Then and Now.. and Community Question.
So I was thinking about a new community question this week, but this question is definitely too large for Twitter replies. I was kinda looking at my gear the other day, and was reflecting back to the early days.. thinking about my first guitar, amp, etc. Oddly, I even have my first pedal laying around (not the amp or guitar any longer).
So here is my question to you. What was your first rig back in the day (guitar, amp and optional pedal) and what’s has become today. When I say ‘first rig’, I mean the first ‘real’ rig. I don’t want to hear about the guitar you had when you were 5, etc. But the first guitar/amp/pedals where you were thinking…”Hmmm. I should join or start a band”.
I’m curious how your gear evolution has grown. Likewise, I know some of you have 20 guitars, 10 amps and 100 pedals today, but let’s list your ‘primary’ rig set up today. #1 guitar, #1 amp and your general pedal set up.
I’ll start.
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March 17th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Then: Yamaha RGZ electric with Flyod, Crate GT55 (2×10 2 channel solid state with chorus effect and reverb built in.. hells ya). First pedal was a DOD Flanger, I wanted to be Robert Smith of the Cure! My suck dial was always cranked to 10 BTW.
Now: Travis Bean TB1000S, Rivera Knucklehead 100w head through Marshall 4×12 (w/Vintage 30s) cab, Primary effects: Audio Crowther Double Hot Cake, Creation Audio Labs Holy Fire, Ibanez TS9, Line 6 DL4, Boss TU-2, Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah, 5 loop true bypass loop strip. Sometimes my MXR Phase 100 ends up in there too.. not often.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:33 am
First “rig”
Ibanez AXS42, Line 6 Spyder III 15, standard crybaby
now
same ibanez, MIM strat (getting modded), and fender frontman 212r.
Heavily modded crybaby, boss ac3, boss sd1, hardwire cm2, boss bd2, digitech hot head, ibanez ts9dx, Ernie ball vpjr, dano hashbrowns flange, dano tuna melt trem, Dan echo, two boss dd7s.
Main rig
same guitars and amp, little big muff, heavily modded crybaby, hardwire overdrive, bd2, vpjr, two boss dd7s
March 17th, 2010 at 10:34 am
First: Ibanez Roadstar II (French’s mustard yellow) into Fender M-80 rack head into 1×12 Peavey tweed cab of some sort. Pedals were Boss DS-1, bad Dunlop reissue Fuzz Face and eventually a DOD FX-69 (I think) delay.
First rig I really loved: Gibson L6-S (somewhat butchered) into Ampeg Reverberocket 2×12 combo reissue. Pedals: Sovtek green Big Muff Pi, Sovtek green Small Stone, Arion stage tuner.
Now: Gibson L6-S (stock) into Ampeg VL-502 head into 2×12 Mesa/Celestion Black Shadow-loaded cab. Main pedals: Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff, Black Cat Super Fuzz, Tone Factor 75 Special, Catalinbread WIIO, Earthquaker Devices Humminbird, Electro-Harmonix big box reissue Small Stone with Analogman volume mod; Peterson Strobostomp.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:39 am
My first actual gigging “rig”:
Peavey Transtube 112 (built-in reverb)
Peavey Raptor (International Series, Blue)
DOD FX7 was my main processor.
My rig now:
Peavey Classic 30
Reverend Club King 290
Eastwood Coronado STD
See recent pictures on the Facebook Page for the updated Pedal Rig
March 17th, 2010 at 10:51 am
In my dark days I was very much into Line6 amps and Tokai Les Paul style guitars. It was a cheap way to get a taste of a lot of different effects, but I mistakenly traded one line 6 amp so I could buy another one. I’m now completely satisfied with my 1955 telecaster -> tube screamer -> delay pedals -> AC30 setup.
.-= don´s last blog ..Thanks for becoming fans of Oakland’s Finest, Brandi, Lola, Jessica and Sruti. =-.
March 17th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Back in the 90′s, when I first started playing in bands, my rig was an Epiphone Les Paul (ugly green) into an early Boss GT processor going through a ’73 Super Reverb. Which of these items doesn’t belong! I got a great deal on the Super at a guitar show when I was a kid so my gear in front seemed to never lived up to that amp.
Now I’m playing a custom Brian Moore iGuitar through an intricate pedalboard (featured on the pedal line friday section of this website, so I won’t go into details here) and a Carvin MTS 2X12. It’s a more professional rig with quality and tone being the priority.
March 17th, 2010 at 11:18 am
I’m still too young to speak about experience in music, but I have some regreats!
I bought a btb 5 strings Ibanez, this bass I hate the sound and his strings, I’m trying to sell it around geneva =(. I am by far happier with my sub and my ltd f.4e. My first pedal was a zoom b2, now I have the zoom b9.1ut, the b2 is still very cool and I use it if I am too lazy to use the bigger one. I can’t understand why I bought a boss blue drive (or something like that) pedal, never really used it!
Well I’m still searching my sound and really happy that my style is still progressing =)
March 17th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Then: A Kramer Voyager with a Floyd Rose. A Peavey Mace amp. For pedals I had a DeArmond volume pedal, a Boss CS-2 compression/sustainer, a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal, and a Boss CS-2 chorus pedal.
Now: Special run Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard. Pod X3 Live. Hoping to branch out with an amp and some pedals in the future.
