Ever give up playing?

JohnFX

JohnFX

Member
Hi all, did you ever lose interest in playing guitar an just stop? If so why and did you ever start again, I have been playing for 40 years as a hobby but in the last year I have lost total interest in playing and might even offload my guitars as not much point having that much cash tied up in them,
 
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JohnFX said:
Hi all, did you ever loose interest in playing guitar an just stop? If so why and did you ever start again, I have been playing for 40 years as a hobby but in the last year I have lost total interest in playing and might even offload my guitars as not much point having that much cash tied up in them,
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Yep. I quit in 2014. I had been working full time as a musician for 10 years. I hated it for the last couple of years, it was only a pay check in the end. After I ended up in hospital (long story), I totally quit when I got home. Sold of most of my guitars etc.

It took about a year or two before somebody put a guitar in my hands at a social get together. Felt so weird at first, like learning to walk after an injury. Like, I KNOW how to do this, but my muscles and movements didn't cooperate. After that, I started picking up a guitar we had at work on breaks and stuff. My boss at the time was also a guitar player. When he learned that I didn't even own an electric anymore, he pretty much forced me to take his old Fender home.

So little by little, I got to playing for real again. I got my own electrics again etc. Ended up doing gigs again, but more for fun that anything else. Nowadays, I play constantly, and have done for some years. I can easily sit all day and play if I have the time. Music is fun again!
 
Sods Law means you'd dump your gear and then in a couple of years want to start playing again.

Sometimes it's a fine line between hobby and obsession and the guitar collecting is more important than the actual playing ... but different strokes for different folks.

I went through a phase of just buy, buy, buying some long time desired guitars and basically they ended up in a rack doing nothing much of the time. So at one point I decided I'd force myself to dig out my old and only guitar that I used way back when gigs were absolute fun all the time (IE I was younger and not wealthy enough to buy anything in the higher end of things) ... in doing so I thought I'd teach myself to appreciate that I was lucky to now have some of the guitars and gear I always dreamed of having back then. In my case my old guitar was a early 90's Japanese Charvel 475.

The only problem with my theory was that the Charvel is an absolute joy to play - probably my favourite neck feel of all my guitars! Violently red in colour, big old toothpaste logo on a pointy headstock etc. so not quite 'the look' any more for it's owner 30 years later!

I guess the point of the story is (vaguely) - sure, whittle down on the gear - but keep something behind because being able to play an instrument is a gift and a great hobby and it will come back and bite you.
 
No. I did focus more on singing and acoustic rhythm playing for six years in a bluegrass band, but never a full stop for too long.

I didn’t play guitar for about three months when Covid first hit, which I think was depression/shock.

I’m now playing so much guitar every day my hands hurt, so maybe wait it out and don’t do anything drastic.
 
Time playing goes up and down with whatever playing activity is available, but no... haven’t quit yet. I’m 61 and will be out playing this afternoon. I’m long past thinking I’ll be a rock star, but still enjoy the music and making it. Many of the friends I played with back in the 70s and 80s have quit. Some have picked it up again at some point, some not. Nothing’s right for everyone.

I’d suggest you keep something to play on, but no need keeping a bunch of guitars you’re never playing even if you weren’t going to quit. Put that money into something you’re going to enjoy. I’ll likely do some downsizing myself before too long.

Best of luck to you, whichever way you decide is best!
 
There was a point in time (2003) I didn’t play for 6-9 month’s, not really sure why I fell out of it (been playing since 1977). The only thing I can attribute too. At the time I was stuck in a job, all promises were broken, and I was seeing finances very slowly being chipped away. Basically, a slow downhill spiral.

During my none playing period, I still kept two out at all times, had intentions but would pick one up once a week of so and end up tuning and pretty much put it back in its stand. Funny part I got triggered to start playing again indirectly.

A woman I use to know through work, wanted to get me and her daughter together. But we were about 45 miles apart so that first week it was phone and email. She knew I played and was insistent on hearing something. So I played a very simple piece (many takes) found a acceptable take and emailed it to her.

