Sad admission - losing sleep, obsessed with gear !

[hamfist]

Well there it is, I haven't slept well for weeks. I seem to go through a constant cycle of feeling that something isn't quite right with my rig or gear and then have to go through the whole thing of changing it, and trying out loads of alternatives etc etc. I feel thoroughly unsettled and sleep awfully throughout the whole thing. What a sad, shell of a man I am.

[andydye]

Not sleeping! Bad news mate!

This is a rather severe case of 'unfocused gas' (thinking you want something but not knowing what), maybe you should start at the beginning and tell the bc doctors what seems to be the problem...?

[discreet]

You could be suffering from 'Affluenza' - a socially transmitted condition of anxiety resulting from the notion that only the acquisition of more or different material goods will lead to fulfilment and a 'better life'. You need a 'Basschat holiday' - or at least try to stay out of Basschat's market place!

Edited January 20, 2013 by discreet

[Truckstop]

I get the exact same thing!

Maybe two nights a month I really struggle to get to sleep because I've been on eBay before bed and got severe GAS!

It's normally the cheap things I really struggle with; leads, stands, cases, strings! I'm normally pretty settled with my amp and guitars, it's the extraneous crap that worries me. Making the decision as to whether I can justify buying something is something that really keeps me up at night!

I also struggle to get to sleep if I've been shedding in the day; get loads of songs swirling around in my head!

Truckstop

[Lozz196]

Yes, for a confirmed buyer/seller, that is bad news, and a dangerous path to take. I`m - finally - satisfied with my rig, in sound, and portability. But I went through a hellova lot of gear to get there (was fun though). Cost a fair bit, but most was off of here, so only lost a few quid on the way, and besides, I don`t drink or smoke, so what better way to spend my excess

[discreet]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1358675184' post='1942995']
...I`m - finally - satisfied with my rig, in sound, and portability....[/quote]

Are you [i]quite [/i]sure about that..? Bwa-ha-ha!

[karlfer]

Not quite not sleeping, but I have certainly had restless, er, moments?
Nearly there now though, one bass to come, one cab to sell and Robert is your fathers bruvver.
Keep the faith, you will get there, but it has to be said Basschat is an evil drug
Karl.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1358675307' post='1942998']
Are you [i]quite [/i]sure about that..? Bwa-ha-ha!
[/quote]

Man, don`t put temptation my way. No, I really think the journey is over. I can`t carry anything heavier than what I have now, as well as loving Markbass gear anyway, and Precisions/Rotosounds/OBBM Cables are my staple diet, so only thing I can gas over now is plectrums or tuners, neither of which inspire me - for now.

[BassBus]

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1358673374' post='1942963']
Well there it is, I haven't slept well for weeks. I seem to go through a constant cycle of feeling that something isn't quite right with my rig or gear and then have to go through the whole thing of changing it, and trying out loads of alternatives etc etc. I feel thoroughly unsettled and sleep awfully throughout the whole thing. What a sad, shell of a man I am.
[/quote]

The counselior in me wants to ask the question; I wonder what else is going on in your life? [size=4] [/size]

[Truckstop]

Well for me, I stay up thinking about it because my fiancée and I don't really have much money so I have to try really really try to justify whether I can buy a new set of strings or suchlike.

A £25 set of strings is our food budget for the week, so such decisions cannot be taken lightly!

Truckstop

[discreet]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1358677576' post='1943037']
A £25 set of strings is our food budget for the week, so such decisions cannot be taken lightly![/quote]

Well that's a no-brainer, frankly. You need to get your priorities right.
What's your [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=4]fiancée going to think when you come home with NO new strings?[/size][/font][/color]

[louisthebass]

I wouldn't lose any sleep over stuff like that - it's what you do with what you've got that counts more than anything else. Doesn't matter if you've got a Squier Bass and a cheap 100w combo or a £7k Fodera and an Aguilar rig.

[dmccombe7]

I'm settled with mine. Jazz into GB Streamliner into Berg HT322 cab. Best live sound I've ever had.

Feel for you but must admit I've never lost sleep over gear. What you have will always do the job. Its not compulsary to keep buying new gear.
Could buy a set of elixir strings which would last lot longer but obvious cost more.
Hope sorts itself out for you.

All best
Dave

Edited January 20, 2013 by dmccombe7

[discreet]

[quote name='louisthebass' timestamp='1358678057' post='1943046']
...it's what you do with what you've got that counts more than anything else.[/quote]

This. Spend GAS time on playing bass instead!

[chris_b]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1358678184' post='1943050']
....Spend GAS time on playing bass instead!....
[/quote]

+1

Learn how to make your gear sound better by playing better, and gigging more to prove it.

[Prime_BASS]

I'd take a few days off basschat and eBay, you'd be surprised what it does to your GAS.

I've done it and I only really change stuff if I have too(ie not happy with it) hopefully the new cab that's coming will settle my rig for a while but I haven't brought a bass since I got back and brought the sandberg, nothing else really cuts the mustard in reality.

Personally I start suffering sleep and anxiety with regards to gear when a few shows go poo and I don't get compliments(a bit big headed I guess) but once I do get some positive feedback or hear it back and I'm happy with it usually I'm fine.

Hopefully just had the last spell of buys and just have to focus on the other crap, strings and such.

[thepurpleblob]

Within certain boundaries gear is neither here nor there. It's a bass. They all sound the same to the punters. Your time is better spent playing the thing.

