Current & Past "Hot Gear"

[Robert]

Some gear seems to always be "hot" like the deluxe reverb reissue and Gibson les Paul's! They are always popular.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Some gear seems to always be "hot" like the deluxe reverb reissue and Gibson les Paul's! They are always popular.

And a good strat or tele!

 

[Eric]

I've realized more or different guitar gear won't do as much for me as I'd like, so I've become very happy with everything I have. Time to work more on the "engine" (me).

Indeed. I think my GAS shortage isn't due to bad playing or apathy or anything, but more what you said: new gear doesn't really change that much, and what I already have covers a lot of ground.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Some gear seems to always be "hot" like the deluxe reverb reissue and Gibson les Paul's! They are always popular.

I've been on a "cheap Gibson" kick of sorts this year. First I got a blowout "Jr. Special" (dumb name) brand new (w/gigbag), a matte black LP Special with neck binding:

I figured that since I already had a Hamer Special, which is sorta like a doublecut version of the same guitar, plus a true hollowbody P-90 guitar (Casino) and a semi/chambered P-90 (WildKat), I was pretty much set for P-90 guitars.

I was wrong, haha!

A "Les Paul Melody Maker," which had been upgraded w/a GFS P-90, fell into my lap for cheap, on local craigslist:

I'd never had a single-pickup guitar, so this is sorta my cheapo faux "Junior."

Lastly, a bud lost this to a pawn a year or so ago, and it came back on the local market, also a Jr. Special, but with gloss finish and P-100 stacked buckers. I bought it so if he wants to re-buy it from me later he'll know where to find it.

So, within the space of a few months, I've picked up three Gibbies, albeit for about the same that you'd pay for a single new LP Studio.

 

[Tig]

Lastly, a bud lost this to a pawn a year or so ago, and it came back on the local market, also a Jr. Special, but with gloss finish and P-100 stacked buckers. I bought it so if he wants to re-buy it from me later he'll know where to find it.

I love the black LP Special. :drool

Super cool points for buying and holding on to your friend's green LP. That's walking the walk!

 

[Brian Krashpad]

I love the black LP Special. :drool

Super cool points for buying and holding on to your friend's green LP. That's walking the walk!

Well, shoot, I went literally like 30 years before getting my first Les Paul, and iirc this was his first Les Paul, it was even signed to him on the back of the headstock (the guy who bought it took the sig off but the "ghost" image is still visible), so I know it has vibe and mojo for him. I started a new job this year making a bit more than previously, and plus some of my former clients have been giving me side work, so I could actually afford it, haha. And really it's a win-win, this is the only circumstance where I could get away with buying a second LP Special within a few months of already having bought a very similar guitar (especially since I already have a Hamer Special too), haha! And it's a cool guitar, played her Friday night!

 

[deeaa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_9yno-b0gI&feature=youtu.be

Here's pretty much my current gear, save for a couple of axes and a zoom plus a bunch of mics etc. I have at the training facility. To me, that's the best gear I ever owned...there were a couple of amps I liked down the road and the Gibby I had for over a decade was nice, but, would not change anything to what I've had before. Still, need to upgrade the soundcard at some point and maybe get a truly great quality vocal preamp some day, plus I need bigger monitors desperately (not in size but pixels), and would not mind better large speakers, etc.etc...

But, no regrets in what I've sold. Well I had to give my Prophecy SG away and it was a truly great axe, but I swapped it directly to that alesis drumkit and it was way too sweet a deal. .I mean, an Epiphone for a $1000 drumkit is a no-brainer...

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[deeaa]

The biggest hot gear items I can remember that were all the rage though...

BBE sonic maximisers
All Behringer gear when they first came
Marshall jcm800
Mexi-strats when they hit the stores
The first Charvel superstrats when those arrived


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[Brian Krashpad]

The biggest hot gear items I can remember that were all the rage though...

BBE sonic maximisers
All Behringer gear when they first came
Marshall jcm800
Mexi-strats when they hit the stores
The first Charvel superstrats when those arrived


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The MIM Strats and JCM 800s stuck and became classics/go-to's though.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

The MIM Strats and JCM 800s stuck and became classics/go-to's though.

I remember when I first joined here and posted I had gotten the above guitar, I was welcomed with a lot of kudos on the good choice I (accidentally) made. ancake

 

[Brian Krashpad]

I remember when I first joined here and posted I had gotten the above guitar, I was welcomed with a lot of kudos on the good choice I (accidentally) made. ancake

I haven't played one of the newer ones, since they went to bigger frets and alnico rather than ceramic pickups. I expect I'd like them even more now, than the '90's one I had.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, they did seem nicer, and this special model I got seemed to be a notch above the regular, new and improved, MIM's that came out in 2006. It seemed like the Anniversary models got a little special attention in the factory or something. It is still probably my favorite electric.

 

[Eric]

Did someone already mention the Hot Rod Deluxe? I think Fender sold about a billion of those amphs.

Blues Jr. was all the rage at one time too. And the Roland Cube amphs.

 

[NWBasser]

My current "hot gear" are G&L basses. I can't say that's true to the wider marketplace though since G&L isn't terribly popular.

The idea of a G&L guitar has crossed my mind more than a few times since I love their basses so much.

