I'd been trying to find a decent deal on a Squier Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe Jaguar for a few months... last week I saw they had gotten one in at Chicago Music Exchange so I put in an offer--came out to a little over $300. Took it home to discover that the original owner had swapped out the Duncan pickups for Fender Pure Vintage '65s. Pristine condition, sounds amazing... I really lucked out. The VM/CV guitars are seriously impressive for the money.

I have a thing where if I see an Oktava MK012 for under $120 I buy it, so I have another one of those on the way. If they were my only microphone I wouldn't complain. You can do everything with them, I've never broken one although I've dropped every one I own several times, and used they cost SM57 money. What's to not like? Next thing I want to get is a Bi Directional cap adapter so I can do MS with them. I have enough bodies to do MS overhead (or any other stereo way), Snare and both toms all with Oktavas now and I'm down.

Let us all take a moment be grateful that we are not into violins or cellos or anything like that!

seby wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 4:58 am Let us all take a moment be grateful that we are not into violins or cellos or anything like that!

My father-in-law, a retired French horn player, spent 15k on his last instrument. And generally speaking, those instruments don’t really get collectible, or mojo or whatnot with age; they just wear out and get put in an attic. I got to see a brass instrument maker once and the amount of specialized tools and experience is incredible. Once you see brass being engraved and formed on a mandrel, etc you realize what a joke jerking off to plywood shells and 50 year old capacitors is.

jerk joke instruments rule. Brass is for dweebs!

seby wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 4:58 am Let us all take a moment be grateful that we are not into violins or cellos or anything like that!

Counterpoint: every time I go to see the symphony I always notice the musicians going in through the musician entrance. I always get extreme "load in" envy. For most players, their whole "load -in" consists of one reasonably sized case. Assholes.

TylerDeadPine wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 9:00 am jerk joke instruments rule. Brass is for dweebs!

unless it's a snare drum then it's coooooool

mdc wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 11:45 am

TylerDeadPine wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 9:00 am jerk joke instruments rule. Brass is for dweebs!

unless it's a snare drum then it's coooooool

sssssstrue!

benadrian wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 11:43 am

seby wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 4:58 am Let us all take a moment be grateful that we are not into violins or cellos or anything like that!

Counterpoint: every time I go to see the symphony I always notice the musicians going in through the musician entrance. I always get extreme "load in" envy. For most players, their whole "load -in" consists of one reasonably sized case. Assholes.

Be a bass player in a big city....it's easy! Bass amps are always in the backline. I walk to and from most shows that I play.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 12:36 pm Be a bass player in a big city....it's easy! Bass amps are always in the backline. I walk to and from most shows that I play.

Fair enough. For a while I was the king of "borrowing a cabinet", then I just had to bring one guitar and a head.

Still, I'd say L.A. is a big city, yet there is no backline culture here. Maybe a few pay-to-play venues in Hollywood, but other than that it might as well be any other non-urban area.