Best and worst buy or sale of 2010!

[MAXIFUNK]

With it getting close to end of another GAS year.
What did you buy you loved? What did you buy you hate?
What did sale you wish you hadn't now that it is gone.
Any good trades or bad trades of 2010?

What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?
Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so mush gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.

[Eric]

What did you buy you loved?
Tech 21 Trademark 60
Godin LG Signature


What did you buy you hate?
Nothing, really. I bought a DI box that I have yet to use, but that's all. I do have a guitar and an amp to sell off, but they're not from this year.


What did sale you wish you hadn't now that it is gone.
Again, not much of anything. I traded away some pedals that I occasionally miss, but I don't regret trading them.


Any good trades or bad trades of 2010?
Only one -- an SX guitar and a bunch of pedals to Commodore 64 for a Godin Redline. I'd consider that a good trade, since I actually play the Godin.


What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?
Hmm. I dunno. Maybe a few pedals? I wouldn't mind a delay or volume pedal, and one of those clip-on tuners would be handy. Also, I suppose I would like to find a Carvin someday, but it's not urgent; I have all I can handle right now guitar-wise.


Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so mush gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.
I'm the "lucky" person who gets annoyed if I have too much crap to keep track of and maintain, so my GAS is constantly at battle with my desire for simplicity. It means that they usually keep each other at bay.

[Commodore 64]

Worst: The Fake tele I bought for $350. I felt bad about talking the guy down from $400 too.
http://www.lucky-cricket.com/files/unk_tele.jpg

Best: The Peavey Transtube Bandit I bought for $25, and repaired for another $35 in parts.
http://www.lucky-cricket.com/files/PeaveyBandit.JPG

Other good ones:
Ibanez Artcore AF85VLS-- Beautiful guitar, wife paid too much at $375, but I still love it.

Trading my '68 Champ for a 1990 Jackson Soloist Pro: The Jackson is beat, but feels and plays wonderfully. Replaced the Champ with a Blues Jr ($275 on CL).


Other not so good:
Trading my MiM Strat for a PRS SE: They were both nice guitars, but the Strat was nicer, in retrospect.

Trading my Michael Kelly for a B-Stock Turser Tele: I don't know what I thought that big "B" punched into the headstock meant, but it sure made it tough to resell/trade at anything close to what that MK was worth. Damn that MK was nice. WTF was I thinking. I'm hoping to redeem myself with a Samick that I have on layaway at GC (It was used and can't pick it up till the 24th of Oct). Since the Samicks and MKs come out of the same factory, as I understand it, maybe I won't feel so bad in 4 days. :)
http://www.lucky-cricket.com/files/MK_Patriot.jpg

Turser Tele:
http://www.lucky-cricket.com/files/Turser.jpg

[Eric]

Damn that MK was nice. WTF was I thinking.
That you don't like 24.75" scale length, I believe. :poke

[Commodore 64]

That you don't like 24.75" scale length, I believe. :poke

Ahh yes. Well. That Artcore is 24.75 and I seem to be fine with it. I think that perhaps I was not thinking rationally.

[Bloozcat]

I think I was reasonably restrained this year - whether that's something good or not, I don't know.

I did buy my B-Stock Agile AL-3100M back in February. But, other than some parts and pieces for projects I think that was the only major GAS item.

I must be slipping...:thwap

[Katastrophe]

Didn't buy anything, except for strings, this year.

Hated getting rid of: Charvel 275 DLX and Crate amph. I know, they were both imports, but the Charvel was easily the best playing guitar I owned, and it was pointy! The Crate was a good, solid, loud, dependable workhorse amph that one could beat on and still count on it to keep going.

Nothing special, but they were mine!

2010 GAS: I got the bug really bad for a Squier John 5 Tele... Then for Teles in general. Currently afflicted with Les Paul / P90 GAS.

Amph GAS has me pointed mainly in the Fender Superchamp XD direction, but the Mustang 40 watter has my attention, too. So does the Peavey Bandit. Lots of raves about that amph.

