Is The Gear Acquisition Syndrome a Phase You Have To Go Through To Find The Gear You Like?

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In this follow up video to my ''7 Steps To Cure Gear Acquisition Syndrome'' (which you can listen to here: • 7 Steps To Cure Gear A... )
I'm replying to an argument that I kept seeing in the comment section of that video, which says that GAS can be good for you, because it helps you discover what you like and don't like with gear.
In this video, we are exploring:
- The differences between acquiring gear and having an obession/syndrome/addiction with gear
- When do you know you have GAS or not
How to rid get of the ''syndrome'' part of this problem beyond just reduce being exposed to what makes you crave for more gear:
TIP #1 - Make music with every single piece of gear you own
TIP #2 - Go to a real music store to try the gear you want
TIP #3 - Embrace boredom
TIP #4 - Schedule practice time and turn off internet
I hope this follow up video will give you even more insights in your fight against the Gear Acquisition Syndrome!
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This is the Ambient Guitar youtube channel of Canadian multi-instrumentist Antoine Michaud. Through original ambient music, chordal guitar lessons and tips on guitar pedals, Antoine is looking to educate and inspire aspiring ambient musicians to learn everything about the world of ambient guitar and chordal voicings on guitar.

[@williamedney4332]

I remember my quest for pedals began by being absolutely in awe of Antoine's playing and the sounds he could conjure from his pedals.

[@ingreynelg]

GAS is probably a result of not knowing what we want or not wanting to spend time with a particular gear so that you can really get all the juice out of it. This is true to complex pedals, as a Meris user I can say those pedals are really deep and flexible, you have to spend weeks before you get to really know them. Most ambient-soundscape-experimental flagship pedals are daunting and full of features but in the end, you might not need all of them. One thing I do to control GAS I looking on KZbin for clps on how to use the gear I already have instead of demos of gear I want. I frequently go to channels like The Pedal Zone, Spiral Caster, collector // emitter, Guitar Max, Perry Frank, Mikhail Medvedev, Ponderer Sounds trying to get inspiration and learn a thing or two on how to use my own gear. My collection of pedals is pretty much all Meris (except Ottobit), Ditto Looper X2 and I have replaced Pyramids and Julia with Synesthesia. I now only have 1 OD (Surfing Bear) and I can create a lot of cool noises and nice beats with 5 pedals. I am saving to get the Microcosm (kind of doing it as what you mentioned in your previous clip, make a list of gear you want and stick to it). Spend more time getting to know the gear you have and do not let the hype get to your brain. I have purchased a lot of gear like the Afterneath, Pyramids, Fuzz Factory, MD-200, HOF 2, Flashback 2 but ended up selling all of them. Now I understand that the problem was not in the pedals but in my expectations. It was never clear to me what to expect from those pedals from an expression point of view and my style. In the end, you have to experiment to grow as a musician, but regardless of the genre we are playing we will do it with our own style, deep inside, whether we accept it or not we all know what works to our style. GAS will always be there, but we can learn to control it.

[@MickeyDs14]

I think one problem is that a lot of people don’t know what genre they want to play. For a while, I thought maybe I was an ambient player strictly, then I thought I wanted to do psychedelic, or rock, or R&B, etc. I’ve realized I just needed to put together a board so I can play them all. Now I can bounce around as I please and cater to the genre I’m playing. It’s easy to get caught up in the cool weird sounds and not focus on how you’d actually apply them to your everyday playing. Long-winded, but great video, Antoine!

[@andrew6889-p5c]

I don’t think the financial cost of buying a lot of gear is very high. Most instruments and pedals can be sold a year later at almost the same price. The effective “rental price” of owning and reselling is actually strikingly low. It might cost you $200 to “rent” a US fender guitar for two years. That’s less than $10 per month. I think you accurately point out that the real problem is that the GAS absorbs a lot of precious time and energy. I also think that music starts out as a fun hobby for many people. But we then turn music into another stressful part of life where we are told we need to get better and “go to the next level” etc etc. I personally think that recreates the same anxiety that leads us to procrastinate in the rest of our lives. And buying gear is a byproduct of that stress and procrastination and incorrect desire to “perfect” what we are doing. What’s more important than getting good, is to have fun and maybe let some creativity come through that fun. The problem with many gear videos is that they treat the viewer as if they are a professional musician. So suddenly it seems as if every element of your tone matters. It becomes seen as normal to obsess over tiny nuances. And this creates immense stress when we are supposed to be having fun. The truth for 95% of people is that their tone doesn’t matter and that any semi-decent instrument will do. That a good thing. It means we are free to just play and have fun and stop worrying. I would say that if a piece of gear allows you to have fun in a new way, then it is a great purchase. But buying a 4th boutique overdrive pedal is never ever going to do that. We really need to adjust to a hobby/fun/enjoyment mindset and embrace that this has nothing to do with perfecting anything.

