What are you GASing for?

[Govmnt_Lacky]

What is the going rate for Strymon stuff. I have heard good vibes about it AND the video demos sound fantastic. Are they outrageously priced?

[jkokura]

I think they're pricey, and sometimes the effect is worth it. For instance, the El Cap and Timeline and Bluesky and Bigsky are all big time hits and sound fantastic. At their prices, they seem like you get what you pay for. But the compressor they sell is very overpriced for what it is/does. You and I can build the equal for $30-50.

They hold value for resale generally as well. I've seen used units that have sold for about the same as new units do before shipping. If you get a new unit for $450 plus $25 for shipping, and then sell it for $450 shipped... well that's just plain unheard of in most places.

Jacob

[GermanCdn]

Funny enough, right now I'm not GAS-ing for anything.  For the first time in years, I've walked into my favourite guitars stores for a month on end and bought....nothing.

Doesn't help that the Canadian $ is taking a kicking.

If the right deal were had, I'd still jump on

Charvel US San Dimas
PRS Johnny Hiland
PRS SAS (original wiring)
Heritage H575
Taylor Baritone 8 string

But I'm not tripping over myself for any of them right now.  Weird.  Probably too busy with other things, also haven't built a pedal in three months.

[selfdestroyer]

I think they're pricey, and sometimes the effect is worth it. For instance, the El Cap and Timeline and Bluesky and Bigsky are all big time hits and sound fantastic. At their prices, they seem like you get what you pay for. But the compressor they sell is very overpriced for what it is/does. You and I can build the equal for $30-50.

They hold value for resale generally as well. I've seen used units that have sold for about the same as new units do before shipping. If you get a new unit for $450 plus $25 for shipping, and then sell it for $450 shipped... well that's just plain unheard of in most places.

Jacob

Agreed. In my case the shipping is next to nothing since the are just 5 hours south of me. I was really against DSP pedals since I had such bad experience with most of them over the years of sounding so stale and lifeless until I got the Blue Sky and a Timeline. I was blown away by the sound quality and build quality. I think they are well worth it.

Cody

[jkokura]

I think they're pricey, and sometimes the effect is worth it. For instance, the El Cap and Timeline and Bluesky and Bigsky are all big time hits and sound fantastic. At their prices, they seem like you get what you pay for. But the compressor they sell is very overpriced for what it is/does. You and I can build the equal for $30-50.

They hold value for resale generally as well. I've seen used units that have sold for about the same as new units do before shipping. If you get a new unit for $450 plus $25 for shipping, and then sell it for $450 shipped... well that's just plain unheard of in most places.

Jacob

Agreed. In my case the shipping is next to nothing since the are just 5 hours south of me. I was really against DSP pedals since I had such bad experience with most of them over the years of sounding so stale and lifeless until I got the Blue Sky and a Timeline. I was blown away by the sound quality and build quality. I think they are well worth it.

Cody

I have both the Bluesky and Timeline on my big board, which is featured in the Epic Programmable Bypass Looper vids I've done. Because of their midi functionality, it makes all the world of difference. If they were just good sounding delays they'd be fine/great. Because of their deep level of complex switching options available, particularly while partnering with midi, it makes them both outstanding units.

DSP has been 'sucky' in the past, but generally good delays have always been fine for digital effects.

Honestly, the only thing that might knock me out of the park from Strymon is a digitally controlled analog gain pedal of some sort. They can do it, but the trick will be getting 12 different distinct gain engines in one box while offering the level of controls that they do for the other pedals in their lineup - it's a tall order.

I will say I was less impressed by the most recent offerings of the Deco and Flint. Seem like boring effects to me.

Jacob

[alanp]

I'd like a Microbrute, for CV and gate duty, but I'm honestly not worried about getting one.

[wgc]

I'm gassing for a new head, something 20W or less, tubes, $500 ish.  Of course, it should "take pedals well."

Love the bogner atma, the engl ironball or gigmaster, or a mesa mini rec or transatlantic, but those are a bit too much $$ right now.

The carvin VT16 sounds interesting, maybe a randall diavlo, egnator tweaker, or a used alchemist.

Hoping the stm800 project can keep things at bay for a little while...! 

Meantime, if anyone has experience or opinions on any of the above, would love to hear them!