 

[Eric]

My current "hot gear" are G&L basses. I can't say that's true to the wider marketplace though since G&L isn't terribly popular.

The idea of a G&L guitar has crossed my mind more than a few times since I love their basses so much.

What's that, an M2500 on the left? Also, is that PJ a short-scale bass?

I've been heavily considering a Schecter Model-T (I love Robert DeLeo), but I'm trying to talk myself out of it. So far a simple MIM P is fine, but I have also been thinking about those G&Ls. How would you describe how they play/sound (as objectively as possible)?

 

[NWBasser]

Hey Eric, yes that's an M2500.

The PJ is standard scale SB-2 model. The SB-2 has the skinnier neck like a jazz bass. The MFD pickups in it are slamming hot. It's louder than most active basses. It has a very strong mid-range presence to it that stands out in a crowded mix. Not as much low-end as the jazz. I spend most of my gig time on the JB because it has such incredibly low action that I don't even think much about my playing. It just seems to happen without any effort on my part.

I think a Model-T would be the bees knees. I like Schecters and really dig the P/J configuration.

 

[Eric]

Hey Eric, yes that's an M2500.

The PJ is standard scale SB-2 model. The SB-2 has the skinnier neck like a jazz bass. The MFD pickups in it are slamming hot. It's louder than most active basses. It has a very strong mid-range presence to it that stands out in a crowded mix. Not as much low-end as the jazz. I spend most of my gig time on the JB because it has such incredibly low action that I don't even think much about my playing. It just seems to happen without any effort on my part.

I think a Model-T would be the bees knees. I like Schecters and really dig the P/J configuration.

Interesting. That's kind of crazy that there's so much output from those pickups, though I've found that I kind of get used to whatever I play with the most. After using a P with an EMG in it, the Ibanez I sold seemed super-weak even with the active Barts. I'd like to try a really low-action bass. I went to bass gathering out here and couldn't really tell the difference from one bass to the next, though I guess I did play mostly P-basses.

 

[deeaa]

Never met a p-bass that had real nice low action. My Ibanez has pretty decent one, but I had a Tanglewood bass before, 5-string, which had super low action and the four lightest strings were also a little lighter gauge.

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[NWBasser]

Interesting. That's kind of crazy that there's so much output from those pickups, though I've found that I kind of get used to whatever I play with the most. After using a P with an EMG in it, the Ibanez I sold seemed super-weak even with the active Barts. I'd like to try a really low-action bass. I went to bass gathering out here and couldn't really tell the difference from one bass to the next, though I guess I did play mostly P-basses.

When I play the SB-2, I either engage the limiter pad or turn the gain way back on the amph. With the neck pickup volume rolled back about 50% and the bridge pickup off, it sounds quite like an old P-bass.

The really low action helps a lot if you're playing very busy bass parts as I do with Portrait. For most support-role playing though, it's really not so much of a big deal.

Also, I play with a fairly light touch which helps. A more aggressive playing style would likely require higher action.

G&L also started a new model, the LB-100, which is their P-bass and has a normal alnico pickup. Probably a very nice bass as it's a US model and you can get either a skinnier jazz-style neck or a chunkier P-style neck.

 

[Eric]

When I play the SB-2, I either engage the limiter pad or turn the gain way back on the amph. With the neck pickup volume rolled back about 50% and the bridge pickup off, it sounds quite like an old P-bass.

The really low action helps a lot if you're playing very busy bass parts as I do with Portrait. For most support-role playing though, it's really not so much of a big deal.

Also, I play with a fairly light touch which helps. A more aggressive playing style would likely require higher action.

G&L also started a new model, the LB-100, which is their P-bass and has a normal alnico pickup. Probably a very nice bass as it's a US model and you can get either a skinnier jazz-style neck or a chunkier P-style neck.

That's cool. It's good to have options. In a way, it's fun to be back in a world I know nothing about with a very unrefined palette while I explore new options. Possibly best of all, I don't yet know what doesn't sound good, so I can happily jam along on any crap that tends to be sitting around at the time.

It's interesting what you say about action. Even on somewhat challenging parts that I might play these days, I rarely find that bass action is an issue. Mind you it's not exactly jazz fusion, but that sort of thing seems to be less of an issue than it was on guitar.

 

[marnold]

Oddly enough, I insist on low action on my guitars, but I couldn't care less on my bass. Not that the action is super high, mind you. I prefer to avoid as much fret racket as possible.

I really like the EMG pups on my bass. Not a fan of the EMG HZs though.

 

[deeaa]

Yeah it's far less important on bass. Actually I sometimes find action on guitar too low too...but on bass it ruins the sound if there's any fret noises.

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[NWBasser]

...but on bass it ruins the sound if there's any fret noises.

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I take it you don't like Iron Maiden so much?oke

 

[deeaa]

Hehe, well yeah Harris is a class of his own, he makes it a part of his tone. But generally, I go for smooth and steady on bass.

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[NWBasser]

Hehe, well yeah Harris is a class of his own, he makes it a part of his tone. But generally, I go for smooth and steady on bass.

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I like smooth and steady too. I just had to throw Harris out there to put a wrench in the works!

 

[Algonquin]

Danelectro 'cool cat' pedals. still a big fan of the transparent overdrive.
Cheers,
David