2019 Gear Abstinence Challenge (Updated with 'rules')

[Chiliwailer]

2 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Strange that those who know me don't think I have a hope in hell 😂

You lucked out in that MM only released a shorty at NAMM  

[Wolverinebass]

5 hours ago, tauzero said:

Perhaps we could get some hints from here: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/about-aa/the-12-steps-of-aa. Just replace "God" with "Basschat". And if you fall off the wagon, don't just give up. One year month week day at a time.

You know, this post reminded me of something hilarious. I was actually a chronic alcoholic until just over 10 years ago when I had that moment where I realised that maybe drinking 2 bottles of vodka a day wasn't conducive to continued life or sanity. I still wake up with the itch every single day.

However, about a year after I stopped one of my friends asked me if I was still not drinking. I replied that I was still sober. She then said that she knew how I felt. I enquired as to what was going on in her life that would be such a problem. She then said "Yeah, it must be awful. It was so difficult for me when I gave up meat."

Now some would be offended at that, comparing someone's trendy vegetarianism (which she soon after stopped) to in effect what is a horrific addiction and illness, but I had to go to the toilet as I was laughing so hard I thought I might be sick.

This gear challenge for some people is difficult. I understand that. However in the grand scheme of things there are much more important things in life to worry about.

Ooooh, look!! A new Darkglass amp!! 😲

[Sibob]

On 25/01/2019 at 23:11, Wolverinebass said:

This gear challenge for some people is difficult. I understand that. However in the grand scheme of things there are much more important things in life to worry about.

Absolutely, it's all meant with some tongue-firmly-in-cheek. However as you point out, addiction can be a crippling illness, and an addiction to acquiring (buying) 'things' can be as damaging to some people as alcoholism, it might be finances effected rather than health, but you take my point. For me, my addiction to buying things is very mild and entirely manageable, and so this is simply an exercise in restraint.

In other news, my challenge has just gotten a lot harder......as my Lakland 44-64 and Noble Pre (which I ordered and paid for last year) have arrived. Now, aside from my allowance of a decent gig-bag for my Mustang bass, there is zero gear incoming for another 11 months 😶

Si

p.s.
It made me a lol a little to stop your post short:
 

On 25/01/2019 at 23:11, Wolverinebass said:

You know, this post reminded me of something hilarious. I was actually a chronic alcoholic until just over 10 years

😅

[Guest oZZma]

I have just received a pay rise!! Right now!!

Time to order the Rusty Box 

[Woodinblack]

On 25/01/2019 at 23:11, Wolverinebass said:

You know, this post reminded me of something hilarious. I was actually a chronic alcoholic until just over 10 years ago

Its the way you tell them

 

[thodrik]

So far I have failed Tier 1, because I bought a pedal. I have however sold an amp, a cab and a guitar so in terms of gear I have significantly less gear now than on January 1.

[Wolverinebass]

1 hour ago, Sibob said:

Absolutely, it's all meant with some tongue-firmly-in-cheek. However as you point out, addiction can be a crippling illness, and an addiction to acquiring (buying) 'things' can be as damaging to some people as alcoholism, it might be finances effected rather than health, but you take my point. For me, my addiction to buying things is very mild and entirely manageable, and so this is simply an exercise in restraint.

In other news, my challenge has just gotten a lot harder......as my Lakland 44-64 and Noble Pre (which I ordered and paid for last year) have arrived. Now, aside from my allowance of a decent gig-bag for my Mustang bass, there is zero gear incoming for another 11 months 😶

Si

p.s.
It made me a lol a little to stop your post short:
 

😅

Well, yeah. I can laugh at this stuff now as was the point of my post. If I couldn't laugh about stuff like this then I think I'd go mad. If I had said I started drinking when I was 10 (which is true) then maybe my post wouldn't have had such an amusing undertone. However, I'm all good at the moment and wondering if I'll get through the challenge. 😜

Stay strong kids. The new Darkglass amp will be superceded in 18 months by V3 and then they'll be cheaper.

[FinnDave]

I'm actually ahead of the game now, as not only have I sold a couple of basses since the new year, I have also had to return a pre-amp I bought in December for a full refund as unfortunately it would not fit in the cavity in my bass. So far this year I have still bought nothing music related at all, not even a CD (I subscribed to this year's releases of the Grateful Dead's "Daves Picks") back in the autumn).

[dave_bass5]

So far this year ive brought a TCE BH800 head, a Basswitch Sonic Spark, microThumpinator, new bridge for my P bass. Cant wait for Feb to arrive......

