Back in the day as a young guitar player, what piece of gear enticed you that was something different than what you were using? I remember saving and saving to finally get my first Marshall amp. It was awesome and I am sure the dream for most of us here. The piece of gear that really grabbed me as something different and just sounded cool (to me) was the Boss ME-5 and the Roland JC-120 together. The distortion sounded cool and the effects were a new world to me. I still have that rig...
Your early years and gear dreams.
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Your early years and gear dreams.
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- Watson503
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Re: Your early years and gear dreams.
I've got great memories of being a kid and spending afternoons in Rockin Robin guitar shop - my mom managed a hair salon not a block away from it so after school I'd walk over there and spend my time waiting for her to get off work. This was the early 80s, got my first guitar from there, an Ibanez Roadstar II and then I guess it was 84 or so the Axstar came out and they had them in every color hanging on the ceiling - a year later I got one for my 13th birthday and I'd give anything to have that guitar again.
I used to sit up on one of their barstools and play through a Tom Schulz' Rockman with headphones and always wanted one of those damn things, never got around to buying one of those and really wish I had. The shop is still there, haven't been there in a few years though and need to make a trip and see what they've got laying around these days but back then as a kid that place was magical.
I used to sit up on one of their barstools and play through a Tom Schulz' Rockman with headphones and always wanted one of those damn things, never got around to buying one of those and really wish I had. The shop is still there, haven't been there in a few years though and need to make a trip and see what they've got laying around these days but back then as a kid that place was magical.
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Re: Your early years and gear dreams.
It was 1983 I had been playing bass in my brothers band but I had picked up a guitar and had been teaching myself to play. I was saving up my money working on farms detassling corn walking beans for the chance to buy a Marshall amplifier.
I always got the Tradin' Times sale papers that had music section and I read that section thru and thru. Then one day an ad appeared......
1979 Marshall 100 watt MKII with 4x12 cabinet $700.00, I can't remember the exact price it might have been $1,000.00. I begged my dad to take me to go see it... he relented and took me, it was glorious it was the amp that Randy Rhoades used and Eddie Van Halen I was mesmerized. I knew nothing about tube amps. I am fairly sure I got it for $500-700. I was the happiest kid in the word at that point. The amp was one of the killer sounding Marshalls, even guys in my band that had a brand new JCM800's were jealous the difference in tone was very noticeable, I still have old recordings of that amp. I played that amp at my high school talent show as a freshman my older brother who was and still is a kickass drummer who played with multiple bands we rehearsed Eruption and the Full Bug by Van Halen, I let freind of mine play the Quiet Riot instrumental guitar solo prior to us playing, it was great, I got alot of attention after that becasue alot of people didn't know I played guitar. Good times. Amp wen into storage while I was in college and I got it back out in the 90's, it had original GE 6550's in it, I converted it to EL34 thinking that would be instant Ed magic, but no it sounded best with 6550's and that it was it runs today.
The only other holy grail moment was in 1984 I bought a 1983 Kramer Pacer C serial number at Ricks Music Center, it glowed when I walked in the store although it was black, it had a FLOYD ROSE on it it was brand new, I still have the receipt and hang tag. I bought it with case for $600.00 which was everything I had saved but worth every penny. I didn't notice at the time but he neck was totally unfinished most Kramers had heavy poly finishes on the them. I played it nonstop, I then bought a box pickups out of the Tradin' Times paper and taught myself how to solder pickups, it had Dimarzios PAF SD, PAFRO, assorted Duncans, even a Bill Lawrence. I ended up with a Seymour Duncan Seymourizer II at 12K it ripped and it is still in that guitar today and that guitar is still my number one favorite. I've never heard of another Kramer with a factory unfinished neck except Ed's Kramers. I have since bought multiple C serial numbered Imperials trying to get eh exact neck profile as my number one and I have purchased two other C serial numerbed Pacer Imperials both had heavy poly finished necks and the profiles were different even though they were close in serial number to mine, one was a Maple body the other was a Poplar body like mine. I kept the Poplar bodied one it had a black Floyd Rose, it's alright as a player but it doesn't have the mojo my number one has. Number one has been refretted three times had to have the floyd posts reblocked with maple but it still sounds awesome to this day.
I always got the Tradin' Times sale papers that had music section and I read that section thru and thru. Then one day an ad appeared......