[lars]

After GASing quite hard for some stuff lately, a majority of which I was able to get in the end actually, I've suddenly stopped and got really sick of almost everything I've bought. Seriously. It might be just a phase (of course it is) but now I am just like - plug that guitar into the amp, crank the preamp tubes and make em sing and just play. I've started playing with my fingers more as opposed to using a pick. I am almost sure that I'm gonna narrow my board down to a wah, phaser, fuzz, and delay. Hm...this is exactly what Jimmie Page's setup has been for a long time if I am not mistaken.

I am GASing slightly for a deluxe memory man from the eighties or late seventies. But it's nothing that I have to have. But in time, it'll come.

Funny you should mention an experience like this, because i feel the same way about most of my gear. I think we all look to particular pieces as the key to our tone, but are usually disappointed once we get them. Ultimately, i enjoy jamming on the cheap thomas-organ salvaged amp i have, custom wah from salvaged parts, and modded dod250 (pre-gray spec circuit). I really like my cheap squier strat that was an afterthought. I guess im just GASing for more old thomas organs to take apart and build with. Something about the toan in those parts. Maybe i should look into an old ss Vox pacemaker or cambridge reverb.

[the3secondrule]

I'm gassing for a boss re20 space echo 

[Willybomb]

Not really gassing for anything atm.  I've even built most of the pedals I've had in my head to do... But, what I would like is:

Floyded strat.  Maybe a couple of them.
Cioks AC10 for the pedalboard.

Dunno really... Might like to try a digitech istomp for poops and giggles.

[Cortexturizer]

After GASing quite hard for some stuff lately, a majority of which I was able to get in the end actually, I've suddenly stopped and got really sick of almost everything I've bought. Seriously. It might be just a phase (of course it is) but now I am just like - plug that guitar into the amp, crank the preamp tubes and make em sing and just play. I've started playing with my fingers more as opposed to using a pick. I am almost sure that I'm gonna narrow my board down to a wah, phaser, fuzz, and delay. Hm...this is exactly what Jimmie Page's setup has been for a long time if I am not mistaken.

I am GASing slightly for a deluxe memory man from the eighties or late seventies. But it's nothing that I have to have. But in time, it'll come.

Funny you should mention an experience like this, because i feel the same way about most of my gear. I think we all look to particular pieces as the key to our tone, but are usually disappointed once we get them. Ultimately, i enjoy jamming on the cheap thomas-organ salvaged amp i have, custom wah from salvaged parts, and modded dod250 (pre-gray spec circuit). I really like my cheap squier strat that was an afterthought. I guess im just GASing for more old thomas organs to take apart and build with. Something about the toan in those parts. Maybe i should look into an old ss Vox pacemaker or cambridge reverb.

Heh cheers man!
Also, it looks like you've been bitten by that vintage mojo bug quite hard heh, keep rockin those mojo parts man.

[GermanCdn]

I'm gassing for a new head, something 20W or less, tubes, $500 ish.  Of course, it should "take pedals well."

Love the bogner atma, the engl ironball or gigmaster, or a mesa mini rec or transatlantic, but those are a bit too much $$ right now.

The carvin VT16 sounds interesting, maybe a randall diavlo, egnator tweaker, or a used alchemist.

Hoping the stm800 project can keep things at bay for a little while...! 

Meantime, if anyone has experience or opinions on any of the above, would love to hear them!

Transatlantic - Fantastic amp.  Only complaint is that the Fender and Marshall models are on the same side.  Would be nice if it had an FX loop.  You can pick them up used for a little more than your budget, I got mine for $600 IIRC.

Tweaker - Good swiss army knife amp.  I'd take the TA over it any day, but you can pick a Tweaker up new for much less than a TA used.

Alchemist - gets a lot of (unwarranted) hate from Bogner purists, but if you take the logo off it, it's a really good amp.  Clean channel is really versatile, dirty channel can get pretty close to 5150 territory if you want, four button footswitch, I really like the Tape Delay setting in it as well.  Should also be well within your price range, my 2X12 combo was $750 new.

Carvin VT16 - full disclosure, I really like Carvin.  Except their amps.  I haven't owned the VT16, but I've had a couple of their other amps, and they were pretty meh.

