What was your first rig? and first real rig?

My first rig actually sounded incredible and I wish I could replicate it.

The first band I was ever in was a pretty extreme death metal band in the 90s. I had a Crate Excalibur 2200H that I used a zoom driver pedal with into the clean channel. The 4x12 cab had speakers my guitar tech sold me cheap and I have no idea what they were. I also had a pair of the peavey towers and unplugged the tweeters. It sounded fantastic and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing at the time.

My first "real" set up was a 6505+ with whatever 4x12 I had at the time.
 
I started on this (because it was what I could afford)



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And then my first real rig was my 5150 II guitar head (because I blew up the 2x12) and a purple peavey Wolfgang special that I wore the frets off.
 
My first amp was a godawful Darius D12. My guitar teacher when I was a kid was a very cool guy and great teacher. He sold me a fuzz pedal for super cheap which got me hooked!

My guitar for quite some time was an equally lousy El Degas Les Paul Copy.
This is was what I learned on for quite some time.

I worked a couple of summers cutting a crapload of lawns and got my first real tube amp being a Marshall JCM 800 1x12 combo.
I loved that amp and used it everywhere, but being a youngster, I did know the proper care of a tube amp. Took it out to a rehearsal in the winter after sitting in the car all day and fired it up. POOF! Took it in to get repaired and before the guy came in to pick up all of the repairs, the store was broken into and a lot of gear was stolen, including my amp. Was so sad. I had to take something else that they were able to get quickly as I needed an amp. A POS crate solid state head and cab. Hated that thing.
 
Gorilla amp with a Samick strat, metallic red with a white pick guard. Maple board dot inlays....back in 97. Then by 2000 I got a Les Paul Special in gloss black which I still have and is my baby.
 
My first real rig was a red G&L Rampage into an SD-1 into a Marshall 2203 through a 2x12 cab with Marshall labeled V30s. Before that was an Ibanez PF230 ( bolt on black beauty LP copy) into a Crate SS1x12 combo with a DOD distortion and flanger. Before that a big F hole guitar into a Heathkit TA 16 2x12 SS combo amp my dad built.
 
Bought a very clean Hiwatt DR103 for $375 from Alex Lifeson's roadie in 1980's (they're from my area, I went to school with Nancy Peart, Neil's sister, who set me up with roadie to buy amp) along with an old 70's Marshall GB cab.
Used my Uncles '73 Les Paul Std to learn guitar.
Guy Beresford, close friend of Dave Reeves, modded that amp to jump channels for an extra gain stage without any tonal loss...
Wish I still had that amp.🥴
Traded 'up' to the latest and greatest ADA MP1 preamp, that was one of my dumbest gear transactions of all time.😑
 
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75 Ibanez LP Custom Peavey Pacer on top of 2x12 vertical and a Boss DS1..1983 Orioles Hat World Champs
 

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My 1st amp was a Peavey Decade here's a picture of me playing it at 15 years old with my little brother next to me and here is a picture of the amp I still have it. My first guitar was a Phoenix Electra. My first real rig was a Marshall 2210 Half Stack and an old Vox wah, here's a picture of it along with my ESP Mirage Deluxe!
 

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First real rig was a 1974 Les Paul Custom, ADA MP-1, HH 800 power amp, Alesis MidiVerb IV, Peavey 412 cab. It was the mid 90s, so rack gear was super cheap. I actually really miss that rig. It sounded great and was very versatile.
 
Smashedguitarist said:
The rockmaster has a very amazing sound if you boost the everliving shit out of it. My buddy sends me clips all the time. Every bit as good as my wizard.
Click to expand...
The Rockmaster's Ultra Gain channel with the pull gain function activated had a very hot, pushed feel to it, even with weaker pickups. Then again, I didn't know what boosting was in those days lol
 
First rig when I was 14: Marshall Lead 12 combo
First real rig when I was 15: Marshall JCM800 stack :)
 
First practice setup: Mexican fender strat, peavey keyboard amp, Ibanez soundtank slam punk

first real rig: 77 Les Paul custom, Marshall dsl 50 head, marshall 1960a, boss dd3, mxr noise gate, mxr line driver
 
OK, I'm gonna show my 71 (as of this Friday).

My first "rig" was an Airline guitar from Montgomery Wards (mainly due to the discount my dad got from working there) and a solid state, 1x12 combo from Der Spiegel catalogue. My twin brother (a drummer) and I set up in our 10x15 bedroom with two twin beds, two desks, and a state of the art, self-contained stereo (in the closet...no room anywhere else) with detachable speakers and a flip-down turntable. We'd Crank that bitch, stack vinal to the ceiling and jam all day/night. My parents, God bless 'em, never complained mostly, I'm sure, cuz they knew where their boys were. The Airline has since been reproduced by Eastwood and had knobs up the yingyang! Looked just like this:

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My first "real rig" was a Gibson SG Standard (mostly because of Clapton's "The Fool") and a Fender Twin Reverb. That lasted until I got out of the Army in '73.
 
First rig. Crappy Memphis P bass into a Techniques home stereo. 1980 I think.
First REAL rig. RIC 4003 into a Sunn colosseum head and a 4x15 cab(speakers were mounted in a vertical V shaped facing each other).
First guitar rig. Junker Rhodes clone outta a bros closet into a Gorilla amp. 1984 I think...
First REAL guitar rig. KILLER pirate model guitars into a huge rack full of high end pre/power amps and effects(circa 1990-1996 or so).
Current rigs. Bunch of custom built guitars into a bunch of great heads from a bunch of great companies into numerous 4x12 using only a gate.

But the memories from that junker Rhodes clone and Gorilla amp crush everything else.
Because of youth and drugs.
Don't smoke cigs and do drugs,kids.
Unless you wanna look cool.
 
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