Amp and gear journey

Jim S

Jim S

New member
I’m sure most of us here as older adults have a guitar and amplifier revolving door at the front of their house. But it might be interesting to see the major evolutionary steps of your gear. For example:

1978 nylon string + Martin D28 herringbone

1979 Gibson The Paul (walnut), solid state 1x10 combo. It had fairly crappy overdrive but I would plug my headphones into the extension speaker cabinet, overdrive them like crazy and that sounded killer. God only knows how the transformer did not blow.

1982 Twin Reverb w JBLs (because that’s what Steve Howe used). 48th Street strat w Floyd and 3 EMG single coils.

1989 PRS Custom 24, Mesa Studio preamp ->Twin Reverb. Then MESA 295 power amp into a PRS 4x10.

1990 Soldano SLOr, Sadowsky HSH

~2000 Soldano X99 + SM100

After that, the floodgates opened.💸
The Soldano has never been dethroned.
 
That's fun to read.

I have had a crazy ride. Mid-30s here.

First guitar was a Squier Stratocaster into a Crate practice amp.

Next major evolution was a Gibson Les Paul Special TV Yellow with two P100s into a Crate V1512.

I grew up in the PRS/Mesa era, so PRS has kind of always been my idolized guitar. When I finished high school, my parents made me a deal that they'd buy me two PRS guitars - I still have them. They are PRS Singlecut and Hollowbody II (non-piezo). I paired this with a Mesa Rectoverb 50 watt 1x12 combo (which i also still have). Around this time I got a 1991 PRS CE24 that I also still have.

When I graduated from professional school, I got a Gibson Les Paul Custom, which was my other all time coveted guitar.

After i finished training and was working a lot, I started to get more gear. Tried everything from Suhr to dream PRS and started getting into amps that I had always wanted. Bought and sold a ton of amazing gear.

Everything changed when I met Voodoosound. I bought a first run FACS Line from him. Interestingly, the amp arrived not functioning correctly and I think that sort of sparked everything. He arranged from Jim to rebuild the amp for me and now that amp is an all-time keeper for me like my PRS guitars when I finished high school.

The last major evolution for me was getting my first Dumble. Dumble amps have always been the very tip top for me (until I learned what Jim's amps were and realized I loved just as many of those tones as I did Dumble). I feel like I achieved everything I ever wanted gear wise when I got my Ultraphonix. I hope to keep that amp forever, too. I am entering now what I consider to be a down swing in gear collection. I want to enjoy this incredible amalgam of gear I have amassed in a couple of short years. I may add a few things here and there, but the core feels complete.

This is a great idea for a thread. Would love to read what everyone else says.
 
My first guitar was a home-made copy of a Les Paul Jr. that I bought at a garage sale going into my sophomore year of college for $10. I knew nothing about guitars at that time, and was completely oblivious to the fact that the action was painfully high…. But, I didn’t have access to a piano at school and really wanted to play music, so I made an impulse buy. Eventually, I got connected with some REALLY good musicians at school and enjoyed countless hours of jam sessions - playing mostly jam band things, with some good R&R and slamgrass sprinkled in.

Fast forward a little…. I went down a rabbit hole of acoustic guitars, but, since this is Rare Amp Forum, I’ll spare you those deets.

AMPS: My first amp was a Roland Cube 60…. That amp had the most harmonic content, ever! :p So, I started a journey. I went through a few decades of favoring Mesa amps, particularly Mark I-IV series and have had numerous IIC+, and other desirable Mesa’s. I’ve had several Bogner’s (notably the 100B and Caveman), early Two Rock CR, K&M Custom Steve Kimock #001, Bruno UG 30 10th Anniversary, an early Komet K60 (which I still miss) a Vimana, and a number of others. I’ve not had the experiences that many of you have had, but, I’m thrilled to have been able to sample what I could. My collection has dwindled over the years. I currently have only 3 heads ((RAR OG+, JK Line and Berkshire Whitesmith) with an incoming Audio Eyra Instigator. While I don’t have the Instigator yet, I envision this handful of amps to be my tone center.

