Current Gear Radar Reports

[B Vance]

Just wondering what you guys currently have on your gear radars.

Guitars, amps, pedals, rack-stuff, studio stuff you name it.


I'll go first...

Guitars: I've been digging on the Collings 290's. I especially like the ones with the pearloid pickguard with matching headstock veneer. http://www.collingsguitars.com/electrics-290.htm# Also, I've had my eyes on some of Saul Koll's Glides and Super Glides http://www.kollguitars.com/pages/koll_glides.php. He's doing this thing with oxydized copper pickguards and hardware that's really sweet looking. Finally, I'd love to get my hands on a Duesenberg Double Cat. Aw-yeah.

Amps: Still want to check out the Tubewonder. Looks like my trip to Chicago scheduled for the last week of March will make that a reality. I've been trying to get a chance to run through one for close to 5 months now. I'm also hardcore digging the Dr. Z Galaxie and I'm excited for the new Z model, the EZ-G40 (Evan) to come out as well. It's about time he did a 6L6 amp.

Pedals: I'll be honest, I don't use them that much if at all, but the Eden Analog Nashville Hot Boost and the MSD Silvertone Overdrive look like two pedals I could be interested in.

Your turn...

[PeeWee]

Well, I'm pretty much giving up on finding a suitable ES-335; the last few I've played aren't worth the asking prices. I'm in the process of selling off the Cunetto NAMM Strat that I bought last fall to help my dying friend and I'm going full tilt into my Tele project that I put on hold once I get the money from that sale.

I'm really wanting to thin out my guitars and keep only what I've been using, so I don't see too much going on in terms of new acquisitions.

Speaking of Teles; has anyone seen or played the new '52 and/or '58 Custom Shop guitars that were introduced at NAMM this winter??

[Boogieman]

I've got my sites trained on the Axe-Fx Ultra from Fractal Audio.

[sliding-tom]

I definitely have pretty much all that I need to fill my playing needs but there's always something you'd like to have - be it that you think it's better than what you're using now or just that you want to have it. Since I got into Mr. Rick Vito's music and especially his slide playing I am longing for a P 90 equipped Reverend.
Also I am in a little acoustic band right now just for fun and I would like some good means for amplification - either a small acoustic guitar amp or a decent preamp to go into the PA system.No pedals - I'm just not a pedal guy and amp-wise I'm covered. :cool:

[gururyan]

I recently decided to try to kill any GAS feelings I get as I try to step back and slow down on my music gear needs. I've gotten out of control. I'm not trying to fool myself, I know I will always lust after gear and enjoy buying random pieces, but I'm going to try to be more sensible about it.

Besides, there are a few camera lenses I've got major GAS pains for and I need to tend to that hobby for awhile now. I've been neglecting it...not the hobby itself, just buying new gear for it.

...must have dedicated macro lens.

[tonefinger]

I'm looking around for a low wattage(15 to 20 Watts) head that will get me into high gain territory, maybe a Soldano Astroverb or a Thundertweak. I'm considering an SG also. I need to find a better vibe pedal, I have been listening to alot of old Robin Trower.

[MelvinDale]

I've been entertaining a new higher powered (40 W) amp - perhaps a Tone King, somthing that will also knock down to 20W perhaps. Gotta be a 6V6.

But that's more long term, short term a going for pedaltrain board and either the voodoo or bbe power for my effects needs.

I'm pretty much good in the other departments, until something else pops up on craigs list . . I guess I could tell you that today I picked up an EQ and looked at some stage lights after I was at the amp show. We'll see how long I can hold out.

[rabbit]

For this year I don´t have much on the radar since I´ve been abroad in Milan (the reason why I haven´t been so active here lately) for half a year - damn that city is expensive - and I´m planning a trip to the US (I´m in Germany). Cannot tell my girlfriend "sorry, no vacations, I need to buy gear!"

I´m not that kinda guy who buys and sells all the time anyways, I get along with stuff even if I know that there are better things out there, my budget is always quite limited.

BUT...

I´m still looking for a nice low watt bedroom tube amp. Effect- and guitarwise I´m quite set although I´m always lusting for this and that.

[MelvinDale]

I´m still looking for a nice low watt bedroom tube amp. Effect- and guitarwise I´m quite set although I´m always lusting for this and that.

rabbit,
You may want to look at the Rebel from Bruce Egnator when it comes out - as much as I don't like giving all my money GC (though I just left there with 40 bucks worth of cables) it will be the only retail outlet.

It's tough to find a bedroom amp that's tube driven, but this has a single dial that go from 1 watt to 20 watts. It's pretty cool feature.

It's either that or find yourself an old Gibson Skylark - I think they're rated at about 3 1/2, love mine, but play a little Tech 21 more.

. . .and I I've got a used 'this and that' on ebay - I'll send you the link . . .where's that confounded link?

