Perhaps keeping a list of guitars, basses, and amps you didn’t buy will be helpful in reducing your GAS problem.
If you can’t buy it now, at least keep a file on it. Maybe you will buy it later, maybe you won’t.
Here are two questions that I hope will slow down your GAS or Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.
Will this Guitar, Bass, or Amp make you a Better Player?
Ultimately, the hard question is this: Will this guitar, bass, or amp that you want to buy help you improve your musical skills?
Or, if money is no object and space is no object, buy whatever shiny object you want, whenever you want it. – Shoshin Guitarist
Will this Guitar be Easy to Re-sell ?
If you can’t even find any Internet articles on your unusual guitar, bass, or amp, do you really think it will be easy to re-sell? – Shoshin Guitarist
If you are purchasing a very good Les Paul guitar, you can easily re-sell it. If you’re making an impulse buy from an elderly woman (actually my age) of a California (actually they misspelled it as Califorria) model bass guitar made by the Chinese firm Eleca in 20024, it won’t be easy to re-sell the item.
Try to avoid purchasing little known guitars, basses, and amps on the Internet that have no reviews.
Learn from the Guitars, Basses, and Amps that you Do NOT Purchase
Learning from what I didn’t purchase. I learn about guitars and amps by researching them, how quickly they sell, and their value.
This process also “slows down” my GAS or Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Cheaper blogging about a guitar, bass, or amp then purchasing one 🙂
Beautiful Harmony Stella with Case for $60
Missed it. I was 2nd in line.
I found it on Facebook Marketplace Chicago. It was beautiful, had its own case, original owner. I hesitated for perhaps 1 hour.
Then I texted on the Harmony Stella. I was second in line. I was too late.
$100 Harmony H802 in Indiana
May 29, 2024: It was just too far to drive 100 miles round trip for a beautiful Harmony guitar. No thanks. Nice guy.
I discussed the purchase in the back garden with my wife. Thankfully, no argument. I decided it wasn’t worth the 100 miles round trip.
Ironically, he raised his price to $150.
They do come up for sale in Chicago for around $100. But I already have my beautiful Harmony H80T strat copy black/white model. I don’t need another.
Georgia’s $100 Beautiful Canvass Guitar on Facebook Marketplace
I was too slow, too indecisive.
$110 Roland Cube 80GX in South Dakota, USA
I love my Roland Cube 40GX.
Still waiting for the Roland Cube 80GX listing to slip away from Craigslist. Owner wants to sell local and probably won’t ship to Chicago.
Finally, it slipped away and disappeared from South Dakota’s Craigslist. Thank goodness.
Gallien-Krueger 400 RBIII – $100
Heck yeah I want it. But so did 50+ other people on Facebook.
I offered $110 but it was sold within 24 hours.
I want a U.S. designed and U.S. made Gallien-Krueger bass amp. This is the one that got away.
$109 – Ampeg BA110 Bass Amp – Guitar Center
You can find a lot of used equipment on Guitar Center’s website. If it’s used and faraway, they will charge you to ship it.
I am searching for a bass amp with a 10″ speaker or larger for my new bass hobby.
Guitar Center on Chicago’s south side on Cicero Avenue listed a used Ampeg BA110 in good condition, no picture.
It disappeared in just 2 days. Someone found it quickly.
That just proves to me that Ampeg BA amps are still popular. My search continues. But Ampeg BA amps appear regularly in Chicago. Perhaps its best if I try one first at a Guitar Center.
11.26.2024 – Resisted the Urge to Purchase a Cort CR100 on Facebook – $100
It was tempting. I have been looking for an Cort or Samick electric guitar. Seller wanted $100 for an almost brand new Cort CR100 and cheaper Marshall amp. Great price if I was a beginner. I am an advanced beginner trying to become an intermediate guitarist.
Glad I didn’t purchase it. Great price, nice reviews. But I think it unwise to make my wife sad over a marginal student guitar just before Thanksgiving. Glad I passed.
