I went to Guitar Center in Fort Collins Wednesday to buy some new strings for my Telecaster, and while I was there I tested out two pieces of equipment that are both on my short list of future acquisitions - a Les Paul and a small tube amp.
The Les Paul in question was a worn brown Epiphone Les Paul Studio. It was an incredible guitar, and although it didn't say "Gibson" on the headstock, the name isn't worth the $500 trade-off. The guitar was well made - beautifully made, actually - and sounded excellent. I played a Gibson Les Paul Studio and I was more impressed with this one. First off, it had a glossy finish as opposed to the matte finish on the Gibson, which gave it a more polished appearance (no pun intended). It looked more complete, plus the color was absolutely gorgeous. This guitar is definitely on my short list.
The amp, however, is not.
The amp I used was a Bugera V5 combo. It fits the template of what I was looking for in a new amp - a small (around 5 watts), inexpensive tube amp that I could use for practice and recording. The Bugera is one of the most affordable small tube amps on the market - $149 out the door, where most other small tube combos are $350-plus - and had some good features, but I wasn't entirely pleased with the sound, especially the overdrive. I know it's not the only small tube amp out there, but if this sound is any indication of what they all sound like in general, I don't know if I want one.
In fact, I know I don't want one. For my current needs, my DigiTech RP90 plugged into my Line 6 Spider III on a flat, clean setting works perfectly. I play mostly through headphones, anyway, so I don't need a tube amp right now. If I ever get to the point where I need another amp - which probably will mean that I'd be playing in front of an audience, which I don't plan on doing anyway - I'll get a more powerful tube amp, but for now I'll stick with what I have.
On the positive side, this means I save about $400 by not buying an amp, which could now go toward the purchase of a new guitar down the road. The Les Paul Studio was nice, but I'm not going to make the same mistake and buy the first guitar I see. Four hundred clams can buy a pretty nice guitar these days and I want to play a bunch before making a final decision.
So with a new amp scratched off the list, the RP90 already purchased and the new laptop hopefully on the way this Christmas, I'm well on my way to having Phase I of my studio complete. All I need is a MIDI interface, a MIDI keyboard and possibly a microphone or two and I'm set.
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