March 17th, 2010 at 11:37 am
First gigging rig:
Marshall JCM 800 halfstack,Digitech GSP 21 Pro,
Washburn N4
Current Rig:
Guitars: 3 Ibanez 7-strings, Kramer 5150 Replica, ESP/LTD George Lynch Tiger Stripe, ESP/LTD M-100FM, Zakk Wylde Bullseye Epiphone
Amps:Stereo setup with a G-System, EVH 5150 III Half Stack, Peavey 5150 Half Stack, XDS-Plus X2 Wireless, Crybaby 95Q Wah, Ernie Ball 6166 for Volume, Ernie Ball 6166 for Expression, Mini Amp Gizmo, BBE Sonic Stomp, MXR Phase 90, Morpheus Drop Tune Pedal, Nova Drive
March 17th, 2010 at 11:57 am
First rig was my Les Paul through my Pro Co Rat into a Peavey Bandit.
Today I play the same LP and Rat plus some additional pedals into a Fender Princeton.
March 17th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
#1 Guitar:
Then: Charvel Model 5 with Floyd Rose
Now: Parker Fly Classic
#1 Amp
Then: Marshal Valvestate 80 watt Combo
Now: Egnater Rebel 20 into a 2×12 Vintage 30 Cab
#1 Effects
Then: Cry Baby Wah –> Marshal Guv’nor –> Ibanez Chorus –> Ibanez Flanger –> Ibanez EQ –> Digitech Whammy –> Digitech Delay
Now: Modified Vox Wah –> Fulltone Fulldrive Mosfet –> TC Electronic Nova System (in loop)
Lessons learned: less is more. less wattage, less effects, less in the signal chain.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
oh man, this brings back memories. my first electric was a completely torn up asian jagstang one-off. the people who owned it before were “kind” enough to have completely sandpapered off the headstock, so make and model were indistinguishable…someone also drilled holes through the body in multiple places for reasons completely unknown [and possibly...unknowable]. the amp i had then was a TINY borrowed yamaha practice amp that i believe comes with a starter kit of some form.
fortunately, soon after i built a wine red mexican strat from parts [SD duckbucker, texas special mid, SD twang banger bridge] and a white mexican tele..
my official set up now is mexican tele > original crybaby > dyna comp > catalinbread DLS > boss BD2 > mxr smartgate > fender blues jr.
have come a long way…still a ways to go :]
March 17th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
First Rig: Ibanez Destroyer, Fender Frontman 212, Channel switcher and Ibanez Flanger
Now: Carvin Bolt, Charvel HSS, Carvin X100b, Nameless Cabinet, Crybaby Wah, #1 Echo, Coffin Case Blood Drive, and Korg Pitchblack. Still not the rig I completely want, but it’s definitely an upgrade.
March 17th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
First rig: gtr:80′s Squier Strat Lake Placid Blue maple neck. Made in Japan.
amp: Fender Power chorus: solid state, 2X12, stereo chorus.
Pedals: Boss hi-band flanger, Boss Heavy Metal.
Now:
Primary gtr: 1986 USA Fender Tele 52 reissue.
amp: Fender Hot Rod DLX White Lightning LTD edition.
pedal board: Boss TU-2 zoom UF-1, Boss CS-3 (MIJ), Xotic AC Plus, MXR Micro Amp, Danelectro cool cat vibe, MXR Carbon Copy, Boss TR-2, Boss DD-20
other pedals: EHX Deluxe Memory Man reissue, 1994 Proco Turbo Rat, 1970s Crybaby, Russian Big Muff, Russian Small Stone, EHX LP-1 nano, Boss Superfeedbacker and distortion, Guyatone wah rocker
March 17th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
first:
guitar: washburn entry level guitar(dont remember the version but the one that comes with those entry kits)
amp: laney hcm30 (30w solid state with hardcore max crappy crunch)
pedals: original cry baby wah (still have it) and metal zone, always cranked at 10 cause according to my ears, i never had enough distortion.
now:
guitar: schecter omen-6 (saving for a prs custom 24)
amp: blackheart bh-15h handsome devil combo
main pedals: sd-1 (soon to be keeley modded) and still my crybaby wah, i now use soft overdrive and pretty much dislike heavy distortion
March 19th, 2010 at 12:10 am
[...] Then and Now.. and Community Question. | Effects Bay [...]
March 19th, 2010 at 10:04 am
Then: 1987 Les Paul Standard, Peavy ss amp, MXR distortion +, cheap analog delay, cheap chorus pedal.
Now: 1987 Les Paul Standard, DS1 (need a new drive box..don’t really like), DD3 delay, Fender tuner…into my 18 watt Marshall clone head(i built it) with Celestion in a external open back cab.
March 19th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
My first rig…
… Marshall MG100DFX, Ibanez AC500, Danalectro PB&J, Danalectro Pastrami, Danalectro Hashbrown, Danalectro Milkshake, Danalectro Tuner, Boss Metal Core. (Not in that order)
My current rig…
… Vintage Rivera Knucklehead 55, American Fender Stratocaster with Bill Lawrence Pickups and AC500 with Seymore Duncan Pickups, Line6 Dl-4, Danalectro PB&J, EHX Small Stone, Danalectro Hashbrown, Vox Satchurator, Boss DS-1, DOD Ice Box, Danalectro Milkshake, Digitech Whammy IV.
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Then
“vintage” brand telecaster copy (which was a great guitar made in Korea)
ProCo Rat
Yamaha JX30 solid state which had a late 70′s ibanez tube screamer chip for overdrive and a great spring reverb
Now
A warmoth telecopy i assembled(hollow swamp ash body, lightly flamed maple 1 11/16 std neck, bill lawrence pups, four way switch, tone midrange boost and cut.
Planet waves stomp strobe tuner, Boss aw-3, Super Comp, BBE Green Screamer, ProCo YDR, BBE Soul Vibe and a Boss DD-3.
Tech 21 30 with reverb.