[@AntoineMichaudGuitar]

Lots of great points here! We all put pressure on ourselves to be the best (me included) when the goal should just simply be to enjoy making music. I understand the point about financial cost, but we do need to have the full funds right away to make all our purchases, even if we end up reselling later, and not everyone has access to that. And also, reselling can be a hassle (sorting through responses and lowball offers, negociating, scheduling time in your week to sell each item...) If you do that often, that becomes quite time consuming.

[@TablaDeep]

I was able to satisfy some of my curiosity by using a multi effects, was less expensive than buying pedals one at a time. It was a good way to find out what effects were useful to me

[@LemonMeIon]

Thanks for clearing this up! I’ve never had a problem with G.A.S. but researching gear and learning from others mistakes has helped me to get exactly what I need for my projects the first time and build my permanent pedalboard. Kind of like binge drinking in college, but without the alcoholic aftermath. :P

[@alexriedle6908]

Thanks for the tips Antoine! I will definitely put the third option of embracing boredom into practice. I am certainly guilty of looking for instant gratification or quick information on my phone which contributes to a dopamine rush that you mentioned in the video. Your ambient guitar student, Alex

[@empathysgone96]

Can’t agree with you anymore senor. I wasted two years buying and trying for a second then selling it without ever really appreciating the damn gear. It got worse when Covid hit, and as a front liner my anxiety peaked and worsened my poor habit. I appreciate your advise. Shows how much you care. 🙏

[@danielfarkas7337]

For me what works wonders to boost my creativity a lot is to just temporarily deprive myself of the good stuff (pedals & amps) and just practice the guitar without all the fluff. Dedicating songs to pedals is a very cool idea, I'll definitely go for it!

[@mymuzo3318]

Another awesome video. Thanks Antoine! I must pick up a copy of 'Deep Work' as that is twice now that I have heard it being mentioned in the one day. Also, you are so right with regard to scheduling practice. I'm just getting into weekly planning (everything in advance) for the purpose of productivity, and I can already see it as being a game changer for goal achievement!

[@drakeeblis]

GAS is responsible for me owning a $250k recording studio! I have had this addiction for 60 years! Good video by the way! ✌️❤️

[@jrwardle1]

so wise for someone so young.... I have enrolled in your course and will schedule practise time. I already implemented most of your "7 steps" and my life is much better.

[@AntoineMichaudGuitar]

Thank you, Richard!

[@lofijunky]

i actually needed this. thank you

[@JohnSmithiuyytw]

Great video, great practice advice too. Thanks for the heads up on Deep Work too. I'll be ordering that soon :)

[@AntoineMichaudGuitar]

I also really enjoyed ''Digital Minimalism'' by the same author!

[@stevesmith3990]

The problem with trying pedals out in a store is that it is not possible to try them out with all your other gear so that you can't really tell if it's going to be any good or not. Most online retailers allow free returns anyway so no problem. Also new pedals inspire new ideas and therefore new music.

[@AntoineMichaudGuitar]

There was a nice boutique I used to go where they would let you bring your own guitar/amp and I was doing it for larger purchases. I understand that is not the norm though (and quite cumbersome), and you have a valid point here!

[@JeffHendricks]

Acquiring gear to find what you like isn't a problem... it's that we never get rid of the stuff it replaces.

[@SakariKempas]

Or constantly looking and looking instead of spending time on the instrument or even time with your current gear. I know I'm guilty of this, but I'm slowly more just playing what I have instead of looking for more that I don't.

[@JUNO-69]

I have a 1 in 1 out rule. Feels therapeutic getting rid of unused stuff. And outside of some rare stuff you can always re buy items later on

[@SakariKempas]

@@JUNO-69 That is a really good rule if your pedalboard is already quite full 👌

[@MassimoVaccaro]

@@JUNO-69 same approach for me...and actual used items market is helping a lot...

[@morbidcorpse5954]

This. I am doing my best to not justify buying a Black Metal ESP LTD. 😂

[@dontassumemyfender9866]

It is a great topic. I look at pedal reviews a lot. But recently, my musical taste has changed. Before, I loved rock, britpop, RHCP etc. But now, I'm more into ambient and soundscapes. So I have completely built a new pedal board. The pedals I had before will be getting sold as I no longer use them. So, anyone with GAS, I will be selling some cheap pedals soon. Let me know. 😂😁👍

[@wewewewa]

For me it’s hard to sell pedals because I like them all truthfully

[@SakariKempas]

To add here, I don't believe that unsubscribing from channels I like is gonna help me. They have informed me about gear, but they have not caused GAS to a sickening extent. And I like them as people and their personalities. And what they play can sometimes inspire me to try something with my setup. I have bought some gear cause of GAS. I mean, a lot. Some of it lead me to playing stuff that wasn't "me". IF you get what I mean. I was productive and played notes all the time. But what came out of my hands didn't sound like what I wanted. I had the same thing when I played heavier stuff a lot and had a 7-string. I played and even wrote stuff, but it wasn't me. Hahaha. Right now I feel like I'm getting closer to it though, so it's been a good journey and experience. And going to a local shop (the world allowing) is a good tip! While they might not have the latest.. They will have something along the lines of it. If you have horrible GAS for a specific unobtainium-like (discontinued, vintage, handmade one at a time, etc.) analog delay, just first try another analog delay. Maybe that will do already. Or maybe it's something you like and then you know that the unobtainium one is the one you want to reach for in the long run. The dopamine rush from buying gear and unboxing is real. There were a few pedals that did that. Luckily my latest purchases haven't been that (at least yet).