GUITARS: I’ve had fewer guitars than amps. Been through some of PRS, Fender, Gibson and Charvel models and wasn’t “wowed”. I have been lucky to have two luthiers as close friends who have built me some amazing guitars. One is Tatalias Guitars out of Brookfield, CT and the other is Carter Guitars out of Vista, CA. They’re great craftsmen and awesome people. They build to suit, and have amazing attention to detail.
 
Man I’m not sure if this forum has the space to list my journey. Truly I feel like at some point my focus switched and I played music simply to position myself to grab more gear. Specifically amps and recording equipment. My entire salary while at was at Capitol went to nothing but gear. Every music “thing” I ever did went toward gear. So, what I’ll do is list my humble beginnings.

I started at age 7 or so on my dad’s KAY acoustic he got in Vietnam. If I said the strings were 1/4 inch off the fretboard I’d be being generous. You had to really want to play guitar to fret that thing in the cowboy positions. Much less at the 12th. Yet I played that guitar for 4 years and my dad got me used 64 strat for my 11th birthday. It sounds cooler now than it was then. A few months later I convinced my Dad to get me a Charvel from his friend Wayne in the Azusa shop.

My first amps was a guild thunderbird given to me by my uncle. It was an odd gift as he told my dad I could have it if my dad wanted to pay to get it out of the pawn shop. I eventually sold that amp and got the first generation carvin x100 amp. I really wanted a Jim Kelley amp but couldn’t afford it at that time.

I played the carvin for many a show I saved up a bunch of money thinking I was going to buy a Jim Kelley but by that time Jim was out of business. My friend Tom turned me on to Mike Soldano amps and in 87 I got my first SLO.

The gear hunt became a like Indiana Jones searching for the holy grail. I used to show up to recycler distribution center Thursday mornings at 4:30 am when the paper dropped. Would be on the phone by 7. In some cases I would drive to the general location listed in the paper and then call from a pay phone to make sure I was first in the scene. I’ve never done drugs. However, from stories I’ve heard. My behavior is similar to what an addicts was.

But man were those some great memories driving all over southern and Northern California with the occasional flight to other states to get gear.

I’ve met some legendary people. While
Most people in the music world are thrilled by the people I met and worked with at Capital. The legends at the top of my list are typically amp and gear builders and engineers from the tape and analog days.
 
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Voodoosound said:
Man I’m not sure if this forum has the space to list my journey. Truly I feel like at some point my focus switched and I played music simply to position myself to grab more gear. Specifically amps and recording equipment. My entire salary while at was at Capitol went to nothing but gear. Every music “thing” I ever did went toward gear. So, what I’ll do is list my humble beginnings.

I started at age 7 or so on my dad’s KAY acoustic he got in Vietnam. If I said the strings were 1/4 inch off the fretboard I’d be being generous. You had to really want to play guitar to fret that thing in the cowboy positions. Much less at the 12th. Yet I played that guitar for 4 years and my dad got me used 64 strat for my 11th birthday. It sounds cooler now than it was then. A few months later I convinced my Dad to get me a Charvel from his friend Wayne in the Azusa shop.

My first amps was a guild thunderbird given to me by my uncle. It was an odd gift as he told my dad I could have it if my dad wanted to pay to get it out of the pawn shop. I eventually sold that amp and got the first generation carvin x100 amp. I really wanted a Jim Kelley amp but couldn’t afford it at that time.

I played the carvin for many a show I saved up a bunch of money thinking I was going to buy a Jim Kelley but by that time Jim was out of business. My friend Tom turned me on to Mike Soldano amps and in 87 I got my first SLO.

The gear hunt became a like Indiana Jones searching for the holy grail. I used to show up to recycler distribution center Thursday mornings at 4:30 am when the paper dropped. Would be on the phone by 7. In some cases I would drive to the general location listed in the paper and then call from a pay phone to make sure I was first in the scene. I’ve never done drugs. However, from stories I’ve heard. My behavior is similar to what an addicts was.

But man were those some great memories driving all over southern and Northern California with the occasional flight to other states to get gear.

I’ve met some legendary people. While
Most people in the music world are thrilled by the people I met and worked with at Capital. The legends at the top of my list are typically amp and gear builders and engineers from the tape and analog days.
Click to expand...