The poor economy and lack of a job did nothing to curb my GAS... I just postponed it until I have the money to indulge. This actually gives me the time to look over gear and try it out, without the GAS pressure. I can take my time and pick and choose what's best for me.

[Jimi75]

I almost managed to not buy a piece of musical gear this year. No GAS attacks. When I discovered that awesome sounding 1976 Fender Strat I bought it. It wasn't quite GAS or so, it was just the right time to effect the buy, if you know what I mean, but I could have also survived without buying it.

Another great buy was my pull up bar...although this has nothing to do with musical instruments ;-)

:running

[bcdon]

Bought a Korean-made Zakk Wylde custom camo on craigslist, had the frets leveled and setup with great low action, and then I installed some Seymour Duncan Blackouts. I love this LP but I love the blackouts even more! :dude

Next on the GAS list is a Hell Guitar from our buddy Syo (with Bare Knuckle pickups) and next year a Mesa Boogie Mark V (well, maybe not next year, but someday). :dance

http://i51.tinypic.com/2vn3os1.jpg

[kiteman]

*With it getting close to end of another GAS year.

I'm ready for Thanksgiving. :)

*What did you buy you loved? What did you buy you hate?

My Bogner Alchemist 112 combo and a Kustom Defender 5H head. None that I hated.

*What did sale you wish you hadn't now that it is gone.

I didn't miss selling two guitars, a 100 watt tube half stack and an MFX pedal to get the Bogner.

*Any good trades or bad trades of 2010?

I got a Jackson JS20 Dinky with a Duncan Distortion pup in bridge for my Fender G-Dec Jr combo. It's one of the guitars that I sold for the amp.

*What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?

There isn't any, I'm out of room.

*Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so mush gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.

I guess I'm that lucky person though I only have 3 guitars, 3 tube amps, a solid state bass amp and 2 MFX pedals. Think that's enough?

[marnold]

With it getting close to end of another GAS year.
What did you buy you loved?
My Jet City JCA20H and JCA12S, baybee! Rawk!

I also like the used Boss DD-3 that I got in like-new condition for a song.


What did you buy you hate?
"Hate" is probably a strong word. I bought and returned a Digitech Hardwire Valve Distortion pedal. I bought it in an effort to give my old AD30VT a decent hard rock/metal tone that I liked. The pedal itself was great but it couldn't overcome the shortcomings of the amph in that regard, IMO. So back it went and I bought the aforementioned Jet City.


What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?
I "need" nothing. I've looked a bit at Agile P90 Goldtops or some kind of flying V, but that's more window shopping than actual GAS. I've also toyed with the idea of getting a bona fide metal pedal :rockon:


Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so mush gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.
Regardless of the economy, I rarely have a significant amount of disposable income, so my GAS is curtailed by reality more than anything else. I love my new amph, so I'm not looking at anything that way. Most guitars I look at, I find something that I don't like about it or something I would change. It almost always involves making it more like my DK2M one way or the other. What's the point when I already have one?

[Bloozcat]

As a good friend of mine is fond of saying, wants create needs...

In reality anything more than 3-4 guitars and 2-3 amps is really just "gotta have it" and not real "need".

A Strat, a Tele, a humbucker guitar like an LP, and an ES-335 type and you can cover just about anything. OK, maybe a P-90 guitar just to fill that niche, but is that really a true "need"?

A Fender clean type tube amp, a Marshall type tube amp for grind, and a small 5-watt tube amp for practice and you've got amps covered.

Boy, I'm sure glad I don't follow my own logic...:dance

[Eric]

As a good friend of mine is fond of saying, wants create needs...

In reality anything more than 3-4 guitars and 2-3 amps is really just "gotta have it" and not real "need".

A Strat, a Tele, a humbucker guitar like an LP, and an ES-335 type and you can cover just about anything. OK, maybe a P-90 guitar just to fill that niche, but is that really a true "need"?

A Fender clean type tube amp, a Marshall type tube amp for grind, and a small 5-watt tube amp for practice and you've got amps covered.

