Name: Cynthia MacLeod
Website: www.cynthiamacleod.com
Location: Charlottetown, PE
Brand/model: Handmade violin from the Bohemian region of present day Czech Republic
Year made: 1894, restored in 2002
Price paid: $1,700 USD
Estimated value today: Unknown, but probably roughly the same.

Where, when, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
I was on tour in the north eastern U.S. in April 2010 when I forgot my rosin at a recording studio. On my way to the next gig, I stopped in at Somerset Violins in Waterville, ME to pick up some new rosin, and decided to stop by again the next day to test some instruments. I picked out two that I really liked and the shop owner, Harry Richter, was gracious enough to let me take them to my house concert gig for a trial run. It was a no-brainer; I bought this particular fiddle the following day and it’s been my number one instrument ever since. The fiddle was made in 1894 in a workshop in Schoenbach, which is in present day Czech Republic. It was a common practice in those days for workshops to put labels inside the violins without acknowledging who made the instrument. Inside my fiddle, the maker had written his name in pencil (a Mr. Winter, first name not legible), the location, and the year. Harry restored the instrument in 2002, and it stayed in his shop until I came across it in 2010.

Has the piece of gear undergone any modifications or upgrades?
The only thing I’ve had done, aside from general maintenance and set-up, is add an LR Baggs pickup.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
This fiddle has a vibrant tone that’s even across the entire range. The low range has a rich sound with good volume and the upper range cuts through
without being sharp or piercing. I just love playing this fiddle, whether it’s plugged in or just acoustic.

What is your most memorable performance or moment with this piece of gear?
This is a tough one… It’s seen some extremes, with gigs on hot sunny days in Cuba and outdoors this past New Year’s during sub-zero temperatures. Last fall, I had a contract with Norwegian Cruise Line, and it handled the salty air fairly well. I’ve recorded a live CD/DVD with this fiddle, performed on an East Coast Music Awards gala, and performed on Live! With Regis & Kelly. There have certainly been lots of highlights with this instrument, with hopefully more to come!

NAME: Christopher Bryon
LOCATION: Beauharnois, QC
BRAND/MODEL: Martin D-28
YEAR: 1969
PRICE PAID: $500
ESTIMATED VALUE: $5,000

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
Washington, DC, in 1969. Bored, I was on the way to buy a TV when I saw a guitar store and bought the Martin instead of the boob tube.

Has this piece of gear undergone any modifi cations or upgrades?
All original.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
The Martin is a delight to play and rings like a bell with a delicious tonality and sustain through the length of the fingerboard.

What is your most memorable performance or moment with this piece of gear?
Learning how to fingerpick “Freight Train” – still one of my favourites.

NAME: Marc Holt
BRAND/MODEL: Buescher S80-400 Baritone Sax
YEAR: 1973
PRICE PAID: $2,200

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
I bought this horn on eBay from a guy in New York in 2007. I was living in Biggar, SK at the time and the horn was shipped via FedEx. It made it all the way to Saskatoon and then the paper work fell off in the Saskatoon warehouse. They sent me a box full of blankets from Mexico instead.
Has this piece undergone any modifications or upgrades?
I recently had a full overhaul done to this horn. Full tear down, complete cleaning inside and out, all new pads, everything re-aligned. It’s like a brand new horn.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
Its sound is exactly what I want in a bari. It is so full and warm, but with a grit to it at the same time. It roars exactly the way you want a bari to when playing in a big band, but at the same time the high end has a fantastic sound for solo work.

What is your most memorable performance/moment with this piece of gear?
I have two very memorable performances that I cannot choose between. The fi rst was when I was on tour with the University of Saskatchewan Jazz Ensemble. We played at the Empire Theatre in Grand Forks, ND with the University of North Dakota Jazz Ensemble. The last tune of the show was done with both bands at the same time in this massive double big band. The tune was Bob Curnow’s arrangement of Pat Metheny’s “It’s (Just Talk).”  Such an amazing sound.
The second was my first professional gig. A group of Saskatoon’s top musicians put together a band called Memory Lane: A Tribute to the ‘40s, ‘50s & ‘60s. They asked me to play bari with the group. The group’s very first show was at the historic Third Avenue United Church in Saskatoon. It was an evening of great music with great players in a beautiful building!

NAME: Mike Stenhouse
LOCATION: Creston, BC
BRAND/MODEL: Line 6 James Tyler Variax JTV-59
YEAR: 2011
PRICE PAID: $1,800

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
Several years ago, I was at Axe Music in Calgary and I came across this Line 6 Variax (model 300). I tried it there and bought it on the spot! I have since upgraded to the newer James Tyler version of the Variax (JTV-59).

Has this piece of gear undergone any modifications/upgrades?
I haven’t changed anything physically, but software updates are released regularly – recently to HD quality. Wow!

