Music gear, Whatcha got???

[NuTcAsE]

In response to question in another of our forums about music gear. I'm starting a thread here.

That all depends on what kind of amp you ordered!!

So... what DID you get? I'm a gear junkie. I can't play very well; just enough to have fun, but I love the gear so much I can't stand it!

My friend you have G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).

That one was a Kustom 72 coupe 2x12. I waited almost a year on it. Since then I've picked up a Mesa/ Boogie F-30 1x12 w/ wine tolex and a wicker grill.

Guitarwise I have about 13 so far, Paul Reed Smith Swamp Ash Special, couple G&L Legacy's, Hiway 1 Strat, Ibanez Semi Hollow and a Talman (the old Elec. one with lipstick pickups), a Taylor. 2 effects rigs, one analog, one digital.

This year, I'm tooling up on guns. Gettin my arsenal in order. I tell ya, this whole "I wanna be like Ted Nugent when I grow up..." idea is gettin expensive.

[Im Neero]

I have a G&L SB-2 bass, a Yamaha Classical guitar, and a Fender Mexican Strat. There are a lot of other guitars scattered around, but those three are my babies. I just sold a Lakland 5 string and regret it, that bass was amazing.

How is the Swamp-Ash special? I used to lust over those things pretty hard.

[towerclimber37]

I have a Hamer 6 string electric with a 200 watt Peavy transtube 112 amp..

these are mine:D

I also play a harmonica from time to time..

[Guest Steelharp]

Well, I make my living with this, primarily...

http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o54/Steelharp/Sho-Bud%20Pro%201/

That, and harmonica...

[Branket]

Nothing too fancy but I don't play much so I don't need it. I have a Jackson Dinky that I play through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I also have a cheap Honer G420 acoustic that's made of Siberian Willow and sounds about as good as anything I've played in a store without paying 4-5 times what I payed for the Honer.

[musicman]

These are my main guitars, except for the Strat which I sold (kicks self in pants!)

L to R 1981 Ibanez AR350 Artist, Highway 1 Texas Tele (love this guitar, and I can't even stand country music!) 1977 Ibanez P300 (think Frampton, minus the $2,500 sticker in the headstock) Highway 1 Strat which had Lindy Fralin pickups... that guitar was a freakin' tone machine and I sold it to buy a gun which I no longer even own... stupid move. I still hate myself over that.

That's me playing a Christmas show a few (like 5) years ago... yea, I'm wearing a Larry Boy shirt.

The flame top of the AR-350. This guitar shows some honest wear, but it's my most prized guitar. A mentor and good friend "sold" (basically gave) me the guitar for what he paid for it nearly 20 years ago.

Match made in heaven... though it did not last.

I don't have pics of the other stuff, but my main guitar amp is a Rivera M100 combo 4x10. I love it, but it's a little thin on the low end, open back and all. If I can ever get a matched 2x12 I'll be set.

Right now I play mainly bass (church) but all of that stuff is more utilitarian. I started to focus on bass after my money supply tightened up. I have a Yamaha 5 string BB series, and run it through an Ampeg head (B2R I think, close to the base of the range) and an Ampeg 410 HLE cab.

[Guest dotsun]

I have a Martin DX-1 that I'm ashamed to say collects more dust than playing time.

[Bigiron]

American make Fender Strat; Guild mahogany accoustic. 1963 Gretsch Tennessean; mini strat that won't keep a tune; 3/4 size Yamaha "beater" accoustic. Amp is a Randall 2X12. When it comes to playing a guitar, I can be used as a bad example.

[Marswolf]

OK, now for something different.

Yeah, my wife and I have had guitars forever. She even had one that was custom made for her. Best I ever had was an Alvarez that sounded good to me, but I'm sure better ears would have gone for something else. I learned on a Kent. Real POS. You had to be superman to play it. The strings were a few miles away from the frets.

And I have done pianos and organs, tin whistles, ocarinas, recorders, harmonicas, and a bunch of other stuff.

Anyway, here is the current project:

It's a hammer dulcimer made by some nice folks up in Damascus Virginia.

Here is my wife's mountain dulcimer.

It's made by Dan Doty out in Memphis.

Most mountain dulcimers have four, or even three, strings. Note that this one has six. It makes a world of difference in the sound. I highly recommend Dan's dulcimers if you are into mountain dulcimers. I can't deal with them. They are not fully chromatic and that drives me nuts.

[NuTcAsE]

Neero, I love the swamp ash. Very versatile axe I can get both Fender and Gibson tones, think strat/ tele, and s.g. Highly recommended, mine looks like my avatar except with birds on the fret board. It's hard to beat G&L, Leo Fender & George Fullerton, are like the John Moses Browning, and Bill Ruger of the guitar world.

That's a good little rig you got TowerClimber, I had a Bandit trans tube once fantastic amps. The great thing about Peavey is you can throw it of a 2 story building and go play. How's the Hamer? I've always like them hadn't got around to one yet.

Steelharp, I admire anyone who can make their living making music. There ain't nothin like a good Steel to add complexity to a song. I've been listening to Robert Randolph & The Family Band that kid is amazing.

Branket, you ever tried any mods on that Hot Rod? Is your Jackson a pre-Fender? Honer makes some very good stuff.

musicman, Love the AR, great guitars. You should put a 4 way switch in the Tele, You'll end up with the 4th pos. being both pickups in series, killer tone!