Now that I know more about the Cort CR series, I would consider a Cort CR200 or above with set neck and better pickups. The Cort CR100 is a bolt on neck with cheaper pickups.
But still, they look like nice LP copies.
1.13.2025 – I Don’t Need a Hohner HW03 with Spruce Top
I have chased this guitar for perhaps a year. And this evening I found it for $45 locally in Chicago, IL USA. I do like Hohner guitars and this is a 3/4 or 7/8 Hohner with a spruce top.
But I bought a bass amp last week and my wife was kind enough not to scream at me. Here are some reasons for me NOT to purchase the Hohner HW03:
- I own a Hohner HW200 and a Japanese Hohner. They are very similar.
- This Hohner won’t make me a “better guitar player”. Some equipment might make me better. But this Hohner isn’t essential.
- My kind wife doesn’t need another guitar in the house.
- Honestly, I am setting my goals for different, better guitars. I have my eye on a headless bass guitar or some lesser telecaster.
2.15.2025 – I Don’t Need a Fender G-Dec 30, Yet
This caught my eye on Chicago’s Facebook Marketplace. G-Dec 30 AND the foot pedal for it. It was a bargain. But I passed on it.
I really want the v3 version. And, I am trying to sell an amp or two so that I can upgrade to this amp.
Seeing a guitar, a bass, or an amp in person is the best way to buy something. Testing it would be even better.
I found a Fender G-Dec at my local used guitar store. I picked it up and thought, it’s tinny. I didn’t even try it.
Maybe the Fender G-Dec sounds great, I will try it one day just to find out. For now, the G-Dec isn’t on my mind, all the time.
Hurray, I found the v3 30 in great shape from a Texas Goodwill. $25 plus shipping. Nobody bid on it. It was a steal 🙂
3.30.2025 – A Daisy Rock Retro-H-Bass Guitar Won’t Cure my Aching Elbow
So my excuse in almost buying the beautiful blue Daisy Rock guitar was that it was light and would make it easier playing bass guitar. I recently hurt my right elbow slipping on ice with my HEAVY Deltatone bass guitar. So I thought what I needed was a lighter guitar. I am sure this guitar is 7-8 pounds. Great weight.
Pretty bass, isn’t she?
I am sure this bass would have been well set-up by a Facebook Marketplace seller who has serviced 3 of my guitars. Almost bought it, here are reasons why I didn’t buy it.
- Painful Elbow? A lighter bass won’t help my aching right elbow. Each of my guitars hurt after I play for 30 minutes. What I really need, and will get, is physical therapy for my right elbow. Trust me, it has to hurt a lot for me to get physical therapy.
- Few Internet Reviews? Very few reviews on this guitar. When I sell it, if there are few reviews, who will buy it from me.
- Great bass? Early Daisy Rock bass and guitars were made by Schechter. I have read they do good work. But I want to hold out for a very, very good bass.
- Humbucker pickups vs Precision Jazz? My 2008 Deltatone bass has a PJ configuration and I like it. The Daisy Rock had a double humbucker pickup. Not convinced that would sound so good.
- Resale value? I don’t think I would get $185 dollars back in value from a 2005 bass guitar made in Indonesia. I’d probably lose $85 in re-sale.
So I passed on the good looking blue Daisy Rock Retro-H-Bass.
4.9.2025, ESP LTD B-55 FM 5 String Bass
Yes, I did purchase its brother the ESP LTD B-50 bass in April, 2025. It’s a well balanced bass that I use every day.
So than I started GAS’ing. How about it’s big brother, the LTD B-55. I found this one on the Internet.
I don’t need it, yet. First, let’s learn how to play 4 string bass. But maybe a 5 string bass in the medium future. But this LTD B-55 sure is pretty, isn’t it?
6.15.2025, Dean Tonic S
This guitar appeared on Chicago Facebook Marketplace: a Dean Sonic S.
