GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome (Part 1)

Gear
721

Its funny, cuz I grew up with several Japanese famiily’s in out townhome track. I was good friends with most of the kids my age range, and ALL of their parents didn’t speak a lick of English.
Well, that is not true, the Fathers always spoke enough to get by, naturally because they had to have jobs, and work with english speaking people, but the mother, not a word of English.

Of course, I am talking about roughly 5 families I was close with, and maybe another 10 I knew from school, that were the same or very similar, and I can’t make a stereotype based on a few people, but that was my experience.

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722

Another new toy, as I tear up my existing system for pretty much no reason. Replacing my excellent Rh450 amp (the same one Josh plays, sorry Josh) with my new Ashdown RM500 evo II.

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I tailor my sound with my pedals and my preamp pedal, so I don’t need effects on my amp. And this amp has LOTS of effects :rofl: drive, compression, octave. But they are easily defeated by a push of a button. As a matter of fact one button push overrides the whole eq section, turning it into just a power amp which is perfect. I could have done the same with the tc, by using the effects loop you say? Yes and I did, but that also overrides the line out. And I like to use line out to play drum tracks or backing tracks through my amp when practicing. And it’s also got a cool looking VU meter, which is super important :grin:

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723

BTW shameless plug, but if anyone wants a like new tc electronic Rh450, mine is on reverb at a nice price.

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724

Hmmm…interesting. I did want a RH250 at one time.
I have not need for a RH450, but that never stopped me before.
The Ashdown looks nice.
I suppose if I got the RH450 from you, I could skip getting a phaser for my board and just TonePrint the Helix Phaser intot the amp.
course, I only could use the amp head if I got my 4x10 out of storage.
But if I move into an apartment in a few weeks I will be clearing out my storage unit.

But my cab is 8 ohms, and I need to check the wattage on it as well.

Hmmm. Wants vs. Needs
Wants usually win. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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725

Surprisingly the Rh450 doesn’t toneprint, which is kind of weird.

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726

Really,
Oh wait, that is the BH250 and BH500, I got it confused.
Then what are the effects on the RH450 that you don’t like?

I guess I can go look at your Reverb store, since I follow it :wink:

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727

Saw, the add. GREAT DEAL, unfortunately, I don’t have $350 in the WANT fund right now, just in the NEED fund.

I am sure you will get it tho, it is priced right.

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728

It’s not that I don’t like them, I just don’t really use them. It’s got my fave compression built in, spectracomp and also tube emulation/drive. But I’ve already got spectracomp and vmt on my pedalboard.

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729

Thanx, I try to give both sides a little something when I deal. :+1:

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730

Yeah, I have an offer on my LTD B-155 DX for $300.
It is listed at $400
Its a good offer considering I paid $200 for it.
But, I sold the Schecter 5 string, and after doing that, I sort of told myself that I would keep the B-155 unless I got an offer for the full $400.
I told the guy I would think about it.
If I sell it, I can get the Ray34 I want without adding any money, all from profit and recoup of funds I already put out.

I like that bass, it feels good to play, I just don’t know if / When i will start playing a 5 string, and if I do, I could always get a Ray5 for less then $400 new and often for $200 or less on offer up.
But I already have this one and can just keep it. IDK, decisions, quality problems I guess…

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731

So this is how I’m seeing it. You really want the Ray34 and you are by your own words a “Ray” man. You’re selling the 5 string for a profit, even though it’s not as much as you wanted it’s still a profit . If you do move on to a 5 string in the future you can get a Ray for the right money which again suits what you like.

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732

Also, if you sell it and get the 5 string ray you might find out you prefer it.

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733

LetGo has been bought by OfferUp. They’ve already closed down the LetGo app and made it unavailable.

Also, Fender has reported they sold more guitars in 2020 than any previous year.

I dont know about where everybody else is, but from where I’m watching, the used market has gone crazy with selling gear at premium prices.

Oddly, Guitar Center hasn’t been matching this and is still using pre COVID pricing on their used gear. So, if I find something I like, GC usually has a better price on it but everyone else seems to have discovered this too.

For example, i would really like to get a Tone Hammer PreAmp/DI. Used ones are selling for very close to the new price and sometimes for more. At GC, I’ve seen two come up priced at less than $170. I waffled around, hesitant to spend so much money, and finally decided, “If it’s meant to be, I’ll get it tomorrow.” Both times, it’s been gone.

Part of me hopes, when COVID is over, the crushed dreams of others will turn into an expansive and very affordable used market.

Part of me thinks I’m a bad person for thinking that.

The part of me that tries to manage my money tells me it’s okay and not to beat myself up about it and what the hell was I thinking that I was going to drop $170 on a pedal.

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734

In my area, I have found it to already be.
Yes, I am well aware of the Let Go being swallowed by Offer up, I had listings on both. But when I listed on both, I think I sold about 80% of my stuff on Offer Up and 20% on Let go. I liked some features on Let Go, but Offer up has been beter overall. Plus I like that I can buy things from other areas, and i have found things for great prices, that I have and / or will turn a nice profit on the items I got shipped from Offer up

@Mac
Are you trying to make a rhyme out of my unreason for me?

And you are correct @eric.kiser, I may like a Ray 5, I have never tried one. I do like the LTD 5 string just fine. I am starting to wonder how much I will want to play 5 string.

Should I have a 5 string in my arsenal, so I can if I want to?
Should I just keep this one
Should I sell it and get a Ray 5 for my arsenal in case I want it.
Should I sell it, and wait til I want a 5 string and then get a 5 string?

ok Mac, answers please.

