Gear minimalists?

[markal]

We often talk about GAS (myself included). Anybody here choose to be a gear minimalist? If so, what do you have and how do you use it?

I ask because I’m considering going this route. My office (and home studio) is a little packed now with four electric guitars, two acoustic guitars, two amps (and I just sold one), PA speakers, small speakers, cases, 10 pedals, recording gear, cables etc, plus my desk and computer for my actual job.

Lately, I always grab the same guitar, but it’s new-ish (a couple months) so it could be lingering honeymoon. But I’m contemplating selling off two electrics and one acoustic. I’d keep one extra electric for backup and a little variety. I feel like I’d focus more on playing and practicing, rather than tinkering and comparing gear.

Thoughts?

 

[Bob Arbogast]

Had a gig yesterday. My rig was Tele --> Fulltone FatBoost 2 --> 2x10 Deluxe Reverb clone. I like it simple, and I'm always wondering what I can do without.

 

[68tele]

Jamming rig: Tele--->ProJr.

Church rig: Tele or Strat--->Boss SD-1--->Delay--->5e3

 

[fleezinator]

For years I only had a lone PRS, bass, an acoustic & an aging POD XT live. No amp since my main gig is P&W at church. Thanks to pandemic times, I've since added a Helix LT, 3 more guitars & a Boss Katana 50. I don't have much room in the office so my corner is pretty stocked. I've never really gassed for gear & with the Helix, I'm pretty content, allowing me to get back to learning how to play this dang instrument.

 

[Mark the Moose]

Leaning that way as well. I’ve been slowly selling off gear and I’m pretty close to where I want to be. One acoustic, one tele, one hollowbody, one resonator, one tweed and one blackface. Pedals are my real problem…

 

[Frodebro]

Some people are quite happy with a “minimalist” rig, others fall firmly into the opposite end of the spectrum. Go with what makes you happy.

 

[String Tree]

We often talk about GAS (myself included). Anybody here choose to be a gear minimalist? If so, what do you have and how do you use it?

I ask because I’m considering going this route. My office (and home studio) is a little packed now with four electric guitars, two acoustic guitars, two amps (and I just sold one), PA speakers, small speakers, cases, 10 pedals, recording gear, cables etc, plus my desk and computer for my actual job.

Lately, I always grab the same guitar, but it’s new-ish (a couple months) so it could be lingering honeymoon. But I’m contemplating selling off two electrics and one acoustic. I’d keep one extra electric for backup and a little variety. I feel like I’d focus more on playing and practicing, rather than tinkering and comparing gear.

Thoughts?

For the bulk of my playing carreer, I have been a hired Gun.
Although i have a lot of guitars and amps to fulfill the needs of everybody I have played with, when I go onstage or rehearse, I keep it sparse. A travel bag with everyday pedals. seldom do I take more than two guitars.

 

[Obsessed]

I try to be a minimalist in my overall lifestyle, which, to me is more important. Reducing your creative tools might not be the best priority. Perhaps look for other things in your life to simplify first. I’m reducing my gear, but I have about what you have right now, so keep things in perspective while reducing gear.

 

[teleforumnoob]

I have a studio full of stuff. But on the rare occasions I do get to play out on guitar....
a small combo amp, a guitar, 2-3 pedals, and One Spot is about all I ever need.

 

[JL_LI]

I occupy the middle ground in this debate. I have 5 electric guitars, two acoustics, and two amps but I consider what I use minimalist in nature. I keep one amp out, a do everything Mesa Boogie Express 5:25. I have one electric guitar out at a time and most of the time it's my FCS '69 Stratocaster. I use two pedals, neither as effects. How's that? I use my BOSS EQ-200 as a tone shaper. Settings for the guitar out now are in Memory 4. It's always on. I don't use the reverb in my amp. I use a Fender Mirror Image Delay instead. It puts space around the guitar's sound without being splashy. The delay decays a little more at higher frequencies giving me balance between strings that I was never able to get from a compressor. At the same time, it gives me what I hear as an increase in sustain without blunting attack. I have both pedals on a board on top of my amp. It's easier if I want to mess with settings that way, but for the most part, the pedals are just on. The only deviation from always on is for jazz where I turn the delay off.

