Emotional connection to your gear

bhcarpenter

bhcarpenter

Well-known member
So @fig got me thinking about subjective qualities in gear and how that effects the music we make with it. I thought it might be neat to have a thread of the gear that folks have the strongest emotional connection to.

This is my amp. It’s an 18watt British voiced amp that was commissioned by my wife for my birthday around ten years ago. It was hand wired by a friend of ours, and the head box is made of recycled wood from a barn built by my great-grandfather. Plus it rips.
 

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Apologies for the poorly cropped photo, but it's gotta be this one for me.

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This was the first guitar I ever bought with my own money. It's a 2006 (I think?) Highway 1 Strat, bought it when I was a junior in high school. As far as I can tell there's really nothing special about it on paper. The pickups are stock, and probably nothing to write home about. It has this weird, cocoa stained finish on the body (it looks much darker in the picture than it actually is in real life), the tone gets kind of muddy if the knobs aren't fully dimed, and the single coils pick up all kinds of buzzing and noise unless I've oriented my body towards a specific spot in my room.

That said, I absolutely love it, and it is hands down my favorite guitar to play. I've bought guitars in the last few years that are technically "nicer", but they still can't seem to be beat this one in terms of sound, playability, and enjoyment. Also having had the last 16 years with it probably helps too.
 
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So, I actually started off as a keyboardist back in the day. Later I picked up bass. Now I'm playing keys, bass, and guitar (oh, just wait...might take up drums too! :P).

One of the first instruments I got was a Korg DW-8000. I developed some signature sounds on that thing and to this day have always wanted something that could replicate them. When I read about the Korg Modwave, I knew right away that I wanted it. There's a sense of nostalgia with it. Granted, it's not exactly like a DW-8000...quite different actually. More of a modern interpretation. But some of those core sounds are in there...at least in terms of the raw wavetables. That's the part that interested me. So, yeah, this is one piece of gear that does have a bit of an emotional connection to the past. :)

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Here I am, playing my Fender Coronado. It's the 2013 reissue, probably not worth a lot.

It was one of my brother's guitars. He died in 2015, and most of his gear I sold off and gave the money to his partner. The Coro I kept, as we'd always said it was more my kind of guitar than his anyway. It's the one thing of his I have, apart from memories. Not worth a lot, and not played that much any more, but unlikely to ever be sold.
 

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My dad died a few years ago. He was mad about music - he loved his jazz and music was always playing at his place. Before his dementia got too bad he suggested that with my small inheritance I should buy myself a really nice guitar and then I would think of him every time I played it. So I did. I got a used R9 Gibson '59 Les Paul RI. I've always wanted one but not really being a Les Paul player couldn't justify the cost.

As it turns out the one I bought is an absolute cracker. It's a great, great guitar which is so much better than I ever thought a Les Paul could be and yes, whenever I play it I do think of dad. I can't believe how amazing it really is - the sound just explodes out of it and it is so easy to play. And I have played an original '59 too - my R9 is so much better. I'm sure there are better originals than the one I played but I am totally happy with my "dad" guitar. Dad's timing was excellent too - The prices of these things has gone through the roof since I got mine.
 
Guitars are soo much more than instruments. They tell a story. I got my brothers collection when he passed. I know the story of each and every one. I was with him when he got a couple of them. There are stories behind each guitar y collection as well. Good memories.
 
HamishR said:
My dad died a few years ago. He was mad about music - he loved his jazz and music was always playing at his place. Before his dementia got too bad he suggested that with my small inheritance I should buy myself a really nice guitar and then I would think of him every time I played it. So I did. I got a used R9 Gibson '59 Les Paul RI. I've always wanted one but not really being a Les Paul player couldn't justify the cost.

As it turns out the one I bought is an absolute cracker. It's a great, great guitar which is so much better than I ever thought a Les Paul could be and yes, whenever I play it I do think of dad. I can't believe how amazing it really is - the sound just explodes out of it and it is so easy to play. And I have played an original '59 too - my R9 is so much better. I'm sure there are better originals than the one I played but I am totally happy with my "dad" guitar. Dad's timing was excellent too - The prices of these things has gone through the roof since I got mine.
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Pictures?
 
fig said:
A lot of love above. :love:

Association is a strong vibe that must certainly influence output more dramatically than a tone cap ever could.
Now...I'm off to adorn my mood ring and dance in the moonlight.

