What was that one piece of gear you had to have?

[Iron1]

Think back to when you first started jamming. Was there a piece of gear you just KNEW if you had you'd be on your way to metal glory?

For me, it was a Peavy powered mixing head and matching cabinets. It was so hard to get into a band as a singer in the 80s without a PA system. There really wasn't a cheap option - trust me I tried all sorts of crazy things - I must have sang through a dozen guitar and bass amps, powered mixing consoles, even stereo systems... The set up I wanted was like $1500 and back then it may as well have been a $million. I just KNEW if I could get that, I'd be on my way as a professional musician.

Funny thing is, I never got one. Joined a band when I was 17 that had a full blown concert quality PA (Crown power amps, giant bass bins, meaty mids and 2" horns, plus a phat mixing board and rack full of FX) and never looked back. Oddly enough, there's still a little piece of me that just wants to go buy one now to say I did...

[sgjackson]

I still think about flipping through the Musician's Friend catalogs my mom got and seeing the Jackson with the monochromatic Chinese dragon art. Probably 2002 or so.

If I saw one on Reverb in good shape I'd probably bite.

[Leah]

Rickenbacker 4003. Always wanted one. Got one from and ended up selling it on as I never quite bonded with the neck. Looked and sounded great though.

[Webdood]

Probably my RG550. I was gassing hard for a Ibby roadstar and then the RG550 came out and I was floored.

[JJ Rodriguez]

Not so much something that was the holy grail when I first started, but a piece of gear I got that I had to have later on was the VHT GP3. Coop had just bought his Ultralead and I heard that thing and was blown away, then he (being aware of my addiction to rack gear) notified me that there was a 3 channel MIDI controlled preamp that was the preamp out of the Pittbull series. I managed to snag one (I think maybe from TMM?) and haven't looked back. I actually listed it for sale once years and years ago, no fucking idea what I was thinking but luckily no one bought it and I still have it to this day. I'll never get rid of it. I did the gain mod to it, basically changes it slightly to add a little more saturation and snarl, and it's my favorite piece of gear.

I almost wish Fryette would re-release it so I could buy another one as a backup, because if this thing ever dies I'll be fucking heart broken.

[zepp]

Mesa Dual Rectifer

Jackson Kelly

I ended up getting a Dual Rectifier and using it for some years, but sold it when it wasn't really meshing with what I wanted to do at the time.

I never owned a Kelly, and lost all desire to play anything but a strat shape years ago.

[Mike]

A real Floyd. I had practically every other knock-off locking trem before I got one.

[Leon]

Mesa Mk4.

Funny, I think I've owned maybe 7 or 8 Mesas, but never a Mk4. It'd be redundant at this point, since I've got a Studio/2:90, which is arguably more flexible, even if it lacks a channel.

[Markus]

For me it was a Ibanez 540R - then I got one, it was nice enough, but I found I played my 540S and RG760 more - so I sold it.

An Ibanez JS1000BTB is still on the list.

[Hellion]

I started playing when I was 15 and though i only played for a year or two, I just remember absolutely dying for a real tube Marshall half stack and wanted that killer 80s guitar tone. after I could jam around on power chords and play the solo for Keep On Loving You, my step dad brought home an old marshall plexi clone(Rissen was the name I believe) from his guitar playing days. I was completely underwhelmed by the lack of distortion with the gain cranked and how dark and muddy it sounded. Of course, being in an apartment, I could never turn it up very loud. I had some boss multiFX at the time that I had bought with birthday money. I plugged that straight in to the front end and it probably sounded terrible but I totally loved it.

[Ryan]

I always wanted a Triple Rectifier, for me it seemed like the best amp in the world, finally got one and gradually realised it wasn’t the amp for me. Turns out I like simple, loud as fuck pedal platform amps, so now I have an old sunn model T and an old Hiwatt DR103 and couldn’t be happier.

Likewise with guitars, always wanted double locking trend and seven strings, got myself an awesome collection of UVs, RGs and a K7. It wasn’t until I randomly bought an Iceman that I realised that I actually preferred the simplicity of a ToM and was more comfortable with short scale guitars. So I got rid of all the sevens and now that’s all I own.

