This thread probably belongs in 'The Bar'...or deleted.

I'm 68 years old. From about 1995 to today, I watched about $2 million pass through my checkbook. Much of that included healthcare for my daughter and me, a divorce and re-marriage.

So buying a few high end guitars, keyboards, P.A. systems and what have you..$100K no big deal right? Besides, something to look forward to.

Thing is, I've reached the end of the road $$$ wise...can't pay for a Genos or whatever the latest, greatest is for performing. And truth is, probably not that much to gain anyway.

Time to move on?

Guitpic1,
I guess there will be a time for all of us where the cost far outweighs any real purpose or advantage. I am now 77 and like many here have begun to have various physical issues and that certainly dictates what kind of gear can be used for gigs. Right now I use either my Tyros 4 or my Ketron SD7 and it will be a hard choice for me to give up the SD7 regardless of cost. What I have been thinking about though is what do I want my very last keyboards to be? What I decided is kind of lavish. When the time comes I decided I will buy the TOTL arranger from each of the manufactures and have a really fun time with them all at home. I guess one last splurge won't break the bank - just less for the kids - (ha ha)

Deane

Over the past few years, I've been doing my best to piss away the children's inheritance. It hasn't worked out quite the way I planned, and the kids will still get lots of stuff they probably don't really want. I guess when both my wife and I are gone, they get to have a massive yard sale, massive Ebay sale, then I think my daughter will purchase my son's half of the home we now live in. My daughter and son both love this place, and I hope that one of them will move in and not sell it when we take the dirt nap.

For many of us, the dirt nap is not very far off. Many of the forum members are over 70 years of age, living on borrowed time when we consider all the stupid, dumb things we did when we were young. For me, music will always be a part of my life until the day I draw that last breath. I will always have at least one keyboard to play as long as my mind and body allow, and I'll probably keep singing until the vocal chords give out with that last gasp of air. I have always found it amazing how songs are constantly swimming around in my mind, which I guess is a good thing. And, after all these years of being an entertainer, and learning to perform thousands of songs, that one day I would just say enough is enough. But, this has never been the case. There always seems to be just one more song that I must learn to sing and play, and I can do this with any keyboard I have ever owned. I don't need the latest and greatest to do that next song. So, Guitpic, though the money tree may have dropped its last leaves, you still have some top of the line gear to perform with. In reality, you must ask yourself, "Do I really need another high end keyboard or guitar?" I think we both know the answer to that question - NOPE!

Good luck,

Gary

Yea Gary,
Both my son and my daughter always tell us to go have a great life and not worry about what we will have left for them. They both do very well in life and are very serious about all this. Once they actually tried to book us a world tour lasting about 6 months!

Seems like the one thing most of use just won't talk about is our final wishes and last days. One of our best friends is a very successful financial planner and he often has told us stories of families torn apart because of piss poor estate planning by parents. Seems to me this is just one of our duties as parents - doing the last final thing we can do to protect our children.

Wow, is this gruesome or what?

Deane

The good news is that according to your signature, you already have some great keyboards!

Although this is a bit off topic of Cost of Technology I can relate this to you. I was the MIS manager of a medium sized Metro Boston area law firm that specialized in Estate Planning. The attorneys handled for the most part wealthy estates. Can’t believe some of the issues that arose within families fighting over a dead parent’s assets.

The one that always came to my mind was 3 daughters of a guy who was well off, his estate left them $3million each, but they were pi$$ed because their step mom was getting something like $9 million..........not sure how the litigation went because I retired before. YEA I’d call it gruesome.

Here's a view from anther angle. I'm 67, good health, and money to buy pretty much any keyboard or toy I want. ( I did just jump on a new set of golf clubs, and I still stink ) I would have trouble shelling out 4K for a TOTL Arranger but I could if I wanted too. Here's the thing, I don't want a new keyboard GASP !!!!!!
I really don't have the patience to learn a whole new system and gig wise see no need for it. .
Did a nice party Sat. and got to play live and sing a lot more than DJ and my BK9 did great. I have two of them and I'm satisfied. I might get a Hammond clonewheel but I'm not really in a hurry for that as the BK9 does some pretty good organ stuff.
My other keyboard is the FP90 piano and I love that. It actully motivated me to pull out some Classical music again. The only thing I still have in the back of my mind is a pair of JBL Eon One PA speakers. My 515s are great but I hate speaker poles and I don't like the coverage of using just one. I'm not gigging enought to justify the switch, at least in my mind. Been throwing some money at reviving an old hobby, building an HO railroad.
So I just enjoy reading about all the new boards but I'm happy where I'm at.

Bill, I have a nice sailing yacht you can buy at a great price if you're interested. At 77 and failing health, I've become unsafe sailing the boat alone. Or, you could send me a couple of hot honeys to take care of me while I sail south on the yacht.

All the best,

Gary

Good stuff guys.

This is the only form I'm on that makes me feel like one of the younger guys. 😊

You ARE one of the younger guys. Only old men could possibly be this opinionated (about any and every thing ).

chas

Gary
I don't think I could learn to handle a real sailing boat. Thought about a smaller boat but the extra work and expenses turned me off. I have a friend moving here and he used to be a big boater. Trying to talk him into getting one when he gets here and promised th help him with the work.
As for the Honeys the best I can say is I'd love to have a couple of Honey Bourbons with you. Cheers and Be Well

Now that is funny. And at 63 years old I am feeling young as well.

Nigel 63 is young from where I am standing. At 63 I had the world in my hands; nothing was too much for me. If I wanted it I did it and it turned out fine.

“You are one of the younger. Any old men could possibly be this opinionated (About any and everything)”

I heard said that when you grow old you have learned so much but have no one to tell it to; that makes this forum a nice place to be. I have learned much from this forum. In the last 12 years I had the opportunity to mentored well over 150 men at my church – they thanked me for my wisdom.

The forums I visited that deal strictly with their brand instrument I find boring. SynthZone is much more than an instrument.’ It’s people and the instruments. I have made many friends over the years; Peter who lives in England called me twice this year. He came to the Technics jam years ago.

Most old men talk a lot because a greater part of their energy and drive has left them. Part of the design of life.
I’m on my soap box again.

Thank you Nigel for everything, John C.

I once heard it said...." you are only as old as the last... keyboard... you felt" or something like that. Anyway, as long as you do what makes you happy, and when you can't tell everyone about how big the fish you last hooked!
While you are still kicking keep doin' your thing.

Peter who lives in England called me twice this year. He came to the Technics jam years ago.

John,
So happy he is still alive. What a delightful man he is. I too have fond memories of the Technics jams.