Most meningful gear?
xtremehardy388
Posts: 2,759
I'm emotionally attached to things. It's just me. (I remember an episode of Doug where he throws away shoes and they're sad. It's always stuck with me). Anyway, there are a few pieces of gear that have special meaning to me:
Strat: First guitar. It's been with me through a lot of good and bad times.
Tele Copy: Newest gift. Was a gift from my fiance's dad, this past summer. It was his best friend's before he died and the father wanted to pass it on to someone special. It was like he was welcoming me into the family.
DS-1 Distortion(2 pedals): The first one was bought in Downtown Disney on the 10th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. My dad THOUGHT he broke it (by stepping on it...I know, I know...it's a pedal) so he went and grabbed me a second one. That meant the world to me. He surprised me with it, randomly, and wanted to make sure everything was cool (It was). I lent both of them out and haven't seen them since.
Yamama MB-III Motion Bass/Peavey TNT 130 Bass amp: These were a gift from my fiance's step dad. Before we even got together, he gave them to me....maybe in hopes that I'd date his step-daughter. The two pieces were meaningful to him but he didn't play anymore. He was hoping they would see some more action. They have.
Pedalboard: There is the original pedalboard which is painted by a friend (and looks awesome) and an addition that was painted by another. On it is a note from a close friend who wished me all the best in life. She also made me a 3 ring binder where I can organize my music.
Fender Starcaster acoustic: I don't play it but a friend bought it and had all my friends sign it. I was going through a difficult time and was severely depressed. He gave it to me and told me to remember that wherever I go, my friends are with me.
My question to all of you is: What (if anything) do you have/use that's particularly meaningful to you?
Strat: First guitar. It's been with me through a lot of good and bad times.
Tele Copy: Newest gift. Was a gift from my fiance's dad, this past summer. It was his best friend's before he died and the father wanted to pass it on to someone special. It was like he was welcoming me into the family.
DS-1 Distortion(2 pedals): The first one was bought in Downtown Disney on the 10th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. My dad THOUGHT he broke it (by stepping on it...I know, I know...it's a pedal) so he went and grabbed me a second one. That meant the world to me. He surprised me with it, randomly, and wanted to make sure everything was cool (It was). I lent both of them out and haven't seen them since.
Yamama MB-III Motion Bass/Peavey TNT 130 Bass amp: These were a gift from my fiance's step dad. Before we even got together, he gave them to me....maybe in hopes that I'd date his step-daughter. The two pieces were meaningful to him but he didn't play anymore. He was hoping they would see some more action. They have.
Pedalboard: There is the original pedalboard which is painted by a friend (and looks awesome) and an addition that was painted by another. On it is a note from a close friend who wished me all the best in life. She also made me a 3 ring binder where I can organize my music.
Fender Starcaster acoustic: I don't play it but a friend bought it and had all my friends sign it. I was going through a difficult time and was severely depressed. He gave it to me and told me to remember that wherever I go, my friends are with me.
My question to all of you is: What (if anything) do you have/use that's particularly meaningful to you?
Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
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JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
most meaningful piece of gear....
i never thought about it before so it is hard for me to answer. i have always viewed my gear as just that. gear. tools to bring the music that is inside me outside and into the world.
i can't pick just one thing, because if i had a gun to my head and was being forced to give up a piece of gear, i can not think of anything that i would not be sad to see go. i guess i have an emotional attachment to all of it. because each guitar, each pedal, each amp, all came along at different times in my journey through my musical life. i worked hard to get each piece that i have, and i got each piece because it was something that i NEEDED at that time.
i guess the gear that means the most to me are as follows.
1967 fender strat, blackie- this guitar was a gift from my grandfather in 2008 before he passed away. he had somehow gotten it in florida in the 70s and he never played guitar. he just acquired it and held on to it. he gave it to me since i was the only grandkid that played. it is an actual relic. the black finish is worn down to the wood in a few spots and the maple fretboard is worn through the maple into the wood below, which makes it hard to play. i gig this guitar because not only does it look fucking cool, it sounds better than any strat i have ever had. when i play this, i feel like he can see me playing it. i know he is gone, but i just feel like when i play it i hope he would be proud of me. for these reasons i can never, ever, part with this guitar. i don't even know what it is worth, but to me it is priceless.
