The Dilema of Collecting, Wanting and Adding More Guitars.

Almost every guitar player that I know enjoys adding instruments to their stable. We have an emotional connection to guitars and let’s face it – we love the damn things. Reasons to look for new instruments vary from something that we truly need, such as capability to have a go to guitar for an extra tuning or a back-up guitar when we play a live show, all the way to finding an axe just because it would look good on our wall.

Are any of the reasons good enough? Sure. I won’t judge.

But, there is a deeper mental dilemma and torment at play when some guitarists obsess over which instrument to get next. It is the feeling of getting something new that is exciting for the sake of the chase that often results in nothing less than a one two punch to the brain.

When a need arises to truly have a new guitar, then let’s leave it at that. Go for it. But, what if we just go crazy while fueled with the greedy need of getting something new just because. Let’s talk about that. I will additionally throw a few tips on how to approach finding the right guitar you need.

I would like to share some tips that might help you when you are driving yourself crazy over what to get next. Yes, this loony cycle includes sleepless nights and spending hours upon hours looking on the internet.

Wanting Something Is Way More Powerful Than Having It

The anticipation and excitement of getting a potential new guitar are often more powerful than the satisfaction of having it in your hands. I think of it when a child orders something from the internet and he checks every hour if the mailman dropped it off for him. Once the package is opened and a couple days are spent with the new toy, a new prize appears on the horizon. Yep, even guitars are like that. The truth is that people are emotional animals and many lack the self-discipline to avoid traps that are set up by their mind.

If you are thinking about the next guitar you will get “after” the one you are looking at “currently”, you might be beginning to spin a little crazy. These days it is extremely hard to get away from having something you are interested in not find you. How about when you look at something online one day and a banner ad pops-up with this exact item when you least expect it a day after while you Google cat food. Yeah, it’s like dropping beer cans at the doorstep of a guy who likes to hit the brews a little too hard and tries to stop. Remember, my main point to get away from this spin cycle. Remember that the anticipation and excitement are very often more powerful than the product. If this point does not hit hard enough, follow below.

Do Not Accept Cheaper Substitutes

You know what is a real let down? When you buy something that is kind of what you wanted and then you realize it was a mistake. You end up selling it for the less than you bought it for and you go back to the guitar that you really wanted that is now more expensive. Double loss. Double frustration. Don’t do that. Yes, sometimes it is important to bleed for what you want. Get what you want. These days guitar manufacturers make instruments that are all over the price range with many of them looking very similar. Once you get the cheaper alternative you realize that the neck binding sucks, the guitar is not balanced right or that the hardware is cheap. This is a total waste of time. I would rather have 2 great quality guitars than 12 low budget beaters. No contest. Don’t accept substitutes. Remember, that your mind will play tricks on you and will try to give you a million reason why the substitute is better. You’ll hear things like it’s cheaper, you can get it now, it’s local. It’s all BS. Don’t do it. Get what you want.

True Progress Happens With Work and Practice

You are thinking WTF, I just want a guitar. That is my point. A new guitar will not make you sound great overnight – it still takes practice to play it well. Make sure that getting new gear is not your substitute for practicing. It is very easy to use guitar buying as a distraction to what the guitar was meant for, and that is to being played. So, if you are spending more time on the internet looking for new guitars versus practicing on them, then the priorities might be out of whack.

What If You Are Over The Mountain

Ok, so what happens when you are spinning, just want anything, want something new and you don’t know why the heck you are looking for a new guitar anyways. My tip is to get busy with something else. You are not in a productive space because your emotions and lack of reason keeps you spinning. Focus on something else, a new project or something else that you can get your hand or mind on. One of main reasons for failing at anything is a broken focus. You can use this to guitar buying as well. If you want to fail at buying a new guitar, break the focus of thinking about it. Eventually the urge will get smaller and smaller. You can use this usually negative principle of losing focus to actually gain potentially positive outcome.

These are the main points that I wanted to share. I am sure that there are several others, but I hope that above does help you in your decisions while chasing that holy-grail. And, remember guitar shopping is still cheaper than fast horses and big boats, so take your time, enjoy a nice axe every so often, don’t spend every penny you have, breathe a little and try to enjoy the process as it should be a fun one. Once guitar buying or collecting is stressful and not fun, the point is completely lost and is a dead ringer that you should probably rethink your approach. Horns Up!

Some of you might find this story’s headline (Give Yourself Permission to Be a Musician) a little confusing. Most of you play an instrument, and many of you are serious about following your passion — making guitar playing your profession. So what’s this about permission?

Let me explain.

Since I was 16, I’ve been on an interesting, but not very unique musical journey. Starting in my early days, I strongly believed playing metal was my ultimate passion in life and that I wanted to pursue it as a profession. On the other side of the coin, although my parents were supportive, I remember them asking me to consider some other, “safer,” professional choices, be it computer programming, obtaining some sort of an executive job, etc. I always believed that if you give something your all, there’s a chance you’ll be successful. I never had fear that I wouldn’t be what I considered successful at playing guitar. But something was still nagging at me. Subconsciously, I still had layers of guilt about not making my parents feel secure about I was doing. This is partly because when we left Poland in 1984, my parents sold everything they had in order to move to the US for a better life for me and my sister. And then their son decides to be a metal guitar player. Writing it down makes it sound kind of insane.

There was a stretch for about five years after I graduated from Berklee that I started teaching full time. I did not play out, I just taught, a lot! Many of my private guitar students were business professionals, lawyers and dentists … and so my interviewing began. I would drill them on why they became who they are professionally and if they would trade it for becoming an artist, guitar player, etc., if they could make a living at it. You would not believe how many thought being a musician was the ultimate way to lead a life.

Now, I’m all for anyone becoming whatever they want, but at the time, it made me feel great that even the people with what we call “respected” and “admired” professions thought playing guitar was the coolest thing in the world. About that time, a shift happened in my life. In my mind and probably out loud, I said to myself, “I give you permission to be a musician!” That’s it. That’s all it took. I stopped eyeing local publications for jobs that might give me relief from teaching, and I said to myself, “If you are a musician, concentrate on using your talents as a musician from this point on. And, while you’re at it, refuse to be broke because of it.”

Even though I made an album and taught music, when asked what I did for a living, there was some hesitation. After the shift, I simply told people I’m a musician. This translated to the clothes I bought, and well, the list goes on. When you allow yourself to do something, sometimes another world of possibilities opens up. Things appear in front of you that were always there, but your eyes weren’t open enough to see them. Think about this.

After that moment, I put a metal instrumental band together and started opening shows for Yngwie, Steve Morse and Ronnie Montrose on the East Coast. After three years of being caught captive via digital 0’s and 1’s, the music from my self-financed CD, Isolation Chamber: Grind Textural Abstractions, eventually ended up living again. Eventually, a tape of one of those shows landed in the hands of The Metal God, Rob Halford, and my dreams started to be become reality.

Of course, once you are showing serious results for your work, it becomes easier convincing relatives and friends about your life path. But here’s the deal: It doesn’t matter. Give yourself permission to do what you believe in, and silence the limiting beliefs. Things seem to align themselves when you are ready, including relatives. Thanks for listening, everyone. Horns up!