what an ass, I have a serious gear issue...

[Gert van Santen]

James R. Coplin schreef:
> That's the problem.  I've tried all that.  I got married.  That certainly
> helped for a while.  My wife has an uncanny sense of smell.  One time, a
> year or so after we were married, I bought a new effect rack.  Nothing
> flashy, black, single space.  Easily fit into the 6' equipment rack without
> drawing any notice.  I threw the box, packing material, etc. away in a
> neighbor's trashcan.  In the alley.  On the other side of the street.
> Someone we don't even like.  My wife comes home and I'm in the studio
> working on some stuff so she comes to talk to me.  She's chatting away and
> then it happens. Sniff.  Hmmm, keeps talking, blah, blah blah. Pause. Sniff.
> "I smell new electronics."  She walks around a bit a quickly zeroes in on
> the rack.  Walks over scans down the stack of gear and points.  "That.
> That's new!"  Busted. 100% completely busted.  In grand style.  However,
> after 14 years, the wife effect wanes.
> 
> I bought a house about the same time I got married.  That really didn't help
> because for the first time, I actually had room for my studio.
> 
> I had a kid 4 years ago.  That really helped.  No money or time to do
> anything.  That's pretty much why I haven't gotten any music done in ages
> and am only slowly starting to restart.
> 
> I even went back to grad school to work on my Phd.  This has really meant
> financial hardship and a total lack of time.  However, even that is evening
> out and I've bought a couple of pieces of gear this year and I still have
> one big one on the horizon.
> 
> I think I'm out of options.  There aren't really any more standard fun
> limiting factors I can apply to help curb the gear.
> 

OK, this is a great thread - and a very cool post. I think many 
of us can relate to your situation (probably even the ones 
without a partner and a child).

So the question is: do you think it's a problem? Is your wife mad 
at you, or is there no money left for food or mortgage? Are your 
friends laughing at you for doing all this? I mean, you might be 
a collector who just happens to love shiny stuff with knobs and 
lights, and what's wrong with that?

It might help to REALLY think about what you are doing with all 
that stuff, and if you REALLY need it. You might end up selling 
some things so you can surprise the wife with that new table she 
wants in the living room (or something like that).

Interestingly, although I haven't bought much big gear lately 
(well, except the VG-99 I got for my birthday) I used to be in 
your situation. Since a couple of years I seem to have less and 
less time for making music, and WHEN I work on stuff, it's mostly 
at the computer. So I am starting to wonder if I really need all 
that gear... But it is so hard to even think about selling. Every 
piece of gear has it's own story...

-- 

:-)

G e r t  v a n  S a n t e n
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www.gertvansanten.nl
www.myspace.com/pbalris
www.waveworld.tv