Favourite gear purchases of 2011

[blargfromouterspace]

What have you bought this year that you're really happy with?

For me it's my Supro Dual Tone amp, BBE Tremor and a Bad Bob boost that I got in a trade. Between these three, and with the G&Ls of course, I can cover all sounds I want.

[sam]

gotta say the Boss TU-3. Yep, finally bought a pedal tuner, and after comments about easier to see I had to go for it. With my fading vision this is a great tuner/pedal.

[KenC]

I've made several great purchases, but the best has to be my '86 ASAT. Maple body, ebony board, and dripping with vibe. It's the only instrument in the collection that made me immediately want an identical backup.

I've also been very pleased with an American-built Blues Junior, which goes perfectly with all of my G&Ls at living room volumes.

Ken

[louis cyfer]

i am happy with most of my purchases. my ceriatone overtone special i am very happy with. also the heritage kenny burrell sig amp. the g&l bluesboy, the 2010 am standard strat, the srv sig strat. the tc flashback, timmy pedal, xts precision drive, hao rumble mod, hermidia reverb, ep booster x2, keeley comp, polytune, isp g-string, also enjoying the hbe detox eq. 80's mij precision bass, avatar loaded cabinet with eminence delta pro, got a few cases, my favorite is the reunion blues gig bag, love the taylor gs mini acoustic. got some d allen and lindy fralin pups i am very happy with as well. really like the colossal cable guitar chord i got. there was more, but those are the ones that i am really satisfied with.

[darwinohm]

I'll chime in here! Obviously I am happy with my new G&Ls this year but I think the most bang for the buck is the Roland GR20 synth with the G&L Legacy with the GK30. My intent was to introduce it to the band and see where it goes. It has added another dimension to our music but it needs to be used tastefully and not overused. It is a keeper and mention has to go to my Fullerton Red SC-2. -- Darwin Great question

[astutzmann]

in 2011, I received my ASAT Special Deluxe in feb, its awesome and in november I got a Heritage H150CM, which is an amazing guitar as well.

Looks like G&L and Heritage are the way to go for me!

Bought a Boss ME-70 since I'm not into pedals but want to learn, it has a lot of stuff on it and I'm trying to learn but mostly I just play clean with a bit of reverb. Convenient for tuning though.

As far as gadgets go, I got a couple of snarks and V-Picks and a whole lot of strings and some leather LEVI straps from stringsandbeyond.com

Been a great year, thanks for asking since its a good thing to reflect.

[louis cyfer]

alfie reminded me here, i got a moody guitar strap that i am so happy with. while it is expensive, the comfort level is ridiculous. well worth it to me.

[Kit]

I did not buy any guitars in 2011, actually haven't bought a guitar for over 2 years now. Earlier this year our hobby band parted company with the singer, and he owned the PA speakers we have been using. In order for the hobby band to continue I have to get a speaker, and I already own a Mackie mixer. I found a used Mackie SRM450v2 for a decent price, and it has worked out great for us. At the last practice I had 4 vocal mics plugged into the mixer and vocals sounded good. I would like to get another SRM450 so we can run our vocals in stereo. I'll keep my eyes open for a second one.

Kit

[yowhatsshakin]

This year it would be a G&L Z-2. there aren't too many around and they sound great! Or at least mine does.

- Jos

[glvourot]

By far my best purchase of the year was my SC-2 back in April. I refuse to spend spend big bucks on cables, for 2012 I plan on buying the components to build my own. Time to dust off the soldering iron.

[louis cyfer]

By far my best purchase of the year was my SC-2 back in April. I refuse to spend spend big bucks on cables, for 2012 I plan on buying the components to build my own. Time to dust off the soldering iron.

look at colossal cables. not big bucks by most other high end cables. buying the components individually adds up to almost the price of the cable.

[darwinohm]

Kit, your reply reminds me how difficult it is to keep a working group together. I think it is easier as we get older. How many groups just get started and it all falls apart when things start to click.

