Why do we chase guitars ?

[charliechitlins]

Because they're sexy and we love to hold them.
If it's really tone you go in search of, you chase amps.
But you don't get to hug and caress them.
Much.
Not when there are people around, anyway.

 

[MarcB]

sexy

Bonjour.

 

[Amp360]

For me, as hard as it is to admit, it's more than likely trama.

When I was about 11, I went through a terrible situation and spent a year doing nothing but playing guitar. I didn't socialize with my friends, wasn't interested in school, and didn't do much of anything aside from sitting in the basement and playing guitar and listening to records. At this time, I had an acoustic guitar, and as crazy as it is to think, there weren't a lot of electric guitars out there at the time, at least where I lived.

That year, at Christmas time, I had been saving to buy an electric guitar, and a friend of my father's sold me a Les Paul Standard and a Vibrolux for $200. I was in a single-parent household with a sibling, and while we weren't living in poverty, there wasn't a lot of extras. It was one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me.

I was obsessed with collecting all kinds of things for a long time. I didn't have a lot of guitars because I didn't have a lot of money. As I got older and made money, I bought guitars. Whenever I see people with huge collections of anything, it makes me very sad because I worry that the person may have gone through, or is going through, something difficult in life that they're attempting to fill with possessions. I always hope it's not the case.

I still have way too many guitars, but I don't have any interest in having a bunch of the same thing. I have a few LPs and Fenders that are close because I did a lot of touring with someone who had songs in standard and 1/2 step down tunings but I've sold tons of things over the past three or four years. I sold some killer maps over the past year and it felt so good to let them go. I just sold a few guitars I used on some bigger recordings and even though I was attached I still have photos and am glad they're gone.

If you ever watch the show, Hoarders, the problem is never the possessions; there is always some underlying issue. I still have way too many guitars but I have a three or four out and one in type of mentality now.

 

[GlassSnuff]

They represent my dreams.

 

[MarcB]

didn't have a lot of money

I can only agree with the sentiment of your post.. I also didn’t have a lot growing up.. but somehow managed to get the instruments I needed at the time for whatever band I was planning to audition for.. and as you rightly pointed out.. when getting a little money.. it was spent on things to fill the void of past experiences.. and now that I’m older I can see why I collected so many different things..

I appreciate your story and honesty..

 

[corpse]

The thrill of waiting on the brown truck

 

[MarcB]

truck

The opening of the case and feeling the back of the neck for a break..

 

[Any Name You Wish]

Music is art. You need things to create it. Sometimes you want different things as you grow your artistic ability.

And then sometimes you see something (such as an SG Special with P-90s in Pelham Blue) and you GASSSSS for it, badly, without ever having played one. WTF? A part of me is still 16 years old.

 

[MarcB]

GASSSSS

That’s precisely how I feel about a 58/59 True Historic..

 

[scrufy]

I'm still chasing but getting there.
At least I've sold off the dupes and have one for each genre.
CS LP, Strat, Tele, Martin HD-28, BC Rich Worlock, Classical nylon, and a soon to be replaced takamine 12 string(8ve wanted a guild F512 for years but dang the $$$$)

 

[MarcB]

I'm still chasing

The chase is a huge part of the GAS.. I quite literally look at the used guitar market everyday.. regardless.. as the market does fluctuate.

 

[Dave P]

Part of it is the thrill of the hunt. Jumping in the car and scrounging through every music store, pawn shop, flea market, etc. In the pre-internet days, I was only limited by the amount of money I had, there was so much cool gear that could be had for great deals. Fun times.

 

[MarcB]

music store, pawn shop, flea market

Over the last decade I’ve been lucky enough to visit so many music shops, second hand junk stores, pawn shops, reputable guitar stores..in loads of countries too.. and apart from one time in Boston (when I never bought a r6).. I’ve never managed to find anything I’ve liked enough to buy.. the vast majority of my guitars have been found online..

 

[Dave P]

Over the last decade I’ve been lucky enough to visit so many music shops, second hand junk stores, pawn shops, reputable guitar stores..in loads of countries too.. and apart from one time in Boston (when I never bought a r6).. I’ve never managed to find anything I’ve liked enough to buy.. the vast majority of my guitars have been found online..

It was a lot easier to find cool stuff pre-internet.

 

[MarcB]

It was a lot easier to find cool stuff pre-internet.

Agreed.. I just didn’t have the gumption to collect back then.. I just bought what I needed.. but I still have at least 80% of what I bought..