Left: Vintage instruments often exhibit the bending-end technology of their day. In 1886, this pump organ was an antique equivalent of today’s portable keyboard. Notice the handle on the side. Right: Our musical forebears used these stops to create and shape their tones, much as we do now with EQ and effects.
For my first contribution to PG’s State of the Stomp column, I want to celebrate a common love we all share—gear! Whether you’re a bedroom player on a limited budget or touring the world in a major band, we’re all in the same boat: We love gear. It makes us happy. We’re passionate and emotional about it. Because our gear offers an almost indescribable joy from the moment of acquisition, we’ll defend it in the face of criticism (join any gear forum for proof of this).
Why do we like gear so much and how does this affect our playing?
Of course, I can only speak from my own experience, so let me rephrase that: Why do I love gear? Well, the first thing that springs to mind is ... the smell. Yes, that’s right, the smell. Particularly of old gear. I admit it—I’m a kook. Whenever I open an old amp or pick up a vintage acoustic guitar, I always take a good, long sniff. Part of it probably comes from my childhood—buying old stereos and TVs and pulling them to bits. All the gear I got to tear apart as a kid had been made in the ’60s and ’70s, so there’s some connection to an early, enchanted time, and the smell triggers those memories.
I also love the idea of something having a history, of it having passed through the hands of players who’ve cherished the object before me. For example, I have an old Canadian pump organ built in 1886. This thing is wonderful. It sits quietly in a corner of our warehouse, waiting for that sunny weekend when I’ll start the full restoration. It came from a small church, where it had been since it was shipped to New Zealand 120 years ago.
How many joyful occasions has it provided musical accompaniment to? Weddings, christenings— hopeful, wonderful times. And how many countless times did it provide musical solace to people grieving? I love these thoughts and consider myself extremely lucky to be able to sit down and run my hands over the same keys. The history has an impact upon the way I play it. It also smells amazing!
So there’s a brief insight into what I love—old gear with history that smells good. Everyone will have their own set of factors, perhaps owning gear that your musical heroes have used, or gear that completes a set. (Like getting an original 1982A Marshall quad box from 1968 to match that late-’60s plexi head you’ve owned for years— that was a happy day!)
All right, so we’ve established that there are many reasons to love gear (even odd odor-related reasons), and each one is completely valid. But how does this affect our playing and creativity?
Remember when you were a kid at school and you opened a new exercise book and wrote on that first page? Were you one of those kids who tried to write really carefully on those first, fresh pages? I was. I think it’s a little of the same thing with gear: We get a new acquisition, and it causes us to be a little more focused, and we take a little more care with what we play. This is a great thing! Why? Because anything that inspires our creativity is good and should be embraced.
Take the guy that gets carbon-comp resistors retrofitted into his Tube Screamer pedal: If he feels the mod has improved the pedal’s sound, he’ll feel better about his tone and he will play better. And this applies even if the mod makes little or no change to the sound. This takes us into the world of psychoacoustics—the effect the mind has on our perception of sound. But what really matters are the notes coming from the guitarist’s fingertips. If scoring a piece of gear lifts his game, that’s what counts. The end result is tangible.
Gear can also open doors into unexplored realms of creativity. Look no further than Jimi Hendrix for proof of this—a man with astonishing inherent creativity and he was a complete gearhead! Each device or technique he encountered suggested a new and engaging sonic landscape—and the whole world benefited from it. Can you imagine “Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)” without flanging? New tools open new doors.
Whether we’re drawn to gear out of a desire to innovate, or a need to connect with the past or the future, or with our heroes— or even certain scents—it’s a wonderful thing.
Ben Fulton designs Red Witch analog pedals, which are heard in arenas, studios, and bedrooms around the world. Andy Summers and Reeves Gabrels are pleased he ended up doing this instead of going to prison. His mum is relieved about this, too.
Billy Gibbons is an undisputable guitar force whose feel, tone, and all-around vibe make him the highest level of hero. But that’s not to say he hasn’t made some odd choices in his career, like when ZZ Top re-recorded parts of their classic albums for CD release. And fans will argue which era of the band’s career is best. Some of us love drum machines and synths and others don’t, but we all love Billy.
This episode is sponsored by Magnatone
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.