Gear Acquisition Syndrome

[owl]

So owl, we meet again! Ha! Crap... I too (three) ordered the Vox MV50 + cab deal... I'm excited about it too... Vox & Laney are my favorite sounding amps... and it'll be nice to have a "real" "tube" Vox amp (that fits in my backpack).

Also to Lunkhead & irwin: I have an SG and I don't really like it... :\ but I don't really like Teles either, so you may enjoy the SG more than I do... other than the terrible neck dive mine suffers from (partly due to heavy neck/partly due to terrible strap button placement) even with "weights" installed in the control cavity to try and balance it out, it still wants to lean forward away from my body and is terribly hard to play standing up... I highly recommend you don't order one online, sight unseen... you really need to hold it and play it for yourself... preferably standing so you know if it has issues... I've thought about moving the strap button ala Tony Iommi to the horn... but that gives me nightmares even thinking about trying to drill into a pointy bit at an angle... gah!

Hahaha, you too? Again? We should do a collab where we just play our identical Vox guitars on our identical Vox amps

[Lunkhead]

@owl You're getting your head and cab Friday?! That's great. I'm very jealous, mine's not coming till next Wednesday apparently. Not very instant gratification that.

@ujnhunter Yeah, I've been warned about that. I've only played SGs a couple times and not in a very long time. A coworker recommended that strap button placement change that you mentioned. Other than the neck dive issue, do you like the way it feels and plays and sounds?

[irwin]

Also to Lunkhead & irwin: I have an SG and I don't really like it... :\ but I don't really like Teles either, so you may enjoy the SG more than I do... other than the terrible neck dive mine suffers from (partly due to heavy neck/partly due to terrible strap button placement) even with "weights" installed in the control cavity to try and balance it out, it still wants to lean forward away from my body and is

I remember as a kid wanting a Gibson Explorer so bad (hey, it was the 80s). Then I played one. Super heavy and uncomfortable.

terribly hard to play standing up... I highly recommend you don't order one online, sight unseen... you really need to hold it and play it for yourself... preferably standing so you know if it has issues... I've thought about moving the strap button ala Tony Iommi to the horn... but that gives me nightmares even thinking about trying to drill into a pointy bit at an angle... gah!

I had a bandmate that had an Epiphone SG that I played a couple of times. I liked the way it felt/sounded. But for sure, always play before you buy. I don’t like buying guitars online for that reason. Way too much variation even within the same model.

[Chumpy]

UA Arrow - is it time to get back into the UA ecosystem? This would be the least expensive way back in. Thunderbolt 3 - Two in, two out, plus processing power to use awesome plug ins. Also, I hear their new DAW LUNA is cool.
UA Twin - spend a bit more for more features?

I wrote a bunch of stuff recently about my experiences with UA interfaces. I started with the Arrow, and if you have have Thunderbolt-3 enabled laptop, it can make an excellent "record anywhere" rig as it fits well in a backpack and is entirely powered by Thunderbolt. As part of my stay-at-home G.A.S. situation I picked up the Apollo x4, which I think is pretty great.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

I also want a ... vibraslap.

I played vibraslap in a band once. Okay, on one song in my last all originals band. Switching from vibraslap verses to rhythm guitar to lead guitar and back wasn't always as easy as it sounds. It belonged to the singer and I've never gotten around to buying my own.

I have a guiro and have only used it a time or two. I also have a Pandeiro that I thought I would use a lot and... well, I haven't.

I have always wanted an SG.

I've been interested but lots and lots of friends have had trouble finding a decent one. Like even the Gibsons have traditionally been very hit and miss. That being said, I've never wanted one (even a copy) enough to seriously try them out. It's one of the last few body styles that I"d be interested in owning that I haven't found a cheap enough version of to satisfy my craving.

[owl]

@owl You're getting your head and cab Friday?! That's great. I'm very jealous, mine's not coming till next Wednesday apparently. Not very instant gratification that.

@ujnhunter Yeah, I've been warned about that. I've only played SGs a couple times and not in a very long time. A coworker recommended that strap button placement change that you mentioned. Other than the neck dive issue, do you like the way it feels and plays and sounds?

I think the warehouse is in Indiana, so mine has a lot less distance to travel! I’ll post when I get it and try it!

[ujnhunter]

@owl Collab for sure! Not sure you'd want to use any of my guitar playing though... but yes, I am holding you to a collab now.

