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Gear Acquisition Syndrome


toymaker
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And lastly, the Strymon Mobius

 

WOApt0i.jpg

 

This is Strymon's big box modulation solution.  I had one of these before, probably about 8-9 years ago.  I moved on from it because I thought I wanted to have individual units for phaser, flanger, tremolo, etc.  But I never really got around to getting those, and I thought why not just get the Mobius again (this one was used.)  The only analog effect that I have that is also on the Mobius is a Fulltone Deja-Vibe which is a Uni-vibe clone.  I just feel there is something inherently necessary to having a real analog Uni-Vibe if you are trying to comp Hendrix, Trower, Gilmour tones.  Digital will only get you so far.  But there's a way your tone can absolutely scream with a fuzz going into the Uni-Vibe, then into a dirty amp.  It's what you hear in the solo on Machine Gun and on The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock.

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Lately I've begun GAS'ing hard for an SG model guitar.  Epiphone has the 1961 SG Les Paul Standard with Gibson Burstbucker pickups, poly gloss finish, and hard case for $849.  Gibson has SG Standard with the 490 Humbucker pickups, nitro finish, and soft case for $1600.

 

After doing some reading, I think I would probably like the Epiphone better.  The  pickups seem more in line with what I'm after, tone wise, from the guitar.  I'm more than ok with the polyurethane  gloss finish.  The two Epiphone 335's I have both have the poly finish, as well as my Kiesel and Music Man Albert Lee.  The 335's have the gloss on the neck. which is what the SG will have, and I quite like it, although I would probably at least hold a Gibson SG for a bit to see how it at least feels in my hands.

 

The thing about the Epiphone SG is that if I find I don't care for the Burstbuckers, I can buy whatever pickups I want to replace them, and still won't have spent as much as I would have buying a Gibson.  If I buy the Gibson and end up not liking those pickups, I'll either live with it, or it will become a $2000 guitar as I go to replace them.

 

The Epiphone is available at a Guitar Center not terribly far from me, so it looks like I'll be heading out that way later this week.

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1 hour ago, Maverick said:

Lately I've begun GAS'ing hard for an SG model guitar.  Epiphone has the 1961 SG Les Paul Standard with Gibson Burstbucker pickups, poly gloss finish, and hard case for $849.  Gibson has SG Standard with the 490 Humbucker pickups, nitro finish, and soft case for $1600.

 

After doing some reading, I think I would probably like the Epiphone better.  The  pickups seem more in line with what I'm after, tone wise, from the guitar.  I'm more than ok with the polyurethane  gloss finish.  The two Epiphone 335's I have both have the poly finish, as well as my Kiesel and Music Man Albert Lee.  The 335's have the gloss on the neck. which is what the SG will have, and I quite like it, although I would probably at least hold a Gibson SG for a bit to see how it at least feels in my hands.

 

The thing about the Epiphone SG is that if I find I don't care for the Burstbuckers, I can buy whatever pickups I want to replace them, and still won't have spent as much as I would have buying a Gibson.  If I buy the Gibson and end up not liking those pickups, I'll either live with it, or it will become a $2000 guitar as I go to replace them.

 

The Epiphone is available at a Guitar Center not terribly far from me, so it looks like I'll be heading out that way later this week.

 

I've never played an SG. Not even for a few minutes in a guitar store. I may have picked up one once or twice, but never played one. Kinda weird after decades of playing.

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1 hour ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

I've never played an SG. Not even for a few minutes in a guitar store. I may have picked up one once or twice, but never played one. Kinda weird after decades of playing.

Same here.  I can't recall ever playing one, holding one, even wanting to take one off the wall at a guitar shop.  About 11 years ago, when I was active in the local blues jam scene, there was a guy who got a Gibson SG and played it at the jams.  He was probably looking for a different sound than the bevy of Stratocasters and Telecasters that were always present.  From what I recall, he sounded great playing it.  I know tone is in the fingers, but having the SG certainly didn't hinder his overall sound.

 

Pro's who use an SG that inspire me are Angus Young (of course, and really the only inspiration I'd need,) Alex always played one when they did Roll The Bones in concert, Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother uses them a lot.  And of course there is Derek Trucks, but I have never been able to get into his playing.

