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Thread: The Ever-Expanding Gear Thread

  1. #1
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    The Ever-Expanding Gear Thread

    Greetings all, since my departure from these climes a couple of years ago, I've made a few alterations in my guitar set-up. Nothing major, but it is interesting to note how these things continuously evolve and change. Sadly, with my now being in China, much of this kit is now either at my mother's or in storage in Sheffield. Really looking forward to the day I can get it all back. Be interesting to learn what everybody else is rocking these days. Anyway, here's my inventory at the moment:

    Guitars:
    Ibanez Prestige S1625TKS
    Ibanez RS1010SL Steve Lukather Signature
    Much-modded Ibanez RS530
    Much-modded 'Fender' Stratocaster
    Bitsa Thinline Telecaster
    Colin Kendall 6-string acoustic
    Faith Saturn II 12-string acoustic

    Basses:
    Guild Pilot 6-string fretted
    Yamaha RBX270F 4-string fretless

    Amps:
    Laney VC50 (fitted with Celestion GT speakers in place of the useless HH originals and running EL34B power tubes)
    Ashdown Blue 130 bass combo

    Effects:
    Alesis Quadraverb GT Multi-FX
    Blackstar HT-Metal Tube Overdrive/Distortion pedal
    Joyo 6-band Graphic EQ (cheap, surprisingly good and true bypass, too!)
    Morley Volume
    CMI Wah
    Behringer Midiboard (forget the model number)

    Here in China I'm mostly playing a cheap, locally made 6-string electro-acoustic by a company called Dove. Whilst it's not exactly on the same level as my Colin Kendall, it's actually perfectly playable, stays in tune (especially after I put a set of Elixir 11-52s on it), and sounds pretty good, both electrically and acoustically. As I was only meant to be here for a year it does the job. However, now that I'm going to be here for longer, I'm in the process of importing a Charvel Strat-style So-Cal electric through a friend of a friend who runs an instrument store here. one the whole, unless you play the piano or the violin, instrument availability in China is still a serious problem. Even though Shanghai is on our doorstep, an inspection of the main musical instrument district there quickly revealed that rock instruments especially are not only considerably more expensive and scarce than in the West, but even when available they're often in poor or neglected condition. You can imagine my bafflement when, on entering one of the largest instrumental retailers in China, I discovered that most of their high-end US Fenders had been put on display with no strings fitted! Lord alone knows how customers were expected to be able to try an instrument before parting with a not-inconsiderable sum of money. Anyway, what gives gear-wise out there in PE Land right now?
    Last edited by kid_runningfox; 05-09-2015 at 12:24 PM.

  2. #2
    Member No Pride's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kid_runningfox View Post
    unless you play the piano or the violin, instrument availability in China is still a serious problem. Even though Shanghai is on our doorstep, an inspection of the main musical instrument district there quickly revealed that rock instruments especially are not only considerably more expensive and scarce than in the West, but even when available they're often in poor or neglected condition.
    Very weird, especially considering how much of today's American gear is made in China. Apparently they make this stuff for everybody but themselves.

    My musical equipment is much less interesting than it once was. I never thought I'd see this day, but I rarely have to bring an amplifier to a gig anymore. Out of the two bands I work with the most, one of them always tours out of state or country and they always rent me an amp (the Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier half stack is what's on my rider; not my favorite amp in the world, just my favorite out of what's commonly available from backline rental companies). I fly with my Suhr guitar (basically a sing-sing-hum Strat) and my Line 6 M13 (a "virtual" pedalboard). In the other band, the leader decided he doesn't want amps on stage, so I bring my Line 6 Pod HD500, which goes direct. And I have a once a month jazz gig where I bring my Epiphone Sheraton (an ES-335 type guitar) and plug straight into the P.A.; no effects necessary. I still have about a half dozen amps; they're all collecting dust in my storage space. Weird, huh?! Oh well; I used to think my demise would come from getting a heart attack while dragging an amplifier out of my car's trunk while in my 60s (and I'm 61 now); at least that's not so likely anymore!

  3. #3
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    I was just a frontman in cover bands. This exchange is way above my pay grade, gents!
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

    President Harry S. Truman

  4. #4
    On my birthday a Waldorf Blofeld was added to my collection of instruments, thanks to my dad.

