Goodbye Mira ~ I'll never forget you

[MistaSnowman]

Sorry that you're going through financial issues, I've been there a time or two myself. That said, in order to up your skill level, you have to have the gear that you love that will inspire you to play more and get better. It seems to me, that the Mira inspires you more than the Tele! As mentioned earlier, sell the big amp and the Tele, while keeping the Mira!

I believe in the 'Happy wife, happy life' credo also, but you need happiness in your life too. Marriage = balance between spouses.

 

[JStarr]

Also... I'm 44. She's 30 (and smoking hot), so she's one piece of "equipment" that I'm never letting go.

 

[NomadMike]

That's tough JStarr, but I get the feeling you can always get another Mira that will be as good as your current one. If I wasn't on new guitar lockdown I'd make you an offer to give it a good home. That's a cool thing you and your wife are doing for your friend.

 

[JStarr]

And we're not struggling. My wives idea of struggling is not being able to set aside $500 per month for the college fund and never using those damn credit cards unless it's a dire emergency.

 

[NomadMike]

You sound like us.
I too have spent many hours playing through Garage Band on my iPad and found I spent more time writing than just noodling.

 

[MistaSnowman]

We all have to do what we have to do, even if it's something you don't want to do .

 

[JStarr]

Truth is, I don't play in a band. I don't play out. I don't compose songs. I just fiddle. The $300 Tele and $300 iPad Mini will suffice for my needs. Right now, I really don't need $2K wrapped up into things that I'm not "using" in the literal sense of the term. And there's a pay-it-forward element here that will hopefully come back in the form a Core model PRS.

I tried to stave this off by selling the Bernie a few weeks back... but when they smell blood, they go in for the kill. And to be COMPLETELY honest, I didn't exactly divulge the cost of the Mira when I bought it. I couldn't lie when she asked... then she gave me that look. I knew she meant business.

Trust me... I'll be back!

 

[László]

A man's gotta do...and all that.

It's good to make your wife happy. And it's good that you know what makes you happy, and what's less important.

I've sold too many guitars over the years that I should've kept, but you're right, they're always making more guitars!

 

[Jorj]

Also... I'm 44. She's 30 (and smoking hot), so she's one piece of "equipment" that I'm never letting go.

:congrats:

 

[ChrisCst22]

I say sell the Hummer. With the amount of gas you'll save you can buy two Miras in six months.

 

[FunkyFreeman]

That's so sad, man. But as you knew what's more important in your life, I believe that you've made the right decision.
Don't worry, there're many Miras, as well as other PRS out there. I wish you found another guitar (not wife - hahaha) soon!

 

[Sage]

You did right, man. Guitars are replaceable assuming they don't hold special sentimental value. Marriages aren't. And neither are dear friends suffering from terminal illness. We'll be here when you get back.

 

[mezzio]

Much more money is to be saved/gained by looking at r
the whole picture...I'm about to cancel my cable(I can see everything I want online) to save $150 a month. That's every month. The money you get for your gear will be gone and where will that leave you? Looking to where you can really trim /save

We just dropped our cable, only kept the internet and signed up for Hulu plus... and if hulu doesn't have it, there's always sites to watch stuff its amazing going from $240/month to $35 (although the net goes down quite often, I think the cable company is mad we dropped services).

Back on topic, what does ones skill set need to be to warrant a certain "level" guitar?

 

[HANGAR18]

Find a new wife, one who will be interested in YOU and respect what YOU think is important for your own life.

The cost of only one guitar is nothing if it brings you happiness. Besides, the more expensive guitar can be the cheaper guitar in the long run in most cases. Many people buy and then later trade in a whole string of cheap guitars because they are never happy with settling for the wrong tool for the job. Buy the right guitar the first time (ie keep the Mira) and in the long run it will cost a lot less than buying a whole bunch of cheap guitars. If your wife was REALLY interested in money, she would demand that you keep the Mira. Besides, Tele's suck.

 

[thieves&foxes]

I hear you, my clearing of the gear was from a slightly different perspective, I sold my P22, Mira and my Martin to upgrade to a Singlecut Hollowbody II, and have some cash to save, although I'll eventually get a baritone at some point, but I am trying to just have the gear I need for what I play, and develop my tone and playing from the gear I have and not constantly gassing for new gear. I want to learn to play properly and not say when I finally get x, i'll become better .

I guess I am in my life doing 'just turned 30 crisis' clean up , clearing my life of everything I deem unnecessary

My skill level is intermediate at best, but my thoughts were if I am going to have a guitar it might as well be the best one I can get.

My wife is also odd when it comes to gear. She fights with me to keep it, and she ain't a musician She is also smoking hot, and gear enabling. It's a tough life but some-one has to do it.

