just starting another long term gear fast so a pandemic retrospective seems appropriate. didn't realise I'd bought so much shit
*Strandberg Salen Classic: 10/10 - single-handedly stopped all wrist and shoulder pain when playing geetar, so basically the best purchase I've ever made.
Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic: 5/10 - really nice neck but needed way too much work to even remotely stay in tune. up yr hardware game, Squier.
Squier Bronco Bass: 8/10 - with a new P bass p/u and some nicer strings this was a really damn good recording bass.
Alexander Super Neo Matic: 7/10 - really versatile and quirky but kinda noisy even on an isolated PSU
AMT F1: 6/10 - kinda meh compared to newer preamps
*Blue Colander Tremond: 10/10 - best RAT clone, 99% as good as the OG on guitar and better on bass thanks to clean blend with LPF
Boss OC-5: 3/10 - eugh
DBA Echo Dream 2: 7/10 - prob my favourite pt2399 delay sound but considering how huge and spenno it is there are a lot of features missing
Dr Sci Atmosphere: 5/10 - could barely get a sound I liked out of it (sorrysorrysorry)
Dr Sci Reverberator: 8/10 - top tier simple verb
EA Throat Locust: 8/10 - straight up gnarly, just didn't suit my playing
EAE Dagger: 8/10 - top tier distortion, just overlapped a bit too much with the RAT
*EAE Halberd mkII: 9/10 - like a console overdrive that cuts harder than most distortion pedals. super articulate.
*EAE Model feT: 10)))/10 - makes everything sound better, all the time. haven't turned it off.
EAE Surveyor mkI: 9/10 - maybe the best dirt box ever for stacking
*EQD Aqueduct: 9/10 - pitch env. mode is like a goofy jazzmaster trem you can use with your foot. wish the speed and depth range was wider, but it's mad fun.
EQD Plumes: 5/10 - somewhat mediocre tubescreamer. voice switch is useful, though.
EQD Spires: 7/10 - great sounding fuzzes but not being able to stack and having no EQ kinda sucks, not worth flipper prices.
EHX 1440: 8/10 - pretty much flawless, but modern EHX peds are just so damn UGLY
Latent Lemon Audo Hurts: 7/10 - is harmonic perc
*MASF Raptio: 9/10 - yes
Poly Beebo: 8/10 - super high sound quality, keeps getting better with updates, convolution reverb is bliss, just not that great for live use.
*Red Panda Context 2: 9/10 - fav pedal reverb now. seamless trails when using momentarily or switching presets makes it really expressive. would be perfect if the spring algo wasn't awful.
Red Panda Tensor: 9/10 - near perfect piece of gear, just not that suited to quick glitches since you have to use 2 footswitches to capture/stop
Spaceman Aurora: 8/10 - feature set is kind of odd but it's a fantastic sounding flanger.
*Two Notes CAB M: 10/10 - best utility purchase. have used it for a headphone amp, jamming thru a PA system, DI recording, even just adding EQ or noise gate or whatever at the end of the chain.
*Roland JC-22: 9/10 - sounds like a JC, tiny, can keep up with most drummers.
Audient iD14 mkII: 8/10 - best sounding sub-$500 interface by far IMO but not very user friendly.
Elektron Model Cycles: 7/10 - didn't gel with it, but a good value piece of kit.
*Fishman TriplePlay: 9/10 - hands down best guitar-to-MIDI solution.
(* stuff I've actually kept and use regularly)