1987 Kramer Striker (picked it up cheap. I know it's a Korean model, but it plays and sounds great and I love the color..)

1989 Peavey Tracer 89 Deluxe. (24 fret, 24 3/4 scale, maple fretboard, almost an exact copy of the more popular "Vandenburg" model - without the price tag.) Plays great and one of the better guitars I've owned in 30 years.

1990's-ish Jackson Reference 50 with cabs. EL34 power tubes and I count 6-12AX7 pre tubes in the front end. I used Jackson cabs back when I was playing clubs and just loved them. I used the red coned speakers then. These sound just as good. From what I can tell, this amp was a modded version of the Marshall JMP series. It's got that great 80's crunch without having to use a Tubescreamer. I got it last week for $450 or so, the complete stack. I think I got a great deal. I used Peavey VTM amps back then, but this sounds okay for me playing around the house.

As promised, gear from the 80's.

Okay, from memory, RG5xx, 6xx or 7xx Ibanez guitars (the orange was a very bright day-glo and the purple had EMG's), 1982 or so Fender Strat slightly modified with a Floyd, tons of rack effects controlled by a Bradshaw MIDI switcher, a Kasha Rockmod 1 prototype preamp (awesome can't explain the sound it had) sadly sold years ago. The effects were very state of the art at the time. Everything was controlled by MIDI including the channel switching via a SR&D Rockman Octopus (ala' Tom Sholz from the group Boston.) I even had a pitch shifter and a digital mixer in the pile. I played and sounded a lot like Steve Vai at the time. Peavey heads. I had a Butcher (JCM copy) and a VTM series (very hot modded JCM copy wish I could find another locally) and I eventually got rid of the Butcher and got another VTM. Adrian Vandenburg bought my 1969 Super Lead 100 Plexi Marshall head and I got the VTM. When he found out later, he told me he would have traded me several VTM's for the Marshall. I think I sold it for $500 or 600.

I had two other Jackson cabs at the rehearsal studio (I think I was on my way to a small gig and couldn't bring everything.) I had flight cases for the cabs and a road case for the dual heads (seen below) and flight cases for the guitars. Samson Diversity wireless with multiple transmitters and I think I had a wireless headset mic in there as well.

Before some of the other effects and a switch to Jackson speakers. 1978 Gibson Explorer. Loved that guitar. Wish I never sold it.

And a real treat, me in the 1980's. I know, a real rock star wannabe. I did hang with some famous people back in the day and had some small fame notoriety in the Reno area at the time. I have lots of cool stories including the audition for Lou Graham of Foreigner set up by Ronnie James Dio himself after doing some work for Dio. I also have Whitesnake stories from their pinnacle of fame days as I spent some time with them during the recording of "Slip of the Tongue."

I worked for a music store back then and got great deals on equipment and did side work for local bands, played in my own and did engineer work for major acts when they came into town. It was a great life while it lasted.

I couldn't afford one then and surely can't afford it now. Awesome looking guitar.

I'll just settle for my Peavey. It sounds good enough but I wish it had a Floyd.

That is an awesome guitar too! I saw the thread on when you bought it. Very nice and never knew they had a project like that for employees. I've played PRS guitars back in the 80's. They were nice, but pricey.

I used Ibanez back then because as a music store employee, I could get the nice Japan built RG5-7xx series for about $500 or a little less. These were retailing for $700 and up. I got most of my stuff for cost plus 10%.

Since you build guitars, I have a couple of questions if you don't that I pm you.

I never realized how much I missed playing when I sold most of my stuff.