So what's minimalist about this setup? It's always the same stuff and it's always out in my music room. It takes up very little space. If I want to enjoy another of my guitars, I put the one I have out away and take out another. There's no need to sell anything off. What should go? My Tele? My other Strat? My Annie or SG? My front porch amp or my beater acoustic? Put away, they're not in the way but are still available when I want them.

Sell off gear? Why? I don't need the space or the money.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Very minimal for me years now ( bad back, can't carry heavy, or a lot of stuff)

Basic rundown:

-We have small PA, for vocals and acoustic instruments ( iif we use) , 2 powered 12" mains, 1 powered 10" monitor

- I own 4 small gig amps ( one 8" , 10", or 12" , and a solo acoustic gig PA) I just pick amp for the size of gig

- have four electrics and two acoustics- pick just one. ( like to hear the variety of music we do, just using one- fun!)

- have (2) very similar 4-pedal pedalboards- pick one

- one Joyo American Sound- brought to every gig as a 'backup amp' ( into PA) if needed

So all good ( redundant maybe) and efficient

 

[unixfish]

I am not quite minimalist, although pretty minimal.

I have a Strat, a Tele, an acoustic, a Mustang III, a Mustang Micro, a tuner pedal, and a TS clone. That is it. I have a bunch of picks, and I threw away a bunch of picks a few years ago. Essentially two electrics, one amp, and one effects pedal.

It does what I need it to for now. As much as I would love more and sometimes look at more, just, why?

If push came to shove, I could go down to one guitar and one amp; a decent modelling amp allows me to have "many amps" in once footprint.

I really should open the acoustic case and make sure it's still there.

 

[Killing Floor]

I’m ordering a RYRA Klone tomorrow when I get home. I want a Cusack germanium fuzz and will probably also order one. And Barbarian Fuzz Raiders has some new dirt so I need that. And my clone Dual Rec red channel preamp will be done in a few weeks so that means I won’t have anything special on order unless I hurry. And Spruce is opening orders again.

what was the question?

 

[JoeNeri]

Guitar

Pedal Board

Amp

 

[irie]

Generally I am just, Guitar > cable > Amp

Occasionally, I will throw a drive in between but that has become more and more rare. The guitar varies, but the amp is almost always a tweed champ (despite having other options) with the volume somewhere between 3-6.

I am not against pedals or complicated rigs, but these days I don't find them adding to my enjoyment or creativity as much as they used to. Perhaps i'm just getting old...

 

[pugnax]

I like to have 2 electrics (full scale single coils, short scale humbucker), 2 acoustics (recording/performance, campfire), an amp, pedals (percolator, compressor, shallow water, delay, reverb, f*ck, looper).

Then basic studio gear: one ribbon mic, one dynamic mic, one condenser mic, a channel strip, interface, DAW controller. Also whatever is needed for silent guitar recording (eg load box and cab sim).

Synths. A 104hp eurorack ambient noise thing, a keyboard controller, a drone synth, a drum machine. I’d like to pick up a dedicated string synth.

I’d consider sort of a “capsule studio”. Not truly minimalist in terms of guitar > amp, but I’d consider it a minimalist studio all the same.

 

[naveed211]

1 electric, 1 amp and 1 cab, 1 bass, 1 multi effect unit, 1 external reverb for a special effect.

That’s it. I don’t love playing acoustic but I sometimes buy one if a project needs it. I almost never play it and I don’t keep things lying around. If I get into gigging again I’ll maybe get a backup guitar, but I’ve gigged with just one many times.

I love being a minimalist, more than not I’ve only had a few pieces of gear at different points in my playing life.

 

[graybeard65]

My rig is pretty simple. Guitar, boost/drive, and amp

I do almost always use an attenuator.

rehearsal, gig, or play at home…same exact rig. It’s uncluttered, uncomplicated, and über reliable - and I’ve never been happier.

 

[telekaster1999]

Went from a big board to this.

 

[sax4blues]

My desert island minimalist amp would be Mesa MKV-25. Shouldn’t need any OD pedals, it has reverb so just a delay pedal. 1x10 combo weighs just 24lb. Then your guitar of choice.