As a comparison... my day job is in software development and I honestly couldn't care about computers. I get the minimum I need to get the job done and be usable and keep it until it breaks. It's not about the equipment.

Buying and selling gear is an interesting hobby in itself but it's got almost nothing to do with playing.

[topo morto]

I have pretty much been a GAS man my whole life, on and off... first keyboards, then computer/VST software, and now guitar and bass gear... It's pretty natural, all part of our hunter/gatherer mindset!

I think the thing I've really been after, though, is not the gear itself but just the knowledge of how to get various different sounds. I hope I'm at a point where most of those mysteries are cleared up, and I will be happier with a small amount of gear (the fact that so much is possible on computers now helps - not that I have a lot of software any more, but it's only a click away if I do want it!)

Everyone needs a quest and once you are over that line where you basically know what your sound(s) is/are and have the gear to make them, it's time for another quest. Get obsessed with technique, songwriting, learning to sing while playing....

I think it obsessions are only mega unhealthy when you get focused on one thing so much that you step over the line of diminishing returns and you are disappearing up your own backside pursuing something that you basically already have.

Ultimately, always just ask yourself: Does this help me with the ladies? (Which is the point of hunting/gathering in the first place)

[sunfish]

I've realised that in the last 3 years in persuit of "the sound" I've bought and sold or traded Ashdown, EBS, Markbass, SWR 350, another Ashdown, Genz Benz shuttle, SWR WorkingPRO 400 and finally TC Electronic RH450.
But my conclusion is that every room is different, you can quickly set up the sound before a gig and if its a small pub and you're next to the drums and keys your ears go after 4 songs. Then any further twiddling can make it much worse. At a big gig, it doesn't matter as long as you can hear yourself cos the sound guy is going to take control of what the crowd hears anyway. I try to stick to bridge pick-up on full, tiny bit of neck pickup and lots of bass on the amp and take out some of the middle.

[thunderider]

what sun fish said....but im on this journey so ur preaching to the choir brother,iv got a 150w laney and 215s,the amount of people that say ive got a massive bottom end tone with that and my tbird,i played a small pub gig then the next night i played robin2 bilston the next night and i never changed the vol....i try to explain to my guitarests they just say its a waste as 90% we are going through foh so i dont need a big amp,but they keep trying to get rid of my gear and i DI to the desk,wich would be like being on stage with no trousers on!!,but so far this year ive had a hartke3500 wich was immence,a marshall mb450 wich was...well...and i still have the marshall valve head with eq pedel but breaks up to early as its a lead amp jcm 900 higain!! wich im selling,the hartke would be the one if i was in a band with a live drummer,we use drum machines!! so rehersals my amp is set to half so valves and hybrids are no good as they go horribly fuzzy that quiet....so at the end of they day i always end up back at my laney DP 150....i paid £35 for so ive spent hundreds on amps and come back to the cheapest...and everybody thinks the tone is good!!

[SteveK]

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1358673374' post='1942963']
I seem to go through a constant cycle of[b] feeling[/b] that something isn't quite right with my rig or gear...
[/quote]
So, you have gear suitable for your needs, but have the 'feeling that something isn't quite right'. My advice? don't change anything until you are [b]certain[/b] what's wrong... unless the thrill of the purchase is all that counts.
Why not spend the money that you [i]would[/i] spend on gear on decent lessons. You may find that the problem isn't your gear afterall.

[Dingus]

Everybody needs something to worry about - it makes people feel as if they are being vigilant about potential threats and possible future problems - but if you are losing sleep over bass gear then I can only suggest you have got your priorities wrong . You should be worrying over something more serious like your health , personal safety , career, or your failing relationships with other people . The potential for sleep-depriving anxiety from just those four things ( or any combination of them ) is so great that you could easily spend the rest of your life under their control . Get a proper perspective on things - all it takes to sort out your bass gear is a bit of money and some experimentation . Those other things I mention are potentially far more damaging to your well -being and happiness . You could get a lot more milage out of worrying about them instead . Hope that helps .

Edited January 20, 2013 by Dingus

[discreet]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358686074' post='1943226']
Everybody needs something to worry about - it makes people feel as if they are being vigilant about potential threats and possible future problems - but if you are losing sleep over bass gear then I can only suggest you have got your priorities wrong . You should be worrying over something more serious like your health , personal safety , career, or your failing relationships with other people . The potential for sleep-depriving anxiety from just those four things ( or any combination of them ) is so great that you could easily spend the rest of your life under their control . Get a proper perspective on things - all it takes to sort out your bass gear is a bit of money and some experimentation . Those other things I mention are potentially far more damaging to your well -being and happiness . You could get a lot more milage out of worrying about them instead . Hope that helps.[/quote]

This. But you could have said, 'it's a First World problem'.

[hamfist]

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1358677023' post='1943029']
The counselior in me wants to ask the question; I wonder what else is going on in your life?
[/quote]


The answer to that is definitely ...... "not enough band activity". My band has been rather dormant over recent months. For me, my GAS and my band activity are inversly proportional. the more I play, the less I obesess about gear !

[mingsta]

Yeah I feel ya. Went through a similar patch over Xmas where I was obsessing over whether to get a new amp in the sales. Then started pondering selling off a perfectly good sadowsky that I have in search of the perfect p-bass. Fortunately I came to my senses and realised that I just need to play it more.

Sad to say it, but the best thing to do would be to stay away from the forums for a bit, stop looking at gear on tut web. Instead listen to new music and remind yourself that if we spent as much time playing and practicing as we did on the web, we'd be rather good!