1974 marshall 50 watt jmp head- this amp is the most recent one i bought. i got it, and a 100 watt superlead at the same time. i had some guitarcenter credit burning a hole in my pocket and i had just seen a white one at an old vintage shop. i played that white one for hours at the shop and knew i had to have one. so i did not know if i wanted a 50 or 100 watt, so i bought one of each. the 100 watt ended up being too loud. like ball rattling loud, so i returned that one and kept the 50 watter. this amp is my wokhorse and has been my #1 since 2007. this took the place of my 1994 matchless clubman, which is my backup. i also have an early 90s jcm 900 and a mid 80s jcm 800 that i adore, but they just don't get played. my 800 is on loan as a backup for my lead player who has a 1982 jcm 800. that jmp sounds awesome, and my best recordings have been done with that amp. i have to use a hotplate for this one because it is either off, or loud...
2002 gibson les paul standard, honeyburst- like my jmp, this guitar has been my workhorse and has been with at every gig since i bought it in 2002. i have several other gibsons, and i always end up going back to this les paul. it just sounds like it belongs with that old marshall. i broke the headstock off of this one after a gig about 2 months after i got it. it was the most depressing thing to happen to any of my gear. i was really sad about it because i saved up and paid cash for it, and then breaking the headstock off dropped the value, and i was gonna have to pay another couple of hundred bucks to get it glued back together. i guess the headstock breaking was the best thing that ever happened to the guitar, because it plays 10 times better now that it had been repaired.
capo- i have this old dunlop capo that my mom gave to me for christmas one year in the 90s. it is the only piece of gear my family has ever given to me. it is one of the cheep wraparound ones, but it is from my mom. and for that reason, i have never replaced it.
1993 epiphone flying v- hot pink- this guitar is something i can never part with. i was in grad school in 1998 and i always wanted a flying v. i came home from a bar one night and bid on this guitar because the listing said "burgundy". my thinking was, "i will bid $300 and if someone outbids me, no biggie." turns out i won the auction. the listing had pics of a darker red v, but i received it, took it out of the box, and it was hot pink. no shit. i beat it up a little bit, dropped a dimarzio distortion pickup in the bridge, and gigged it a few times. it sounds pretty good for heavier music, but it is just not my thing. if i were in an 80s tribute band or something it would be one thing, but i have no use for this one. but i got a great story out of this one, and as a result i am attached to it now... this guitar takes me back to a time when i did not really know much about gear. it is a time when i was much more naieve, and i had not become jaded by people. i miss those days when everything was so innocent and i took everyone at face value. i have been through some hard times and learned some hard lessons since that time, and this guitar is a reminder of that.
i have never really received anything from someone else as a gift or anything. everything i have i have paid for myself so i do not have any great stories about having sentimental attachments to anything since they were not given to me by someone else. but each item takes me back to a time in my life and sometimes that gets nostalgic.
i am looking forward to hearing about some of you guy's gear.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
My most meaningful is my first guitar- the one I let go. :( When I was a teenager I scraped my money together from a part time after school job and purchased an Aria white semi-hollow body. It was the closest looking guitar to Neil Young's Gretsch White Falcon that I could afford. Years later I decided to upgrade the pick ups and tuning machines. After having humbuckers installed I couldn't find tuning machines that fit so I gave up on the project and sold the guitar. I regret doing that.
My Martin D-18 means a lot to me. I put up my car for collateral when I was 20 to buy it new and made payments for about a year. Still have that one.
Next most meaningful is my 1980's red Squire Strat. One of my nephews wanted to learn to play so we went to American Music in Seattle and picked this guitar out. The nephew never got into playing much and years later called and asked if I wanted to buy it. I did! I always loved that guitar and played it whenever we got together. To this day he tells me how much that money meant to him at a time when he really needed it and I tell him how much that guitar means to me because of how much I love the way it sounds and plays. It's a Thinline Strat with dual humbuckers. Plays and sounds better than any other electrics I've had including a Les Paul Studio, reissue '72 Tele semi-hollow body with humbuckers, my First Act PW580 (Paul Westerberg model, originally only available at Walmart!) and my Epiphone Dot.