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
It is the most innovative guitar I have ever played. I do classic rock, blues, and country, so having Strat, Tele, Les Paul, Rickenbacker, semi-acoustic, and acoustic guitar sounds, open tunings, and lots more built-in, it does every sound I need without changing or carrying other guitars! Nice playing; great sound. You can custom program any alternate tuning you wish or mix and match pickups. The sound of Les Paul P90s on a Strat is pretty punchy! Amazing guitar for what I do.

What is your most memorable performance/moment with this piece of gear?
I did a party this year for a group of guys who brought their own instruments for an “after jam” and I got to play along. I used the banjo sound, several open tunings, the sitar, and the 12-string acoustic sounds. It was great to break the mould and experiment live!

Name: Jason “Fingerz” Formanger

Location: Stephenville Crossing, NL

Brand/Model: Fender Stratocaster

Deluxe Year: 1992

Price Paid: $1,150

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
I was living in Stephenville, NL, and it was 21st birthday back in 1997. My dad came to visit and gave me the guitar as a birthday present. I love that guitar more than any instrument I have ever owned or will ever own. My dad passed away in 2001 from a heart attack so it holds great sentimental value for me as well. My dad was a very accomplished musician and also played guitar. He was close to retiring then so he gave it to me because he
knew I was just starting my own career.

Has this piece of gear undergone any modifications or upgrades?
Nope – 100 per cent original.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
The sound is absolutely amazing because these guitars have the ultra-quiet Lace sensor pickups in them. And it looks sweet too!

What is your most  memorable performance/moment with this piece of gear?
Recording my band LazyFinger’s first full-length CD called Bad Monkey in 2011.

 

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Name: Max Keenlyside

Location: Prince Edward Island

Brand/Model: Max  Keenlyside

Year: 2013

Price Paid: $0

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
I built this piano in my workshop over the past year.
Have any modifications/upgrades been done to this piece of gear?
It was handmade entirely from my own designs and materials.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
The white keytops; I made them out of light switch covers!

What is your most memorable performance/ moment with this piece of gear?
The first time it was fully functional. Playing it for the first time was an ethereal moment.

 

Do you have a rare, unique, or just plain interesting piece of gear you want to share with the Canadian Musician readership? Visit  canadianmusician.com/gearheads, fill out the form, and upload a high-res photo of you and your gear. We’ll take care of the rest.

Name: Barbara Finck-Beccafico

Location: Montréal, QC

Brand: TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch

Year: 2011

Price Paid: $480

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
I bought my VoiceLive Touch from TC Helicon last June through the Internet. It was a gift from my parents, who are very supportive of my project.

Have any modifications/upgrades been done to this piece of gear?
TC Helicon came out this year with the VoiceLive Touch 2, on which the main evolution is the looping aspect. I personally like the user-friendly look of the VoiceLive Touch 1; it’s more of an effects tool. I am pleased with the VoiceLive Touch 1, using a simple looping station on the side.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
I think most singers in bands are seen as “just singers” and not considered  “real musicians.” When you are in an indie band, most people will ask you, “Do you play an instrument, or do you just sing?” I always find this question quite frustrating because I consider myself a musician using my voice at its fullest.
Therefore, I think the best part of this piece of gear is that any singer can now empower this musician aspect and decide during live performances all aspects of the vocal production: echoes, delays, reverbs, and harmonies with different sounds and timing.

What is your most memorable performance/moment with this piece of gear so far?
I think that this is the best thing about this tool; every singing moment becomes a memorable moment! The creativity that you can have is enormous, and the thrill of making it happen live is great.
I don’t have one  specific moment in mind, but tons of them! When I got my TC Helicon, my band about: was on a mini tour in the US and it was quite amazing for me to feel that my voice was taken to another dimension. I indeed felt like an equal; a musician.

Do you have a rare, unique, or just plain interesting piece of gear you want to share with the Canadian Musician readership? Visit canadianmusician.com/gearheads,  fill out the form, and upload a high-res photo of you and your gear. We’ll take care of the rest.

 

Name: Ian Foster

Location: St. John’s, NL

Brand: Custom/Homemade

Year: 1999

Estimated value: N/A

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
I built this guitar with my father when I was in grade 12. Neither of us had any experience building guitars, though my father is a woodworker by trade. We used a variety of diagrams and how-to books, and I would be lying if I said we didn’t have our fair share of trial and error. Its shape is mildly influenced by the Van Halen Wolfgang, it has a rock maple strip down the centre a-la ES335, and it’s got two humbuckers. The result is a tone that’s often fat and round when clean and beefy when overdriven. The volume and tone knobs are custom, and were turned by my father on his lathe. (Incidentally, his lathe is also a custom job; he’s a handy guy.)

