Things you always promised yourself...

57Deluxe

A new year and thoughts of what might be and what might have are proliferating these threads.

In early to mid 80s there were a couple of milestones I set myself: A new Porsche by the time I was 30; a Messa Boogie; a Gibson 335 and a dark green Rickenbacker 330 or360.

By the time I was 30 I had the money for the Porsche but in investments... it took 19 years to realise the 335 as my focus was on other things and I'm not so sure I want a Rickenbacker at all now, no matter the colour! The Messa is still out there but just so I can tick that box - I hear a voice in my head saying 'I owe it to myself'...

I don't want ANY money tied up in automotive piffery nowadays - there is no pleasure in ownership on modern roads/swinging Euro and Government legislation. I own two cars and a motorbike as it is and is a bloody PITA to road tax insure, fuel and MOT each year - let alone leave anything spare for....

RaymondLin

I had a similar thing, I promised myself a BMW, had the chance getting a Z4 but I ended up getting a Toyota Yaris !!! To be honest it is one of my wisest decision, the Yaris has been bullet proof the 3 years I have had it, more space than the Z4 for my job and love the little thing.

Catthan

Interesting thread mainly as the auto-related promise I recently realised is giving me troubles ever-since.

Wanted smth with a VW 1.9 TDI engine in it since I was 17 (30 now)  and I visit the garage almost every Sat. since I got it. The engine itself is fine but the rest is slowly falling apart,, 

Gear wise I got more than what I promised to myself. Never thought I'd get a Boogie or a Suhr strat or a Tele for instance. A Tele?? 

Never thought I'd ever sell the SG special my mum and grandma bought me when I was 16 either (sold that to fund the afore-mentioned car,,).

And I didn't become the guitarist I promised myself to be when I was 12 which is giving me enough regrets to make me sad when I think about it.. 

I got me a really good LP and an AER SS acoustic amp for jazz that I promised myself tho.

I also promised myself that I'll cover Save me by Queen at some point in my life with a band and it looks like this will be happening too.

There are a few other promises I'll likely not keep as it's stuff I'm realising I won't be utilising to their full potential:

A Plexi, a decent home recording station, a Mesa studio pre + 2:90 simul. rig, and a 24-frets Suhr shredder..

Materialistic promises aside, life has treated me well enough so far and for that I'm grateful. 

Bucket

Always promised myself a Mesa/Boogie too, and last year I finally bit the bullet and did it.

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af347/ConnorF1995/New Amp Day - Boogie MkV 25/20141017_125951_zpsf3531723.jpg

And boy am I glad I did.

Lixarto

I vow to take less shit from idiots

usedtobe

I never really promised myself anything, as such.. There were things that the younger me lusted after, but by the time you're old enough, you don't really want them anymore, I found. 

Teetonetal

In 1996 I promised myself I would get a Pink Paisley Telecaster... still not managed it, they always come up just after I get something else!

Drew_TNBD

This isn't really how I look at life. Gear is gear. A means to an end. Tools.

The be all and end all for me is artistic expression. But I don't really set goals for that either.

I've written two albums that I'm proud of, even if they do sound like 3rd rate Dream Theater or whatever it was that @mrchi said

To me... music is itself a reward, and there is a zone I am constantly trying to access. The gear just helps me get there.

I have everything I need. If I can't get there, then it's procrastination or worse... not a lack of gear.

guitarfishbay

I'm happy I've had a chance to own and use all the stuff I've had but now I just want stuff that works.

I'd rather have more free time to play than more gear!

timmysoft

I've owned all of the gear I promised myself I would, but ended up back on a Japanese 62 ri strat, something I originally had back in 1999!
I'd like to own a nice car again my c3vtr makes me die a little inside every day.

noisepolluter

335, telecwster, deluxe reverb and J-45. Since these milestones were reached I've also started trying to convince myself I want a gretsch and a D-28, but despite my best efforts I'm not having any of it.

Phil_aka_Pip

When I was a teenager I wanted a Marshall stack, a Les Paul, a Norton Commando, and to have an LP out with my music on it. I still have the stack and the guitar, the bike was sold to a good home 10 years ago. The record never happened.  

daveyh

As I'm currently going through a divorce I've been taking stock quite seriously. The conclusion I've drawn is that anything you own is unimportant and transitory.

midlifecrisis

daveyh said:

As I'm currently going through a divorce I've been taking stock quite seriously. The conclusion I've drawn is that anything you own is unimportant and transitory.

agreed. I took up guitar again after a 30 yr break, and wanted all sorts of wonderful stuff. but I play with fairly modest equiptment, due to funds, my most expensive guitar is a les paul studio. but I gig regularly and enjoy that so much I don't really care about gear as long as it works. if I had unlimited cash I don't think I would buy much more as I realise, for me, its more about playing, and new toys lose their novelty fairly quickly, don't mean to say im not interested in looking and trying stuff out.

but every bit of gear I own has paid for itself many times only (I only do low paying pub gigs and my gear was all bought used and well priced)   

richardhomer

daveyh;472849" said:

As I'm currently going through a divorce I've been taking stock quite seriously. The conclusion I've drawn is that anything you own is unimportant and transitory.

I'm sorry to hear that - it's a horrible business. A 'value' has to be attached to everything - though in my experience the emotional price outweighs all material considerations....

Drew_TNBD

daveyh said:

As I'm currently going through a divorce I've been taking stock quite seriously. The conclusion I've drawn is that anything you own is unimportant and transitory.

Yet they still want to take it all away from you!

Sorry to hear that dude. I hope it goes smoothly for you.

Lixarto

Gear-wise, I have sold almost everything since The Event a couple of years ago. I play a free guitar and a ukulele almost exclusively these days.

The important thing is that musically I am better than I have ever been and am extremely satifised with that, and with what I do with it.

Life is good.

daveyh

Drew_fx said:

daveyh said:

As I'm currently going through a divorce I've been taking stock quite seriously. The conclusion I've drawn is that anything you own is unimportant and transitory.

Yet they still want to take it all away from you!

Sorry to hear that dude. I hope it goes smoothly for you.

Thanks, appreciated. Trying to take the moral high ground but my recent attitude has been 'fuck that'.

Flanging_Fred

I wanted to BE Michael Schenker, have a threesome with Samantha Fox and Suzanne Mizzi and play guitar through a wall of Marshall Stacks on full chat.

Life is cruel

midlifecrisis

Flanging_Fred said:

I wanted to BE Michael Schenker, have a threesome with Samantha Fox and Suzanne Mizzi and play guitar through a wall of Marshall Stacks on full chat.

Life is cruel

two out of threes not bad

equalsql

To retire in small country-side cottage near the sea..
Fat chance of that happening though as I live about as far as you can get from the coast in this country