Guitars and such...

[mb1685]

Huge guitar and audio engineering nerd checking in (even though I'm just a lowly wannabe at this stage, not in the Navy). Been through a lot of rigs and axes. Some of my favorite guitars off the top of my head were my Gibson Les Paul Signature T, Burny Les Paul Custom Black Beauty (Japanese copy), and PRS CE-22. I used to be into rack gear and really liked the Marshall JMP-1 and ADA MP-1 preamps (and I'd still love to get my hands on a Groove Tubes Trio or maybe a Mesa Quad). Owned a couple of Mesa half-stacks (a normal Single Rectifier and a Rect-O-Verb) and liked them a lot for recording but they didn't cut live. I'm also a big fan of the Marshall JCM 2000 DSL, but I've never owned a proper JCM 800 to compare it to. I'm in between axes at the moment but I'm borrowing a Fender Contemporary Telecaster just to mess around on. It's a Japanese made Tele from the '80s that seems to be Fender's answer to Charvel, Jackson, and other Super-Strat type shredders. It's got a fairly high output humbucker in the bridge, a Floyd Rose, and a locking nut. Not my style (I'm a bit more traditional) but it's a very versatile guitar.

These days I'm really into home recording and I run a little website about home recording gear and techniques. The amp simulators (both hardware and software) have come an extremely long way, especially with impulse responses (essentially frequency response patterns made using a sweeping sine wave through the cabinet of choice, picked up with the microphone of choice). They can be tricky to tweak, but with the right approach, I think they can be made indistinguishable from real amps in a mix. Some of the best ones are even free (VST plugins).

 

[ARAMP1]

I'm also a big fan of the Marshall JCM 2000 DSL, but I've never owned a proper JCM 800 to compare it to.

The JCM800 was the first Marshall I ever owned. After playing the DSL (100 watt head), that same day I traded in the 800 for the JCM 2000. That was 1994~ish and I still have it today. It's the best sounding amp I've ever played.

 

[ARAMP1]

Do you guys have any experience with travel guitars? Last one I had was a Fernandez and it had to be plugged into the wall or used with a ton of batteries. Probably will be using it with a VOX amPlug or headphones amp. Something boat friendly and reasonably priced. My rig at home is a Les Paul with a Fender hot rod deville and a line 6 spider II.

Sounds like you're looking for an electric, but if you're considering an acoustic, definitely check out the Martin Backpacker. The neck is excellent and it really has big tone for as small as it is. I've owned full size guitars that didn't sound as good. My only complaint is that it was difficult for me to play while sitting down due to the compact shape.

 

[mb1685]

The JCM800 was the first Marshall I ever owned. After playing the DSL (100 watt head), that same day I traded in the 800 for the JCM 2000. That was 1994~ish and I still have it today. It's the best sounding amp I've ever played.

I don't think I could ever get tired of the green channel with a Tube Screamer. Really great amp. My only gripe is the shared EQ, but the longer I play, the more I gravitate to single channel use and making my playing itself more dynamic instead of relying on channel switching. I believe Marshall just released a reissue version called the DSL100H with a few changes. I'm not sure what the differences are, but I really wanna try one.

 

[OscarMyers]

I don't think I could ever get tired of the green channel with a Tube Screamer. Really great amp. My only gripe is the shared EQ, but the longer I play, the more I gravitate to single channel use and making my playing itself more dynamic instead of relying on channel switching. I believe Marshall just released a reissue version called the DSL100H with a few changes. I'm not sure what the differences are, but I really wanna try one.

I just picked up a TS808 yesterday. I cant believe I waited this long to get one. That thing sounds awesome through my Hot Rod DeVille.

 

[CAVU]

Couldn't resist. First thing that popped into my head when I saw this thread about guitars on the boat. I'm a classical strings trained type. You all have some very nice sound systems and instruments.