Why do we buy new gear? | Secret Weapons
Gear Acquisition Syndrome is a real thing and it gets all of us. So here, on Black Friday, let’s talk about why you shouldn’t buy new gear.
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Shut up and get to the song: 09:35
Recorded in Universal Audio LUNA
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#buy #gear #Secret #Weapons
Originally posted by UCrTGtakBzwHfff2aOFXR71g at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wfBvrmiU-g
6:07 top quotable quote of the year for gear nerds ????
Good video Mark. Rule #1 I live by: any piece of gear that hasn't helped me write a song after 5 years is for someone else
We buy things to obtain energy. We also want and need to develop further in music, though it's easier to buy smth then to get yourself into discipline. New pedal will give me a new illusion and inspiration as well. Last does matter.
Big boys small toys
I'm a certified, bonafide pedal junky. My GAS is so severe that I'm still resisting the urge to buy new pedals even though I won't be able to play for a few months. I just had shoulder surgery and I can barely get a shirt on, let alone play guitar. I still have FOMO on the holiday sales. I feel like I'm going to want some of this stuff once I'm healed, but the prices will be back to normal by then. It's even worse being stuck at home, watching more pedal videos than I normally would. I'm trying to stay strong. Pray for me, my fellow pedal junkies anonymous members. ????????
Many of the bands we listen to are using the same gear regularly. I think of Explosions in the Sky for example, Mogwai and what about Sigur Ros.
Buying new gear constantly is about being in our rooms or studios looking for something that the gear can't give us. It's fun obviously, but GAS is a symptom of our hyper-individualized age.
Fantastic video – super thoughtful, and perfectly timed. I always appreciate your ideas, musicianship, and content
I made a video one day before yours showing a super cheap pedalboard on a budget. Definitely we can have fun with not too many pedals. ????
Says the best pedal salesman ever
End mix sounded great even through my phone soeakers
I just bought a KOT and a Chase bliss Condor ????….damage done ????
I buy to try. What I don't use, I sell.
Great video. So true…I have an old J Mascis too and changed out the pickups too. What did you put in yours?
What pickups are in the Jazzmaster?
Don't be envious of those with more than you. Be envious of those who are content with exactly what they have.
I like this bang-for-your-buck format. Not that gear has to be cheap, but it's interesting to know what somebody with above average gear knowledge would drag out of a burning house and what the first pedals would be if you had a gig the next night.
Calling me out.I check Reverb like social media haha.
I'm almost never in the market for a pedal when it first comes out financially, but i still fall into this challenge when something goes on sale or a used one at a great price pops up.
I'm cutting myself off through the new year and I'm writing a list of the pedals I've recently aquired that need further exploring.
You are the solution but also the problem. And here I am, subscribed.
Gosh. You nailed the three????
The “right for us” is important! We rely on demo-ers because sometimes we cannot find these pedals to try them ourselves. But… a lot of the time, I feel happy to buy the new stuff out of equal parts excitement for myself and support of the boutique companies that produce them. I guess I just long for the community and “collaboration”.
too late for I've portrayed you as the sloppily soldered DIY kit tube screamer and myself as the Origin Halcyon Green that is definitely not in my shopping cart rn
I bought my first piece of gear (electric guitar) in January. I’ve since spent over $40,000 on guitars, my studio build, pedals, vintage audio equipment, interfaces and outboard compressors, mics etc. It’s a slippery slope. But I’ve loved every second of it and now I don’t feel the need to buy anything for ages. I speed ran the GAS timeline and now just rediscovered how much better my one raggedy ‘82 strat that I always play sounds plugged directly into my cheapest tube amp (peavy classic).
I’ll probably sell off most of my stuff but there are some forever pieces in there and most of them are suggestions from you.
Great video content. Psychologically FOMO is probably the most important impact on buying new gear in our time of overwhelming promotion.
The guitar outro is just breathtaking ????????????????????
Plug-in compatibility on the Quad Cortex has cured a lot of my GAS because you can basically get an entirely new rig for $150 (or even cheaper with sales). Will only get better with more plugin integration
I’m currently building the dream/ruby rig you showcased with the GFI Duophony. All I lack is the duophony, a pedalboard, and a power supply. And I’m thinking about throwing a strymon deco in the mix. I’m almost there!!
I don’t need new gear but then I see your excellent gear demos. Then it makes me go “me likey likey”! ????
