how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

drew_half_empty

Looking for Real Life
list what your setup is for what you feel is the best tone you can get, and all the things you bought searching for it

for me it was

tele hh blackout - $600
used hrdx - $400 including shipping
jb fat strat (failed theory for improvement) - $300
modded ds-1 (failed, not quite right tone) - $60
modded blues driver - $100
1x12 cab with eminence - $250 or so?
new power tubes - $60

so i guess i spent $1410 getting the right tone

and $360 worth of failed attempts at getting that tone

man, things add up after awhile!
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

$600 for my ec-1000 (with case)
$0 for my strat (my uncle had it and gave it to me)
$500 for my amp



pretty simple really
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Oh gawd...Lemme do what it cost to get this tone first, and then the other crap I bought searching for it.

I'll round crap to the nearest 5 bucks to make it easy.
Essentials: the Jackson isn't on this list, as it doesn't even have any pickups in it right now.

Peavey XXX head - 950
Fender 2x12 cab - 115
Eminence V12's - 140
Schecter C-1 Stealth - 430
Jazz Neck - 60
Planet Waves Cable - 35
Total: 1730

Now for the bigger list:

Surprisingly enough, this tone search (had been playing longer) started about this time of year 2 years ago. In order of purchase, too:

Ibanez RG220 - 300 (trashed)
Ibanez Case - 100 (still use)
Metal Zone - 100 (sold)
Crate MXR-15 - 100 (still have)
EMG 81 & 85 set - 200 (sold, TC has the 85)
Peavey Transtube Supreme - 275 (sold)
Fender 2x12 cab - 115 (still have)
Crybaby - 45 (sold)
Boss NS-2 - 100 (sold, and getting another)
Boss SD-1 - 50 (sold)
Schecter C-1 Stealth - 430 (my baby)
Crate BV 1x12 w/repairs/tubes - 550 (broken off ebay, sold)
1Spot adapter and daisychain - 35 (Thames has it)
Behringer V-Amp - 130 (still have)
ADA Poweramp - 135 (refunded, it was broken off ebay)
Peavey XXX head - 950 (couldn't live without)
Eminence V12's - 140 (ditto)
Jazz neck - 60 (still have)
Jackson DKMGT - 500 w/case (awaiting Invader)
EMG 85 - 100 (awaiting Invader to ship to Dani)
Total - 4415
Total after accounting sold items - 3340

Bigger list than I expected! and sad to say, 1610 wasted in failed attempts...
 
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Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

damn dude!!!!!!!!


THATS ALOT OF ****!!!!

:D

let me try...

les paul..$300
marshall avt150..$800
san dimas charvel..$600
charvel model 1..$200
crafter acoustic..$200
aria classical..free, my dad's still, but he doesn't play anymore so..
dimarzio evoltuion..$70(sold)
2x dimarzio super distortion..$140
duncan custom..$70
duncan distortion..free(got it for christmas a couple years ago)
duncan 59..free(thanks dime!!!!)

so just add that up..

im gonna sell the model 1 so i can get the money together to get the EMG zakk wylde set for my les paul and then for a tone pro's tuneomatic bridge. so far i got about $125 and if i can sell that for about $100 or $150, and with christmas money(grandparents..) i should be able to get them by christmas :headbang:
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Oh man... this is dangerous right here:

Old gear/Sold:

$1250 Gibson Les Paul Standard
- Seymour Duncan Antiquities $150
$85 Dunlop Crybaby From Hell wah
$1100 Hughes & Kettner Triamp
$120 MXR Double Shot Distortion


Current gear:
$1600 Grosh Bent Top Custom
- Wagner Custom Rewinds "SR" "SR" "Darkburst" - $250
- pro setup work done by Don Grosh $200 after S&H and everything
$380 G&L Skyhawk
- Wagner Custom Rewinds SR/SR/SR - $240?
Epiphone Les Paul (free)
- Dimarzio PAF Classic (came with Grosh)
$550 Dean Chafin Del Sol
- Dimarzio Virtual PAF/Virtual PAF - $120
$340 Pro Analog Dual Drive
$85 Boss NS-2
$85 Boss TU-2
$165 MJM Blues Devil OD
$100 Ibanez TS-10 (808 modded)
$1950 Bad Cat Hot Cat 30
___________________________
$5865 :saeek:

I've gone through so much money and yet I'm still not perfectly satisfied. I wish I knew exactly what to buy a long time ago so that I wouldn't be losing money on old purchases I've made. I've never had much luck with selling items and it's really hurting me this time around with my Bad Cat.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

First bought a scratched epiphone les paul 7 string

$450 (all figures in canadian funds)


Add $220 for PAF7s, $70 for all new pots including two which are push pull, then the install was $50 and then there was tax on top of that.

I'm using a traynor voice master 1 and guild 2x15 cabinet which belong to my parents, so no money there.