Also keep in mind with your Rivera that the bass frequencies don't develop for several feet in front of the speaker. 4x10's tend to be bassy that's the idea. Try standing in front of it several feet away and see if the tone changes. You may be killing everybody in front of you with bass and not even know it. Same goes with a bass rig or P.A. rig. For example an 18" speaker develops the bass frequency 16 feet in front of it. So to fully hear and feel what the speaker is doing you have to be at least 16 feet in front of it. Yes, there are other variables involved, cab design etc. but you have to let the speaker "bloom" so to speak. If standing in front of it doesn't change much you can experiment with closing the back up, use some velcro & some MDF at different widths to close it up, that way you can tune the cab to what you like. Just don't cover the tubes or amp section.

dotsun, FOR SHAME!! lol.

[NuTcAsE]

Mars, the good thing about the Kent is you can shoot arrows with it. Go hunt dinner and the play it beside the fire while dinner cooks.

[Marswolf]

Unfortunately?????????? the Kent is gone. I think I sold it for the $30 I had in it. I told the guy it was a POS, but he bought it anyway.

I still lament the Alvarez though. Actually a pretty good guitar. Of course I'm deaf as a bat from shooting.

[Urse]

Mars my wife plays a mean dulcimer and she is already teaching my 4 year old daughter. Here is some of our acoustic instruments.

Taylor 855 12 string

1970 Martin D-18. This is the first Martin I ever played it is 3 years older than me.

My Father-in-Law is a luthier and this is one he built for my wife

My father-in-law's passion is open backed banjos here is one he built for me a couple of years back

This is probably one of my favorites it is a Canadian Simon & Patrick maple bodied flattop. I love the tone of this thing!

And most importantly our piano. This is the instrument my wife and my kids and I either did or will start with. Notice Doc & Merle Watson jamming on top of the pianny!

[fury2neon]

Sax is my ax.

I have an Alto Saxophone and have played alto, tenor and bass. But then I have not played in years.

[Im Neero]

Urse, I've only seen one other Knabe before. They're great instruments from what I hear, pretty much the Japanese equivalent to Steinway. How does it sound?

[NuTcAsE]

Unfortunately?????????? the Kent is gone. I think I sold it for the $30 I had in it. I told the guy it was a POS, but he bought it anyway.

I still lament the Alvarez though. Actually a pretty good guitar. Of course I'm deaf as a bat from shooting.

Dad bought an Alvarez back in the early 80's. Still has it, I learned to play on that, an old Kay, and a real epiphone elec. pre-Gibson. Alvarez builds great guitars, they kinda have there own sound. I'd love to have a Yari.

[Urse]

Urse, I've only seen one other Knabe before. They're great instruments from what I hear, pretty much the Japanese equivalent to Steinway. How does it sound?

My wifes parents bought her that piano when she was three. It was built in 1969 in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the best sounding upright I have ever played(that really isn't saying much).

[Branket]

Branket, you ever tried any mods on that Hot Rod? Is your Jackson a pre-Fender? Honer makes some very good stuff.

I didn't even know there was a modding community for the Hot Rod until yesterday when I googled it to see if Hot Rod was one word or two according to fender (couldn't remember how it looked on the amp), but I found a ton of info on it so know I'm looking into it.

I have no idea about the Jackson I bought it used about 6 years ago and it was probably already 2-3 years old.

For the $150 I paid for the Honer I couldn't be happier.

[Im Neero]

It was built in 1969 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Doh! I was under the impression that Knabe was a Japanese brand, but you're right, it looks like they're from the good ol' US of A.

[musicman]

Nutcase - Yea, I know what you're talking about with the Rivera. I've got a wireless rig that I fool with sometimes and went all over the place to see how it sounded in a few different venues, and it was always a little thin no matter what. The only thing I haven't bothered to do yet was enclose the back. Since all I really play is bass now, I'll probably just leave it all as is.

[MexicanDragon]

Sax is my ax.

I have an Alto Saxophone and have played alto, tenor and bass. But then I have not played in years.

Good man, good man. Something that takes skill to play well, and that 2964 out of 3000 musicians don't play!

Alto sax guy here. I have a 1945 Silver Plated Conn 6M-VIII alto sax with an R. Caravan mouthpiece using Gonzalez 3 1/2 or 3 3/4 or Rico Select Jazz 3M reeds with a Rovner Light ligature.

What kind of horn you have, Fury? I'm a gear head, if you couldn't tell!

It is nice having a lot of nylon cases with shiny silver-colored objects in 'em worth a couple grand. Guns and music go together well... some of those gigs can be rough, eh?

**BRENT**

[Im Neero]

Why don't you guys ditch the Alto and play a real horn?

[saintsfanbrian]

Let's see, currently I have a Martin DX-1 and a Jasmine acoustic. I used to own a Gibson U2 that I destroyed and wish like heck I never did. That was one awesome axe.

2 Single coil and one double coil humbucker that you could split. Depending on the pickup configuration you chose you could get the sound of a Fender Strat or a Gibson Les-Paul

I keep looking and hoping to find one again in decent condition but there weren't that many made and most people don't want to part with them.

[MexicanDragon]

Why don't you guys ditch the Alto and play a real horn?

What then, my good man, do you recommend?

I was looking at this matching silver plated 10M, but the seller backed out and withdrew it. It was even local (chattanooga). Good deal on it too. Alas.

**BRENT**

[NuTcAsE]

I wish I still had my sax, should have stuck with it. But I traded it for small Peavey P.A. because I WAS GONNA BE A ROCKSTAR!!!