In the price range you're talking about, and in the "takes pedals very well" category would be the Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18.  Two Channel (common eq), FX loop, gain boost, power scaling, integrated Redbox DI.  Clean channel is great, dime the gain and you get to the edge of breakup with a strat or tele, hit it with an OD and it sings.  Dirty channel is also very British-y.  And it's not trying to be something it's not.  New I think they're $580?

Another one to consider would be the Traynor Darkhorse or Ironhorse, depending on how much punch you wanted.  Both can be had in your price range.  They tend to have noisier transformers though, if that's an issue for you.

[pickdropper]

There are a few guitars on my GAS list, some which are more long-term goals than others.

Gibson ES-335
Gibson R9 (or possibly another R7)
Thinline Tele with Bigsby (and probably TV Jones pickups)
Gretsch Hollowbody (Probably 5422)

The Grestch is probably the most immediately obtainable as they can be had fairly cheap (if you can live with one of the Korean models).

Well, it turned out to be an R7, not an R9.  No fancy figured top, but it's from a friend and I know what I am getting with it.  I've wanted that specific guitar for quite a long time.

[wgc]

I'm gassing for a new head, something 20W or less, tubes, $500 ish.  Of course, it should "take pedals well."

Love the bogner atma, the engl ironball or gigmaster, or a mesa mini rec or transatlantic, but those are a bit too much $$ right now.

The carvin VT16 sounds interesting, maybe a randall diavlo, egnator tweaker, or a used alchemist.

Hoping the stm800 project can keep things at bay for a little while...! 

Meantime, if anyone has experience or opinions on any of the above, would love to hear them!

Transatlantic - Fantastic amp.  Only complaint is that the Fender and Marshall models are on the same side.  Would be nice if it had an FX loop.  You can pick them up used for a little more than your budget, I got mine for $600 IIRC.

Tweaker - Good swiss army knife amp.  I'd take the TA over it any day, but you can pick a Tweaker up new for much less than a TA used.

Alchemist - gets a lot of (unwarranted) hate from Bogner purists, but if you take the logo off it, it's a really good amp.  Clean channel is really versatile, dirty channel can get pretty close to 5150 territory if you want, four button footswitch, I really like the Tape Delay setting in it as well.  Should also be well within your price range, my 2X12 combo was $750 new.

Carvin VT16 - full disclosure, I really like Carvin.  Except their amps.  I haven't owned the VT16, but I've had a couple of their other amps, and they were pretty meh.

In the price range you're talking about, and in the "takes pedals very well" category would be the Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18.  Two Channel (common eq), FX loop, gain boost, power scaling, integrated Redbox DI.  Clean channel is great, dime the gain and you get to the edge of breakup with a strat or tele, hit it with an OD and it sings.  Dirty channel is also very British-y.  And it's not trying to be something it's not.  New I think they're $580?

Another one to consider would be the Traynor Darkhorse or Ironhorse, depending on how much punch you wanted.  Both can be had in your price range.  They tend to have noisier transformers though, if that's an issue for you.

awesome info, thanks Curtis!   I had an x100b stack back in the day, it was crazy loud and could cut through anything.  I know what you mean otherwise though, there were definitely good days and bad days with it.  It was also an issue for my back.    I have pretty much the same overall feelings about peavy, with the exception of the 5150, but I don't need anything like that these days.

Forgot about H&K for some reason.  Will check it out. The local shop has a used alchemist I will try to check out soon too.

I tried the tweaker a while back, very nice but overall not what I want.

[brucer]

Wellll ... I REALLY want a semi-hollow body guitar.  I don't know why, I just do.  Maybe it's the extra resonance that I'm SURE I hear.

I've played EVERYTHING over and over again in the stores within driving distance (1-2 hrs anyway), but I'm not keen on the Gretsch and feel like there's gotta be something fit, finish and cost-wise between the Epiphone/Ibanez options and the Gibson's.  So ... that's got me looking at these:

http://www.prestigeguitars.com/musician-pro.php

http://www.eastmanguitars.com/t486/

I'm a little leery of ordering something that expensive without playing it first (and even more wary of the used market), but the 2-hrs away store isn't keen on bringing one in for me to try without a commitment to buy (and said they wouldn't accept returns unless there was a manufacturing defect (because it's not the kind of stock that moves fast)).  Hrrmmm ...

Anyone familiar with either guitar?  Other options?