[@AntoineMichaudGuitar]

Just a little thought: unsubscribing and/or deleting apps does not mean that you are not allowed to consume this content anymore. It just means that you are going to do it on your own terms and not let the notifications and shiny thumbnails distract you to watch this content when it is not at YOUR own convenience. In that case, it could only mean removing notifications, but staying subscribed! There's a time to inform yourself about gear, and there's a time to create and be focused. Just make sure to remove distractions from either of those times!

[@SakariKempas]

@@AntoineMichaudGuitar Yes, good point. I don't think I've really clicked the bell for any youtube channels. For me, the subscription panel on KZbin is enough :D I know it would mean something for the content creators in terms of getting more visibility, but I think it's just dumb. I do not want notifications on my phone. I mostly watch videos on desktop. Well, all music-related ones anyway.

[@LoVeAmBiEnT]

My board looks like a spaceship and I'm proud of it.. It has one more space for the microcosm then all new purchases will stop........? :)

[@LoVeAmBiEnT]

Last thing..... Atleast good pedals hold their value and sell immediately...

[@JoeBoomerMusic]

Just a phase?! A 20 year addiction prob isn’t a phase.

[@ingreynelg]

It's just a REALLY long phase, you'll make it buddy, hang in there, just don't let your special one know how much you spent on that CBA Spectre right after saying buying a $300 USD sofa was too expensive. LOL

[@ShaighJosephson]

Tell me about it... 😂

[@M3dicinePYT]

Where we agree: being comfortable being calm (embracing boredom)... Practice advice. 100% agree. I don't really think GAS exists. Or in extremely small numbers. Who spends tons of money for gear you don't need? Not many people I would suspect. I will say this though. You simply have no idea what it is like not living in a major city. Just going to a brick & mortar store might work in Montreal. Where I live...which isn't way out in the country, you will NEVER find gear where I live without gear channels or other similar places. Ever. If you want the most commonly purchased amp, guitar, and pedals...that you can get, but nothing else. ...and I mean NOTHING unless someone locally sells that thing you didn't know existed and you find it in the "used gear" section. It's like saying you shouldn't listen to music that's not played live locally. I just bought an Ocean Machine. (2 delays, 1 Reverb for those who don't know). It was much cheaper than a Timeline and a Bigsky. Not that there's anything wrong with those... and maybe at some point I'll get something like those if I outgrow the OM. But, I had to buy it without actually playing through one... just like the amp I bought. I had to buy that without playing through it because I don't have any good music stores where I live. I'll find out once it's built and delivered if I've made a mistake or not. Its like that with most things I buy. ...and it it wasn't for (good) gear review channels, I wouldn't know what to consider purchasing for what I want to do.

[@AntoineMichaudGuitar]

Thank you for your comment! There are thousands of different situations, whether they are financial, of location, disabilities, opportunities, etc. That's why I need people like you to remind me (and us) about those constraints and situations so that we can include everyone. I can't anticipate all of that just by myself when making a video. Thanks for participating to the conversation! P.S: however, I do think that MANY people spend too much money for gear they don't need. More than they would like to admit. There's a big different between ''need'' vs. ''want''.

[@M3dicinePYT]

@@AntoineMichaudGuitar I don't think it's that rare ...now, it is highly dependent on the type of sound you're going after... if I was into classic rock... I'd have no complaints... all the classic rock gear all the days from almost any store. If you're looking for a unique high-gain sounds, it's slim pickings in local stores. ...and that's from the 3rd and 4th largest cities in the last 2 states I've lived in. You really have to be in a city like Chicago, Atlanta, New York, etc to have access to (what I would consider to be) interesting gear....and I think that's most people. ...again it depends on what sounds you're after... thanks for the reply!

[@741246]

It's largely the byproduct of marketing surely?

[@AntoineMichaudGuitar]

Yes, it plays a big role, but at the same time, we gotta stop blaming outside circumstances for our own behaviors and take back control!

[@morbidcorpse5954]

10:55 No. I am going to find a GAS Anonymous group and find a sponsor. Hopefully, he doesn't work at Guitar Center.

[@MariJu1ce]

What if you like ALL the gear? haha

[@ToxygenRecAll]

GAS is a disease I enjoy, don’t try to treat me