The Musical Instrument Thread

So, the company I used to freelance write for in California called me today and asked if I'd take a last-minute emergency rush job. The guy who was going to do it had a death in the family. So, that job turned into a new amp, a Fender Mustang III 100w. Here are some pics, with a couple alongside its predecessor, my 20w Mustang I.

IMG_4172_small.webp IMG_4170_small.webp IMG_4168_small.webp IMG_4167_small.webp IMG_4173_small.webp

In addition to the 100 preset amp models and the whole range of effects, this bad boy is LOUD. The open back really makes a huge difference in the sound, too. Much more three dimensional. It's obviously much bigger than my old Mustang, but not that heavy at 36 pounds.

The blues band I've been practicing with will likely start doing some open mics soon and I needed something with some more ass so we wouldn't have to waste a mic on my amp. This should do the trick.
 
Dig!
A 12" Celestion? That's a nice rig!

I shot a wedding a couple of weeks ago, and have been selling a few pictures. (I sold one tonight for $85.00) I'll be following through with the Reverend, and the Mrs won't give me too much grief over it. :\m/:
 
I was just thinking, this amp sounds so sweet, I wish I still had my Ibanez Artcore semi-hollow with those two fat humbuckers.

Great, now I need an Ibanez Artcore.
 
Casual Fan said:
What do you play through? We haven't had this discussion. Head and cab setup?
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At home I play through my half stack. It's a 160 watt Peavy Citation head I got when I graduated high school. I bought a 4x10 cabinet and loaded some Celestion speakers to load into it. There's a picture floating around the thread somewhere. It still sounds really good, but I'm too old to bother taking it out of the house anymore. (I used to drag it out of the basement at my old house, load it in the car, take it to practice every week, then take it home every night. Eff that....)

Now I use the Line 6 Spider 4 75 watt for practices with the goons, and when we play parties. It sounds good, and it's really versatile. The funny thing is that I can play the stack at much lower volumes. The Line 6 cut's off at a higher level. It drives the Mrs nuts when she's trying to watch TV downstairs and I practice with it.

I'm betting your new Fender sounds better, it's not trying to be a one-size-fits-all amp like the Line 6's.

Casual Fan said:
I was just thinking, this amp sounds so sweet, I wish I still had my Ibanez Artcore semi-hollow with those two fat humbuckers.

Great, now I need an Ibanez Artcore.
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Or a Reverend Pete Anderson......Support the local companies and whatnot. American company (Detroit) but still built overseas. They sound wicked awesome.
 
I found the pic of my stack setup. I posted it in July of 2014 just after I finished the Toledo Toothpick.
toledotoothpick-jpg.1629

Whoever owned the speaker cabinet before me stripped the vinyl off of it and stained the wood. I painted the face black, put on new grill cloth, and loaded the speakers back in 1986.

I made the wood guitar stand in high school shop class, and the leather wrapped guitar hanger between the head and the cab sometime after.
 
Yeah, I remember seeing your amp setup in a picture or video somewhere back in this thread. Our bass player (who has one eye and is half deaf) plays through some ridiculous modded head and a massive Fender bass cabinet that's about four feet tall. We practice in his basement, which is full of electronics parts, speakers, and all kinds of miscellaneous junk. I don't know what he'll play out with. Probably that monster rig.

I can't compare the Mustang to the Line 6, as I haven't played the Line 6, but the Mustang apparently is very, very good. Really authentic Fender tones and a slew of other classics like Marshalls and others, they say. The big complaint is that the interface is wonky, but it's only as wonky as you want to make it. If you aren't into customizing or downloading presets, just pick an amp model and then all you have are the familiar gain, volume, bass, treble, etc., knobs. And really, if you can use a smart phone, you can definitely use this amp.

The thing about Ibanezeses...es...is that the Artcore line is definitely a "bang for the buck" line. That's what you'll read about them--a lot of guitar for the money, better than Epis unless you're just an Epi guy, probably on an even keel with Gretsches...es...and approaching Gibby quality, at least tone-wise if not build. An Ibby comparable to the Reverend you have coming is about 1/3 the cost. Of course, the Reverend has better appointments, like locking tuner and a real Bigsby, but I don't know if it's $1,000 better. It could be.
 
The Mustangs are good rigs. I hadn't looked into Fender amps for a long time. I hadn't noticed that they were doing the modeling thing. I know that running them straight, they have the sound Line 6 tries really hard to copy. I went cheaper on the amp this time.

On the other hand, after 30 years with my first $500 Stratocaster still hanging in for me, I've been drawn more to the notion of the craftsmanship, materials, feel, and sound of (for lack of better terms) higher quality guitars. I figure that my $500 Stratocaster only cost me about $16 per year. I'm feeling like a good hollow body (and an original Steinburger) are all I'll be looking for. The odds of stumbling on a Steinburger (in person, I wouldn't order one I couldn't play first) are really darned slim, so I figure what's just one more good guitar for the next 30 years?????.......
 
I laugh at myself after I read what I post sometimes. Like I know what the hell I'm talking about...:rolleyes:

I hear you on the quality front. My Squiers seem good to me, but see my disclaimer above. :D Maybe I'll ask for an MIA Fender when I turn 50...
 
Don't get me wrong, I'd be blessed if all I had to play was my 30 year old Stratocaster. In the hands of a better player than myself, it's capable of making great music. That said, there's a noticeable difference playing a guitar that's a few notches higher on the quality scale. It doesn't make me a better player at all, but it does foster inspiration and boosts the enjoyment of playing.

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I feel you. You know what's nice about these guys I've been playing with? Not one mention of gear. I think the drummer has mentioned a time or two that his kit is from the late 1950s and he bought it used in the early '60s when he was 14, which is just a cool fact, not snobbish.

It's all just been about the songs and having fun. I think I'm lucky.
 
You answered it dead on.
Straight forward setups are great.
I tend to get too caught up in gadgets and toys.
They are fun distractions, but haven't made me a better player.

I haven't been plugging in to play much over the summer. Just too busy as well.
I did start leaving a guitar out in the bedroom that I'll grab for 10 minutes or so if I go to bed before the Mrs, or when I get home and change after work. Every little bit helps. If there's a spot in your house you can leave it out, that you pass every day that Mrs Aaron won't complain about, it's worth a try.
 
There are a lot of people who talk a lot about gear but can't play anything. It's easy to get caught up in gear because we're all gadget geeks! But I guess you have to remember the gadget/gear is not the point. It's the music the gadget plays, or that you can make on the guitar.
 
Amen. I think the difference for me is that I know I have a lot of room for improvement, and that the gear (while fun) doesn't make me a better player.

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I used my new amp at band practice tonight and had no problem being heard! The only problem I have is turning up for solos and then turning back down without using the volume knob on my tele. My amp comes with a two-button footswitch and I'm pretty sure I can program one of the buttons to turn the volume up for solos and then turn back down.

Solos are the other issue. Man, I've been working on some licks to improve my solos, but when our lead guitarist turns to me and nods for me to take a solo, I tense up and blow it. I did have one nice little run in one song, but in another it was like I was holding a piece of alien technology. I couldn't have hit the floor with the guitar if I had dropped it.

Overall, though my playing is much improved, much more relaxed and more confident. We're doing "Dock of the Bay" and my acoustic is the main guitar. We miked it tonight but I just bought a soundhole pickup online so I can run it through my amp. Actually, I just spent $130 on the pickup, a case and a Hercules travel stand.
 
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