Boy, I'm sure glad I don't follow my own logic...:dance
I agree with this, but to take it a step further, I've found that anything over about 3-4 guitars total (including acoustic/bass) in my house makes me a little fidgety. I'm always wondering about adjusting action, pickups, string changes, tunings, cleaning, humidification, etc.

That's not to say that I think everyone should follow those guidelines, but I personally get distracted when I have too many guitars and amps around. Right now, I have 2 amps and 4 guitars in my room, a powered monitor and mixer at my friend's practice space, a small amp on loan to a friend, and a powered mixer/PA in the basement. That's almost too much, but I'm keeping it as is for now.

As stated earlier, I like simplicity. One day I'll achieve it. I think

[kiteman]

Boy, I'm sure glad I don't follow my own logic...:dance

Why not? :poke

[MAXIFUNK]

I should answer my own thread.

With it getting close to end of another GAS year.
I better not buy another thing this year or I'll have to hire a lawyer.

What did you buy you loved?
1a. American special Strat HSS currently my most played practice axe.
1b. Mesa Boogie M9 Carbine Bass head & PowerHouse 1200 Bass Cabinet
My B-day present and holiday present to myself still leanring it but so far WOW!!!
2. CV Thinline Tele my on the go guitar it goes to work with all the time light weight great sound and feel.

What did you buy you hate? nothing

What did sale you wish you hadn't now that it is gone.
Have not sold anything yet but its time to sell my Flextone III XL & my Fender FMT HH Tele.

Any good trades or bad trades of 2010? no trades

What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?
Guitars: Fender Blacktop Strat maple neck, Ibanez DN500 (DARKSTONE).
Amps: Egnator Tweaker, Mesa Boogie Transatlantic TA-15, Fender SuperSonic. I want a low wattage practice tube amp.

Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so mush gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.

Slowed me down no but I am always sure never to buy something on impulse. I have put 3 or 4 different things on hold this year and walked away from after thinking it through. Taylor T3, SuperSonic 22, Gibson LP with mini humbuckers. and fool and his money are soon to part.

Honestly, anything I buy now would be a want not a need once I buy HH style Guitar I feel comfortable taking anywhere. Because my LP is not leaving the house anymore.

[duhvoodooman]

What did you buy you loved?
Got a couple of new "major pieces", but my best acquisition would have to be the used Squier Classic Vibe '50s Tele (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=15214) I picked up. Not only is it a great guitar by any standard, but it was dirt cheap to boot. Honorable mention: Ebony finish Agile AL-3000 Les Paul (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=14727) copy and my new Mesa Transatlantic TA-15 amp head (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=16287).

What did you buy you hate?
Nothing.

What did sell you wish you hadn't now that it is gone.
Nothing

Any good trades or bad trades of 2010?
N/A

What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?
Undecided.

Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so much gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.
"....rarely ever get GAS anymore"?? Ha-ha! You're funny!!

I use proceeds from my pedal sales, or sales of existing gear for all my new gear acquisitions. So my GAS habit is "self-funding", so to speak....

[Brian Krashpad]

With it getting close to end of another GAS year.
What did you buy you loved? What did you buy you hate?
What did sale you wish you hadn't now that it is gone.
Any good trades or bad trades of 2010?

What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?

Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so mush gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.

Both of the statements in the last sentence above are true of me. Been flat as a floogie all year, but frankly I have more gear than I need anyhow. So it all evens out.

I've made a couple gear deals over the last year despite the above though. Both, however, were always specifically intended as "flips" where I could make a little coin by buying and then re-selling on craigslist (for those outside north America, that's an online classified ad website). I'd only ever bought one guitar previously with the intent to flip it.

The first one was a Squier Vintage Modified series Thinline Tele:

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6103/thinline.jpg

I had the above Tele for a couple months. Played it several times in church, and for half (played one set with my Special Jet, the other with the Thinline) of a gig with Cinnamon Hill, my side "hippie" band. So I had the use of an extra guitar for a couple months, got to play my first Thinline Tele, and made 20 or 25 bucks on the flip. Not a bad way to make a little extra dosh.