Another big mistake was selling my '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb. It was a fantastic amp! It was like-new when I bought it in 1968 and about 10 years later I let for... I can't say. I don't want to cry.
Next is another item that was stolen- an original Crybaby. It was really cool. The guy "borrowed" it. :roll:
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
It becomes more obvious with each post that all of our gear is pretty meaningful in its own way.
For me Id say its my 96 Les Paul Classic Gold Top. Watching Stone his Goldtop early on, I had to have one (SNL performance really stood out for me). It was my grail in high school and my first proper guitar. I used it a lot in my first "real" band (shows, recording etc) one of the guys from that band is now in "Fucked Up" saw them open up for the Foo Fighters on the last tour which was pretty surreal, watching them took me back to playing in the basement of record stores downtown and I brought it out again for more regular use (it is in need of some TLC for sure) but still feels great.
Also my Gibson ES-335, kind of the polar opposite in my mind to what the les paul represents to me, more of my "grown man guitar" (lol). I grew up listening to punk, rock (obviously a ton of PJ) and the blues. So this guitar is where I am going with song writing and playing and takes me back to listening to John Lee Hooker or BB King with my father. When I purchased this it just took me away and still does. I am fortunate to be able to own one and would never part with it.
I could go on but Ill keep it simple, again great thread and great stories!
Buffalo - 2010
LP Gold tops are classic! I just sold my ebony Les Paul studio. It was the closest to a standard Les Paul I could afford but just not the same. My holy grail is a '59 Les Paul Jr. I knew a guy once who found one in perfect condition in a yard sale for 50 bucks. What are the odds of that happening again?
50 Bucks!!!!!!
Les Paul Jrs are so simple and so increadible!!! Love the White Falcon toowould love one of those one day!!!! My Grail is a early 60's ES-355.... maybe one day ill hit the lotto.....Ill send you a 59 junior if it happens!!!
Buffalo - 2010
1. 2007 Fender Highway One American Telecaster - I believe it is discontinued but this model guitar was a cheaper american made telecaster. I was/am still am blown away by it. A few years back I dropped in Fender Vintage Noiseless pups which I highly recommend. This guitar was the first purchase/upgrade I made after graduating college and working for about a year. I would never even consider selling this.
2. 2012 Gibson Deluxe Goldtop - this was sort of a holy grail for me. Sold two guitars and put it towards this last year. Love the mini humbuckers. It added another dimension and is a great compliment to my Telecaster.
Having said that..I could be playing the Goldtop for hours, but once I plug in that Telecaster it just feels like home. The tone is just right. It's like Bruce talking about his Esquire (which was actually a Fender factory reject) - there is just something about it...
Ok...I think you have the best handle Magnum PJ lol.....
I didnt even begin to discuss Tele's in my post I have an american standard and a tele plus, but I cant put it any better than saying that it feels like home....couldnt agree more
Buffalo - 2010
Wow....reading these posts gives me the good feels hahaha
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Les Paul Standard that was sort of a condolence gift from my parents
Lea Paul Custom silverburst, dream guitar
it proves me wrong, that i thought that gear was just gear.
every one of us has some piece that we have an emotional attachment to, and it is pretty cool that all of us can admit it. each piece has a story. i would like to know more about my black strat. who owned it? who loved it enough and played it enough to wear away the finish and the fretboard? it is clear that someone loved it, and the mystery of who is intriguing to me.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Oh man, yeah. That's one awesome guitar! I used to go see this local band in Chico, CA when I lived there just to hear the guitar player and his set up/tone:
Mid-60's Es-355 Sunburst
Fender Twin Reverb.
Simple, pure, awesome sounding. And the guy played well!