  5. #5
    Member Plasmatopia's Avatar
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    That's a lot of guitars, Mark.

    The last few years (until sometime around last September) I've been playing mostly bass. So my bass rig is:

    Basses:

    Fender Precision Highway One
    Fender Precision - cheap-o MIM...and now Frankensteined with a Warmoth neck, snazzy pickguard, and upgraded silver knurled knobs (all of which cost more than the bass did originally). I might upgrade the pickup one of these days when I want to throw more money down a rathole.

    Amp:

    Ampeg B-2RE head (solid state)
    Ampeg 1x15 cabinet
    Mesa 2x10 cabinet

    Effects:

    Tech 21 SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI
    Boss LMB-3 Bass Limiter/Enhancer Pedal

    Mostly I don't bother with the effects, but the Sansamp helps as a DI box if I'm playing through both my rig and the PA. Which I don't do anymore since switching to guitar last September.

    Guitars:

    Fender American Standard Strat - just bought this from the lead guitarist in my band. Modded with some sort of Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge position, tone pot can be pulled out for single coil.
    Fender MIM Strat - cheap-o Frankensteined thing I've had for a long time. All pickups are now stacked humbuckers of various brands.
    Guild S-300-AD - more of a Gibson-y deal. Has two different Dimarzio humbucker pickups in it, not sure which ones. Might be PAF and Super Distortion. I bought this back in '83. It has a Tune-o-matic style bridge which replaced the original...and they did an absolute hack job. Intonation could not be properly set. I fixed that and it's a much better guitar now, but I don't use it with the band.

    Amps:

    Marshall Valvestate 65R - makes a decent practice amp and stays at home, although I did actually play a couple gigs with it over the years when I had nothing else!
    Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier - my main amp these days. I use it with a Marshall 4x10 cabinet. Nice light setup!
    Mesa Boogie Royal Atlantic - awesome amp but way too heavy - just sold it.

    Effects:

    Ibanez Weeping Demon wah
    Boss TU-3 Tuner
    Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
    Boss GE-7 Equalizer (in the effects loop as a boost)
    Electro-Harmonix Soul Preacher compressor/sustainer
    Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus
    Danelectro Daddy-O Overdrive

    I bought a Pedal Power power supply and built my own pedal board which so far I am pleased with. Not that crazy about the Daddy-O and would love to upgrade to something better at some point. Also, I'm not sure the Chorus pedal is doing much for me. It sounds nice, but it's not a sound I need in the live setting.

    A couple of alternatives might be a delay pedal, or something like the Strymon El Capistan, or maybe something like the Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork, but I can see I might start to need more real estate for an expression pedal with that. For overdrive the Folkesson Raptor looks cool, but maybe the same sound can be had much cheaper?
    Last edited by Plasmatopia; 06-08-2015 at 06:45 PM.
    <sig out of order>

  6. #6
    Just ordered Cubase Pro 8 and a Steinberg UR12 audio-interface, which came for free with this order.

  7. #7
    Latest GTR list:

    1976 Strat (3-tone SB)
    1966 Gibson ES-335
    1947 Gibson ES-300
    1992 Sebring (L-5 Copy)
    1967 Gibson ES-125
    1979 Gibson ES-1275 (white 6/12 double neck)
    1995 Gibson Nighthawk
    1991 Lowdon S7C Acoustic
    1978 Gianinni Craviola Acoustic
    1971 Rickenbacker LS-331 Light-show GTR
    2011 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
    2010 Epiphone Les Paul Ultra II
    NO-name 6-string lap steel
    200x Hewett 11-string Harp GTR
    2010 Fender Telecaster (Heineken logo)

  8. #8
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Supersonic Scientist View Post
    Latest GTR list:

    1976 Strat (3-tone SB)
    1966 Gibson ES-335
    1947 Gibson ES-300
    1992 Sebring (L-5 Copy)
    1967 Gibson ES-125
    1979 Gibson ES-1275 (white 6/12 double neck)
    1995 Gibson Nighthawk
    1991 Lowdon S7C Acoustic
    1978 Gianinni Craviola Acoustic
    1971 Rickenbacker LS-331 Light-show GTR
    2011 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
    2010 Epiphone Les Paul Ultra II
    NO-name 6-string lap steel
    200x Hewett 11-string Harp GTR
    2010 Fender Telecaster (Heineken logo)
    Dang! A lightshow Rickenbacker? VERY cool!
    And the Harp guitar! That must be a real treat. I have always wanted one. I will go research Hewett now.
    (EDIT: What a beauty!)
    Last edited by Gizmotron; 08-11-2015 at 07:52 PM.

  9. #9
    Bought another LAB Series amp, it's the one in the middle. L4, 200 watts and 200 euros. Still dead cheap .


    Oh, the list. Here comes:

    Basses:

    1976 Gibson Thunderbird IV
    2010 custom non-reverse Thunderbird IV
    1991 Rickenbacker 4003 JG
    1981 Aria Pro II SB 700 de-fretted
    1981 Ibanez Roadster RS900
    2008 Danelectro Longhorn
    1983 Squier JV Jazz Bass
    2006 Tyyster Jazz Bass w/additional neck pickup
    2004 Tyyster Telecaster Bass
    2002 Hamer Chaparral 12-string bass w/custom built B12 -style body
    2004 Waterstone TP-2 12-string bass
    1980(ish) Aria Pro II SB700 modified as a 6-string bass (Bass VI style)
    Frankenstein P-bass w/ '75 Fender neck and 2011 Hosco body
    Frankenstein P-bass w/ Allparts Telecaster neck and '75 Fender body with two reversed P-pickups

    Amps:
    1977 Hiwatt DR103
    1977(ish) LAB Series L2
    late 70's LAB Series L4
    90's Ampeg B100R combo

    Cabs:
    1994 Ampeg SVT 810E
    90's Hartke XL115 w/EV speaker
    2014 EBS CL112

    Pedals include:
    Hughes&Kettner Rotosphere II (great for a 12-string bass!)
    Ernie Ball stereo volume/pan pedal
    Digitech Hardwire stereo delay
    Ibanez DCF10 Chorus/Flanger
    MXR Phase 90

    Synth:
    Yamaha CS-5
    Last edited by Pekka; 11-05-2015 at 01:13 AM.

  10. #10
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Sweet!

    I have looking at bass amps recently. There is something seductive about a fine bass amp powering a nice cabinet...such tight, focused bass tones!

    (You guitarists have it easier than we bassists!)

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Gizmotron View Post
    Sweet!

    I have looking at bass amps recently. There is something seductive about a fine bass amp powering a nice cabinet...such tight, focused bass tones!

    (You guitarists have it easier than we bassists!)
    I don't play guitar except at home and when trying ideas but still I have amps that work for guitar and bass.

  12. #12
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    oh sorry...I forgot that you are a bassist.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Gizmotron View Post
    oh sorry...I forgot that you are a bassist.
    Usually people don't...and then they start telling me all the ancient bassist jokes...

  14. #14
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pekka View Post
    Usually people don't...and then they start telling me all the ancient bassist jokes...
    Dang! Why waste time with jokes when there is so much GEAR to discuss!
    For instance, I have a first generation Fender Rumble 100 (that I bought used). It sounds fairly good down low but the upper third of the register on a 4-string seems to have a slightly unpleasant coloration of the sound...not quite a distortion, not quite a buzz...something sort of in-between. And this is at low volumes so I am not pushing the thing. I assume it just had a long, hard life before I got it. (It must be one of the early ones because there is no switch on the back that turns off the red LEDs at the bottom (or allows the lights to track the playing).

    Me want new, powerful amp!

  15. #15
    Member nosebone's Avatar
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    I bought a Mini Vent Leslie pedal last year that really kills!

    no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone

  16. #16
    The Lab Series and HiWatt are pretty much my two dream amps. Nice rig!

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by nosebone View Post
    I bought a Mini Vent Leslie pedal last year that really kills!

    I've been meaning to pick up a decent Univibe/Rotovibe-type pedal for years. The Leslie simulations on my ancient Quadraverb are actually surprisingly good (and you can vary the rotation speed via Midi expression pedal), but it can't really do that seriously gut-churning 'Bridge of Sighs' sound that I'd love to have! Might be something I pick up when I return to the UK in January...

