watt head + Cab
Installed Bareknuckles in Tokai

2012:
Swapped Epi's Seymours for Tonerider Rebel 90s. Epi is now my slide guitar.

Highlights:
Building my own amp, playing with Hellfire, getting my first valve amp, getting my first real Les Paul

Low point:
2008 in which I didn't touch my guitar once. ☹

I think I'm doing rather well, seeing I can remember after 12 years every guitar toy I bought, ever ?

AlanRatcliffe

You got time for 30 years of intense GAS addiction? ? Up to 28 at my "worst", down to 1 at "best" and currently hovering around five. And that's just the guitars...

Why "paradox" though?

Zulublues

There goes Koos, a Boxer on one leash and a German Shepherd on another. Now. that's a real paradox !

Sorry, couldn't resist it ! ? ? ?

MikeM

After reading Don's and Ez's list... I feel like a Mika ? or an Alan

aja

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: You got time for 30 years of intense GAS addiction? ?

well you did mention that you are writing your second book, no?

?

Reinhard

I started playing on a 70's Epi acoustic.

First electric guitar was a samick LP into a Peavey solidstate amp, followed by a Epi LP into a Marshall Valvestate. Sold the Marshall and got a vintage Fender bandmaster head and 2x12. This lead to a tweed Fender Bues Junior, which I traded towards a Silverface Deluxe reverb. The bandmaster was sold. Then I got a 1969 plexi Marshall Super PA, Peavey classic 30 which I eventually sold, an early 60's Vox AC30, a blackface Super Reverb and a Ceriatone Matchless clone. Sold a little Champ 600 along the way too.

Guitarwise the Epi made room for a Japanese strat, then I got a 2003 LP std which I sold, a 1997 ES-335 that was ripped off, a '99 59 reissue les paul and a 62 reissue SG. Then the vintage bug bit and 3 60's archtops were added and a modern Hummingbird.

So I guess it went from solidstate, to valvestate, to all valve, to vintage.
Guitars went from solidbodies to archtops.
I think spending waaay too much time on the internet funded most of my GAS tbh. I would lvoe to scale down, but how do you sell your children ?

Keira-WitherKay

I see no joy in GAS or the journey and is nothing but a waste of time , and money, it's a curse most of us share An addiction. I'm cursed with it and wish i could have been like wes montgomery who is on record as being gas free and played his one L 5 most of his career and when if needed a ES 175 he loaned one and used whatever amp was handy and was iconic tonally but it was his technique of using his thumb only to play with and only the fleshy bit that made his distinctive tone not his gear . His famous quote was when he was asked why he didn't want gibson to make him a custom guitar which they offered to do , he replied , ' i like using a standard model cos if i ever drop my box ( what jazz guitars were known as ) i can just pick up someone elses and play ' so if i could do it all over i would buy one descent top end guitar and another for backup and one good amp and never buy again ? but thats just a fantasy world ?

Hammeron

I've never sold only bought.
I guess it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n roll.

21Fretter

Buy: 1/2 half sized nylon which I kept for waay to long. (2004 maybe) Turned out to be a decent brand.
Borrow: Pacifica
Buy: Jackson Kelly JS30 (lol, I typed "Jackson Jelly" the first time) (2006)
Buy: Roland Cube 30
Buy: Ibanez RGA32
Borrow: Full sized bad nylon string.
Sell: 1/2 sized nylon string
Buy: Ibanez RG7321 (2011)
Buy: Hiwatt G100R (meh, haven't grown to love it unfortunately) (2012)
Wanting to sell: Jackson Kelly

I think the order is right, the Cube may have been bought before the Kelly.