Jos, bad time to have the flu. Hope you and Mrs get over it quickly and don't let the kitties get it!-- Darwin

[yowhatsshakin]

This year it would be a G&L Z-2. there aren't too many around and they sound great! Or at least mine does.

Rats, forgot to add a picture. And why not show my #2 fave too: a great sounding ASAT Commemorative bass.


How can we talk about our favorite gear without showing it off?
- Jos

[JonL]

gotta say the Boss TU-3. Yep, finally bought a pedal tuner, and after comments about easier to see I had to go for it. With my fading vision this is a great tuner/pedal.

Me too. It's also the only thing I've bought this year (other than strings and picks).

[GDub]

I bought a Snark clip-on tuner (the red one). Our bass player got one first and loved it so I got one for my acoustics. It's a cheap thrill! Highly recommended!

And... We did a short mid-west tour back in September that we had to fly out to, so I bought an i Series SKB case for my Legacy. These cases are built like a tank (I felt no anxiety about checking in my fave G&L at the airport) and they have wheels for easy schleping. Also highly recommended!

That was it for my 2011 guitar gear acquisitions.

--GDub

[supereiv]

That one is easy !
My Asat Classic Custom
My boogie F30
And the shaker vibrato

All this year, that was a good one !!!

[sirmyghin]

I didn't purchase it, but my Strymon BSR wins this years best acquisition. Fantastic reverb pedal, it keeps up with the long spring on my amp easily, and has tonnes of other features to boot.

[sickbutnottired]

I didn't purchase it, but my Strymon BSR wins this years best acquisition. Fantastic reverb pedal, it keeps up with the long spring on my amp easily, and has tonnes of other features to boot.

Someone must be really mad about loosing their pedal! Kidding, nice to see you around again.

I haven't bought much this year. So my best purchase would be a brass slide for all of my guitar cases. I've never seen such prosperity!

[sirmyghin]

I didn't purchase it, but my Strymon BSR wins this years best acquisition. Fantastic reverb pedal, it keeps up with the long spring on my amp easily, and has tonnes of other features to boot.

Someone must be really mad about loosing their pedal! Kidding, nice to see you around again.

I haven't bought much this year. So my best purchase would be a brass slide for all of my guitar cases. I've never seen such prosperity!

Naw, my wife bought it after my botched custom guitar fiasco shortly before our wedding to cheer me up a bit. As I had just lost 8 months on a build, and in the end exchange both rate and fees ways.

[Dave_P]

I only purchased one thing this year, my Larrivee OMV-03e acoustic/electric. Love it, it sounds gorgeous

Great Thread!

-Dave

[CGT]

Squire Affinity Tele for 60 bucks a few weeks back. And even though it's one day shy (purchased on December 31st, 2010), my 2005 Legacy, which really took my playing to new heights in 2011.

[sirmyghin]

By far my best purchase of the year was my SC-2 back in April. I refuse to spend spend big bucks on cables, for 2012 I plan on buying the components to build my own. Time to dust off the soldering iron.

Redco brand cabling is pretty much identical to mogami 6261 (or whatever the standard size one is), and is great stuf. Not to mention 30 cents cheaper a foot. I do all my own cabling and have found them to be a good stop for equipment. I like their redco brand steel right angles (switch craft 'knock offs', still pricey at 2.75 a pop) to be great for pedal boards, being relatively low profile.

The best cable I have ever bought was Digiflex, 20$ for 20 ft, no noise, good sound. Canadian company, and if you can find them won't break you. The again a 20' for me only costs about 12-14 if I supply the solder, with all neutrik ends.

A good iron is going to be something you want though, otherwise you might find yourself cussing a storm. Some nice eutectic solder could also be a good investment (no paste/mixed phase temperature, solid to liquid directly).

[louis cyfer]

By far my best purchase of the year was my SC-2 back in April. I refuse to spend spend big bucks on cables, for 2012 I plan on buying the components to build my own. Time to dust off the soldering iron.