The second one I flipped was a Squier Tom Delonge Strat:

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/807/tdstratfront.jpg

This one required a little work. It was missing the Tele-style volume knob, one tuner, one bridge piece, and set up badly. I replaced the knob, tuner and bridge piece (lucked out on the tuner, my buddy and former bandmate who's a luthier at a local shop had an exact replacement in his parts bin) for about ten bucks, cleaned all the gunk off, and readjusted the bridge to get it playable again. Don't recall exactly what I paid or sold it for but iirc I made 50 to 75 bucks on the flip, net. Despite that the body was cosmetically beat up. Unlike the Tele I had no real interest in the guitar other than to make a profit on the resale.

Almost forgot, I did buy a piece of gear that was neither axe nor amp, got a 7-slot guitar stand for $25, like new, off craigslist:

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/7425/rockstand7.jpg

Turned out the seller was a fellow veteran in the local scene's rock wars I'd know for quite awhile (not the first time that's happened, haha). I usually keep it up in the choir loft at church for all the band to use, quite handy for that, then steal it back for my band gigs. Gets rid of the clutter onstage.

[Jx2]

Best Buy: Fender Champion 600, I love this thing!!

Best Trade: Washburn Vindicator & $50 bucks for a Epiphone Les Paul Birdseye Maple Classic.

Worst buy: Washburn Vindicator, played great in the store, never played it once I got it home.

GAS: Hagstorm Viking or Epiphone Dot, Resonator Guitar, a good OD and reverb pedal and a 15w tube amp.

[Blaze]

Use Line 6 DL 4 --- Digitech RV7 ----- Use Pedaltrain with case at great price ..

Love all of them






http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/36834cc0a72254192.jpg


http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/36834cc0a7226769d.jpg

[markb]

Best buys: Blueridge BR-43ce acoustic. Boss DS-1(yes, a DS-1), Boss DD-20

Worst buys: MXR Phase 100, never has a pedal bounced back on sale so fast.

GAS: POD HD500 and some big FRFR cabs to go with it, but I might settle for A Digitech RP500 into the Cube's JC model.

[Kazz]

Best things I bought this year gear wise.....
Genuine 2003 Les Paul Studio Limited Colors Edition for $300
Epi Valve Jr Head and Cab.....

Did not buy anything that I hated.....

[Eric]

GAS: POD HD500 and some big FRFR cabs to go with it
Count me in for that!

[syo]

Best:

Boss JS-8 E-Band
Terrific tool/non-human accompaniest. I love this.

Little Lanelei Amps. Big, rich sound in a tiny package.

Worst:

My clever travel guitar solution. A Ministar electric. Discovered that due
to carry-on restrictions I have to choose between checking my laptop bag
(containing my laptop and a vast array of electronic gadgetry) or the Ministar (which wouldn't last long if I did).
So I guess next I will have to go for one of these:

http://centerfoldguitar.com/Centerfold.html
Can your guitar do this?

[FusedGrooves]

With it getting close to end of another GAS year.

What did you buy you loved?
Yamaha SA2200 Deluxe (Semi hollow)...words cannot describe how much I love this guitar....so much tone variance from the Alnico Vs and love to mix and match the Humbuckers/single coil sounds. This guitar does everything from awesome jazz tones (Humbucker on neck) to a glassy acoustic sound (Humbucker neck, Single coil bridge) or a FULL acoustic sound (Humbucker on bridge, single coil on neck) and I'm sure those that like to would get great metal/soft rock tones > as well as a great country/single coil sound ala Telecaster.....using the volume knobs you can also tweak the sounds further - ie: turn down the bridge PUP to get a more of a strat sound or the other way for that twang.....


What did you buy you hate?
Nothing!


