2026 Gear Abstinence Thread

[neepheid]

It's that time of year again, the slate is wiped clean and it's time to pledge to abstain from the capitalist consumption of bass gear (or any music gear at all, if you're going hardcore).  I would like to thank @Richard R for his sterling work during 2025, and for these well crafted rules which I will be copying wholesale

 

The RULES

 

Tier 1 Challenge
During the calendar year of 2026 (01/01/26 00:00 - 31/12/26 23:59:59):
- No bass gear purchases/trades whatsoever, be that amps, pedals, basses, accessories.

 

Tier 2 challenge (should you play other instruments, engage in music production etc)
- As above, but extended to your other musical gear

 

Allowances in both tiers:
- Consumables such as Strings (sticks, skins, reeds, batteries etc) Buying a set of new strings that happen to be attached to a bass is out.
- Maintenance/setups that only involve work on existing aspects of your bass (ie no purchasing a preamp to add to it)
- Breakages. If something breaks through no unusual intervention of your own, and is unable to be repaired, you may replace it.
- Already committed purchases. If you have purchased something in 2024, you are able to take delivery of it within 2025.  If you have put down a deposit on something before committing to this, which then requires a final payment within 2025, that single payment permitted.
- Genuinely unsolicited presents, which you had no involvement in choosing.  (So going out with your partner to play a bunch of bases, choosing one, and then them buying it for you would be a fail. But we would all applaud and cheer you and your partner and want to know what you got and why!)
- Educational purchases, ie tutorial books, lessons, anything that furthers your playing is permitted. Buying a proper usb sound card so your on-line lessons work better would probably be OK.  Buying one because you might have on-line lessons but haven’t boked any is definitely out.  (A bit like the cops overlooking you speeding to take your wife to hospital to give birth, but they wouldn’t overlook you speeding to a date where you might get her pregnant!)

 

Amendments: 

Without setting precedent for future years:

 

1.Normal cables are allowed this year, even if they aren't replacing breakages. (Wireless or any non-conventtional systems aren't)

2.Purchases made with music-store specific loyalty points are allowed. We could get tighter with the definition, but let's just allow if for now. (But I couldn't use the Amazon points I am racking up on work travel and hotels to buy a set of machine heads)

3.Asking for gift vouchers for a present then spending them on gear is still a fail when you spend them. 

 

Straps, plectrums and sundries are still OK.

 

Grey areas:

 - PA equipment has been a Tier 2 fail, but if it’s for a band you don’t play in but do sound for then we can probably argue it’s OK.
- There used to be a convention that things not in the signal path didn’t count. So straps, stands and the like were allowed. I'm cool with that - what do others think?

- Parts for bitsas I think are out.

 

MOST IMPORTANTLY

This is a bit of fun.  

The idea is just to make us think "Do I really need it?" before buying something, and to maybe focus on playing more than purchasing.  Nobody will get punished for buying another Fender, or even a Ric, it's your time and money to do what you wish with.  So see how long you last, enjoy seeing how far you and others get, and let's try to keep the economy flatlined for as long as possible.

 

The runners and riders will appear here:

 

@neepheid

@Suburban Man

@knirirr

@Machines

@Richard R

@Mrbigstuff

Edited 52 minutes ago by neepheid

[Suburban Man]

I'm definitely in for the Tier 1 challenge, but reckon that it will be almost impossible to achieve Tier 2 across an entire year.  However, nothing ventured...

 

[knirirr]

I'd like to see if I can manage this coming year without multiple tier 2 fails again.

[Machines]

In a world record for me, no basses for 4 months. Although this is since getting my Dingwall ABZ and it being the epitome of perfection. 

 

I guarantee I am at my limit, however will enter 2026 with this mindset, for a limited time.

[Richard R]

I'm in.

I'm really hoping I have time to make a headless travel bass with an additional Roland Hex pickup system this year. The design has been in my head  for ages, so with a bit of luck I'll go out when I buy the headless bits 😁

[Mrbigstuff]

GAS is already testing me with some of the glorious basses available in the UK but I’m trying to stick with the strategy of “if it’s not a dream bass, forget it”. Let’s see how I get on in avoiding a first NBD since 2023 😬

[Richard R]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

The runners and riders will appear here:

 

@neepheid

@Suburban Man

@knirirr

@Machines

@Richard R

@Mrbigstuff

 

Handy hint.
After each person's name put a colon (stop sniggering @Geek99) 
@neepheid:

@Richard R: and so on.

 

Then be consistent with the dates they go out as well eg

@Richard R: T2-29Feb Grand Piano, T1-18 June Overwater 5 string Fretless

 

This will make it a damn sight easier to sort out the results at the end of next year as you can import the list into Excel and use formulae to extract the names and the failure dates. I  thought I had been consistent, but seem to have a mix of spaces and tabs (plus people like me have spaces in their names). So trying to produce an ordered list is taking me ages and I'm due to go out in about 10 minutes. I may give up

[Merton]

I’m absolutely in, 2026 is a year of learning to play rather than learning to spend more 😀

[bass_dinger]

I am in for both Tier 1 and 2 - simply because I reckon that purchased everything that I needed (or wand) in 2025.

 

And, of course, because it's terrific fun to try to abstain.

 

More seriously, it also makes me consider whether I really need an item.

 

I am in.  Oh yes.

[Quatschmacher]

@neepheid, the dates in the first post need amending to reflect the new year (they still refer to 2024/25 instead of 2025/26).

 

Count me in; let’s see if I can beat 5 days. 😂

[bass_dinger]

5 minutes ago, Merton said:

I’m absolutely in, 2026 is a year of learning to play rather than learning to spend more 😀

Is that because you already know how to spend more?!

[BassAgent]

I am in for Tier 2. I have a De Gier Bebop coming in June but I ordered that last October so it doesn't count. I'm not planning on buying anything else. Amps, cables, pedals, I'm set. For now. My gf and I have agreed that if I buy another bass before I take delivery of my Bebop, one of my USA Laklands has to go. Aaaaaand I don't want that.

[Lozz196]

I’m already out as am going to get myself a decent acoustic guitar in the next couple of weeks.

[Geek99]

30 minutes ago, Richard R said:

 

Handy hint.
After each person's name put a colon (stop sniggering @Geek99) 
@neepheid:

@Richard R: and so on.

 

Then be consistent with the dates they go out as well eg

@Richard R: T2-29Feb Grand Piano, T1-18 June Overwater 5 string Fretless

 

This will make it a damn sight easier to sort out the results at the end of next year as you can import the list into Excel and use formulae to extract the names and the failure dates. I  thought I had been consistent, but seem to have a mix of spaces and tabs (plus people like me have spaces in their names). So trying to produce an ordered list is taking me ages and I'm due to go out in about 10 minutes. I may give up

I seem to have been blessed with a bracket? 

[Chienmortbb]

So far I have resisted, but whether I can resist tomorrow, I doubt.

[barkin]

As per last year...

---x---

In. As per last year, I've not bought anything since 2014 IIRC, and I'm OK for strings so don't see that changing any time soon. 

[Velarian]

I’m in. Having only failed last year on relatively minor tier 1 and 2 infringements, I’m confident i can last the distance in 2026.