GAS (or Guitar Acquisition Syndrome)

With the proliferation of acronyms and syndromes in our modern society, you will not be surprised to learn that GAS stand for Guitar Acquisition Syndrome and that most guitar players suffer from it. Every guitar player needs a variety of guitars to do the various jobs that need doing (or so I tell my wife). There are of course acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass guitars, 12-string guitars (acoustic and electric), guitars with single coil pickups, guitars with humbucking pickups, fat ones, thin ones, tall ones, short ones, etc. etc......and various combinations and permutations of the above.

Like so many things today, there are way too many choices to be made. If you go to a big box music store like the Guitar Center or Sam Ash, the choices can be so overwhelming that it is just easier to go home empty handed (which is one reason the economy sucks IMHO). My guess is that Fender makes at least a hundred variations of the Stratocaster alone......maybe more if you count all the color choices. Add to that Telecasters, acoustics, basses, etc. and I bet they are manufacturing several hundred different guitars.

I have recently acquired a couple of used guitars that are nice additions to the stable (see a previous blog for photos of my Ventura acoustic). I am starting to feel that I need to pare the collection down a bit though. Actually, I do play and use nearly all of the guitars pretty regularly. I know I used at least six guitars recording the new ICW Blues CD. In my circle of guitar playing friends, I cannot think of anybody who has less than three guitars.

So call it an obsession, call it an inventory of tools in the toolbox, or call it GAS.

On another subject, I went to the Katiki last night to play in the blues jam. I was milling around with some acquaintances when I saw a guy walk in who looked exactly like a face from my past......my boss in Chicago in 1978 and again in Texas in 1989. He retired from the company in 1990 or so. I asked the guy who walked into the Katiki if I knew him and he recognized me at once. Sure enough it was Don and he had his lovely wife with him. Turns out he still lives in the Chicago area but he also has a condo in Seminole. What are the odds of him wandering into a local beach bar and being recognized I wonder? Very interesting.