Helix pretty much cured my gas. I still get to check out pedals from boutique builders and appreciate them. For my needs, helix works.
I’ve had bad GAS the last few years, and your videos weren’t helping (please take that as a compliment).
Between this video and the Object Worship podcast, my relationship with my gear has changed dramatically. Brought out my old Julia V2 (a surprise gift from my wife years ago). Sentimental AND it still sounds good.
I did buy one pedal on Black Friday, but instead of just grabbing something off of Reverb, I went by my local guitar store and let a human being make a good, old-fashioned sale.
Loving this slight tonal shift that I’ve been seeing throughout the pedal community (no pun intended).
I love this channel, dude.
One of my most recent creative revelations happened when i rebuilt my teenage rig. I had no idea what i was doing, back then. Gear demos were barely a thing. Reverb was barely a thing.
I sometimes wonder if those factors were the reason my setup was so unique.
The one pedal I need to get on my board, the Julia. ????
I've gotten a few things from your reviews because they sounded so good. I still have every piece nailed to my board.
The Eae Longsword and the walrus slötvå/slöer and the Spaceman delta II. They fill a spot on my board, and they won't be going anywhere.
Thanks to your review/demos of them, i knew what i was buying and why i was buying them. I wouldn't have gotten there without your input. Thanks, Mark!
Coming from a guy who Pushes new gear 24/7????????????????
Endless search for tone makes guitar players by new gear… I believe guitar and synth players are the geekiest among all other musicians and they constantly look for new stuff, thinking it will improve their tone and playing. This way of thinking creates and nurtures the GAS. For me, it's a psychological condition and needs to be addressed in early stages, before falling deep into the rabbit hole.
I constantly try to narrow down on my gear or how I create a sound using just what I have. OR get something to just do a specific thing. The creative workflow is the best reason to keep stuff narrowed down and learn from own gear how far to push their capabilities.
Great talking points man! I think u nailed it. And that song sounded incredible!
Most of us play purely for fun. The narrative people spout about we should practice more than buying new gear isn't relevant. Many of us have little interest in getting better because that isn't linked to our enjoyment. Gear often does impact enjoyment for many reasons whilst also ticking the box for just having something new that's cool
I would say for me, I dont really care about what is new or popular, I just become interested in a pedal if the sounds inspire me. If it's within my hobby expense, I can just go ahead and buy that pedal (though I usually hunt for deals). I probably set a bad example because I am an engineer by day and have a lot of expendable income.
because you tell us to
Chasing tones we don’t even know that exists….. I can’t even tell u how many overdrive pedals I got ????????
awesome idea for a video
Dang it. I bought a couple of pedals due to black Friday hahaha.
I’m making it a goal this year to really limit my gear purchasing (only things that will improve my playing or my recording process to YouTube). And really limit my spending on toys like reverbs and delays
With one big exception (I needed an acoustic for social music so I got a Martin), for the past year all of my hobby spending has been on music instruction instead of music gear and I feel a lot happier with it this way. Sometimes If I watch a demo I still get the gear fever but not really in a way I feel like acting on. And I've learned a lot.
Honestly, I'd love if this became the framework for a cheap pedals working together segment or video type
The irony here is that I bought a Balaguer select custom Espada and several pedals entirely because of your demos. ????
Just went on to Reverb and almost choked when I saw the price of the Digitech Hardwire R7 reverb…that pedal has been in my Bogner 101b effects loop for about 15 years, right after my v1 El Capistan (12 years ago). I prefer the plate setting on the verb…Both still work great! And speaking of the Bogner, man did I get the deal of a lifetime for that…cost! There are a few objects in this world I will never part with as long as I am upright and sucking air!
I buy gear because it's the only joy I get out of life. At this point I'm no longer buying for the reasonI used to which was, "if only I had this, I'd record that album". I realize now I'm not making an album, there's no point and playing by myself in my excessively decked out home studio is all I'm ever going to do. Yay me.
Hi Mark, what pickups did you put in your JM JM?
Watching this off the back of missing out on the Chase Bliss mystery box and feeling bummed out about it. I definitely couldn't afford it, and the unfortunate reality is that, being subscribed to the guitar pedal subreddit, seeing everybody excitedly open theirs will bum me out further. But as pathetic as it is, I'm glad I didn't rush out and make a dubious financial decision because of FOMO. I have brilliant gear, and I definitely need to sit down and make the most out of it, rather than chasing the pedal dragon.