 

For years I was just completely indifferent to them, and probably would have dismissed out of hand the idea of actually owning one.  I would scowl whenever I saw Lifeson break it out for Roll The Bones.  What the Hell was he thinking?  Didn't he have a PRS or Les Paul that could do the job?  It didn't help that I'm not really a fan of that song, either.

 

But lately the idea of owning one has just become more and more appealing.  Maybe I'll play one and just think that my Les Paul already covers that ground, and save myself $900.

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2 hours ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

I've never played an SG. Not even for a few minutes in a guitar store. I may have picked up one once or twice, but never played one. Kinda weird after decades of playing.

 

25 minutes ago, Maverick said:

Same here.  I can't recall ever playing one, holding one, even wanting to take one off the wall at a guitar shop.  About 11 years ago, when I was active in the local blues jam scene, there was a guy who got a Gibson SG and played it at the jams.  He was probably looking for a different sound than the bevy of Stratocasters and Telecasters that were always present.  From what I recall, he sounded great playing it.  I know tone is in the fingers, but having the SG certainly didn't hinder his overall sound.

 

Pro's who use an SG that inspire me are Angus Young (of course, and really the only inspiration I'd need,) Alex always played one when they did Roll The Bones in concert, Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother uses them a lot.  And of course there is Derek Trucks, but I have never been able to get into his playing.

 

For years I was just completely indifferent to them, and probably would have dismissed out of hand the idea of actually owning one.  I would scowl whenever I saw Lifeson break it out for Roll The Bones.  What the Hell was he thinking?  Didn't he have a PRS or Les Paul that could do the job?  It didn't help that I'm not really a fan of that song, either.

 

But lately the idea of owning one has just become more and more appealing.  Maybe I'll play one and just think that my Les Paul already covers that ground, and save myself $900.

 

I do like the look of them. They're very unlike all the Les Pauls and Strats out there, and they look like "classic hard rock" to me. Tony Iommi, Frank Marino, Angus Young, Frank Zappa -- you think of them and you think SG.

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15 minutes ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

 

I do like the look of them. They're very unlike all the Les Pauls and Strats out there, and they look like "classic hard rock" to me. Tony Iommi, Frank Marino, Angus Young, Frank Zappa -- you think of them and you think SG.

How could I forget Tony and Frank????

 

The thing about the classic hard rock aesthetic  is probably a pretty big player in me being drawn to the SG now.  Not that my Les Paul also isn't that, or my Kiesel (definitely looks wise, and it's humbucker does really nice with harder rock and higher gain sounds.)  But the SG (especially the cherry red ones) just have an aggressive "IDGAF I'm going to melt your face off" look.

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I finally got someone to fix the cracks and completely refurbish my 1907 Martin 1-30, which didn’t even have a bridge on it when I bought it. 
 

It sounds fantastic. So much volume and presence for a parlor guitar.

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3 hours ago, Blue J said:

I finally got someone to fix the cracks and completely refurbish my 1907 Martin 1-30, which didn’t even have a bridge on it when I bought it. 
 

It sounds fantastic. So much volume and presence for a parlor guitar.

Wow! That sounds like a really cool instrument!

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On 11/12/2022 at 11:16 PM, blueschica said:

Wow! That sounds like a really cool instrument!


It is! And thank you. 
 

It is the rarest guitar I own- fewer than 80 of them were ever made, and that was over a 20-year period from 1899-1918. 
 

I bought it from Robert Corwin, who is a music photographer of some renown (Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, etc, from several years at the Newport Folk Festival in the mid to late 1960s). He now lives close to Philadelphia.

 

This is is his website:

www.vintagemartin.com

 

 

I’ll see if I can get some pictures together of before and after (and during) the repair of my guitar and post them here.

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38 minutes ago, Blue J said:


It is! And thank you. 
 

It is the rarest guitar I own- fewer than 80 of them were ever made, and that was over a 20-year period from 1899-1918. 
 

I bought it from Robert Corwin, who is a music photographer of some renown (Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, etc, from several years at the Newport Folk Festival in the mid to late 1960s). He now lives close to Philadelphia.

