Starting gear?

[The Spectre]

Sup, everyone! Wanted to post this question to see what all gear everyone started out with! For me, I have an Epiphone Special guitar and a Fender Frontman 10g amp. I don’t know much about the fine details of my stuff right now, though. So what all did you guys start with?

 

[Lindsey]

Originally I found an old broken unplayable acoustic guitar in the attic. The action was around an inch high and there were cracks in the body, But then i got a telecaster (brand unknown) and a small amp from The Animal, i still use them.

 

[Ed Seith]

I started in 1984 (ish) with a rented Fender Mustang and a tiny Peavey combo amp. The first guitar I owned was an Aria Pro II "Explorer" knockoff and a Sunn tube amp with a 1x12 and DOD Supra Distortion pedal. A couple years later, I bought my first "professional" guitar, a 1990 Ibanez RG550. I still have it.

 

[Javier Wienarjati]

My grandfather bought me a local 3/4 guitar 2 years ago, because my mom complaint I play too much screen time on pandemic. Now I use my grandfathers Yamaha FX310 and my Schechter SGR C1, the baby guitar is for my brother.

 

[Alicia Willis]

I started in 1984 (ish) with a rented Fender Mustang and a tiny Peavey combo amp. The first guitar I owned was an Aria Pro II "Explorer" knockoff and a Sunn tube amp with a 1x12 and DOD Supra Distortion pedal. A couple years later, I bought my first "professional" guitar, a 1990 Ibanez RG550. I still have it.

Hold up… “rented” ?! You could freaking rent guitars back in the day ?!

 

[The Spectre]

Hold up… “rented” ?! You could freaking rent guitars back in the day ?!

Yup! I’ve got a friend who used to play bass, and he started out by renting his gear.

 

[Alicia Willis]

My husband plays so when I got into it I used his stuff haha. I started on a Fender Lonestar Strat and a Peavy amp (do idea which one)
Now I’m rocking with my Schecter Hellraiser C-1 as my main guitar & a Marshall DSL 40C.

 

[Alicia Willis]

Yup! I’ve got a friend who used to play bass, and he started out by renting his gear.

I did not know this was a thing ! That’s so cool !

 

[Ed Seith]

Hold up… “rented” ?! You could freaking rent guitars back in the day ?!

LOL. Yeah, it was a small local music store. They typically worked with the middle and high schools so students could rent violins and oboes and other shit they used in band and stuff, and so they rented old guitars and amps out, too. I think together it was $15/month and Mom thought that was worth it in case I wound up not sticking with it (there was precedent). After a few months, I bought the Aria from my cousin Bobby who lived like an hour away and rented the amp ($5/mo) until I bought the Sunn amp (also for $100) later that summer. From there it was pedals and stuff until I bought a Fender M-80 half stack and eventually the Roland GP-16 multi-effect unit and foot controller in 90 and 91.

 

[Eric Kane]

I started playing in college with a late 90s Squier Telecaster, a really small Danelectro combo amp, and a DOD Grunge pedal. I was kind of embarrassed by the amp at the time, but it actually didn't sound too bad, and I wish I would've kept it. That's the only piece of gear I've ever sold. I'm now a gear hoarder, and I have literally everything else I've ever bought (which is a LOT of stuff). I rebuilt and refinished the Telecaster a couple of years ago as a pandemic project. It was originally a boring poly finish plain blue, but now it's nitro inca silver metallic with all black hardware. I don't play it much at all, but I'll never get rid of it.

 

[owen817]

Hold up… “rented” ?! You could freaking rent guitars back in the day ?!

You still can rent guitars. They usually have them at music schools

 

[owen817]

I started out on the fender squire combo way back in the day. Then I restarted with an epiphone sg and a fender mustang amp.
I currently own a Schecter Omen, Ltd 401, and a Ltd 10 and a marshall code 50