Favourite gear purchases of 2012

End of the year again! What did you but in 2012 that has made you very happy? Do you still have the favourite stuff you bought last year and mentioned in THIS THREAD?

I had a very good year for gear. These three things are my faves - a Korina Jr, my Sherlock amp and a Way Huge Pork Loin overdrive.

For me it's my Supro Dual Tone amp, BBE Tremor and a Bad Bob boost that I got in a trade.

The only thing I'm still using is the Bad Bob! The Sherlock made the Supro I was using sound like a toy. The BBE Tremor suffered a broken pot, and whilst trying to fix it I managed to get the traces on the PCB to lift in several places and managed to crack it in another I replaced it with a more complicated tap-tempo tremolo which I don't like as much as the BBE one.

Jamie, all of my new G&Ls this year are favorites but my big hit this year was another 88 Tanqueray Strat in unplayed condition that still has original strings. I am a very lucky person due to another member of this board.-- Darwin

This year I went a little bit crazy on basses. I had decided to completely stop playing the electric bass when I took up the upright in 2008 (nothing against electrics; I just wanted to focus 100% on the upright until I was comfortable with it). I ended up in a playing situation last winter that required electric bass, so I shifted my GAS that way. By pure luck, I ran into some really great deals. Almost all of this year's purchases were keepers. The best of the lot were a pre-production '80 L-1000, an '81 L-2000E, an '84 Interceptor Bass, an '84 El Toro, and an '86 Lynx. On the guitar side I found an SC-1, which was #2 on my all-time wish list (#1 being a G-200).

My only non-G&L was a Warwick Corvette fretless, which was a Christmas gift. It's an older one from when they were still built in Germany. The thing is flat-out amazing.

I moved an old ASAT and an L-1000 out to fund a couple of the new basses, and don't miss them. I also got my old favorite amp, which I've had since high school, back into good playing order.

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

Last year I had to pass on an "identical backup" for my '86 ASAT because it was priced out of my range. This summer the same guitar (a maple/ebony '86 with a Kahler) showed up at the same shop, for less than half the original price. I snagged it, and last year's favorite ASAT immediately became the backup. If anybody wants to trade their blonde or sunburst maple ASAT for a black one, let me know...

The Blues Junior is still my go-to for living room playing. The Bassman Ten I got back in working order this summer is my main bass amp.

Ken

My favorite of the year is a 1997 ASAT Classic, this one has stayed on board since last January and it feels like a keeper.

Found a matching 1965 cab for my amp

It sure does look nice all put together, but she's up for sale at the moment.

Had a Lil' Dawg D'luxe amp built (5E3 Deluxe style amp), still have it, and it sounds particularly good with the above mentioned cab.
Also picked up a TC Flashback Delay, and a snark tuner. That's everything music related for the year.

As for last year's thread:

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

Nope sold it shortly after I bought it to fund the ASAT classic and D'Luxe amp. Loved the sound, wasn't crazy about the very flat neck radius, and was petrified of it cracking due to the woodstove in my house.

For next year I'm working on some amp changes, rounding out my pedal board and adding a Legacy to the mix, we shall see.

-Dave

Notwithstanding I am an ASAT guy, this trio of SC models purchased over the course of the year has given me a lot of (playing) pleasure. And to rib Ken a bit, I did find this G-200 too to make 2012 a pretty awesome year as far as adding Leo-era models is concerned.


The Z-2 mentioned in last years thread is still a proud member of the collection.

- Jos

i got 2 flashback delays, a seven sister compressor and a seven sister clean boost,, a polytune mini tuner, a planet waves mini headstock tuner to replace the snark (much better), a jetter gsr and a jetter gsb od pedal, and a malekko omicron tremolo. i finally got my wolfpack classical case i ordered in january. that's about it for this year. and i got my srv strat finished wiith the refret, although i bought it the previous year. also got the bkp and fralin pups for the bluesboy.