Awesome!
 
My journey started in the early 80’s. Always wanted to play guitar so my parents sent me to a local music school that taught guitar and accordion ( can’t make that up). They would guilt parents into purchasing an electric guitar and the 2 choices were Gibson Marauder or 335…. My parents chose the marauder. Then in high school I worked all summer and got an Ibanez Destroyer and Peavy classic 2x12. After I left for college I stopped playing and sold all my gear. I acquired a 1976 Fender Mustang which I owned for decades and would occasionally take it out and strum it. About 20 years ago the guitar bug came back and I started with a G&L Z3 and a blues jr. Quickly progressed to a Two Rock J2, eventually sold that and purchased a Bludotone Mordecai from a member here @smazz that has been my main amp for about 10 years. I also purchased a milkman creamer. Well late last year I purchased an OG+ from Tim and subsequently acquired an Instigator. I also own a Bludotone OD mini hybrid ( great amp) and now I want to explore a Jim Kelley amp. Looking forward to getting one.
 
Cool thread; without going into all the minute details as Rob is saying, main steps for me would be:

Started playing music at an early age on classical piano actually; I think I've always carried this influence/experience with me in some way.

When I actually started the guitar, "good practice" at the time was to begin with classical / acoustic guitar; did so taking lessons for about a couple of years with a great Jazz oriented teacher. My only "gear" at this time was a nice Spanish classical guitar.
I Learnt the art of choosing the type of strings and ways to polish my finger nails to get the "sound" I wanted lol.
Joke aside, this was great education; still have a soft spot for great players who can mesmerize an audience and shine with an acoustic guitar alone.

When I was finally able to "promote" to electric, got a Gibson SG Std. I put all my saved money into it. That the guitar I really played the most all over my teens years, learning the "art and science" of the instrument, playing and tweaking it trying to sound like/emulate my influences.
My roots have always been in the classic rock / hard rock genre, and I've always been more into "vintage" classic kind of gear.
My first amp I got along that SG was a home made tube head + cab my father made for me, based on Fender Bassman / early Marshall JTM schematics. Another great education to have early on, learning how a great tube amp influences the way you play, the kind of dynamics available under your fingers, and how that is an essential part of the "sound".
All that early age also gave me the baseline for the "tech" part of the electric guitar, knowing how gear works and what you can do to make it your own & maintain it.

From there, I started in my late teens to very regularly research old vintage amps & guitars, trying to find the best sounding / feeling ones to me. Again, at first influenced by the gear my "guitar heroes" were playing, which then led to learning what I like.
Old 60's / 70's amps really are where my heart has been ever since; especially Marshall, Vox & Hiwatt. Few Laney and Fender here and there.
The feel especially, the dynamics, that go with the simplicity of those old designs and material used at the time, just can't really be replicated in more modern/complex amps IMHO.

I had been "guitar & amp only" mostly for almost a good 5-10 years I'd say, thinking "simpler/more pure is better".
I played old 60's stock Marshall stacks in bands at the time, loud.

After that, I started to experiment with more "effects" in front of the amps.
At first mainly to push the amps more; fell in love with old Fuzz and Treble Boosters, and all kind of classic boost/OD pedals.
Then, to also "add color and texture"; went deep into all kind of old delay devices.
Btw another field where old classic simple amps shine IMHO, in the way they take almost anything in front and that you can use that to "sculpt" your own preferred unique sound/feel in the very minute details.

Finally felt the need to bring back some of my early age influences, tied to old keys / synths, and more "orchestrated" pieces & soundtracks / scores.
I added studio-like effect devices around my old amps & pedals, to be able to add "texture and ambiance" to parts when needed.
Mixing the raw energy / feel of old classic amps with more complex effects is where I've been ever since.
Amps can be old original "vintage" pieces, or some classic "hot-rodded" versions of those.

Oh, and during all those years of going deep into the "gear" rabbit hole to find the sound & feel I like, one key learning has been: speakers and cabs are essential.
"Tone and feel follow the speakers & cabs" could be a good catching summary.
 