What did sell you wish you hadn't now that it is gone. I learnt my lesson years ago about selling my music gear so don't sell but also see above, I wouldn't buy anything that I'd end up 'hating' as such and therefore no need to sell anything! :)


Any good trades or bad trades of 2010?
No.....I keep all my gear no selling/trading! In saying that I have been toying with ditching (packing away) the Boss ME-50 in favour of seperate pedals.....if I win Roberts competition for the Reverb pedal I might just follow this through!


What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?
I had wanted to purchase a Tele > or even build a Warmoth Tele as my bro in law has now built a Warmoth Tele and Strat however with my new Yamaha
SA2200. . . . .I know you're all sick of seeing my posts about it/pics by now but seriously, it's one of those guitars EVERYONE should at least have a strum on I think most would be pleasantly suprised....


Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so mush gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.
Well now this is the best part.......the Aussie dollar hit parity even only momentarily but there's predictions that we will see better than 1:1 quite soon > meaning I can buy stuff from the states SOOOOOOO SOOOOOO SOOOOO much cheaper, even with freight, customs etc.....

Perfect example was last time the US/AUD exchange rate was so good I paid $500 (delivered) for my Boss RC-50. Even with the great deals I get from Pro Audio (thanks Nathan if you're reading this) the best price they could do was $1200AUD!!!! I had to say thanks but no thanks I can get it for less than half from the States! Thank you America!! hehehehe

[marnold]

Thank you America!! hehehehe
On behalf of me and my 310.5 million brothers and sisters: you're welcome. :smile-us:

[FusedGrooves]

On behalf of me and my 310.5 million brothers and sisters: you're welcome. :smile-us:

Awesome thanks!!! I just hope it's not affecting you guys too much over there but if it is, just know that us Aussies really really appreciate it.....
I rang a courier company yesterday to find out where my latest package from the States is and they said they are well behind their deliveries and that they can't keep up with the stuff coming in from the |States - just as soon as they deliver 1 truck load there's 3 more coming in!

What I should be saying is the Oz Govt sucks balls big time for always charging so much import tax etc etc making EVERYTHING we buy here SO much more expensive than many parts of the world...

I often buy guitar/music related stuff, motorcycle stuff, car stuff and I can't believe the prices I can get from you guys compared to here.....AND with one story, I was looking for racing leathers, approx cost $3500 AUD - couldn't get the model I wanted, the next model down was $3200, and wouldn't get to me for 6 FREAKING MONTHS!!! I ended up using a US online store, was $1100 for the actual model of suit I wanted AND it was here in exactly 3 days.....
Sometimes I've waited 8 months just for a damned sprocket!!!

There's more things in Oz that mean I still think it's the best place on earth to live but this side of things really annoys me..!

[sunvalleylaw]

With it getting close to end of another GAS year.
What did you buy you loved? What did you buy you hate?
What did sale you wish you hadn't now that it is gone.
Any good trades or bad trades of 2010?

What is brewing on your potential GAS need list?
Has the economy slowed down your GAS or are you that lucky person who has so mush gear that you rarely ever get GAS anymore.


Bought that I love, my ZYS. Did not buy anything I don't like.
Sell: nothing in 2010.
Trades: My Fender Concert in exchange for credit on a bill. I love the amph, but I already had a good amph, and coulda used the money. So maybe neutral. But I do love the amph.

Potential GAS: a tele. Probably a CV 50's, that I would likely mod with a humbucker like DVM did. Also a Digitech EX-7, and I would like to upgrade my pedal board to get it organized better. Economy did slow my GAS, and other than the ZYS, I would not have gotten anything but for this trade on a bill. After slowing down due to economy, I realized that I really like my gear and don't really need anything. So I don't get GAS a lot, but I'll admit a little as I noted above.

