Current & Past "Hot Gear"

[davewrites]

What about Vox amPlugs? How many did you buy? I had the Lead and the Twin. I've since replaced both with Vox amPhones (Twin w/reverb), which I whole-heartedly recommend as a major improvement over the amPlug.

I was also an early adopter of iGuitar technology, namely AmpliTube and the iRig. Although, like the amPlugs, I dropped the iRig for a higher quality second-comer: Apogee JAM.

Did you ever purchase a beer can amp? Or an Altoid's amp? A cigarette pack amp? Even if you didn't, you know you wanted too.

How close were you to buying a cigar box guitar in 2011? A cigar box amp? Cigar box stomp box? (Me = guilty x3)

[sigh] Fads. Am I right?

Has the compound radius hype subsided? I mean, I still appreciate them, but I don't lust them like I did 2 years ago.

As far as current hot gear... hmmm, these Reverend pics do illustrate a current design trend: pickguardless bodies. We'll see if that sticks around. Also, the "relic" fad hasn't subsided yet. I would love a Fano, but not at those prices.

Hey, do you remember when Danelectros resurfaced? Didn't you want a black and white U2 just 'cause?

What about the current hipster-vintage-junk-catalog-guitar movement? Have you combed eBay to "reinvest" in an authentic Harmony, Kay, Silvertone, National, Supro, Valco...? Or did you take the high road like me and pick up an Eastwood reproduction?

[double sigh]

[tjcurtin1]

Enjoyed those two posts, Dave - yikes, it does induce a little cringe to consider all of the things that one can be so easily induced to lust after (and, of course, sometimes convince yourself to shell out for...). Of course, sometimes it's something that you love and stick with, while others very soon lose their luster...(hmmm... there's some 'lust/lost/luster' wordplay to be worked with there). You have steeled me against the next 'must-have' or 'must lust for' item that is surely heading our way as we...write

[Radioboy950]

The Vox modeling stuff...AD50VT. Man, these were a hot product.
I probably couldn't give it away. But I'll tell ya...it's a great amp to have around the house.
I've used it in some band rehearsals...and I often bring it to gigs as a backup, if needed.

[davewrites]

All those Vox modelling amps are excellent, reliable rigs. Everyone should have one.

But, yeah, every second posting in Craigslust seems to be an AD50VT these days.

[guitarhack]

I also had the Squier 51, and also several DeArmonds, which got a lot of love on the message boards several years ago. I've sold all of mine but a Starfire Special. I traded some of the others for a G&L ASAT Classic S, which is an awesome guitar.

[Eric***]

How about the Fullerton strats?

Someone mentioned the Hermida Zendrive and I agree with that one.

[ZMAN]

I keep a log of when I bought gear. I usually bought when they were hot. Interesting to see the dates.
Fender Deluxe Player Strat. 2005
Squier Ltd. Edition Cherryburst with mint guard 2005
Fender 60 ANN. mim 2006
Squier Deluxe Strat in Daphne blue and Pearl white late 2007 early 2008
Squier Classic Vibe 50s Strat 2008
Classic Vibe 50s Tele Custom 2010
Classic Vibe tele Butterscotch Blonde 2011
There were a lot of posts about these. I haven't had much Gas since then.

[Brian Krashpad]

I also had the Squier 51, and also several DeArmonds, which got a lot of love on the message boards several years ago. I've sold all of mine but a Starfire Special. I traded some of the others for a G&L ASAT Classic S, which is an awesome guitar.

I never got a Squier 51. Went and tried all the ones at the local large mom'n'pop, Lipham's (where Tom Petty used to work back in the day), and every last one of them had fret ends that'd slice a finger off. Easy fix, I know, but that poisoned the well for me.

I did, and do, like the DeArmonds. I started with a cheapo bolt-neck Indonesian-made Jet Star Special, which in fact wasn't very special. But on graduating to the MIK setnecks with the Fender US factory-made GoldTone pups, I found every last one to be a high quality instrument in terms of looks, tone and playability. In a perfect world I would've kept them all, just on principle, but since the ones I had all had those same humbuckers (I just never got round to getting one with the P-90 voiced 2K single-coils), they all sounded pretty similar. And once I got a couple Gibson Les Pauls, the M-series based on Guild's Aristocrat sorta became doubly redundant. All told I owned 4 DeArmond setnecks with GoldTones. Two M-series, an M-72 and an M-75. These were so similar that I sold the M-75 pretty quickly, as I preferred the stoptail on the M-72 to it's harp tailpiece, plus the M-72 had a beautiful burst and light flame, while the M-75 was plain ol' ebony. I kept the M-72 for quite awhile and only sold it after getting some Gibby Les Pauls. I also owned two of the much funkier Jet Stars. One I bought specifically to flip, because the money went to VH1's Save The Music charity. I ended up trading it for the M-75! I still have the other Jet Star, Ruby, my first DeArmond setneck. THAT one I'm keeping!

Dunno if it ever qualified as "hot" but I love love love my li'l Fender Super Champ XD.

Also fond of my Vox AD30VTXL. The regular AD30VT an AD50VT got a lot of love here, but the AD30VTXL sorta flew under the radar. Even if you didn't like the more high-gain models than on the regular AD30, the larger 12" speaker is certainly an upgrade from the AD30's ten.