I'm using a nice ten band EQ which is theirs as well.

Pedals I've probably spent $590 on. Of that, all that I'm using is a marshall jackhammer and a tuner.

I also have a 68 Aria ($140) and an epiphone explorer ($425 + $60 for a superdistortion) lying around which I don't use too much. The Aria has really nice cleans but with the coil split on the 7 string I don't need to change guitars to get that kind of sound.

I've also done mods like sanding the neck and body, a micarta nut. I completely refinished the explorer actually.... won't bother counting that up.


So all in all to get where I am now, I've spent over $2,000, and I can't say I'm satisfied. The ceramic magnets of the PAF7 and the maple neck of the 7 string just aren't warm enough it seems. I know that if I don't have the brightness there then I'll miss it and my tone will turn to mud, but if I'm not careful then my tone can become brittle. So what I'd be looking at is a pair of 7 string 59's maybe since they would have the same character only with alnico magnets. But I think that the right pickups for me will eventually be Seth Lovers. I'm not sure how much 7 string Seth Lovers would run me, but it wouldn't be cheep. And I'd still be working with an epiphone...




It's a similar story with my cymbals. Cymbals I've gone through....


sabian 18" AA rock crash - free (gift from dad)

sabian 20" AA ride - free (same, later sold it for $120 because it was too bright and not washy enough.... I kinda regret it but since my dad only paid $80 for it in the first place it's not that bad, and someone out there is enjoying it more than I was)

some crappy tin hats - $30

zildjian pre logo 16" crash - $40, great crash, I managed to break it

sabian AAXtreme 17" china - $145, too modern sounding so I later traded it for a 14" AAX fusion hi hat bottom and some drum sticks because I bought a

zildjian dynobeat bottom 14" - $30 and I got another cymbal along with it which I sold for $20 later on, these go for $155 new for just the bottom

zildjian 20" crash ride - an old one, $90 my favorite cymbal - right now it's the only one I'm using besides the hats which are

the original 80's 14" jack dejohnette hi hats - $199 used

18" AA china - $40 because of a crack which hasn't gotten any bigger in the years I've had it

10" bell disc - $40, sold for $20

10" rocktagon splash - $40, sold for $20

10" AA splash - $40, still have it

zildjian 20" earth ride - really interesting cymbal, bought it on sale new for $160


So after all that, I'm only using the hats and the crash ride. If I was in a metal or hardrock band then I'd bring in the earth ride, china, splash, and other crash. I still know that it's not my dream setup.... but it depends so much on the style of music that I can't give what the perfect setup would be. Right now the perfect setup for my band is just what I'm using, one cymbal plus hats.

But all in all I spent just under $700.


I'm somewhat surprised by those numbers having worked them out... I didn't realize I had spent so much on pedals over the years. And I thought I had spent more on cymbals, but I've been selling as I've been buying.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

I don't know that I will ever be satisfied with A tone. I dig so many different ones. Can you really put a price on some sweet tone?
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

old stuff:
Peavey Blazer 15 - 150$
Peavey Raptor 1 - 150$
DOD Grunge Pedal - 40$
Fender Bullet - free (my uncle didnt use it anymore)

current stuff:
Warmoth Double Fat Strat + Pups - 950$
POD 2.0 - 280$
POD Floorboard - 200$

I hope to complete my tone quest with an Atomic Amp - 500$ (but... it all goes as planned, that amp will be a christmas present!)
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Mesa/Boogie Single Rectifier 50W Head = 1100
Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Oversized Rectifier Cabinet (loaded with V30's) = 800
Jackson USA SL2H (loaded with JB and 59, and on it's way, pics soon ;) ) = 1700
Epiphone Les Paul (loaded with Custom and 59) = 700
Boss SD-1 = 40
Boss GE-7 = 90
Boss CH-3 = 40
Dunlop Crybaby From Hell Wah = 130
Monster Cables = 200
Dunlop Tortex = 2.99 a pack
Ernie Ball Super Slinkies = 4.99 a pack

TOTAL = 4800+. Ouch... really puts things in perspective when you do this. I love my gear!
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

ouch....
ok.... Epiphone strat (160 + 500) = 660
Ibanez (100 +40) 140
Epiphone paul (my girlfriend bought it... but... 300)
Sigma = 200
Vox = 1400
Marshall JCM900 = 1400
DoD switcher = 50
Planet Waves Cables (30 X 3) = 90
Dunlop Crybaby = 60
Arion Delay (an old one from the 80's japan) = 40
Boss DS-1 = 40
Boss TU-12 = 40
Dunlop Nylon .60mm picks = 3 for 12
Ernie Ball .11 or .10 slinkys = 5
so... depending on which guitar.... $3277-3797 with all the guitars.... $4437

that's not including all the tuners, cables, cases, set ups, repairs and whatnot... I'm scared of what'd be with all the rest. And that's just my guitar. My basses... woah!
 