The Fender was my 2nd bass. I got it for a steal in the fall of 95 at about the time when I was starting to get serious in a band and we were getting ready to start playing gigs. I thought it was the best shit ever being in a band as a 20-21 year old in a college town. There wasn't a day that went by that someone didn't say something about seeing us the night/weekend before or something like "aren't you..."
My entire view of music and life in general was shook up and changed those couple of years. To this day, whenever it comes up in passing (usually at work, where I am a boss) no one can believe it, that this guy played in a rock band. I always tell them that it was the best "job" that I ever had, to which I usually get some sort of reply how it isn't/wasn't a job. All I tell them is that between school, practice, loading/unloading gear up to 4 nights a week, playing 3 one-hour sets and then having to tear everything down, getting home at 6 am, and doing it all over the next day around 2pm, oh yeah, it was a job, and I would trade everything I had (except my wife and kids, or course) to be able to do it for a living where I could be as comfortable as I am now.
I still have that bass. In fact, I just took it for a setup this summer for the first time...probably ever...and I told the tech, that he had better be take care of it, that I'd had that thing for longer than I've known a lot of people, including my wife. Of course, he understood, but I don't think my wife found it too humorous when asked whether I would choose her or the bass, I said it would be real hard to let that bass go...
I miss the days of playing live music. Now, all I want to do is have an opportunity to jam on occasion...which never happens. Work, kids, family, life...they all intercede. At least all of my gear is setup in my man cave/music room and I can finger the four strings from time to time just to make sure I still have it...
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?
i took it all for granted. a few years ago it seemed like our popularity was always gonna be there. like the women were always gonna be there, like the big money was always gonna be there, like people were always gonna recognize me. if you look at my avatar now i look nothing like the old one with long hair. i can't blame people for not recognizing me anymore
if i had to do it all over again, i would have cherished every show. every moment. i would not have wasted it in a booze or drug induced haze. if someone ever asked what advice i would have for a young musician, i would say to enjoy it. live in the moment. because your days in a band and your days as a perfromer, especially if it is not your career, are finite. it will all come to an end, and it will be sooner than you want it to. don't waste it. not a single minute of it.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Now the Bronson Amp. Awesome little piece, Dual 6v6, single 10" speaker. Creamy as can be. This little beast has been put through its paces over the years. Has been on a ton of songs we have recorded. I have seen this exact same amp with about three or four different brands so far included in the Tripping on a Hole in a Paper Heart video on STP, its sitting on a chair in the video.
These two pieces created my love for P-90s and 6v6s, pretty much the only things I play anymore.
https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
Unfortunately, when I got married and started having kids my garage band days were over, so I sold the bass for peanuts to buy my first computer for the family. I've always regretted it and now those 70's P Basses are selling for thousands on eBay. in 2002 I got back into playing guitar and eventually bought a 2005 Highway One telecaster - sunburst with a rosewood fretboard and a black case with orange interior as an homage to my P. I love it but every time I pick up that Tele it reminds me of my P Bass - I'll even put down the pick every once in a while and play it like a bass to see if I 'still got it.' I don't but someday I may pick up a new American P Bass and dust off some of those old Iron Maiden albums for the sheer joy of the bottom end.
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Isn't that the truth! I try to play at least a little every day but often at the end of a long day its plink-plink-plink... crash.
I can relate, albeit slightly different. When my uncle passed, I found out a few years later that he had a gold top Les Paul from the early 70s that ended up in his estate sale. I never knew about it. My old man mentioned it a few years later and said had he known that I played guitar as well as the bass, it would have been mine. Talk about a feeling like you're gonna throw up when you hear that
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?
I can only imagine what you went through!
https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
http://cf.mp-cdn.net/42/a1/f4b180514df17280dd05b83dd3ab.jpg
Beyond that, there's the Stickman Strat I put together using spare parts:
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/284124_10150249453213772_7842433_n.jpg
And the satin blue Les Paul I bought earlier this year:
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/s720x720/246522_10151374547298772_2095956767_n.jpg
(notice the progression of Fender amps through the years. I actually regressed from an early 2000s Frontman to a mid 90s Roc Pro
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy