Nostalgia : tell about the first piece of gear u enjoyed more than others

G

Gaemeth

Member
excluding the axe fx of course !
and tell us more about how, where, when you got it, and why it really counted four you

here's my contribution

digitech-tsr-24s-466482.jpg


Digitech TSR 24S

a prequel, IMHO, of the axe fx. worked two months during university to get it. that unit was awesome, 2CPUs,
free routing, just as the axe fx, only limited by memory and CPU usage (remember something). Huge list of parameters and fxs. Sold it after 16 years, when getting the axe fx 2. used it to mix two guitar signals from 2 preamps to get huge sounds.
 
A fuzz box. After hearing the Spencer Davis Group song 'Keep on running' then Hendrix of course it was necessary to own a fuzz box, but being young lads strapped for cash in the late 60's /early 70's we used to make them ourselves. They consisted of a 741 op-amp, a pot, 2 diodes, a few resistors. Basically the op-amp is set for a high gain (variable with the pot) with diodes in the feedback loop thus clipping the signal to produce a square wave output. Not having an amp or even an electric guitar I made a pickup from magnets and copper wire and fitted it to my cheap classical guitar, this was then fed into either an old valve radio or a single valve Dansette record player that I modified to take an external input. It sounded great by the way.
 
Lexicon MPX-G2 & R1. Maximum tweakability, Reverbs and effects so clear you could still hear the "soul" of the guitar. For the time (and even by today's standards still) a truly sonically breathtaking piece of kit.

So sad Lexicon got taken over and didn't continue down this route....
 
In 1978, when I was 17 I purchased from J. G. Windows, in Newcastle Upon Tyne, my first Fender Stratocaster, I traded in an Antoria Gold Top Les Paul towards it. It was a Natural Ash Body, Hard tail bridge, maple neck and large 70s CBS headstock with a molded case.

Prior to that it would have been making fuzz boxes from circuit diagrams and getting the valve amp from my Grandads record player when he replaced it with a cheap modern stereo player.
 
Last edited:
damienmcgauley said:
Lexicon MPX-G2 & R1. Maximum tweakability, Reverbs and effects so clear you could still hear the "soul" of the guitar. For the time (and even by today's standards still) a truly sonically breathtaking piece of kit.

So sad Lexicon got taken over and didn't continue down this route....
Click to expand...

This gets my vote too.
I used my MPXG2 for 10 years or so- man I loved that thing.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
 
I have fond memories of my very first multi-effect (after using pedals beforehand): the Roland GP-8

http://jimatwood.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/roland-gp-8.jpg

I also remember the ugliest unit in my rack *ever*, the ART SGX 2000

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRHrql52V2UAyScIbdYKXQpNnsSnZsAo5cnbGuXgTnqz00BLOBQwQ

... both sounded like crap, compared to what we have nowadays.

However, the SGX 2000 had a perfect / flawless delay/reverb spillover implementation that would put the Fractal products to shame. Also, this antique unit provided two-way midi to any floor controller that supported it. When I switched to a preset, my floor controller told me which effects were on or bypassed (don't remember if it showed tuner data, or even if it had a tuner at all!)

My third unit was a Lexicon MPX-G2 (already mentioned here a few times). What a phenomenal piece of gear for the time! Too bad Lexicon didn't stay on that path. I had that one in the effects loop of my Mesa rig (Triaxis preamp, 2:90 power amp). To this day, this setup has shaped my tone.

(I would have inserted images above, instead of URLs, but this forum's "insert image" button appears to not work for me...)
 
1985, Aged 15 - Frontline Overdrive

frontline_overdrive_001.jpg


Up until then, I'd had an acoustic guitar - meh, that doesn't sound very metal - and then worked weekends and holidays to buy a secondhand Columbus Les Paul & JHS amp for £30 - the day a friend lent me the Overdrive Pedal changed everything! All of a sudden, there was that 'metal sound'. I still couldn't play it, but at least it sounded more like it
thumbsup.gif
 
Back in my Peavey Bandit 65 days, I got a Boss Stereo Chorus pedal and a Super Overdrive. I think I'd probably give the nod to the Stereo Chorus as this made my tone more spacey and Alex Lifeson-ish...


EDIT: actually it might have been a super chorus now that I think about it. my pedals were just super back then...

honorable mention to my first mult-fx, the Digitech GNX4 which I bought when I returned to guitardom back in 2004 (after about a 15 year layoff)...
 
When I started playing guitar, I had a Peavey Patriot and no amp. None. About 4 months in, my dad made a 1/4" -> RCA cable to plug into his 1970's stereo (that he bought in Japan during the Vietnam war). It was amazing. I remember it distorting a little because the signal was too hot and my mind was blown. "HOLY CRAP! I HAVE DISTORTION!". My world was changed forever.
 
@levipeto, wow man, I haven't seen that Ibanez pt5 in a long time, I think that was my 1st effects processor. It was pretty cool though for that point time, I also had a Rocktron Chameleon back in the day too.
 
Last edited:
Cover'd said:
1985, Aged 15 - Frontline Overdrive
Click to expand...

Ha! yes I remember them , though my first pedal was the series 2 version - I do remember it being the most awesome thing known to man or beast at the time!

Cost me £ 24 in 1986!!

( off topic but I'm constantly amazed at how relatively cheap all technology is nowadays - £ 24 would buy you 26 packets of fags in '86 -- which would now cost you the best part of £160 !)
 
I had a Washburn Raven guitar and a Marshall combo, cant remember the model. was pretty big but on wheels thank god so didnt have to carry it all the time. this must been like 1979
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom