Does your gear put a smile on your face?

[speyfly]

Slice I was 13 (1965), I've dreamed of having the guitars that I played in my youth in a small town music store. I was lucky, living in a small town in Idaho and being poor it had a music store and the sales guy (Chapman if I remember right) was great, he let me play Martins (prior to Martin's wood storage building burring down), Tele's (Paisley was my favorite) awesome Les Paul's, and more, a kids musical dream store.

Now that I'm in the twilight of my life, when I look at my gear (in my living room) I smile, dreams do come true!

How bout you?

 

[DirtySteve]

This could be a really long post, but I'll put it in a nut shell.

I played junk for more years than I care to admit because I didn't know what I was doing. I was never happy with my tone, I knew what I was looking for, but had no clue how to get it. Then about 15 years ago I found these gear forums and started reading and learning.

Fast forward to now and my dreams have all come true and more. I have a high gain Jose/Cameron plexi that I built myself, a Marshall SC20 JCM800, a Fender Harvard clone built by Terry Schaffer, I always dreamed of having a Les Paul but they were always out of reach and now I have 4 of them with another on the way soon. Hell yeah my gear puts a smile on my face...hell yes it does!

 

[StrummerJoe]

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Delayed gratification after working hard and saving up is a beautiful thing my younger self didn't quite get. There was a lot of gear envy. I feel blessed.

 

[Mike_LA]

I was a collector first, a player second.
It all started when I bought my Ric 1997 from my brother in college . .

I love all my instruments and looking at them makes me want to play them . . .

 

[fitz]

I'm a collector first, a player second.

I played junk for more years than I care to admit because I didn't know what I was doing.

I can relate to both of these statements.
Never had aspirations of playing in a band because I knew how much time and effort it would take.
Got a chance to play a 3 song set with some frat brothers at a sing and dance contest in college - my one moment on stage...

Just a lifelong hobby for me as something to kill time.
I've definitely learned a lot hanging out here on the MF, and I've cycled through a fair share of gear to find stuff I like.
Very pleased with my current gear "collection", and yes, it puts a smile on my face.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

All my gear brings a smile to my face at one point in time or another. Some when I get them, some when I use them, some when I get rid of them.

 

[NumbSkull]

Smiles are for babies.
My gear does all sorts of things, it keeps me active, it gives me a sense of achievement and purpose,
It helps me improve my playing and tone that gives me many wow moments,
And it sort of justifies hours, days, weeks and years of time spent online looking at gear. That may not be good.

It satisfies my soul, its something I have always wanted, it makes me feel complete.

 

[PentodeLicious]

OH yes baby!
When I was younger I had the most shittest gear becasue we couldn't afford propper gear.
I used to play a mic input of an old stereo receiver in band practice.
Now when I enter my room a big smile goes on my face.
Then I plug into any of the dream amps I always dreamt I will own.
I have them!
You can't stay sad after playing superlead on high volume.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

OH yes baby!
When I was younger I had the most shittest gear becasue we couldn't afford propper gear.
I used to play a mic input of an old stereo receiver in band practice.
Now when I enter my room a big smile goes on my face.
Then I plug into any of the dream amps I always dreamt I will own.
I have them!
You can't stay sad after playing superlead on high volume.

Same here. It was years before I could even afford a guitar that had any name at all on the headstock, and many more years after that before I could afford ones with Gibson and Fender them. I started playing at 14, and had to borrow other peoples' guitars. The first guitar I could afford was a $5 acoustic from a garage sale. It didn't look like Jimmy Page's Les Paul, but I rocked it.

 

[BlueX]

It didn't look like Jimmy Page's Les Paul, but I rocked it.

 

[BlueX]

I have similar story as many others here, had very cheap gear when I was younger. Learnt WLL, and other songs, on a cheap acoustic nylon string.

Really enjoy how my Gibson and Fender guitars feel and sound, and yes they do put a smile on my face!

Still enjoy my cheaper ones, and the kit guitars I built, though. Playing music is the important part.

 

[PelliX]

Of course my gear puts a smile on my face!

... in fact, when I use it, it seems to take other people's smiles and give them to me. Funny how that works...

 

[Lo-Tek]

I have some gear that holds loads of sentimental value. I own a couple things that are very high quality and some stuff that is just average. I've never been a collector though.
I'm glad to have my gear but I still have plenty of days when I struggle to get what I want out of my gear- that seems to have more to do with my ability/creativity than the gear though. I suspect no matter what I owned there would still be off days when things sound meh.
Part of that may be due to the fact that my jam room is pretty small and my ringing ears can only take so much abuse anymore.

 

[guitartester]

Yes! I always feel good whenever I'm in my room with my guitars, there's just something special about that safe space

 

[circles]

When I'm playing, and forget I'm playing and just rolling, it's transcendental. I have not owned tons of gear of the years, but like what I have. (my equipment tends to change as projects change, except for the guitars)

 

[anitoli]

No one starts at the top i don't believe so most all of us had to wander through the crap gear wasteland that litters this nation from coast to coast. But if you were determined and willing to make sacrifices and go the extra mile and not do stupid shit like pawn stuff when you needed a bag you could slowly start accumulating better and better stuff. My jam room now is a museum of all the shit i like and have wanted and i love it. There is nothing in there that isn't really wanted. And all of it gets used. The way it should be.

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

Yes.

 

[Derek S]

For a long time now, yes. I used to walk into music stores and drool as a kid at the gear and wish it was all mine (like most of us). I'm much older now but that hasn't changed, I still drool when I look at music gear - only now I own some lol! I have everything that kid wanted, a dedicated room to write, play and record guitar music in, make videos even, etc,
then share it. Sometimes I can get caught up in forum discussions about preferences, tastes, etc, but I suppose that's normal and ultimately I remind myself things are good on my end so who cares really lol. Yep, very content! It's nice to see others here have also reached their happy place.

 

[FleshOnGear]

Yeah, I’m thrilled with my gear! It’s been a long time coming, being able to afford the things I’ve acquired, after years of working for peanuts. Sometimes my equipment literally brings a smile to my face, but when I plug in it’s more likely to cause a stink face.

Sometimes my gear causes sadness. I have an old PRS EG3 that I just fixed up for sale. It was my first “nice” guitar, so it has sentimental value, but I haven’t played it in almost 25 years. It’s a guitar that I bought not knowing what I needed to get my sound, or without even knowing what my sound was. Out with the old in in with new (new to me, but probably still really old).

 

[Crikey]

Slice I was 13 (1965), I've dreamed of having the guitars that I played in my youth in a small town music store. I was lucky, living in a small town in Idaho and being poor it had a music store and the sales guy (Chapman if I remember right) was great, he let me play Martins (prior to Martin's wood storage building burring down), Tele's (Paisley was my favorite) awesome Les Paul's, and more, a kids musical dream store.

Now that I'm in the twilight of my life, when I look at my gear (in my living room) I smile, dreams do come true!

How bout you?

100
I recall the younger days I dreamt about good gear.
every time I am in my studio I feel blessed.My cup runneth over.
I've got what I need and then some.