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When you're Neil Young or Rod Stewart, you don't pay for music gear unless you try very hard. The manufacturers will give it to you for free on the off chance

When you're Neil Young or Rod Stewart, you don't pay for music gear unless you try very hard. The manufacturers will give it to you for free on the off chance that you get spotted using it (those musicians also tend to be very careful about what gear they get photographed using, due to sponsorship agreements). I can absolutely see the appeal of spending your money in an industry where nobody cares who you are or what products you use.

shagie 5y ago
> I can absolutely see the appeal of spending your money in an industry where nobody cares who you are or what products you use. Many years ago, I was affiliated with a permeant lan gaming store (this was before everyone had high speed internet - which was the downfall of the store when it became available) that was down the road from the state capital. The store was next to another one who's owner was known in certain circles of politics - but it was more a "known in the circles" rather than "active in the circles"... anyways... One day, a well dressed young man came around a lunch break time and asked about the video games and playing them and then came back after working hours and played some lan games for a bit. When he left, the neighbor shop owner came over and asked if we knew who that was - turned out to be the speech writer or press person for the governor at the time. He often came back and the guess of the appeal (beyond playing games) was twofold. (1) None of the other patrons of the shop cared - they were mostly high school and college kids. (2) Once on line, no one knew who he was. So yep - spending money where no one cares who you are or what you do where you would be noteworthy outside can have its appeal.
CPLX 5y ago
That's true for NEW music gear. Sort of. Musical instruments specifically. Top end recording gear not so much, since like who else buys it except for people who record professionally. But for the most part these guys are buying vintage/classic stuff and paying astronomical amounts of money for it, since pretty much all people on the planet who care about guitars or tube preamps are chasing the same couple models.
- damontal 5y ago
  There’s a documentary on Keith Richards on Netflix. He has so many vintage guitars he doesn’t even know what he has.
  - adolph 5y ago
    Well you know he probably picked them up when they were new Thats the advantage of growing old
  - EricE 5y ago
    "he doesn’t even know what he has" Not all of that is due to age or volume :p

shagie 5y ago

> I can absolutely see the appeal of spending your money in an industry where nobody cares who you are or what products you use. Many years ago, I was affiliated with a permeant lan gaming store (this was before everyone had high speed internet - which was the downfall of the store when it became available) that was down the road from the state capital. The store was next to another one who's owner was known in certain circles of politics - but it was more a "known in the circles" rather than "active in the circles"... anyways... One day, a well dressed young man came around a lunch break time and asked about the video games and playing them and then came back after working hours and played some lan games for a bit. When he left, the neighbor shop owner came over and asked if we knew who that was - turned out to be the speech writer or press person for the governor at the time. He often came back and the guess of the appeal (beyond playing games) was twofold. (1) None of the other patrons of the shop cared - they were mostly high school and college kids. (2) Once on line, no one knew who he was. So yep - spending money where no one cares who you are or what you do where you would be noteworthy outside can have its appeal.

CPLX 5y ago

That's true for NEW music gear. Sort of. Musical instruments specifically. Top end recording gear not so much, since like who else buys it except for people who record professionally. But for the most part these guys are buying vintage/classic stuff and paying astronomical amounts of money for it, since pretty much all people on the planet who care about guitars or tube preamps are chasing the same couple models.

damontal 5y ago
There’s a documentary on Keith Richards on Netflix. He has so many vintage guitars he doesn’t even know what he has.
- adolph 5y ago
  Well you know he probably picked them up when they were new Thats the advantage of growing old
- EricE 5y ago
  "he doesn’t even know what he has" Not all of that is due to age or volume :p