Listening to myself something clicked. “What are you doing? All those years and it’s all deteriorating.” That’s pretty much what got me going again, realizing how much it all slipped.
 
Absolutely... I started in the early 80s and have put it on hold a few times over the years... kids, family, kids sports... longest dry spell just ended about 6 months ago... I always kept gear around just incase... I'm glad I did... I'm loving it more today than I ever did... its just a hobby for me, nothing serious just a fun stress release/mind jedi thing for me🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
I did, when the last band I played in broke up in a really disheartening way. Didn't plan it, it just happened. Kept the gear.

Haven't gigged since, but I play at home nights and weekends, big fun. My chops aren't what they were when I was gigging all the time, but chops were never my focus anyway.
 
Yes and no. Early on I took an interest in drums and vocals, then eventually bass, then eventually recording/engineering/mixing. That pretty much resulted in 28 years of musical ADD. So while I'd have periods where I wasn't interested in playing guitar, I always had something else in my hands.

My best friend's father owned a music store when we were in high school, where we'd work/hang out every waking moment. I took full advantage to having all those instruments around me and all the instructional videos we'd have playing while the store was open. I remember one day, I got all excited about this Buddy Rich video we got in and my buddy's dad goes, "Man, Andy, you've got it bad. I remember when I was a kid I'd want to read all about drums but you're like that with everything; it if makes a noise you want to learn how to play it and if someone played it, you want to know when he played it, how he played it and what he played it on." He was really stoked about it and I'm so thankful I had him and his wife around, because my parents weren't exactly supportive of the music thing back then.

Ever consider picking up a 2nd instrument? Maybe a keyboard or bass? Ever try writing music? Maybe try to re-discover why you wanted to play originally by learning some covers and recording them?

Usually there's a catalyst that'll bring the inspiration flooding back, you've just got to hold out until that presents itself. Sometimes it takes a while, but usually when it comes, it's strong enough to get ya through to the next slump.
 
Having built like 7 guitars during the covid period I noticed that I was more busy building guitars then playing them. And being busy as a sports instructor I also noticed that I was more focused on that then on playing, or even about thinking about playing. Especially in bands. Officially I'm still in two bands, but one I've not played with since autumn last year, the other since what, december last year? And I find that I'm not missing it.

But getting rid of my gear? NEVER! Not in a million years. If I could take it with me to the afterlife I could. Things come and go but playing guitar will always be with me, few things are certain in life, of that I am certain.
 
No despite work wife and two little babies.. Guitar love is like a woman love.. To let things carry on you have to be able to make new things have willness to change a little bit.. Discover new applications not only the minor pentathonic.. New styles ecc ecc..
 
I played constantly from age 11 up to around 25, then a few music/industry related things happened that made me give up on it for about 2 years. Sold all my amps and guitars except for 2 sentimental electrics and an Acoustic.
Then I was in the Military so didn't get time to play much but would noodle every now and then, though nothing even close to regularly. Next I moved country, started a family and that took up all my time. The acoustic and recording gear went to pay for life/bills and by this point I had no amp to play my electrics so basically stopped all playing for about 4/5 years.
Then in 2019 I promised my self I would get back in to it as all I was doing then was working with no hobbies or interest which doesn't make for a healthy life. So I got on the FM3 waitlist and waited for my spot to come up. In early 2020 I started acquiring guitars/recording gear again and finally got my FM3 in May last year.

The FM3 is the best piece of guitar gear I've ever bought, no question. It perfectly fills my need for tone variety, flexibility and low volume playing and has been crucial to inspiring me to keep playing regularly, learning new styles, relearning all the ability I'd lost and I'm LOVING it.

Things come up in life that require you to take time away from one thing to spend on another, whether it be having kids, a job, injury or whatever but you can always come back to it. You might have to relearn how to play and may never get back to the level you once were but I think as long as you enjoy it then whatever goes in my opinion.

