Starting over with the rig?

[Oli]

So i'm now at a point where I look through all the gear i've got (and there's way too much of it), and i'm thinking that the best way forward, would be to get rid of everything (bar a couple of choice items, of course!) and just start afresh.

Thinking along the lines of 'do it once, and do it right'... now obviously as we all know, it's not quite that simple in the quest for tone, but I figure that if I have a plan and stick to it, the outcome would be better-- both financially, and 'spiritually' (whatever that means).

Has anyone else done this approach (i'm sure there must be some here!), and if so, how did it work out?

[Stevepage]

I've done it and things worked out well.

My process took a few years though and it's only just finished being completed. Mostly it was because of a shitety job situation and needing money so I sold pretty much everything.

However last year after my band broke up (and got back together again this week) I realised that I had expensive and over the top gear (Marshall JVM, big cabinet, few guitars and pedals etc) but I wasn't using it all to its potential. So eventually I sold everything and just had my old Strat. With the money I had I bought a very good guitar (PRS CE) and a half decent low wattage amp for practicing (Jet City combo). Now since last year I focused hard on what I want to achieve, how was I going to do it and what are the essentials. So after a while I decided I wanted some thing versatile but not too big, sounded great and didn't cost the earth.

I started by looking at affordable bits of kit and really looking into what they can do and would it work for me. After all the searching I've ended up with a Line 6 Pod Pro, Peavey Classic 120 poweramp and a Marshall 1936 2 x 12. I've still got the old Strat and my PRS too. Today I realised that I now have the kit that will allow me to play what I want with the sounds I'm looking to get and it didn't cost me a lot of money. The set up also sounds fantastic, probably the best tone I've ever had to boot.

[Twinfan]

I've sort of done a similar thing.  At one point I owned 28 guitars or different types, I now have 8 great ones that I know work for me.  Quality over quantity, with the just my PRS SE as a fun project.

Amp wise I went a similar way, going from a variety of different style amps to one do-it-all in the XTC Classic.  The XTC is everything I ever wanted and more, and is the best amp I've ever played.

I guess what I would say is to consolidate what you have to get the best of the best of the best, whatever budget that may be, and that he simple approach really does work wonders in refreshing your outlook on tone.

[DoomBuggi]

Maybe you should try to build your own gear?

[gordiji]

"I now have 8 great ones that i know work for me. Quality over QUANTITY!  :lol:(only 8)

[Philly Q]

I've sort of done a similar thing.  At one point I owned 28 guitars or different types, I now have 8 great ones that I know work for me.  Quality over quantity, with the just my PRS SE as a fun project.

Ah, quantity wins over quality for me, unfortunately....  :lol:

Thing is, I buy guitars because I like 'em.  I don't have any "requirements" in terms of gigging, recording etc because I don't do those things. 

I've always been aware (in some dark recess of my mind) that if I ever actually did start gigging (perhaps after some miraculous Frank Marino style improvement in my playing), I'd have to completely re-assess my gear in terms of what I needed rather than what I wanted. 

So yes, I think a purge (or near-purge) followed by a fresh start is probably a good thing.

[MrBump]

Not wanting to be contentious, but maybe you need to be asking yourself what it is you want to achieve, and what purging your gear will actually do to accomplish this?

I've said it before but we often buy and sell kit (and change other things in our lives in a similar way) because we're dissatisfied with something, but we can't articulate what it is.

I'm not against buying and selling per se - but you should definitely be asking yourself what you think it is that you want to achieve, and what you believe your final destination might look like.

That being said, a new pedal (or even a new rarely used amp setting) can revitalise my playing and make me a better guitarist.  It's just that a large (and possibly expensive) purging of kit may cause more heartache in the future, if you're unclear of what it is you're trying to achieve.

[Twinfan]

"I now have 8 great ones that i know work for me. Quality over QUANTITY!  :lol:(only 8 )

8 is WAAAAAAY less than some folks on here  ;)

[gordiji]

good for you. i sometimes forget how the world has changed.when i was a teenager a friend had a '''''fender strat'''''
his dad bought him it for xmas.we used to go round just to look at it!

[FELINEGUITARS]

I occasionally do it , although I tend to end up with things that I use for years

I do have a lot of kit from time to time , and look seriously to see what never gets used and sell it as it won't be missed (unless it has some sentimental attachment).

After many years I got rid of a lot of my ADA preamps but only because I was so into using the Egnater and Randall modular stuff - I still have one ADA MP1 which I keep in the rack

I thought Oli's ADA sounded really good at the London BKP meet and would love to try it out back to back with the one I have  - some did seem to have a bit more MOJO than others.

[AndyR]

"I now have 8 great ones that i know work for me. Quality over QUANTITY!  :lol:(only 8 )

8 is WAAAAAAY less than some folks on here  ;)

 :roll: yep, having just moved 28 assorted cases/gig-bags, er, hands up here...  :lol:

... plus 3 valve amps, 2 trannies, and a sh1tload of other stuff.

No furniture or anything, just all my music kit... I just about fit into the new place... wonder where the missus is gonna go?

Absolutely no desire to part with any of it (or get anymore at the moment), though :lol:

[Ian Price]

I sometimes wonder if I have stuff that being a bedroom player doesn't warrant. I do have much less than I had a few years back though - just one guitar, an MJW bantam with matching cab and a few pedals.

I don't get to play it too much due to a crowded house and sometimes think I should just go and get a POD HD or something.

[Philly Q]

:roll: yep, having just moved 28 assorted cases/gig-bags, er, hands up here...  :lol:

... plus 3 valve amps, 2 trannies, and a sh1tload of other stuff.

No furniture or anything, just all my music kit... I just about fit into the new place... wonder where the missus is gonna go?

Absolutely no desire to part with any of it (or get anymore at the moment), though :lol:

Did you always have that much gear, Andy, or have you been sneaking in some more on the quiet?

I was under the impression you had about 10-12 guitars/basses, a couple of little amps and some digital modelling stuff!  :P

[Philly Q]

I sometimes wonder if I have stuff that being a bedroom player doesn't warrant. I do have much less than I had a few years back though - just one guitar, an MJW bantam with matching cab and a few pedals.

I don't get to play it too much due to a crowded house and sometimes think I should just go and get a POD HD or something.

Blimey Ian, don't beat yourself up!  One guitar and one amp can't be unwarranted!  OK, maybe the pedals are frippery but they're hardly taking up much space.  :D

[gwEm]

i'd sometimes like to leave the 8bit, leave the Vs, leave the amp simulator and start a hard rock band.

my rig would be a strat into a plexi kicked up the arse with a treble booster and that would be that..