Sebber

If memory serves me, it goes something like this (not including pedals):

1985
Given an Aria acoustic for Xmas.

1988
Bought a 2nd hand Hohner “Super Strat” (HSS, Kahler-style trem with locking nut)
Bought a 2nd hand Gorilla 15W (I think it was) practice amp

1991
Bought a new Washburn N3
Bought a new Marshall Valvestate 40W combo
Sold the Hohner “Super Strat”
Sold the Gorilla 15W practice amp

1998
Bought a new MIA Fender Hendrix Tribute Voodoo Stratocaster

1999
Bought a new Marshall TSL 2x12 100W combo
Sold the Washburn N3
Threw the Marshall Valvestate 40W combo away after it stopped working

2001
Bought a new Takamine G Series acoustic

2004
Bought a new Gibson Les Paul Faded Double-cut
Bought a new Marshall MG15-MSII (the MG series 15W mini-stack)
Bought a new Seagull S6+CW after the Takamine took a nosedive that decapitated it (later fixed)

2005
Bought a new VOX AC30 CC2
Sold the Marshall TSL 2x12 100W combo

2007
Bought a new Fender Muddy Waters signature Telecaster

2008
Bought a Mesa Lonestar Special 2x12 combo
Upgraded the Tele, Strat and Les Paul with new Seymour Duncan pickups

2010
Bought a new Taylor 714ce LTD
Bought a new Mesa TransAtlantic TA-15 head with two black Lonestar 1x12 cabs

2011
Bought new Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Stratocaster
Bought 2nd hand MIA Fender Hendrix Tribute Voodoo Stratocaster
Sold Gibson Les Paul Faded Double-cut

2012
Bought Taylor GS Mini
Sold Fender Muddy Waters signature Telecaster
Donated Takamine G Series acoustic to a mate for his son

So at the moment my current guitar inventory (not including pedals) is as follows:

Electrics
Two MIA Fender Hendrix Tribute Voodoo Stratocasters
Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Stratocaster

Acoustics
Taylor 714ce LTD
Taylor GS Mini
Seagull S6+CW

Amps
Mesa Lonestar Special 2x12
Mesa TransAtlantic TA-15 Head with two 1x12 Mesa cabs
VOX AC30 CC2
Marshall MG15-MSII

DonovanB

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Why "paradox" though?

We buy because we love it, then sell it because it sucks. We think it's perfect then mod the heck out of it. It's a bit crazy isn't it?

MikeM wrote: After reading Don's and Ez's list... I feel like a Mika ? or an Alan

I had 12 at one stage. My amp list is less exciting. Actually if you consider the cheap nonsense that's passed through my ranks, which I don't it gets a little longer.

I was so disappointed recently, a friend said she bought her husband a Gibson Flying V. I went to see it and it was the Jackson... :-\

MikeM

Ahhhh alright. Makes me feel a bit better ? Yea I've had 4 Epi LPs pass through my hands over the years. Couple of Fenders, few Corts and Ibanez, still got a handful of Yamahas..

One thing I can say is that the only way to really learn what works for you and what doesn't, is to test it out yourself.

Riaan

Ok....

Around 1978: Steelstring acoustic, no name, bought at a furniture store. Warped neck, I suspect it was catching sun in the storefront window for years. I never actually managed to learn anything with it. I eventually spraypainted it gold, and with a Letraset (remember those?) wrote "Gibson FG95" or some number on the headstock. Don't know what happened to that guitar.

Around 1981: Yamaha FG325 steelstring acoustic, brand new, from a music shop...my first real guitar, the one I learned chords on, and still the one I grab first if I just want to check something out.

1995: Went to town to buy groceries, came back six hours later without groceries but with an Ibanez RX, basically a HSS strat copy. And a 9V battery operated Marshall practice amp. Bothners had a special that day. The sound was really disappointing, and my playing ability was as much to blame as the kit. I eventually discovered a reasonable distorted sound if I turned the gain and volume all the way up, and plugged tiny earphones into the amp.

1999: Regal resophonic, a 1928 model...my first vintage guitar, for all of R400 in an antique shop!

2001: Bought a Zoom 505 pedal and a Roland Bluescube amp. It's only around this time that I began playing more. Got a Cort steelstring acoustic with Fishman preamp. Got a very old copy of Cakewalk and began fooling around with recording.

