I played… um… a peavey rage 158 for a long time in my early days. Don’t judge me I was broke!
Eventually my dad helped me buy a Boss GT6. I had wanted one for years and I was so excited! A bought a Presonus tube pre as well.
That lasted three days.
Since the tube pre was the only thing that even remotely salvaged the GT6, I was converted to tube amps, just like that. (Before that I was quite cynical about tube snobbery.) I got a Fender hot rod deluxe and after switching to JJ tubes I was very happy.
Around that time I was seriously into U2 and had been almost like a religious fanatic trying to cop that whole sound - not just the tone but the feel and vibe. I researched FOR. FOUR. YEARS. trying to find the perfect delay pedal for the purpose. Ended up with a TC Nova Repeater that served my journey well for many years.
Around this time I was on some gear forum where people were debating about effects. I was gassing for a TC G Major since I was a TC fan by now. Someone posted: if you can afford it, just get an AxeFx to do everything. It was this exotic, out-of-reach option, so I didn’t pursue it, but I guess it stuck in the back of my mind.
Fast forward many years, and I hadn’t been playing for about a decade due to pretty bad RSI from my IT job. My dad, who always pitched in to help us follow our dreams, was about to pass away from cancer. He has always loved buying me guitar stuff and my sister cameras and other gear. When he passed, he left a small amount of money.
I was lying on my bed one day (a mat on a family member’s floor because I was ‘between homes’) and found a video of that English guy poking around inside the axe with a chopstick and being very offended at Cliff calling him a chucklehead. I thought I’d do some more research, and found a review by
@2112. It wasn’t so much the features but Leon’s huge sound and even bigger enthusiasm that sold me. Then of course I saw that The Edge had gone fractal, and I knew how exacting he was with his sound, and I was IN.
So for someone who usually took literal years to choose gear, I was sold in one afternoon. I just felt like my dad was smiling on me, and that this was one last gift he would have wanted to buy me.
It came on Christmas Eve believe it or not. Andrew from Independent Music was super helpful. Of course, I had no idea how to dial in anything but my trusty HRD, so I sounded like anus for many months!
But it reinvigorated my desire to play. It’s been a pretty personal journey for me, and I’m very grateful for the Axe, Fractal, and of course this forum. Now my mate and I have a regular gig in our town and are getting solid bookings. I’ve got my passion back, all thanks to Leon, my dear old Dad, and a some guy’s critical chopsticks.