 

This is is his website:

www.vintagemartin.com

 

 

I’ll see if I can get some pictures together of before and after (and during) the repair of my guitar and post them here.

I (and others I'm sure) would love to see it! We don't live too far from the Martin factory, about 1.5 hours. We keep meaning to go take the tour some summer :smile:

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On 11/14/2022 at 8:57 PM, blueschica said:

I (and others I'm sure) would love to see it! We don't live too far from the Martin factory, about 1.5 hours. We keep meaning to go take the tour some summer :smile:

I have never been there myself, but I definitely want to, at some point. More like 6-7 hours for me, but that’s still worth it, haha.

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4 hours ago, Laurabw said:

Field trip!

They seem to be great folks there as well! Our town has a free bluegrass festival every summer and Martin always donates some type of acoustic instrument to be raffled off to help the festival continue. I never seem to win it though!  :laugh:

Edited by blueschica
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So I haven’t even gotten to post the pics I was going to of the last instrument I was talking about (which I will, still)…but today I picked up my very first electric guitar.

 

Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s reissue, gold top.

 

The only amp I have is the Fender bass amp that I bought for my son, and I have no pedals at all. So I’ve got some more to do, haha.

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11 hours ago, Blue J said:

So I haven’t even gotten to post the pics I was going to of the last instrument I was talking about (which I will, still)…but today I picked up my very first electric guitar.

 

Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s reissue, gold top.

 

The only amp I have is the Fender bass amp that I bought for my son, and I have no pedals at all. So I’ve got some more to do, haha.

P-90's or Humbuckers?

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After lusting after this pedal since last summer (2021) but never being able to find it except second hand and for exorbitant prices, and after buying the Strymon Brigadier and Timeline delays, I was finally able to land a Suhr Discovery analog delay pedal. It has all the bells and whistles of it's DSP powered counterparts, but it uses real MN3005 bucket brigade chips.  It uses a 9v power supply, but it runs at 18v internally, so there seems to be more clean headroom for the delay repeats.  They don't get super crunchy like they did on the EHX Deluxe Memory Man that I briefly had, but returned in favor of getting the Strymon Brigadier.

 

Overall, I'm very happy with this.  It is definitely it's own thing, not trying to copy the DMM.  The Lo Cut and Hi Cut allow me to shave off just the right amount from the repeats so that they don't get in the way.  Surprisingly, the Mix knob stays pretty low for me.  I like the way it works - as you turn it up from about seven o'clock, it adds volume to the repeats until you get to noon, where the repeats are unity with the dry signal.  After that, as you turn up, the repeats don't get louder, the dry signal gets quieter.  I tend to stay around ten o'clock.

 

The best thing is, the Discovery, the Brigadier, and the Timeline analog engine all sound different, so I'm not covering the exact same ground with any of them.

 

 

Wt2iAC3.jpg

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14 hours ago, Blue J said:

So I haven’t even gotten to post the pics I was going to of the last instrument I was talking about (which I will, still)…but today I picked up my very first electric guitar.

 

Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s reissue, gold top.

 

The only amp I have is the Fender bass amp that I bought for my son, and I have no pedals at all. So I’ve got some more to do, haha.

Sweet!

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On 3/2/2022 at 11:51 AM, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

Incoming.

 

dejavibe-2.jpg

 

2 hours ago, Maverick said:

It's good you got this when you did.  I don't know if you heard, but Mike Fuller announced a couple of months ago he's shutting down Fulltone.

 

I did not know that. Yeah, I'm glad I got it too. So often I'll sleep on buying a piece of gear, keep putting it on the back burner, not sure if I want to spend the money on it, and always assume it'll still be available months or even years later.

 

You know the prices of some of those Fulltone pedals will start going through the roof once they close up shop.

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1 hour ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

 

I did not know that. Yeah, I'm glad I got it too. So often I'll sleep on buying a piece of gear, keep putting it on the back burner, not sure if I want to spend the money on it, and always assume it'll still be available months or even years later.

 

You know the prices of some of those Fulltone pedals will start going through the roof once they close up shop.

Right after he announced there were people on Reverb trying to sell the OCD pedals for $800.  Part of me thinks they were really just trolling.

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