[Eric***]

Dunno if it ever qualified as "hot" but I love love love my li'l Fender Super Champ XD.

For sure. I forgot about those. I would probably also include the Egnater Tweaker series and possibly the Mesa Boogie Transatlantic amps.

[marnold***]

I never got a Squier 51. Went and tried all the ones at the local large mom'n'pop, Lipham's (where Tom Petty used to work back in the day), and every last one of them had fret ends that'd slice a finger off. Easy fix, I know, but that poisoned the well for me.

Unfortunately, that plagues just about every Fender of every price range that finds its way to Wisconsin. It's a nuisance to find that on a $100 guitar. It is ridiculous to find it on one that costs over a grand.

The first batch of 51s were supposed to be bad that way. Mine had been actually overzealously filed at the factory in one place on the neck and they actually took off a bit of fret wood. This winter I took it in to a luthier to get it filed. There wasn't much sprout, just some mildly rough edges. It was just enough to be annoying. It wasn't that expensive to get fixed.

Neither my Jackson nor my LTD bass suffer from that. The Jackson has a bound fretboard which helps in that regard.

[Tig***]

My Fender Super Champ X2 is a certain never ever sell. I'm sure I'd feel the same with the original XD.
There's a slight possibility the Tweaker 20 might go up for sale or trade some distant day, but the tonal range and quality would make that a not so smart move, especially when you can change tubes to shift it deeper into various territories, like Marshall and Fender.

I've realized more or different guitar gear won't do as much for me as I'd like, so I've become very happy with everything I have. Time to work more on the "engine" (me).

Ah, but a really nice keyboard, however...

[Robert****]

Some gear seems to always be "hot" like the deluxe reverb reissue and Gibson les Paul's! They are always popular.

[sunvalleylaw]

Some gear seems to always be "hot" like the deluxe reverb reissue and Gibson les Paul's! They are always popular.

And a good strat or tele!

[Eric***]

I've realized more or different guitar gear won't do as much for me as I'd like, so I've become very happy with everything I have. Time to work more on the "engine" (me).

Indeed. I think my GAS shortage isn't due to bad playing or apathy or anything, but more what you said: new gear doesn't really change that much, and what I already have covers a lot of ground.

[Brian Krashpad]

Some gear seems to always be "hot" like the deluxe reverb reissue and Gibson les Paul's! They are always popular.

I've been on a "cheap Gibson" kick of sorts this year. First I got a blowout "Jr. Special" (dumb name) brand new (w/gigbag), a matte black LP Special with neck binding:



I figured that since I already had a Hamer Special, which is sorta like a doublecut version of the same guitar, plus a true hollowbody P-90 guitar (Casino) and a semi/chambered P-90 (WildKat), I was pretty much set for P-90 guitars.

I was wrong, haha!

A "Les Paul Melody Maker," which had been upgraded w/a GFS P-90, fell into my lap for cheap, on local craigslist:



I'd never had a single-pickup guitar, so this is sorta my cheapo faux "Junior."

Lastly, a bud lost this to a pawn a year or so ago, and it came back on the local market, also a Jr. Special, but with gloss finish and P-100 stacked buckers. I bought it so if he wants to re-buy it from me later he'll know where to find it.



So, within the space of a few months, I've picked up three Gibbies, albeit for about the same that you'd pay for a single new LP Studio.

[Tig***]

Lastly, a bud lost this to a pawn a year or so ago, and it came back on the local market, also a Jr. Special, but with gloss finish and P-100 stacked buckers. I bought it so if he wants to re-buy it from me later he'll know where to find it.

I love the black LP Special.

Super cool points for buying and holding on to your friend's green LP. That's walking the walk!

[Brian Krashpad]

I love the black LP Special.

Super cool points for buying and holding on to your friend's green LP. That's walking the walk!

Well, shoot, I went literally like 30 years before getting my first Les Paul, and iirc this was his first Les Paul, it was even signed to him on the back of the headstock (the guy who bought it took the sig off but the "ghost" image is still visible), so I know it has vibe and mojo for him. I started a new job this year making a bit more than previously, and plus some of my former clients have been giving me side work, so I could actually afford it, haha. And really it's a win-win, this is the only circumstance where I could get away with buying a second LP Special within a few months of already having bought a very similar guitar (especially since I already have a Hamer Special too), haha! And it's a cool guitar, played her Friday night!

[deeaa*]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_9yn...ature=youtu.be

Here's pretty much my current gear, save for a couple of axes and a zoom plus a bunch of mics etc. I have at the training facility. To me, that's the best gear I ever owned...there were a couple of amps I liked down the road and the Gibby I had for over a decade was nice, but, would not change anything to what I've had before. Still, need to upgrade the soundcard at some point and maybe get a truly great quality vocal preamp some day, plus I need bigger monitors desperately (not in size but pixels), and would not mind better large speakers, etc.etc...

But, no regrets in what I've sold. Well I had to give my Prophecy SG away and it was a truly great axe, but I swapped it directly to that alesis drumkit and it was way too sweet a deal. .I mean, an Epiphone for a $1000 drumkit is a no-brainer...

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[deeaa*]

The biggest hot gear items I can remember that were all the rage though...

BBE sonic maximisers
All Behringer gear when they first came
Marshall jcm800
Mexi-strats when they hit the stores
The first Charvel superstrats when those arrived


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