Piano, sax, bass, and drums. I'm trying to get harmonica down but I'm not very good. I've joked about trying bagpipes for years but I doubt I ever actually will.
I mostly use pure nickel strings, but a couple guitars get nickel wound and one gets flats.
SG usually Gibson Vintage Reissues. Tele usually DR Pure Blues. I've also used Ernie Ball, Curt Mangan, GHS, and D'addario without any complaints.
Flatwounds I use Chromes as they're cheaper than other...
I went through all of these only to realize the red Jazz III (regular, not XL) is still my favorite for electric and the green Tortex is my favorite for acoustic. I've stopped trying to find anything I like better. Unfortunately I now have a load of picks I'll never use.
Sometimes I'll use the...
I have a Fender DG-11 (cheap) that I added a strap button to just like the one on my SG. I really like it.
I hate the placement of the button that is on my Guild. Seems to make the guitar hang weird. Pretty sure it's factory and wasn't added by a previous owner. I should try the headstock...
I've been changing my acoustic strings more often than electric, and even the acoustic strings last a few months. Acoustic strings you can hear easily when they need to be changed. Electrics, usually when I see/feel flatspots or break a string.
I've been experimenting quite a bit too with what I have to choose from. Somehow this works really well.
The Luxury Drive-->Hot Cake has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Hot Cake alone is great breakup sound; adding the Luxury Drive in front of it thickens it up quite nicely. The...
I like my BlueSky. It has a decent amount of options without being overkill. My preset is a dark spring reverb to match an old combo amp reverb I liked. I think it sounds good. I'm sure there are better spring reverb sounds available now in newer pedals but I'm happy with it. The shimmer and mod...
The SG has been my favorite guitar since I bought my Standard new in '93. Everything is stock on mine aside from adding some foam under the pickups to match the string angle. I use that guitar for everything so I feel it's quite versatile.
My tele, SG, '90s Talman, and Guild acoustic all live in cases when not being played. All other guitars are out, either on stands or on a rack I built.
Jump in the Fire is still my favorite Metallica song.
Everything on Kill 'Em All has aged better than the St. Anger snare drum.
https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/07/producer-bob-rock-explains-snare-metallica-st-anger/
Currently my main amp is an old small Kalamazoo Reverb 12. It's an open-back 10" speaker combo amp. But, it has an 8ohm speaker out so I've been plugging it into my Mesa 4x12 and it sounds glorious. 4x12 cab brings out the fullness and bass that the open-back 10" combo just can't do. The 4x12...
If you like the board layout as-is you could get the 3' cable you mentioned and keep the excess cable tucked under the board with wire ties. The pedals are on the outside so the full-size plugs won't change pedal spacing. Could also build a cable.
Usually.
If I was eating, doing yardwork, or in the woodshop then yes for sure wash hands before playing. If I took a shower then used my computer or watched TV for an hour or so before playing then probably not.
0000 steel wool on frets, but I don't really use steel wool on the board. Maybe steel wool lightly and just in spots if it's really needed. Usually wiping the board with a cloth is good enough. My boards are fairly clean and I like to think it's because I wash my hands before I play.
The first one in my SG many years ago was the worst and took close to a day. I was young, the guitar was expensive (to me), and the ding was a bump on a stupid shelf...not even a cool story to it. That was many years ago and the guitar has many more dings now. I actually find dings on it now and...
I haven't tried the Martin Monels yet but I am going to try a set of them next string change. I use the Curt Mangan Monels on my SG sometimes and I really like them. I don't have to change them until I break a string.
It's a toss-up between a few things.
'91 Squier Strat was my first guitar it was marked down to $199 for Christmas sale. Technically I didn't buy it...my parents did as my birthday/Christmas present. I still have it and I still love that guitar. Coolest blue ever.
In '93 or '94 I bought a...