how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Way too much... Although I can't top GJ's total, I'd have to say it's around $10,000-- from when I started at age 16.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

All prices rough guesses.

Stuff in red is stuff I'm currently using for MY tone.

Stuff in green is stuff I've sold......shown just to show how little of my stuff I like to sell.


Guitars - ~$2000CAD + ~$500CAD in pickups
Les Paul Studio w/EMG 60/81
Standard Strat w/EMG 85
H.M. Strat w/DiMarzio YJM, HS-3 & Super Distortion

Pedals ~$3000CAD
Boss CE-20 Chorus On Order - Replacing the Small Clone
Boss DD-20 Delay
Boss GE-7 Equalizer
Boss TU-12H Tuner
Digitech DigiDelay
DOD FX-69 Grunge
Dunlop Crybaby
Dunlop UniVibe
Effector 13 No-Fi
Effector 13 Sacred Fuzz
Effector 13 Super Tri Fuzz Sold
Effector 13 Truly Beautiful Disaster Sold
EHX Big Muff
EHX Polychorus Sold
EHX Small Clone
Ernie Ball 25k Volume
George Dennis Optical Volume
Ibanez DS-7 Distortion
Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer
MXR ZW-44 Wylde OD
Red Witch Moon Phaser
Tech21 SansAmp GT-2

Rack ~$3700CAD
6U Rack
Furman PB-40 Patch Bay
Furman PL-Plus Power Conditioner
Furman PQ-3 Parametric EQ
Korg DTR-1000 Tuner
Mesa Stereo 2:One Hundred Power Amp
Mesa Rectifier Recording Preamp
Peavey TG Raxx Preamp
THD Hotplate
THD Hotplate

Other ~$1700CAD
Mesa Recto Std 4x12
Peavey TKO 75 (75w SS 1x15 combo)
Seymour Duncan TB-4
Other misc crap (cables, picks, ect)


Total ~$10900CAD or aprox $8900USD.
 
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Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

I dunno that I've found it yet. Of course, I rather doubt I ever will since it seems to be a moving target.

I've spent a fair bit but generally buying used has eased the overall cost when it came time to sell. Trying things out is a lot less expensive when you can sell for 90% or more of what you paid.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

I've gone through quite a ludicrous amount of gear in order to find my sound... here's the complete, unadulterated list of gear that I've owned at some point. This all built up over 7 years... I earned the money for and bought all of this myself. Most of the stuff I dont have anymore was either sold off, traded or returned and the actual amount of $$ spent has been a small fraction of what this crud actually COST. Through this list I've found certain "essential ingredients" to my personal tone.

Guitars:
'95 MIM Strat (has the crap modded out of it)
'80's Squier II Fat Strat
'98 Epi Les Paul
Ibanez RG450DX
Ibanez Jem555 (feel free to laugh!)
Jackson DX10D
'92 MIA FR Classic Strat

Amps:
Crate GX15
Squier 10w amp
Marshall VS265R combo
Marshall VS100R head
Marshall JCM800 50w combo (one channel, vert input. Mig50 owns it now)
MESA/Boogie Rectoverb 50 w/ Marshall 1960AX cab

Pedals:
Danelectro Dan-Echo
SD1 Super Overdrive
3 DS1's (two stock, one Keeley)
2 GE7's
2 Digitech Whammys
Ibanez CS9 Chorus
2 CS3 compressors
ME30 Multi unit
PS5 Pitch Shifter w/ EV5
Keeley MT2
Radial Hot British Tonebone
DD6 Delay
BD2 Blues Driver
late 80's wah pedal
535Q Wah pedal
DB02 Crybaby from Hell II
BF3 Flanger
EH2 Enhancer
Marshall Jackhammer
Marshall Bluesbreaker II
CH1 Super Chorus
CE5 Chorus Ensemble
MXR Phase 90
Bad Horsie Wah
Little Alligator volume pedal
TC Electronic G-Major
Behringer FCB1010 controller
Zoom 5000 Driver distortion
OD-3 Overdrive
GT-5 Multi unit
Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus

Pickups:
SD Hot Rails
SD JB trembucker
SD ’59n
SD Custom
SD Custom 5
SD Classic Stacks
DiMarzio Evolution N, B
DiMarzio PAF Pro
DiMarzio Norton
DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Blues
Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues
Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Solo
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Well im not gonna list all my stuff but not including cables/leads strings plecs, straps cases counted it up as about
£7200
$12168

thats for all my amps, guitars and effects. also pickup upgrades included.
i just fully revalved my amp and had a Bias Mod which came too £165

so total is £7365
$12446
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Alright, I'm not gonna go into the stuff I've been through, especially in the last couple of years.....I'm only going to go with what I use now.
-------------------------

Gibson Les Paul Studio Standard : $600
- Seymour Duncan 59 Pickup set : $50 (for the set, got a deal)
Fender American Strat : $550
- Fender Texas Specials : $100