Redco brand cabling is pretty much identical to mogami 6261 (or whatever the standard size one is), and is great stuf. Not to mention 30 cents cheaper a foot. I do all my own cabling and have found them to be a good stop for equipment. I like their redco brand steel right angles (switch craft 'knock offs', still pricey at 2.75 a pop) to be great for pedal boards, being relatively low profile.

The best cable I have ever bought was Digiflex, 20$ for 20 ft, no noise, good sound. Canadian company, and if you can find them won't break you. The again a 20' for me only costs about 12-14 if I supply the solder, with all neutrik ends.

A good iron is going to be something you want though, otherwise you might find yourself cussing a storm. Some nice eutectic solder could also be a good investment (no paste/mixed phase temperature, solid to liquid directly).

that style right angle annoyed very much when the plug is on the top ens of the pedal instead of the side. can't put them close together. the mogami cable is a little too high capacitance for my taste. for pedal boards i really like george l's. much smaller profile and lower capacitance.

[RickT]

Here's a recent purchase that has turned out to be one of my favorites. I found this guitar at Fat Sound Guitars. It is a 1965 Gibson LG1. Apparently these came originally with a plastic bridge that was typically replaced with a wooden bridge. This one has the replacement bridge. Other than that, it is factory spec. It has a wonderful boxy tone reminiscent of a nylon string guitar. The neck and action are superb. It is a fun, small bodied acoustic guitar.



RickT

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

.

I bought a lot this year. The favorite is my ASAT Classic. No pictures yet. Waiting until I have changed the pickguard.

.

[louis cyfer]

Here's a recent purchase that has turned out to be one of my favorites. I found this guitar at Fat Sound Guitars. It is a 1965 Gibson LG1. Apparently these came originally with a plastic bridge that was typically replaced with a wooden bridge. This one has the replacement bridge. Other than that, it is factory spec. It has a wonderful boxy tone reminiscent of a nylon string guitar. The neck and action are superb. It is a fun, small bodied acoustic guitar.



RickT

i didn't realize classical nylon stings had a boxy tone. looks very sweet. i am all for small body acoustics.

[cmguitar]

Everyone,

My top purchase for 2011 has to be my 1995 Ibanez AS120 (335 style)
Got for a steal, the thing plays and sounds great. Better than a new 335 when I bought it I tried a 335 to compare guitars IMO.

Not a purchase but a gift my wife bought me a 2005 Gretsch G5238 Pro Jet Gold Sparkle. Its the cheapo Gretsch but its a good guitar. It has mini-Gretschbuckers instead of Filtertron pickups I read that Gretschies complain about them- Too Gibson sounding. It is too... sounds a lot like a old Les Paul Deluxe with mini-buckers feels alot like a old Les Paul too.
That's okay with me.

Chet

[Muleya]

I'm not sure wether my latest Legacy HB counts as a 2010 or 2011 purchase. I ordered in November 2010 with a chunk paid down then, but delivery was in February, when I paid the balance. If it counts as a 2011 purchase, it would have to be my best.

But it would be pretty closely followed by the Single-Ended JCM800 amp project I built...very happy with that!!

[suave eddie]

got a few cases, my favorite is the reunion blues gig bag,

Louis

Would love to see pics of that. I know they are not cheap--what'd you pay if I may ask?
Would you say it is not really a 'gig bag' but more of a soft sided incredibly well padded case?
I brought these up in a recent thread on gig bags.
Have you tried throwing your guitar off the roof yet? All kidding aside, from the looks of those, I would think your guitar would probably be safe even as checked luggage on an airplane.