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Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

in chronological order

Fender MIA Jazz Bass: $400 (pawn shop didn't have a clue. that was a good day)
Peavey TKO115: $350
1958 Kay Upright Bass: $900
Fender '50s Classic Strat: $450
Alvarez Yairi DY38: $800
Ovation S771 Balladeer: $450

total: $3350ish, with another $300 to put on top of that shortly (Peavey Envoy 110, JB jr.)

geesh... I'm headed to college next year! I gotta kick this habit.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Gibson Les Paul- $2200
SD- JB bridge- $75
SD- Jazz Neck- $75
Fender Strat- $1100
SD- Distortion- $75
Ovation Acoustic/electric- $600
ESP LTD Viper400- $600
Marshall DSL50- $1150
MesaBoogie STND. 4x12 cabinet- $1000

Total: $6,875.00
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

***Australian Dollars
Les Paul - 1000 (sold)
Duncans - 200 (sold)
New pots - 100
Wolfgang - 1000
Fender stage - 300
Zoom 3030 - 100
Vamp 2 - 300
Countless strings to find me
Mesa/ Boogie mark 4 - 1500
2x12 avatar cab - 500
Crybaby Wah - 200


alot of dough.
luckily, I have found tonal heaven
Wolfgang -> mark IV -> 2x12 with v30's.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

wow, i guess i got off easy :burnout:

but i got a gretsch commin soon that I'm gonna want a different tone for, not to mention mods for it & other things relating to it

$500 for the gretsch (man am i gettin a deal!), installing tv classics is gonna be around $300, and I'll prolly spend another $100 on distortion pedals & $50 for a used boss EQ. Not to mention a hardshell case

jeez, thats another grand right there.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Currently-
Olympia by Tacoma acoustic-200
Fender MIM Fat Strat-400
Marshall Mg15-100
Cable-15
==========================
$715

I plan on buying w/i the next couple months
HRD or Classic 30/50-400 (that would be for the HRD)
Pups-160
George L cable-25
Wah-100
Ts9-100
===========================
$785

TOTAL:1500

I'm planning on selling my Marshall MG15+cable+tuner on ebay, hopefully i can get around $75-100 for all of that.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Guitarist said:
Mesa/Boogie Single Rectifier 50W Head = 1100
Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Oversized Rectifier Cabinet (loaded with V30's) = 800
Jackson USA SL2H (loaded with JB and 59, and on it's way, pics soon ;) ) = 1700
Epiphone Les Paul (loaded with Custom and 59) = 700
Boss SD-1 = 40
Boss GE-7 = 90
Boss CH-3 = 40
Dunlop Crybaby From Hell Wah = 130
Monster Cables = 200
Dunlop Tortex = 2.99 a pack
Ernie Ball Super Slinkies = 4.99 a pack

TOTAL = 4800+. Ouch... really puts things in perspective when you do this. I love my gear!

You shop almost exclusively at GuitarCenter, don't you? :laugh2:

*EDIT* No...that's not laughing at you, incase you we're wondering :smack:
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Quite honestly I don't know if I've found MY tone yet but I think I'm incredibly close. That said

US$

$1250 Gibson ES-330 1000 was afforded by my parents for a high school grad present

$800 Fender Big Apple Strat with TOLEX case. I can still hear the shop owner cuss me

$30 bucks for pup covers $40 for a new pickguard (bad story)

BOSS super overdrive $100 (before I knew what Musicians Friend was)

$40 DOD big pig fat distortion for Christmas

$1650 Gibson LP Custom New from Ed Roman he honestly hates Gibsons and tried to tell me THEN to get a Heritage

$20 for a Gibson 57 Classic for the neck

$15 for a gold cover for the pup
(new knobs and pots too but that was a vanity issue)

$900 for a US ash tele
lead QP $72 from Guitar Center (they traded me even for a C5 I tried to put in my custom..yeah that was bad) $55 for the neck pup

$75 BOSS dual overdrive

Traded LP for Dr. Z amp

Free ($500) Godin LG for college graduation

$ 80SD booster pedal

$750 or 800 for Heritage 150

$170 for double creme pups

$120 for tone pros set up

do tubes count??? I consider them like pics and strings

$5177 this is me withholding gifts with gifts we haaaaaavvveeee.......

$6667

wow.........I'm a gear whore

Luke
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Epi Les Paul Classic - $500
2 SD PUPs - $120
set of gold speed knobs - $14
electronics upgrade - $60
Bone nut w/labor - $80
Planet Waves switch cable - $30
Fender PT-10 tuner pedal - $40
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe $385
Jensen C12N 12" speaker - $60
Various electronic tweaks - $30

Grand Total = $1319
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

83 USA strat - $600
duncans - $190

hiwatt/marshall half stack - $950......... however im selling it and getting more than what i paid for it, he he

everything else i have my dad already had hehe
 
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