Ernie Ball Volume : traded a bass wah for the volume pedal
Dunlop Rotovibe : $125
Teese McCoy Wizard Wah : $140 (which includes pedalboard mounting plate)
Stratdeluxer modded Ibanez TS9 : $130 (price includes mods)
Boss TU-2 Pedal Tuner: $40

Mesa/Boogie Rect-o-verb 1x12 combo: $975
-----------------------------------------
so all told, we're talking $2660 not including shipping costs. Not bad...but I've been through a lot of other gear..and still have a great deal of it...including my first two effects pedals, a morley diamond distortion and a crybaby wah pedal. plus my dyna comp, and my three other electrics, my acoustic, etc....old amps I've had...just too much stuff to list!
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

I started out with an old SG and Bassman 50, 2-12 and fuzz. This, by the way, remains an excellent setup for t-shirt and blue jeans tear-up-the-beer-joint rock 'n roll. I don't remember what all that cost. When it appeared that I was going to be a pretty good guitar player, I went ahead and got a Les Paul Standard and old Marshall 50 and 4-12. That did it - we were off. Buying what your favorite players use is often an iffy thing, it may not suit you when your own style starts coming out. But in my case it did.

What cost me a ton of money was later getting sucked into channel switcher amps, effects and whammy rocket guitars. I ended up tap dancing on switch buttons all night and playing tunes I didn't even like until I freaked. Bought a '59 reissue Les Paul, dragged out Mr. Marshall and, once more, we were off.

The non-monetary cost of getting tone, etc. together was a bunch of fretboard time so that whatever occured to me to play happened in real time. Also, learning to use my hands to get a pretty wide vocabulary, pick attack, tone color, etc. And strange sounds (thank you, Mr. Beck!), whatever the tune called for.

My favorite effect is showing up reasonably sober.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Otis, that is the most outstanding explanation of what players go through.....I myself have simplified my rig..I still use overdrive and wah though, those effects are very important to me :) other than that...I dont' need all the phaser/chorus/flanger/inter-planetary-dimensional-shifting pedals.....I use a rotovibe, and that's only for a leslie rotating speaker cabinet sound...and even that's about to go...good ole guitar, overdrive, wah, amp is my favorite :)
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

I've spent so much I'd probably be suicidal if I added it up. Not likely as much as GJ way more than any sane person should even consider.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Gear is one of those things that I think all players have a tendency to put to much emphasis on. As important as guitars and Amps are (as well as effects) IMHO tone really comes from your hands, and your feeling of the music that you play.

When I was searching for a new Amp, it took over a year for me to settle on what I really wanted (and as with all of us I think I am still looking). For tha last 10 years or so I have been using a Marshall 900 A/B'd with a SF Super reverb. This works real well. As far as guitars go I use Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, and a 335 as my primary guitars (each has its own benefits and limitations). For my slide work I use a 1969 SG standard, and a 1956 Harmony H44. As far as effects go, I use a very light amount of Delay when I solo, I use Chorus (mainly thru the Fender) and I use a Spina Modded TS9 thru the Fender and a modded Thomas Organ Company Wah. I have been using this setup for a long time and it works real well for what I do. I am planning on buying a Bogner in the future. This will essentially replace my Marshall. The Fender.... I will always have either a Super Reverb or a Deluxe Reverb.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

I've been looking at Bogner as well, but I really think when I go to a new amp, it'll be a Dr. Z....mmmmmm, tone...
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

I"m not sure how much you've spent overall is the important factor. Because we tend to sell off things that we don't like, we sometimes make money or lose (hopefully not too much).

The real question is that IF you have found your tone, how much do you have invested to keep the tone flowing?

I figure I've got about 10K worth of guitars sitting around, 4.5K on amps and assorted toys. That's about to come down because I've pretty much decided I'm selling the PRS. The two les Pauls running throough the Two Rock get me the tones that have been swirling about my head now for some time. There might be another Les Paul in my future, but only if I run across a steal of a deal. One P90 Les Paul and one Humbucker Les Paul with that amp are a do-it-all combo. The little Tweeds I built are fun, but they don't get me there the way the Two Rock does. Then there's that old Pro Reverb, just sitting all alone in the closet after the TR came to town. :)
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

oh man...a pro reverb....that's *THE* fender sound I've always wanted...I love my Mesa/Boogie, and I love it's punchy clean tone..but that was always what I considered *THE* clean tone...not the twin, not the super, not even the heralded JC-120..but the Pro Reverb...

what kinda tweeds did ya build?
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

I found my tone when I got my first little Marshall and banged it hard with my first Invader in a hardtail, alder bodied guitar. That was a $600 investment. All the other gear purchase is just the refinement of the formula.
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Puuuh.... No Idea, but considering my past, and the rack stuff I used to have, and all the other ****....I´d probably break 30-40K easily... :D:D:D

I can still list my Currently owned Equipment and what I got it for, though, prices are "pre converted" to US $ ;)