Trial and error I suppose...

[Blazon_Stone]

A real Floyd. I had practically every other knock-off locking trem before I got one.

I'm sure it was well worth it

I was actually so genious that my first evern floyd guitar was a Warmoth build with Original Floyd Rose.
Because I knew the cheaper versions would suck so I simply stayed away from those and got the real thing directly.

[DonBot]

An Ibanez Universe in 1990 after seeing the video for Suicidal Tendencies' "Can't Bring Me Down". Even went as far as to buy the white one Rocky George was playing in the video.

[RevDrucifer]

I started early with the gas. As soon as my dad told me about pedals and what they do, I was hooked. I think the first thing I most likely wanted was a Boss DD-5 because my dad told me Gilmour used a lot of delay.

The first big thing was my Strat, because I wanted a guitar that looked like Gilmour's. I got that my....2nd year playing? Maybe after the first year. A Candy Apple Red MIM Strat with a maple neck. I thought I was David Gilmour immediately. I remember getting home from my grandparents, calling my best friend (who got a white MIM Strat with a rosewood board like 3 months previous) and telling him I had a better Strat because mine had a maple fingerboard.

Funny, I never liked the look of Strats with rosewood boards, even to this day.

After that it was the JEM, which I was bribed with if I moved to NYC.

Then the AxeFX, which took me 15 years before I could afford it.

[Iron1]

An Ibanez Universe in 1990 after seeing the video for Suicidal Tendencies' "Can't Bring Me Down". Even went as far as to buy the white one Rocky George was playing in the video.

Oh man, how I love that song. When it came out Moose and I drove around blasting it all over town.

[mpexus]

My S540 after seeing Alex Skolnick with one posing for an Ibanez Ad. I didn't rested until I got it and took me 1 year to pay it back to my stepdad... Every month 70-80% of my salary back then

Still have it and will never get sold.

[Valtteri]

That Skolnick ad is very befitting of this forum. Maybe melodiusvolumeusmaximus.org would've been a better name though.

The first thing I lusted after when I started playing was a Jackson Rhoads, and I was able to buy an RR5 after a couple of years of playing, and what I learned from that experience is that I hate painted necks and non-recessed TOM's. I'd still like to own another Rhoads one day, just with different specs.

[Tony]

A mkiic+ for me. I got sick of waiting for one to come up for sale so built my own.

Then after a year or so decided I didn't like it that much and sold it

[petereanima]

Three things basically, where's two are "checked".

I just had to have the Diezel Herbert after the first time i plugged into it in the store. That was fucking non-negotiable, no Sir.

Second - I wanted to have a Gibson Les Paul in Black, done.

Third, still open: A Gibson LP Custom in Alpine White, and if anyhow possible, it should be from the year i was born. Why? Don't ask me, it's just a thing i came up with ages ago and now it just needs to be that way.

[Mahler]

Absolutely loads. I started off fairly young and became (almost) obsessed with playing so it would inevitably be natural that I'd have a lifelong case of GAS. My earliest one to memory would probably be something like an Ibanez JPM before they absolutely skyrocketed in price. Late 2000s, maybe? Anything MIJ Ibanez of that era, most high gain amps, the whole lot.

[Bohmer]

For me it was a Gibson Explorer. I saw Metallica in either '85 or '86 opening for Ozzy and that did it, I had to have an Explorer. It took a while, but I finally snagged one a couple years ago.

[Überschall]

A San Dimas Charvel.

Got one. Sold it.

[Mike]

I'm sure it was well worth it

I was actually so genious that my first evern floyd guitar was a Warmoth build with Original Floyd Rose.
Because I knew the cheaper versions would suck so I simply stayed away from those and got the real thing directly.

When I started playing the only way to get a Floyd was go visit him in Seattle. After that it was buy an expensive-as-fuck Kramer.

I'm a little older than you.

[desertdweller]

JP2C. Without a doubt.

[Phil]

Not sure if this qualifies as a standalone piece of gear, but for me it was an EMG 81 in the bridge. Didn't matter what amp or guitar I was playing, as long as I had an 81 in the bridge (preferably with just a volume knob and no other electronics on the guitar).