[louis cyfer]

got a few cases, my favorite is the reunion blues gig bag,

Louis

Would love to see pics of that. I know they are not cheap--what'd you pay if I may ask?
Would you say it is not really a 'gig bag' but more of a soft sided incredibly well padded case?
I brought these up in a recent thread on gig bags.
Have you tried throwing your guitar off the roof yet? All kidding aside, from the looks of those, I would think your guitar would probably be safe even as checked luggage on an airplane.

i ended up paying around 140 out the door. it is by far the safest and most convenient way to carry a guitar locally. my only concern as checked lagguage at an airport if they placed different things on the 2 end, or different direction of forces or torque. other than that it would probably protect better than traditional hardcases. i bought it so i can carry my les paul without too much concern for the headstock. i'll take some pics when i get a chance.

[suave eddie]

If checking the guitar in the hold of the plane is your only option, I think these cases would be your best bet outside of the ATA flight case. If I were a touring pro, I would definitely invest in one of these.
Which guitar do you use yours for? How form fitting is it? Do they have to custom make it, or will an ASAT fit in a Tele case?

[Boogie Bill]

Everyone,

My top purchase for 2011 has to be my 1995 Ibanez AS120 (335 style)
Got for a steal, the thing plays and sounds great. Better than a new 335 when I bought it I tried a 335 to compare guitars IMO.

Chet

I have both a Artstar AS-120 and a Gibson ES-335, and I'd have to say the Artstar is probably the better built guitar. I LOVE the Super '58 pickups, as they are very vintage sounding. The guitar plays great and sounds wonderful--and the Transparent Red is a show-stopper. I bought mine used about eight years ago, a steal for $400.

The 335 I have though, does have that certain "something". It is just so right for so many kinds of music. This one is really special. Mine is a 2007 Antique Sunburst; and I would love to find a blonde one some day.

Bill

[Boogie Bill]

Seems like I've bought a ton of gear this year, none of which I have really gotten to use very much.

I bought a used Carvin PA, with four of their LM15A powered 15" biamped speakers that can be used for mains or monitors; and two 18" powered subs. The key for me is the lighter weight of this system over my big Peavey/JBL system.

I bought two G&Ls from board member Dwasifar--a blue flake Legacy Special, and a black Legacy. Both gorgeous guitars, and a terrifically enjoyable transaction. Thank you, Dwasi!

I picked up a Digitech Hardwire Chorus; an Olympus LS-11 handheld recorder; Sennheiser HD280 headphones; an Alesis SR-18 drum machine; and a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI. And I got a Soul Vibe for doing the LR....Kewl!

The problem is that I just didn't get to play very much last year; so I need to get some gigs and wring this stuff out. But I got a lot of great gear this year.

Bill

[cmguitar]

Bill,

I have to agree with you about the AS-120 and the 335.
I had a ES 345 when I was young and stupid. I sold it because I did not like the stereo. I regretted doing that.
I think those super 58 pups and the construction are great. I got it for $249.00!
It is nice to have a 335 style guitar back in the arsenal.I missed not having one.After owning a Gibson I felt like buying a Epiphone 335 or Sheraton would have been a let down. Newer 335's felt different to me
My ASATIII,Legacy and my Strat are going always be my main go to guitars.

Chet

[StratsRock]

Great thread for sure! My favorite purchase for 2011 would be my Egnater Tweaker 15 1x12 combo. I'm still on the honeymoon and lov'in it.

[smurph1]

What have you bought this year that you're really happy with?

For me it's my Supro Dual Tone amp, BBE Tremor and a Bad Bob boost that I got in a trade. Between these three, and with the G&Ls of course, I can cover all sounds I want.

This actually a 2012 purchase, but I just got a hand wired AC-30 Clone from Brian Perry of Livonia Michigan..I asked him to duplicate the mid 60's George Harrison tone, and Boy did he nail it!!

[DogsPart2]

Not a G&L, however a very nice Gibson 54 Historic Reissue in Gold Polymist




I am Geezer nearing retirement and I am narrowing my collection to "must haves"

[Spotmandeux]

One of my faves from 2011 was this ‘80’s Small Stone. I got it or a great price and just love the way it sounds.