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Man I've gotta learn that bass line!




I think I'll do a little more Dancing In The Moonlight...

 
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jwyles90 said:
Apologies for the poorly cropped photo, but it's gotta be this one for me.

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This was the first guitar I ever bought with my own money. It's a 2006 (I think?) Highway 1 Strat, bought it when I was a junior in high school. As far as I can tell there's really nothing special about it on paper. The pickups are stock, and probably nothing to write home about. It has this weird, cocoa stained finish on the body (it looks much darker in the picture than it actually is in real life), the tone gets kind of muddy if the knobs aren't fully dimed, and the single coils pick up all kinds of buzzing and noise unless I've oriented my body towards a specific spot in my room.

That said, I absolutely love it, and it is hands down my favorite guitar to play. I've bought guitars in the last few years that are technically "nicer", but they still can't seem to be beat this one in terms of sound, playability, and enjoyment. Also having had the last 16 years with it probably helps too.
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The highway 1 stuff was great. My #1 is a 2003 highway 1 Texas telecaster. It has a huge neck that fits me perfectly and I love it
 
I can't rival the R9 in terms of quality or sentiment, but I do have a pair of my own from different parts of my life.

My third electric, and the first I bought on my own. I wanted a Ibanez Petrucci in 1997 but there was no stock in NZ at the time (or ever?) but there was this one which was a very close spec. I played it and instantly put it on lay-by, paying it off over 3 months as an 18-yr old. Not a typical Ibanez neck, more beef there.

It was my number one for a long time until I fell down the low-mid gain hole:
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This is my current number one, no matter what guitar I play and enjoy, I always come back here and am instantly in my happy place. A 2014 Fender Roadworn 50's. My wife took me to a music shop once I moved to Germany and made me test a bunch of strats, and this was the one which stood out in resonance and comfort. It converted me to the soft-V neck shape!

Frets were horrid, fret-sprout and uneven. I had to learn how to fret level and dress to get it decent. Pickups (Tex Mex) were too ice-picky and I couldn't bond with them, did my first pickup swap to some Rose Pickups Heritage (low output) and it was a perfect match. She will feedback if you crank too much gain on the signal chain, but there is a purity to the tone that is possible with a low-mid gain setup, it is a very nice place to be:

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I don't think I'm really emotionally attached to any of my gear. All my pedals are easily replaceable, my amp is fairly easily replaceable, and I think I'm on my 4th "this is the greatest guitar I've ever owned". I cycle through gear a lot, and as much as I love what I have, if something better comes up at a decent price I will flip what I have in favor of the new one.

I think the oldest piece of gear I have right now is my amp (7 years), but the replacement will be here in about a month then this is out the door. My acoustic (6 years) is next, and is at less risk of replacement due to the fact that it was expensive and I doubt I'll find anything I like better without spending an absurd amount. Everything else I have (electric, bass, pedals, cab, bass amp) I've had a year or less.
 
HamishR said:
Of my dad or the guitar? :cool:

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The photo doesn't really do it justice - it looks a lot better in the flesh. But more importantly the sound, the feel, the response - it's phenomenal.
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I would have accepted pictures of both! That guitar is outstanding, a true display of what a les paul is.

I was going to do a video on this very thing, I have sentimental attachment to most of my gear. My Allen Accomplice kit was my ten year anniversary present from my wife. My Telecaster was from my Grandma Joanne when I graduated HS, my sunburst start I bought when I turned 16 with a loan from my mom. The JTM 45 and JMP 50 are housed in head cabinets that was made from wood that my grandfather milled from his land. I could rattle on and on about that stuff, I tend to start viewing them as family and they become inseparable from me.
 
I had a Squier Affinity Tele (butterscotch of course) for about 15 years that I didn't like. I was never able to play on it or be comfortable. December 2020 I decided I really wanted to learn how to play (played bass for years before), so I decided to go all out and get a nice guitar to learn on and so I could make myself feel guilty if I didn't play it. Ever since then this Schecter has been my number 1. I play it and stare at it everyday and it feels me with so much joy. 16 year old me could never imagine having such a fine instrument. I will have shitty horrible days and I just look at it and think "wow I get to own that" and things become alright. I will never part with it and it has done so much good for me. IMG-0027_1_30.jpg
 
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