Hardware
- Acer Aspire V15 Nitro
- Not the prettiest of laptops, nor the most sturdy one. Nevertheless, this thing’s been with me for nearly nine years. Great specs, back then, for relatively little money.
- Custom-Built Desktop PC
- be quiet! case, power supply and CPU cooler; MSI PRO Z790-P WIFI mobo; 13th gen Intel CPU; 32 GB Corsair DDR5 RAM; 2 TB Samsung SSD. I’d love for it to be even quiter, although I may be expecting a tad too much.
- Hitachi-LG Slim Portable DVD Writer
- What it says.
- Raspberry Pi Model B
- First-gen Pi.
Still going strong as, despite its lousy networking speed, my primary file and MPD server.Down right now, although I’ll probably have it running MPD again somewhat soonish. - Raspberry Pi Model B
- Another one.
Sits in a MAME cabinet that’s mostly switched off. Might upgrade that to a 3rd or 4th gen, and use this one as a strict 8-bit console emulator.Down as well, got replaced by a HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini. - HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini
- 7th-gen Core i5, 16 GB RAM, and a 256 GB SSD. Sits in that MAME cab. Runs Windows 11, for now, and RetroArch.
- Raspberry Pi 3
- This one’s reserved for my cocktail table arcade cab. Got a Gert VGA 666 for it, too, which still needs assembled, for use with an actual classic arcade monitor.
Music Gear
Through the years, I’ve come to collect quite a bit of budget gear.
Recording
- Korg padKONTROL
- Velocity-sensitive MIDI controller.
- Line6 Pod Studio UX1
- The simplest of USB interfaces, with one guitar and a dynamic mic input. Comes with decent modeling software, too.
- A pair of Yamaha HS50Ms
- Active studio monitors.
- E-MU 0404 USB
- Another audio interface. More gain and 48V phantom power, for condenser mics.
- Shure SM58
- Need I say more?
- Studio Projects B1
- Large diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone. Wonderful quality at this price point.
- M-Audio Keystation 61 Mk3
- Dead-simple MIDI/master keyboard.
Amps
- Boss Katana-50
- Modern modeling amp. Can double as a USB interface. Just too many possibilities, especially after it’s been hooked up to a PC—hint: shave off some “presence.”
- Boss FS-6
- Dead-simple footswitch.
- Vox VT50 Valvetronix
- Slightly older modeling amp. Can be made sound great. Take off the back for a more open sound.
- Ampeg BA115
- My super affordable bass amp. Disconnected the hissy tweeter. USA-made.
Guitars
- Art & Lutherie CW Spruce Burgundy
- Second guitar I got new. I wanted an acoustic and liked this one.
- Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass
- The (Indonesia-made) Vintage Modifieds get really good reviews.
- Ibanez SA260FM
- Extremely playable. Only electric I actually bought new.
- Fender Highway 1 Stratocaster
- Fender’s most affordable US strat. Got since replaced by the near-identical American Special, and later on, I think, American Performer. This one’s a 2004. Large ’70s headstock. Satin amber nitro over a multi-piece alder body. Switched the plastics to all black. HSS. 22 big frets. Slightly wider string spacing.
- Gibson SG Standard
- Fat, wide neck that had nevertheless broken twice before I got it. Pretty beat up, but I like this thing. Replaced a tuner, and, I think, one or two knobs.
- Fender Classic Series 50s Stratocaster
- Two-tone sunburst. Infinitely more affordable than an AVRI ’57? Closest current model (although it doesn’t come in a 2-tone burst) would be the Vintera Series ’50s strat.
- Gibson Les Paul Studio ’50s Tribute
- Gold top, dark back. The most affordable carved-top Gibson Les Paul? Buzzes a bit—will fix. Great neck and (somewhat smallish) frets.
- Squier Strat SE
- Cheapest guitar listed here, and I like this thing. Had also (!) suffered a neck break, which I repaired as soon as I got it. Full-size body, i.e., as thick as Fender one, unlike, e.g., the Affinity series. “Upgraded” the pickguard with a genuine Fender one, and the neck pup with a Gibson—these for sure cost more than the actual guitar.
- Vintage VS6
- The older—could be they’re back, though, I’m not sure—non-offset model. Made in Korea. I wanted to mess with something and got this really cheap. Ended up messing with it pretty badly, i.e., refinished it in cream white, reshaped the headstock—sorry—and added Gotoh keystone tuners. Which made it (more) neck-heavy. Will address.
- Fender Telecaster Thinline
- Was, uh, pretty hacked up. Refinished in a surf green that ended up less blue than I would have liked. Partly resprayed the neck, too. The wood, bridge, ferrules and jack mount are about the only original parts. Schaller “F-Series 70s” tuners. DiMarzio Twang King neck pup, and, I think, a Tonerider TRT2 in the bridge position.
- Unknown SG Copy
- A typical unbadged, early 1970s, Japanese, plywood SG. Like, I think, the cheaper Aria or Greco models. Has—or had, as the neck pup was replaced with a Seymour Duncan—the infamous “fake” humbuckers (i.e., single-coil pickups in disguise). Gave it a good clean and Graph Tech TUSQ nut. First guitar I ever refretted. Touched up the headstock a bit, too.
- London City Comet Mk I
- A lot of tele for an incredible price. String-through, modern bridge, “football” jack plate.
- Eko 500 V2
- Made in Italy, 1962. Two pickup version. Celluloid finish—red sparkle front/“mother of toilet seat” back. Was in bad shape, and is still being fixed up. Someone once had a go at it with a sander, it would seem, and badly damaged the body finish and tailpiece. Tuners were completely rusted/stuck. Smaller screws pretty much disintegrated. Neck screws fully stuck. Headstock had some kind of adhesive on it. Fretboard binding had shrunk/loosened. Fret ends popped up.
- Gibson Les Paul Traditional
- Ebony Traditional. Basic. Heavy. The least affordable instrument listed here.
Other
- Hohner Organetta
- 1950s German tabletop reed organ/harmonium.
Software
- Reaper
- Wonderfully complete Digital Audio Workstation. $60 for a personal or small-business license, too!
- BFD Eco
- I love this, now discontinued, “limited” drum library. Taking off all effects (and re-adding my own in my DAW), I can get about any sound I want.
- Visual Studio Code
- I know.
Daily Driver
Have had this pre-owned BMW 318d Touring for well over 6 years and well over 100,000 km.
All great, other than the unfortunate fact that it’s been hit, like, four times now. Well, that and the sticky inner door handle thing. And the rattling timing chain, which this model’s known for, unfortunately. (No worries, though; it’s been fixed.)
Note to self: interior color’s “Venetian Beige.”
Daily Coffee Maker
Philips 3000 HD8821/01. Got a used one as a gift some two years ago. Needs to be regularly taken apart to get a really good clean, but really happy with it.