1979 Marshall 100 watt MKII with 4x12 cabinet $700.00, I can't remember the exact price it might have been $1,000.00. I begged my dad to take me to go see it... he relented and took me, it was glorious it was the amp that Randy Rhoades used and Eddie Van Halen I was mesmerized. I knew nothing about tube amps. I am fairly sure I got it for $500-700. I was the happiest kid in the word at that point. The amp was one of the killer sounding Marshalls, even guys in my band that had a brand new JCM800's were jealous the difference in tone was very noticeable, I still have old recordings of that amp. I played that amp at my high school talent show as a freshman my older brother who was and still is a kickass drummer who played with multiple bands we rehearsed Eruption and the Full Bug by Van Halen, I let freind of mine play the Quiet Riot instrumental guitar solo prior to us playing, it was great, I got alot of attention after that becasue alot of people didn't know I played guitar. Good times. Amp wen into storage while I was in college and I got it back out in the 90's, it had original GE 6550's in it, I converted it to EL34 thinking that would be instant Ed magic, but no it sounded best with 6550's and that it was it runs today.
The only other holy grail moment was in 1984 I bought a 1983 Kramer Pacer C serial number at Ricks Music Center, it glowed when I walked in the store although it was black, it had a FLOYD ROSE on it it was brand new, I still have the receipt and hang tag. I bought it with case for $600.00 which was everything I had saved but worth every penny. I didn't notice at the time but he neck was totally unfinished most Kramers had heavy poly finishes on the them. I played it nonstop, I then bought a box pickups out of the Tradin' Times paper and taught myself how to solder pickups, it had Dimarzios PAF SD, PAFRO, assorted Duncans, even a Bill Lawrence. I ended up with a Seymour Duncan Seymourizer II at 12K it ripped and it is still in that guitar today and that guitar is still my number one favorite. I've never heard of another Kramer with a factory unfinished neck except Ed's Kramers. I have since bought multiple C serial numbered Imperials trying to get eh exact neck profile as my number one and I have purchased two other C serial numerbed Pacer Imperials both had heavy poly finished necks and the profiles were different even though they were close in serial number to mine, one was a Maple body the other was a Poplar body like mine. I kept the Poplar bodied one it had a black Floyd Rose, it's alright as a player but it doesn't have the mojo my number one has. Number one has been refretted three times had to have the floyd posts reblocked with maple but it still sounds awesome to this day.
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Re: Your early years and gear dreams.
Man you guys had big dreams! Shit, I remember looking at guitars in the Sears catalog and thinking they were cooler than what I had
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Re: Your early years and gear dreams.
My first electric was some cheapass righty explorer copy (I played it upside down cuz I'm a lefty) with what I termed "the whammy neck" and super high action. Plugged into some cheapass SS practice amp. Bought the whole kit for $200 IIRC from a high school buddy from Electronics.
Few years later I grabbed a lefty Kramer Baretta II (white w black hardware; JB and Floyd) a Crate G40C (SS stereo 2x8" speakers) and a Marshall 2210 and 1960A cab. Also had a lefty '89 Les Paul Custom (black) that I had to wait 6 months for Gibson to build. Ibanez RG something, etc
From there I added a bunch of BOSS pedals, the BCB-6 carrying case, and a few SR&D Rockmodules and BOSS half-racks. etc...
Also bought a full 24 channel PA system; about 3000 watts with the 100' snake, the stereo 3 speaker (lo, mid, hi) enclosures, monitors, etc.. 31 Band EQ and BBE 442 (IIRC).
Few years later I grabbed a lefty Kramer Baretta II (white w black hardware; JB and Floyd) a Crate G40C (SS stereo 2x8" speakers) and a Marshall 2210 and 1960A cab. Also had a lefty '89 Les Paul Custom (black) that I had to wait 6 months for Gibson to build. Ibanez RG something, etc
From there I added a bunch of BOSS pedals, the BCB-6 carrying case, and a few SR&D Rockmodules and BOSS half-racks. etc...
Also bought a full 24 channel PA system; about 3000 watts with the 100' snake, the stereo 3 speaker (lo, mid, hi) enclosures, monitors, etc.. 31 Band EQ and BBE 442 (IIRC).
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Re: Your early years and gear dreams.
Man, I used to drive over there every Saturday and spend a couple of hours checking out guitars and amps.Watson503 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 15, 2021 5:27 pm I've got great memories of being a kid and spending afternoons in Rockin Robin guitar shop - my mom managed a hair salon not a block away from it so after school I'd walk over there and spend my time waiting for her to get off work. This was the early 80s, got my first guitar from there, an Ibanez Roadstar II and then I guess it was 84 or so the Axstar came out and they had them in every color hanging on the ceiling - a year later I got one for my 13th birthday and I'd give anything to have that guitar again.
I used to sit up on one of their barstools and play through a Tom Schulz' Rockman with headphones and always wanted one of those damn things, never got around to buying one of those and really wish I had. The shop is still there, haven't been there in a few years though and need to make a trip and see what they've got laying around these days but back then as a kid that place was magical.
That was the best guitar shop in Houston
My 80's rig:
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