And then I joined GFSA a few years ago and my GAS just took off...in relatively quick succession I got:

Godin Solidac, grabbed off EBay - still one of two favourite guitars.
Yamaha Nylonstring
Fender Strat - the other favourite. Upgraded the electronics to David Gilmour's black strat specs.
Hamer (from Alan) - also a lekker guitar, nice P90's
At least 20 pedals
MIDI keyboard
Edirol soundcard
Software galore....Sonar, Guitar Rig, you name it.
Blackstar HT 5 amp

Thinking of getting a nice bass guitar sometime. And perhaps an electronic drum kit (I figured drumming is better than going to the gym).

I'm keeping a few guitars for a friend who works overseas...all in all, there are 14 guitars in my guitar room now, amongst others a custom shop strat, tele, national steel reso, . I converted the old double garage into a home studio. Acoustic treatment, the lot...

GAS can never be cured, it can at best only be palliated to some extent...

rebelwithoutaclue

Paradox? It's a sickness! ??? And it's a sad tale sometimes along the way...
1969- at 12 years of age began learning on my dad's Gibson Southern Jumbo
1970- Received a Framus for christmas from Grampa
1973- began playing drums in a country band in the bars (at 16)- no guitar for 8 years
1981- Quit drums and bought a Yamaha SC1200 and a Peavey Classic VTX and started playing lead guitar in a country band
1984- Quit playing professionally to make some real money in the real world, but kept my equipment
1987- My dad's second wife sold my dad's Gibson for beer money in Nashville (Dad had a heart attack and wasn't the same anymore)
1992- Bought my dad's 1984 Takamine (Blue cutaway, handmade) before the b***** could sell that one!
1992-2010- Just out there making a living in the business world- only playing at camp fire/braais
2010- Fast forward- moved to RSA and I got GAS!
In less than two years:
2006 Tele mim
2009 Tele American Special
2011 Gibson Les Paul Studio Pro Plus- red velvet flame top
2011 Telebration Flame Top Telecaster 60th Ann.
2011 Logan Custom Butterscotch Blackguard Blonde Tele
2011 Logan Custom Esquire relic Tele
2004 Strat mim
2011 Baby Taylor
2011 Taylor 114 ce
2002 P-bass mim
And I just ordered a custom telecaster based on a 52 Hot Rod

My wife has started looking for a shrink!

Sean

Hi Rebel. I may have missed it, but if I haven't, how about posting some pics of your gear in the My gear section ?

racman

If I had all the money I've ever spent on guitars and gear ....

I'd spend it all on guitars and gear AGAIN!!! ?

AlanRatcliffe

RoyC wrote: If I had all the money I've ever spent on guitars and gear ....

I'd spend it all on guitars and gear AGAIN!!! ?

Well said that man! :applause:

aubs1

RoyC wrote: If I had all the money I've ever spent on guitars and gear ....
I'd spend it all on guitars and gear AGAIN!!! ?

LOL ....... absolutely Roy, me too!! ?

costafonix

the first guitar I learned to play on was this baby (featured in GFSA under "Granny's makeover"), it usually had missing and rusty strings,, and looks a lot better today than back then.

the first guitar I owned my father bought me from a place in JHB called Magnet Music,,sometime in the middle 70's,,, for R75.. its a Hofner Classical,, that I still own today

there's been some guitars I've let go that I really don't mind,,, like my Ovation Breadwinner,, funny looking guitar shaped like an axe, it had active electronics but had a pretty cr@p sound,,,

I should not have sold my Lake Placid Blue MIJ Strat....

but the cherry on the cake was when I got married and decided to swop my 50w Marshall amp with a 2x15" Celestion Cab sometime in the early 80's (yep that was me in the corner... :roflmao?

for one of these,,which I thought was 'state of the art' technology at the time....with Ronnie (Ronnie from Ronniesallbandandstrumit)

Sense prevailed and I still have my '72 Les Paul Deluxe.....
I shall now hang my head in shame and leave the room....... ?