Anje said:
Cool thread; without going into all the minute details as Rob is saying, main steps for me would be:

Started playing music at an early age on classical piano actually; I think I've always carried this influence/experience with me in some way.

When I actually started the guitar, "good practice" at the time was to begin with classical / acoustic guitar; did so taking lessons for about a couple of years with a great Jazz oriented teacher. My only "gear" at this time was a nice Spanish classical guitar.
I Learnt the art of choosing the type of strings and ways to polish my finger nails to get the "sound" I wanted lol.
Joke aside, this was great education; still have a soft spot for great players who can mesmerize an audience and shine with an acoustic guitar alone.

When I was finally able to "promote" to electric, got a Gibson SG Std. I put all my saved money into it. That the guitar I really played the most all over my teens years, learning the "art and science" of the instrument, playing and tweaking it trying to sound like/emulate my influences.
My roots have always been in the classic rock / hard rock genre, and I've always been more into "vintage" classic kind of gear.
My first amp I got along that SG was a home made tube head + cab my father made for me, based on Fender Bassman / early Marshall JTM schematics. Another great education to have early on, learning how a great tube amp influences the way you play, the kind of dynamics available under your fingers, and how that is an essential part of the "sound".
All that early age also gave me the baseline for the "tech" part of the electric guitar, knowing how gear works and what you can do to make it your own & maintain it.

From there, I started in my late teens to very regularly research old vintage amps & guitars, trying to find the best sounding / feeling ones to me. Again, at first influenced by the gear my "guitar heroes" were playing, which then led to learning what I like.
Old 60's / 70's amps really are where my heart has been ever since; especially Marshall, Vox & Hiwatt. Few Laney and Fender here and there.
The feel especially, the dynamics, that go with the simplicity of those old designs and material used at the time, just can't really be replicated in more modern/complex amps IMHO.

I had been "guitar & amp only" mostly for almost a good 5-10 years I'd say, thinking "simpler/more pure is better".
I played old 60's stock Marshall stacks in bands at the time, loud.

After that, I started to experiment with more "effects" in front of the amps.
At first mainly to push the amps more; fell in love with old Fuzz and Treble Boosters, and all kind of classic boost/OD pedals.
Then, to also "add color and texture"; went deep into all kind of old delay devices.
Btw another field where old classic simple amps shine IMHO, in the way they take almost anything in front and that you can use that to "sculpt" your own preferred unique sound/feel in the very minute details.

Finally felt the need to bring back some of my early age influences, tied to old keys / synths, and more "orchestrated" pieces & soundtracks / scores.
I added studio-like effect devices around my old amps & pedals, to be able to add "texture and ambiance" to parts when needed.
Mixing the raw energy / feel of old classic amps with more complex effects is where I've been ever since.
Amps can be old original "vintage" pieces, or some classic "hot-rodded" versions of those.

Oh, and during all those years of going deep into the "gear" rabbit hole to find the sound & feel I like, one key learning has been: speakers and cabs are essential.
"Tone and feel follow the speakers & cabs" could be a good catching summary.
Click to expand...

I agree with all that you’ve said. I feel like I got lucky and avoided buying a lot of stuff that I really didn’t want or need (despite having bought a lot).

I do feel fortunate to have met Rob and having the opportunity to play these amps that satisfy that target tone I’ve had in my head for so long.
 
Happy I could help. I thought the best thing to do is share my knowledge with others of the 40 year journey I’d been on. Hopefully, saving them time and money to find their ideal tools and sound.
 
Another thought I would add:
we can't really "go back", the timeline is only going one way in all this "journey" as we're building blocks of our own experience; but that doesn't mean it's all linear.
I kind of see the "ideal trajectory" as an ever growing spiral; you can't / there's no point in trying to exactly re-live the past but there are things worth revisiting as we mature, as more often than not I find multiple "reading levels" are available and you can always learn something new.
 
Anje said:
Another thought I would add:
we can't really "go back", the timeline is only going one way in all this "journey" as we're building blocks of our own experience; but that doesn't mean it's all linear.
I kind of see the "ideal trajectory" as an ever growing spiral; you can't / there's not point in trying to exactly re-live the past but there are things worth revisiting as we mature, as more often than not I find multiple "reading levels" are available and you can always learn some thing new.
Click to expand...
Absolutely!!
 
