Originally Posted By: Joe V
Rhetorical question - well, maybe not so rhetorical, but I don't want to put anybody on the spot:

I tend to have some silly habits:

1.) I cover some of my electronics and gear with ugly looking plastic bags to protect them from dust, thinking that they'll live longer. My wife hate the 'look' of the room with these stupid, ugly plastic bags all over the place.

2.) I tend to buy instruments and gear - and then not use it until several years later, almost as if I'm 'preserving and protecting it' for future use. And almost as if I feel "I don't want to play that better instrument until my musicianship improves a little more". So - I have some really good equipment that's been sitting unplayed for more years than I care to share in this post.

Is there a group out there for people like me to get over these ridiculous habits, so I can actually start enjoying and using my instruments and gear ?

And for the sake of my wife - please give me some ideas on how to make some custom dust covers so my music room doesn't look like a sanitation pickup station : )
...or convince me that dust isn't really going to decrease the life (of the equipment I don't use lol) because the chasis and pots are sealed adequately.


I do #1 to some extent sometimes. (more explanation in a moment)
#2 is me. Current list is a midi controller, mic isolation gizmo, Ibanez hollow body electric, 4 channel headphone amp, Samson a6 studio monitors, Behringer studio monitors, Epiphone viola bass, Presonus tube pre amp and more if I were to take time to think of them.

"Group of people to help me get over..." The root cause and cure are one and the same, the spouse. How so? Due to space restrictions, you are probably required to set up/take down/store equipment on a per use basis. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission to buy new gear and there are always competing chores to do in the free time you think you have to work with your music. Then in one of those get it off your chest moments, you find your spouse ranting and raving how you under-utilized your musical talents thus robbing your spouse of the opportunity to enjoy in the millions of potential dollars you wasted away. It may sometimes feel a spouse impedes your musical creativity by demanding life's priorities over your music, but you will also find they may be quietly your biggest supporter and share in your dreams. It's just that someone has to be the adult.

It's easier to convince you that dust will not decrease the life of your equipment than to make a acceptable decoration decision for you. Go to any vintage, high end studio where a $350,000 console has set uncovered for 50 years and is still used by top engineer and artists daily. Dust can be controlled.

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