On a side note, I have a little under 2 months (and a little under $10,000 dollars) left on my disability. After that, I will go back to work if I am ready, and if not I will live of my savings for a little while
So, Getting the things in my arsenal and having everything I want and may want / need in the future could be a good thing.
I may not be in a position, financially, to get a 5 string another time if I want it, so I would be out a 5 string if I want and cant get.
Also
My basses are lika a bank. I have been able to sell for full value (price paid) or for profit on everything I have bought / sold. OVERALL, the profit has not been HUGE, but it is more then the money would make sitting in a savings account, so buying gear I want, and / or will want later, is like an investment, I do not really see it as money SPENT, it is money INVESTED.
Invested in my LifeLong posessons like my Ray34 and SWR gear, etc…
And Invested in the fact I can get full value or profit off any of it when I sell it.

But, Eric could be right and the market value of what I haev collected could drop, so like any investment, there are risks, and I understand those risks

So Mac, work with that while deciding my fate here :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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735

@T_dub I’m going to offer a different take on future bass needs. Specifically based on what you’ve said about your arthritis.

@Lanny strung one of his bases with BEAD strings testing out the idea of reducing stress on his hands by being able to move everything to higher on the fretboard. According to what I remember he said it made a significant difference and helped with his arthritis. Since I don’t remember all the specifics, if you think this would be helpful, I’ll leave it up to him to respond.

This, alone, could make it worth having either a second bass strung BEAD or having a five string.

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736

OMG it’s like playing the stock market but with basses ! What you’ve just explained is far more difficult for me to make that decision for you.
I keep trying to convince myself I have what I need and I don’t need an MIA P bass. I love my MIM bass and I’ve replaced the pickups and pots as well other mods I’m planning in the future but it’s not an MIA. But will an MIA make me play any better? Probably not. Am I going to be playing in any professional capacity in the near future? Probably not.
So why do I need one? Because of some strange want that I can’t explain! Pretty much the same way you feel about the Ray.
I know if I were in the position to be able to buy one without it hitting my finances hard I would do it in a heartbeat.

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737

One of the reasons I am in love with the 5 string is exactly what @eric.kiser described… being able to play freely on the 2nd position of the neck (6-12th frets). That’s my playground, and what the B string gives me is all those extra notes below the E string on Frets 6-12.

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738

My friend says “if you are going to invest money into something that is going to bring you long term joy, somthing that will do something for daily or at least several times a week, why not get what you want, in stead of playing something that is always keeping you wanting something else”.
thats sort of what he said, he said it way better. I could probably find a text if I looked back thru my text history

He also sayd “Buy once, Cry once”

Now that said, I honestly think that the Ray 34 Black ash would give me the joy I want now. I don’t think that I NEED an EBMM to feel that joy right now. I alsso think that is sort of “something to work fot”
That is work for in two ways.
1 - improve on bass, get thru all the courses I am taking / plan to take…
2 - Flip a bunch of stuff over time, and save all the profit in an EBMM fund, and when it is full, I can get one.

I am also feeling a little like @howard, but not quite on his scale, where I don’t feel like keeping a bunch of stuff I am not playing.

I still play multiple basses,and will most likely have a 4 bass rotation.
So that means I don’t need 10 basses. I only need my Ray4, My Ray 34, My LTD B-4E… thats 3
4 basses in rotation
1 5 string because…
2 - collector basses (Slayer bass and Pantera Bass)
Thats 7 and I am down to 7 right now

The Ray 4HH could take a spot, but I am not loving it enouhg, It doesn t talk to me enough.
If I sell the LTD 5 string, I am down to 6.
If I get the Ray34 Black Ash, I am back to 7

Then if I decide, I can return / sell the Ray4HH, and turn it into a 5 string Ray.
Or I can keep the Ray4HH, and not have a 5 string and try to learn to love the RAy4HH

I know it sounds like I hate the HH, but I really like it, I just don’t love it, I don’t really like that extra pick up. it gets in teh way.
I could adjust, but if I didn’t have that bass, I wouldn’t have to.

@Eric. My arrthhritic pain is not so much in my hands or wrists, it is in my knees, hip, ankle’s, etc… I don’t experience much if any pain playing.
I do have circulation issues sometime, and that does add somepain, and numbness, but it has actually gotten better as I have been playing more
I did have an idea to turn my Pantera bass into a BEAD, and that is always an option.
IDK if. 5 string would be help in my condition, but I could noodle a bit asnd see. That said, the LTD 5 is very nice to play, the neck is not that wide and it feels fast.

I have never tried a Ray 5. maybe I have some research to do tomorrow, I may need to go to GC to try out a Stingray 5 and see if theer is anything there.
See how loud it talks to me.
If it screams, maybe @PamPurrs and I can try to get a deal on 2 basses ordered :wink:

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739

Yeah - I still have two, but I am actually kind of happy about the idea of going down to one instrument. Seems focused.

It doesn’t mean I won’t ever buy another bass, but more that I would be looking at going vertically (upgrading) rather than horizontally (buying multiple).

Of course the only problem there is I am also thoroughly happy with my main bass :slight_smile:

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740

Yeah, I am talking about going UP by getting the black ash Ray34, that is a vertical move.
The swap between the LTD 5 to a Ray5 in probably unilateral.

I can’tgo down to 1, but staying at 7, (4 really - 2 collector and the 5, kind of not in the count) is way different then what I was planning before, of having about 15 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I don’t plan to buy any other basses that unilateral or down from where I am not, they would all be upgrade, but like you, I LOVE my ray 4, and I can’t go down from that.

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