The seller originally wanted $200 for the guitar and a Vox amp. So would that make it a $125 guitar? Then apparently she learned sellers are asking $250+ for this guitar on Reverb.
So now the Facebook seller is asking $250 for this guitar. No thanks, too rich for my blood.
February 2026: Ultimately the Facebook seller would lower her price to a reasonable $150 and sell the guitar quickly.
But this little known Dean guitar made in Korea makes beautiful music. Here’s the one and only demo on a Dean Tonic S guitar on the Internet. Frets99 demos a Dean Tonic S on Youtube.
I offered the seller my Dean MLX in trade for her Dean Tonic S (it’s called a Martini) guitar. Facebook seller said “no”.
7.19.2025 – Mitchel TD100, a Short Scale Guitar
I discovered one for $30 and 40 miles from my home where I used to fish. It disappeared in one day.
Then I started looking for these darn guitars that came in blue or orange. I told myself it was for my almost 5 year old grandson and his Opa (me). Here’s one in central Illinois for $75.
The Mitchel TD100 sounds beautiful. Visit miniguitarsociety on YouTube to see a demo. The admin collects mini-guitars and makes them sing nicely.
But for me, the short scale nature of the Mitchel TD100 was too scary. I had a short scale Epiphone that sounded great but needed to be re-tuned every 10 minutes.
So I have moved on from the Mitchel TD100. If one of these short scale beauties appears in Chicagoland at a good price, I might be interested.
8.10.2025 – Harmony 01010 for $60
This really was a bargain. I have wanted a Harmony 01010 for months.
On OfferUp, the picture looked great. And, it included a guitar stand. Price reduced from $80 to $60. So that suggested a motivated seller.
The Harmony 01010 was a bit far from my home, maybe 20 miles. And I fought the urge to buy another “OK guitar” that did not have a spruce top. I want a spruce top acoustic that sounds great.
Finally, I decided that buying another guitar wasn’t worth a near argument with my wonderful wife. Our wives and partners can only tolerate so many guitars.
Yamaha TRBX 270 Disappeared Overnight from Facebook
Yes, I was attracted to it. An unmarked Yamaha bass, purple or is it lavender, beautiful. They were asking $100. It was SOLD in 24 hours, perhaps less.
Why? Because I like its little brother, and cheaper bass, my $25 Yamaha RBX 170.
January, 2026 – The Fender Superchamp XD
Yes, I promised my wife no more guitars and amps until my birthday in April, 2026. So I had to let this amp pass me by.
Just read the description. It was a Fender Super Champ XD with upgraded Weber speaker and upgraded tubes. Yikes. It would have been nice. It sold for $150.
February, 2026 – The Fender Cyber Twin
So in my mind of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), I have been going back and forth on the Fender Super Champ XD/X2 versus a Fender Cyber Twin. For now, they are both found (with hunting) in Chicago for about $250-$300.
But I think I need to play one first to really appreciate it. Purchasing amps with barely testing them isn’t a good idea after 2 1/2 years of playing guitar 🙂
Somewhere, lurking in Chicago there is a Fender Cyber Twin. Probably made around 2004.
March, 2026 – Art and Lutherie Guitars (Made by Godin in Canada)
This bubbled up on Facebook. It’s beautiful. Now I know these guitars exist.
And the videos I found were great sounding.
This is a nice intro to the sound of this guitar from Yanda’s Music on YouTube.
Then I learned Godin in Canada makes these guitars. Are they as good as a Martin as one YouTuber said? I may never know.
Called the Cash America store the next day. That acoustic was gone. $150 asking. Perhaps lasted one or two days. Must have been a good guitar.
At least this “interlude” admiring an Art and Lutherie guitar at a Cash America store has introduced me to the Godin line of guitars from Canada. All of them are good. I will be looking at them in the future.
Thanks for Visiting Shoshin Guitarist Today
Is this helping with your GAS syndrome? If you can’t buy a guitar, bass, or amp, you can keep a file on it.
And yes, maybe one day you will buy it. Maybe.