My Gear

Guitar Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) is difficult for non-musicians to understand, but (for me, anyway), it isn't about simple accumulation, the way some people need to continually acquire more things, just for the sake of ownership. Rather. Buying new gear is like meeting new people; for every dozen you encounter, you may, if you're lucky, find one true friend. Primitive shamans believe that all things possess a spirit, and I'm inclined to agree. It's just a matter of being open and sensitive enough to perceive and appreciate the subtle spirit imbued by rare woods, metal, and loving workmanship.

(Custom finish by Axewraps)
 

GAS on the Horizon

Guitar Acquisition Syndrome--it affects us all to some degree. I buy and sell a lot, of guitars, but I really don't consider myself a collection. It's more a matter of wanting to experience new instruments in my search for 'keepers'.

Nonetheless, there are several that I have my eyes on for future acquisition. Foremost among these are a Gibson L5S (the one with those big, gold, low-impedance pickups), and a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (the one with the mini-humbuckers.) I'd also like to pick up a Gretsch Corvette--an SG-like solid-body with two hi-lo trons, a Bigsby tailpiece, and asymmetrical 2-4 headstock. I'd also like to find a Super-400 or maybe a Tal Farrow.

 

I've owned a lot of guitars and amps over the years: An original '61 SG-Les Paul, A Gibson Johnny Smith, several LPs and LP Juniors, Marshalls, Boogies... the list goes on. This pair, however, is my hands-down favorite.

The Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion-III is, in my estimation, one of the finest instruments ever to emerge from the Gibson workshops. It's got a "chromite" (balsa wood) center block, like an ES-335, but has much nicer appointments--gold hardware, ebony fretboard with gratefully simple dot markers, and a unique 'finger' tailpiece. Workmanship is exemplary.

The amp is a Mesa Boogie Blue Angel with 4 10" alnico speakers. Think of it as a more refined version of a black-face Super Reverb, with a touch of Vox sparkle. Compared to most Mesa Boogies, this is a supremely simple machine--no master volume, one channel, spring reverb. The only surprise is the so-called "progressive linkage," which allows you to choose between 2 6V6 tubes, 4 EL84s, or both. The sound is clear and airy, especially compared to the usual Mesa Boogie sound.
 

On Hot Pickups

"Hey, man, I want the hottest pickups I can get, man. . . "

This, or some variation thereof, comes up in the guitar newsgroups every week or so.

I guess the logic is that a high output pickup will result in extra volume when playing through your Marshall half stack in your bedroom in your parents house . . .

The thing that most beginning players (and some seasoned ones as well) fail to realize is that the more windings you add to yield additional output, the more you sacrifice high-end sparkle, articulation, and the ability to play clean (yeah, I know, you never play clean).

For me, pickups follow a similar philosophy as amps. When I audition either, I want to hear the clean sound first. With today's multi-effect pedals (and even my humble pro-co Ratt), I'll make a Twin Reverb sound like roaring overdrive, but if that clean sound isn't there to begin with, there's no way you're going to add it with stomp-boxes.

The one thing that always bugged me when I had Seymour Duncan Invaders (very hot pickups) on my Hagstrom, was that when I ran my amp into overdrive, everything started sounding too fuzzy. Yes, overdrive is what I wanted, but I also wanted to be able to hear my individual pick strokes coming through. Hot pickups tend to sound like mud. On the other hand, with my low-output Duncan SH-2 Jazz and Dimarzio Virtual PAF (two medium-output humbuckers), I can still make them sound like mud if that's what I want, but under normal conditions, I can get my overdrive while still remaining articulate. This way I have the choice, the other way I do not. Moreover, with less output, I can turn my amp up that much higher for a given volume level. The amp is where you want to get your overdrive, not from your pickups.

Just my opinion.

Your mileage may vary,