My latest toy.

[XNASA]

Fender Stage 100 DSP

FOUR, count 'em, FOUR switches on the foot pedal!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

It was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday. And as luck would have it, I had rehearsal scheduled last night.

Nothing like a new amp to put a smile on one's face.

Let's Rawk.

:D

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

1. I was looking at their Bassman 200 last week...

One of the local stores has 'em on closeout -- DEEP DEEP discount.
It'd run me about as much as our whole Christmas budget, and the band does not have enough on the books for 2004 to help pay for it. The spouse asked that I wait, and the litle one has asked for a bike. I cannot resist her entreaties- its impossible. She is cuter than even newyawker's "Hi" kid.

Oh well...something will turn up. Sing ho for the life of a bassman..

[XNASA]

3. I got lucky. I bartered something I never used.

So start looking around the house. Maybe you'll find something you don't really need. Next thing you know........new amp!!

The nice thing is, no more pedals. I have a Boss stompbox I may use if needed, but other than a tuner......I no longer have the need for pedals.

I hadn't got a new piece of gear in about 5 years. It's early Christmas I tell ya.

[GOPisEvil]

2. Have at it, my man...

[XNASA]

4. Damn, that's sweet. Perfect in fact.

On to Phase Two - New Guitar.

[Ellen Forradalom]

11. No no no--he needs this

An electric ukulele.

[XNASA]

14. Or maybe.........

...an electric sitar.

[GOPisEvil]

16. I saw the concert for George Harrison on DVD.

Ravi Shankar's daughter (one who ISN'T Norah Jones) RIPPED on the sitar. Hers was acoustic, though.

[Ellen Forradalom]

17. Funny you should mention Harrison

he was a big fan of ukuleles, too.

[MissMillie]

5. Does it go up to 11? (n/t)

.

[Ellen Forradalom]

6. Woo-hoo lookit all those knobs

I have no clue what they do, of course.

We have a fish tank sitting on top of my husband's old bass amp. Maybe we can barter it for a fish tank stand.

[XNASA]

7. Yes indeed. Nice knobs.

There's gotta be a Marshall Stack joke in there somewhere.

"That Marshall is stacked. Lookit the nice knobs."

Actually, all the FX are built in to the amp. So no need for a multitude of stompboxes. Just a guitar and a cord is all that is needed to commence rocking.

Hence the extra knobs and whatnot.

Sounds nice too.

[Ellen Forradalom]

8. I see

said the blind man to his naked wife.

I bet you wanted to name one of your kids Marshall Stack.

My late brother Charles played gee-tar too. One of his many nicknames was Chah Wah Wah.

My mother handed down a Casio keyboard to my son. He's having a great time with it.

[Sir_Shrek]

9. I need...

..a nice Class A tube amp, but can't swing the dough for an AC30.

I used to gig through a Fender Stage 160SE...165 solid state watts. Good sounding amp.

[XNASA]

12. Don't we all.

But this is my first true gig amp. Or rather, amp specifically designed for gigging.

It's even got a built in direct box (balanced, line-level XLR output).

I must be gettin' lazy or something.

I used to gig with an all tube amp in Texas. You could wrap a 5 pound roast in tin-foil, set it inside the amp before the first set, and by the end of the second set it would be done medium-well.

:crazy:

[Ellen Forradalom]

13. When I was a teen I used to culture yogurt on my dad's tube amplifier

to his utter rage and despair.

[Sir_Shrek]

15. so...

...what kind of stuff are you running through this one?

[XNASA]

18. Nothing so far, really.

I'm just trying to get used to the onboard DSP stuff. Although I did have my old Zoom pedal in the insert, but just so I could use the tuner.

I just used the amp for the first time, last night.

I imagine that at some point, I'll use my Boss DS-2 box. But that's about it. I'm not big on using compression live. And I don't use a lot of chorus or delay. Although.......the amp has a DSP setting called "Phaser" which is kind of an auto-wah envelope. I rather liked that one.

Just a little 'verb and a humbucker in the bridge position and off I go.

Almost forgot: I was using an Epi '61 SG reissue strung with Boomers (.010). I've got a nice Tele too, with a mini-bucker in the bridge.

[Sir_Shrek]

19. there you go....

I try to keep it simple. Mostly just Boss stuff (tuner pedal, Super Overdrive...which I've really fallen in love with, and maybe an old Trem/Pan pedal at the end). I do throw an MXR Dynacomp in there when I've got to strap on the Rick 12 string.

[XNASA]

20. A Rick 12-string is something I covet.

I'd love to get something that's semi or even hollow body.

I've got a thing for Epiphone's. I love 'em. Maybe a Casino would be nice. One just like Lennon had. That would be cool.

[Sir_Shrek]

21. I've always dug Casinos

Filled my P90 desire with an SG Jr. on close out, but still would like a Casino one day.

The Rick is great. I'd really like to get a six string one, like a 330 or something. Almost nice enough to get me into playing Ricks full time, though they don't seem to like to be hit that hard (more finessed)...and I'm kind of a hard hitter.

[prolesunited]

10. Cool!

Love to hear how it sounds sometime.