[Bloozcat]

Why not? :poke

Because the human side wins out over the Vulcan side....;)

[street music]

I haven't bought a lot this year but what I did buy has given me a lot of enjoyment and I've been content to enjoy them. My Carvin C350 solid mahogany
that I got at Christmas has really become one of my best purchases ever and since my Takamine is my only Acoustic-Electric I made the purchase of the new AGa70 VOX amp. This amp is amazing in clarity-tone and awesome reverb with great tube sound.
Other than that strings and most recent more V-picks as my friends seem to stick them in their pocket after borrowing one.
I did get 2 books that anyone should have-The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook and The Best of Bob Dylan Chord Songbook , both of these books are great for someone who wants to play and sing in a solo setting, SINCE MY VOICE ISN'T SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE OUT IN PUBLIC.
WAIT ! There is still time for that G.A.S. attack before the year ends.

[wingsdad]

The economy and other issues kept me from buying anything significant, but GAS induced me to make one trade at my Friendly Local GAS Station that actually took 2 steps to complete that I'm happy with.

This '02 Takamine Santa Fe EAC38C...

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/Takamine%20EAC38C/IMG_5401.jpg

...was converted into this new Peavey PowerSlide and Ibanez SZR-720 (along with nice LongHollow Leathers strap for my G&L ASAT, a cable & a 3-pack of D'add strings):

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/Ibanez%20SZR-720/PV_PSlide_IBZLP_2082.jpg

...but after getting the Ibanez home and playing it more, I realized I didn't care for its switching and tone control limitations, I worked out bringing it back and waiting for something closer to an LP-type axe...a couple of weeks later, this funky (mysteriously cloudy headstock finish) '07 Washburn Idol WI66PRO, modded to defeat the stock Washburn VCC tone circuitry so as to be a true 2-Tone control guitar, turned up at the store, they called me, and I grabbed it:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/Washburn%20WI66PRO/WI66_cased_2120.jpg

My plan was to convert the Tak into 2 pieces I could unload easier for cash if need be, but the Idol changed that notion. I still might part with the PowerSlide, and maybe some other piece of gear, if the one guitar I still long for happens to turn up here...an Epiphone John Lennon EJ160E...one did a couple of years ago, but I missed pulling the trigger fast enough.

[Tig]

Thanks to being employed, there was plenty of buying this year. Since I analyze the carp out of potential purchases, I rarely get disappointed.
The differences between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd groups are so minor, you couldn't slip a piece of paper between them!

What did you buy you loved?
1. Brookwood Leather strap, Egnater Tweaker 15.
Everything here is tied for 2nd: Washburn Idol WI66PRO, Line 6 POD HD500, Squier CV 50's Strat.
3. Art & Lutherie Spruce dreadnought acoustic

What did you buy you hate?
Only one, the Digitech RP-255. The high end RP's are fine, but the smaller ones are too limited in their controls. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

[Justaguyin_nc]

Man, look at that powerslide! I have a few songs I want to learn to play lap on.
Been looking at those and the Rogue Jersey Lightning.
anyways..
What did you buy you loved?
1. Epiphone 1956 GoldTop. I Just love this guitar past the honeymoon stage. My Jimmie Vaughan Fender has been replaced.
The P90's give me every tone I could ask for. The Pots actually work on this guitar and would buy another in a heartbeat.
I love the neck, the look, hearing every note and the smile it puts on my face. I may have worn out the pickup switch already :)
2. JamVox, I just find the patches better then Line6 stuff. I used and totally liked the Toneport for years now.
But the JamVox, It's such a user friendly setup(to me) and used for my whole system including a desk mic.
after using the JamVox, the Toneport GX even with addon packs and Farm 2.0 sounds to sterile(to me).
The JamVox can be warm and lovely from the start. all those review words..juicy...tubey..warmth..I can add to this lil box.

What did you buy you hate?
1... I got a TekNmotion 7.1 surround Pulsewave Headset, USB and also 1/8th stereo on a double end. Also has VIBE and lights..
sits tight on the head and it does not come close to the quality of my Sony 7506's which I cherish. Although the VIBE does give your ears a good tickle.
It's ok for games, not for guitar as they color the sound to much. The surround really does not do as much for me in added hearing.
I usually sit with a headset on, so nothing beats the comfort of the 7506 imho.