Gear Wishlist 2013

As it is only January, I cannot claim that this list is definitive. However, here are some of the things I’ll be looking at more closely this year. Whether I buy them or not is another matter….

Rack

• 10U or 12U shockmount rack case – definitely need this if I’m going to expand my existing rack rig
• ProStage Rack Wah – this is on its way to me as I write, traded for my Providence Chrono Delay

Studio

• Heil PR-30 microphone – this perhaps a bit more than I would want to spend on a mic, but it gets reviews.
• Sennheiser e906 instrument microphone – a cheaper alternative to the Heil PR-30. What’s quite cool about this one is that it can hung over the front of a guitar cabinet.

Guitars

Nothing special on the horizon, but if the right used Les Paul Custom (Ebony or Alpine White) comes along, temptation levels will be unbearable.

I still, of course, have a hankering after an ESP Eclipse Full Thickness, but I wasn’t that impressed with the one I played in Hong Kong recently. At the moment, I’m more interested in Les Paul Customs.

Amplifiers

The Elmwood Modena 20 head is on my “must have” list. though I will need to sell some existing gear to fund it.

Effects, Pedals, etc

• Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe – yep, the big chunky one which takes up half a pedalboard. In my opinion it is better than the simplified Voodoo Vibe Junior, and I wish I hadn’t sold the VV I used to own in 2003. This pedal was a huge part of my sound in the late nineties and early 2000’s and I miss it terribly.
• Chorus – I need a basic, but good, chorus pedal. A number of options present themselves, including the MXR Zakk Wylde chorus and the TC Electronic Dreamscape
• Wah – both the Dunlop Jimi Hendrix CryBaby and their Zakk Wylde Crybaby seem right up my street. Do I need another wah? No! Update: Just bought a Dunlop Zakk Wylde wah! Review to follow…

Modeller

Part of me really wants to dump all this heavy guitar amp and cabinets stuff and go for an Axe-FX or Kemper. The new Kemper rack is fuelling the GAS, but the cost of entry into a high quality modeller and FRFR monitor/amp is pretty high. True, about the same costs as a new Mesa Boogie and a 4×12, but that’s still a lot of cash. In the meantime, I am eagerly awaiting reviews and user comments about the Kemper rack system in a live performance environment. If these are positive, I expect I’ll take the leap.

To be continued…