Rain

Depeche Mode - Further Excerpt from: My Secret Garden

Depeche Mode - Excerpt from: My Secret Garden

The Cure - This Twilight Garden

The Cure - Hanging Garden

Soundgarden - Half

Yeah, it was that horrible. I know there's a lot of people my age buying toys and stuff they used to own in their youth because it brings back memories. A few years ago, I even tracked an old 8 track player exactly like the one my dad owned when I was a kid and acquired it. For the memories it brings. But that guitar would be in the exact opposite category for me. I am not sure it still exists. It was in a closet in my parents house, in 2 pieces (bolted neck) last I saw it. It's probably been dumped ages ago. The only thing to do with that piece of garbage.

I knew I could count on you!

Scorpions - Dark Lady

Lady Evil - Black Sabbath

Def Leppard - Lady Strange

Scorpions - Lady Starlight

Stone Temple Pilots - Lady Picture Show

A kid in school had one of those Hondo LP. I thought it was infinitely nicer than my Mann. What does that tell you... lol

I grew up in a relatively poor household, so I have many contenders for the title of worst piece of gear you've ever owned. My first electric guitar was a used crappy Les Paul copy, a brand named Mann, that I got for Christmas in 85. I found a picture on the web. Mine had the black pickguard and the black speed knobs. And here's me with mine: I remember me and my pal bringing our guitars to have them adjusted by a friend's dad. When we came to pick them up, my buddy's Sears Harmony Strat copy was all set up and intonated. He then handed me mine with that sad look on his face, saying: sorry, there's just nothing I can really do about yours. THAT crappy. As much as I was happy to have a guitar, a tobacco burst Les Paul stood out like a sore thumb when you were an aspiring metal god in the age of superstrats. In the late 80's, you'd rarely see any metal guitarist with a LP, much less one with that kind of finish. But I kept at it for the next few years, and eventually, after an entire year without an electric guitar, I got a Sears Strat, all black, which was already a huge improvement, and then my Korean Fender Squier. I often wonder whether it's possible that that Mann sucked so bad that it slowed down my progress. I think so. Not to mention that I couldn't afford a set of strings, I'd buy individual ones when I broke a B or an E, but I'd sometimes go on with a 4 or 5 string guitar for a few weeks. I had so many bad memories that almost 25 years passed before I even considered playing a LP again. Ironically, they then quickly became my favorites. Not only did my guitar suck, but I didn't have an amp until the following Christmas. Ad then this is what I got: And no pedal, of course (I eventually got a BOSS Super Overdrive, a year or two afterwards - although that was yet another compromise as I could not get the orange Distortion I lusted after). For a while, I rented amps whenever I could afford it and needed it for a rehearsal or something. I'd also borrow a little Traynor from school. And I eventually inherited that ROSS amp - though I seem to recall mine was for keys, it had no overdrive. But, yeah, that one and all the rest of these are the stuff of nightmares. And the reason I was so ecstatic when I finally got my Korean Strat and my first Marshall combo.

The Beastie Boys - (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)

John Fogerty and the Blue Ridge Riders - Hearts of Stone First song I remember hearing. My parents loved to play it when we had guess because I would go nuts, jumping around and playing air guitar.

This seems to call for... Tool - 10 000 Days (Wings pt 2)

Dream Theater - Another Day

Paul McCartney - Another Day

Clan of Xymox - A Day

Dio - Just Another Day

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Live Another Day

The Cure - Another Day

It looks very cool!

My first Marshall (and my first decent amp). Well, not the actual amp, but one just like it. Bought it used from a friend of a friend of a friend, for around $250 I think (it was such a long time ago). It was not a tube amp but I seem to remember that it sounded pretty good. Coupled with the Korean Fender Squier Strat that I'd bought the year before, it was the closest approximation to my dream rig I could afford, and my first relatively decent set up. After I moved to Montreal for the second time, tough times hit and I had to sell some stuff. I hauled that thing on my shoulder and via subway throughout the city going from pawn shop to pawn shop. I got $40 for it - one of the pots was noisy - nothing a bit of air duster wouldn't fix. I was heartbroken but I was also starving so... I'd be curious to hear one of them again, to see whether it sounded as good as I remember.