Best piece of equipment you've ever owned

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:01 pm

So what is the pedal/amp/guitar that you enjoy using the most?

For me it is my JJ Electra. Sure it could do with better pickups, and the bridge needs swapping out but it is still my 'keeper', not only does it have a great deal of sentimental value (my parents bought it for me when I passed my grade 8 ) it also plays and sounds ace.

louis · Post by **louis** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:17 pm

nice,

for me (and this might be tempting fate from the other thread) its my mustang amp:

I'm not one to be that bothered about "AUTHENTIC PURE VALVE TONEZ!", and needed something loud, cheap and can that project sound well. Got sold on this by a couple of people recommending it and have been blown away. It gives me everything I wanted, plus you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between this, our other guitarist's crazy vintage 1950's all valve custom designed amp head, or our other guitarist's all valve marshal at practice.

The amp and cab emulation is more or less spot on, and its just about nerdy enough to keep me entertained with making crazy noises.

Plus I got an awesome deal on it.

George · Post by **George** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:25 pm

Hmmmm...

It's a toughie but best gear and best value would probably be the three CV Squiers I have owned. In particular, the 50s Strat. I've owned pricier guitars but it feels and sounds so good, nice and light to hold. Better than the CIJ Jag I owned which is probably the priciest I've ever had in my possession.

Also, WANT a Mustang V.

James · Post by **James** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:29 pm

I think the Bassman I sold to Thom is probably the 'best' piece of gear I've ever owned. I absolutely loved that thing, though it wasn't at all practical for my use. My favourite ever purchase, and by far the best value is the Squier Jazz Bass I bought from Pat.

Here it is back in Mexico

and how it looks now (although an old photo)

Since getting it I've changed

- pots for master volume and pickup blend and a 3-hole control plate to suit
- knobs for classic jazz bass style
- black fender tapewound strings for some heavy la bella flatwounds
- cracked plastic nit for a tusq one
- and added metal bridge and pickup covers, though I usually just leave the bridge one on

and most recently
- the stock pickups for a pair from Wizard Pickups. I haven't had that much time to judge them but so far I'm happy.

I also bought a fretless neck for it, which I liked but have put on hiatus for the time being. I'll come back to it some other time.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:57 pm

That bass looks sweet, I'll be looking to do something similar later in the year. I've been playing a lot of bass with the work I'm doing in college and I'd quite like to work on my bass playing a bit so I can double on bass as well as guitar.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:07 pm

Really difficult question, owned some really nice stuff. The biggest regret is probably selling my first short scale, a modified 76 Musicmaster w/original case.

Noisy Cat · Post by **Noisy Cat** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:07 pm

onedaycloser · Post by **onedaycloser** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:53 pm

The Agile Les Paul I regrettably traded, going to get another one without the bad vibes attached to it soon.

cobascis · Post by **cobascis** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:11 am

Dat 1966 Coronado II

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 3:28 am

Really tough call, but if it really comes down to it, my Taylor 614ce is my best guitar. If I had to run into my burning house, this would be the guitar I would grab first.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 3:40 am

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 3:48 am

This. My Tele.

No matter what amp or what pedals I put through it, it always sounds good. The neck is comfortable, and it's the only guitar I own that when I play it, I want to play better than before.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 4:02 am

Difficult question for sure, and as James mentioned, the Bassman I bought off him is truly brilliant. This could be top of my list.

However, amp-wise I think that I would have to go with my Orange Rockerverb 50. I loved this amp when I got it and each time I plug in I am reminded why. There was an Orange stockist in Plymouth who let you take the amps away as long as you left your credit card details with them and sign for the full price in case you never came back. I did that, took it to practice, did a gig and that was it - had to have one.
In a later band I was using a Marshall JVM and the Orange was sitting unused at home so I sold it. Big mistake. The Marshall is long gone and never thought about, but I missed the Rockerverb so much I ended up buying another one to replace it.

Guitar-wise, in complete contradiction to paul_ in the other worst gear thread I'm going to have to say my Jag-stang. A fair amount of it is sentimentality, my parents bought me the guitar, but then I gigged it almost exclusively for about 8 years and it is on every recording I have ever done with a band - lots of memories. It just feels right, love the neck, having used it so much the whole guitar just feels familiar and easy to play. Have swapped out pots/caps/humbucker and it sounds great.

Benmurray85 · Post by **Benmurray85** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 9:19 am

thanks mainly to this site i picked up a jag at the beginning of the year. a guitar i would NEVER have even looked at previously. i absolutely superb. i love it. i honestly dont have a guitar that i dont enjoy playing for one reason or another but the jag just sings every single time. the jag coupled with the dwarfcraft internet i grabbed from Thom are just heaven together.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:14 am

My 61 Jazzy, grows on me each day...

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:03 pm

My answer would be a tough choice but I'd have to say my Highway one Tele...

However the more I mod my Blacktop to suit my own preferences the closer it gets to that top spot...

But either way my answer would be my Telecaster...

This is turning into a guitar thread in the effects section... best effect would be, my MAXX Chorus pedal (don't sound like me without it)

Post by **Mike** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:05 pm

Probably my Marshall 6100 Head, or my Jaguar/Mustang.

All of them put a big smile on my face.

Concretebadger · Post by **Concretebadger** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 4:53 pm

My CIJ '65 Jazzmaster reissue is my fave guitar - I've had some that I've enjoyed playing but haven't minded selling/dismantling, but when I got the JM modded and set up how I wanted it, I played one riff into my DRRI on the neck pickup and realised, "that's IT. That's the clean sound I've been looking for all this time." If the house was burning down I'd be out the door with the cat in one hand and that in the other.

Runners-up would be my Boogie F-50, which I picked up second-hand for a great price, which would be my go-to if I was allowed only one amp to gig with. It's an all-round great-sounding amp that has enough volume on tap and takes pedals well to handle anything I could throw at it. The winner out of my pedal collection would be my trusty RAT 2 - I've kept coming back to it over the years despite my tastes and playing style changing. After Mike modded it to vintage spec it's even better.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 5:37 pm

mine would be my '64 duo-sonic II, for many reasons. it was cheap, it feels and sounds amazing, and it brought me to shortscale. nuff said.

looking at this old picture i realise how many dents and scrapes i've added to it over the past few years, poor thing.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 5:45 pm

Best piece of equipment I've owned is probably my '72 Twin Reverb... I love that fucker!