MAS vs. UAS

I have recently been fighting the urge for a custom uke... Particularly a Koaloha DIV with a MI-SI pick-up and a few fancy bits.

Because instrument acquisition syndrome is utterly irrational in it's manifestation, I've been avoiding the purchase because of the cost.

In order to assuage the symptoms of UAS, I somehow came to the conclusion that I needed two - not just one - but two mandolins. An instrument, by the way, that I don't know how to play.

So last month I ordered an Octave Mandolin from Trinity College, and today I just ordered this Morgan Monroe standard A. This is I remind you, in some inexplicable Coyote-logic way, supposed to "tide me over" until I can afford the DIV.


All of which is bizarre enough until you do the math - at which point it becomes clear that I need to be medicated.

Excluding things like strings and shipping, the OM was $500, the new standard was $300. So I'm down $800, and still want the koaloha DIV. Considering I can probably get what I want for under 2k, I just blew nearly half of that (almost exactly half if you include the requinto I bought this summer for the same reason - and not incidentally the same price as a non-custom DIV) on instruments I don't need instead of scrimping and saving for another couple of months and just getting what I wanted.

Clearly, I have an illness. UAS avoidance is more expensive than just giving into the thing.