Has this piece of gear undergone any modifications or upgrades?
We “completed” this guitar in 1999, but it was far from perfect. It needed some adjustments and a proper set up, and originally had a DiMarzio pickup in the bridge position that just wasn’t working with the instrument. My good friend and stellar NL-based musician Joe Dominix sold me a matching Gibson ‘57 classic humbucker and made the adjustments that made this guitar what it is today. Ever since those modifications a few years ago, it has become my main gigging guitar.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
It’s hard to pick just one thing about this guitar as its best feature. I’m obviously extremely biased when I say this, but still, it’s an instrument that has a good feel and keeps its tuning extremely well. Because of the idiosyncratic nature of its design, it also sounds different than any guitar I’ve played before.

What is your most memorable performance/moment with this
piece of gear so far?
I never really saw the connection between my dad’s art and mine, other than perhaps the patience required for both. In the last few years, dad and I  have built a few things that are now central to my live performances. Last year we built a custom pedalboard as well as a kick drum stomp box. I’ve done a few local performances that my father has been able to attend, and there is one song in particular in my set, “Long Long Way”, that makes use of a few pedals in my pedalboard, my stomp box, and this custom electric. It has given me great pleasure to introduce the song and dedicate it to my dad for the simple reason that everything I’m doing musically in the piece relates directly back to him and the work we’ve done together.

 

Do you have a rare, unique, or just plain interesting piece of gear you want to share with the Canadian Musician readership? Visit canadianmusician.com/gearheads, fill out the form, and upload a high-res photo of you and your gear. We’ll take care of the rest.

Name: Ryan P. Gallant

Location: Prince Edward Island

Brand/Model: Gibraltar Rack System

Year: 1999-present

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?
As a drummer, collecting gear tends to come with the territory. When I purchased my first Gibraltar Rack System in 1999, I was instantly hooked and, for some reason, other gear collecting seemed to take a backburner. The feeling was comparable to getting your first Lego set and seeing how many different things you can create with the blocks. The reason I fell for the Gibraltar system is the simple fact that drums just look so mean behind a shining metal wall.

Have any modifications/upgrades been done to this piece of gear?
The beauty of using Gibraltar systems is that the mods and upgrades are based on your imagination. Over the years, I have acquired several different styles of Gibraltar Rack tubes. This allows me to modify my set-up in several ways to fit the style of music I am performing. When entering the studio to record Death Valley Driver’s second album, Graveyard Dead, I added some new effects to my kit including a remote hi-hat and some cymbal stackers, all of which mounted effortlessly on the rack system. I’m really excited to hear how it sounds after it’s done being mixed and mastered by Billy Anderson, who has worked with such heavy hitters as Sleep, High of Fire, Neurosis, and Orange Goblin.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?
The best feature of the rack system would have to be the flexibility for different setups. I play with many musicians, which requires me to change my set-up quite often. Having the option to add any drum, cymbal, or aux percussion to basically anywhere my imagination allows is phenomenal. As the drummer for a metal band, I play hard, heavy, and loud. I can hit as hard as I want and know my cymbals, drums, or even my beer are staying put.

What is your most memorable performance/moment with this piece of gear so far? None will ever trump July 14, 2011, when Death Valley Driver was honoured to share the stage with Metallica on the Halifax Commons. On that day, I hit my drums and cymbals harder than I ever thought possible and my Gibraltar never let me down.

 

 

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Name: Colby Latocha

Location: Brockville, ON

Brand/Model: G&L ASAT Deluxe Semi Hollow Body

Year: 2011

Price Paid: Absolutely nothing.

Estimated Value Today: Wouldn’t sell it!

When, where, and how did you obtain this piece of gear?

I’ve been endorsed by G&L since August 2011. We basically just approached G&L about working something out and they liked what they saw. The responsibilities that come with free product are simple, really: just try to promote the product as best as you can.

Have any modifications/upgrades been done to this piece of gear?

Negative. It was custom built to my exact specifications. I was spoiled by the folks at G&L.

What is the best feature of this piece of gear?

The unfinished neck on this guitar really does it for me. I can’t stand tacky neck finishes on guitars. But the ASAT Deluxes really weren’t made to be one-trick ponies. With humbuckers and a coil tap, you can really get whatever sound you want out of it. The Blackburst finish over the quilted maple top is also gorgeous.

 

What is your most memorable performance/moment with this piece of gear?

I was playing a gig with my band Catalina one night and when I solo, I frequently cut my hands on the strings, because if you’re going to party you have to do it right. The show ended and there was blood all over the guitar. It looked I had murdered someone with it. This wouldn’t have been a problem had we not had a festival show early the next morning. When I arrived and opened my guitar case, there were a bunch of elderly people gathered around who were less than impressed with what they were seeing. Pure rock ‘n’ roll.

 

Do you have a rare, unique, or just plain interesting piece of gear you want to share with the Canadian Musician readership? Visitcanadianmusician.com/gearheads, fill out the form, and upload a high-res photo of you and your gear. We’ll take care of the rest.