@Lunkhead Not sure I can even attempt to give you an honest opinion about the "sound" or feel of it... other than I've figured out that I'm a "Strat person". Something just feels weird to me about the SG (and Tele for that matter) and I think it mostly comes down to the bridge on both... I can't really explain it, and it's got nothing to do with the "tremolo" because you can block the trem on a Strat and it'd still feel fine... something about how my hand just feels right resting on the Strat trem style bridge that doesn't feel right on an SG (assume a LP too, but never played one, as it has the same exact bridge) or a Tele. You may have better luck.

[Paco Del Stinko]

Maybe I'm not glad I bumped into this chat, but yeah, I am. I do not need more stuff, but somehow that stuff still finds me. Yeah! That's it!

I recently bought a pair of these, used, for a bit over the price of one. Yet to use, as I need a rack and place to put them, but I'll be learning these soon.
https://warmaudio.com/eqp-wa/

I do not need another guitar, and do my best not to look at them. But as for GAS, I've been hankerin' for this for s of couple years now. If I spot a used one, I'm grabbing. Then you all better run for your earplugs.
https://eastwoodguitars.com/blogs/news/ ... nal-guitar

UJN is right, of course, that you should try a guitar out in person to see how it feels and sounds. Looks is all you get online, basically. But I've bought many guitars online and can't recall one that's disappointed. Of course, a proper setup is key whether done by yourself or a pro.

I bought a brand new 12 string electric online a couple years ago for, literally, $120. Came in a cardboard box with a light diesel exhaust coating on it. Doesn't even say where it was made, and played like ass. But I had a pro set it up and he said it was the biggest transformation of all the guitars I've had him do. (I can do intonation but am terrified of truss rods) It plays and sounds great now. Sure, I paid at least as much as it's original cost, but now it's twice as good. Probably a lesson right there about getting what you pay for.

Anyway. Keep the stuff coming, love gear.

[vowlvom]

I love Eastwood guitars. My main guitar for about 15 years was* an Eastwood Wandré that I bought without playing it first, and I have no regrets! I'm not sure I'd take the risk again though, it's definitely a lot better to actually feel how the thing plays before committing to spend.

I would have been so tempted by that Vox deal if it was available in the UK. But I do not need anything new, and should clear out some old stuff before I get tempted again... "should"...

* I still have it, but now it has competition

[Lunkhead]

Maybe I should just get a cheaper guitar like this blue Fender Player Jaguar???

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ingerboard

[irwin]

I would have been so tempted by that Vox deal if it was available in the UK.

That’s funny. I hate all these regional restrictions in general, but of all things, the Vox deal not being available in the UK. Amusing.

[Lunkhead]

It's not music gear but now I'm drooling over insanely expensive Dyson air purifiers.

[crumpart]

The past couple of days I've started getting ads for this DIY Pedal Kit company in Italy. I click on it every time because Facebook knows me well and I am weak.

https://www.diypedalgearparts.com/en/

[Lunkhead]

My Vox mini head and cab arrived!!! I'm so excited I may not leave the packages to sit around for two days before opening them, like we've been doing with packages generally.

[ken]

Do the vox mini heads have a balanced direct out?

[Lunkhead]

They have a "cabinet emulated line/headphone output".

[Lunkhead]

I did in fact take it out and try it for a bit. It sounds pretty good for the size and cost! I miss my Deluxe Reverb Reissue and maybe more so I miss feeling uninhibited about playing at a decent volume. :/ But this will be plenty fun for now. I need to try out the Rock so i can get a better sense of how the AC compares in tone.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

I need to try out the Rock so i can get a better sense of how the AC compares in tone.

Yes, please.

[crumpart]

...

Posting the setup stuff we have here for you as it’s probably more relevant here than in the Nur Ein thread.

We have this preamp. It’s excellent. And also quite cute. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... te-isa-one

The audio interface we use is the MOTU Traveller, but I hear good things about the Focusrite Scarlett stuff in terms of ease of use, price and quality. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search ... +focusrite

Edited to add: Toshiro says that something like our preamp would probably be overkill with a Scarlett, and you should be fine with something like the Scarlett and one of the mics you’re considering.

[crumpart]

Oh, and on the topic of microphones, when we got a new stand last year we chose this one from K&M with squeezy hand action for height adjustment and it is THE BEST. It's a bit more expensive than the standard type but super important and worth every cent.

[Cybronica]

Oooh crumpart you have sent me down a rabbit hole with these links! I’m reading through these product descriptions and I’m sure I’ll have more questions soon!

[crumpart]

Oooh crumpart you have sent me down a rabbit hole with these links! I’m reading through these product descriptions and I’m sure I’ll have more questions soon!

Here is a really good, clear, helpful article that explains audio interfaces and such: https://www.pianodreamers.com/best-audio-interfaces/