Out of everything, I think getting the JagInTheBag put together was my favorite purchase of 2012. That neck is the sweetest thing. The sound is much more versatile than the surfer boy/shoegazer status it has been pigeonholed in.

Notwithstanding I am an ASAT guy, this trio of SC models purchased over the course of the year has given me a lot of (playing) pleasure.

Jos, that's a great looking trio. I just passed on a first-style SC-3, but when one comes up for sale again at a decent price I will grab it to round out the SC/SB models.

And to rib Ken a bit, I did find this G-200 too to make 2012 a pretty awesome year as far as adding Leo-era models is concerned.

Congrats again... . One will come my way eventually...

Ken

Jamie, Ginny and I just got back from Big Louies and even though I have already answered this thread, I cannot close out the year without this comment. Last night I took out my Pine ASAT Classic Alnico and plugged it into the custom 15. The belly cut is awesome for fit but the tone is unbelievable. These Alnicos are so rich and the overtones are to kill for. This guitar has killer looks and the rest about it is even better. I sat here and pondered this for a bit, had a cold one and decided to bring out the Equatorial Mohagny Bluesboy for a test drive. It also has an Alnico in the bridge. The neck pickup is so sweet but the overtones in the bridge Alnico just ooze tone. This thing also cooks. I realized how lucky I am to get a couple keepers like this in the last 3 months of this year. It took a trip to Big Louies to sort things out but in the end these G&Ls really rule for kick ass tone!. They are definitely the winners in this house for the year! -- Darwin

Great stories. Every guitar I bought this year has been sold. That Belair Bluesboy double-bound SH, was great looking, but a mess. I wish the bridge wasn't crooked; not an easy fix...


Cheers,

Will

I didn't buy anything except strings this year. All my guitar cash went for a Canon 5D Mark III way back in May--and a very good choice it was. I did however get the jack fixed on my ASAT Special during the summer, and, consequently, it became my #1 gigging electric since the job was done. I LOVE the big MFDs!

Sláinte!

--GDub

I sat here and pondered this for a bit, had a cold one and decided to bring out the Equatorial Mohagny Bluesboy for a test drive.

Darwin,

You make me look forward to retirement.

Ken

Ken, it's a tough job but someone has to do it!-- Darwin

Jos, that's a great looking trio

+1. I love that they're all the same colour.

Darwin - You did very well with the pine and equatorial mahogany ASATs. I'd love to get my paws on an EM model someday

GDub - Do you prefer the ASAT to the SC2?

Jos, that's a great looking trio

+1. I love that they're all the same colour.

Thanks guys! Still looking for a Mustang body, black (of course) SC-2 with DFV and (black, but that might be harder here) HG-2 to round out the student series; I leave the basses to KenC

For me the looking and searching is a large part of the fun and who knows what 2013 may bring. Although ... I'm not gonna hold out for an HG-1 of which at most 5 were allegedly produced, if that many.

- Jos

Ken, it's a tough job but someone has to do it!-- Darwin

+1

For me the looking and searching is a large part of the fun and who knows what 2013 may bring.

Same here. I need three more to reach a goal of having the full set of Leo-era basses: a second-style SB-1 and SB-2, and an ASAT Bass. The second style SBs are relatively easy to find, but the right ones haven't come along yet or haven't been at the right time for a purchase. The ASAT will be a bit harder, as I've only seen one in the past year and it was priced far beyond reason. I'm playing fretless a lot of the time now, so that opens up a couple of more cases of GAS. My holy grail basses would have to be a fretless El Toro in mahogany, or a fretless Lynx in maple (if any were made).

Ken

My happiest gear purchase this year was my first G&L, a 2012 Tribute Comanche. I added a Presonus Faderport to my recording rig a few weeks ago, but haven't been able to try it out because my recording interface has been on the fritz. Got a Dare strap, too - a Y-shaped strap that's kinda like a cross-your-heart bra for guitarists. Small beans, but it does help with ergonomics a bit.