Anje said:
Another thought I would add:
we can't really "go back", the timeline is only going one way in all this "journey" as we're building blocks of our own experience; but that doesn't mean it's all linear.
I kind of see the "ideal trajectory" as an ever growing spiral; you can't / there's no point in trying to exactly re-live the past but there are things worth revisiting as we mature, as more often than not I find multiple "reading levels" are available and you can always learn something new.
Click to expand...

I agree with that. There are amps I definitely appreciate more now with a little more experience and understanding of what I’m doing and listening for.
 
Yep; that's especially why I now try not to ever sell something that feels "special"; even if it may only work in one very particular situation and/or I don't see a need/priority for it at the moment.
There are a few pieces of gear I wish I'd have never let go!
 
Anje said:
Yep; that's especially why I now try not to ever sell something that feels "special"; even if it may only work in one very particular situation and/or I don't see a need/priority for it at the moment.
There are a few pieces of gear I wish I'd have never let go!
Click to expand...

the challenge is figuring out what to keep when you love everything you have!
 
When I was 17, I purchased a crappy Gibson SG and Yamaha amp for $200 at Guitar Center in SF. At 25 or so I bought a Stratocaster and Blues Deluxe and pretty much used that for years (maybe with another Strat or two purchased in between) until I joined The Gear Page and started making real money. Probably moved to 3 or so amps and then the floodgates opened and has not stopped. After using a bedroom for years and driving my wife and kids crazy, we built out an unfinished attic to get me farther away but that provided me with 600 sq feet to retain a lot of gear. I am trying to keep to about 14 amps (used via amp switching system) and 4 active cabs, although I have a ton of cabs and speakers lying around. I sold some stuff off myself but got tired of doing that so I brought 13 guitars to Casino Guitars a week ago for them to post and sell on consignment. But, I still have about 9 acoustics, 10+ electrics….13-14 amps and 4 cabs with a ton of cabs and speakers stored in the unfinished area of the attic. Can post some pics when I’m back upstairs if folks are interested in the layout. Happy to be part of the group. I see many of you on TGP.
 
mmarchi21 said:
When I was 17, I purchased a crappy Gibson SG and Yamaha amp for $200 at Guitar Center in SF. At 25 or so I bought a Stratocaster and Blues Deluxe and pretty much used that for years (maybe with another Strat or two purchased in between) until I joined The Gear Page and started making real money. Probably moved to 3 or so amps and then the floodgates opened and has not stopped. After using a bedroom for years and driving my wife and kids crazy, we built out an unfinished attic to get me farther away but that provided me with 600 sq feet to retain a lot of gear. I am trying to keep to about 14 amps (used via amp switching system) and 4 active cabs, although I have a ton of cabs and speakers lying around. I sold some stuff off myself but got tired of doing that so I brought 13 guitars to Casino Guitars a week ago for them to post and sell on consignment. But, I still have about 9 acoustics, 10+ electrics….13-14 amps and 4 cabs with a ton of cabs and speakers stored in the unfinished area of the attic. Can post some pics when I’m back upstairs if folks are interested in the layout. Happy to be part of the group. I see many of you on TGP.
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that's fantastic. it's definitely easy to accumulate huge amounts of gear quickly. I am in moving mode as well. I have far more gear than I will ever reasonably use and while I can intellectually justify it, it makes zero sense.

But, honestly, selling gear sucks. many times I'd almost rather just give it away. though people often make that difficult, too. ha ha
 
FYI that when I try to attach photos I get a message that the file is too large. Not sure how to get around that since the photos are in my photo library and I don’t think there is a compression option in iPhoto.
 
mmarchi21 said:
FYI that when I try to attach photos I get a message that the file is too large. Not sure how to get around that since the photos are in my photo library and I don’t think there is a compression option in iPhoto.
Click to expand...

that has happened to me several times, too. I'll have to look and see what kind of file sizes are allowed. may be a bandwidth thing.
 
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