1984 Marshall JCM800 2204. Modded to 2x 6L6GC, in replacement (non-Marshall) cabinet - Paid 700 bucks (NOS!) about 6 years ago, plus about 50 for the replacement cab when it fell off the trailer.
Mesa V-twin - Paid 250 bucks on eBay, and AFAIK that´s still the asking price 6 years later.
Custom built 4x12 - 900 bucks
H&K Attax 80 Combo - 500 bucks
Fender M-80 Bass head - 450 bucks new 12 years ago
Hohner 1x15 - 400 bucks, together w/ the head
2 Kitty Hawk 2x12s - 50 bucks for the pair on a trade-in, they were empty at the time
4 70s G12M for the Kitty hawks - 250 bucks used
Washburn Axxess XS-4 bass - 450 Bucks used
Herbert Schäffner "Torella" 3/4 classic - 50 bucks (I was 7)
Eko Jazz Box - Free as a Christmas gift from a female friend and her father
Charvel "Surfcoustic" - 250 bucks used
Alhambra Classical - Free for fixing a buddy´s PC (for the, what, lemme see... 10,000th time :D:D)
Charvel Model 6 - 300 bucks used
Charvel Strathead - 650 bucks used
Charvel Fusion Deluxe - 350 bucks used
Fernandes Rhoads - 300 bucks used
Gibson Flying V ´83 - 699 used in Mattoon, IL
Gibson LP Gothic - 800 bucks used
Jackson AT-1 - 1000 used
Jackson DK-1 - 800 used
Jackson CS Dinky Reverse - Brand new and Free! (maybe I´ll tell the story someday ;))
"Phoenix" - about 600 bucks used (w/parts and destroyed tools)
Jackson JRS-2 - 200 bucks used

What´s that total up to? Around 10K im pretty sure, so more than enough, and there are still a few odd pedals and other things I just totally forgot. And I´ve easily spent twice that in the last 20 years, I once had almost 30 guitars :saeek: :smack:

BUUT: I only NEED 2500 bucks worth of rig for MY perfect tone :headbang:
 
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Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

CapoFirstFret said:
oh man...a pro reverb....that's *THE* fender sound I've always wanted...I love my Mesa/Boogie, and I love it's punchy clean tone..but that was always what I considered *THE* clean tone...not the twin, not the super, not even the heralded JC-120..but the Pro Reverb...

what kinda tweeds did ya build?

built a tweed deluxe and a tweed pro. nice amps. the Two Rock Custom Reverb takes that Pro Reverb tone and brings it alive.

Imagine a really nice original Nintendo system playing Mario and whatnot, to a Playstation 2 and one of the Gran Turismo titles or Need For Speed titles.

The Two Rock takes that great old original and gives it 3D. It's that impressive to my ears. :dance:
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

thta's freakin awesome dude...one day I'm going to build my own amp....preferably an old tweed bassman ...that would be cool..but I dont' have the funds as it is....ah, one day :)
 
Re: how much did you spend getting YOUR tone

Oh boy, I don’t know if I want to go through this accounting but here goes:

Have:
Carvin DC127M $950
Carvin DC127 $760
Carvin DC135T $860
ESP H-400 Ltd $600
Peavey Classic 50 head $400 used (eBay)
Marshall MG412A 4x12 cab $400
Dunlop Crybaby 535Q $110
Digitech Metal Master $80
VisualSound Jekyll & Hyde $180
Danelectro Checken Salad Vibe $40

Sold:
Jackson DK2 $280 ($340 new)
Dean MLX $180 ($230 new)
Ibanez AS73 $230 ($300 new)
Kramer Special $245 ($330 new)
Fender Lite Ash Strat $450 ($600 new)
Crate DFX120 $180 ($250 new)
Marshall MG100HDFX $245 ($350 new)
Digitech RP200A $120 ($149 new)
Morely Tremonti Wah $80 ($130 new)
Boss V-Wah $90 ($149 new)
Ibanez Tone Lok TS $35 ($50 new)
Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Classic Fuzz $70 ($90 new)

Various pickups purchased $660: some still installed, some sold for around $220.

Spent $8,008
Recovered $2,425
Net spent $5,583

I would sell the ESP but I can’t seem to get anything near what it’s worth (it’s mint), and I’d sooner watch it sit there unplayed than take it in the shorts on the sale. Maybe I’ll run into some kid with a beater guitar in a music store taking lessons one day and just hand it to him/her.

My birthday is next month and I have an amp and three pedals coming. I’m getting a Reverend 60-20 KingSnake head, Carl Martin PlexiTone, MJM London Fuzz, and Keeley TS-9. I’ll be selling the Peavey Classic 50 and the Jekyll & Hyde on eBay. After that I think I’m done (I already tried the pedals and loved them, we’ll see about the KingSnake when it arrives), with the possible exception of adding a semi-hollowbody guitar to my collection at some point (if I can find one I like and the price is right).
 
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