MelvinDale

[noelgrassy]

I need to finish 3 amps I've got in various build states. A Trainwreck Express w-Heyboers and every bit of minutae sourced for a kinghell clone. A Komet 60 with custom built Heyboers exactly to spec[down to the lead colors]. And a Dumble ODS w/HRM and Skyliner topology built into a Funkalicious' chassis/boards. I haven't sourced my iron for this because I can't make up my mind if it's gonna be a 100 or a 50 watter. Axewise I scored a minty fresh Trussart that was built in France. The previous owner never bonded and there's no wear on any frets! The Koa neck and that body are a succulent blending of killer tone. Not necessarily a Tele, but more like a Tele that went to school with 50's Les Pauls. I'll keep buying stuff I think I need and flip it when I tire of looking at it. For instance I had to have this sweet analogue sampler set-up. ESI4000 and a Roland JV2080 with separate SCSI hardrive & CD-WR inna brand new rack case[SKB crap]. It came with all the CD's that sold for $80 each back in the day. I bought an enormous Tibetan singing bowl to sample too. I want to get my looping groove on as I've always dug that stuff going back to my days with Echoplexes and Space Echos. Sadly, I'm easily distracted by the monkey!!

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r222/noelgrassy/TwGL%20Avatars/monkeydog.gif

[PeeWee]

^^^^ That's funny!! ^^^^

Well, I have a couple of new acquisitions to report that I really didn't anticipate.

The first is that I scored a most killer 1964 Princeton Amp in great shape for the mere sum of $700! Really clean and has an original Jensen Concert C10-S speaker. The amp was owned by a former FMIC employee and was recently serviced and given a clean bill of health. The final piece of my tone puzzle and will see work this week on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

The second piece of gear I acquired is a spanking new Fender American Vintage reissue '62 Precision Bass in 3-tone 'burst. I've been working out over the last few weeks playing a ton of Stax/Volt Soul tunes on my Lakland Skyline "Joe Osborn" J-Bass as I'm preparing to audition for a gig in an old-school Soul group. Although the JO is a fantastic bass, it just doesn't have that mid-range "thump" that you get from a P-Bass; even with flatwounds on it....comes close, but no cigar.

I managed to locate 3 in the area last week and came home with a really good one! Although it still has the factory roundwound strings on it, the tone of this bass is phenomenal and will only get better after I pop on a set of Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats that I have here. And being the AVH that I am, I'm installing both the bridge ashtray and pickup cover to complete the look. I did made one alteration - I replaced the tug bar with an original '66 P-Bass tug bar that came off my first great instrument, a 3-tone 'burst 1966 Precision Bass. It's the last link I have to that bass and has a lot of sentimental value...ok, I'm a geek.

The last acquisition is that I'll be a father for the second time! We just got the news on Tuesday that we'll have a new family member coming this Fall. Seems when most people are waiting for their kids to move out, I'm bringing them in - I'll be 45 when the new baby arrives. Nice age grouping with my son, who'll be 4 in December. Just hope that no one mistakes me for being their "grandpa"!

[sliding-tom]

Congrats on all three of them, PeeWee! :)

[PeeWee]

Thanks, Tom! Virtual cigars for everyone!

[Boogieman]

The last acquisition is that I'll be a father for the second time! We just got the news on Tuesday that we'll have a new family member coming this Fall. Seems when most people are waiting for their kids to move out, I'm bringing them in - I'll be 45 when the new baby arrives. Nice age grouping with my son, who'll be 4 in December. Just hope that no one mistakes me for being their "grandpa"!:eek: WOW, you really got a late start didn't you. I had my first grand child at the age of 38 (up to eight now). All three of my kids were grown and moved out by the time I was 46.
BTW congrads on your latest addition (the child of course).

[PeeWee]

:eek: WOW, you really got a late start didn't you. I had my first grand child at the age of 38 (up to eight now). All three of my kids were grown and moved out by the time I was 46.
BTW congrads on your latest addition. (the ckild of course)


Yeah, I got a real late start, Boog! LOL

My wife is nearly 10 years younger than me, so that played into the circumstances. Plus, I was too busy playing music and at one point working a 9-5 day gig as well to even think about having kids when I was younger; I was pretty much just a big kid myself! That said, most people think that I'm in my early 30s and are shocked to learn that I'll be 50 in a mere 5 years.

After I quit touring, I settled down into a more domesticated frame of mind - this was shortly after my son Paul was born. Honestly, I think the wait did me good. I'm more relaxed these days and have more patients which is a huge bonus when dealing with small children as you well know. I don't think I could have handled it when I was in my 20s or 30s....plus they say that having kids keeps you young!

[noelgrassy]

That amp was quite a score. I'm bet your loving the bass, but the chances of it lulling the soon to be born to sleepy-bye are few. Just hook your catheter up to a squirting lapel flower to dispell anyone judging Daddy's age. Worked for me...

[PeeWee]

Good answer, Noel!! LOL :D

Funny you should mention lulling the baby to sleep with the bass - this works every time with my son. He loves that low frenquency and will fall out every time I'm working on learning new lines; better than warm milk or a ride in the car for inducing sleep. My wife said that when she was pregnant with him and she'd come out to gigs, the little dude would flip and flop everywhere in the womb when he felt the bass. He'd stop as soon as the song was over and would kick it back up at the start of the very next tune. Plus, he can already identify "P-Bass" from "J-Bass" and bass from guitar. :cool:

[sliding-tom]

Plus, he can already identify "P-Bass" from "J-Bass" and bass from guitar. :cool:

Clever kid! :D

[noelgrassy]

..."the little dude would flip and flop everywhere in the womb when he felt the bass". I hope he gets those Meyer bass bins for Christmas. Santa's always watching. Oh, and er uh, yeah, Babbuh___The Bootsy Christmas Album from year before last in his Ipod.

[brakeonthroo]

Protools for Mac OS Leopard