The key to learning to live with G.A.S. is to spread your purchasing habits over the whole range of guitar-related accessories. Amplifiers and pedals are an excellent place to begin ānot buying more guitarsā and Iāve personally resisted the urge to not buy another guitar many dozens of times since the onset of my affliction.
However, if you find that the selection of ānot another guitarā options is a little uninspiring then perhaps guitar-adjacent items such as synthesizers or keyboard/midi controllers are in order. In a pinch, even small impulse items can be very satisfying and can lead to extended periods of G.A.S. remission, my harmonica collection is a prime example of this form of G.A.S. therapy.
By following these simple guidelines Iāve been able to limit my guitar relapses in 2022 to a mere three flair-ups.
P.S. If you happen to notice me posting about a new guitar in the very near future, say tomorrow if the UPS tracking is accurate, just know that it counts as guitar-adjacent as it doesnāt contain any wood so that means it doesnāt actually count as a guitar. No, really, itās not another guitar!
I donāt have a G.A.S. problem at all, itās completely under control!
I have very little trouble resisting GAS. Every time I see a guitar that tempts me at the guitar shop when Iām there buying strings or something, I just remember how bad I am (and no, I donāt tell myself that a different guitar is the answer to my mediocrity) and that kills the urge.
If you initially started looking for a new guitar last year, but didnt actually place the order until this year, does that still count as last yearās GAS?
Hey Mark, I do understand what you say. When I first tried to learn the guitar many years ago, I bought extra guitars thinking my guitar was the problem when in fact my slack commitment to regular practice was the real problem.
So I can easily avoid GAS mostly now because Iāve learned that putting the hours into practice and playing is what makes the biggest difference.