My biggest obstacle was figuring out how to bamboozle the wife every time I want to get another guitar thing but honestly I think my outlook and state of mind improved so much after getting back to it that she encourages me and actually suggest I buy this guitar or that.

That's called a:
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A couple of times over my 40+ years of playing, but neither time did I intentionally quit... more like I just wasn't into it. The more recent time was in 2006, I'd just left a band I'd been with for a number of years, had a painful breakup a few months earlier, and my mom had just passed... I guess I was just emotionally burned out and guitar playing was the thing that suffered. Other than that, life was good, I was still into concerts and music, just not playing it.

I kept my Strat on its stand in my living room; I picked it up once or twice, went "meh" and put it down. My new girlfriend at the time, who I'd met right when this phase started, said one time "I don't know why you call yourself a guitarist, you never play." To her I'm sure I looked like one of those TV/movie guys who have a guitar in the background like a prop but you never see them touch it. This went on for about 9 months.

Eventually, a friend called to see if I wanted to join a new band he was putting together. Interestingly, this was soon after said girlfriend and I broke up - maybe it was all about her the whole time! LOL. I just had to practice to get my chops (and calluses) back. Ended up not joining the band but that reawakened the guitarist in me...
 
I started playing when I was about 8 years old and shortly after I graduated from high school I was making my living with it, either performing or teaching. Did that for about 7 years and decided to get out of the music business. I was burnt out by it, and tired of not making enough money. I still played, but not for money. Over the next 25 years or so, my playing time gradually decreased to the point where I was maybe picking up a guitar for an hour per year. This was due to lack of motivation and getting interested in other pursuits.

About 10 years ago I moved back to my hometown and some of my old musician buddies (including the bass player I'd played with since high school) asked me to sit in on a casual gig. That experience showed me how rusty my playing and become and served as the motivation to do some woodshedding and get my chops back. Before long, I was gigging one or two times a month with these friends. We're in it for fun, not trying to make a living, and playing music has become enjoyable again. I still might go weeks without playing, but I still play enough to keep the chops up.
 
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I have. I have also found myself drastically changing the nature of my projects at times. From and Americana roots band to badass metal. From metal to jazz fusion. From jazz fusion to country and western, then back to metal again.
 
I stopped when I went to college, sold all my gear, and didn't play for 10 years. My wife suggested to get an acoustic, and then the bug bit again. I had to start from scratch, there was nothing left with respect to skills or knowledge after those 10 years.
 
I played for about 20 years, started programming to help afford the music habit, got pissed at a bunch of emotionally crippled musicians and said "screw it", sold almost all my gear, then was asked to play with some good friends, so I told them I'd do it for a year. We had a blast but I stuck to my guns and quit and programmed for about 40 years, eventually selling my Mesa Mk IIb and Les Paul Custom I'd held on to, leaving me with some classic pedals.

About 5 years before retiring I started missing those times when a song grew wings and would soar, so I started bouncing off different amps and guitars, tried several different attempts at multi-effect boards and modeling, toss them aside, rebuilt my pedal board, bought some boutique tube amps, bought some good PRS guitars, started experimenting with modelers again, bounced between Helix and the AX8 and back and forth until the FM3 hit, was so impressed I bought the FX3, and now I'm fine-tuning my assortment, reducing the herd to some very flexible guitars and tube amps and the Fractal boxes.
 
Henry said:
I stopped when I went to college, sold all my gear, and didn't play for 10 years. My wife suggested to get an acoustic, and then the bug bit again. I had to start from scratch, there was nothing left with respect to skills or knowledge after those 10 years.
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I felt the same way, but was kind of glad. Intellectually I knew the neck but I'd lost the muscle memory that made me play licks I knew, so I focused on playing what I'm hearing. I'm happier with what I play, which is a mix of all the stuff I've heard and liked. And, I get lots of compliments when at a jam after other guitar players played their catalog of licks and I played something melodic with dynamics. I think I still suck but at least they liked it. :)
 
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