2013 will be the year of building pedals - I found the tonepad site a little while ago and I've decided which circuits I want. Next step, get the soldering iron out and start building stompboxes

I bought my first G&L in 2012, an 1993 ASAT ( swamp ash, blonde finish) with big MFD:



Actually, when I saw this guitar, I didn't know G&L guitars, I was just hooked by his look. So I made some researchs, and I found the USA made G&L was really great, so finally, I bought this ASAT, and I don't regret it.

G&L are great guitars, but are really under the radar...

I bought my first G&L in 2012, an 1993 ASAT ( swamp ash, blonde finish) with big MFD:



Actually, when I saw this guitar, I didn't know G&L guitars, I was just hooked by his look. So I made some researchs, and I found the USA made G&L was really great, so finally, I bought this ASAT, and I don't regret it.

G&L are great guitars, but are really under the radar...

Great looking guitar indeed!

Congrats!

- Jos

Thanks Jos, I live In France, and G&L isn't a famous brand of guitar unfortunately, whereas the building quality (for the US made at least) is very impressive (and I own a Custom Shop Fender Strat as well, so I can compare).

By the way, happy new year to you and to all the GbL forum members!

Only one acquisition this end.made it count though
A signature series Brett Garsed ESP MK II



Here's a closer look at the quilt..



Have flown out of the blocks early this year,will keep y'all posted..

Have flown out of the blocks early this year..

False start! False start!

Have flown out of the blocks early this year..

False start! False start!

LMAO! please turn a blind eye to me yo,these new acquisitions are to appease ALL our fellow members GAS monsters mate

I too have a running start, things purchased but yet to arrive. NGD is going to be a regular thing around here for the first few weeks of 2013...

Here's my final purchase of 2012:



This was my first non-G&L guitar/bass purchase in many years.

Ken

What is that? I recognize the body shape but can't recall the brand...fretless- cool.

Beautiful looking Warwick Corvette, Ken!

Two questions for ya: is that a bubinga body and Is it oil-finished?

- Jos

My #1 purchase this year is a mid-30s Resophonic Tenor guitar from National Guitars. It's an awesome guitar for slide.

And if I put a capo on the 5th fret I can pretend it's a tenor 'Uke. A steel string 'Uke, but a 'Uke none the less. It's very versatile.

Later,edg

Ken, sweet Warwick. It does look a lot like my Koa Carvin. -- Darwin

What is that? I recognize the body shape but can't recall the brand...fretless- cool.

As Jos mentioned, it's a Warwick Corvette Standard. I'm finding that I prefer playing fretless these days, and this one has a perfect Jazz-profile neck for my tastes. Thirty-plus years of bass playing, and I never figured out how to slap-and-pop until I got this Warwick in my hands. Hopefully I will run across a fretless G&L with a #8 neck in the coming year.

Two questions for ya: is that a bubinga body and Is it oil-finished?

Yes and yes. This bubinga is extremely resonant. The oil finish was pretty dried out when I got it, but after several applications of Feed-N-Wax it is really starting to glow. It's making me very curious about the NENA finishes on recent G&Ls.

Ken, sweet Warwick.

Thanks!

Ken

This is off-topic, but speaking of the Warwick...

I couldn't figure out whether the neck wood was wenge or ovangkol. Warwick has an on-line serial number search tool to get construction details for any bass they built in 2000 or later. Mine just missed the cutoff, so I emailed them with the serial number, model, and a couple of photos (as specified on their web page). Within a day I had a response with full details on the specs of my bass. That was very impressive.

Ken

I picked up a new American P-Bass on Dec 15th. I was interested in an SB-2 but there were no examples to try out in my city. Of course Fenders are everywhere, and the one I bought has a great neck on it. I'm really happy with it. I'll get around to taking some photos of it one of these days.