Already bought last guitar !

koneguitarist

Been thinking about this quite a lot lately, I have my main Tele/esquire and a spare for slide, my old acoustic and a lap steel, so don`t actually need anything . But here  is the issue, I reckon on being able to play live for maybe 2 years or so at most, due to my arthritis causing issues.

Not too worried about it as I am really enjoying the Radio stuff now, but a bit sad that something I have done for almost all my life is coming to an end. Not going to stop playing the guitar completely but all live work. so everything I have is what I actually use, and not much point in buying anything for a short period that I don`t really need.

Bit of a watershed moment in my life to be honest !

Anybody else nearing the end ?

ThePrettyDamned

You can still, easily, justify owning any kit you see fit. Otherwise, we've lost a reviewer on here

I feel for you mate. Maybe you could take up a beasty lap steel? Or *shudder* bass.

dindude

Don't give up on GAS! Your situation would still provide me an excuse to buy a really nice guitar or two. Here's why:

A). Because I don't see the shame in the simple joy of owning nice instruments with no other justification needed (such as they must be played live etc.) and 

. Whenever I pick up a seriously good acoustic (for example, could just as easily be a great electric/amp combo), I find myself happy to sit there just picking out simple cowboy chords and just taking in the lovely tone. Good tone makes me play simpler basically.

thumpingrug

Feel for you.  Always difficult to no longer be able to do something you love.  

Stick with it as long as you can and make adjustments to your playing style to try to go on a bit further.

jd0272

Christ Taff, you've hit me with the Depression Chord!!! I can't even contemplate where you're at matey.

Off to the shed for a stiff gin methinks.

RichValentine

As mentioned above... Take up slide? :P

Or downtune to Drop-D and just play metal/rock

jd0272

RichValentine said:

As mentioned above... Take up slide? :P

Or downtune to Drop-D and just play metal/rock

Thats it, slide!!!! Good call RV.

marktheharp

sorry to hear that.hope you have longer playing than you think....
I have recently just got together with a very talented singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist !
he has bad diabetes and May only have 5 or 6 years left playing :-(
so we are recording and getting out there as much as we can.
so all the best buddy and good luck for the future .
send me a message if ya like with any links to your recordings if you don't mind ?
cheers Mark .

marktheharp

sorry to hear that.hope you have longer playing than you think....
I have recently just got together with a very talented singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist !
he has bad diabetes and May only have 5 or 6 years left playing :-(
so we are recording and getting out there as much as we can.
so all the best buddy and good luck for the future .
send me a message if ya like with any links to your recordings if you don't mind ?
cheers Mark .

Lixarto

koneguitarist said:

Anybody else nearing the end ?

I'm certainly a lot closer to the end than the beginning. Not sure I can motivate myself to join the band I've been asked to.

I'm hopefully going to do a few solo acoustic shows in the near future. That might be my lot.

Hmm.

Bogwhoppit

I was a working musician. I had enough guitars, amp, keyboards to stock a shop, including a fully pro studio. When I found out I had cancer, I sold lock, stock and barrel except for one USA strat and one amp.

I've always played to earn, I've never experienced the bedroom guitarist syndrome, so had no use for the gear. Now 4 years on, I'm restocking and becoming a bedroom guitarist. Its quite an amazing feeling to pay a fortune for a guitar knowing all you're going to do is noodle and hang it on the wall.

 

I always do things arse about face.

marktheharp

bloody android phone !doh

jd0272

Bogwhoppit said:

I was a working musician. I had enough guitars, amp, keyboards to stock a shop, including a fully pro studio. When I found out I had cancer, I sold lock, stock and barrel except for one USA strat and one amp.

I've always played to earn, I've never experienced the bedroom guitarist syndrome, so had no use for the gear. Now 4 years on, I'm restocking and becoming a bedroom guitarist. Its quite an amazing feeling to pay a fortune for a guitar knowing all you're going to do is noodle and hang it on the wall.

 

I always do things arse about face.

I think your reason for doing so is more than adequate.

jd0272

Lixarto said:

koneguitarist said:

Anybody else nearing the end ?

I'm certainly a lot closer to the end than the beginning. Not sure I can motivate myself to join the band I've been asked to.

I'm hopefully going to do a few solo acoustic shows in the near future. That might be my lot.

Hmm.

Have another (as we've all done it at some point) go at pushing yourself. Join the band. Often personal surprises to be had. I'm no fanfare artist for holistic stuff, but we've often got more in us than we appreciate. Nowt to lose eh?

Lixarto

Maybe so - the band (I mentioned it on another thread somewhere) is country covers. Not sure I want to do that.

These solo shows will be mainly my own stuff and the odd Neil Young song

Andyjr1515

I'm with @dindude on this one.  I've recently started being properly hindered with a type of inflammatory arthritis that is apparently in both hands and wrists.  I've taken it as the cue for: 'Look dear, just one more guitar isn't going to matter...I mean, it could be my last...'  

jd0272

Lixarto said:

Maybe so - the band (I mentioned it on another thread somewhere) is country covers. Not sure I want to do that.

These solo shows will be mainly my own stuff and the odd Neil Young song

Aye I saw that. Not my 'bag' either but a good avenue to play and earn. I'm more of a Steve Earle and Drive By Truckers (early albums) country music dude.

Lixarto

On the plus side I do like Johnny Cash!

koneguitarist

Thanks for all the replies, no depression though please. I was diagnosed with a form of rheumatoid arthritis when I turned 40, didn't think I would be playing at 43 let alone 51, so done well. The big necks have made a huge difference, kept me playing. But I have been gigging 35 years , was hoping to make 40, slide playing is helping but not good enough to play slide all night. Had a good innings but don't want sympathy as I am ok with it now.

ThePrettyDamned

Would a wider neck help? Just thinking, if I dug out a chisel and a hacksaw, I could probably convert a 7 string into a 6.

I'll let myself out.

But seriously, consider slide. It's, to my mind, almost like learning a totally new instrument. You can have as many or as few strings as you like, a lump of metal and you'll never need to worry about neck dimensions, action etc again.

jd0272

Lixarto said:

On the plus side I do like Johnny Cash!

I like Cash. Was looking at Cash's version of NIN Hurt last night on the Youtube, majestic.