I wish I wouldn't have gotten ...

Huggy Love

Huggy Love

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Mar 10, 2015
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OK, I admit this is a ripoff thread of the reverse theory, but what U got? What do you own (or owned) that was a waste of time, money or interest, and never reached its full potential in your arsenal of gear?

For me it's a three way tie:

An attenuator - Cause it turned my Recto into sounding like a modeler.

A drum machine - I've owned 2 in the pre-DAW days, and although I got some songs recorded with them, I'm still an old codger that thinks the world would be a better place without them.

PRS 408 - Not that it wasn't a nice guitar, it played well, and I recorded some songs with it, but I've become such a hollow body guy that I really don't even enjoy playing solid bodies anymore.o_O

So ........... any regrets?
 
For the most part I have enjoyed the gear I buy, even if I end up selling it to get something else. However, the Mesa Nomad 55 stands out as a mistake. Not terrible, but big, heavy and only ok tone. Also ended up being a pain to sell.
 
Several attempts at playing a Ditto Looper pedal. Could never get the tempo down where the "intelligent looper" could recognize my ham-fisted (read: footed) timing. Also, the "band in a box" Digitech Trio pedals with supposedly decent good backing bass and drum tracks...

Both types of pedals that were supposed to provide accompaniment quickly exited stage left and were sold.

(My basic "bread and butter" still remains as practicing to my iTunes playlists, either with real songs or backing tracks)
 
CandidPicker said:
Several attempts at playing a Ditto Looper pedal. Could never get the tempo down where the "intelligent looper" could recognize my ham-fisted (read: footed) timing. Also, the "band in a box" Digitech Trio pedals with supposedly decent good backing bass and drum tracks...

Both types of pedals that were supposed to provide accompaniment quickly exited stage left and were sold.

(My basic "bread and butter" still remains as practicing to my iTunes playlists, either with real songs or backing tracks)
Click to expand...
Yeah, i've had one for 5 years and haven't used it in 4. The demos are great, but I had a hard time getting that stomp timing down to where it started my loop in time with my playing.
 
DreamTheaterRules said:
Yeah, i've had one for 5 years and haven't used it in 4. The demos are great, but I had a hard time getting that stomp timing down to where it started my loop in time with my playing.
Click to expand...

It fascinates me that the videos instructing you how to use the looper pedals are spot-on every time. Though in real life, unless you can do the same thing the videos do EXACTLY the same, the timing is off...and yet I keep testing my luck with these pedals in hopes something will work out correctly...and it seldom ever does...
 
CandidPicker said:
It fascinates me that the videos instructing you how to use the looper pedals are spot-on every time. Though in real life, unless you can do the same thing the videos do EXACTLY the same, the timing is off...and yet I keep testing my luck with these pedals in hopes something will work out correctly...and it seldom ever does...
Click to expand...
Oh I know. I'd guess with me that it's just a practice thing. I never tried it for long so I never really developed the timing of my foot. My timing is good so I think I was just ticked that I had an issue with it, and just never bothered to keep trying til I got it down. Seems to me that doing it casually on stage would be an issue for many.
 
DreamTheaterRules said:
Oh I know. I'd guess with me that it's just a practice thing. I never tried it for long so I never really developed the timing of my foot. My timing is good so I think I was just ticked that I had an issue with it, and just never bothered to keep trying til I got it down. Seems to me that doing it casually on stage would be an issue for many.
Click to expand...

I think that was what was the issue with the Ditto on my FX board as well...the effect was unlikely ever to be used on stage, and would have been relegated for use as a practice tool. My sense of timing wasn't the best, so I cut down on use of the extraneous effects and focused on what supported my practice regimen. The effects I used regularly instead of only occasionally.

I think I've only one other effect that may be on the "chopping block" in the future, but will keep it for the time being simply because I've owned the same pedal several times and sold it thinking I'd never buy the same effect ever again.

Did I ever learn my lesson? Nope. This time, if the pedal in question comes off the board, it will be stored away while the FX board is renovated. Then, the effect will still be within my ownership if ever I need return it to the FX board.
 
My "pedal platform". Ended being a complete waste of time and money. After months of buying and stacking OD's and distortion pedals I ended up scrapping it all and going back to a tube amp. It was fun at first, but at the end of the day it just sounded too artificial to me. :(
 
As I got more and more into recording instrumental pieces for independent film makers, I decided that I'd give a Native Instruments Maschine a go. It seemed like it would open new doors to approach music in a different way. Even after taking courses on how to use I have been unable to do ANYTHING with it except to trigger samples - and to that end, I can just drop wav samples into a track and not even have to bother with the stupid Maschine.

