I'm comfortably in the GAS remission phase right now. Over my comparably short (to most on this forum) guitar journey of about 7 years (not including my few years of butchering it as a 10 year old) I've bought more than a logical number of guitars. This is something my dear, but super logical wife has brought to my attention on more that a few occasions.
My GAS was driven by a cause-effect relationship. As I went through my early development, I progressed somewhat rapidly and would by a new guitar (always nicer than before) which sounded fractionally better and I seemed to be able to play slightly better. So my own growth was psychologically reinforcing the fact that the new guitar was fractionally better.
This started with a $250.00 used Seagull S-6 purchase and ended -- almost -- with the purchase of a Breedlove Masterclass Koa Dread last summer at a much higher price. That acquisition brought me a both visually and tonally stunning instrument that is, without a drought the best I've ever played. It was so good that, 6 months later I decided I certainly had to have a Masterclass Concerto in Brazilian Rosewood. That's where the brakes hit and logic started to set in. While the Concerto, a gorgeous and exceptional guitar in its own right, was not superior in either tone or overall appearance than the Dread - it did cost appreciably more. I'm not planning on selling it, in fact its definitely my #2 guitar and I play it several times a week, but it brought me to a hard realization that I've got some great guitars and it's time to focus on what really makes them sound good - my own development.
At least that's my story today.
