At the very start of 2016, I wrote some new year's resolutions which I actually fulfilled (How cool is that?!) I wanted to deepen my foundations of acoustic guitaring, and I did. I planned for lots of guitar covers and I posted one almost every month. I thought of going boutique on pedals and I did. I hope to venture into bass guitar and I finally did. I wanted to improve on my recording skills and I went to get the gear I need. Lastly, my amplifier have also gone boutique this year.
So much to look back at in this post. So let's get right into it!
In January, the very first pedal I got was the EHX Nano Big Muff Pi. This is the first time I have an extra pedal which I would like to keep but eventually sold it away. The Muff brought me some fun before I found it too muddy and it wasn't long before it disappeared from my board for a cleaner pedal.
In February, my Ibanez amplifier finally died. I got a Line 6 Spider IV to replace it and the Spider does a much better job than the Ibanez could ever do for me. It was big enough for me and it contains a very deep and rich sound. In February I also decided to pull the plug on custom cabling and went with Lava Tightrope for the job. It allowed me to better arrange my pedals for a more efficient tap dance.
March was a memorable month because I have finally graduated from Polytechnic and I began working part-time. With the newly-earned money, the Fulltone OCD found its way onto my board. I couldn't be happier because that is also the first pedal I brought brand new from a shop. This is one pedal that is gonna stay on my board forever.
In April, nothing much really happened too. The EHX Nano Big Muff Pi got swapped for an EHX Soul Food for cleaner options and another guitar cover for the month was recorded. I am more focused on working in the month of April than playing guitar at home.
In May, the gear revolution started. Life for me began to pick up pace in May. From this month till now, all kinds of gear arrived and left. There was so much going on. In May, I bought a used Epiphone Tribute Plus because it was on sale at a really good price on Carousell. Immediately recorded a guitar cover with on few days later. I really loved the colour and functions of that guitar and I thought it was gonna stay with me for good.
June was a crazy month. I lost my Gibson Les Paul in a trade which got me a Fender Stratocaster. I was quite happy at that point in time because I've always preferred Fender necks to Gibson necks. I saw myself getting a Mono Case for my Stratocaster to protect it well. Also in June, for some reason I had extra cash lying around, the EHX Nano POG was added to my board. It's a unique pedal that I use once in a while for that octave effect.
In July, I finally got myself the Strymon Timeline. Delay effects has always been important to a worship guitarist like me. And surprisingly I managed to survive with Boss delay pedals until then. This is the most expensive single unit pedal I have ever bought and although it pains my pocket, it is totally worth it. In July, I also bought high quality guitar cables from D'addario just for fun.
In August, I figured out that the Sunburst MIM Stratocaster was full of hidden problems and decided to get a real Stratocaster. Found myself an American Deluxe which was twice the price of the MIM one and pulled the trigger. The Deluxe was so new, so clean, so shiny compared to the MIM. This guitar is also the most expensive guitar in my collection at the moment.
In September, another guitar came onboard to fill up my semi-hollow needs, the Gretsch G5420T. I ended all my part-time job spree in September and with all that money earned I must spend it somewhere. Apart from the Grestch, I went to buy a Tech 21 Blonde from Ebenex again to prepare for direct-in situations. It is a wonderful pedal that is not getting enough usage at the time of purchase.
October was the month I finally enlisted into the army. There was just enough time to record a few covers on weekends so that's basically what I did all month. Notable events include the sale of my Epiphone Tribute Plus because my other guitars are getting much more playtime than the heavy Les Paul.
November was the start of my spending spree. Legit. I had too much time in the army to brainstorm and secure deals on Carousell that I ended up downsizing my pedalboard. Amidst the downsizing, the Paul Cochrane Timmy came into the picture. November saw me frantically planning for the future of my board, solving the PP2+ mounting issue, and getting rid of a few unnecessary pedals. I remember having deals after deals on every weekend I'd be at home.
December, which is this month, was the height of my guitar journey. So so much happened that it's impossible to list everything. Notable gear arrival include the Yamaha THR10C, the Focusrite 2i4 and the Yamaha TRBX174EW. The Hall of Fame 2 and Suhr Riot came in too. I went crazy in December and recorded 3 guitar covers alongside 7 blog posts. Of course with so much going in things must be going out. Go figure.
With the crazy shopping spree, 2017 ended on a high note for me. I finished BMT with ease and attained a Company Best Shot award. I transited into unit life smoothly. I am looking at a crazy amount of gear every single day and it's just gonna be ever exciting as each day passes.
Although 2017 was filled with ups and downs (like every other year), I have found moments to be thankful for. Thank you 2017.
Edwin Ang
31st December 2017
Although 2017 was filled with ups and downs (like every other year), I have found moments to be thankful for. Thank you 2017.
Edwin Ang
31st December 2017
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