[Monkey Steve]

1 hour ago, Sibob said:

Absolutely, it's all meant with some tongue-firmly-in-cheek. However as you point out, addiction can be a crippling illness, and an addiction to acquiring (buying) 'things' can be as damaging to some people as alcoholism, it might be finances effected rather than health, but you take my point. For me, my addiction to buying things is very mild and entirely manageable, and so this is simply an exercise in restraint.

Yes, it's not formally recognised as an addiction on the scale of other indulgences (other than the odd horror story of credit card debt) but I have a very close relative who's life is a complete mess because he cannot stop buying blu rays.  I know, sounds daft, but he genuinely has an addiction - his main interest in life is films, which he takes very seriously (says the man typing into a bass players forum and who has just bought the Super Deluxe version of The Song Remains The Same, an awful album that I am unlikely to listen to more than a couple of times, but it's the last one to get the Super Deluxe treatment...I can understand that aspect of it all) but that has grown into a steelbook collection (his main problem, because these come in limited quantities so he has to pre-order them in advance to make sure that he gets his copy and he can't stand the thought of not getting them), multiple copies of different editions of the same film (because the Canadian version has a different making of documentary to the UK one, and and the Korean one has some really good artwork) and if there isn't a special edition to buy he'll just get some more films to watch.  Literally every spare penny he has goes to Amazon or Zavvi or HMV.

Because he can't stop spending money on it, he lives a much reduced life - a tiny studio flat in a rough bit of town (stuffed to the gills with blu rays), no social life to speak of, he lives off of the cheapest food that's on offer in his local supermarket, no savings or finances to fall back on when something adverse happens (other than the bank of ma and pa), and living hand to month by paying most of his salary to cover his groaning credit card bill and then surviving on what is left after the monthly interest has been taken and his pre-ordered blu rays have been paid for. While he's not a high flyer by any means he could live quite comfortably on what he earns if he took better control of his finances.  This isn't a hard luck story of somebody scraping to get by on the minimum wage and tax credits, but he certainly lives like it is.

Every time he has an opportunity to improve his lot in life, he chooses the wrong option - for instance, he finished paying off a bank loan, and made a great noise about now being able to start actually paying down his credit card...what actually happened was that he found that he could use the extra money to buy some of the stuff that he wanted to get but couldn't previously afford. This happens every time.

His life would improve immeasurably if he just stopped buying blu rays for the next six months.  But like all addicts in denial he doesn't think he has a problem - he knows what he needs to do, and tells himself that in due course he'll start doing it and everything will be fine.  He's like the fat man staring at the cakes in Tescos, he knows he shouldn't buy it, and he knows that he's going to start his diet and start doing some more exercise, so he can just have this one cake and it doesn't matter, he'll be slim again before too long.  the only time he ever cuts back is where there is an external reason for his finances to change - a rent increase or an office move that increases his travel costs - and he then bemoans how he's had to cancel a lot of pre-orders and how unfair it all is, having sifted through his lists to see what he can absolutely live without.

Sorry, didn't mean to bring the thread down.  I'm not against people collecting steelbooks of buying films or basses or anything else that they don't absolutely need...but sometimes it is genuinely a problem

[Guest oZZma]

27 minutes ago, Monkey Steve said:

 he lives a much reduced life - a tiny studio flat in a rough bit of town (stuffed to the gills with blu rays), no social life to speak of, he lives off of the cheapest food that's on offer in his local supermarket, no savings or finances to fall back on when something adverse happens

it's me!!!

[bassbiscuits]

Tier 1. I'm still on track. I play flatwounds too so there's a good chance i won't even buy strings this year either....

Tier 2.  I was ahead of the game after selling my Epi Casino, but now i've got to put some of that cash towards a Strat refret (badly needed) and a pickup for one of my two remaining acoustics.

I'll make sure I have no fun at all throughout February as my penance.

[Chiliwailer]

Finding this challenge worryingly easy, having not bought anything since September. Though I keep an eye on the classifieds (old habits die hard) it’s essier now to just lust in a window shopping kind of way only.

Doubt I would have succeeded last year tbh. 

Anyone up for a 10 year challenge? 😂

 

[Sibob]

15 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

Anyone up for a 10 year challenge

Lock him up! 😂

Who else will but all the Serek’s and 55-64’s?

Si

 

[Teebs]

1 hour ago, Chiliwailer said:

Anyone up for a 10 year challenge? 😂

 

Now you're just being silly!

[ezbass]

One month down, only eleven to go 😬

[Chiliwailer]

58 minutes ago, Sibob said:

Lock him up! 😂

Who else will but all the Serek’s and 55-64’s?

Si

 

 

54 minutes ago, Teebs said:

Now you're just being silly!

