What's on your GAS list?

RNP. Do it.

I think the mbox1 has focusrite preamps, and I thought the RNP was an improvement on the MBox.

The Focusrite pres in the MBox1 are not actually horrible....if not pushed hard. I used then for a long time before I went to external pres and external clocking and conversion. Mnay folks will attest to the vast improvements since the ancient history days of MBox1.

I think you'll be happy with your choice. The difference in those preamps will not affect your music. Be confident.

Within reach..

Novation Impulse 49 controller.
A neck for my strat.

..after that I need to get a workhorse condenser. I don't really feel like I need a Nueman U 47 or anything - but seeing as how the SM57/58 is sort of the go to for a lot of applications - I was thinking an SM 81 might be of a similar standard? Sort of an unspoken "of course their's one of those in the mic drawer" of most studios?

Anyone have any thoughts on that?

I used to have an AKG C1000 and it worked alright - but I don't/didn't have a basis for comparison and I seem to remember it being not very well received by a lot of people (presumably of more experience than I)

Further down the road -
A bass
Marin Acoustic
Les Paul
Casio CDP 120 controller
Fender Twin
A decent Jazz drumkit..
..a 6 to 8 channel interface.. maybe another Focusrite, as the one I've got's treating me alright..

A nice oblong soundproof room to put it all in. ::sigh::

^^^ NEATO!!! ^^^

Have fun. Now you need more mics.

I wouldn't mind having a lap steel. The lap playing position doesn't come natural to me but I'm convinced I need to be able to 'dig in' with the slide more than I can on any of my electrics or electro-acoustics, so I think I need the raised strings.

Also, I wouldn't mind a nice little uke of some kind. I strung my 3/4 size classical as a ukulele for a while and it was pretty fun. But while it had the harmonic sound of a big uke, it didn't really nail the vibe. The little body actually adds a charming quality to a nice uke, I think.


Now, every time I flip past the cheapo Epiphone semi-hollows in MF catalogs, I get this itch... but I recently pulled out the Gibson ES325 that 'should be' the crown piece of my collection (at least as far as money goes, I spent $625 on it which is about $200 more than I ever spent on a guitar before)...

Since the amp's semi-open back (Fender Blues Jr) was pointed right at my sleeping cat, I threw a big pillow in back of the amp. And, whaddya know, perhaps unsurprisingly, it made a big diff in the sound of the amp -- a diff that worked much better for the woody sounding guitar.

Heat buildup proved a problem but I found that I could block the (large) bottom port on the amp, leaving just a cooling port for the tubes open and get about 90% of that tighter, dryer sound. And it really brought out what I'd been looking for in the Gibson.

It's still a bit tough getting used to the more narrow neck, but it's been a load of fun. I have the git strung with flat-wounds.

It appears I'm over my uke songwriting frenzy.

Yeah, I could see that. You are already in that territory with the Stella, a resonator might really cement that vibe.

(but how would Stella feel about this?)