Surprises

Gear Aquisition Syndrome is a serious disorder.... FX etc

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Aquila Rossa
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Surprises

Post by Aquila Rossa »

I spent literally decades buying and selling gear and looking for what I like. Depending on my situation at the time, I wanted expensive stuff or the best i could get on a budget. One thing remained though the whole time. I was never satisfied and wanted something else, or something 'better'. What is now known as GAS.

A Laney IRT Studio and a Gibson Les Paul Studio has killed my amp and guitar GAS. I am content (for now at least). Quite surprising considering I have dreamed of having '59 Bursts and old '60s Marshall and Fender amps etc. The 'sound in my head' was a Laney and a Les Paul Studio? WTF! That can't be right :D

Anybody else had surprises like this. Things like buying tons of boutique pedals only to find you like the MXR or Boss version pedal best etc?

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Re: Surprises

Post by Bg »

Yeah, I'm frequently surprised at how good and playable cheap guitars are - sometimes with very little interference.
My favourite guitar currently is the SX LP which ended up costing 70 bucks. Popped some prs se zebras in, polished the frets, bone nut. Bobs your knob. My LP gas is dead. Of course it was nice owning a Gibson, but I really do like this one and don't have to worry about it falling and breaking.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Surprises

Post by Bg »

however, cheap amps, not so much....
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Surprises

Post by Aquila Rossa »

Frey wrote:I'm playing cheapo Dearmond guitars (albeit with a few upgrades) through a laney VC30. I don't really need much else. My tastes are pretty vanilla anyway.
I tried a Laney in a New Lynn music shop back in the 80s in my teens. I liked it. I am starting to wonder if the tone i have been chasing all these years was that tone. I looked for it every place except Laney. Doh. :)

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Re: Surprises

Post by Aquila Rossa »

Bg wrote:Yeah, I'm frequently surprised at how good and playable cheap guitars are - sometimes with very little interference.
My favourite guitar currently is the SX LP which ended up costing 70 bucks. Popped some prs se zebras in, polished the frets, bone nut. Bobs your knob. My LP gas is dead. Of course it was nice owning a Gibson, but I really do like this one and don't have to worry about it falling and breaking.
I have tried that with both Epiphone and PRS SE. it did not work out, but I think that is down to my own thinking more than it is down to the guitars.

If I am honest with myself I find that I look admiringly at that Gibson headstock and then want to play the thing. I want to play it more than other guitars. That is Gibson fetish I guess. However the same does not apply to Fender Strats. I look admiringly at them when i have had them, but do not feel like playing them. I dunno, I am fv<ked up i guess :D

I will get one of those Squire Strats one day people say are very good (Classic Vibe?). Or something like one. I would not play a Strat enough to justify the cost of Fender. It would get sold the minute i needed that kind of money for something.

Cheap amps? I used to think going budget on a amp would make you pay in the long run. I am not so sure now. I have not had personal experience, but I hear the Vietnam Marshalls can be very reliable and sound like they should, which is not what I experienced with a certain two amps made in my old stomping ground of Milton Keynes. Need ten more years to know for sure how they they hold up though. My Laney is made in China. So far, so good. Can't fault it.

In my teens I use to jam with a borrowed solid state Gorilla amp for a while. Somehow made it heard over a drummer and bass. Did the job, but i sure was glad when I got to use Marshall half stacks some friends had. One amp i really disliked back then quite a few had was called Rokkit. I cringed every time i plugged into one. Too honest for my rough as guts way of playing.

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Re: Surprises

Post by Delayman »

My faded Sg has proved to be a surprise. It’s a cheap model but does everything I need. It’s a 3 pickup model so I may replace the middle one with a p90.
They keep telling me tone is in the fingers, but I have yet to see a "look at my fingers" thread.
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Re: Surprises

Post by Danger Mouse »

My two Korean BC Rich guitars are wonderfully playable for what they cost.

In fact scratch that, they're just wonderfully playable.
The older I get, the more disappointed in myself I become.

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Re: Surprises

Post by Mini Forklift »

My first ever amp was a SS Park 25w with spring reverb. I seem to remember it actually not being too bad and I even gigged with it onboard QE2 with a full big band behind me lol; I’ve seen a few crop up on TM so I’m keeping my eyes open. Very much expecting it to be nothing like I remember, just satisfying my nostalgia really.

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Re: Surprises

Post by Terexgeek »

I have an Egnator Tweaker 18 that I really love, and it's pretty cheap for a valve amp, but with the small practice room we have it's too loud. The point where it really sounds great is just way too much and the bassist and drummer have to get loud to be heard, and then the ringing in the ears afterwards means damage is occurring. So I have a 2x12 Katana that is cheaper and in 0.5 Watt mode feels and sounds great at a lower volume. The Tweaker is not getting played.
Come to think of it, anyone want to buy a Tweaker?
Tin arse!!

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Re: Surprises

Post by KNNZ »

This
Image

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Re: Surprises

Post by rickenbackerkid »

My Ric has more or less killed guitar GAS for me. It does the main sound I need better than anything else, very easy and comfy to play. I like very much my little Laney VC15, but i have a sneaky feeling it's not the ultimate.

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Re: Surprises

Post by Bg »

Danger Mouse wrote:My two Korean BC Rich guitars are wonderfully playable for what they cost.

In fact scratch that, they're just wonderfully playable.
This is it. The SX isn't just playable for a cheap guitar, it plays really well...

Also I've had a couple of 70's fernandes now, the last one cost about 250 bucks or so - and they are awesome guitars.

PRS SE Santana is buttah meltingly good. Epi 339 is the same and both are running great pickups so I can live without tiny nuances.

The most 'serious' guitar I own now is the Ash 3 P90, and I don't miss Gibson, Fender et al. I miss my Steinberger, obviously.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Surprises

Post by Mini Forklift »

KNNZ wrote:This
Image
Can you get the Boutique ones over here now? General consensus is they’re the best of the bunch :-)

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Re: Surprises

Post by Shimmer »

Mini Forklift Ⓥ wrote:
KNNZ wrote:This
Image
Can you get the Boutique ones over here now? General consensus is they’re the best of the bunch :-)
I'm curious as to how much clean headroom the non-clean ones have (e.g. Boutique/AC/Rock)
I'm leaning towards a Clean as I mostly use pedals, but it might be nice to have some gain in there as well...
I want all the pedals!

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Re: Surprises

Post by jeremyb »

When I joined this forum I had a cheap LTD with a floyd rose, never did I imagine I'd end up playing telecasters :lol:
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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