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by kid_runningfox View Post
    I've been meaning to pick up a decent Univibe/Rotovibe-type pedal for years. The Leslie simulations on my ancient Quadraverb are actually surprisingly good (and you can vary the rotation speed via Midi expression pedal), but it can't really do that seriously gut-churning 'Bridge of Sighs' sound that I'd love to have! Might be something I pick up when I return to the UK in January...
    Just looking at those latest small-sized simulators makes me cringe at the size and weight of my Rotosphere II. Anyway, it sounds good and I also use it as a pre-amp for the 12-string bass as it somehow smoothens the edge a bit whether the break is on or off.

  19. #19
    From what I can tell you can get away with a mildly less authentic Leslie sim on guitar than you seem to be able to on an actual organ... maybe it has to do with harminically complexity or maybe I'm just more tuned into the organ sound.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by trurl View Post
    The Lab Series and HiWatt are pretty much my two dream amps. Nice rig!
    I used both in the studio a week ago. The sound clip has the non-reverse T-Bird, L4 and 15" EV cab mic'd with that microphone (Electro Voice?) seen on the low quality pic.


    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4322198/str.mp3

    This has the Hiwatt and P-Bass with the same cab:
    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4322198/cweal.mp3

  21. #21
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    I picked up a Fender Rumble 500 Combo.
    Most tasty!

  22. #22
    sold my 1980 Tube Screamer a while back, and now I want another one! I'll probably get the new mini version though. Also looking at building my first ever real pedal board, something I have never had, ever, in 45 years of guitar playing!
    Coming September 1st - "Dean Watson Revisited"!

  23. #23
    Member Mikhael's Avatar
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    Mine hasn't changed much. As I get older, it gets bloody hard to find a decent job, both musically and professionally (I hit the big six-oh).

    My guitars are modified (by me) to the hilt. A Hamer Chaperral with DiMarzio, Carvin, and Graphtech Ghost pickups (on a FR bridge), stereo out.
    A Parker P-38 pretty much the same, except a Wilkinson vibrato instead of the locking FR.
    A Godin SolidAC with a switch for going between acoustic and electric sounds (they didn't put a switch on it originally [?]).
    A Yamaha built to compete with Vai's guitar by the same guy.
    A Gibson S-1 with a Washburn WonderBar on it (and totally different pickups)
    A FrankenStrat I just finished assembling out of spare parts lying about in my garage. I built it to try out a neck with a 1-7/8" wide nut I had.
    A very nice inexpensive Seagull acoustic with both soundhole mic and piezo bridge pickup.
    An Ibanez classical that plays perfectly in tune for some reason.
    I have some other guitars lying about, but they're inconsequential (Goya Rangemaster, anyone?).

    Amps? Pearce all the way, a G1 and a G2r. I use the G1 for just a preamp now, as most of my live work requires no cabinet; an ADA Cabinet Simulator takes care of that nicely. A 2x12" and a 4x12", both stereo with Celestions. Three wireless units, and two bulging pedalboards with a whole lot of crap on them, and two smallish racks with the amps and their associated FX crap.

    Aria Fretless bass (new pickups of course), an Alesis and Korg keyboard rig, 7-piece Tama and Sabian drumkit, and a 4800 watt PA system, bunches of mics, blah blah blah...

    I play in two bands, an original one kind of like a bad King's X, and a cover band that pays for this crap. Gambit was my best effort, a prog band I was in for almost a decade. Sadly, I think time, family and jobs created a wandering interest, and it collapsed. No good proggy goodness for me anymore.
    Gnish-gnosh borble wiff, shlauuffin oople tirk.

  24. #24
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    A Godin SolidAC with a switch for going between acoustic and electric sounds (they didn't put a switch on it originally [?]).
    Because I clearly don't have enough gear already, I decided to buy this. I'll be picking it up later this month when I return to the UK and taking it back to China with me:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2720832036...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

  25. #25
    Member dgtlman's Avatar
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    I just scored one of these! Always wanted one, but you know...

    10378214_10204047191538917_4774246247880522596_n.jpg

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