I hate that thing, lol.

I have kept it because every now and then I'll bust it out and give it another try, but it always comes down to me realizing that my current writing tools and methods are easier, quicker and work for me.

As far as guitar stuff, I wish I hadn't bought the Bad Cat amps. They are awesome, but the two amps and the one cab were VERY pricey and they barely get used. I gig with my Helix Rack rig. I rehearse with a Helix HX Stomp. I tend to do 98% of my recording with Helix Native or Helix Rack. The other 2% I DO use a Bad Cat, but with a Suhr Reactive Load and IRs from the Helix Rack. Buying those amps cost several thousand dollars that just didn't need to be spent. I'd sell them, but right now is totally a buyers market and I'm tired of getting savaged on things I attempt to sell.....
 
Vanilla Latte said:
My "pedal platform". Ended being a complete waste of time and money. After months of buying and stacking OD's and distortion pedals I ended up scrapping it all and going back to a tube amp. It was fun at first, but at the end of the day it just sounded too artificial to me. :(
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat and use very few pedals, especially in front of the amp. I rely solely on the amp's overdrive for any of those tones. I've just never really fell in love with any kind of distortion or overdrive pedal.

I do run a compressor and wah before the amp (depending on the song, of course), but that's it. In the loop I have three different pedals to add a bit of color to my tone if a certain song calls for it...but the fewer pedals I have to turn on, the happier I am.
 
I bought a Fishman Tripleplay in December. It took hours to set up, install and configure. I still cant get it to work. Waste of money.

Still ultimately disappointed with CE24 Reclaimed.

I have a Dillion Dagger bass that was supposed to replace a Squier P for recording. I turns out that the Squier is better. So its just taking up house room.
 
2003 McCarty Brazilian Limited w solid IRW neck & Braz board, pretty guitar, I'm just not loving it like I thought I would.
 
jackcrowder said:
2003 McCarty Brazilian Limited w solid IRW neck & Braz board, pretty guitar, I'm just not loving it like I thought I would.
Click to expand...

I feel you on that. I have two nice PRS' that I just don't gel with at all. One is my DGT Artist Package with a Brazilian board. The other is a WL CU22 with an IRW neck and ebony board. Pretty guitars, but I just gravitate to the sonically.
 
Vanilla Latte said:
My "pedal platform". Ended being a complete waste of time and money. After months of buying and stacking OD's and distortion pedals I ended up scrapping it all and going back to a tube amp. It was fun at first, but at the end of the day it just sounded too artificial to me.
Click to expand...

It's understandable. Trying to copy or emulate a tone really isn't your own sound, and so many of us rely on sounding original.

From personal experience, I found that stacking overdrives and distortion pedals merely introduced inordinate noise into the signal path, and being a stickler for cleaner tones, my ears just didn't tolerate that.

My current effects are designed specifically for a singing lead tone, without the usual crunch from mid-gain overdrives. I use a J Rockett Blue Note Pro Series (set to low gain) and a Decibelics Golden Horse (Mini-Klon clone) for overdrive and boost/overdrive respectively. I also employ a TC Electronic Sentry Noise Gate to clear up any hiss or ambient hum in the circuit, and it does the job quite well. Nice fat, rounded tones with just a slight EQ adjustment at the amp level. Typically with pushed bass and flat mids and treble.

Of course, as you had mentioned in your post, a good clean tube amp is IMHO the best platform from which one can build your tone and sound. If the tube amp doesn't take pedals well, the purpose of using effects is relatively pointless. Better to take the opportunity to provide satisfactory amp response rather than use the trial and error method where you'd be searching endlessly for "your" tone and sound. Yet, without the correct guidance from more experienced folks, where would we be, but still searching?

Your efforts regards simplifying your rig is commendable, but don't dismiss trying to enhance or embellish what you already own with a good overdrive and/or boost that provides an unusually good lead tone and cleans up with your guitar knob...OR dial in a tone with your amp volume just to the point of breakup and use your guitar knob to push the amp into singing leads that also cleans up with lower guitar knob volume...both Mr. Carlton & Ford have used this technique for years and approve of...
 
Regrets. Since much of my amps and pedals have been bought used, I moved them at little or no loss, so no real regrets there. I guess my regret would be my Cutlass. It is SO close to being the strat I always wanted. 4x2 headstock, SS frets, etc. But the neck is just narrow enough to make me not love it. I like it a lot. In several ways, the best Strat I've ever had. just can't quite love the neck. Probably going to sell it. Would have already if SS was just slightly differently spec'd.
 
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