Let's talk about symbiotic junk

[Pepe]

Never underestimate sentimental values! The luthier didn't check the pickup?

[Jwar]

My 5 string Jackson Bass. It's a POS and I love it. Need to fix it though. I've had it for 15 years now.

[psychic vampire.]

Still have my first bass (Samick P-style) unstrung in my closet. It's from my ska-punk days. I painted the pickguard checkerboard bc Paul Simonon's bass. I try ti save my sentiment for things people made for me, or things that belonged to friends. My Korg ES-1 will likely never leave me, nor my enormous Ensoniq ESQ-1, to my own frustration, though.

[Eivind August]

My Fender Mini Deluxe small battery powered piece of shit amp. Love it. I often end up playing it instead of my big old tube amp, and have even recorded with it. It has a lofi sound of its own, and I love it for what it is. Never use the drive on it, just set it clean and destroy it with pedals.

[ognoy]

I have a late 70s Terada(Japanese Martin-copy)acoustic guitar which my dad bought when he was 15.
Sounds great and is in excellent condition.
Doen't really play acoustic that often, but when I do the guitars just feels so right.
The only piece of gear I KNOW I will never sell.

[UglyCasanova]

My Fender Mini Deluxe small battery powered piece of shit amp. Love it. I often end up playing it instead of my big old tube amp, and have even recorded with it. It has a lofi sound of its own, and I love it for what it is. Never use the drive on it, just set it clean and destroy it with pedals.

I think you mean; LAL 88

[Eivind August]

I thought we were talking pieces of gear that we love even though they're shit?

[UglyCasanova]

Oh, I thought of 'junk' as some sort of colloquial ILF talk.

In that case...probably still my Bass VI

[Jero]

Mine has got to be my frankentele an old friend gave me. I think his uncle made it, eventually gave it to my buddy, who gave it to me when he joined the marines. It shows it's age, and there's nothing remarkable about it. The bridge is falling apart, neck pickup cover rattles (which I play sometimes), tuners are stiff as hell, jack needs replaced (cable constantly breaks contact), it weighs a ton, etc. I won't play the thing for a couple months, then I pick it up and all my other stringers are forgotten.

Hell, I bought what is technically the nicest guitar I own a couple weeks ago...yet the beater tele is all I've been playing.

Oh, I thought of 'junk' as some sort of colloquial ILF talk.

[rustywire]

Most gear is symbiotic to my playing and musical perspective.
But my shortlist...
The circa 1980 Duo Sonic clone, first guitar under $100 with hardcase. The one which spawned this user name.
The circa 1999 Fender Jazz Bass, first real amplified acoustic instrument
Muh first DMM
Chuck Collins Harmonic Percolator
Muh Selmer TNB 50 mk2

[HighDeaf1080p]

Ah yes...everyone remembers their first DMM. *sigh*

[Justinm1789]

You're all gonna laugh at me, but I have a special bond with my MXR Blue Box.

Bought it once, couldn't find a way to make it practical, sold it, got nostalgic, bought it again, sold it again, got nostalgic again, bought it again. Never leaving my board again.

I use it as the basis for synth sounds, and some gated fuzz tones with the octave dialed out and in combination with other effects.
Distortion after it makes the octave sound a little more square. Can also get a nice gated crunch using a bridge pickup, that way.
A wah after it, for vocal synthy swells, or park the wah for tones reminiscent of an old Radio Shack computer's sound card.
A chorus after it gives it a more authentic videogamey presence.

On its own, it's not an inherently "musical" effect at all, I think, but combined with my other effects it becomes the core of a makeshift guitar synth.

[rfurtkamp]

It's not really junk, but the market at the time thought it was.

A circa '94 MIM Fender "Squier Series" black label Jazz Bass. Single piece pickguard, no control plate. Black. Had a chip out of it from knocking a dude's tooth out that I painted over with black model paint.

Beat the absolute hell.

I have the same stainless flats on it I've had since '98 or so.

They are gnarly and still have zing by the grace of Satans.

Me with it in my pre-cripple days, circa '03, in our old practice space with primitive mattress soundproofing.

[rustywire]

Ah yes...everyone remembers their first DMM. *sigh*

After rereading thread...realized 4 of my mentions don't really fit with the theme (because awesome).
But it's all junk, really. Also symbiotic. So there.

[popvulture]

My beater Seagull acoustic that I've had since I was 14. I've got a vintage Country Western and a really sweet D-18GE, and the gull gets the most play of probably any guitar I own, let alone acoustics.

Can't get rid of it. Too crusty. Too good.