Who are you true to?

[Jantha]

Everything.

Cept ESP.

 

EMG?

[dem00n]

EMG?

Oh and them.

[MojoRedFoot]

I ONLY use Dunlop tortex fins 1.14mm picks. I bought a full bag for myself when I worked at a music store as to only pay $10.

 

Guitars, basses, mandolins:

4 Fenders

4 ESP/LTD mix

3 Ibanez

1 Jackson

1 Gibson

1 Kramer

1 Goya

1 Egmund

1 Hamer

1 Gilb (no-name MIM)

1 Supertone

 

I guess Fender and ESP/LTD are my favs. They have served me well.

 

Keyboards:

2 Yamaha

 

Amps, I am not picky. Just has to be tubes.

[Notes_Norton]

I'm not true to anybody.

 

For saxophones I've had 3 Selmers, 1 King, 1 Couf, 1 Grassi and I'm currently playing a Mac (a small boutique company out of Austin Texas).

 

Guitars, between myself and my wife (it's hard to divide the collection) 2 Epis, 1 Gibson, 1 Ibanez, 1 Ovation, 1 Alvarez, 1 ESP/LTD and 1 Parker.

 

Flutes: 1 Grassi, 1 Armstrong and 1 Selmer

 

Synths synth modules and samplers: Yamaha, Korg, Roland, Akai, Peavey, and Edirol.

 

Of course, I still do not have all these instruments. As I wear them out, I get new ones and sell the old, keeping a minimum in my "stable" at any one time. I use them to gig with, and I'm not a collector.

 

If I'm true to any one brand, it's ThinkPad laptop computers. I use them on stage and they are well built, have great features and are ultra-reliable. I always replace with the same brand, but I don't have to replace very often. I just retired a stage computer that I put into service in 2002. I do one-nighters, so it gets extremely rough treatment (one-nighters are hard on the performers and their equipment). It's still working, but the contacts that run the data from the motherboard across the hinge are starting to wear out causing little lines across the screen as it's being adjusted. 8 years of hard service on a laptop is IMHO a good run for the money.

 

I started on an Atari computer, graduated to both Mac and PC in the OS6/DOS5 days, and preferred the Mac until Win98 came out. They were about equal then. By the time XP came out, I gravitated to Windows and now I like it better. I have no loyalty though, I'll use whatever makes my work easier.

 

PA system components have been Traynor, Peavey, Sunn, Carvin, Samson, and others, the only thing constant is a BBE Sonic Maximizer.

 

Microphones for vocals/sax have been Sure, AT and now Sennheiser. Unless someone comes out with a better sounding and more rugged mic than the Sennheiser MD421, it will be my stage mic of choice.

 

My instruments and other gear are tools. I use the tools to make my living (and I feel lucky to be able to make my living doing nothing but music). When it comes time to replace a tool, I'll choose the tool that will perform the function I want it to do and I'll use function and value as the criteria for evaluating which brand to buy.

 

I'll also use the experience I've learned from the other tools I've used. For example: I learned from modding an ESP/LTD to have one master volume and one master tone knob, that this is the best arrangement for me on stage. The Gibson 2 and 2 is a great system, but on stage it takes too long to make adjustments and the knobs are too far away from my picking hand. I also learned that a varitone is nice, but I don't use it as much as I thought I would (it looks cool on the guitar though <grin)>.

 

I like P90 pickups best, but can appreciate Strat SC and Humbuckers too.

 

So I guess I'm not loyal to any one brand.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[L5Larry]

I'd like to twist the question a bit: What gear (and companies) have been true to me? Reliability and parts & service are very important to me as a working musician.

 

My Gibson and Fender guitars have never let me down in a pinch (varying in ages from 63 years old to 10 years old).

 

My 30+ year old Music Man amps have never gone silent until I turned them off.

 

I have never had a Shure mic break, and one I have is 60+ years old.

 

I had two professional series Shure wireless guitar units, the only interference I ever had was tug boats on the Mississippi River with the first one (20 years ago).

 

Atlas/Soundolier has never failed to send me needed parts direct.

 

Ultimate Support has never failed to send me needed parts direct.

 

Electro-Voice has never failed to send me needed parts direct.

 

Fender Custom Shop has sent me free parts, and sold me parts direct through my local dealer.

 

Gibson has refused to send (or sell) me needed parts (about $10 worth), even for (according to their price list) a $15,000 guitar.

 

Dunlop Totex picks taste better than Fenders.

 

Calzone road cases have kept all the above protected and in working condition for many years and too many miles.

[Tman]

50-50 Gibson/Fender Fender/Gibson for electric guitars. Currently building a Warmoth custom. Looks good so far.

Mesa Amp

Thomastik-Infeld Power-Bright strings, 10's - none other for me.

[chase1410]

Guitars, I look for Gibson's first.

 

Amps, I'm pretty fickle

 

Same here, I have no preference on amps, and am very picky when it comes to amplification...I would say i am loyal and true to Gibson though and perhaps Fulltone. I haven't had a bad pedal from them, and everyone I have bought is still on my pedalboard...The Supa-Trem...is just...wonderful...for the trem and the incredible tone boost you get when setting the mix to almost 0..The new Fatboost does just as it states and am constantly having it on....and the OCD is great but I'm not 100% set on it..I still havent found anything that can outmatch it though....Not even Gearmanndude's Luther Drive IMO...I've heard Xotic BB is one of the best so i may try one of those...sorry for rambling..

 

PS: Ah 4got about picks....I am a devout follower of Dava picks...they are the best picks I have ever used, and are the most swear resistant as well..My local guitar shop started ordering them after I showed the manager a couple of em..