 

[Drew]

And we're not struggling. My wives idea of struggling is not being able to set aside $500 per month for the college fund and never using those damn credit cards unless it's a dire emergency.

I've bought and sold many guitars over the years to the tune of losing thousands. I'm a good player but I don't gig and certainly some would say I have thrown away too much money for my skill level. If a girlfriend or spouse ever tried to have THAT discussion with me, it would be the quick road to splitsville. We all have our hobbies and on this forum that would be guitars and guitar playing. I don't think it's fair or right for someone to judge what you should or shouldn't have based on perceived skill level. It doesn't matter whether you are married or not. That's your hobby and you are entitled to it. A good spouse will turned a blind eye and live with the fact that her ideal financial picture will have to take a hit on the occasional month. If you aren't in dire straights and not burning bills left and right, then YOU deserve a piece of the pie and deserve to have your own thing that makes you happy in this world. She has an H3? Those certainly don't come cheap. Perhaps you should have turned around and told her to sell it and drive a more economical car for the sake of the household. I wonder what the response would be to that? She is in the complete wrong on this and you aren't recognizing it. If you give in this time and keep giving in over the course of the marriage, there will be a build-up of resentment that will eventually lead you into divorce court. Don't be THAT guy. Take a stand and stop drinking her cool aid because it seems shes got you brainwashed on this subject.

 

[NomadMike]

So some believe money losing hobbies come before the person that you are at least legally tied to? Interesting perspective.

JStarr, you made the right choice.

 

[rugerpc]

There's a bit more to this story as well. We have a close friend that is on her last days with battling cancer. We have committed a fairly large donation to make her final wish come true, which is to marry her long time fiancee. With this and my daughter's grad party in front of us, we've needed to really keep close watch on our spending without having to use credit. I'm making this temporary sacrifice with the bigger picture in mind, and there will be other guitars. I told her today that all of these things are far more important than my hobby, and I understand her point regarding the fact that I don't need so much cash wrapped up in my "toys." Besides, I get a good feeling inside when I'm a little more selfless in my decisions. My wife is great woman, but she's also a bit more frugal and logical when it comes to spending. Except for her Hummer H3... I still give her sh*t about that all the time!

H3?!?!?!!
If she traded that for a Jeep, you could pay all those expenses and keep your gear just on the gas savings alone! :vroam:

Just saw this...

I say sell the Hummer. With the amount of gas you'll save you can buy two Miras in six months.

Ok, seriousness.

Compromise is the thing. You and your wife are supposed to be in it for life, right?

She's gother Hummer. Is she off-roading it? Down and dirty in the bogs, streams and boulder fields? Is her driving skill level commensurate with how much more the Hummer costs than a Jeep?

That would be an interesting discussion since how much is tied up in guitars rests on your skill levels.

Compromise.

And compare apples to apples.

 

[gball]

Sorry to hear you have decided to let it go. It's truly a beauty and we know how much you love that guitar.
I'm a bit torn on a decision like that myself but I understand it. I know I am very lucky that my wife has supported my hobbies over the years (though she does remind me from time to time that I have not played an actual gig in 15 years!) and I don't think she would ever condone my selling off one of my guitars if I didn't really want to because she knows what my playing means to me.
It seems there is more to playing guitar than just the physical acquisition of gear, and the emotional connection to your playing, and indirectly to the physical guitar, goes far beyond the dollars and cents of an object that can just be sold without a second thought.
Having a nice guitar like your Mira doesn't have anything to do with skill level (perceived or real) but with that emotional connection. I don't expect people who don't play an instrument to understand, so I stopped trying to explain it to them a long time ago. I just hope that they can appreciate what it means to us players and respect that.

 

[Drew]

H3?!?!?!!
If she traded that for a Jeep, you could pay all those expenses and keep your gear just on the gas savings alone! :vroam:

Just saw this...


Ok, seriousness.

Compromise is the thing. You and your wife are supposed to be in it for life, right?

She's gother Hummer. Is she off-roading it? Down and dirty in the bogs, streams and boulder fields? Is her driving skill level commensurate with how much more the Hummer costs than a Jeep?

That would be an interesting discussion since how much is tied up in guitars rests on your skill levels.

Compromise.

And compare apples to apples.

Exactly my thinking too. People are entitled to their little luxuries. It can't ALL be about the family and in her case it certainly isn't all about the family driving that Hummer. So, why should the OP be the one who has to make the sacrifice? I really hate to say this but the OP needs to grow a set and stand up for himself. We marry and we think that our partner always has the best intentions but the truth of the matter is we can all be selfish too. Maybe she is just annoyed at his little guitar hobby and wants to put the kabosh on it? That is not out of the realm of possibility.