Gentlemen, you’re just making me more keen!!! 

(Though that kind of commitment may take more than just being keen...) 🤔

...But if I could, I would. For sure 😇

Edited January 31, 2019 by Chiliwailer

[Lozz196]

Ok, just bought a new amp!

But in fairness it’s the newer, lighter version of my Ashdown RM500.

Looking at it I’ve bought a new amp and a new pedal, but both are newer versions of the ones I had, and both old ones are going to be in their way.

So I don’t see this as adding to the fold, just updating, which makes me feel better.

[leftybassman392]

5 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Ok, just bought a new amp!

But in fairness it’s the newer, lighter version of my Ashdown RM500.

Looking at it I’ve bought a new amp and a new pedal, but both are newer versions of the ones I had, and both old ones are going to be in their way.

So I don’t see this as adding to the fold, just updating, which makes me feel better.

Can't see you getting away with that one...

[Paul S]

No way.  I wasn't allowed a bit of gentle bass laundering, so upgrading on that scale is certainly off limits.

[Teebs]

14 minutes ago, Paul S said:

No way.  I wasn't allowed a bit of gentle bass laundering, so upgrading on that scale is certainly off limits.

You tell 'em Paul S!

I failed immediately

[Paul S]

I missed off my smiley.  I'll do it now.

[Wolverinebass]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Ok, just bought a new amp!

But in fairness it’s the newer, lighter version of my Ashdown RM500.

Looking at it I’ve bought a new amp and a new pedal, but both are newer versions of the ones I had, and both old ones are going to be in their way.

So I don’t see this as adding to the fold, just updating, which makes me feel better.

More bargaining Lozz. Shocking!! Net zero accumulation is not the same as zero MasterCard obliteration I fear.

[Monkey Steve]

7 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

This is very interesting. It may sound odd, but it's definitely a thing and certainly something I can identify with. I'm fortunate that I'm in a position where it didn't/doesn't impact any other area of our lives (apart from having a whole room devoted to storing them!).

For me, it started back in the days of Laserdisc. I found myself completely wrapped up in getting the best that I could in terms of audio and video. Laserdisc, at the time, was a great way of doing it. I was fortunate to have a shop specialising in Laserdisc just a few minutes from my house and spent most of my spare time researching which title to get next. Often the discs were imports from either America or Japan. A lot of the US discs had unique extras and weren't exactly cheap. DVD soon left Laserdisc dead and buried and I found myself not only double dipping, but being able to buy more titles because DVD's were cheaper. DVD was boom time for me as back then Region 1 DVD's usually came out 3 to 6 months ahead of any UK release and with far superior extras. I still have many films in several different editions, just because of the extras. I know, it doesn't make sense, but it's perfectly justifiable in my mind.

The cycle continued from DVD into blu-ray and still does to a certain extent from blu-ray into 4K Ultra. On the upside, the release window between the US and UK is a non-issue for me now as is the extra content on most titles.

I've never been remotely interested in steelbook's though. I can see the attraction, but they just doesn't do anything for me personally. Give me a collection with serial numbers on it though and I'm in trouble. I'm specifically referring to The Criterion Collection who are renowned for quality extra content. They started on Laserdisc and continued through DVD and into blu-ray with a movie collection which is chock full of classics - and they all have tiny consecutive release numbers on their spines. Absolute nightmare for a completionist such as myself. I am a Criterion addict. I'll buy it even if I've never heard of the film. Again, it doesn't make sense to most people, but I don't buy them just to own them, I buy them to watch them. As a result, I've seen countless films that I would never otherwise have come across. 

Your relative has my sympathies and I'm just sorry I cannot offer any advice to assist.

To illustrate, this is a photo of some of my Criterion Collection - numbers 1 to 396 in fact. Criterion are hovering just under spine number 1000 at the moment and I have all but a few. The majority of my collection is non-Criterion though in the form of other Laserdisc, DVD, blu-ray and 4K Ultra. I should probably open some sort library or rental service.

 

Don’t get me wrong - I have a room full of cds and another room full of blu rays. There’s nothing wrong with either specifically collecting things (whatever they might be) or just being interested in something and buying a lot of them.

I guess my argument is that there comes a point where collecting crosses the line into addiction, and that point is where it means that you have significant financial problems that would be solved if you stopped “collecting” but you can’t bring yourself to do it.  Perhaps there’s no difference, other than your level of income and the point it becomes a financial problem.

[martthebass]

I'm failing miserably.

A new MarkBass Little Marcus 500 and a EBMM Sterling 4H acquired in a PX.  Must try harder.